Hi! I am alive and not hiding out in Argentina! I have however been playing with doctors with sharp knifes!  So I guess the truth is I am alive and hiding out in various medical type buildings AND THEN I got pneumonia and ended up in the hospital and came here to Sandy Lake Rehabilitation...only to get pneumonia again! And a urine infection.  So first I was due to be released on the 27th, then the 1st (April 1st...April Fools Day). Now, knock on wood and say prayers, it’s  April 4. I’ll be moving into a senior living house...max of 8 residents. I’ll be posting pictures and more info once I get there...my room is reserved.

Tips for Grilling Perfect Burgers

Video: 5 Tips for Grilling Perfect Burgers - Cooking Club - Scout

Click on the link above to see what I learned!

BOOK REVIEW: Dark Tort

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ms Davidson has once again charmed my husband and me with another cosy mystery. While there are recipes in the printed version, they are not included in the audio version.

This time, the victim is Goldy Bear's neighbor at a local Law Firm. Barbara Rosenblat does her usual good job as a narrator.

Do I think you should read or listen to this book? YES!!! While each book has a good mystery to follow with characters who are believable. The mysteries always different with realist townies...even the murderer is "normal" but then that's how murders generally are.

AND you don't have to read these books in order! So if one is on sale and it is not the next one in the series...buy the one on sale and enjoy yourself!

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Thankless in Death

Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grand as usual but still wish it was more X than XXX rated! The mysteries are good enough with less...I know because I have started skipping some of the more expletive ones.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Lost Wife

The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As the Brits would say "It's BRILLIANT!" Alyson Richman is one hell of a writer to be able to switch back and forth between two equally engaging people who fall in love, get married, get separated, and, 60 years later, come back together. She shows you Prague before and after the Nazis take over, what might happen to people who "got out in time", and those who stayed...and how they could come back together.

It's all so believable! Ms Richman has made all the characters believable. While some of the Germans only appear briefly, most of us have watched enough movies and TV drama to see them as full fleshed out. And the narrators! George Guidall and Suzanne Toren are as near perfect as one could wish. This is one book that I am glad I purchased in audible format rather than paper.

I don't know why I've always had an interest in WWII in Europe rather than the Pacific, but I have. Many of books have been biographic. This one sounds like it was...the clarification will be in the epilog. It seems well researched.

If you like a love story...an insight into what one person might have experienced in the camps...or what a person who made it safely to America might have experienced...how likes history, you should purchase this novel and more to share with your friends and relations!

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Enchanted, Inc. (Enchanted, Inc., #1)

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The cover caught my eye and then I listened to the snippet and read the summary and THEN I BOUGHT IT!

I needed something fun and this filled the bill!

Katy is from Texas, I'm from Texas. She has transplanted herself to New York City (I came back to Texas and stayed but I've been to NYC.) Katy "sees things" that no one else reacts to...like people wearing wings or a gargoyle that WINKS? at her. No one else seems to think these things abnormal; it must be normal for NYC.

Turns out, some rare people see the strange things she does but MOST DO NOT! And that is how she got away from the mean boss and onto working at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. And the fun really gets going! There is someone trying to sell a bad magic and he has to be stopped! She is real, smart, and has that sassy as a Texan gal can be.

I wish the narrator, Eva Wilhelm, had been able to give Katy and her Texan roommates a bit of the Texas accent but that is not why I rated her down. I gave her the rating because too many times I became aware of her over the story. She is not a bad narrator...I've listened to a couple of them (uck, cringe). She is not the best either.

This is a good starter book establishing who she is, how she got to MSI, what MIS is all about, why they need her level headiness, as well as her pitching arm. It also establishes not only the workings of MSI but the personalities of the workers. I won't go further there for fear of spoiling something for you. You gotta know they are a very interesting!

Now as a person who generally does not like books that rely on one reading them in order, if the second one proves the need for reading them in order, I think I will continue investing in the books when I need a fun read for a good laugh!

