Laundry - Vacation Edition

Every time we go on vacation, RT volunteers to do laundry.  Now, when I pack for vacation, I always make sure I have enough clothes to last me during my stay.  We don't take extremely long vacations, so, it's pretty easy to pack enough clothes in your bag to bring along.  I make sure all clothes are clean before we leave (who wants to come home after vacation to huge piles of laundry that have been sitting there for a week?).  And, while on vacation, who wants to sit around and do load after load of laundry?

Apparently, my husband.

At least once during every vacation, RT volunteers himself to do laundry.  It's a little weird.  We have only been away for two or three days, how much laundry will we have?  And, why don't we just wear the clean clothes that we packed?  I would rather return with a bag full of dirty clothes and lots of fun memories than a bag of clean clothes and memories of the laundry mat.

But, alas, RT is willing to sacrifice his valuable vacation time to sit and do laundry for everyone.

This makes me think I should pack less clothes so I will be grateful for someone doing laundry.  Or maybe, I should pack more clothes and change my outfit several times a day so I can make sure RT has enough laundry to do.

Either way, he's available for rent.  Let me know times, dates and destinations and we can set you up with your own personal travel launderer.

Vacation and RT's Napkin Stash

I know I have told you about RT's napkin hoarding stash.  He keeps quite a few napkins in the center console of his car.  Whenever he goes somewhere, he grabs a couple more...just in case.  The stash in his car has grown so much that there are a ton of napkins in the back seat, some in the trunk and a few on the passenger seat.

I think he focuses on making sure he has a good napkin stash.  For what?  I'm not sure.  Maybe the apocalypse?

During our vacation, we used quite a few napkins in the car, on hikes and some of our outings.  Even thought we used quite a few during this time, there are still plenty of napkins left.  In fact, it doesn't even look like we used any at all!

I'm sure now that we are back, RT is back to his old ways and is saving more napkins for our next trip or outing.

My Garden

Every year, I plant two gardens.  Why two?  Because our yard isn't set up to have one huge garden.  Maybe my next home.

Each year, I set the gardens up, mixing plants, so I have more companion gardening.

This year, I tried zucchini again.  I think it was last year, where we ended up pulling the entire plant out of the garden because it was growing but not producing anything.  This year, the zucchini is in the other garden (mistake #1) and has grown to the point that it needs its own zip code.  When we returned from vacation, we picked seven zucchinis.  The plant was crowding out some of my pepper plants, so, I trimmed it back.

I've made Zucchini Chocolate Cake, Zucchini Chocolate Chip bread, Zoodles, Zucchini spears (a thumbs down on this one) and cheese zucchini bites (recipe to come soon).  I have a lot of shredded zucchini in the freezer for future use.

It has gotten  to the point that I don't want to set foot in the garden because there will probably be another 5 or 6 zucchinis there waiting to be picked.  I have a serious fear of the zucchini plant.  I mean, I like zucchini, but, after the last month of zucchini in everything, I think I'm cured of it.

If you are in need of zucchini, let me k now.  I can set you up with one or five.

Otherwise, the family will need your prayers during this difficult time to help them get through meal time.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

So, we return from vacation, and my zucchini plant seems to have gone a little crazy.  We picked 7 zucchini's!  I gave away two of them.  Nick made some grilled zucchini with melted cheese and an egg on top (it was pretty good).  I made some zucchini noodles and Zucchini Chocolate Cake.

Since I have so much extra zucchini, I thought I would go in search for a fun zucchini bread to make and bring to the nurses at home that my Mom is staying.  I found this great recipe on ChefSavvy for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread and made it for the nurses at the home where my Mom is staying.  It turned out to be a big hit!  Check out the pictures and recipe!



Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Found recipe here


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Oven to 350F
Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix egg, oil, sugars, yogurt and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.
Add zucchini and chocolate chips and gently mix.
Pour into loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

*my recipe shows the reduced amount of sugar that I used (and it still tastes great!)


If you make this Zucchini Bread, let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Short Sheeted

It never fails.  When I make the bed, it's all nice.  Our sheets aren't too tight.  Everything fits just right and won't come loose.  The minute RT lays on the sheets, they start to come up on his side of the bed.  Sometimes it's so bad that even the mattress cover comes up with it.

I have no idea what he does that makes this happen.  I sleep in the same bed and this never happens to me.

On vacation, in one of the hotels, RT was laying in bed and I could see that the sheets were starting to come up.  All of a sudden, RT gets up, pulls the covers off and is trying to fix the sheet.  Once he gets a corner down, another corner pops up.  Of course, Bella and I  couldn't stop laughing  found this quite amusing.

RT did finally secure all four sides (with my help).  By morning the sides were all up and ready to swallow him up.

I might have to invest in some type of clips that go underneath the matters and clip onto the sheets.

Or, just let the sheets swallow him up.

"Everything Smells like a Fart"

Another one of RT's famous quotes.  It goes along with, "The whole town smells like a fart."

