Before I tell you about June’s Do-It-Yourself Experiment, I first promised an update on the Homemade Laundry Detergent. I don’t love it, but it’s working alright. I’ve learned that I have to put it in, turn the water on and let it run and dissolve before putting the dirty laundry in to wash.
It washes just fine, but the clothes don’t quite seem as fresh or smell as great as they do with regular laundry soap. At this point, I don’t like it enough to use it full-time from here on out, but I would definitely use it if I can’t get great deals on laundry detergent.
And now for the hummus experiment… can I just say how amazing I felt to make homemade hummus using homemade tahini and chickpeas I boiled? Yes, I know, I’m weird like that.
But seriously? Making every bit of this from scratch was exhilarating.
I used this recipe here for the tahini. I ended up roasting the sesame seeds just a wee bit much and this gave it a very strong roasted tahini flavor. Not sure I’m a huge fan of tahini — especially roasted tahini — but it was still cool to make.
The hummus was super simple to make (I used the recipe from Simply Recipes). I ended up doing it in my Vita-Mix and that seemed to work well. Except I was a little worried I was going to burn the motor up since the hummus was definitely thicker than the smoothies we usually make. It began steaming and got very hot, but the Vita-Mix pulled through without a hitch.
The end result was pretty good. I’m very sure it was not the best hummus I’ve ever tasted, but the strong roasted tahini may have had something to do with that. 🙂 I definitely plan to try more hummus recipes in the future and hope to find one that is just amazing.
Have you tried any new do-it-yourself experiments recently? If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
In case you missed it, here’s the list of the 12 Do-It-Yourself Projects I Plan to Try in 2011:
January: Make From-Scratch Chai Tea
February: Make Homemade Dishwashing Detergent
March: Make Homemade Hamburger Buns
April: Make Homemade Laundry Soap
May: Make Appliqued Flower Tee
June: Make Homemade Hummus
July: Make Freezer Jam
August: Make Homemade Soap
September: Sew a Rag Quilt
October: Make Homemade Apple Butter
November: Make Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
December: Make Homemade Marshmallows
Aimee @ Chickenville says
I have a step by step photo tutorial for making hummus on my blog http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2010/01/homemade-hummus-photo-tutorial.html. It’s so easy to make it from dried chickpeas, but you do have to plan ahead (something the group on this website is great at doing). I make a huge batch in my food processor and then freeze tubs of it. When you are ready, just defrost in the fridge and add a little olive oil if it’s to dry. Crystal, yours looks pretty stiff from your photos, you may like it this way or maybe you are trying to cut back on your oil, but I like mine a little “softer”, so you just add the oil while it’s spinning a little at a time. I also think cumin MAKES the dip.
We also make crock pot apple (or pear) butter http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2010/11/crock-pot-apple-butter-with-cinnamon.html and one year, I gave jars of the butter with homemade cinnamon raisin bread to people for Christmas. Everyone just loved it and I saved a ton of time and money not driving all over town for presents.
Katie C says
Comments and Tips on the laundry soap. I use the exact same recipe and I have for several months. I had similar problems that you had. They only way I could get the soap to dissolve was if I used warm or hot water. But I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU: Grate the soap smaller. I saw the picture of the how you grated the soap. Those shavings are too large. I did large shavings like that on my 1st batch too. I have a grater that has even smaller holes. I thought the super tiny holes would get clogged up with soap, but they don’t. When you grate the soap with the really little holes then when you do a load of laundry the soap shavings will dissolve in the water. Even in a cold water load. Also, you can chop/blend the soap in your Vitamix. The Vitamix will pulverize it and the soap will work great in your homemade laundry soap recipe. Please try it again with my recommendations. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
Debbie Grace says
Crystal, we really like this recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Hummus 🙂
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beans-rice-grains/black-eyed-pea-hummus/
Laura says
After being inspired by all the great homemade laundry detergent recipes and comments on your site over the past year or so, I tried “making” my own powdered laundry soap. I bought a giant tub of detergent from Sears for about $20. This is the he kind that they recommended when I bought my washer. I add a Costco bag of baking soda, a box of Borax and a box of washing soda. I stir this together and use it for my “homemade” detergent. This thinned out variety smells good and works just as well as the original. We have been very happy with it. It costs about $38 and lasts me about a year.