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: 1st to Die

1st to Die by James Patterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The members are Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle. They come together, these bright young women who are at the edge of breaking through the "glass ceiling", to solve they mystery of the brutal killings of newly wedded couples on their wedding nights.

"Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered-before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong."

It's the start of a good series from James Patterson whose words are well spoken by Suzanne Toren.

This is another book that I became curious about after watching the series on TV. I'm glad I did as this book at least is better than the series. Give it a go, you might discover the same thing.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Silkworm

Cormoran and Galbraith (JK Rowling) are back! YEA! His leg is giving him more gip. This time he has a mystery to solve about a missing husband who has written a novel that has pissed off many people.

Robin Ellacott is back with her intended...he still doesn't like Cromoran which causes Robin to bend the truth or omit data that might make him more upset. She still wants to be her boss's assistant more than his secretary and indicates so by putting herself in situations to prove it...like her driving skills that shock Cormoran when she saves them from a nasty accident.

About this writer; his wife hired Cormoran. They have a child with developmental problems which may be why our PI continues to work the case even though he has no idea if he who will pay him if anyone. Again the author adds a cast of characters that are very colorful while still being plausible.

I love Ms. Rowling's writing! Not only are the characters clearly defined, so is the atmosphere around them...even when Cormoran finds a mutilated body that makes you want to cringe! When she is describing the weather, I am back on my one trip to wintering England.

Robert Glenister again does a brilliant job narrating the written words.

If you like a good mystery with a flawed PI in charge, you will really like this second edition of the series! Even if you are reading instead of listening to words.

BOOK REVIEW: Left to Die

Left To Die by Lisa Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

They said: "In Left to Die, the Pinewood County Sheriff 's Department is on the trail of a cold-blooded killer who acts as a savior to women stranded during terrible mountain snowstorms before stripping them of their dignity and leaving them to die, a victim of the elements. But the killer's latest victim managed to escape, leading some to believe there may now be an impostor on the loose."

My thoughts:

One vicious murderer.

Two vicious murderers.

One conclusion.

One trailer into the next book in the series.

ARG! Ok, maybe I understand the carry over but I don't have to like it! Especially as the carry over story is the MAIN story of book! Maybe I am being a bit harsh here as I have a bias against writers who employ this tactic. The story/stories are good and draw you along but I do wonder how much repetition will be needed in the next book.

I had no problem with the narrator as he did not detract from the story (which is what a good narrator should do).

Will I buy the next book? I don't know. Part of me wants see how Ms. Jackson manages to catch up new readers without boring readers of the first book. Part of me wonders about the motivation of the murderer. But it boils down to how invested I am to use another Audible.com credit.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, to people who like serial books and always start with the first book. Yes, to people who like a good mystery. Yes, to people who don't want a lot of really graphic sex scenes detracting from the story!

View all my reviews

The title and cover snagged me

I listened to the snippet on Audible.com hoping it would deter me. But no, because of Lorelei King's narration of Darynda Jones' words. Now I am doomed to another series because they left me wanting to know what happens to her and her vaporous boyfriend.

"Her" was Charley Davidson; PI and a not so "grim reaper". In this book, she had to help 3 dead lawyers solve their case so they could "pass over". The "vaporous boyfriend" was there when she was born and then again whenever her life had been in danger, as well as in her vivid dreams.

Charley's retired father was cop as was her uncle, Bob. She has been helping them since she was 5 with her ability to speak to the dead. I loved her mind, heart...oh, lots of things, especially her wit which carried me through the rough part.

Would I recommend this book? You bet your sweet bibby I would to anyone who likes good mysteries written with good humor! It was well worth my Audible.com credit!

5 stars

Off to stop some sick vampires

Jane Yellowrock, our shape shifting skinwalker, is off to help the vampire Master of Natchez, Mississippi, with only a partial idea of the problem he is having with rogue vampires. Per usual, rogue vamps will be destroyed in this fast paced story.

