Mommy Octopus

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Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

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Homemade Laundry Detergent

 

 

It’s that time again for my family.  Time to make more laundry detergent!  With a family of 6, we have lots of clothing that needs to be washed.  I’ve been able to save money by making my own laundry detergent the past couple years.  Its super easy to do as well!

  • 1- 4lb 12 oz box of 20 Mule Team Borax
  • 1 – 4 lb box of Arm And Hammer Baking Soda
  • 1 – 3 lb 7 oz box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
  • 1 – 3lb container Oxy-Clean
  • 4 – bars Fels Naptha Soap, grated
  • 1 – large bottle of Purex Crystals in your favorite scent

Simply combine all ingredients in large rubbermaid container and combine together.  Mix well to ensure that everything is combined.  Use 2-3 tablespoons per wash for a non-HE washer or 1 tablespoon for HE!

Tasty Tuesday: Egg Roll in a Bowl

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Egg Roll in a Bowl

I have seen several recipes for egg roll in a bowl, however some contained soy sauce, which we cannot have due to my son’s allergy and some contained funky things that we didn’t have on hand.  For lunch today, I put together our own version of Eggroll in a Bowl that was a huge hit around here!  My hubby loved it as well!

We had received cabbage in our Bountiful Basket this past week and we had carrots and onions leftover from a previous basket so everything we needed was on hand.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

First up, throw a pound of Johnsonville Italian Sausage or similar brand into a large skillet.  Brown the pork until done.  Add in a whole chopped onion and stir to combine.  Cook over medium high heat about 5 minutes.

As the onions cook, prepare your cabbage and carrots.  I found it easiest to chop the cabbage and then put it through my food processor to shred.  Same with the carrots.  I peeled them and put them through the food processor.  Much easier!

Add in your cabbage and carrot mixture along with your coconut amines, garlic, and ginger.  Stir to combine and cover.  Cook on low about 5-8 more minutes.

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Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Eggroll in a Bowl
Ingredients
  • 1 lb package Johnsonville or similar italian sausage
  • 1 Head of cabbage, shredded
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Aminos (Soy Sauce Alternative)
Instructions
  1. Brown the sausage in a skillet until done.
  2. Add in onions and cook over medium high heat for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. While the onions and sausage cooks, put the peeled carrots through the food processor to grate and do the same with the washed and cored cabbage.
  4. Add the cabbage and carrots into the sausage mixture.
  5. Add in the garlic, ginger and coconut aminos.
  6. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on medium low about 5 minutes.
  7. Eat while warm!

My husband had the great idea to stir a little horseradish mustard in his at the end and he loved it that way!

This is a great carb free meal that also goes well on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.  This would be an S meal.

How to Make Vampire Doughnuts

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How to Make Vampire Doughnuts

 

 

I love making fun things out of food!  Check out these fun Vampire doughnuts!  They are so easy to make!

Simply grab a dozen doughnuts, vampire teeth, and chocolate chips or other candy for eyes.

Dozen Vampire Doughnuts

 

Place the vampire teeth in the hole of the doughnut and add the eyes and you have a fun seasonal food.  I’m sending these in to work with my husband tomorrow.  I think the other deputies will get a kick out of Vampire Doughnuts!  (Yes, I’m sending doughnuts to officers) 🙂

Enjoy!

(P.S. You can grab 144 vampire teeth on Amazon right now for $6.98!)

How to Make Spaghetti From Spaghetti Squash

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How to Make Spaghetti From Spaghetti Squash

A couple years ago, I had never even heard about a spaghetti squash, but now it’s one of my favorite foods!  During those years, I tried many ways to cook the squash including in the microwave and in the oven.  Both seemed far too difficult.  I’m all about ease, so I figured out how to cook a spaghetti squash right in my slow cooker!

Spaghetti Squash in Crock Pot

Simply make a couple stabs in the squash with either a knife or a fork and gently place in your crockpot.  Add in about an inch of water and cook on low for about 4-6 hours depending on the size of your spaghetti squash.  Yes, it’s that simple!  To check if it’s done, simply press on it and if it’s really soft, it’s done!  Pull out your squash carefully and allow it to cool a few minutes.  It may be really hot, so please be careful!

