Brandy in the Kitchen

[Brandy524I make cake]

This is not a recipe, but rather a step-by-step look at the Pre-DSB cake. I'll have an unconventional recipe posted today, also. Enjoy!

[Brandy524I make cake]

And now for something completely different. It's a recipe, and I made it my kitchen, but you can't eat it! Well, I guess you could, but it probably wouldn't taste good. Drumroll, please........

Homemade Laundry Detergent! This is a Duggar recipe. Don't laugh! My cousin actually turned me onto it and I am blown away. It's unbelievable the money you can save making your own detergent. And for those of you saving up for a 2012 TPR trip (sadly, not myself), this may help put a little extra money in your trip savings! Here's the recipe, followed by a little math:

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online. Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Now the math. I'm assuming you do not have a five-gallon bucket and lid handy and including that in the calculations. These are just estimates based on the prices at Wal-Mart. Prices will vary according to your store of choice. This should be enough for roughly 4 batches of detergent.

Bucket and Lid: $5
Soap bar: $4 (four bars x $1 each)
Washing Soda: $5
Borax: $10
TOTAL: $24 for four batches; $6 per batch. Each batch is approx. 180 loads or 640 loads depending on the type of machine.

In comparison, we were Gain users prior to this. A 32 load bottle of original Gain is approx. $6.

You'd have to buy 6 bottles of Gain to get 180 loads. That's approx. $36.
You'd have to buy 20 bottles of Gain to get 640 loads. That's approx. $120.

180 loads for $6 or $36?
640 loads for $6 or $120?

Which would you rather pay? See, lots of money to be saved!

[MooseWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

I was really considering trying making my own soap. The only problem is I have no idea where to get the ingredients. I have never even heard of Fels Neptha. Did you find it in a store?

[BeemerBoyWDW Monorail Fanatic]

Nice work on the TPR cake, Brandy!


I always use the Fight Club method when making homemade soap.

[Brandy524I make cake]

I was really considering trying making my own soap. The only problem is I have no idea where to get the ingredients. I have never even heard of Fels Neptha. Did you find it in a store?

I got all my ingredients at Wal-Mart. You don't have to use the Fels Naptha bar, though. Any kind of bar laundry soap will work. My cousin uses a different brand, though I'm not sure the name of it.

Just so you know how good this stuff works, Danny said he'll never go back to regular detergent. This stuff cleans so much better!

Nice work on the TPR cake, Brandy!

I always use the Fight Club method when making homemade soap.

Thanks, Scott! And I've never seen Fight Club, so I have no idea what that means.

[MooseWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

I'll definitely look for the stuff the next time I'm at wallyworld. (I only go early Saturday morning or I may be tempted to kill people.)

A quick question on a past Brandy in the Kitchen the Cake pops... How far in advance can I make them? I'm thinking of making them for a Halloween party but nit sure how many days in advance I can do them. Any thoughts?

[Brandy524I make cake]

I'll definitely look for the stuff the next time I'm at wallyworld. (I only go early Saturday morning or I may be tempted to kill people.)

A quick question on a past Brandy in the Kitchen the Cake pops... How far in advance can I make them? I'm thinking of making them for a Halloween party but nit sure how many days in advance I can do them. Any thoughts?

They will keep for at least a week, if not longer. Once they're dipped in the candy coating the cake part will not dry out or anything. They have a much, much longer shelf life than regular cake or cupcakes. I've done Halloween ones before with orange coating and drawn jack-o-lantern faces with a food color pen, and also made some pumpkins with piped on stems and vines for a fall wedding. They are so much fun to decorate! I just got an order today for four dozen owl cake pops.

[MooseWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

^I was thinking of doing those two, plus i think I saw an example of mummies somewhere. I'll have to look around for it.

That's great that you are getting orders for something that you love! The owls sound cute, be sure to take a pic.

[Brandy524I make cake]

I was just getting ready to post a new recipe when I was informed that we're closing the office in 20 minutes. Yay for closing early, but boo that I don't have to time to resize my pics and put the recipe up before I leave. But at least you'll have something to look forward to on Monday! Cookie Dough Bites. Yum! Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

[MooseWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

^Sounds Yummy.

I ended up making the cake pops for Halloween. I used spice mix and cream cheese frosting but skipped on the sticks. They were delicious and everyone raved about them, but in retrospect not using sticks made it more difficult and I think I didn't get the candy coating hot enough.