You may think this is a familiar plot line because it is but as per usual, Faith Hunter takes the basics and turns it on its ear! Example: these rogues are not as easily killed as have been previous ones. The addition of Khristine Hvam's narration only adds to the story's ebb and flow. I follow the series because I love Ms. Hunter's writing and that each book is complete so you don't have to read them in order. Then there is the looming question of how she is going to twist the formula to make each book new and refreshing. As you can tell by my stars, she's done it again! Give just one of them a try and you'll be hooked on her books!

5 out of 5 stars.

Traveling back in time to Persia

This was one of my Audible.com choices. Unfortunately, there is an oops in the recording that therefore messed up the download. The end of the two parts are cut off. It didn't bother me so much on Part 1 but was at a crucial moment in Part 2!  (GRRRR!) Naturally I called Audible.com immediately! They are going to fix it and then alert me, so I can get the rest of the story! The question is how long will it take them to fix it! You know how some of us are when we are so into a book that we just have to know, can't wait to know the rest of the story! I'm one of those! What do you do then? ORDER THE BOOK!

Publisher's Summary:

"In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. When her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great.

Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage to a wealthy man, the young woman finds herself faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to create a new life.
©2007 Anita Amirrezvani; (P)2007 Hachette Audio"

And that is where it cuts off! Decision time!

It should have taken just a bit over 13 hours to hear the entire story that is narrated by the rich voice of actress Shohreh Aghdashloo who is originally from Iran. Her voice add so much color to enjoyment of this book. I feel in love with her voice, accent, laugh, and intellect the first time I saw her on the Craig Ferguson show.

Maybe I need to expand a bit. When I read I hear the story in my head with my American accent. I've heard German, French, Irish, Scottish, Russian, Spanish, Chinesse, Janpanesse, and the variety we have in America, and India so sometime a bit of those accents rings in my ears. The voices of the middle eastern countries have not added their music to my ears enough to remember them.

One thing is learned quickly...the role of this woman in 17th century Pursia wasn't any better than that of women in Europe in the same socioeconomic level.

Anita Amirrezvani has not only told us the story of a gutsy young woman but bits about rug making from dye to design to finished product. She also gives us some short folk tales of the period.

I am giving you my review now because I cannot see the review changing much with reading the hard copy. It's been out for a while so you should be able to find it in most of your usual haunts. It's almost Halloween, so go haunting those places for this book in any format you like!

UPDATE:

I have now finished both the book and the recording. Sure enough, it was as wonderful as I expected! I loved all the characters in the book because of what they added to not only the understanding their motivation, but also the flavor of the peoples of the time whether good or bad. There was a richness to this book that makes me anxious to see what she comes up with next!

The conversation between the author and narrator at the end of the recording is most interesting!

Who should read this book? I would have gotten a lot out of this book about the age of 13 or 14 so young women, mothers and daughters, people who want to know a bit more about the rug making process and their makers, people who love myths and legends! This is definitely on my favorites for 2011!

Better read than....

Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked the narration but got discombobulated when going from one story to another!

For someone who now buys more audio books than Kindle books, the above statement is a shocker!

FYI, I have other audio books by her that I enjoy...a lot!

View all my reviews

Zulilly.com: A review

I've now purchased enough items  from this company to feel competent to review it.

Pro:  The prices are generally good.

Con: If you don't like the product, you can't return it. (That's how they keep the prices low.)

Warning: On the jewelry, make sure you have a ruler beside you so you know the exact the size of any piece or you may find you've ordered something you cannot return. I did get one piece as a gift. I liked the color but the piece was considerable smaller than I expected.

The products I've ordered I like but on one of the dresses (below), the quality is rather shoddy so there are strings on the hem that need to be clipped. I did ware the dress and discover upon disrobing that the fabric bleeds. It will need to be hand washed and rinsed well. I'll probably won't put it in the dryer until I am sure I've got the bleeding under control.  I got several complements on it. It's gauzier than I expected.  I like that the design requires no additional neck wear. All I need is a pair of earrings and maybe a bold bracelet. Yes, it is longer in the from and back and shorter on the sides. Perfect for me as I love the fullness but because of the cut, I don't have to worry about it getting caught in the wheels of my electric wheelchair.