We stayed one night in a town in Colorado.  We stayed in this town the last time we visited Colorado, so, I remembered that after dinner, there was an awful odor in the town.  This time, when we went to eat dinner, RT and Bella wanted to sit outside and I had to put my food down and make everyone eat indoors.  When we sat at the table, I explained my reason, and they agreed that I made the right decision.

After dinner, we walked around the festival that was in front of the restaurant.  We then walked a little and ended up inside a store.  When leaving the store, Bella turned to me and made a face.  I thought someone must have changed a dirty diaper and put it into the garbage in front of the store.  Unfortunately, that smell carried its way through the town and followed us to our car.  We made it safely to our room (that, luckily, did not have that smell) and then RT made his comments.

I'm not sure how people live here with that smell.  Maybe you get used to it after awhile?

On our drive back home, we were debating on where to stay.  Bella said, "I'll stay anywhere except Fort Morgan."

Guess where we ended up staying?

I believe it will probably be our last visit there.  We experienced a "high volume" of smell 
(in other words, I almost threw up) the morning that we left. 

My Weird Dog

Pippen has taken to sleeping in our room.  At first he would barge in at midnight (or later).  By barge in, I mean, he opens the door using his nose and he isn't quiet about it and leaves our door wide open so we can hear when the kids get up in the middle of the night.  Now, he comes into our room as we are getting into bed.

I put a small carpet on RT's side of the bed.  Normally, he sleeps on my side (on the floor).  Since the placement of the new carpet, he has made his way to RT's side.

We are leaving on vacation soon and I'm wondering where he will sleep.  He's used to sleeping with us in our room.  I warned the boys that they might have a nightly visitor, especially if there is a thunderstorm.

We shall see what happens...

Funny Search Results

It's that time again!  Reviewing search results.  You know, how did these people land here on my blog.  It's always fun to see what they searched to get here.

I only have a couple this time.  I think a lot of people have been finding me by my Girl Scout posts.

Let's get started:


Is jury duty scary?

Probably saw my post(s) about my time doing jury duty.  Those were probably pretty scary.


Your mother doesn't live here

Well.  She doesn't.

How to make Bath Bombs

So, while I was making soap, Bella decided to try her hand at making bath bombs.  She said she could handle making them by herself.  She didn't need any help.

And then, all of a sudden, she needed help.

This was a good learning exercise.  I told Bella that it's important to always read through a recipe.  You will learn what ingredients you need (and you can make sure that you have them on hand) and you will find out the order that they should be put into your bowl.  That last part is important because, one wrong step and everything could go bad.

Bella messed up on that last part, but, hopefully, learned a lesson for future bath bomb makings.

Here is the recipe she used:
(from A Beautiful Mess)


4 oz baking soda
2oz corn starch
2oz citric acid
2oz Epsom salt
1 to 1 1/2 tsp water
1 tsp essential oil
1 1/4 tsp oil (coconut oil or olive oil)
1-2 drops food coloring (optional)


In a bowl combine the dry ingredients (the first four listed above). Whisk to remove any clumps, corn starch tends to be clumpy. In a small glass jar stir together the wet ingredients (the last four ingredients listed). If you’re using coconut oil, give it a quick melt in the microwave or stove top first so it will more easily combine with the other ingredients. Slowly pour the liquid mixture in with the dry mixture, whisking as you go. If you see the mixture fizz or foam, you may be adding the liquid too quickly. Once all the wet ingredients are combined with the dry, take a small amount in your hand and squeeze it together. It should stick together fairly well in one or two big chunks. If it’s still too powdery to hold together, just add a tiny bit more water and mix until it does hold together.

Then fill each half of your bath bomb mold with the mixture until it's just overflowing a little.  Press together, then gently remove one side of the mold.  Place the bath bomb on a tray (we used a cookie sheet with wax paper on it) and allow to dry out just a little (10-12 minutes) before removing the other side.  Once you are ready to remove the other side, gently invert the bath bomb so the uncovered side is facing down, then gently remove the other half of the mold from the top.  Please note:  GENTLY.  These can fall apart very easily if you aren't careful.  If a bath bomb does crack, you can gently mold again.  Patience is key on this step.

Once they are completely out of the mold, allow them to dry out overnight. Once very dry, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a dry place until you’re ready to use them.  These make great gifts!

*2oz is equal to 1/4 cup

Bella used one of her scented fragrance oils in the bath bombs that she made.  She used the heart mold that we have (of course I have a heart mold!).  Bella had some difficulty in the molding process.  She didn't have the patience. That's where my help came in....

These would make a fun Girl Scout project!  They aren't difficult to make, but, you will need one mold per girl.  

If you make bath bombs, let us know!  We would love to hear how yours turn out!

Homemade Hot Process Soap - Lavender and Tangerine

I got this recipe off Wiki-How.  They have pictures and a great tutorial.  Check it out!  I also used the step by steps from here .  Wellness Mama has great tips and great instructions on how to make soap.  Check out her site for tips and recipes.

