Washy, washy, washing in the new blue cheer....

In middle school, we made a newscast and videotaped it.  At that time, video was new and everyone had a VCR. Each little group of the class had to make a different portion of our newscast.  I think my group did an aerobics class to Van Halen's "Jump." (Yes, you'll be singing it in your head all day long.)  Another little group did a commercial for "New Blue Cheer". 

Picture a middle school student dressed as an old lady with a washboard.  She picks up a dirty shirt and washes it on the washboard and says,  "Washy, washy, washy in the New Blue Cheer.  Rinsy, rinsy, rinsy in the water so clear."  Then she smells the clean laundry, "Oh.... smells like a rose..."

She continues this several time with more laundry  until she picks up a dirty sock.  "Washy, washy, washy in the New Blue Cheer.  Rinsy, rinsy, rinsy in the water so clear." and smells the sock. Immediately she starts all over and says ,"Washy, washy, washy in the New Blue Cheer.  Rinsy, rinsy, rinsy in the water so clear."  Guess even New Blue Cheer couldn't take care of smelly socks. 

It was really funny and must have made an impression on me from back then.  Not sure when New Blue Cheer came out, but my Miss Emma ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS used Tide.  Personally, I used whatever I have a coupon for - until I found homemade laundry detergent.  You can laugh, but I have converted several folks at work.  It's easy to make, it's cheaper, it's better for the environment, you don't run out of it and you don't break your back lugging the Sam's econosize into the house. 

I have been using this for about 9 months and haven't bought store detergent since the first time I used it.  It smells fresh and it cleans well.  Let me know if you try it!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1. Arm and Hammer WASHING SODA - this isn't baking soda.  Just look in the aisle with the  detergent. It's in a box. 
2. Mule Team BORAX - also in the detergent aisle in a box. 
3.  Fels Naptha bar soap - in the detergent aisle.  Mine was .97 a bar. 

Steps: 
1.  Grate your soap like a block of cheese.
2.  Measure one cup each of borax and washing soda. 
3.  Put soap, borax and soda into a container with a lid.  I bought a plastic jar at Dollar Tree and shake mine vigorously. 
4.  Use 2 teaspoons per load. 

Side Note:  I sometimes throw in a handful of Downy Pearls softener.  You can add it, or leave it out.  It's really up to you.  Some folks make their own fabric softener - it's up to you.  I also printed the recipe and taped it to the front of the container.  You will have enough borax and washing soda to make quite a few batches, so you many want to go ahead and get several bars of soap.  I normally make 2 at a time. 

Too much chocolate? You're kidding, right???

Even my 11 year old considers chocolate a food group and knows that it's good for your mental health.  I can honestly say I know ONE person that doesn't like chocolate and I don't understand.  Dark, white, milk - I don't care - I love them all. 

If you're a chocoholic too, try the Too Much Chocolate cake from AllRecipes.com. This cake, which I made for the first time yesterday, will definitely give you your chocolate fix.  Not only that, it would make a great dessert to take to an event, like a church homecoming or a pig pickin.  It's EASY and uses a boxed cake mix - so for those of you who don't cook, remember that if you can read, you can do ANYTHING.  I put both kids in charge of this one and it came out great.  We ate this in huge slices, warm, with milk.  The chocolate chips inside were still a little melted.  It was Heaven on a plate.

Enjoy! And share with us if you tried it. I'm sure you'll have a huge, chocolately grin like my kids did!

Click on the link below to be forwarded to chocolate paradise....

All Recipes Too Chocolate Cake

Human Chews???

Part of the address for the blog is "human chews."  During my 2nd or 3rd year teaching, there was a group of teachers that always ate lunch together. We frequently shared foods - and lots of laughter.  One of the recipes I had tried came from "Miss Emma."  These were nameless icebox cookies and had apparently just been one of those recipes that my grandma had been making all of her life. 

Being a novice cook, I apparently added too much flour and the cookies, although gorgeous, were a little - well.... hard. They were so tough to eat, the band teacher nicknamed them "human chews".  I am ashamed to say I can't remember his name,  but I do remember his comment.  I wasn't offended in the least because it was true that they were like human dog treats.  Needless to say, I have always been heavy-handed with flour. More about that adventure when we talk about biscuits.  :)

The human chews, as they are always called now are simple, rolled icebox cookies.  The dough freezes well, so you can make them ahead. 

Let me know if you try them.  Miss Emma would surely smile at you. 

Human Chews
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten slightly
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
chopped nuts (she used pecans, but they're optional)

cream the shortening and sugar
add eggs and extract
combine all dry ingredients and nuts and add to shortening/sugar mixture
roll into 2 rolls (it'll be a little sticky) and wrap in waxed paper
refrigerate at least 2 hours
slice thin, place on sprayed cookie sheet

bake at 375 until slightly brown on the bottom

Channeling Miss Emma

It's a true blessing to grow up with a grandma that not only loves to cook, but can really cook ANYTHING.  Looking back, so many memories I have of my grandma are centered around the kitchen and food - good food.  Of all the people who have touched my life, she is the rock.  Even though she's been gone a while, I say "is" because she still is.  I take her soft spoken lessons with me every day and when I ignore them, I always look up at her and wish I had listened.  When she died, I got her tupperware tea pitcher and cast iron frying pan.  That really says more than any other words ever could. 

So - when I cook, I feel like I'm channeling my inner Miss Emma - paying hommage to her, honoring her love of cooking and giving to her family - and trying to create those same experiences for my family.  There truely isn't anything like that moment when one of my children tastes something and says, "oh, mama."

Welcome to my blog! My beautiful disasters and my awesome accidents - both food, family and crafts.  I hope you'll channel your own Miss Emma, too!