Baking and laundry on Saturday

So I did my weekly house work list...and Saturday is laundry (that I'm doing with my soap berries!!) and baking.

Today I made granola bars.

Half the batch is oats, and the other half chopped raw almonds, sesame seeds, unsweetened, shredded coconut, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, chopped 99% cocoa bits (we just happened to have some...next time it will be cocoa nibs!), ground flax seeds, about a cup of maple syrup, a drizzle of oil, a large spoosh of juice, and an egg.

Mixed all together, and baked at 360o oh...for like maybe a half hour?  I took it out when it was brown.  Check when you can start to smell it.  I tend to bake by smell rather than time...yeeeaaa.


OH!  I haven't told  you about my soap nut/berries yet!  I LOVE THEM.  I made liquid from them (follow the directions on the web site.) and used them in the laundry.  love love love.  I didn't use the berries directly because my bag didn't come with a little muslin bag.  The usually do, but I think someone stole it in the store.
My clothes are CLEAN.  and they smell clean.  DO NOT be fooled by the rank smell if you make them into a liquid!  it does not stay on the clothes AT ALL.  the clothes smell really really clean.  We used the liquid in the dish washer too.  They work just fine as well!  SO happy.

*edit*
I just took my muddy work clothes out of the dryer.  Other than a couple stains from before I switched...you wouldn't know they are work clothes.  Seriously impressed.

weaning off soap!

It's been about 3 weeks with no 'poo.
My hair kinda feels like an animal pelt now!  Especially wet.  Soft, but thick.  Kinda like I have product in it, but really nice product.  I guess that's the balance of the natural oils.  My scalp remains virtually itch free!  SO good. 

I use Dr. Bronner's magic soap for my body.  Although it *is* soap, it's 'pure' and doesn't have any gross/harsh chemicals.  It uses plant oils rather than animal fat.

AND  although I haven't used them yet, I've bought soap nuts!  I'm waiting until my laundry detergent is done (a couple more loads!)  The web site will give you better info.  So will this video:

Also planning on using them in the dish washer.

A friend of mine uses them, and unfortunately shares laundry machines.  She is so used to no scent, that if the person who uses the machine before her has used something scented, esp. something like Gain, she can't wear her clothes.  Did you know that most perfumes are endocrine disruptors?  They mess with your hormones!  Gross.