I like this top in person but have not worn it yet. I'm thinking it will have the same bleeding problem as the red dress. It will go well with black pants to dress it up, or jeans for a casual look.

 I wore this necklace with a denim dress with red trim. This was a perfect accent and got several complements. I like it because it's not too big or too small and is sort of lacy. 

This just arrived. The color is a bit deeper more a burgundy or maroon. Supper soft.  I already know it will go with many things in my wardrobe!

I wore these with the black and ivory sweater. I love them. They did what I wanted to keep my arms and hands warm and my veins nice and plum for the doctor's vein plan!

 This is lovely and warm (yes, I tried it on). My problem with it is the bits of gold running through it which I think makes it a bit dressier than I wanted.

 This is the black and ivory sweater I wore with the fingerless gloves. ('worked well together.) It's a one size fits off. I had to let it air out as it had a bit of a smell to it.

I love making meatloaf and this is a good size to take to a to a pot luck dinner. I also love banana nut bread and think this would make a presentation dish as well.

I want to make different breads to give as gifts or freeze for us (2 people) for occasional treats or make-a-head meatloafs fast meals comfort meals.

 Yes, another loaf pan. This is a bit bigger than the white one. I like the lifter for many reasons.

 This is going on the ledge behind the bed for charging our cell phones and my iPad over night. Charlie even thinks is cool.

Will I buy more from this site? Yes, but with care and attention to details.

An Ice Cold Grave: Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 3

They said:

"Hired to find a boy gene missing in Doraville, North Carolina, Harper Connelly and her brother Tolliver head there, only to discover that the boy was the only one left of several who had disappeared over the previous five years. All of them teenagers. All unlikely runaways.

All calling for Harper.

Harper soon finds them—eight victims, buried in the half-frozen ground, all come to an unspeakable end. Afterward, what she most wants to do is collect her fee and get out of town ahead of the media storm that's soon to descend. But when she's attacked and prevented from leaving, she reluctantly becomes a part of the investigation as she learns more than she cares to about the dark mysteries and long-hidden secrets of Doraville—knowledge that makes her the next person likely to rest in an ice-cold grave."

I thought:

Charlaine Harris's did it again. Great writing put me in the middle of things with characters and surrounding that rang true.

If this is your first experience with Harper after reading the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, don't expect any supernatural beings. The only oddity is her ability to see the last moments of deceased person's life; which came about after being stuck by lightening. With this vehicle Ms. Harris moves the duo around the country for each new mystery.

Alyssa Bresnahan narration was "spot on", as they say in Britain. Each character rang true consistently.

Using one of my Audible.com credits was well spent. If you like a good cozy mystery, keep this one at the top of your list! 

Travel To A Distant Country In A Different Time!

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of my Audible.com choices. Unfortunately, there is an oops in the recording that therefore messed up the download. The end of the two parts are cut off. It didn't bother me so much on Part 1 but was at a crucial moment in Part 2! (GRRRR!) Naturally I called Audible.com immediately! They are going to fix it and then alert me, so I can get the rest of the story! The question is how long will it take them to fix it! You know how some of us are when we are so into a book that we just have to know, can't wait to know the rest of the story! I'm one of those! What do you do then? ORDER THE BOOK!

Publisher's Summary:

"In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. When her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great.

Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage to a wealthy man, the young woman finds herself faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to create a new life.
©2007 Anita Amirrezvani; (P)2007 Hachette Audio"

And that is where it cuts off! Decision time!

It should have taken just a bit over 13 hours to hear the entire story that is narrated by the rich voice of actress Shohreh Aghdashloo who is originally from Iran. Her voices add so much color to enjoyment of this book! I feel in love with her voice, accent, laugh, and intellect the first time I saw her on the Craig Ferguson show.

