Bakes: Cinnamon Cloud Roll

Wow. Wow. Wow. 

This hit the spot. I was looking for a guilt free, clean treat and boy was I happy I put this together!

Do you see that? Do you realize that is a dinner plate? 

Yup. A dinner plate sized cinnamon roll with zero guilt attached!

This recipe can be looked at as three separate recipes. 

This recipe starts with cloud "bread" its a zero carb, clean bread alternative.

Once you learn the basic recipe, you can make the batch size as big or as little as you want or alter it like I did here by adding the cinnamon paste filling and frosting!

CINNAMON CLOUD ROLL
Makes 1 Large or 3 Small

2 eggs, separated
pinch of sea salt
2 oz cream cheese
1 packet Stevia in the Raw
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Roll Paste:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
2 packets Stevia in the Raw

Frosting:
3 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 packet Stevia in the Raw

Preheat oven to 350.

Whip eggs whites and sea salt until peaks form, and bowl can be flipped and whites do not fall out. Combine cream cheese, yolks, stevia and cinnamon until smooth ( I use my Magic Bullet!). Gently fold peaks and yolk mixture together. You want to combine without deflating the whites. Spread mixture onto a greased cookie sheet (use good old fashioned real butter!)

Create a paste using butter, cinnamon and stevia. Put paste into a plastic baggie. I actually mixed my paste right in the bag! No need to dirty another bowl! Cut the tip off. 

Swirl on top of your egg mixture.

Bake 14-17 minutes. Make your frosting! Mix ingredients together until smooth. 

Let Cloud Roll cool a few minutes before adding frosting, or frosting will melt.

NOTES: 

This is a large amount of frosting. You only need about 1/3 of the amount for one batch of the Cinnamon Cloud Roll. Can freeze remaining frosting for another day.

Cinnamon Cloud Roll will freeze too, just freeze separate from the frosting. Let thaw, add frosting.

Looking for a crunchier version, toast cinnamon roll before adding frosting! Yum!

No More Rust Ring!

Gosh! Has it really been that long since I made my ball jar soap dispenser?  Wow!

Anyways, I was sick of replacing or attempting to clean this:

I know. Duh. Water soaked hands getting soap, dripping on metal jar lid that was cut open.

And after thinking about it ( and working on something else) I thought why not replace the metal with plastic. So I did! I used some of that plastic canvas (that I don't know the true craft for!)

Yes it doesn't have the same old fashion flare, but now I dont have a rusty yucky ring looking at me!

Yea! One less thing to have to clean!

DIY Laundry Soap

I know, I know. Jumping on the DIY laundry soap wagon. It's crazy.

So crazy that, my mother asked if I had joined a hippie commune.  

Sorry Mom! Just couldn't get past the amount of money it would cost, and how big a batch it would make! With two little boys, I knew I had to try it!

I found the "recipe" at How Does She.

Money wise How Does She was spot on, it cost about $28 to make the batch. BUT it fills a 5 gallon bucket up halfway, and if you do the math it works out to be only 9 CENTS a load! 

Now, there are lots of comments over on the How Does She post about it dissolves great. I used to throw my clothes in the wash, fill it up and then add my soap. Now I just do it backwards, add my soap, start to fill and add clothes. I haven't had a problem.

I've been tempted to make this into a liquid detergent too, as I have heard through the grapevine from a plumber you shouldn't use powdered detergent. All I was going to do is take 6 cups of the powder to 4 cups water ( I found this ratio online, and haven't tried it. But that's where I was going to start)

So far I am liking it, I like the smell and the cost. 

Plus hubby has sensitive skin and hasn't had an issue yet!

If you are thinking about making your own laundry soap, I found all of my ingredients at Kmart except the Washing Soda. I found the Washing Soda in my local grocery store ( Price Chopper), all in the detergent aisle.

Have you ever DIY'ed Laundry Soap?

Clean an Upholstered Couch ( Non Microfiber)

We purchased our couch literally the day we came home from the hospital when we had Carter. I had an unexpected csection and was on orders to not go up and down the stairs more than necesarry. So my  husband and I decided it was time to upgrade if I was to be sleeping on it.

Well now, 3 1/2 years later it was a mess. Stained on all the cushions. And looked terrible. 

I had spot cleaned when there was a spill but never really got them out. 

So, I tried searching online how to clean it, and came up with nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Everything I found was for microfiber fabric and are was nothing like microfiber, so I couldn't use that advice. So I just went ahead and did what I thought would work. And it did! Not a single stain is left!

