Essential Oil Air Freshener

FB Source: Discover the Aroma of Essential Oils

Avoid toxic and go harmless with an all-natural, essential oil air freshener. You only need a jar with a ¼ cup of baking soda and 9-10 drops of your favorite pure essential oil. You can decorate the jar as you wish. This will last about a month.

Try it and let us know how you love it! Recommended oils: Lavender, Lemon, Orange.

Email me If you would like more information on how to incorporate essential oils into your life and into your home.

Vegan Cake Batter Ice Cream

FB Source: Eat Clean. Train Mean. Live Green.

ORIGINAL Source: She Knows

Ingredients:
5 frozen bananas
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons agave nectar (I'd sub honey or maple syrup.)
2 tablespoons sprinkles (I'd bite the bullet and leave the sprinkles in! So fun and yum!! Gotta enjoy life. :)

Directions:

1. Slice frozen bananas into chunks and pulse them in a food processor until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients except for the sprinkles, and pulse until smooth.
3. Add sprinkles and gently them fold into the batter.
4. Serve and enjoy.

Use the picture above as your guide.

Raw Cake Batter Ice Cream !! :)) Yum!! Haha. These banana ice cream recipes are great. 

Based on 4 individual servings:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/4 batch

Amount Per Serving

Calories  210 Calories from Fat  14

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  1.5g 2%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  83mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates  45.8g 15%

Dietary Fiber  3.9g 15%

Sugars  29.3g

Protein  1.6g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 35% Calcium 1% • Iron 15%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Very low in saturated fat
• No cholesterol
• Low in sodium
• High in manganese
• Very high in vitamin B6
• High in vitamin C

Bad points

• Very high in sugar
• Contains alcohol

One-Bowl Apple Cake

FB Source: Gabriele Lanhan

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. 
3. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) 
4. Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. 
5. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. 
6. Pour mixture into a greased one 9x13 or two 9″ round pans. 
7. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

This cake is so moist and rich and just perfect for this time of year. (and easy to make!)

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles

ORIGINAL Source: The Recipe Critic

Ingredients:

2½ cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 cup caramel squares, cut into ¼’s
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, cinnamon, and set aside.
2. To brown the butter, heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. You will notice the butter starting to become frothy on the top and brown specks will start to form along the bottom. You have to watch it closely because the turn happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn. You will start to smell a nutty aroma and once it turns to a brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
3. While the butter is cooling, cut the caramel squares into quarters.
4. In a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar. (The remaining ¼ cup sugar will be used for rolling in the cookies). Mix until blended and smooth.
5. Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.
6. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
7. Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball and place 1-2 caramel squares inside, wrap the cookie dough over the caramel and roll back into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered so that the caramel won’t stick to the pan.
8. Mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the mixture. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. (I used coarse sea salt)
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly brown. The centers will be soft. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Recipe Adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

Pumpkin Bars

FB Source: Andrea McWilliams Xidis

Ingredients:

Bars:
16 oz can pumpkin

2 cups sugar 

1 cup vegetable oil 

4 eggs, beaten 

2 cups flour 

2 tsp. baking soda 

2 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. nutmeg 

1/2 tsp. salt 

Cream Cheese Frosting:
5 Tbs. butter, softened 

3 oz cream cheese, softened 

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar 

3-4 tsp. milk 

chopped nuts for the top, if desired 

Directions:

Bars:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs and mix well. 
2. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the pumpkin mixture, beating until well blended. 
3. Pour into a greased 10×15 inch baking pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Cool the cake completely and then frost it with the cream cheese frosting. 

Frosting:

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and blend till smooth. 
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix well. 
3. Add the milk a bit at a time until you get it to a spreadable consistency.

Festive Reindeer Cookies

FB Source: 

Christmas Cottage Corner

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Mini brown M&Ms
Regular-sized red M&Ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
4. Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.
5. Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer’s antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color… some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.).
6. Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies. ENJOY!!!

Stacie's Texas Sheet Cake

Source: Stacie Allred

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 C All-Purpose Flour
2 C White Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp *Buttermilk Powder (found in the baking aisle of your grocery store)
1/2 C Butter (1 stick)
1/2 C Shortening
1/4 C Cocoa Powder
1 C Water
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 C water

Frosting:
1/2 C Butter (1 stick)
6 Tbsp Milk
1/4 C Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 C Powdered Sugar, sifted.

Directions:
Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. 
2. Grease and flour 13 x 18" half-sheet cake pan. (You can also use a 10 x 15" jelly roll pan for this recipe.)
3. In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and buttermilk powder. Set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, combine butter, shortening, cocoa powder and 1 C water. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
5. Pour this liquid over the flour and sugar mixture in the bowl and mix well.
6. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add 1/2 C water. Blend this together well, and add to the cake batter. Mix well.
7. Put batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, make the frosting. (Cake should be frosted no longer than 10 minutes out of the oven.)

Frosting:

1. Add first 3 frosting ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the stove and add vanilla extract.
2. Place powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add in the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
4. Frost while the cake is still warm.

