Chocolate/PB/Banana oats!

I randomly googled a 'Steel cut oats dessert', trying to find some yummy, hardy, gooey, HEALTHY recipes with this wonderful grain and came across an incomplete recipe similar to the one I ending up piecing together below....

This is what it looks like...

Do I have your attention?

This lovely ramekin delight is great for breakfast, a snack or a warm evening dessert and it's 235 cals, full of natural ingredients and whole grain galore!

Ingredients for 4 ramekins:

1 cup steel cut oats

1 banana
2 cups milk or your choice ( I used vanilla coconut)

2 heaping TBSP of unsweetened cocoa powder (Add to a couple tbsps of warm milk and stir to dissolve the powder for easy combining!)
4 TSP of natural Peanut Butter
Sweetener of your choice (2 TBSP of agave, or splenda, or stevia... your choice!)

Vanilla

How to:

Pre-heat oven to 400
Spray 4 ramekins with oil
Line bottom of ramekins with sliced bananas (1/4 banana per dish)

In a bowl combine oats, vanilla and milk

In a small dish warm a few TBSP of milk and add cocoa and sweetener of choice. Stir until dissolved.
Add to oat and milk mixture

Stir until combined and divide mixture up between the 4 ramekins.
Place on a pan and bake for 34-40 minutes. ( Untill dark, gooey, bubbly and delicious looking!)

Remove from oven and place a dollop of natural peanut butter on top of cook oats.

Voila!

I have found that you have to experiment with the amount of sweetener and cocoa. It all depends on your taste!

So delicious, filling and healthy!!!
Enjoy!

Laundray-hay!

Why in the world have I never made homemade laundry detergent before? I mean HELLO! It's the easiest thing to make, the most cost effective thing I have have ever done myself and it works better than the expensive stuff!
I have been driving my friends and family crazy with my 'DIY detergent thumping', but I can't help myself! It's awesome! Ok... Enough with the rambling... here's how to make it!

I got the recipe from the following Blog: http://kenandjen-rockymountainhigh.blogspot.com/search?q=laundry+detergent 

But for our entertainment, I will put it in my own jibber jabber just for you!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Borax
2 Cups Washing Soda
1/4 cups Dr. Bronners  Liquid Castile (Lavender smells best!)
White vinegar
20 drops Essential Oil ( Not necessary but nice!)
Stock Pot
5 Gallon Bucket with lid

Simply fill the stock pot 2/3-3/4 full of water and heat on medium ( Do NOT boil!)
Add the borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved.
Add the Bronner's soap and 15-20 drops essential oil
Stir until thoroughly mixed, then pour into 5 gallon bucket.
Fill bucket to 5 gallon mark with warm water.
Cover over night
The next.. VOILA! Let the washing begin!!

Hayden
"helping me"

I use an old ladle to add the detergent  to my wash... but it balances out to between 1/2 a cup and a cup per load. After a couple of washes you will figure out the amount that's right for you and your family.

As for the vinegar: Put a couple tablespoons in the softener section of your washer. It not only helps rinse your clothes... but makes them come out soft and snugly from the drier!

It's crazy how cheap this stuff is! It works out about 4 bucks TOPS for five gallons of detergent. And my first batch has lasted two months and im only a little over half through it!   So not only are you being more self sufficient, you are using products good for the environment AND savings tons of money each month in detergent and softener or bounce sheets! HORRAH!


Side note: Borax , Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap and Washing soda are 2 products I have decided that I can't live without! You can make dish detergent, dish washing machine detergent, house hold cleansers and ant killer out of this stuff... and that's only the tip of the ice burg! I LOVE useful items!!!  I havn't bought any other household cleaners since I have bought the above mentioned items... and my house is clean! yay! I've never been skilled in the art of numbers.. but i'm sure these relatively cheap items have saved me.... well a lot of money!