Homemaker

Since I have been back to real life and living with my hubby in Idaho, I feel I have become quite the little homemaker. Yes, much of what I have been doing has been born of boredom, but it is things I have always wanted to do. I do enjoy being able to cook and have nice meals ready for Michael when he comes home and I really like that I can get everything done (errands, shopping, bills, cleaning, etc) when he is not home so that I am really free when he does arrive. But here are some things I have been doing which I definitely will keep doing, even after things get busier and I find a job. 

Making Buttermilk:

It is sooooooo easy! All you have to do is buy a little cultured buttermilk in the carton from the store, and then you can be making buttermilk forever! I use it in biscuits, pancakes, muffins, coffeecake, really any kind of baking product. I will probably start making bread with it. All you have to do is remember the 3:1 ratio. 3 parts milk to 1 part buttermilk. Just use a clean jar of some kind, put your buttermilk in the bottom, pour the milk on top and mix, then leave someplace warm for 24 hrs and viola! you have buttermilk, just put it then in the fridge and it will last for a couple of weeks at least!

I made this small batch with 1.5 cups milk and 1/2 cup buttermilk

This was a batch of buttermilk I made like 2 weeks ago and it was still great! I made the absolute most awesome buttermilk pancakes with it this morning, I just kind of made them up with what I had. They were kind of healthy too (mom and nancy, you've got to try them!)

Sara's Whole Wheat, Flax, and Oat Pancakes:

1/2 Cup whole wheat flour

1/4 Cup wheat germ

1/4 Cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats

1 Tbs flax seeds

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Cup buttermilk

1 Tbs oil

1 Tbs honey

Mix up the dry ingredients. Beat the egg separately and mix the oil, honey, and buttermilk with the egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Cook in skillet over medium heat. Enjoy with maple syrup!

Making my own laundry detergent:

This one may seem kind of strange, because laundry detergent isn't really that expensive, but this way is so much cheaper!! I'm not sure what made me decide to try this, maybe because I've always wondered what they used in laundry detergent to get my clothes clean, but now I am making my own and can know what is in it and is incredibly inexpensive. So far just a little bit gets the clothes really clean!

You only need three ingredients. (1) Washing soda (2) Borax (3) A bar of soap (I used a laundry soap called fels-naptha, but you could use ivory). 

Here is the recipe:

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted. Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved. Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed. Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

I cut the recipe into only a fourth of what is said up there because I didn't want a whole bucket. I also added 15 drops of essential oils to the final addition of water and mixing, to give it a pretty scent.

Grated soap bar

Final soap


I know, it looks kind of gross, but it works great, and it is cheap!!! That is how much my quarter recipe made and I have been doing laundry for a month now. Granted there are only two of us, but when you look at how much I used out of those boxes of Borax and Washing soda (1/2 cup each), I will be making laundry soap for the next year and the initial cost of all the ingredients was $7.50.  You can also use the borax to clean almost anything else in the house. so it can serve a dual purpose.

The last part of this post has nothing to do with homemaking, it is just something I found at Walmart.

GIANT MARSHMALLOWS!!!!!

I'm not a huge marshmallow eater, but I love rice krispy treats and I do like me some smores. And I absolutely can't wait to go camping to use these! They are giant campfire marshmallows. I have the apple in there for reference. That is a medium/large apple! Imagine a marshmallow that big! They make them now!

I probably won't be able to wait until camping. I can see me out over the grill next time we grill, roasting my marshmallow for a smore. (mom, do they have these at walmart down there? the kids would love them!)

Anyway, that is what I have been up too! I have also managed to finally finish my wedding scrapbook (it only took 2 yrs) and I now have my Pier 1 job so that will be taking up 20 hrs of my week. Everyone have fun making your own buttermilk and laundry detergent!