Cut the squash open from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds.  The  next part is pretty fun!  Just take a fork and start scraping at the inside of the squash.  It will start looking like strands of spaghetti, like this!

Spaghetti Squash

 

Next place on a plate, add your favorite spaghetti sauce on top, along with extra italian seasonings, parmesan, and of course meatballs, and you have a wonderful carb free dinner!

Spaghetti Squash

MMMmm…. what a wonderful dinner this was last night!

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13 Years Ago Today…

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Never Forget

I was getting ready to go to class for my senior year.  My classes started at 10 that day.  I was watching something on TV and it was interrupted.  I called my mom at work to tell her and while on the phone, the 2nd plane hit.  I remember being scared and thought about not going to school that day. I ended up going and all the classes had the TV on showing the news.  I will never forget.

We Will Never Forget

Where were you?

Crown Reef Resort – Ultimate Family Destination!

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My family and I had the pleasure of staying at Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach this past weekend.  We had an absolute blast!  It has recently refurbished rooms that are beautiful and they are working on the rest of the refurbishing details in the next few months.

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Crown Reef Resort has 514 guest rooms and suites with views of the Atlantic Ocean.  The rooms range between a Queen Efficiency and a Queen Jacuzzi Suite!  With room for up to 8, this hotel is perfect for a larger family like ours.  The room we had was the Queen Deluxe Suite.  Our suite had a full kitchen including a full size refrigerator, stove, microwave, and sink.  All basic cooking utensils were available as well!  Cooking from our own hotel room saved us a ton of money by not dining out.  For breakfast, we made things such as cereal, bagels, and eggs, lunches were sandwiches, and for dinner we made quesadillas, sausage, salads, and veggies.

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Each morning, we could wake up, eat breakfast and walk right down to the beach.  We would stay and play for hours!  Once the beach got too hot, we headed back up to the watersides and pools in the back of the hotel.

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During the day at the beach, there are lifeguards available if we needed help and also flags showing the rating of the water.  One day while we were there, the lifeguards wouldn’t let anyone go in the water more than waist deep because of how rough the tide was due to the upcoming storms.  I really appreciated having them nearby.

Crown Reef Hotel Pool

Crown Reef Resort features the longest oceanfront lazy river in Myrtle Beach at 575 feet, indoor and outdoor pools, watermark with 2 four story tall waterslides, hot tubs, kiddie pools, and a silly sub with slide for the little kids.  I admit that I had fun going down the slides as well!

We had planned to stay at the hotel some but also venture out to local attractions but we were having so much fun at the hotel, we only left once during our stay!  When we go back next time, we will plan on staying longer.

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At Crown Reef Resort, they have Swirls Ice Cream Shop, where you can purchase ice cream cones made with Breyer’s ice cream!  They also have a eatery called Grab N Go that has easy to grab snacks, breakfast, and lunch items.  For lunch and dinner, they have the Loco Gecko.  This was a pretty cool restaurant that offers everything from fried pickles to pizza and salads.  Everything looked and smelled great!

Crown Reef Resort Gameroom

In between Loco Gecko and Swirls, you can find a game room, which is perfect when it’s too hot to play outside or the kids just need a break from the water.  Lots of games from motorcycles to air hockey.

I definitely recommend staying at Crown Reef Resort if you need an affordable family vacation.  They have fall rates from $49/night and the watersides and pools will be open all year!  Huge thanks to Crown Reef Resort for inviting us on this trip and we cannot wait to come back!

Free Fall Printable Activity Sheets

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Free Fall Printables for Kids!

Fall is just around the corner and coming fast!  I can’t wait to see all the beautiful colors and feel the cool, crisp breezes.  Fall is my favorite season!

New for you today, I have 5 new printables that are perfect for the younger kiddos to help prepare for fall!  To download and print, simply click on the photo of the one you would like to print.  I hope you enjoy!

