If you take a trip through the blog archives, I originally shared my DIY Laundry Powder recipe in 2018. I got away from making my own in the last few years, but after a bad reaction to traditional laundry soap I decided to get back to it! This is such a budget friendly solution to the rising prices in the grocery store.
My recipe has evolved a little bit, so I thought I'd share the updated version!
This recipe is to fill my 2 gallon glass jar, which is enough detergent to last about a year.
- This is much easier to make if you put all the ingredients into a trash bag to mix, instead of trying to use a spoon.
- I have a HE high capacity washer without an agitator. I use 2 tablespoons per load because I can fit a lot in one load. For smaller loads of just a few things I use 1 tablespoon. If you have a smaller capacity washer 1 tablespoon should suffice.
- Keep in mind that the Oxiclean is optional. The rest of the ingredients will still get your clothes clean, but I like the boost in whitening.
- The scent is also optional. Without it, your clothes will just smell clean. Not including the scent will make this ideal for people with fragrance sensitivity. I got a trial size scent booster and that does it for me.
- There some mixed opinions on including epsom salt. It's said to have softening abilities, but some might choose to omit depending on their water hardness. You can also use plain white vinegar as a softener. Epsom salt hold onto scent well too, so you can add a few drops of essential oils to your salts for an added scent.
And, because sharing is caring, I now offer my Laundry Soap vinyl decal over on Etsy! I love this font, because it's like my handwriting - but better. Blog readers get a discount when they use the code: kristenwoolseyblog at checkout!
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-Kristen
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This is a new recipe for us, but I am so happy to include it in our regular rotation after making it. It's very simple to put together, and it's absolutely delicious. This bowl is made up of sweet potatoes, air fried chicken, slaw, pickles, avocado and pepitas. Unfortunately, the avocado we had was hard as rock, and our grocery store was out of pepitas. Next time I will make sure to add those things because I think it'd be a nice touch. I also do not care for mayo based slaw, so I switched that up for our dinner. It's just a cabbage slaw mix, white wine vinegar, and a little lemon juice.
No recipe here, just build your bowl just like you do when you go through the line at Chipotle! We make cilantro lime rice by squeezing lime juice and adding cilantro to our rice.
Greek Chicken Bowls
I could eat this every night! The base is rice, and we add grilled chicken, tzatziki sauce, chick peas (you could do hummus), a tomato cucumber salad, and some marinated olives. OH, and don't forget the feta! Serve together with some toasted pita, and you've got a very filling meal. We make our tzatziki sauce with non fat greek yogurt which amps up the protein.
We LOVE this recipe and have been making it almost weekly for a year. It's perfect for when you are craving a burger but don't want a heavy meal. You can make the sauce with greek yogurt instead of mayo to add more protein. We also like to use Primal Kitchen ketchup in the sauce because it cuts down on the sugar.
In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text.
I've got 2 recipes to share with you for weeks 11 and 12! We did the Greek Inspired Chicken and Orzo Bake and the Mojo Pork Tenderloin.
Both of these recipes were really good! Instead of orzo, I used penne pasta because that's what I had on hand. It was definitely a full skillet, but absolutely delish. So so fragrant too. For the mojo pork - I made this for my brother and sister in law when they were in town. It was a crowd pleaser for sure. Both my mom and my brother wanted the recipe for the green sauce. It's a really yummy, versatile sauce. We served the pork and peppers over yellow rice. Does anyone else's family add green olives to their yellow rice? My mom always did this growing up, and I think it's such a good flavor.
-Kristen
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In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text.
This week's choice was the Chicken Picatta Meatballs!
We obviously served over pasta. These were very tasty and I felt like this was one of the simplest recipes we've made thus far. Ground chicken was fairly inexpensive as well, so I think this would be a great option for a weeknight dish.
-Kristen
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In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text.
This week's choice was the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas!
An absolutely perfect dish! We loved this one. In my family, when something is like perfectly delicious - we say it's 'dang good'. It's reserved for only the best meals - and this one totally earned it. Really simple, easy, and tasty. Plus, you can really amp up the spice if you want to. 10/10 will make this a dozen more times. SO good.
-Kristen
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In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text.
This week's choice was Simple Skillet Beef Shawarma Pg. 144
The Verdict? We LOVED this one. It's a winner. I made this for my parents and Blake & I. We all agreed, it was delicious. Lots of flavor and it hits the spot if you are craving a burger. We ate it all, there were not any leftovers if that gives you an idea of how much we liked it.
-Kristen
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In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text.
This week's choice was Green Chile Chicken and Rice Soup on page 57.
