Homemade Fabric Softener

3 cups vinegar
2 cups Hair Conditioner (Suave has a lot of fun scents and is pretty cheap)
6 cups water

I have been putting them in empty hair shampoo / conditioner, creamer, mouthwash and ketchup containers.  More so so I can give away as gifts with the recipe on the outside of the container.

I have also seen some really great ideas for conserving fabric softener:

• Take your fabric softener and put it into an ice cream bucket or something and mix with half water.  Use an old washcloth and soak it in fabric softener. When you are ready to dry your clothes, take the washcloth out of the container and squeeze dry and then throw it in with your laundry in the dryer.  
• Throw in an aluminium foil ball for static. (have not tried, but sounds like an interesting idea)
• Spiked rubber balls instead of using fabric softener.
• Putting vinegar in the rinse load when washing clothes.
• Cut the dryer sheets in half or even 1/4's
• Mix equal portions of regular liquid fabric softener with hot water in a spray bottle. When adding clothes to the dryer follow with several spritzes onto a washcloth and toss it in the dryer. You could also just spritz into the dryer.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 bar of soap (I use Fels Naptha - which is made by Dial - you can usually get this at whole foods markets or small town grocery stores in the laundry aisle)

1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1/2 cup Borax

5 gallon container

few drops of essential oil if desired (I personally like the lemony smell of Fels Naptha and don't use an oil)

Grate the bar of soap (I use a cheese grater)

Melt the soap in 4 cups of water - keep stirring until melted

Fill 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water

Add melted mixture, soda and borax

Fill to the top with more hot water

Stir and let sit for 24 hours then stir again (the first couple days seem to be the most important for stirring. If you forget the second day, it seems to be kinda clumpy - kinda like children's goop)

This then makes 5 gallons of Laundry soap for about $2.00

It is so easy and it only takes 10 minutes

It will thicken up in about a week - stir each day

The different bar soaps you can use instead of Fels-Naptha are Ivory, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk's Hardwater Castile & Zote. They say not to use heavily perfumed soaps.

Also - so to eliminate the clumpy children's goop - stir it in the bucket with this attached to a drill

AWESOME!!  They are called Mix-All Mixer or Paint Mixer for drill

Zuppa Toscana Recipe (like Olive Garden)

Okay - so I haven't done much with my blog :) However, I am thinking I am going to start using it to share random thoughts and things I have tried with everyone. I was talking to a friend who said they go to Olive Garden all the time and love their Zuppa. Amazing! Anyway - once she said her husband has been making it at home because he likes it so much, I had to do the same thing. Never thought of it myself... So of course since I had the craving for Zuppa now, I am also going to start making it at home. It was awesome! I didn't use the kale and I put the crushed red peppers in after, because half of us doesn't like hot stuff :) I love hot stuff! Yeah - it was amazing!!

Copy Cat Recipe: Olive Garden's - Zuppa Toscana

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Directions:
Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients
In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic.
Cook until boiling.
Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add heavy cream and cook until thoughouly heated.
Stir in the sausage.
Add kale just before serving.