DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

A friend of mine got me into making homemade laundry detergent.  I have now made it about 3 times and have found a recipe and really like.  The best part is definitely the cost savings but knowing exactly what is going into your detergent is also huge for me.  I had always bought the natural, biodegradable detergent before but here in Canada they do not come cheap.

So I did a bit of math today for you so you can see how much you actually are saving.
With this recipe I made approximately 7.25 L of laundry soap which coast me about less than $2.00 to make.  I use about 1/4 cup of detergent per load which gives me about 116 loads at less than 2 cents per load!  If I compare this to what I was buying before I was spending about  per load.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup borax
• 1/2 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup grated natural soap bar (I use a homemade bar or one by Soap Works)
• 30-40 drops pure essential oil (lemon, lavender, orange, flower blends etc.)
• 1 litre plus 8 litres of hot water

Directions

1. In a medium size pot add borax, washing soda, shaved soap and 1 litre of water.
2. Heat to a medium heat and allow soap shavings to completely dissolve.
3. Add soap mixture to a large bucket and then add the 8 litres of hot water.
4. Let soap sit until completely cool and stir a couple times if possible.
5. Once cooled whisk until fully combined.  I used my hand blender to ensure everything was combined.
6. Store in sealed containers.  I used about 1/4 cup per load and shake the bottle just before use.

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DIY Homemade Washing Soda

I wanted to make my homemade laundry detergent but realized I didn't have any washing soda.  I then remembered that you can make your own.  When baking soda is heated at a high temperature, its chemical composition changes and washing soda is created.

Ingredients

• 2 cups baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place baking soda on an oven safe baking dish/pan.

3. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, stirring 2-3 times in between until baking soda has turns a bit more grey dull colour and more grainy in texture.  

 4. Store in an air tight container.

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Cilantro Pineapple Smoothie -Detox Smoothie

Cilantro has quickly become my new favourite herb and is now a stable on the grocery list.  Cilantro plays an important role in removing heavy metals and other toxins from our bodies.  We usually add cilantro to many Indian dishes and sauces but have now been adding it to our smoothies/shakes.  Cilantro is also high in folic-acid, vitamin C and A.
*see below on how to keep Cilantro Fresh

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup chopped pineapple
• 1 cup spinach or kale
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
• handful ice cubes (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

* to keep Cilantro fresher longer, keep it in a glass jar in the fridge with some water and lightly cover with a plastic bag.

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Meditation Challenge Update

It's been about two weeks since I wrote in, declaring my intentions for the 21-day meditation with Oprah and Deepak.  The update is I have failed miserably.  Like bad.  In the past 14 days, I have meditated a total of three times.  Yeah.  The challenge started on a Monday, but I began on Tuesday because that's when I got the email linking to the first meditation.  I also meditated on Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday is where I fell off the wagon.  I totally forgot about meditating on the weekend and then into the next week I never got back on the wagon.  Now, I feel too far gone to continue.  

The meditations are only available for 5 days, so I could start back up (having missed some) but I'm so not into it right now. Admitting this to myself and you feels like a big failure, but I would rather be real about my failures than pretend to be someone I'm not.  I hear the negative voices in my head and have to work to let them go.  

I still crave a quiet, still alone time in the morning and will be making an effort to incorporate that more, but I think pulling out my Bible/praying/journaling would be more natural to me than meditating.  

How are you doing with the challenge if you tried it?  If you've stuck with it, I applaud you.  And I hope you are getting something good out of it.  Are you hating me for not continuing?  I feel like a workout partner who quit, leaving you hanging.  And that feels bad.  When it comes to certain things in life, we absolutely have to keep going, whether we feel like it or not.  You have to wake up to feed the crying baby, you have to go to work, you have to take your parents to the doctor, you have to pay the mortgage, you have to meet that deadline.  But, there are other times when it's really okay to let something go. Only YOU can decide what those situations are.  And you have to face the consequences for your decision.  I completely get it if you're disappointed in me or upset or think I'm not good with my word.  I have to live with the fact that I said I was going to do this and I didn't finish.  And I chose to put it out there on the Internet, so it's a public fail.  

