Let's do some laundry

Growing up, my mom never let me do laundry.  I left for college without knowing how to work a washer.  I asked my mom numerous times to show me how to do laundry, but she's particular about things being done her way (I mean we all are at times, right?), so I usually didn't push the issue too hard.  Maybe that's why I like doing laundry and feel sort of oddly accomplished when I do it.  Plus, I'm a really awesome folder (no, seriously) and my tshirt piles are rather impressive. 

And maybe that's why I decided to make my own laundry detergent.  That plus hating how expensive detergent was and how fast it disappeared - and that I have a slight bit of hippy in me.  That's something my mom did teach me :)

So do you want to make your laundry detergent?  I used this tutorial and it was super easy.  You just need these 3 simple ingredients and a cheese grater.

Borax, Soap, Washing Soda



(I found both the Borax and Washing Soda at my grocery store, but I had to order the soap from Amazon - still easy and cheap).

You measure out 1 cup of both Borax and the washing soda, do a little lot of grating (this was the hardest part for me, which I think speaks for just how easy this is), put it in a bowl, mix it all up, and VOILA instant laundry detergent!  Depending on how much I use (you're supposed to use 1 tablespoon, but for smaller loads I just guestimate) it smells fresh but not perfumey, or just slightly lemony.  But I love lemon so it all works out.  Also, the boxes hold about 5 cups each and I've yet to make a dent in my first batch of dergent that I made back in April.  So awesome.

What about the dryer you ask?  Did I go all crazy there too?  You bet I did.  Enter dryer balls:

Wool Dryer Balls - Confetti Bright



These have replaced my dryer sheets.  They last years and years, help dry things faster by absorbing the water (they are made of super thick felted wool), and they're just plain fun.  I use 8 for big loads and 4 for smaller loads.  And I heart them.  I ordered my set from a shop on Etsy called Clean Sypria.  I saw numerous other shops selling them, but I liked that her listings include an awesome Q&A all about dryer balls and their benefits.  Plus you can get them scented if you want! (I didn't, but I might add some smell good some day).  Plus I never have to buy dryer sheets again!  Mother Earth and my wallet are both smiling right now.

Who knew laundry could be so much fun?!  Maybe that's why my mom held out on me all those years. 

PS: I have a good excuse for being MIA this time.  No really.  I'm moving to San Francisco.  More on that some other time.


Borax picture from Drugstore.com, Fels Naptha and Super Washing Soda pictures from Amazon.com, Wool Dryer Balls picture from Etsy.



i love lamp

A long, long time ago (last Christmas to be exact) I bought a brown vase with the intent of turning it into a lamp.  Then, a few weeks later I was strolling through Marshall's home section and found the very same vase (on clearance for $5!), only it was clear instead of brown.  Now I could have matching-but-not-too-matchy-matchy lamps.  Heck yes.

Fast forward to me finding this tutorial for how to make a knockoff lamp shade of this Anthropologie one:

Well Defined Ensemble Lamp (for a mere $388!!!!)

I was sold.  So back in April, after buying 2 lamp kits for Home Depot, 2 shades from Target, and 1 dictionary, I ended up with these bad boys:

Off...

and on!

The lamp kits were $10 each from Home Depot and although I did have to get different size "stoppers" to fit into my vases (which my dad drilled holes into when my parents visited in April), it was super easy to assemble.  The tutorial for the lamp shade was also super easy.  The only thing I did differently was instead of doing random ripped up pieces of paper I used strips (which made mine bubble just a bit instead of laying totally flat, but I tend to like the not-100%-perfect look).  So basically, I made 2 bed side table lamps that I love with this budget breakdown (I had to buy just about everything):

- 2 vases: $13

- 2 lamp kits: $20

- 2 lamp shades: $12

- 1 dictionary: $5

- (I'm not counting those other stoppers we had to get because they were only like 50 cents or something and my dad went to Home Depot without me)

Total cost: $50

Take that Anthropologie.

Oh and one other note: if you decide to do a similar lamp shade, be careful of the pages you choose.  I tried to pick ones that had words that had special meaing (North Carolina, Southeast, and baseball all made the cut) I accidentally included a page that has a word that starts with "chla" and ends with "mydia." Funny how that word and chivalry were on the same page.

what the hell is a crispelle?

Now that it's finally finally getting warmish around here (and my warm I mean on May 8 we're having spring - low to high 60s for all of next week) Will will be taking over the dinner duties.  Because he has an awesome grill and he likes to use it.  Good timing because I haven't really been in the cooking mood recently (although a new cookbook that just arrived might help me out).  And on top of it, the last cooking experience was um, not great.

Let me preface this and say I don't think this recipe is bad - it just didn't work out for me and I doubt I'll be trying it again.  But I am glad I gave it a shot. 

