SHARED POST: DIY Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap!!

Sick of buying laundry soap?? Me too. This stuff is awesome because it is way stronger then the store bought laundry soap. You only have to use 1 Tablespoon per load. This recipe makes a huge cookie jar full of soap and is going to last a life time, well maybe not quit that long. I originally made mine in July and I still have a ton and I do at least 8 loads of laundry ever week. So I am thinking it will last me almost a year. 1 year of laundry soap for less than $20, have I got you sold yet? I love not having to buy laundry soap all the time anymore. This laundry soap also works just fine in  HE washers. Update: **I just ran out of laundry soap and it is March. So July to March that's 9 months of laundry soap for $20 bucks. I am pretty happy about that.**

Here is what you need:

1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (if you use Zote bars use 2 bars instead, Zote can be found at Home Depot)

2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.

(this is optional, I added it into mine because I have pretty messy kids and the cleaner the better)

You should be able to find all of these items at your grocery store.

**Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. I know that does not seem like enough but this recipe does not have fillers like the store bought detergent so you only need 1-2 Tablespoons.**

This detergent is fairly mild smelling, it is not over powering. If you love a strong scent you may have to add a fabric softener or laundry crystals to each load. You can find laundry crystals in the detergent isle.

Start out by grating your Fels-Naptha soap just like cheese. You can use a food processor or just use your hand held grater, what ever you have. Those of you with an HE washer may want to run the mix through the grater again to get an even finer mix.
**Don't worry the Fels-Naptha will dissolve in your washer even if you only use cold water like me.**

Toss all ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. This part makes your whole house smell great. Once everything is mixed store soap however you like. The recipe makes
about 2 gallons worth of detergent. Walmart has large glass jars in the kitchen department.

I used a jar that my sister gave me a few years ago from a little home good store. Then used my Cricut to cut out the word Laundry to put on the front of the jar. I keep it above my washing machine, I also got a little scoop that is about 1 tablespoon to keep inside. Wasn't that easy? Sure was! Enjoy your soap.

 **If you are going to copy my recipe and blog about it please add a link back to my blog. Give credit where credit is due. It would be very appreciated. Thanks:)**

**Update** I have had a lot of repeat questions so I though I would answer a few here.

-This detergent is safe for HE washers. Just make sure to great your bar soap very fine.
  The detergent should be added to the barrel instead of the dispenser.
-This detergent is safe to use on sensitive skin.
-It does not have a strong scent, you can add laundry crystals to the batch to add fragrance.
-Some of my followers have used other bar soap instead of Zote or Fels-Naptha. I have personally not tried it but from the feed back I get it sounds like any bar will work.
-Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load.
-Walmart has nice big glass jars in the kitchen department!
-This is not safe for cloth diapers because it contains baking soda which affects how the diaper is able to soak up liquid. Or so I have been told. You may want to do your own research on this.
-I am not sure if this detergent is safe for a septic tank or not. I have had plenty of comments from people who have septic tanks and they say that this detergent works just fine.
- I used my Cricut to cut out the vinyl letters for the jar. I used the Story Book font.

Disclaimer:  Please use at your own risk. 

 http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html


MORE INFORMATION!

10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes:
 http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

*Suggested PINTEREST follow Board*
 http://pinterest.com/2minlaundry/homemade-laundry-detergent/


Disclaimer:  Please use at your own risk.


SUGGESTED METHOD AS WELL:

Normally I use Tide.  I like it b/c my clothes/sheets always come out clean as well as soft.  But lately at Tide costing between $10 - $12 it just seemed a little outrageous.  I am such a scatter-brain all the time I normally forget to use coupons, so DIY stuff is a better option for me.  Honestly what can they put in detergent that would make it so much better than you can make yourself.  Through Pinterest I found a great DIY recipe for Laundry Soap, that I have been using for a few weeks now and notice very little difference.  My sheets are just as fresh smelling and soft as when I used Tide.

 

Instructions

Ingredients: 

1 cup of Borax

1 cup of Washing Soda

1 bar of soap (any kind)

Hand Grater

Step 1.  In a large bowl, using the small site of the grater, grate the entire bar of soap.   I should be fairly fine

Step 2.  To the bar of soap, add the borax and the washing soda. 

