Long time no post :(

I know I have been M.I.A. the last couple of days, and I do apologize. I have been a little under the weather. Today I was all revved up to post what has been going on, and then there it was..my modem, lying on the floor, Ethernet socket broken because I have three crazy cats who are hyperactive. So here I sit at the local library, where apparently cable modems do not exist. (Note to self: will all of my millions to the public libraries of America!) I will be out of town for the holiday this week, but I am taking my laptop and hopefully can post while I'm gone. Hope everyone enjoys Thanksgiving...until we meet again!

Orzo

Tonight I am making some orzo with dinner, so I thought I would share how I make this quick and easy side...

You can cook orzo just as you do rice. When tender, drain, and add some tomato sauce, cinnamon, and paprika. Quick and easy and adds a different, more sweet kind of flavor when you're looking to spice up dinner! Goes great with meats... Enjoy!

Things I've Done

I got this list from the Mere. I love her blog, check it out. Feel free to ask questions off of these too.

THINGS I'VE DONE (in bold!)

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Reading this list has made me aware of all the things I would love to do in my lifetime. I better get cracking! Hope you enjoyed this; make a list of your own!

For Today, November 17th, 2008

For more information on the Simple Woman's Daybook, click the picture

For Today...

Outside my window...some neighborhood cats are making themselves comfy, what can I say I'm loved

I am thinking...about how good a nap sounds right now, but I have to clean house

I am thankful for...everything that we have because sometimes we don't realize what we have

From the kitchen...2 pumpkins pies, a lemon icebox pie, and a batch of homemade whipped cream

I am wearing...Aeropostale tee and jeans, from the store I call the most comfy in the whole world, made for girls with big tops and big bottoms hehe

I am reading...Marie Antoinette: The Journey...still...it's very long and takes a while to digest

I am hoping...that the next few months go ok, that we have enough to survive without killing each other...or starving...

I am creating...absolutely nothing at the moment, although I have so many projects I want to start

I am hearing...Gilmore Girls! My daily treat

Around the house...everything needs to be done! Hubby comes home tomorrow and I used to be really good at having everything perfect, boy oh boy

One of my favorite things...is coming home to something happy being in the mail, whether it is a free subscription to a food magazine or a letter from someone far away

A few plans for the rest of the week...watching Bray for the next three days, baking more pies on Friday, and hopefully going to see Twilight on Friday because Harry Potter 6 was cancelled!!! (totally ruining my year in the entertainment market)

Here is a picture thought I want to share with you:

This is the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace at Versailles. I am very into Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and I've heard that Versailles must be seen in one's lifetime

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Homemade laundry detergent is one of the easiest and cost effective things you can do to "frugalize" your home. Not only is it cheap, it is eco-friendly, easy to make, and sufficient for high efficiency (front-loading) washing machines. Combined with the use of vinegar as a softener, your clothes will be cleaner with less residue and a better smell!

There are three ingredients needed to make a basic powdered laundry detergent: washing soda, borax, and bar soap.



Washing soda and borax (all-natural!) can be found in the laundry care aisle of most stores, usually on the top or bottom shelf. For the bar soap, the milder the better. I sometimes use organic lavender soap from the health food store because it is very soft and has a mild scent. Sometimes I use plain old Ivory. It is up to you. Try not to use moisturizing bars such as Dove because these are more creamy and don't rinse out as well.

The recipe:

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 borax

1 cup grated soap flakes

Grate soap flakes using a box grater, or dice into small chunks and put in a food processor. It should look like this.



Combine soap with soda and borax in a sealed container. Shake it up! Use 1-2 tablespoons per load. I keep mine in a large plastic coffee container and use a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon. (I made a triple batch of detergent, that is why my container looks very full.)



On the front of this container, I used a label maker to print up the recipe so it is always there.
I also recommend using vinegar as a fabric softener in the rinse cycle. It is cost effective at less than $1.50 per gallon, and it removes most soap residue. It is especially helpful if you hang dry your laundry, because vinegar will help achieve that sunshine smell. And your clothes won't smell like vinegar I promise.

This detergent can be used in front-loading washing machines because it does not sud. It actually suds less than HE laundry detergent.

Family Owned and Operated

My little baking area

Friends and family have their own tables; this one is for me and my husband

Today was the opening of my in-laws restaurant, the Boardwalk Cafe in Corpus Christi. I am the baker there and wanted to give a little preview of the place. We serve all kinds of seafood and chicken, homemade hush puppies at every table, and homemade pies and cakes! I love wearing my apron and getting covered head to toe in flour...it's quite fun!

For Today...

To learn about the Simple Woman's Daybook, visit http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

For Today, November 13, 2008

Outside my window...it is raining and it puts me in the best mood ever

I am thinking...about this horrific backache that I've had for four days

From the learning rooms...my learning room consists of a small bedroom that harbors my never ending supply of books I love and reread over and over

I am thankful for...my husband who doesn't realize his selflessness

I am wearing...tee and adidas shorts, covered in baby drool and formula..yummy

From the kitchen...it is calling out to me to make something wonderful, but for now it is leftover pot roast

I am reading...Marie Antoinette: The Journey and I can't put it down

I am hoping...that everything will be revealed in due time

I am creating...a knitted baby blanket for my sister-in-law

Around the house...there are so many things to do that I am stuck in one place

One of my favorite things...my library card!

A few plans for the rest of the week...get back on Ebay to get us through Christmas!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
My beautiful sister Athena with her chicken Choo Choo