So anyways, it's Homemade Spinach Manicotti from Gina's Skinny Recipes. 

skinnytaste.com

Notes:

1)  I made the crispelles the night I intended to make the whole dish.  My bad.  Not only did I use up all my eggs on the crispelles only to remember I needed one for the filling, but I also struggled making these things.  It says you should make 16.  I ended up with 8.  Usually I'm okay with cutting a recipe in half like that, but since it was unintentional I just got off to a bad start.  Again, not the recipe's fault.

2)  My frozen crispelles were a) oddly hard to dethaw and b) difficult to work with since I lost the patience to let them completely dethaw.  Starting to understand why I'm weary of trying this one again?

3)  I bought bad marinara sauce.  I failed.

4)   They took way longer to cook than the recipe said.  Probably because my crispelles were too thick?  Maybe because the cooking gods just wanted to mess with me?

5)  I don't like the word crispelle.

6)  After everything was said and done, they were fine.  And fine, after over 24 hours of preparation just didn't do it for me.

To sum it up: I loved the idea of not-as-bad-for-me manicotti and I loved the idea of making my own shells, but turning into a dish I loved just didn't happen.  I really don't think it was the recipes fault - I mean it tasted like every other manicotti I've ever had - but just thinking about making this again tires me out.  Thank goodness for Will's grilling abilities.

family dinner

April felt like it lasted forever.  It also flew by.  First it was Will's birthday.  Then my parents came to visit!  Then Will and I went to Maine to visit my friends Meredith and Cain.  Then it was Easter and I flew down to NC for a long weekend.  I guess you could say it seemed to drag on because it just now started getting warm in good ol Connecticut.  I had to dig out my summer clothes from their bins in the garage just to have something to wear while I was down south.  Silly silly north.

I also did some cooking in April.  And some home decoring.

But first, let's start with a meal I whipped up while my parents were here.  I am a big fan of Mexican food and one thing my bubble in Connecticut does not have is yummy, simple, combo-filled, cheap Mexican food.  My particular favorite is chicken chimichangas.  So of course, when I found a Roast Chicken Chimichanga recipe from Cooking Light, I was sold.  Luckily, my parents aren't too picky - and are pretty fond of Mexican food themselves.

Picture from Cooking Light

My notes and/or changes:

1) I used a store-bought roasted rotisserie chicken because I thought the flavor would be nice - oh, and it was super easy

2) I used shredded monterey jack cheese because I couldn't find queso fresco cheese

3) I used black beans (Whole Foods Spicy Black Bleans) instead of refried beans and mashed them a bit 

4) I used wheat tortillas

5) Make sure you have all the ingredients you need before you start making.  I was happily rolling up chimichangas when all of a sudden I realized I had just 4 tortillas and not a full pack.  Luckily Dad drove down the road to the store and saved the day.

6) Speaking of tortillas, I ended up using 7 because I had enough chicken filling to do so.

Results: it was delicious!  We all really liked them.  They had a good flavor without being greasy or too heavy.  I would definitely do this again.  And I think my parents would too.

Click here for the recipe and nutrition info!

you have got to be kidding me

And on March 21, this happened.

Apparently Connecticut wants to get rid of me because really there's just no other explanation for it.

good morning yummy breakfast

Let's get this out there: I am not a morning person.  But I am a huge breakfast person.  I love it all the time.  I especially love eggs and turkey bacon. 

Even though I love breakfast, my usual weekday routine is pretty boring: Greek yogurt or oatmeal with almond butter and honey.  Although I love them both, sometimes I just want something that has a little more of a weekend-breakfast feel.  So when Cooking Light sent out an email last week that said "17 Grab-and-Go Quick Breakfast Recipes," I was beyond excited.

First recipe that I had to try:  Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

source

Note:  I used frozen turkey sausage instead of ham because I don't eat ham.  And I didn't use thyme because I apparently threw mine away, but I'm also not a huge fan of it (maybe why I threw it away?).

Pros:
- Easy!  Whenever something is easy, I automatically like it more.
- Seriously low in calories (which makes mid morning snacks so guilt-free)
- Tasty - the onions and sausage and cheese play really well off each other
- I have breakfast for a week!

Cons:
- Even though you do eat 3 of them (per serving), they are small little things
- Onions can be iffy in the morning, but they aren't too potent and I always have tea and/or water right after breakfast (and gum in my purse)

To sum it up: these make breakfast a little more fun and exciting!  And who doesn't like an exciting breakfast?

best snack ever

I love finding healthy snack ideas because a) I snack a lot and b) I don't want to eat something bad when I'm already sitting at a desk for 7+ hours a day.  So not fun.

So when I found this little diddy, I was thrilled!  Chickpeas?  Yes please.  Sweet?  Yes.  Spicy?  Of course!  Quick and easy?  Oh emm gee.

If you want something quick and easy and yummy and filling and wonderful, definitely make these spicy roasted chickpeas.

source

Highlights:
- Easy
- More fun than almonds (not that I don't love almonds, but I like variety even more)
- Filling!
- I look forward to my mid-afternoon snack
- I threw them on some spinach with walnuts and feta for a quick and easy salad

Cons:
- When they're gone I am just so sad

Click here for the recipe.  Do it now!