Step 3: Mix thoroughly.  I stirred mine for 3 - 5 minutes. 

I put my finished soap in an old blue Atlas canning jar with a tablespoon measuring spoon.  I use between 1 - 2 scoops per load depending on how large the load is.  I let the washer fill a little then add the soap and then let it continue to fill to make sure the soap dissolves well.  It won't be sudsy but it still cleans great!

1 box of borax and 1 box of washing soda will make several loads of detergent, for less than $10.  

The finished project:

Unofficial Day 11 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge

Please comment about your favorite Laundry Soap and why you use it and then please tell me if after reading this and seeing that various pictures, if you would consider making your own or just using coupons to continue using your favorite detergent.

Next:  I'm going to blog about using the Planet Saving items to make a detergent because that's really where I want to go!  If you have a recipe for that, please post the link in your comment, thank you!  This is what I have so far to link to:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/homemade-laundry-soap.aspx

 http://blog.cleaningproductsworld.com/products/environmentally-friendly-green-laundry-detergent-tips



Disclaimer:  Please use at your own risk.

Stop the PUSH to SUCCEED NOW and let everyone grow in their own timing!

Don't PUSH ME because I will PUSH back!

I think the Internet is crawling with too many people who are "coaches" and "motivational speaker" all trying to MAKE MONEY off of me while they PUSH ME TO SUCCESS.  Well guess what?  I'm not spending one penny on the programs that cost me money and I'm not attending the classes that you pay for and I'm not in the world working (I was a teacher for 17 years before becoming disabled with Fibromyalgia and Degenerative Discs and possibly still needing surgery with the discs).  

I do think that there are people who are trying to start their own business who DO need the push and inspiration and follow-up and that place is definitely a life coach or motivational speaker.  But not for me.

Sure, I sell Scentsy!  I am presently being taught by my peers and my Director and groups that help you online.  I even found online videos on Youtube that help you.  I can sell and learn more about the products part-time and keep my family first and keep my first focus on succeeding in being a wife and a step mother.  I don't push my friends to buy from me...  they will push back and say that they don't have any money but thank you for the freebies. "They smell great but I just can't do this now because..."   And they are right to have their answer and I don't have the right to try to push anything on them. 

I'm a believer (God comes first in everything) and I am a wife second (my husband comes before anyone else) and I am a step mom (those young men mean the world to me) and in within these great calls to life I work with my husband (he is retired and we make it from pay check to pay check) Oh!  I'm a DOG MOM and that comes along with my step sons.  I don't have to financially support my step sons but I do have to support my dog.  And so that is what Scentsy is for.  Having the money in savings for her in case she needs anything.  She is 11 years old and thriving! 

There are many roads I have open to me and when the TIME IS RIGHT I will be making moves in the direction that the Lord and John (my husband) tell me to go.  And in that decision process will always be my physical condition and working with what I can do and not be able to do (due to stress). 

There are life coaches that I totally love that I've met through UBC with the 31 day challenge of writing everyday in your blog.  They are the ones that speak the truth from their heart and are totally REAL with you.  Others, they get you with something FREE and then try to sell you their program, classes and books at an outrageous price for the middle to low earning people.  

When someone doesn't think through the process when not reading the words of the coach or motivational speaker they go to their last resources for money:  family or savings or even 401K's and then they feel guilt later on, especially if they don't make money the first year (or even first month).  

This is a plea to my friends who are or are not mom's to think through the decision of whether to go through with the life coach or motivational speaker or even tv personalities that tell you that they had hardships, etc...   Talk to your parents, your significant other, your grown adult children.  Make a time table for the days of the week and write in all you have to do and then plan the time for the class, course or book.  Then after it is over do the same process and pray (if you believe) or meditate.  Whatever you believe in.   And don't start if you have the least bit of hesitation.  