I was so excited that it's all I could talk about for days!

Here's what I did to make this:

Look like this:

Big difference, hey?

Sorry, I don't have pictures. I had my doubts that this wasn't going to work!  

First I took all my covers off the cushions. I know, everything I read said not to. 

But spot cleaning hadn't worked in the past and I was desperate. 

Next I took dish soap. Yes regular "handwash your dishes" soap, and a scrub brush and got to work.

 I scrubbed each stain until it was soapy. 

Once I scrubbed all the stains with soap, I filled up my washer and put all my cushions in. I left the top open so it would fill and let them soak.  

Did you know soaking for 1 hour is just as good as soaking for 8 hours? 

Me neither, I learned it while researching before I started to do this!

After an hour or so, I spun out all the water. I didn't run my washer normally, just got all the dirty water  out and refilled the washer with fresh water. I did this until my water was clear after the hour, it took maybe 4-5 times but it was well worth it.

At this point, I went ahead pulled the covers out and took a look.  They were getting better, so I took a Shout stick ( with rubber tip thing) and scrubbed the stains again, added my regular laundry detergent and ran the washer as normal.

And then I ran it one more time without soap ( to make sure all the soap was out, I didn't want the cushions to be grimy with leftover soap, like it did when I would spot clean sometimes)

Now onto drying, since my washer spun them out pretty well I just set them on top of the washer to air dry maybe ten minutes or so.  Then I put them on my cushions. I did this because I didn't want to chance them shrinking in the wash, and I wanted them to conform to the cushion. It took a while to get the cushions back in, so be patient if your doing this! I made sure to line my piping up with the edges to ensure they didn't get mis-shapen. 

And that's it! It took all day but was so worth it! 

Now my couch looks like new, and I don't have to convince my husband to get me a new one!

Have you ever cleaned your cushions of your couch? 

I've heard and seen horror stories, which is why i was nervous! But I'm so glad I made the leap and did it!

Lifesavers Series: Degreaser?

Just another tip to save you some time, money and frustration.

This week I'm not sure what to call this post.

But in the past, I called the same mixture Shower Magic.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I've been wanting to use this magic solution in my home other than the shower. And I found the perfect place.

My stove hood. 

Yup. Works like a charm!

I just spray it on the greasy hood, used a dry washcloth to work it in and ta-da!

 A clean hood!(Until we make bacon again!)

Lifesavers: Clean your Dishwasher

Just another tip to save you some time, money and frustration!

Did you know you can clean your dishwasher? 

And that it can be done with kool aid?

Here I go again with the untraditional uses for kool aid.

Well, not really the kool aid but what's in the kool aid.

If your glasses don't come out gleaming, pick up some Orange or Lemon kool aid.  And it doesn't have to be name brand either. But make sure you look at the ingredients and check for Citric Acid.  

See how my Orange has it but not Lemon? That's what made me use the orange. 

Dump the kool aid in where your detergent goes and run it. 

My glasses have never gleamed so nicely! 

If you make your own dish soap, and your glasses are not gleaming, does your recipe have citric acid in it? That's how I figured it out! I was thinking about making my own dish soap, and the different recipes said the citric acid makes the difference!  

I cleaned my dishwasher about a month ago and it's still giving me nice gleamy glasses. When they start looking filmy again, I will just run a load of kool aid!

Hopping on the STEAM wagon!

First a confession, I do not have the slightest idea when it comes to cleaning. I am serious. Ask me to mop, and I am pretty clueless. I just do not get it. Here's my thinking behind it. If you take soapy water and use a mop to push it around, then regular water, how do you dry it?

I have tried everything, I have tried the Swiffer, and they always dry out and your just rubbing your floor. I have tried the Orange Glo system for hardwoods, and same thing, if I am spraying my floor with this wash/wax stuff, and its not getting sucked up with something where is it going? I even own a Rainbow vacuum with the squeegee attachment, and still I am confused.

Until now!  I made the leap and purchased a Shark Steam Mop.  I got the basic model and LOVE IT!  I have steamed my kitchen, and it looks wonderful, even a couple days later. Before within hours my floors would look yucky.  I have steamed my hardwoods, and they too look great. But now the icing on the cake.. I steamed my tub. Yup. I did it. I stuck my Shark in the tub and steamed away all the soap scum! I swear my tub wasn't this white when we bought our house but it is now...   My only complaint, is that I cannot use it on the tub sides. The water won't steam at that angle. They do however have a handheld device  so you can do all sorts of things, but for now I am loving STEAMING my house...