I used a silicone loaf mold (I already had this on hand...I used it the last time that I attempted making soap....remember?) I had all of the other ingredients.  Always wear eye protection and long sleeves when dealing with lye.  Make sure there are no animals or children present when working with lye.  Make sure you have some white vinegar on hand for any mishaps with the lye.  I pour it on everything when I'm done (before I start to clean everything)  For a list of all the items that you need to make soap, check out Wiki-How or Wellness Mama.

Here is the recipe from Wellness Mama:

Soap Ingredients:
16oz Coconut Oil
16 Oz Olive Oil
.64 oz Shea Butter
12oz purified Water
4.80 oz Lye
1 oz fragrance (I used lavender and tangerine oils)

Let's get started!

1. Measure the oils in liquid form (by weight) and pour into the slow cooker. Turn on high just until oils heat up and then reduce to low heat.
2. While oils are heating, carefully measure the lye and water separately. TIP: This is the only thing I ever use disposable plastic cups for. They don’t weigh anything on the scale so they make measuring easy and I keep three separate cups labeled:
3. Water, Lye and Oil to use for this purpose only. I reuse them each time so they aren’t wasted and I don’t worry about anyone drinking out of them since we don’t usually use these types of cups.
4. Carefully take the cups with the water and the lye outside or to a well ventilated area. Pour the water into a quart size or larger glass jar. With gloves and eye protection, slowly add the lye to the water. DO NOT ADD THE WATER TO THE LYE (this is really important). Stir carefully with a metal spoon, making sure not to let the liquid come in contact with your body directly.
5. As you stir, this will create a cloudy white mixture that gets really hot. Let this mixture set for about 10 minutes to cool. It should become clear and not cloudy when it has cooled.
6. When the oils in the crockpot have heated (to about 120-130 degrees F), slowly pour in the water and lye mixture and stir.
7. Quickly rinse the container used for the water and lye mixture out in the sink. I rinse well and then re-rinse with white vinegar to make sure all Lye has been neutralized.
8. Use the metal or wooden spoon to stir the lye/water mixture into the oil mixture in the crockpot. Once it is evenly mixed, use the stick blender to blend for about 4-5 minutes or until it is opaque and starting to thicken.
9. Cover and keep on low heat to thicken. I set a timer for 15 minutes and check it every 15 minutes until it is ready. It will start to boil and bubble on the sides first. After about 35-55 minutes (depending on crock pot) it will thicken enough that the entire surface is bubbly and the sides have collapsed in.
10. At this point, turn the heat off and remove the crock. If you are going to use essential oils for scent, add them now. I added lavender and orange.
11. Quickly and carefully spoon into molds. I’ve often heard of people using empty 
12. Cover the molds with parchment paper and set in a cool, dry place.
13. After 24 hours, pop the soap out of the molds. It can be used right away, but I prefer to let it set for a few more days so that it lasts longer. (I'm going to let mine cure for a few weeks to make sure they harden)

Clean-up Tips

Keep separate tools for soap making simplifies the process since things don’t have to be cleaned enough for food use. I still clean all tools carefully with dishwashing soap and water and rinse with vinegar just to be sure.

• My soap is curing as we speak.  I'll let you know how this one comes out.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Flip Flops

Normally, when we go somewhere, i.e. store, walk, festival, etc., RT puts on one of his million pairs  a pair of gym shoes.  He has many to choose from, but, he has his favorites for each outing.

The last couple of outings we went on, RT chose to wear flip flops.  One of these outings was a festival, which is definitely a gym shoe wearing situation for him.  It was odd to see him in flip flops, but, I'm sure they kept him cool (it was a balmy 90F).  Later that day, we decided to take the dog for a walk (because walking around a festival in the heat wasn't enough torture for us).  Half way through our walk (that is normally a short walk, but, Bella decided we should explore as much of the 25 miles of trails as possible) I noticed RT was wearing flip flops again.  I said, "I never knew you were a flip flop wearer."  He replied that he's trying to be more flexible and fun when it comes down to shoes.  He then started telling me that he made the wrong choice because the skin was starting to chafe between his toes and he's probably developing a blister, too (TMI).

I think it's probably best he take his time when it comes down to being a flip flop wearer.  Maybe start out slow and wear them once a week to some social outing/occaision.  He can gradually work his way up from there.

And maybe he can get rid of some of the millions of shoes that he has collected over the years...

My Weird Dog

Took Pippen for a walk the other night.  One of his favorite things to do.

As we were walking, Pippen stopped and was sniffing a patch of grass.  All of a sudden, he jumped back.  We thought he didn't like the scent of that grass.  He walked a little further and started sniffing more grass and jumped again.  We then realized that he was jumping away from the fireflies (lightening bugs).

Yes.  My dog is afraid of fireflies.

I would suggest a support group for him, but, he is afraid of so many things, I think he just needs a support group for what he isn't afraid of (not sure what those items are...).