The verdict? Blake and I loved this one. It's got a nice kick to it, so it's something I think I'd want if I was trying to clear some congestion. It has you top it with radish, avocado and cilantro. I was SO hungry, I forgot to chop up the toppings. So, I think it'd be even better with all yummy toppings.
-Kristen
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Two of my cousins and I are doing a little cookbook club! It's an experiment, so we are still outlining the 'rules'. Basically, the 3 of us are big Defined Dish fans and when we received the newest cookbook we decided to work our way through it together. Each of us will take turns choosing one recipe a week and report back on what we think.
I got to choose first, which felt like a lot of pressure because all the recipes really look amazing. I went with One Pan Coconut-Lime Chicken and Rice on page 98.
The only thing we did differently was use chicken breast instead of thighs since that's what I had in the fridge. Overall, really really good. It was spicier than expected, so that's something to note if you have kids or chapped lips. Would make again!
And since we have been hosting my niece for the week, she picked a dessert to try. We went with the Chocolate Chunk Cookie Skillet on page 221. Our skillet was dirty so we used a baking dish instead. Admittedly this was pretty dry - but because we topped it with ice cream I think that helped. And we ate the entire thing in a couple of days, so must not have been all that bad.
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-Kristen
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Meal planning has just become absolutely critical to our lives! It's always been an important element of a successful week - but now that we are in the middle of doing Whole 30, it's integral. You cannot just fly by the seat of your pants on Whole 30. (If you are interested, I've been documenting all our Whole 30 meals over on Tik Tok!)
So, come along with me as I plan this week's meals and then subsequently prepare each dish!
To begin with, let me tell you about my secret weapon. Plan to Eat! Plan to Eat is a really cool tool. Not only does it have a calendar for you to plan your meals, but it also stores all your recipes. My favorite part is the 'import' tool. All you have to do is input the URL of the recipe you want and it imports all the details and ingredients for you. Once you have your week planned it even generates a shopping list for you.
I already have a bunch of our favorite go-to recipes in Plan To Eat, but I am also using a few cookbooks here and there as we do Whole 30. If you are eating out, having leftovers, or using a cookbook you can make a 'note' on your schedule to remind you what the plan is. You can also use this tool to remind yourself to take food out of the freezer or something like that.
For this week, I'm going to do a mix of favorites and new recipes. I can't wait to remake these Burger Bowls we had recently! I can't stop thinking them. In general, I like to think about what we have going on during the week before choosing what meal goes where. For example, Wednesday evenings are really tight, so I like to do something in the crockpot or something really simple. Additionally, I think about what ingredients we already have or need to use up.
After I've got everything where I want it on the calendar, I generate a grocery list. Simultaneously, I have another window in my browser open to Walmart. We have Walmart + subscription for free grocery delivery. #game changer. (I have a referral link for you too!) I'll add what I need to my cart and plan my delivery time. I usually like to get groceries on Sundays, but I feel like I've been doing a lot more shopping lately as I figure out our Whole30 routine. (and spending soooo much more on food...!!)
Monday - Defined Dish Meatballs and Marinara with Zucchini Noodles
Tuesday - Santa Fe Salads (I'm going to adapt this recipe to make it Whole30, but we love the original)
Wednesday - I have some Defined Dish Tortilla-less Soup in the freezer I'm going to take out.
Thursday - Chili Lime Chicken Wings and I'm going to make sweet potato fries. This is a new recipe!
Friday - Taco Salads! We do these once a week anyways. I just need to decide which protein.
And here's how it went:
Sunday
Burgers are truly one of the only things I crave, and these bowls totally scratch the itch! SO, so delicious.
Monday
I've gotta get better at zucchini noodles, but these meatballs are very yummy! The noodles absorb the sauce really well so it's an easy way to add veggies to our plates.
Tuesday
Change of plans! My mom had us over for dinner. She said she was cooking extra, and boy I am not going to turn down some one else doing the cooking. My parents are also doing their own version of Whole30 right now so it was no problem to eat with them. I'll save the Santa Fe Salads for this weekend! The chicken was in the freezer anyway so it won't be a problem to be flexible here.
Wednesday
Before Whole 30 I had a go-to tortilla soup recipe that I almost always had on the meal plan because it was so easy. Most of the ingredients don't fit in with Whole 30- so I was happy to find this version! It's a great soup and very easy to make. The toppings make it more interesting too.
Thursday
Next time I'm going to make double the sauce! These were great and very sticky. If I make double the sauce I can dunk them in it after they come out of the oven. We also really enjoyed air frying some sweet potato fries, and pairing both things with this homemade Whole 30 friendly ranch dressing.