Maybe I need to expand a bit. When I read I hear the story in my head with my American accent. I've heard German, French, Irish, Scottish, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and the variety we have in America, and India so sometime a bit of those accents rings in my ears. The voices of the middle eastern countries have not added their music to my ears enough to remember them.

One thing is learned quickly...the role of this woman in 17th century Persia wasn't any better than that of women in Europe in the same socioeconomic level.

Anita Amirrezvani has not only told us the story of a gutsy young woman but bits about rug making from dye to design to finished product. She also gives us some short folk tales of the period.

I am giving you my review how because I cannot see the review changing much with reading the hard copy. It's been out for a while so you should be able to find it in most of your usual haunts! It's almost Halloween, so go haunting those places for this book in any format you like!

UPDATE:

I have now finished both the book and the recording. Sure enough, it was as wonderful as I expected! I loved all the characters in the book because of what they added to not only the understanding their motivation, but also the flavor of the peoples of the time whether good or bad. There is a richness to this book that makes me anxious to see what she comes up with next!

The conversation between the author and narrator at the end of the recording is most interesting!

Who should read this book? I would have gotten a lot out of this book about the age of 13 or 14 so young women, mothers and daughters, people who want to know a bit more about the run making process and their makers, people who love myths and legends! This is definitely on my favorites for 2011!

View all my reviews

The Beginning of an Adventure

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Don't you just love it when reviewers seem to be so divided? Made me wonder so I listened to the snippet. I liked the narrator's voice. I liked the summary of the book. I had to find out what the fuss was all about!

I love libraries! I've experienced wandering around and had a book title just sort of leap out at me. So when the story starts out in the Oxford tombs with a manuscript appearing to young scholar Diana Bishop, I'm hooked. Diana is the last in the line of distinguished witches. Unlike her predecessors, she wants NOTHING to do with witchcraft. But her bloodline will win out over her desires. She makes notes about the manuscript and returns it. Soon the tombs are filled with witches, vampires, demons. One vampire, Matthew Clairmont, sticks out to become our hero.

As in all romances, the course of true love is not smooth. Is he, like all the other creatures after her for her ability to summon the manuscript? Is he really her protector? Can he help her deal with her blossoming sorcery abilities? Can he protect her from all the other witches, demons, and vampires who are after her? Most of all, can a witch of her family line and a vampire from an equally distinguish family be allowed to have any kind of relationship?

I liked the way Deborah Harkness moved these characters along in their relationship as the tension about Diana and manuscript escalated. Thing develop smoothly and logically. Some might say "predictable". I wonder if some of that judgement came after the book was finished.

While I liked all the characters, I especially loved the house and its ghosts. I won't tell you why. You'll have to read/listen to find out for yourself!

I wanted to give Jennifer Ikeda 5 stars but couldn't as couple of times accents changed inappropriately that distracted me. (i.e., I gave her 4 stars.)

This was a well used credit! I would highly recommend this book. If the following books are as good as this one, I would recommend the series!Don't you just love it when reviewers seem to be so divided? Made me wonder so I listened to the snippet. I liked the narrator's voice. I liked the summary of the book. I had to find out what the fuss was all about!

I love libraries! I've experienced wandering around and had a book title just sort of leap out at me. So when the story starts out in the Oxford tombs with a manuscript appearing to young scholar Diana Bishop, I'm hooked. Diana is the last in the line of distinguished witches. Unlike her predecessors, she wants NOTHING to do with witchcraft. But her bloodline will win out over her desires. She makes notes about the manuscript and returns it. Soon the tombs are filled with witches, vampires, demons. One vampire, Matthew Clairmont, sticks out to become our hero.

As in all romances, the course of true love is not smooth. Is he, like all the other creatures after her for her ability to summon the manuscript? Is he really her protector? Can he help her deal with her blossoming sorcery abilities? Can he protect her from all the other witches, demons, and vampires who are after her? Most of all, can a witch of her family line and a vampire from an equally distinguish family be allowed to have any kind of relationship?