My sister and her husband work really hard at their jobs and she realized that she only had time to sell Mary Kay part-time.   She sells to her friends and online clients and family.  I hope I can get some freebies from her now that I quit Avon and just stick with my Scentsy.

The following is my opinion about these 44 success quotes and most of them I agree with.  The ones that are in bold and hi-lighted are the ones that I don't agree with.

44 Success Quotes From Under30CEO Readers

1. “Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” via Chris Grosser

2. “Don’t complain; just work harder.” via Chris Grosser

3. “Deeds not Words” via Bernord Hor

4. “Before you can work smart you must work hard.” via Chris Pardo

5. “Persevere…because on the road to success there is never a crowd on the extra mile!” via Charity Gibson

6. “I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not trying.” – Jay Z via Steven Gordon

7. “Coffee is for CLOSERS!” via Michael Wayne

8. “It’s not the cards you’re dealt it’s how you play the game” via Chris Pardo

9. “If you think you made it, you're at the wrong place, never stop” via Chris Pardo

10. “Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them” via Danielle Luedtke

11. “The grass is greener where you water it” via Danielle Luedtke

12. “If you are going to fear anything fear success. Think about what you are doing and when you succeed what life you will have” via Brandon Chalmers

13. “God gives every bird his worm but He does not throw it into the nest” via Liam Carey

14. “If it is to be, it’s up to me” via Caleb Anthony Parker

15. “Life doesn’t have to suck…DO something about it!” via Jennie Mustafa-Julock

16. “The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…. One step at a time.” via Rande Wilson

17. “The only time success occurs before work is in the dictionary.” via Cameron Cashmore

18. “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt via Mike Jones

19. “Entrepreneurs average 3.8 failures before final success. What sets the successful ones apart is their amazing persistence.” – Lisa M. Amos via Tanya Hamilton

20. “The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” via Ashwin Bonde

21. “Anything less than 120 hours a week is part time, if you are okay with average…then work part time” via Chase Slepak

22. “Nothing is as it appears to be” via Trace Cohen

23. “Success is the worst teacher” via Trace Cohen

24. “If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself. Do that well and you’ll be ready to stop managing. And start leading.” via Mark Gonzales

25. “We are all self made but only the successful admit it” via Corey Leja

26. “If you don’t take a chance, you don’t stand a chance.” via Gabriella Mischel

27. “A successful person is one who can lay a solid foundation from the bricks others have thrown at them.” -David Brinkley via Luke Shaw

28. “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity” via Eric Knotts

29. “Things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle” – Abraham Lincoln via Tina MiModels

30. “If you are willing to do more than you are paid to do, eventually you will be paid to do more than you do” – unknown via Tina MiModels

31. “Fall down seven times, get up eight times” – Japanese proverb via Tina MiModels

32. “Success is a lousy teacher, it seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose” – Bill Gates via Ryan Seitz

33. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible” via Victor Aguirre

34. “Entrepreneurs don’t waste time/energy worrying about being better than someone else. Focus on being the very best version of YOU.” via Abdulaziz Aljouf

35. “Whoever says ‘Nothing is Impossible’ has obviously never tried stapling Jell-o to a tree” via Charity Gibson

36. “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin via Ann McCartan

37. “Life isnt about learning how to weather the storm. its about learning how to dance in the rain.” via Monica Fish

38. “There are two rules to success: 1) Never tell everything you know.” via Nick Tart

39. “Create your own destiny. If you don’t, someone else will.” via Chris Leber

40. “Success is not so much what we have, as it is what we are.” – Jim Rohn via Nicole Elizabeth Shields

41. “Success is being able to juggle those Glass Balls called Priorities and keeping them shiny & intact while running the Marathon of Life.” via Jouyin Teoh

42. “Learning from success is important but learning from failure is vital to succeeding” via Jason Platnick

43 “True nobility is not about being better than anyone else its about being better than you used to be.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer via Jason Platnick

44. “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.” – Henry Ford via Brett Kunsch


These are what I live by:

I GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION....