*I have used Buttermilk Powder for years, and just LOVE it! I don't normally use Buttermilk, so, when I have a  recipe that calls for it, I determine how much Buttermilk Powder and water I would need, according to directions on the package, and add the powder in with my dry ingredients, and the water with my wet ingredients. It stores well in my fridge. :)

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

FB Source: Pampered Chef with Cathy Zastoupil

Original Source: Dessert Now, Dinner Later

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup stick pretzels, broken into thirds
1/2 cup caramel bits
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, cream butter with sugars. Add vanilla & egg. Incorporate & scrape bowl. 
2. Combine salt, baking soda, & flour. Gradually add to wet mixture. Mix until combined.
3. Fold in broken pretzels, caramel bits, & chocolate chips with a spatula. 
4. Spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
5. Bake at 350*F for 11-12 minutes. 

*Makes around 2 dozen cookies.

Starbucks' Lemon Loaf

FB Source: Wanda Koellen

Ingredients:

Lemon Loaf:
1 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter, Softened
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Lemon Extract
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Oil

Lemon Icing:
1 cup 

+ 1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar .

2 Tbsp Milk (Whole works best, but lower fat milks will work)
1/2 tsp Lemon Extract

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
2. Use a mixer to blend together the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
3. Pour wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. Add oil and mix well.
5. Pour batter into a well greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Make the lemon icing by combining all the icing ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer on low speed.
8. When the loaf is cool, remove it from pan and frost the top with the icing.
9. Let the icing set up before slicing.

This is a Top Secret recipe version of Starbucks Lemon loaf. THANK YOU, CONNIE for this recipe and photo!!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

FB Source: Granny's Favorites Cookbooks

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar 
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
Large pinch salt, three fingers
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Cream together butter and peanut butter; cream in sugars; beat in eggs.
3. Sift together flour, salt and soda; add to cream mixture.
4. Form dough into small balls; place on baking sheet, flatten with fork.
5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

Granny's Favorites Cookbooks

Caramel Crispix

Source: Alyssa Hernandez

Ingredients
2 small boxes of Crispix Cereal
2 cups of butter
2 cups of brown sugar
½ cup Light Karo syrup
½ tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Baking Soda

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Add Karo syrup, vanilla and baking soda.
3. Put the cereal in a large bowl then pour mixture over the cereal.
4. Toss it well to coat.
5. Spread out onto a large cookie sheet lined with waxed paper to cool.

Stacie says: "I added those last two steps in the directions. I believe the coating would make everything stick together before it cooled."

All-In-One Magic Bathroom Cleaner

Jessica Reichenbach

What you need:
1 Professional Spray Bottle (it is worth the extra $1, trust me!)
8 oz. Distilled White Vinegar
4 oz. Lemon Juice
2 oz. Liquid Soap (I use Dawn)
2 tsp. Baking Soda
10 oz water

To Mix:
Add the Baking Soda and Vinegar FIRST and let it fizzle out before adding the rest of the ingredients because it will foam. Funnel in all the ingredients, squeeze out the suds, screw on your cap and go make your bathroom sparkle!

To Use:
Clear the surfaces, use toilet tissue to wipe off any dirt, hair, spilled liquids, etc. Using the lightest spray setting, spray down everything- sink, counter, mirror, faucets, tub and the whole toilet, inside and out. I let it sit while I sweep the floor. I then use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the surfaces from the cleanest to the dirtiest. In our house that means mirror, faucets, sink, tub/shower and then the toilet. Be sure to rinse out the tub/shower really well so it isn't slippery.

Stubborn stains in your tub?
Whether its a dirt ring at the top or dirt stuck in the textured bottom, this will solve your problem! Spray down the problem area heavily, and then using a sponge with a non-scratch scrubber, scrub in a circular motion. Again, rinse very well and then put on your shades because its going to be shiny.

Seriously... Just do it. You will never buy another store bought cleaner again. This stuff is amazing. I could rave about it all day, but then you'd be sitting here reading what I have to say instead of making it. So go make some now!

Clean Your Mattress

Patti Cullum Armstrong

What you'll need:

1 cup Baking Soda

Lavender essential oil

Process:

1. Pour baking soda into a Mason jar & drop in 4 drops of lavender essential oil. Put on lid & shake jar.
2. Using a kitchen strainer, sprinkle the baking soda mixture all over the mattress & let it sit for an hour or more.
3. Thoroughly vacuum the mattress. 

Bye, bye dust mites & other nasty things! The baking soda helps draw up any moisture & deep dirtiness. It deodorizes & leaves the mattress smelling fresh & clean!

Even if you change your sheets and pillowcases weekly, chances are you haven’t thought about how to clean a mattress lately. Dust and dust mites accumulate in our bedding very quickly and can cause anywhere from mild to severe allergic reactions. Getting rid of dust mites is an ongoing battle and one effective way to fight them is to keep your mattress and bedding clean. Below are simple steps to help you clean your mattress on a regular basis.

What a great, inexpensive way to clean your mattress! Be sure & share the post so you can save it to your Timeline!

