Homemade Scouring Powder

Another homemade cleaner I make is scouring powder. This homemade cleaner does not remove soap scum quite as well as a store bought one, so I still occasionally use Soft Scrub to get the bath tub really clean. But most of the time I use my homemade one. Using a scrubby sponge also increases the abrasive power of this cleaner.

Simply combine 1 cup salt, 1 cup borax, and 1 cup baking soda to make your own scouring powder! I store mine in a large shaker for convenient use. Do be careful, when you shake out the powder, not to breathe any dust, as borax is an irritant. I avoid this by holding the shaker very low to the surface I am cleaning and gently sprinkling the powder.

New Granola Recipe

I have always loved the Lazy Granola Recipe. It tastes so yummy, and is really simple to make. But I have not made it since being married because Jonathan is allergic to honey. I was really missing granola, and knew I needed to find another recipe. King Arthur's Maple Granola recipe was just what I was looking for! This recipe uses maple syrup instead of honey. And guess what? I liked this granola even better than the Lazy Granola variety! So, here is my adapted version of King Arthur's Maple Granola. If you don't have the variety of grains, you can use all rolled oats.

1 cup rolled wheat
2 cups whole oats
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium size bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Whisk together maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Drizzle syrup mixture over grain mixture, small amounts at a time stirring as you go, until all the syrup is mixed into the grain very well. Spread granola on a jelly roll pan, and place in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven for another 5 minutes. Stir again. Then place the pan back in the oven and turn the oven off. Let the granola continue to toast as the oven cools. When is is cool, stir into crumbles. At this point you can add dried fruit if you like. Store in an airtight container.

French Bread Pizza

Have you ever heard of or eaten French Bread Pizza? I read about it quite a while ago on Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, but never tried it until Sunday night. It was yummy! French Bread Pizza tastes just like regular pizza, only with a really thick crust. Basically, you just split a loaf of french bread, top it with whatever you love on pizza, and bake it for about 15 minutes! So easy. We ate it for a quick supper when we got home from church Sunday night. The only problem -- I didn't make enough! If you want a more detailed recipe, go to Lynn's post.

Craftiness

I have recently rediscovered that knitting is fun! Every fall when it starts getting chilly, I get the urge to pull out my knitting needles and make something. This fall has been no different. Dipping temperatures, flying snow, hot tea and knitting just belong together! I am currently knitting Jonathan a hat using this pattern. I really like the simple manly look of this hat, and it has been simple to make. I just have to finish off the crown and it will be completed. Friday I went shopping at Joann's and found some beautiful yarn on sale! I have lots of knitting projects lined up!

A Giveaway!

Lynn from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures is doing a giveaway on her blog. And she is giving away an apron from my store, Emily's Emporium! So hop on over to Lynn's Kitchen Adventures to sign up to win this apron.



The giveaway ends next Monday, December 14 at noon.

Is It Really A Craving?

I said I wasn't going to have cravings. They're just silly made up ideas that look good in movies and sound funny when you tell your friends that ice cream and pickles taste really good together. Right? Well last night we were eating chili. Really yummy chili if you don't mind me saying so. But it didn't have a lot of meat in it. If I don't eat much protein at dinner, I feel really sick when I go to bed. So I was thinking about this, and all of the sudden a fried egg with chili on top sounded really good. Know what I did? I ran in the kitchen, fried up an egg, and ate it with lots of chili on top. It was delicious. I might have it on purpose sometime. Jonathan told me it was my first official craving. Why is randomly eating something when you're pregnant labeled a "craving", but nobody thinks anything of it if you're not? I would like to know.

Thanksgiving Rolls

Jonathan and I are preparing to make a trip to be with my family for Thanksgiving. I am so excited to see my family because I haven't seen them since my wedding nearly 5 months ago! I've been making snacks for the long trip, packing and making sure everything around the house is ready for us to leave for nearly a week. What fun! :) Right now I have roll dough rising. The past few years I have made rolls for Thanksgiving dinner. I have made them at Grandma's house, made them at home and brought them, and this year the rolls are coming all the way from Michigan! I am going to share the roll recipe with you because it is such a simple one. Maybe you would like to make rolls for your family's dinner too. This recipe comes from a Betty Crocker cookbook.

Traditional Roll Dough
3 1/4 - 3 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening or butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast
1/2 cup very warm water
1/2 cup very warm milk
1 egg

Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a medium size bowl. In a small saucepan, add water, milk and butter, cut into tiny pieces. Heat until very warm, but butter does not have to be melted. Add to flour mixture and beat on low speed 1 minute. Beast on medium speed 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl and turn to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour. Punch dough down and shape into 20 rolls. Place in greased casserole dish or on a greased cookie sheet and let rise another 30 minutes, or until the rolls have doubled. Bake at 400 degrees 12 to 18 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!