1. I give myself permission to rest

2. I give myself permission to laugh

3. I give myself permission to play

4. I give myself permission to make mistakes

5. I give myself permission to say 'no' to demands on my time that are too draining

6. I give myself permission to say yes to what I want

7. I give myself permission to fulfill my lifelong dreams

8. I give myself permission to ask for what i want

9. I give myself permission to be who I am

10. I give myself permission to try again

11. I give myself permission to have fun

12. I give myself permission to design my own life

13. I give myself permission to ignore naysayers

14. I give myself permission to stay focused on what is important to me

15. I give myself permission to be whatever body shape I like

16. I give myself permission to be imperfect

17. I give myself permission to ask for help

18. I give myself permission to stop caring what others think of me (negativity)

19. I give myself permission to write a lousy first draft

20. I give myself permission to to create

~ANGEL OF HOPE

The above 20 permission statements came from my fibromyalgia group (a disease that I've had for 18 years now). I'm being treated and attend therapy sessions.  This is my disability and it has its painful and life altering effects on me and millions of others.  You can read about it here if you have never read about it before now.   http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/whatisfibromyalgia/a/understandfibro.htm


I would love to read comments of opinion and sharing if you are a chronic pain sufferer like me.  Also feel free to disagree with anything that I've written here and write your own opinion, thanks! 

Unofficially Day 10!
I've missed days due to pain and staying in bed on heat and also walking it out.   I live at the beach so the best part of the day is walking in the early morning with my husband and dog.  There are lots of blog entries about Sandie and my husband and what we do at the beach if you use the  SEARCH section on the left-hand side bar.  Have a great weekend!
 

Journaling to my Mother In Law who died on February 15 2013

You Mom, the way I want to remember you!

Dear Mom,

I am struggling now because I am realizing that it is coming up on 6 months since your death and I am trying to get a memory book going better but I need to really open up and do more journaling.  I read the letter from the Hospice Center and I have a book I need to start reading, " Saying Goodbye (Facing the Loss of a Loved One)"  by Cecil Murphy and Gary Roe with beautiful paintings by Michael Sparks.  

I started with my First Tribute to you...  http://conversationswithcarolyn.blogspot.com/2013/03/first-tribute-to-my-mother-in-law.html

Today I just want to tell you how very hard it is for me to start this process of letting go.  I think that having your ashes here and my belief system being broader than just the Christian faith (religious right) that I was raised with, confuses the crap outta me.  I know that you're not at the nursing home anymore, but your ashes you know are in an urn in the closet in the guestroom and I can still hold on as long as they are there.


I like that.  I still want more significance to happen to your life.  We haven't even told John's cousins yet and we need to do that.  I think that I would like to start on the 15th of this month with a newspaper clipping in our paper that we share with everyone.  It was too hard at the time to know what to put in the announcement.   So we'll start there.  And in the meantime, I will continue to write my journal to you and the memory book and try to start my scrapbook to you.

I love and miss you and one thing that I want to say that I couldn't handle was going into that room and seeing your sunken eyes and when Sandie jumped on your bed on you like she always used to do and landed on you and made you scream in pain.   I am so sorry, she's a dog as you know and didn't know any better.   We were hoping she could say goodbye to you.  When I saw you on oxygen and everyone wanted me to say goodbye, I couldn't.  I felt like Hospice was trying to end your life and I was angry at the timing.  We never told you that John was in the hospital for having some of his bowel removed because they didn't want him to get what you had colon cancer.
You didn't even die from that... the coroner said "old age" and you were 90 and I kept wanting to think you were just 80 and I was trying to claim those years back and you were asking God to take you home all the time.  I'm sorry.

By the way, I'm still crying as hard as I did the day that I came in your room and saw you and gasped and said out loud that I couldn't believe this was happening.  And my trying to make the process of what Hospice was doing or not doing to stop and let me take over because I didn't think they knew what was best for you.  I have a lot of anger at them still and I have a lot of work to do with that anger.  I think the more I cry the better I feel.

Love, Carolyn

Get your GREEK ON! and coupon giveaway coming soon!

