Hanging clothes in the House

Here is a money saving laundry tip that I use-

Many people do not like hanging their clothes outside on the clothes line in the winter. I can't hang the laundry outside in the winter, because we have a wood burning fire place, if I was to hang the clothes out on the line, they would smell of smoke from the fire. So, I hang the laundry in the house. I have a retractable clothes line in the bathroom and a wooden clothes rack to hand clothes on.
Tonight, when I was hanging up the laundry, I ran of things to hang the clothes on, I quickly solved this problem by taking the handles of a broom and a mop and putting them on the top of two chairs. This added some more space to hand the clothes up. I then hung the laundry on clothes hangers and hung them on the broom handles to dry in the living room. I think it is beautiful to see my laundry hanging up in the house!
By the way, this is also a way to not use the dryer, save on the electric bill, and it is better for the enviroment!

Belle

giveaway

A lynette jenson book is going to be given away in a give away on MountainMorning's blog. She is celebrating her 100th blog entry!

To sign up for the giveaway, go to the link below , read the rules of this giveaway (they are on her blog), and leave her a comment with your email address.

Here is the link -
http://mountainmorning.blogspot.com/2008/11/100th-post-giveaway.html

Belle

Homemade Laudry Soap: How to make it (tutorial)

Today, I made homemade laudry soap. While, I was making it I thought,"I should put the recipe for this soap and how to make it on my blog." So, I will post how to make it.
This is the recipe for homemade soap make a five-gallon bucket full of liquid soap.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Supplies needed for this project:

• 1 Bar of Fel-Naptha Soap
• 2 cups of Borax
  
• 2 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing (not baking) Soda
• a pot and a lid
  
• a clean five-gallon bucket
• a spoon
• a grater (like a cheese grater)
• a large stick for stirring - a broom handle works great!
• 
  

First, grate the bar of Fels-Naptha with a grater, in the pot.

When I grate soap, I usually wear a mask or a bandana over my mouth and nose so I don't breathe in the fumes of the soap.

Put hot water in the pot with the grated soap, enough hot water to cover the grated soap. Put a lid on the pot of grated soap and heat the soap on the stove on meduim heat .

Now, put 2 cups of Borax and 2 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda) in the five-gallon bucket.


Fill the five-gallon bucket with hot water, leave enough head-space in the bucket to add the pot of melted soap. Stir the hot water, Borax, and Arm & Hammer Washing soda with your long stick as you fill the bucket with the hot water. Do not add the water too quickly or will get a bunch of bubbles and soapy suds.
When the pot of grated soap is completely melted, it can be poured into the five-gallon bucket. Rinse the pot with water after all the soap is poured in and put the rinse water in too, so the whole bar of soap gets into the pot.

Stir the mixture together well and it is finished! You can use the soap immediatly, but do not bottle the soap for a day or two. In a few hours after making this soap usually turns into a thick gel, much like Jello. It is best to stir the soap every few hours or as often as possible for a day or two.

After a day or more of sitting in the bucket, it can be bottled. I store my soap in clean containers, juice containers work well. Any container used needs too be clean!

This Homemade Laundry soap doesn't make a bunch of suds like the laundry detergents from the store, but it does clean the laundry. To wash a one load of laundry, use one cup of homemade laundry soap.

This soap doesn't get the whites as white and bright as I like them, so I add about a cup of color safe bleach powder detergent to the whites, along with the cup of homemade laundry soap. I like the Sun brand color safe bleach. I get it at the Dollar Tree.

This soap has definately save money for my family! I hope you enjoy this recipe!

-Belle-

Strawberry Tarts and Recipe!

Friday, I made some strawberry tarts to share with some friends.

I love tarts! I love to make them and I love to eat them.

I bought my 11 tart pans and a heart shaped jello mold, which works great as a tart pan, for only $1.00 at a flea market. I had been looking for some and I finally found them at that flea market I went to. I was very excited to get them! Below is a picture of the heart shaped jello mold, one of my heart shaped tart pans, and one circle tart pan.

Here is the recipe to make strawberry tarts.

Strawberry Tarts

Recipe for Tart shell:

Tart Shell

• 2 Cups flour
• 1 teapsoon salt
• 2/3 cups shortening
• 6 to 7 tablespoons of cold water

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the water over the mixture; toss gently with a fork. Gradually add more of the tablespoons of water while working with the mixture until the dough is moistened enough to form into a ball.Form the dough into a ball and flatten the dough, with hands, on a lightly floured surface.

Roll the dough into a even piece of dough.

Lay the tart pan on the dough and cut around it 1/4 inch away from the pan.

Press the piece of cut dough into the tart pan. Apply enough pressure to the dough so that the dough will stay in place inside of the tart pan.

Now, prick the dough inside the tart pan with a fork.

After the dough in the pan has been pricked, it should look like the picture below.

After the all of the tart pans are filled with the dough and pricked, they can now go into the preheated oven. (Below is a picture before they have been baked.)
Here is a picture of the tart shells after they have baked.

Now the tart shells are ready to be filled.

Here is the recipe to make strawberry filling.

Strawberry Filling

• 2 tubes of Wick's Strawberry Glaze (it can be found in the produce aisle, it is NOT THE SUGAR- FREE)
  
• 2 quarts of Fresh Strawberries
  

Wash and strain the strawberries. Core and slice the strawberries into small slices and put slices in a medium miing bowl. Add the tubes of strawberry glaze to the sliced strawberries and gently fold together with a spatula. After glaze and strawberries are combined, pour it into the tart shells.
Put a little whipped cream on top of each tart before serving and they are ready to eat. Enjoy!

Belle

Please vote for my other blog in the 2008 Homeschool blog awards. I appreciate the votes! Below is the link to vote for my blog -

http://homeschoolblogawards.com/best-homemaking-or-recipes-blog-2008/

My blog name is Born 100 Years too Soon.

Bow Tie QUilt Blocks

These are some pictures of Bow-Tie quilt blocks that Granny, Mom, and I made. All of these blocks are sewn by hand. These were made with two mens shirts that were thrown out. The shirts had some stains and tears, that is probably why they were thrown out. We cut the shirt into blocks (avoiding the tears and stains that were on them). It is neat that these pretty quilt block were made out of two old shirts. It is a great way to recycle and reuse!
All of these blocks were made in our spare time when we were at a doctor's office waiting or when we were just sitting around doing nothing at all we would pick up up our little pieces and get to sewing!

Here is a picture of the blocks close up.
This is a picture of our hand sewn seams.

I enjoy quilt - making with my Granny ,Mom, and sister. I ecspecially love the quilts that are made with old scrap clothing. I think the prettiest quilts are made with scraps.

Belle

My Homemade Birthday Cake - with buttercream frosting recipe

I recently celebrated my birthday with my family. I made two cakes, one white one chocolate, with buttercream icing. All of my family loves buttercream frosting like the bakeries use on their cakes. My family and I thought it tasted like the buttercream icing from the bakeries. I am so happy that I know how to make Buttercream Icing!

I decorated the cake myself with the cake decorating kit that Mom bought for me. I think I did pretty well on the roses, then being the first time I have ever made them. I was a little sloppy on my writing..... I need learn to make the roses taller, and I also need to get better at putting the roses on the the cake more neatly. Writing on cakes is tricky.

Here is the recipe for the Buttercream Icing for you all:

ButterCream Icing

1 cup solid vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (powered sugar)

2 tablespoons milk

Cream shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at meduim speed until light and fluffy. Makes three cups.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use, this will keep the icing from drying out. For best results, keep icing bowl in the refridgerator when not in use. Refriderate in an airtight container, this recipe can be stored for 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For frosting the cake, you will need it more creamy.

Belle

Just Be T-Shirt GiveAway!!

There is a T-Shirt GiveAway going on here -
http://pbandpickles.blogspot.com/2008/11/just-be-clothing.html?showComment=1226171640000#c3034235825158138251

It is for a Just Be T-Shirt. Go to the link above to check out the details on the giveaway.

Belle

Cowboy Print Underwear and Sock Monkeys!

I made this cute pair of under wear/boxer shorts last night for my brother. I really love the cowboy print on this cotton, my brother likes it too!

The underwear pattern say it is supposed to take an hour to make these, but it takes me longer than an hour. I did notice that I got this pair finished a lot faster than the first two pair I made for my little brother.

Above is the finished underwear and below is a close-up on the print.

My brother is making a sock monkey. Mom found some socks for sock monkey making at Hobby Lobby. She bought a few pairs. The Hobby Lobby where we shop, sells sock monkey socks in blue. We are going to use the blue socks for a sock elephant.

Below is a picture of brother's sock monkey - so far, so good. His monkey hasn't any eyes or much of a face yet, it doesn't have a tail yet either. I will show more pictures of it when he gets more done.

He is doing a really nice job.

Below is a picture of a sock monkey that my sister made a few years ago.

A very good friend of ours, who enjoys crafting, knitting, sewing, ect... gave my sister a sock monkey kit which the sock monkey below was made from. Isn't it cute?

I beleive the kit came with supplies and instructions to make a night gown (the monkey is a girl monkey) for the monkey, but I don't think she made it.

Belle