Friday
Tacos are a staple over here, and taco salads are a fav! We are enjoying the Siete taco seasoning a lot. Add some fresh salsa and you've got a great dish! Nutritional yeast was something I used a lot when I was a vegetarian, but I'm using it a lot now for making dishes more cheesy.
Hopefully this look behind the scenes is helpful to you! Meal planning is so important, but can be overwhelming sometimes. At least with this post, you've got a week's worth of yummy meals to inspire you!
Here's my referral links to Plan to Eat and Walmart+. (Hint hint, you can use Rakuten when you shop at Walmart for free cash back!) Don't forget there is a whole tab at the top of this page with other coupons for you!
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-Kristen
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If you would have told me in the past that Blake and I would become coffee drinkers, I'd be so shocked! Neither of us picked up coffee drinking in our adult lives for the longest time. I can tell you the exact time I first drank a coffee and enjoyed it. I'll remember that day vividly, ha! One day I was babysitting my nephew when he was a toddler, and I decided to take him downtown and go to the Museum of Natural History here in Tallahassee. My brother came with me for some of the morning, and he wanted to stop by a local coffee shop called Lucky Goat. He felt like he knew I would enjoy their signature iced coffee, and ordered me one. I have to say, either I was desperate for caffeine that day, or it was pretty great.
Fast forward to today, and both Blake and I love cold brew! We drink it every single morning, and have a pretty solid combo for a delicious iced coffee. It's not unlike the coffee I got at Lucky Goat that day! We still aren't hot coffee people, but why would we want to try it when we have this delicious recipe?
First of all, we have a home cold brew maker. It's by Cuisinart and is impossibly simple to use. Basically you fill the basket with coffee grounds, fill it with water, and let it steep in the fridge for as long as you want. We usually do it overnight, and find that's pretty strong. Once you brew it, you then remove the grounds and top the dispenser off with water (because you've made a concentrate). The dispenser contains enough cold brew for several days.
Then you do what you want with it! Here's my recipe for a 12oz mug:
And who am I kidding, I don't measure with measuring spoons - I measure with my heart. So you might like more milk or more coffee than this, but I can usually tell when it's just right by the color of the coffee. Regardless it's so goood!
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-Kristen
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Lunch is something I struggle with. We rarely have leftovers, and while I love peanut butter sandwiches...sometimes that get's old. Just as I was trying to get some inspiration for lunch ideas, my sister sent me this chicken salad recipe.
When I say this is just so yummy, I don't even think that does it justice! It's got some unique ingredients in my opinion and it's not too mayo-y. I made it this week and both Blake and I ate off it for several days. It went great with yummy rolls from the Publix bakery and I ate it with pretzel crisps one day. But, honestly you could just eat it with a fork.
Ingredients:
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 stalks of chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 diced jalapeño (skip this if you are sensitive to spicy foods)
1 cup sliced red and green grapes
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill and fresh parsley
1/4 sliced almonds
3 tbsp sunflower seeds
Dressing:
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup mayo
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
salt and pepper to taste
The directions are simple! Just combine all the chopped ingredients, and then add the dressing. Serve chilled! Printer Friendly recipe here.
-Kristen
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If it's one thing I love, it's a great BIG salad! Especially in the summer. There is nothing better than some fresh veggies and not heating up your kitchen this time of year. We have a few go to recipes - but we tried two new salad recipes this past week and they are worth a share!
This salad is unique because the whole salad is grilled. Even the lettuce. It's just so delicious! We don't own a grill, but I found that the vegetables grilled up well on our gas stove griddle. I think you can get a similar effect in a cast iron pan as well.
This was a salad we loved so much that we made it twice in one week. So yummy! I will say, you have to be a fan of gorgonzola because it's got a ton in the salad and the dressing is made with the cheese as well. Loved the roasted corn and the marinated red onion! 😋
Surprise, surprise, both of these recipes are from The Defined Dish. You can't go wrong with any of Alex's recipes. They always turn out divine! I really enjoy The Comfortable Kitchen cookbook, and would like to get the original Defined Dish cookbook too.
We've been getting a Gobble box pretty much every week this summer, but I skipped it the past two weeks because the recipes just looked so-so. So that made me reach into my Plan to Eat recipes and get a full meal plan sorted out. It's always fun to try new recipes, but I do love my old faithfuls in Plan to Eat. (Here's a link to a free trial of Plan to Eat if you want to try it! Worth every penny and an absolute game changer for meal planning!)
P.S. I have a whole tab of coupons for you in the header!
-Kristen
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Struggling to decide what's for dinner? I have been in such a rut, so to mix things up we tried 5 new recipes this week. All are from Defined Dish. You can find these recipes online, but I got them from The Defined Dish cookbook, which is free on Kindle Unlimited right now.