Today I am sharing mostly Greek recipes from The Lemon Bowl (healthy made delicious) that will go together with a dessert recipe that I found yesterday and tried last night and we love! 

photo: The Lemon Bowl

"Growing up, we always had plain yogurt in the fridge and I still do to this day.  It is the perfect garnish for various Middle Eastern dishes including Lentils and Bulgur Wheat with Caramelized Onions or a piping hot Sfeeha (Lebanese Meat Pie) fresh from the oven.  When Greek Yogurt is used, you don't have to drain the regular yogurt.  We eat Greek Yogurt for the majority of the time and I will be giving a dessert recipe for you to have with this meal (since you'll have so much yogurt on hand)."  

photo:  The Lemon Bowl

"When I have a few extra minutes, I love turning plain yogurt into a delicious side dish by mixing it with cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. For an Indian twist, I’ll throw in chopped cilantro and garam masala to create Cucumber Yogurt Raita. For a Syrian twist, I add plenty of fresh or dried mint to create Cucumber Yogurt Mint Sauce (Laban)."

photo: The Lemon Bowl

"Today I am sharing the Greek version of cucumber yogurt sauce known as tzatziki which is full of bright and fragrant fresh dill. We love making a big batch and storing it in the refrigerator to use throughout the week. Serve as a dip with veggies or a sauce for Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops or Beef Shawarma."

photo: The Lemon Bowl

"Want to keep it vegetarian? Serve in a pita with hummus and call it a day."


AND your dessert awaits (I suggest that you make these BEFORE you begin to make dinner) so that they will be frozen!

Strawberry Silicon Popsicle Mold

Blended strawberries with Plain Greek Yogurt

Poured mixture in molds

Frozen and Ready to eat!

3-ounce molds

Makes 6 popsicles (3-ounce molds)

1 pint strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6-8 ounces (about 1 cup) Greek yogurt
Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small bowl. Let stand about 20 minutes to macerate the fruit, stirring occasionally. The fruit will soften and become syrupy.
Pour the strawberries and syrup into a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few times until the fruit is pureed.
Stir the yogurt into the strawberry mixture until combined. Pour into molds and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight. To remove, run hot water over the outside of the mold until you can gently pull the popsicle out.

NOTES:

• You can substitute nearly any seasonal fruit (or mix of fruits!) for the strawberries in this recipe.
• For harder fruits like rhubarb and under-ripe peaches, try cooking down the fruit with the sugar and a few tablespoons of water over medium heat. This helps soften them and concentrate their flavor.

For the above recipe, you will be using one the above popsicle molds from Amazon.com

I've been chosen by Bzz Agent to product test and review the FAGE Greek Yogurt.   I'm such a major fan of Greek Yogurt that I jumped at the chance.  I want to share some of my coupons with you and I will open this post again in time for the coupon giveaway! 

FAGE (pronounced “fa-yeh”) is 100% natural Greek yogurt, free of additives, preservatives, and sweeteners.

With four pounds of raw milk in each pound of yogurt, FAGE has more protein than other yogurts. No matter which flavor you prefer, each spoonful will be a nutritionally and naturally blissful taste experience.

    Try any of the great flavors:
FAGE TOTAL Classic
FAGE TOTAL 0%
FAGE TOTAL 2%
FAGE TOTAL Strawberry/ Cherry/ Peach/ Honey/ Blueberry
FAGE TOTAL 2% Strawberry/ Cherry/ Peach/ Honey/ Blueberry
FAGE TOTAL 0% Raspberry/ Strawberry/ Cherry/ Peach/ Blueberry/ Strawberry-Goji/Cherry-Pomegranate/Mango-Guanabana/Honey/Blueberry-Acai

Day  7  

Coupon Giveaway and Concannon Vineyard Wine Review

  *Notice:  We're looking for 2 winners still.  Be sure that you are from the USA and that you are 21 or older.  We will close
this contest on Saturday, August 10th or earlier when the next 2 comment (according to the rules).  Thanks!*

Before I get to my review, I want to tell you that there are 4  $1.00 off these $7.00 (here in California) Concannon wines!
The first 4 people who leave a comment (and I mean talk about the ways in which they use wine and it has to be about 3 sentences long) WIN the $1.00 coupon!  You can also tell us if you've ever have had a glass or more and what kind you drank.  You may also comment on my review and tell us HOW you plan to use it and which one and even include a recipe!