 

What color are the maple leaves in your neighborhood?

What color are the maple leaves in your neighborhood?


P is for Pumpkin

P is for Pumpkin


L is for Leaf

L is for Leaf


How many acorns does the chipmunk have?

How many acorns does the chipmunk have?


Count and Color the Pumpkins

Count and Color the Pumpkins

Note, these are for personal use only and not to be resold.  Be sure and pin it so you can find it later!

Also, be sure to check out our Free Thanksgiving Printables as well!

Free Thanksgiving Printables for Kids

Avocado Eggrolls with Sweet and Tangy Dipping Sauce

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Avocado Eggrolls with Sweet and Tangy Dipping Sauce - Mommy Octopus Ever since I first tried an avocado egg roll, I’ve been hooked.  They can be really pricey at the restaurants so we try to only order them on special occasions.  The other day while we were in Aldi, they had some super ripe avocados for only $.39!  We decided to see if we could make our own avocado eggrolls.  I have a super husband that loves experimenting so he gave it a whirl.  He even created a sweet and tangy dipping sauce for the egg rolls! For starters, you’ll want to cut open your avocados and slice and scoop out the goodness.  If you haven’t worked with avocados before, there is a big seed in the middle.  You’ll want to score around the outside of the avocado and then open it.  Scoop out the seed and slice the avocado, not slicing through the skin.  Then scoop out the avocado with a spoon.

Avocado Eggrolls - Slicing Avocado   You will want to do this to 4 of the avocados and then lightly salt.  The 5th, you will scoop out and mash into a bowl.  With the mashed avocado, you will add in some salt, lime juice, minced garlic, and cilantro.  Stir it all up to make the base for your avocado egg roll. How to Make Avocado Eggrolls To make the egg rolls, you will lay one egg roll wrapper flat on a plate and add a spoon of the mashed avocado mixture.  Add a couple slices of avocado on top.  Next take your finger and dip it in a bowl of water.  Run your finger along the outside edges of the egg roll.  This helps the egg roll stick together.  Then fold the sides in and roll up.  Gently place the wrapped egg roll in hot oil to fry.  Let cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Avocado Eggrolls Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to cool.  Repeat until egg rolls are filled and fried. IMG_2856 Next up, mix up your dipping sauce.  My husband had envisioned a sweet and tangy sauce.  I thought he was crazy at first with the ingredients he was mixing together, but it worked beautifully!  It’s a mixture of ketchup, cumin, orange marmalade, vinegar and a touch of salt.  Don’t knock it until you try it!

Avocado Eggrolls with Sweet and Tangy Sauce
Recipe Type: appetizer
Author: Mommy Octopus
Ingredients
  • 1 package egg roll wrappers
  • 5 avocados
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon cilantro
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup orange marmalade
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Remove the seed from the avocados and slice 4. Lightly salt.
  2. Mash the 5th avocado in a bowl and add the juice from 1/2 lime, garlic, cilantro, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
  3. On a egg roll wrapper, spread 1 spoonful of the mashed avocado mixture and add a couple slices of avocado on top.
  4. Dip your finger in water and run it along the outside edge of the egg roll wrapper.
  5. Fold in edges and roll up.
  6. Place egg roll in hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.
  8. Continue until out of avocado mixture.
  9. For sauce, mix remaining 5 ingredients until well combined. Pour into a bowl for dipping.

Cut the egg rolls in half and enjoy!  Even my kids loved these!

Police/Deputy Wives, Check Out this Bracelet!

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Police Deputy Wife Leather Rope Bracelet Only $6.16 Shipped!

I was browsing Amazon the other day for some new accessories and came across this Bronze Infinity/Best Friend/Handcuffs Leather bracelet and fell in love with it!  I already received it in the mail and I still love it!  I love the blue and black and all the says and decor on it are awesome!  It’s only $6.16 + Free Shipping right now!

I’m very proud to be a deputy wife and love to show my support for my husband.

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