Black Cherry Mojitos

Let's be serious.  Black cherry mojitos go down easy and can be the highlight of any Saturday night.  Even better when done without those store bought mixes and colors that seem to give contribute to migraines and other cruddy feelings.  This definitely isn't health food, but it IS party fodder . . . good party fodder even.  So whip it up in advance and you're party-ready.  Just add friends.  Or not.  'Cause it IS good enough to keep to yourself if you're feeling fiesty.

3 cups water

3 cups sugar

2 lbs. fresh or frozen whole sweet cherries

4 limes, juiced

sparkling water

Black Cherry rum

Combine water and sugar on stovetop and simmer, stirring gently until sugar has dissolved.  Meanwhile, put cherries in a medium, heat-resistant bowl, large enough to hold the simmering sugar and water mixture.  Once sugar has dissolved and mixture has simmered until heated through, pour over cherries and stir.  Add freshly juiced limes to the mixture, pulp okay.

To mix a drink, fill 16 oz. glass with ice.  Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup cherry mixture (depending on your sweet tooth), 1 shot of rum, and 2 shots of sparkling water.  Stir and enjoy!

All-Purpose Cleaner

I can't even begin to tell you how much this cleaner rocks my socks.  Works on everything.  Everything.

3 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Super Washing Soda
1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap (we love Kiss My Face Grassy Mint!)
2 cups hot water

Combine in a spray bottle.  There will be a mild reaction between the soda and vinegar, so it is best to combine over a sink.

Orange Chicken

If this appears tedious, trust me when I say that it isn't that crazy.  Even I am willing to whip it up after a long day at work.  It helps that it is so stinking tasty if you're a Chinese food lover.  As always, don't be afraid to play with the recipe.  Add whatever veggies you like, make it work for you. 

SAUCE
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 T. Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. seasame oil
1/2 t. white pepper
3 t. corn starch
sea salt, to taste


CHICKEN and VEGGIES
approx. 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into bite-sized pieces
pinch of sea salt
dash of pepper
3 T peanut oil

dried red chilies, to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced
ginger powder, to taste
4 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
mushrooms
large red pepper, sliced and bite-sized
pineapple chunks, in natural 100% juice
1 T. minced orange zest

brown rice

1. Combine all ingredients for sauce and set aside.
2. Lightly season bite-sized chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  *Add a dash of cayenne pepper if you're a fan of spice!
3. Heat skillet (hubby is having a love affair with his cast iron) with 2 T. peanut oil.
4. Add chicken when skillet is ready.
5. When chicken is golden brown, remove and set on plate covered with a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
6. Add 1 T. peanut oil, if needed, and red chilies and minced garlic .
7. Lightly saute until blended and aromatic
8. Add ginger powder, chopped green onions, mushrooms, and red pepper.
9. Continue sauteing until blended.
10. Add pineapple, orange zest, orange sauce, and chicken.
11. Stir fry until sauce thickens.
12. Serve on a bed of rice.

A side of broccoli makes the whole thing even tastier!

laundry detergent

Laundry.  A necessary evil, but one that doesn't have to hurt.  A little organization and preparation goes a long way, or so I've heard.  I currently have a "laundry basket dresser" on my hubby's "honey-do" list (man, I love him), so we're working on that organization bit, but this laundry detergent sure has helped in other ways.  It's lacking a whole lot of those nasty chemicals found in so much of the store bought stuff and the price?!  Cheap as beans.  I haven't figured it all out down to the load, but knowing what goes into it and what I spend for those supplies and how long they last . . . let's just say that I'm confident it is far less than most people are paying for chemicals and water in large, plastic, orange bottles.

I also want to preface this with: I WAS A POWDERED DETERGENT HATER in my past life.  No lie.  In my quest to simplify this part of my life, I whipped up various versions of homemade laundry detergent.  Some felt like a full time job to create, some just didn't work like I desperately wanted them to.  And then came this beautiful powdered version that started out fabulous (when I convinced hubby to be my certified "soap-grating-man") and turned out amazing (when I was gifted a mini-food processor that I now realize I shouldn't have attempted to live without).  Give it a shot if you're interested, even if you're anxious about the whole "powdered" thing. 

For those of you wondering if it works . . . I have two messy little boys who play hard, a hubby who sometimes comes home from work with mysterious stains on his clothing (come ON . . . minds out of the gutter, peeps), and lots of sweaty, smelly workout clothes from the hubs' and my frequent workouts.  Our clothes are clean and fresh, I promise.

POWDERED LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Ingredients:

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, finely grated  (I've heard you can use castile bars too, just haven't yet)

1 cup baking soda

½ cup Borax

½ cup washing soda

Mix well in a large container.  (Will remain powdery.)  Use approximately 2 Tablespoons per large load of laundry. 

NOTE:

I begin filling my top loading washer with water, add detergent, and gently stir once or twice.  Then I add a splash of vinegar to the tub and an additional splash in the "beach" well.  This serves as a softener agent as well!  For the "BUSY" in all of us, do yourself a favor and make a couple of batches of this at once.