Seventy Cents for Home Made Laundry Detergent

Hey Friends! We have made our own laundry detergent for the past 2 months. It is a liquid detergent, so it is better for your washing machine and septic system. If you want to make it yourself click on the link above or see the side bar. This also makes a great science experiment. The kids and I had fun making it. The three main ingredients

Washing soda, borax and a bar of soap you like (I used dial the first time)

react to make a stiff gelatin substance. This you stir after 24 hours, it is then ready to use. We use 1/2 cup at a time. My husband and I have been pleased with the results. The only down side is no fragrance unless you use a smell good soap. It is possible to add essential oils for fragrance. I think I could boil some rose petals in the water before adding the soap. If I do and it works, or doesn't, I'll let you all know.

All this hassle cost $0.70 to make. It yields 2 gal of finished product. Using 1/2 cup at a time I can wash 128 loads. If you don't want to make it yourself, I'd be happy to let you try some of mine. If you like the results and still don't want to make it, I'd be happy to sell you mine. Again, the kids and I had fun making goop.

Take Care, Rachael

Sweet Potatoes Easy Gift

There are 6 pots left of 10 sitting in my front yard. As friends and family leave I have been sending them with a sweet potato plant. The plant may never produce any thing but beauty, but they make a perfect free gift to those who are patient.

All those planted in my garden are doing well. They are beginning to run. Staying true to their nature, they are drought resistant now that they are established. I won't bother with them till the end of summer. We are looking forward to casseroles and chips. YUM!

Starting Sweet Potatoes

Lately, George Washington Carver has become one of my heroes. He is a person worth getting to know. I stumbled across one of his writings and found it most informative on sweet potatoes. Here in the South a plant that has few pests and is drought resistant is a big deal.


1. I purchased 4 sweet potatoes (only one is necessary). I cut them in half. We put some cut side up and some cut side down. The cut side down worked better (Thank you daughter).


2. We pushed 4 toothpicks into the sides of the potato to keep it suspended in a cup of water. After 2 weeks of maintaining the water level, little sprouts came from the potatoes called slips.


3. Pull the slips off the potato when they are at least 6 inches long and plant and put in dirt.


4. Water daily for the first 2 weeks.


After they are established they are virtually drought resistant. It takes 120-140 days till harvest and they must be cured before eating. This can be a deterrent for gardeners. I have successfully cured one potato in my own kitchen. It was not difficult. I only had to let it sit on my counter for 14 days before eating it. Amazingly, the starches are transferred to sugars giving the sweet potato it's name.


Gardening is fast becoming more than a hobby. With the cost of every thing on the rise the necessity for home gardens is catapulted to font page news. The problem is that most Americans have lost the knowledge. The natural transfer of 'how tos' was lost in the generation gap. Do not despair however. Despite popular trend, a few have taken the time to learn from their parents and grandparents.

Thankfully, I still have both sets of grandparents and I knew all but one of my great grands. Here in this 'crisis' I can call any one of them and hear practical money saving ways to live. From growing vine crops on the fence to using wood ashes to prohibit bad organisms from gaining a foot hold. (Wood ashes also force a bloom.) Seek out the practical hands on advice of the elderly in you community. Yes, we can learn so much by reading on the Internet, but hands on learning is the best.

Cost of Angel Food Ministries

I did the pricing on angel food ministries. Here is my break down of the $30/month:

First I took off the average cost of the non meat items. This left $12.67. I totaled up the weight of meat by pounds which is 11.6 lb. This makes the meat $1.09/lb for this month. I am sure each month would be different. I consider this a great deal for meat. Even though I can make the other items cheaper, the savings on meat alone is worth it. I will still use the other things. The actual cost in groceries is $6.92/week.