Creamy New Orleans Pralines

Sonja Jones-Natt

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 quart pecans

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, buttermilk, corn syrup and salt in a very large pan (it will foam considerably when soda is added), and bring to a nice rolling boil.
2. Add soda, stir and cook until soft-ball is formed when dropped in cold water. 
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla. 
4. Beat until color changes and candy thickens. 
5. Stir in pecans. 
6. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. (DO IT FAST before the candy hardens).

This is a very old family recipe that we have been using since my great-great- grandmother. It was originally made in a cast iron Dutch oven. We love it and there is no other recipe as rich as this one. Pralines are a big part of our Cajun family and we make them all the time. I know you will enjoy this as much as we do. 

Ant Killer

Eva Boese Peters

Ingredients:
1 empty water bottle
(Cut it down to about 2" tall)
5 Tbsp of baking soda
5 Tbsp of powdered sugar
3 Tbsp of water (dry works buy I used real sugar.)

The very best way of eliminating ants is truly simple:

• Take a small amount of powdered sugar (also called icing sugar) and mix it with an equal amount of baking soda (formally called sodium bicarbonate)
• Powdered sugar is essential. You cannot use the larger grains of sugar for this..
• Mix the two powders together and then place small amounts against the walls or other areas where you would not normally walk but where you would normally see the ants.
• The ants will be attracted to the sugar and will eat some of it and collect more to take home to feed others, so all of them will get their share.
• The sugar and baking soda powders are similar in size and, once mixed together, the ants cannot separate the two items, so, as they eat the sugar, they will also ingest the baking soda, which they would otherwise never touch. This is the reason for using powdered sugar.
• Once the ants eat the baking soda it will react with the formic acid in their stomachs and cause gas. The bodies of ants are unlike humans and they cannot eliminate gas so it will build up inside them and cause them to literally explode.

My friend did this--- WOW-- it works!!

What's so cool about this is, it took them 2 minutes to find it and 5 minutes to fill up like the pic ! Wow

7-Minute Buttermilk Syrup

Stacie Allred

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Buttermilk
   (I never buy regular buttermilk; I use *Buttermilk Powder and water)
1 stick Butter
2 Tbsp Light Karo Syrup
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a LARGE saucepan. (Seriously, the size of the pan needs to be at least 3-4 times larger than what you've got in the pan, because the baking soda and buttermilk will react, and will spill all OVER your stove if the pan isn't large enough.)
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 7 minutes.
3. Take off the stove and stir in baking soda and vanilla.

Serve warm over pancakes, waffles, etc.

*Buttermilk Powder can be found in the baking aisle at your local grocer.

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttermilk-syrup/detail.aspx

How to Clean Your Cookie Sheets

Melanie Rowland Poynter

You put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small glass bowl and squirt in hydrogen peroxide until it makes a nice paste.

Then you rub it on the offending dirt, stain, grease...whatever!

You can usually just use your fingers...but you can also use a small sponge as well.

Heavy Duty Floor Cleaner

Gregory Martin

Heavy duty floor cleaner recipe:

1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
1cup baking soda,
2 gallons tap water, (very warm.)

It leaves everything smelling amazing.

Stacie says: This looks like one of those posts where the pic and the description don't necessarily fit. I see the box of Super Washing Soda behind the bucket of cleaner, but it is NOT listed in the post. Hmmm. If anyone has ever tried this, either with or without the Washing Soda, I would love to hear your comments. ;)

Best Sugar Cookies Ever

FB Source: Carrie Muir

Ingredients:
Cookies:
6 cups of Flour
2 teaspoons of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 cup Shortening
2 cups Sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream

Frosting:
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups powder sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl.
2. In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream together until smooth.
3. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. 
4. Cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours. 
5. Roll out cookie dough and cut with your favorite cookie cutters. 
6. Bake @ 400 degrees for 7-8 min. Let cool.
7. While cookies are cooling, make the frosting by beating all ingredients together. If the frosting is too stiff, slowly add in a little milk at a time until you get the consistency you like. If it is too thin, beat in more powdered sugar.

Homemade Carpet Shampoo & Febreze Recipes

April DiAnne Walker Barkulis

CARPET SHAMPOO SOLUTION:

1 Cup Oxyclean
1 Cup Febreze*
1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
*This homemade version works fabulously!

Pour contents into shampooer tank and mix with hot water to fill tank completely. This will not only clean your carpets it will also deodorize. It will smell slightly of vinegar until the carpet is dry, then will smell like Febreze...

Be sure to test spot with the solution just to be safe, however this should be safe for ALL carpets.

To save even more $$$ make your own Febreze too! For just $0.15 a Bottle! Here is the Recipe...

*** Homemade Febreze ***

What you'll need:
1/8 Cup of fabric softener (I used Downy April Fresh)
2 tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot tap water
Spray bottle (I used my empty 27 oz. Febreze bottle)

Preparation:
Using a funnel, pour fabric softener and baking soda into your spray bottle. Fill spray bottle with hot tap water and shake well. Don't forget to twist the nozzle over to the LOCK position if you're using a Febreze bottle.