One thing, I will not be revealing the comments that you leave until I have at least 4 comments and the winners will be chosen tonight, or until I get at least 4 comments!   Best wishes and cheers!

Legacy:
 

"If they could speak, the rocks of Concannon Vineyard would tell a tale rich in history. When James Concannon planted his first vineyards and built the winery in 1883, he established Concannon as a founding family of California wine. Now, with four generations of family involvement, our landmark winery shows our enduring commitment to creating outstanding, award-winning wine."

Video Gallery   a must see!

Background from a Press Release: 
"A new Conservancy tier of wines from Concannon Vineyard - sourcing grapes only from Livermore vineyards that are protected forever from urban encroachment - was announced today by John Concannon, fourth generation vintner.
“These wines are a tribute to my great-grandfather, James Concannon, who founded our winery in 1883,” says John. “He knew that the austere soil, full of rocks and gravel, coupled with the coastal fog and marine breezes from the San Francisco Bay, would concentrate flavors in the ripening fruit and allow him to make rich, complex, flavorful wines that are truly unique. Conservancy wines honor his legacy as they are sourced from vineyards under a new conservancy program for perpetuity. The wines are crafted to reflect true varietal character, express the unique terrior of the Livermore Valley and showcase the best of what this region has to offer.”

“My family is very proud of the fact that Concannon Vineyard was the first Livermore Valley winery to place its land into a permanent conservation easement. We acted in 1996 recognizing that rapid urbanization was threatening one of America’s finest winemaking regions and negatively impacting quality of life. Since that time, other vineyards have followed our lead, and today we can say that great wines will continue to come from the Livermore Valley for generations to come.”
“Concannon Conservancy wines also conform to the practice of growing grapes and making wine with minimal impact. Concannon Vineyard is proud to be one of the first seventeen wineries to be certified through the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA),” he continued. This program provides third-party certification for California wineries that are at the forefront of sustainable winegrowing practices including environmental stewardship, conservation of natural resources and socially equitable business practices.

Concannon’s Conservancy includes Livermore Valley Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot; all have a suggested retail of $15.

A founding family of California wine, Concannon is the oldest continuously operating winery under the same family name, with four generations of family leadership at the helm. Concannon introduced America's first varietally labeled Petite Sirah in 1961, sparking a love affair with this varietal, and led with the introduction of Cabernet Sauvignon clones 7, 8 and 11 in replanting much of Napa Valley in the 1970s. As Concannon enters its 127th harvest, the pioneering winery continues to provide industry leadership in preserving an agricultural way of life by protecting vineyards from urban development. As part of The Wine Group, Concannon has completed a $30 million revitalization program, preserving the best of its winemaking heritage and practices while incorporating state-of-the-art technology to preserve wine quality. For additional information, please visit http://www.concannonvineyard.com."

REVIEW:  Chardonnay

In the '80s it became a way of speaking to ask for "a glass of Chardonnay" in a restaurant and passé to simply request "a glass of white wine." Chardonnay is the most popular wine in America for a reason: It's cold, fruity and easy to drink. It's pleasant with just about any dish involving cheese, eggs, fish or fowl. Winemakers have divided into two camps over the style of Chardonnay; one school of thought emphasizes the high-toned, steely, fruitlike qualities of the wine with little or no use of oak, while the other emphasizes barrel and malolactic fermentation in addition to the fruit characteristic, which lends the wine a rounder, buttery taste. 

Benchmarks for Chardonnay are (rich and extracted) white Burgundies and (steely and crisp) Chablis. There are fine Chardonnays from just about every region, including Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and New York.

My deceased Mother In Law, Shirley, God rest her soul, and my husband and I took a weekend trip to Monterey (much to tell about that trip including the aquarium) and we stopped at every sign for wine tasting at wonderful vineyards that we came upon just going up the 101.  