Emily says
My favorite homemade hummus recipe is Cook’s Illustrated. You can find it here: http://whatdidyoueat.typepad.com/what_did_you_eat/2008/04/best-hummus.html.
Holly says
I also have an apple butter recipe suggestion – in a crock pot! It’s a fall favorite at our house:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/overnight-apple-butter-10000000701039
Creative2xmom says
I have a homemade apple butter recipe on my blog if your need it for Oct. Yummy!
Theresa says
My favorite way to eat hummus is with baby carrots! YUM!
I know you’ve already done your homemade chai tea, but I saw this recipe and remembered it was on your list! It would be great for summer, especially since it’s been crazy hot lately!
http://healthyslowcooking.com/2011/06/13/slow-cooker-iced-thai-tea-concentrate/
Kristie Speakman says
In our house I make cilantro-lime hummus all the time and love it as a vegan sandwich spread. I buy the Tahini at walmart in the orential foods section $5 for a 2lb container but I do cook my own chick peas.
I use about 2 cups chick peas, cooked. To witch I add 1/4 cup lime, 3 or 4 TBS of sweet chili sauce (frank’s makes a nice one or walmart sells a orential version for about$1.50 for a small bottle), 2 heaping TBS of tahini, and kosher salt to taste. I will also as a little warm water to get the texture right. I blend it in a blender. Then I add about 2/3 cup cilantro leaves pulled off of the stems and blens again. Hummus should be a nicegreen color. If not add more cilantro. Adjust seasonings to taste. My husband & I like it spice and add more sweet chili sauce. We LOVE this, hope you like it too!
kim says
Our favorite is homemade “10 minute” pesto out of the garden. I announce I’m boiling pasta and the race is on! My girls run outside and harvest different kinds of basil, parsley, and sometimes other greens (we live in the desert so often have basil available all year). They throw about 2 cups of washed basil in the Vitamix with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sesame seeds or parmesan cheese, nuts of some sort (ie pine, almond, walnuts) and blend, scooping it out of blender and getting it on the table well before the pasta’s done.
I think that’s all the ingredients…oh, sometimes we put in sundried tomatoes too. FRESH–yum! One of my daughters makes a cilantro pesto that she loves, but it’s a little strong for me. Besides eating this on pasta, we love it on bread or as the sauce on Pesto Pizza. Just realized they have this recipe on their food website–you can check and see if I got it right there (check under appetizers) and see other stuff they do themselves.
kim says
http://creativenourishment.wordpress.com/ is my girls’ website
Sonya says
I came across a local guy that sells Tide laundry soap in 5 gal. buckets. It’s industrial strength as well, so you only use 1-2 oz. per load. And he sells it for $45 a bucket! I have a family of 5 and this just might last me 10-12 months,( i’m on my 1st bucket) which would make it $3.75-$4.50 per month for laundry soap, no coupons needed! 🙂
Anyway, maybe you would have someone in your area like that! Or if you’re ever down this way, let me know! 🙂 I live along Interstate 44 between Joplin and Tulsa!
Sabrina says
I saw a few other people mention this, so I thought I’d chime in :0) red peppers taste amazing in hummus! I made some a few months ago with fire roasted red peppers, and used sesame seeds instead of tahini, since I didn’t have any at the time. I made more hummus a few days a go (I also do not use caned beans, I cook them all day so they are really, really soft), I used tahini that I bouth at the dollar store, and the recipe was similar to yours. I liked the flavor, but I was really missing the red peppers that I had in there last time.
Margery says
My DIY adventures included trying homemade yogurt last month, a flop, but will try again later.
Now I am making two rag rug bathmats for my master bath. The first one was fair, but the second is turning out fabulously. I am using a method called “toothbrush rug” from www. ragrugcafe.com. It is much quicker than a braided rug, and no sewing is involved.
My 9-year old and I are also learning to knit. I am paying a middle school girl a little to give us lessons.
Carol@simple_catholic says
I always thought that making hummus from scratch was complicated; but you make it look easy! I am definitely going to give this a try.
Blessings.
Laura W says
I love making hummus from the dried beans. However, I have found that to get the best texture and not ruin your blender/food processor, you need to double soak the beans. I start by boiling the garbanzos for a good 30 minutes and just let them sit overnight. In the AM, I drain then boil again and let it sit at least until cool. I’ve been told that changing the water also helps prevent some of the bloating and gas from overindulgence of hummus (which can happen!) When it comes to Tahini, I’ve found that my local grocery co-op/whole-foods type store has a better selection and cheaper tahini than Kroger.
Julie Zilkie says
Crystal,
I just wanted to comment on the laundry detergent. You have to remember that the things that are making your detergent smell fresh and clean like that are all chemicals that are also absorbing into your skin everytime you have clothes one. I, too, felt that way when I started making my own laundry detergent, but my commitment to getting rid of chemicals in my home trumped that fresh smell. You can also try adding essential oils to your detergent. This helps with the scent!
Blessings!
Damaris says
I tried the homemade detergent a while back and my husband (who works out in heat/cold and REALLY get his cloths dirty) complained about his clothes not getting clean enough and smelling. I am currently trying again and have started adding 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar to each rinse cycle…this is helping a lot! I also switched from using Zote soap to Fels Napth…and only use 2 TBLSP per load. This has made all the difference in the world. And my husband is getting his clothes VERY dirty right now as it is over 100 degrees daily and he is working 12 hour shifts!
Ryan says
I use my homemade detergent on my husband’s grungy clothes that he works on cars/yard work/etc. in and it cleans his clothes really well. I posted above, but it’s basically about 6 cups each: borax, washing soda, and oxiclean free (or SUN brand) and 1 bar of Ivory soap grated. I mix it all together and I use 2 to 4 tablespoons per load in a front loading HE machine on cold and it works great.
Dina S. says
I make the homemade laundry detergent but I add 1 bottle of commercial laundry detergent to it. I just use whatever brand of laundry soap I got free or cheap combining coupons and sales. We think it cleans a little better this way and we get the fragrance from the store bought detergent…
Heather K. says
You don’t have to use tahini at all, I don’t. I also don’t use olive oil. So, it is chicpeas, garlic, lemon juice, maybe some dried onion flakes, parsley, and water as needed.
Also make apple butter and I would agree that it is easy to make in a crockpot. You just have to cut up the apples as if you were making applesauce.-peeled and sliced. Dump them in the crockpot with just a bit of water. Make it very full as this will cook down a lot.-probably by half. Once it turns to mush and it has boiled down to about 3/4 then I add sugar. Probably several cups but I just eyeball it. Not exact science here. Add cinnamon. then let it cook down until halfway point. I use an immersion blender to make it smooth but don’t have to. THen I can it. BUt the cook time will be a long one. If started in the afternoon, you could add the sugar before bed, then have apple butter the next morning.
Holly says
If you want restaurant like hummus then add a 1/2 cup of greek yogurt. It makes all the difference in the world in both flavor and texture. I use a basic recipe:
1 can chickpeas (liquid reserved)
1 TBSP Tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 (ish) garlic cloves
1/2 – 1 tsp of salt (to taste depending on chickpeas)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (if I have it)
A little olive oil (not much cause I use the chickpea liquid and yogurt to smooth it out)
A dash of cayenne pepper
Bridie @ I Heart Veggies says
I use store bought tahini and canned chickpeas, but here is a recipe I created that uses coconut milk to thin it out rather than lots of olive oil. I think it is super delicious, especially if you add a couple tbsp of sundried tomatoes! I used a food processor, I have a Vita-Mix but have had some mishaps when I try to use it for anything but smoothies!
http://www.iheartveggies.net/2011/06/homemade-healthy-hummus-with-coconut.html
Megan says
Nice work, Crystal! I make hummus, too, and I always save some of the chickpea’s cooking water to add to the hummus to thin it out and mellow out the flavor a little bit. Might be something to keep in mind if you end up with a tahini overload next time.
Sharon says
I’ve become addicted to spinach artichoke hummus this summer. I’ve been trying to eat lots of raw veggies and love it as a healthy dip for them. I would love to make my own but don’t own a food processor.
Ami says
I think you might benefit from trying a different laundry soap recipe. I have been very pleased with the recipe from Passionate Homemaking. It uses Castille soap, salt and baking soda. This makes a liquid detergent. Castille soap costs $10, but it’s enough for about 6 months. (We are also a family of 5) You can buy it scented with essential oils, too. I use vinegar as fabric softener and generic oxygen bleach in every load.
I have noticed that when I smell someone else’s laundry, or if my mom washes my kids clothes when they spend the night, it smells really bad to me now that I’m used to a more natural smell.
Good luck!
Courtney says
I have noticed the same thing! We have been using homemade liquid detergent for a few years and love it. It leaves our clothes smelling clean, not artificial and perfumey. Some people’s clothes smell so strongly from the detergent or fabric softener they use, and I don’t know how they can stand it! Plus, my son has asthma so anything with an artificial fragrance causes problems with his breathing.
Stephanie says
Off subject a little, but I noticed that you do not have a link posted for your October goal of homemade apple butter. My kids love apple butter and I have a lovely crockpot apple butter recipe that is wonderful. I make big double batches and freeze it. If you are interested in a yummy apple butter recipe that is super simple, I would be happy to email it to you.
Rachel says
Stephanie, I would love it if you would e-mail the recipe to me. My husband LOVES apple butter but every recipe I have tried has been a failure. I love crockpot recipes, so I would love to try this one.
rachelstaton at gmail dot com
Stephanie says
Glad to share. I just sent the email.
Stephanie
Crystal says
Yes, please! I’d love that. Thank you!
Stephanie says
I just sent the recipe to moneysavingmom at gmail dot com.
Stephanie
Crystal says
Thank you SO much!
Kari says
I have been wanting to try making homemade apple butter. Would you be willing to email it to me as well? [email protected]
Stephanie says
Glad to share. I just emailed you.
Stephanie
Michele G says
Stephanie,
I would love your apple butter recipe!
Magerrells(at)comcast(dot)net
Stephanie says
Glad to share. Just emailed you.
Stephanie
chelsea says
We love hummus around here. My kids prefer to eat it with carrots, but sometimes we dip pita or just crackers, too. Great snack, very filling and nutritious!
Kristine says
I don’t love homemade laundry detergent either. It’s just all right, and it doesn’t rinse out as well in cold water, unless I run warm water first and let it dissolve before adding clothes. I don’t think it’s worth the extra steps, and I don’t think it saves me much money either because I don’t even have to buy laundry detergent that often, and when I do, I buy whatever I can find the best deal on. I’ve decided that making my own detergent isn’t worth my time.
Crystal L says
Something we love to make homemade is croutons. My mom made them for us one time when we were visiting out of some stale bread from their local bakery.
Melted butter
Seasonings to taste, I like to put Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder
Salt
Stale bread, firm, cut up into crouton sized chunks
Melt the butter and combine with seasonings of choice. Toss with bread chunks until evenly coated. Spread the bread chunks out onto a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees, turning once, until browned all around. Store in a ziploc bag after they have cooled to keep them fresh.These are especially yummy when made out of sourdough 🙂
Camille says
I’ve been fooling around with hummus lately with home cooked chick peas (but not tahini). I don’t like tahini at all and keep the amount low in my hummus. The trick is to find the balance of garlic/lemon flavor you like. Even in different countries it’s made with different garlic/lemon ratios!
Alison says
I love homemade hummus! My mom has been making it for a long time and she rarely uses tahini, which I’ve pretty much followed. I think the tahini does make it creamer, though – which I do like in storebound hummus (especially Trader Joes!).
My favorite is cilantro jalapeno hummus… its amazing! So far I’ve only had it store bought from TJs and Costco, but I want to try making it for much less money.
Lisa says
I started making homemade hummus a few months ago. Although it takes a while, I peel the cooked chickpeas before blending everything together. Turns out to be the smoothest homemade hummus around! I too soak and cook my beans and make my own tahini. I love the feeling of satisfaction of making it all from scratch! Other homemade projects I’ve knocked off my list this year are knitting a scarf and making a rag quilt. It’s been fun to try new things and set goals to get them done!
Jessica-MomForHim says
I’ve never used tahini in my hummus. Just chickpeas, cumin, olive oil, and a little salt in my blender. I was worried about my motor, and I don’t have a Vita-Mix! 🙂 Try it:
http://momforhim.blogspot.com/2008/10/hummus.html
Danielle B says
I think I’m going to join you for the rag quilt! The directions are so easy to understand, especially for a beginner sewer like myself.
Damaris says
Rag quilts are so much fun to make!!! And they can be as simple or as complecated as you want them to be! I started out making mine from old flannel shirts that I found at a garage sale for FREE….cut them into 9″ squares..and left the elements of the shirt….like pockets, seams and facings in place….made all the guys in my family one for Christmas about 10 years ago…they are still on the backs of all the recliners and the guys love them! Have also enjoyed making Puppy Shaped rag quilts when new babies come in the family for floor blankets!
Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy says
Ah, I love Elise at Simply Recipes! My homemade hummus is only good if I go light on the tahini, heavy on the olive oil and blend it forever. Seriously, forever.
Recently, I have had smashing success with Alton Brown’s homemade chocolate ice cream recipe at the food network site. But really….it’s ice cream. Of course it’s going to be good, right? (It was good, though. Extra good!)
Ann says
My vitamix came with a recipe book. The hummus recipe itself wasn’t my favorite, but I still (somewhat) follow the directions because the vitamix seemed less stressed this way. The vitamix recipe calls for whole sesame seeds instead of tahini–much easier and tastier in my opinion.
The vitamix recipe specifically states to put your ingredients in in this order. I learned the hard way that it does not work well to double the recipe and/or go out of this order. (This is a garlic hummus recipe given in the vitamix-approved order):
1 can chickpeas (drain, but save liquid and add if hummus is too thick)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 T. olive oil
3 T. water or excess chickpea liquid
1/4 cup lemon juice (I do 1/8 c. lemon juice and 1/8 c. water as my husband doesn’t like tasting the lemon)
3 garlic cloves (roasted or raw)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
dash onion powder
Put in vitamix in that order, start at speed 1, quickly increase to the highest setting, mix 1 minute while vigorously using the tamper to keep things mixing smoothly. Keep the extra chickpea liquid or water close by to add if it’s too thick.
Our favorite is red pepper hummus…cut down on the garlic and spices and add 1/2 c. of red pepper.
Kelleigh @ Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs says
You’ve gotta try this recipe for hummus: http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/cooking-dried-garbanzo-beans-making-homemade-hummus/
I actually forgot to put the tahini paste in the last batch I made, but I didn’t miss it! I think the key is the roasted garlic. YUM!
Jacci says
I was looking at your list and noticed the freezer jam. I made it for the first time today with blueberries and it was awesome. I think you will enjoy it!
Sarah says
Mmm we love homemade hummus! I always put in “base” amounts of the ingredients and then hubby and I taste test until it is just right. That’s my favorite part. 🙂
I use a can of garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained), olive oil (about 1/4 cup?), 3T fresh squeezed lemon juice (sometimes I just use the juice from one whole lemon… that’s usually about 4T), 1-2 cloves of garlic and probably 1t of salt. I don’t measure anymore. 🙂 I second the person (may have been on FB) that said to mix it for quite a while; I’d say at least two minutes. I like my hummus rather “smooth” so if you want that and it looks too choppy just add more olive oil and/or lemon juice. My food processor is pretty lame so I’m sure your Vita Mix could arm wrestle it easily.
We love homemade hummus and it always gets rave reviews at parties. In fact, now I’m not allowed to bring much else. 🙂 Kudos to you for trying so many new things!
Mandi Kang says
I put in ground cumin instead of Tahini and it comes out delicious. However, you can buy roasted sesame seeds at an Asian grocery store if you don’t want to roast them yourself. I used roasted sesame seeds in just about every dish I cook, and buying them this way is much cheaper than buying them unroasted and then roasting them.
Crystal says
Thanks so much for the tip; I learn something new every day here thanks to my wonderfully smart readers!
Carey says
Also, Crystal, I have a Vitamix too and I never make tahini when I want to make homemade hummus. I just throw sesame seeds in with the cooked chickpeas, light olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt & cumin. There was a recipe for it in a little binder that came with my Vitamix. Works everytime! Sometimes I add in a little cayenne pepper for some extra flavor too. I use the tamper to push everything down towards the blades and sometimes add a little extra bean liquid or water to make sure everything is blending well.
Crystal says
Oh, I love the idea of just throwing the sesame seeds in there! Do you use raw or roasted?
Sheri says
I do the same thing, mine are usually raw, but I have used roasted. The raw gives a much more mild flavor, but still adds a touch of the tahini flavor.
Angie says
That’s what I do too…raw and straight…but probably more for laziness and ease, than because I think it tastes better. I’m still working on tweaking the flavor….but I’ve been eye-balling it, so that may play a part. 😉
Angie says
Another thing…been thinking about adding jarred red pepper (from Dollar Tree) for some zip. I noticed on the Sabre brand (that I really love) that there are red peppers in it. I’ll let you know how it works!
Katie says
i love hummus, but never tried it at home. here is my substitute….a white bean and thyme dip that is great hot or cold. i make this whenever we have company. its great with veggies or crackers!
2 tbs olive oil
1tbs minced garlic
1 can white beans (undrained)
1tsp dried thyme
heat olive oil and add garlic. make sure not to burn garlic, or it will end up bitter. just saute and get the flavor from the garlic. add can of white beans and heat through. add thyme. use a potato masher (or back end of fork) and mash up the beans to a coarse texture. take off the heat and let thicken. stir and put in serving dish. best served slightly warm or room temperature.
Ryan says
Black beans also make a great hummus if you are in the mood for something slightly different.
Sabrina says
I agree! I made some roasted red pepper blackben dip, or hummus, and it was excellent!
Katie says
Mmmmm! Where do you get the sesame seeds?
Cindy says
Tahini is so expensive I just leave it out. No one has ever turned up his nose at my hummus, either. :0) Some people add peanut butter instead, but I don’t like it. Try this: Make your chick peas in a crock pot overnight (they take a little longer than most beans), drain them, reserve the liquid, blend with roasted red peppers, onions and roasted garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and enough of the reserved liquid to make it the desired consistency. I don’t measure this stuff anymore. Not how much, but if you can cook, you can figure it out, I’m sure. :0) I’m guessing 16 oz dried chick peas, half a red pepper, half an onion 6 cloves of garlic, 1/4 olive oil. If you get it right, no one will care if it’s traditional hummus or not. It’s just good food.
Cindy says
Not *SURE* how much, that should’ve said.
Darcy@Somewhatmuddledmusings says
We live on Hummus in this house. My son doesn’t like it much, but when we found a lemon hummus at Whole Foods, he fell in love, and now I’ve got to learn to make it for him.
We often use Alton Brown’s turbo hummus which is a big spicier and made with peanut butter instead of tahini :
http://goo.gl/yGm6r
Congrats on finding a fab food to use instead of mayo for sandwiches and such – it’s FABULOUS that way!
Maggie says
YUM! I love hummus and have been wanting to be brave and try to make it myself. This looks delish! My husband LOVES hearty, crusty whole grain bread (which can be close to five bucks a loaf at the grocery), so I’ve been baking bread from scratch every week and it’s been turning out great. I’ve been adding in extras like ground flax, oats, honey and even ground brown rice for extra texture and it’s been turning out great– and so much cheaper and healthier than store bought bread. And once you get the recipe down, it’s super simple to do. These DIY posts are great!
Bethany says
I’ve done the homemade greek yogurt from Rachel’s site http://une-bonne-vie.blogspot.com/ It’s very good!
Publix Coupon Queen says
Can I suggest the liquid recipe I made for the laundry soap conundrum?
http://www.publixcouponqueen.com/2011/04/mommys-manic-monday-make-your-own.html
Beth Anne @ Thrifty Living says
I use homemade detergent for all our clothes and our cloth diapers and we think it is great! We have a front loading HE washer, so that makes it very simple…just add the detergent and turn it on. I also use Yardley Almond soap for my bar soap in the detergent because I love the way it smells. It’s been nearly 3 years since I had to look for sales on laundry detergent and that feels great!
Heather says
I have wanted to make hummus for a while, but I haven’t bought the tahini because most of it isn’t made safely…we have a nut allergy in our family. Some people I know have made hummus with out it, but I know there will be a taste difference. I am excited about this. Thank you so much. 🙂
Ryan says
I use a homemade laundry detergent and I absolutely love it. I use equal parts of Borax, washing soda and oxiclean free (I actually use a brand called SUN but it’s basically the same thing) with one bar of grated Ivory soap. I end up using about 6 cups of each ingredient to one bar of soap. I sometimes add a few drops of essential oil for a scent, when I mix it up. I use 4 tablespoons for a regular (aka large) load and it works great. Clothes are clean and smell great. When I used only 2 tablespoons per load, they didn’t smell as fresh and weren’t getting as clean. I also made a batch with a bar of Fels Naptha soap once and I had to throw it out. My clothes smelled like soap and felt like they had a residue left in them. Oh, and I wash all of my clothes on cold and use an HE front loader. I just start my laundry and put my four tablespoons of detergent in the slot and walk away.
Kari says
I have a quick question on the essential oils…. I am assuming this is a powered laundry soap. Won’t adding the oils making it stick together? I love making homemade laundry detergent but find it is missing the pretty smells I loved.
Ryan says
I’ve found that it does make it clump together a little bit, but when you mix it up you can break up those clumps with your fingers or whatever you stirred it up with and they go away. Once in a blue moon I’m stuck with some clumps, but not much at all. Just make sure to spread the drops of oil around AFTER you already mixed everything up some, and then mix it up some more. I don’t add a lot of scent to mine, just enough to cover up the smell of the Ivory soap.
lisa says
i make homemade hummus too…i blend 1 can chick peas right out of the jar……1/4 cup olive oil…about 1 teaspoon garlic salt, (not garlic powder, but salt) salt pepper and about 1/4 teaspoon dill seasoning…and about 1 tablespoon lemon juice…as i blend, i try it and just add more lemon juice, salt, etc…to my liking. yum…i have it with ritz crackers or saltine crackers.
Joy says
Made a homemade ranch type dressing. My kids love it so much! Here’s the recipe:
15 finely crushed Saltine Crackers, 2 Cups Dried Parsley, 1/2 C Dried Minced Onion, 1 Tbsp Dried Dill Weed, 1/4 C Onion Salt, 1/4 C Garlic Salt, 1/2 C Onion Powder, 1/4 C Garlic Powder. (I did not have any store bought onion salt or garlic salt on hand, so I made my own – 3 Tbsp Salt/1 Tbsp Onion Power or Garlic Powder!)
Put crackers into blender until fine. Add parsley, minced onion, and dill. Blend well. In seperate bowl combine rest of ingredients, add to blender and finish mixing.
To make dressing: 1 Tbsp Mix, 1 Cup Mayo, 1 cup Buttermilk (or 1 Cup whole milk and 1 Tbsp vinegar).
I did find it a little thin, so I may cut back the amount of milk or consider using sour cream or half-in-half instead.
Kari says
OMG I was just thinking about making homemade Ranch dressing and then I seen your comment. Thank you! I can’t wait to try it!
Betsy Durand says
Make homemade hummus all the time (grew up on it and absolutely LOVE it!) Although, I’ve never made tahini so, way to go, Crystal! 🙂 Make sure you add a touch of salt, lots of garlic (oh yeah!), olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with paprika for a nice flair! You have officially made me ready to pull out my frozen pita and grab my blender! Thanks, Crystal! 🙂
Kristen @ Different Shades of Green says
I make homemade hummus a lot, but not with homemade tahini and homecooked chickpeas! That’s a pretty cool accomplishment. I toss low-sodium canned chickpeas in my food processor with lemon, garlic, raw tahini from a jar, and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. It’s fast, healthy, and delicious! Now I’m hungry. 😉
Kristen @ Different Shades of Green says
lemon *juice*. Not lemons. Whoops.
Jamie - delicious-nutritious.blogspot.com says
I love making homemade hummus and have an awesome recipe – from Cook’s Illustrated/America’s Test Kitchen. I do use my own chickpeas, but I have never made my own tahini though, that is quite the accomplishment. Cook’s Illustrated had it in a summer magazine a few years ago – restaurant style hummus, complete with recommended brands of tahini and I must say the tahini makes a HUGE difference.
And here is a favorite hummus appetizer recipe – it is super simple (after the hummus is made or bought) and DELICIOUS! http://delicious-nutritious.blogspot.com/2011/01/super-bowl-appetizer.html
Melissa says
You may want to reserve the liquid that you cooked the chickpeas in and add it to thin out the hummus. I have been boiling mine with a clove of garlic and then puree with lemon juice, olive oil and tahini. I make a batch every week.
Jen @ www.yardsalemommy.blogspot.com says
From a simple boxed cake mix using food coloring, I made a cake in a mixing bowl that came out in the form of a rainbow! I can’t believe it turned out so well, and was so easy. I posted pictures on my blog.
What fun to make your own hummus!