Laundry Detergent!

Yesterday I made the laundry detergent and so far, I'm sold! I've only done one load with it so far, so I know it's hard to make a concrete judgment call. But that load came out clean, smelling like spring heaven, and super soft. Plus, there's that bit of inner satisfaction knowing that you used an all natural detergent that you made yourself....some may not find that wonderfully satisfying, but I definitely do.

So, I know it looks like a bowl of cheese got mixed into it, but it's actually grated soap. Grating the soap was the most "difficult" part of making this, if you can call it difficult. Who knew making your own laundry soap could be so easy?!
Here's the  laundry detergent recipe I used, which was actually taken from another blog I came across a few weeks ago, The Beehive Cottage. Super cute website! I used the Fels Naptha soap and I also was able to find all the ingredients at WinCo. I wasn't sure where to find Washing Soda, I'd never heard of it before, but there it was, right next to the regular laundry detergents, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding this stuff, wherever you're at.
Well, I'm gonna try out another Hourik recipe tonight...Chili relleno's! Happens to be one of my favorite things ever and hers are legendary...I'll let you know how they turn out.
Easter is just around the corner, I'm so excited! It's one of my favorite holidays, for many reasons. What are some of your favorite traditions and ways to celebrate Easter?

Levi

On Saturday, Cisco and I drove up to Modesto (a good 6 1/2 hour trip each way) to pick up Levi. We told the boys we were bringing them back a "surprise", to which they quickly responded, "CANDY?!" Hahaha. Apparently they spent the day guessing as to what their surprise would be. :) We left around 7am that morning and it really was a beautiful drive. We had considered leaving Friday night, to break up the trip, but decided not to...good thing. While watching the news that night we discovered that they'd closed the Grapevine due to snow, so we would have either spent the night in LA or been stuck in a not so great predicament. Here's a picture of the big snowfall they had

Yeah, it was definitely a mere dusting, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

Road trippin!

The whole drive was incredibly green and thanks to all the rain California has had recently, even more so than usual this time of year. So, back to Levi, he's an adorable Yorkie and we pretty much fell in love instantly. He's such a mellow dog and while small, he's not "yippy" or cranky.

So we ended up getting home around 1am and the boys were all fast asleep. They woke up the next morning and the first thing out of their mouths was, "What's our surprise?" We did videotape their reaction, but honestly the initial reaction wasn't exactly climactic or anything. We took him into their room and they calmly observed that their surprise was a dog and that it was Levi, the little dog Aunt Kim and Uncle John had sent pictures of. Seriously. Calm.
Don't be too disappointed though, I believe their initial lack of excitement was due more to the fact that they weren't fully awake as opposed to them not being excited about the dog. Once they got up and moving they were definitely excited and couldn't stop saying how cute he was and how he was "the best dog ever!". It was more than satisfying to see how happy they were. :)

We had a little scare with him yesterday and had to make a trip to the vet, but it seems everything will be ok with him and I really hope so. He's pretty much the perfect dog, adores the kids, and we're all very much attached to him. When we brought him home from the vet Josiah was snuggling next to him and kissed his head. He looked at me and said, "Mom, you know why I kissed his head? Because I love him so much." Ugh. Heart melt...

Here's a picture of Josiah's play he had at his school on Friday. It was "Once Upon a Lily Pad" and Josiah was a snake. He had one little line he had to say, which he did very well at! :) I'm definitely gonna miss those little plays next year, they really are a joy to watch. The kids are HILARIOUS!

I know, it's not the best picture ever, but all I had was my phone and no zoom. But you get the idea.

I'm going to attempt to make my own laundry soap this week, I'll of course be posting on how that goes! I'm oddly excited about it though and have been looking forward to doing this ever since I came across the recipe. Which was a couple weeks ago. I know, what on earth has come over me lately???

Puppy Love & What I made this week...

Beignets. Delicious, incomparable beignets. If you've never had the pleasure of eating one, here's what they look like:

 

They are basically fried  doughnuts covered in powdered sugar, but fresh and hot, they are seriously amazing. And they are probably the most requested item I make! I'll add the link to the recipe I use, which is Paula Deen's, from Food Network. They are the best. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/french-quarter-beignets-recipe/index.html 

I would also recommend using Grapeseed oil and a deep fryer if you can get your hands on one. I used a deep fryer & the Grapeseed oil for that matter, for the first time this week and the oil made them very light and crispy (didn't seem as fatty as canola) and the fryer just made the whole process that much easier. Don't feel daunted by the recipe! It's seriously SOO simple and worth every minute of the effort!

I plan to write another blog, hopefully Sunday. I'm very excited to write this one, and will maybe include a video! Cisco and I are meeting up with my sister tomorrow to pick up our new little family member...a 5 year old Yorkshire Terrier named Levi. He's seriously the cutest thing! The boys don't know we're getting him yet (they caught on to the fact we're getting one, they just don't know when...I guess the leash and dog bed gave it away...), so I hope to videotape their faces when we come home with him. Can't wait!!!