In Monterey we took our last glass and a couple of bottles of Chardonnay to our hotel room.  Good thing the only thing planned that night was a seafood dinner and coming back to the room and drinking through those bottles of wine (in the special wine glasses we bought at one wine tasting rooms.)  I fell in love with Chardonnay that day and night!

I was a little disappointed that this wine was a screw off top.   I guess I'm just used to the bottles with the corks and previous thinking that only good wines had corks.

Once I got past that shock, I poured the glasses for my girlfriend and I used 2 of the 6 wine charms that I had made for our glasses.  As a fun activity, we each made 2 more and she took home the 4 since I could make more of this craft activity on my own.  The instructions that I used can be found here. (come back again this week for the page that is under construction right now).  

I'm not as big a social wine drinker now than I used to be.  Depression meds. and wine are really not to be mixed together.  So I rarely drink wine, but I cook with it a lot!  For instance in this recipe for the cupcakes I had made for she and her husband and kids to take home at the end of our time together.  We made these together to start off our day.  

Pink Chardonnay Cupcakes adapted from All Recipes

Recipe:

Active time: 20 minutes (plus time for decorating)
Start to finish: 1 hour
Makes 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup Concannon chardonnay
6 egg whites
4-5 drops red food coloring

For the Concannon chardonnay buttercream frosting*
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Concannon chardonnay, at room temperature
4-5 drops red food coloring

Directions
For the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Alternate adding flour mixture and Concannon chardonnay into the creamed mixture.

In another large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites.  Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

For the frosting
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together powdered sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another 2 minutes.  Add vanilla and Concannon chardonnay, beating on medium for another minute. Transfer frosting into a decorating bag fitted with a large star tip, and decorate as desired. Sprinkle with pink sugar and pearls.

*Note: if decorating cupcakes with a swirl (see above photo), you will need to double this frosting recipe. One batch of this recipe yields enough frosting to cover 2 dozen cupcakes with a flat top.

MORE RECIPES (and a lot of  them along with tips on how to cook with wine)  Click here please?

Unofficially Day 5!

Questions:  What did you like or not like about the review?  Have you ever made wine charms?  If so can you give us the link to them?  Have you ever made wine cupcakes?  If so, can you give us the link to them.

Reminder:
The first 4 who write complete answers to the questions will win the 4 $1.00 off coupons (if you are age 21 or older).   I will not approve the comments until there are at least 4 qualifying COMMENTS and then I will announce the winners!  I will need your addresses if you win to be sent to carolyncavies@yahoo.com (but wait to see if you won!) 

Verbal Vomit and how to Ignore it

 

The Urban Dictionary says that verbal vomit is, "When any ones mouth runs like diarrhea with useless crap."   I love these two words because when I hear the neighbor across the street yelling at her husband every night (after she's drunk) this is exactly what she does.   And I've noticed that in some groups on Face Book and other social media that some people have the GIFT of Verbal Vomit.

So what do you do when you run across it?  Do you give in and argue with them or do you ignore it and keep going or do you even find that you need to quit a group because there's so much of it going on in the group that you really don't care to stay there and hear it....  I've done all of the above!

What I've find out when I ignore it coming at me, they choke on their verbal vomit!  When I choose to debate the verbal vomit, I always have to let the other person have the last word because it could go on forever.   And last night I left a "good deals group" (that's not the name of it) but it was about the leader posting ads and asking people to buy it to help her make money. Whooooaaaa, that group shouldn't even exist.  She was angry about some person she is battling with who is copying her words on the group and posting them somewhere else and making her look bad...  so she changed the group to Secret... and then posted a nasty note accusing "someone" of being a SPY in the group.   I just quit the group when I saw so many notes being written to her telling what to do to get rid of this person.  I felt like I walked into a Kindergarten class at playtime!  


So here's the clear message...  escape from the Verbal Vomit as fast as you can and don't say anything...  tell it to your husband or wife at home and offline and get it off your chest.   Or go journal it and meditate and quiet your mind.

Question:  How do you handle verbal vomit when you come across it?  Do you have any suggestions to the readers here who just can't help themselves and they react to it?

Unofficially Day #4.