I would appreciate your grace, your kindness, your empathy.  The friends who support us when we've let ourselves down are the kind of people we need in our lives.  It's the kind of person I want to be in return.  

My intention for trying the meditations initially was to try to still myself each day so that I could be more present and more peaceful on the inside.  Admitting that I failed makes me feel human, vulnerable, and a little bit brave.  

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Chocolate Macaroons (Dairy, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free)

This is not my recipe but one from Danielle Walker's Against All Grain.  Danielle's recipe is for Chocolate Mint Macaroons however I made these without the mint.  They turned out so well, I can't stop eating them.  Definitely be making these more often and especially for Christmas.

Ingredients (makes 18-20 cookies)

• 2 egg whites
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup agave or honey or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Prepare baking trays by greasing or lining with parchment paper.
2. Beat egg white until stiff and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl combine all remaining ingredients.  Mix until well blended.
4. Gently fold in the egg white.
5. Scoop in ball sizes onto cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Store in air tight container in the fridge.

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DESTROY YOUR INNER REBEL

We all can have a rebel that lives inside of us taunting and tempting us to turn to the dark side of unhealthy living.  It can even come in the form of outright discouragement from not seeing results right away and out of frustration stuffing our faces with crap because we think what’s the point? We can be our own worst enemy when it comes to putting ourselves down and throwing that adult temper tantrum that leads to nothing but making poor decisions and a negative “mental game”.  In comes resentment and anger at life, the choices we are making that should be working but not, and straight up “biotch” attitudes.  You have just met the inner rebel that seeks to destroy our efforts and take us down to the mental breaking point. 

I say, kick your rebel in the face and refuse to give in to the thoughts that will only give way to a domino effect of good things gone wrong.  Instead of listening to inner voices of temptation to jump ship with taking care of your health, slam immediately on the mental brakes and start writing down what you have been doing in a positive and negative way to take care of yourself.  This will require complete honesty about the food being eaten, alcohol being consumed, and exercise being done or avoided.  This is where we need to get real with our rebel self and in order to destroy the actions that occur from this other person.   Our mental game is at risk here and overall happiness with life and self.  If we lose control and throw in the towel, what good does that do anyone?  The battle is always with ourselves and how we handle that is again our responsibility.

I understand that not seeing results and working your ass off can feel so unfair when results in the mirror or on the scale are not being seen, but if you are completely honest with you, I am sure you will find that the rebel is allowed out to play way too much.  Becoming our best healthy self is about acceptance of this moment and what we are doing right now to change who we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Being in denial about the rebel within will not allow for the best you to emerge and consistently be in control of your life choices.  Anger and bitterness over our circumstances resolves nothing, but being pro-active to get to the bottom of why the rebel is winning will provide the answers needed so that a change can be implemented.  

My Bare Faced Beauty Hope

November Challenge for the Ladies:  No Makeup November to support the true beauty of all women.  I am very proud to sponsor my daughter Hope on this campaign to reach out to women all round the world in an effort for them to realize their true beauty, enjoyment and acceptance of self.  Head on over to the No Makeup November page like I did, ditch the brushes and post your beautiful bare face! 

NO MAKEUP NOVEMBER PAGE

DON'T MISS MY FREE UPDATES

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button at the right to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares.

Stay Healthy!

Darla

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STOP PLAYING THE SCALE GAME

Who is guilty?  The scale game starts as innocent accountability of weight loss and then turns into a game of just how much we can get away with.  The fitness program is going great, the weight is coming off at a healthy rate and all of a sudden our thoughts turn to bringing unhealthy food items back into our lives at a more than moderation rate.  We challenge that scale and see how far we can push those numbers because we think there is leeway.  The purpose of obtaining a healthy weight is not to yo-yo back and forth, but to get serious about our health and maintain the lifestyle.  If the scale gets in the way of that, it is time to toss it, especially when the “scale game” derails our health and fitness goals and mental game.