I liked the way Deborah Harkness moved these characters along in their relationship as the tension about Diana and manuscript escalated. Thing develop smoothly and logically. Some might say "predictable". I wonder if some of that judgement came after the book was finished.

While I liked all the characters, I especially loved the house and its ghosts. I won't tell you why. You'll have to read/listen to find out for yourself!

I wanted to give Jennifer Ikeda 5 stars but couldn't as couple of times accents changed inappropriately that distracted me. (i.e., I gave her 4 stars.)

This was a well used credit! I would highly recommend this book. If the following books are as good as this one, I would recommend the series!

View all my reviews

In the Woods by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a body found at an excavation site right by some wood where 20 years ago 2 out of 3 kids disappeared. Are these 2 incidences related? To add to the intrigue, one of the investigators of the new mystery was the one kid who did return.

The interaction between primary investigators was fascinating. By the end of the book, I understood that the next book in the series will probably not involve any of these characters but rather pick up with a new murder mystery and a new team of investigators.

Some people might be disappointed with the lack of Irish accents by the narrator but it didn't bother me as had I read it, I would have heard it with an American accent. The British accent of Steven Crossley was ok with me.

This is a series I will likely follow!

View all my reviews

Need some recipes?

This is a cozy mystery with many, many recipes...a bit more than I like. I felt they were used to fill out a weak story. If you are a baker, the recipes sound really good.

I did like the characters of a mother, her 4 daughters (who have a habit of finding dead bodies), her mother's intended, and the men involved with said daughters. 

While one mystery is solved, the other is left hanging. If you've read many of my reviews, you know I generally like books that don't leave you hanging. This book did not catch me enough to make me want to get the next book in the series or start in from the beginning.

I purchased this book during a recent sale at Audible.com

3 out of 5 stars

Homemade Laundry Soap!!

"Sick of buying laundry soap?? Me too. This stuff is awesome because it is way stronger then the store bought laundry soap. You only have to use 1 Tablespoon per load. This recipe makes a huge cookie jar full of soap and is going to last a life time, well maybe not quit that long. I originally made mine in July and I still have a ton and I do at least 8 loads of laundry ever week. So I am thinking it will last me almost a year. 1 year of laundry soap for less than $20, have I got you sold yet? I love not having to buy laundry soap all the time anymore. This laundry soap also works just fine in HE washers. 

Update: **I just ran out of laundry soap and it is March. So July to March that's 9 months of laundry soap for $20 bucks. I am pretty happy about that.**

Here is what you need:

1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (if you use Zote bars use 2 bars instead, Zote can be found at Home Depot)

2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.  (This is optional, I added it into mine because I have pretty messy kids and the cleaner the better)

You should be able to find all of these items at your grocery store.

**Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. I know that does not seem like enough but this recipe does not have fillers like the store bought detergent so you only need 1-2 Tablespoons.** 

This detergent is fairly mild smelling, it is not over powering. If you love a strong scent you may have to add a fabric softener or laundry crystals to each load. You can find laundry crystals in the detergent isle.

Start out by grating your Fels-Naptha soap just like cheese. You can use a food processor or just use your hand held grater, what ever you have. Those of you with an HE washer may want to run the mix through the grater again to get an even finer mix.

**Don't worry the Fels-Naptha will dissolve in your washer even if you only use cold water like me.**

Toss all ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. This part makes your whole house smell great. Once everything is mixed store soap however you like. The recipe makes about 2 gallons worth of detergent. Walmart has large glass jars in the kitchen department."

I got this posting from a blog, Being Creative to Keep My Sanity, for this posting, I just snarfed it because the information is so good! All you gotta do to go directly to her blog, is click her blog name in this paragraph. As soon as I get out of this rehab place, I want to try making this! 

I got this from Being Creative To Keep My Sanity,

Other sites:  http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap/