the clean :: the dirty

Laundry.

You can't escape it

for if you try

the job only gets larger.

With heaping mounds of clothing

trailing down the hall...

bedding after illness...

it was time.

Wouldn't you know...

out of detergent.

What are the chances...

that on this very day I read

a posting on

good earth living's blog

all about

Soap Nuts.

What?!

My family has sensitive skin,

especially during dry winter months...

and

I never heard of these natural wonders?!

Well...

I heard now.

I couldn't wait to try it...

had to run to

Bassett Natural Foods

and for $18.99

bought this box.

The muslin bags were right on top.

You see...

for those like me...

you secure 3-4 Soap Nuts in the bag

and toss into your washer.

(works with HE as well)

Re-use until the nuts

are no longer slippery when wet...

or they start to crumble apart.

Usually after the third or fourth load.

The Soap Nuts were much as expected.

However...

it is never a good sign when the sales

clerk acts like she never knew the store

carried the item...and mentions

"they aren't very popular."

Makes one wonder...

is there a shelf life on these beauties?

At

good earth living

where I first read about them...

Laura Emily, a new ETSY shop keeper

(I added her to my blog list...

where there is a link

to her ETSY site)

shows the Soap Nuts she will offer

on Friday

(I was in a hurry to have mine NOW)

Her Nuts are admittedly much like wrinkled

prunes...though not as ancient looking as

mine.

(NO dirty jokes allowed)

I also received a surprise.

Soap Nut earings...

a gift with purchase.

Weird...but nice all the same.

I bet you're wondering...

so...

did they work?

So far...so good.

After the 3rd load I traded out the

Soap Nuts for

"Fresh" Nuts.

I used very little softener...

since I was warned by a repair man

that Downy...

and all softeners are the bane to

appliances.

And the Soap Nuts offer

natural

softening agents.

Cool stuff.

On...

to the dirty.

I have invited you into my bathroom before.

It has all the necessary

equipment.

Looks cute and clean.

I wouldn't invite you in if it weren't.

I am about to go where no others have gone...

talking daily deeds...

talking...

crap.

????

Okay.

All you Whole Food Junkies out there...

You could have forewarned me!

Started eating whole foods

in preparation...preview...

of the class I will be taking in February.

Since I began this transition

I have been astounded...

YES...astounded

by my

morning ritual.

Holy Crap!

My visits here are now

brief and to the point.

HUGE.

I feel ten pounds lighter

each time I leave the bathroom.

Whole Foods

have an amazing cleansing affect.

Must be all those good grains.

Like quinoa for instance.

Yep...

moving right to the kitchen.

Gotta eat breakfast to refuel.

On tap...

Quinoa Pumpkin Pancakes

from

whole food mommies

(they gotta do something about that name)

It calls for quinoa flour...

grind quinoa in your flour mill...

yeah...

like I have one of those!

I do have a food processor...

same thing...

right?

I let it do its thing a good long time...

until it kinda

resembled flour.

Good time to

gather all the ingredients.

Lotta good stuff. Waited for a cake-like appearance

at the edges before

the flip...

presto.

They sure looked the part.

Unfortunately...

didn't taste the part.

A gripe of mine...

don't tell me it's good when

it isn't.

I want to go whole foods

I don't want to sacrifice flavor.

Basically...

a miss here.

It filled the stomach...

it didn't satisfy the taste buds.

The dogs liked them...

so they aren't going to waste.

I am still stocking

ingredients to fill my pantry

with whole food choices.

Reading good, old-fashioned advice

from

Whole Foods For The

Whole Family...

a cookbook I bought like forever ago

from

La Leche League International.

To this day...

a go to cookbook with a

practical approach.

Balance.

I must achieve a balance

between

good for you :: great tasting

or I will lose

my family.

Thanks for hanging in there with me...

as I strive to make this

happen.