 

 

 

 

We are not kidding anyone but ourselves when we play games with our efforts and what is that saying about what we are doing.  There is no half-way living a healthy life and the expectation of obtaining goals by not giving your best will show not only on the scale, but with how our clothes are fitting, and how we feel overall.  The scale game robs us of what we are trying to accomplish with our health and body, and thinking that it is a way to sneak in what we shouldn’t, well that is just wrong.  Yes, it will let us know that we have gained or lost, but when the purpose is to see how much more crap we can eat, or how much less we can exercise, then I would call that scale abuse. I am all for weighing one time per week for accountability and celebrating maintaining a healthy weight, or weight loss, but put my foot down against the scale game. 

 

Success will never come from games or lack of commitment to your goals.  The results will come from effort, a change in lifestyle, and choices with the food we eat and the exercise that we do on a consistent basis.  The scale has nothing to do with the choices, but will let us know about positive progress in a weight loss program.  It can be a friend or foe depending on how our mental game perceives it and how it is being used.  If the “scale game” is an active part of a health program then it really is not a health program.  It is time to stop the games, dump the scale if necessary, and get on with what we are trying to accomplish with our efforts. 

 

 

 

DON'T MISS MY FREE UPDATES

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button at the right to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares.

Stay Healthy,

Darla

 

 

 

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Curried Cabbage with Cashews (Gluten and Dairy Free)

Ta da, another recipe for that large cabbage that is sitting in your crisper.
I can't claim to have created this recipe but have adapted it from Washington's Green Grocer.   It is really delicious and so easy to make.  I love cabbage at this time of year because it is so fresh and full of vitamin C which is great for the start of cold/flu season.

Ingredients (makes 4 side dishes)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, coconut oil, ghee or grass-fed organic butter
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 medium size cabbage diced into bite size pieces
• 1/3 cup cashews (I used raw, unsalted)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large frying pan or wok on medium heat add oil/butter.
2. Add curry, turmeric and cumin.  Fry for 30 seconds to bring out their flavours.
3. Add cashews and cabbage.   Fry for 10-12 minutes until cabbage is soft, stirring frequently.
4. Serve.

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21-Day Meditation Experience with Oprah & Deepak Chopra

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to Oprah's 'The Life You Want Weekend' event courtesy of P&G brands OLAY, Tide, and Orgullosa.  Being a huge Oprah fan since middle school (I would watch everyday after school at 4:00 p.m.) and having subscribed to her magazine since the first issue, this was a big deal.  I'd always wanted to go to a taping of her show, but never got the opportunity, so getting an email offering tickets to the event was definitely a good mail day.  At the event, our seats were close to the stage, so seeing O up close and personal was pretty thrilling, a bucket-list item  happily checked off.  

On day 2, Deepak Chopra was one of the speakers and, during his presentation, he lead us in a group mediation.  I've always been intrigued with the idea of meditating, and my two closest friends are daily meditators, but I have never put it to consistent practice in my life.  In fact, I've only tried it a handful of times and usually end up thinking about random things like dinner or laundry.  But, I'm ready to challenge myself to a consistent practice of mediation now.  

Oprah and Deepak have teamed up to present a free 21-day Energy of Attraction Meditation Experience that starts tomorrow, Monday, November 3.  You sign up creating an account and then will receive a daily email with a link to the meditations.  I'm one of those people who is on the go pretty much non-stop, so training myself to not just slow down, but to be still will be good for me.  Sure, I often relax on the couch or in bed with a magazine or book, but I almost never just sit still and do nothing.  I feel like right now, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and before the Christmas holiday, is the perfect time to tune in and listen to my Spirit and see what it wants to tell me. 

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Salted and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Gluten and MSG Free)

I should have posted these yesterday or early in the week but here it is anyway.  The girls have been snacking on these as well as my Maple Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds already before breakfast.

These turned out so well.  I do stir or check on them quite frequently.  The inner seed should not get dark but stay greenish colour.

Ingredients

• pumpkin seeds from one pumpkin (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil
• sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Rinse pumpkin seeds.
4. In a medium size pot, cover seeds with water and add 1 teaspoon sea salt.  Bring to a boil then simmer 10 minutes.  Drain.
5. In a medium bowl add pumpkin seeds, oil and sea salt.  Stir to fully combine.
6. Spread onto baking sheet.
7. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, stir and bake for another 15 minutes or until dry.
8. You may need to break a few chunks apart.
9. Store in an airtight container.

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