There were so many recipes in the book that looked really good. I don't typically use cookbooks for meal planning. I use Plan to Eat which is a digital recipe keeper and planner. It's really easy to use Plan to Eat to import recipes from other sites, so I was very excited to be able to find these recipes online as well. (If you want to give Plant to Eat a try, you can use my link for a free 30 day trial. I really love being able to share recipes with friends!)
Holy moly. I am not a huge lasagna person, but this would make me one! It's delicious and would totally be an easy meal for company. The lemon zest in the ricotta was 10/10 a game changer.
Blake and I agreed this recipe was missing something. I think next time I will add green bell pepper and some cheese. Defined Dish recipes are mostly Whole30 so it didn't call for cheese, but I think it would have added something! Still the dressing was great and I would gladly eat this again.
I can't choose between this and the lasagna for my favorite of this bunch. This was delightful! Filling, healthy and flavorful! Just for simplicity, I might just make this a rice bowl or alternatively a salad instead of both - but it really was a solid dinner!
The real star of the show are our new pasta bowls! These are giant bowls the size of plates. I love them and find myself reaching for them almost every night. They are great for rice bowls, salads, and pastas. Super inexpensive from Amazon too.
Another Amazon food related purchase are these bowl covers. I don't really buy cling wrap, so these work awesome for leftovers or transporting food!
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Let's Chat!
Leave a comment below and tell me where you find new recipes! Do you like to use cookbooks? Have you tried Defined Dish recipes before?
-Kristen
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I don't know if it's our new place, but I've just been loving cooking dinner! It definitely helps knowing cleaning up isn't going to be as tedious now that we have a dishwasher. 😂 Meal planning is something I have come to love. Sticking to the plan takes all the pressure off during the week, and keeps us on budget! Sometimes it's hard to come up with new ideas, so I thought I'd share a few recent recipes in case you need some inspiration!
One thing that has helped me tremendously is using the website Plan to Eat! It's a service that helps you store your recipes, plan the week's meals, and then creates a shopping list from your plan. It's so helpful and has made meal planning SO much easier. (If you'd like to sign up, you can use my link for a free 30 day trial! Plus, when you use that link, we are automatically friends and you can see all of my favorite recipes! I only keep the ones we love!)
Day One | Avocado Salmon Salad
Recipe Here! SkinnyTaste recipes always blow me away. This recipe takes 10 minutes to make and is so full of flavor!
Day Two | Shrimp and Gnocchi with cream sauce
Recipe Here!Not so healthy, but OH so delicious! A true comfort meal. Our grocery store had jumbo shrimp on sale, so it was perfect timing to make this amazing dish. Pairs really well with Sister Schubert's yeast rolls. 😋
Day Three | Seared Tuna Salad with creamy Ginger Dressing
Recipe Here! This is actually a WW (weight watchers!) recipe! Holy cow it's so good. Husband approved and diet friendly.
Day Four | Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Recipe Here! Another SkinnyTaste recipe! This could not be any easier, and perfect for a day when you need to use the crockpot. Love the flavors and the possibilities here. You can top these guys with just about anything!
Day Five | Mushroom, Bacon, and Potato Chowder
Recipe Here! If it's a chilly evening, there is nothing better than a comforting chowder. This recipe is simple and yummy. The bacon is the best part and totally makes the whole soup. Hearty and delish! SkinnyTaste is my favorite recipe blog, but Damn Delicious is a close 2nd! More and more of her recipes are favorites.
Day Six | Shrimp 'Salad'
Recipe Here! OH WOW. This pico is meant to be an appetizer, but Blake and I eat it as a meal frequently! Pairs amazing with chips, but you could easily add it to a tortilla. It's SO flavorful, and I could honestly eat it with a spoon.
Day Seven | Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad
I'm going to be annoying here and tell you I don't have a recipe for this! I just made it up. But, it's so simple, you can totally customize this to your tastes. I simply 'marinated' some chicken tenderloins in Crystal hot sauce and spray butter for about 30 minutes. They air fried them at 400* for about 15 minutes. The salad consisted of lettuce, carrots, celery, grape tomato, avocado, boiled egg, bacon pieces, red onion, and fresh herbs! Trust me, the fresh herbs took it over the top. I had parsley, basil and cilantro on hand, so I diced those up and it added so much flavor.
Plan To Eat's Black Friday sale is starting this week, and you can get your membership for half price! It's the perfect time to sign up. Leave a comment below and tell me what you've been in the mood to cook! Are you a meal planner, or do you decide last minute? I'd love to know what's on your menu this week.
-Kristen
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