Tasty Thursdays: Mud Hens

I pinned this recipe awhile back thinking that I'd make them when I had time & was in the mood for something gooey and chocolate. Today was that day. Here is the original source.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup shortening
• 4 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 2 eggs, separated, plus 2 more egg whites only
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Chopped Nuts (optional. I used pecans)
  
• 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows
• 1/2 Cup (or a little more) Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar (dark or light)

Cream together butter, sugar and shortening. Add two egg yolks plus an additional egg, mix until combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly:

 Spread into a well greased 9x13 inch baking pan.

 Top with chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts

 Whip 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in brown sugar until fully incorporated. Spread over mixture, covering completely.

 Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

 

Yummy Goodness!

Thrifty Tuesday: Castile Laundry Soap

I've mentioned a few times that we make our own laundry soap. I just ran out of our last batch and it was time for a new one, so I made some up this morning. I tried a new recipe because although the other one cleaned the clothes well, the soap & water separated and you had to shake it up before you used it. I wanted to make a more concentrated detergent without all the water. So I did some web research on Castile laundry detergent and this is the recipe I decided to go with: Homemade Castile Laundry Soap.

You will need:

1/4 cup liquid Castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner's)

1 cup baking soda

1 cup super washing soda

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup boiling water

 

 Add the soap, baking soda, and washing soda to a large mixing bowl. 

Slowly add the vinegar & prepare for a bubble explosion! 

Aislyn loved that part ("my turn mama, my turn!"). Then whisk until thoroughly

 combined. Pour in boiling water and whisk again.This is what you'll get:

It should be a loose paste. Store it in an air tight container and use about 2 tbsp per load. If you leave it uncovered, it will solidify so unless you want a huge rock hard block of unusable detergent, don't do it. :)

While I was finishing up the laundry soap, Aislyn was busy cleaning her table. She's such a good helper!  (It's the only picture I could get of her as she's going through a phase where she hates her picture taken... and yes, her hair is nuts :))

Happy Thrifty Tuesday,

Kaitlin