Kindness kits for the homeless

I have gotten a lot of positive responses to the kindness kits I have been handing out to the homeless.  I thought I would explain how to make these so that anyone can hand them out.  It is easy and inexpensive.  I got this idea from Hopewell United Methodist Church in Chesterfield, Va.

What is a Kindness Kit?

It is just a brown paper lunch bag filled with a bottle of water, snacks, and small toiletries.  You keep it in your car.  When you see a homeless person on a street corner, you can just easily hand it to them.  It is safe and easy. 

I admit I was nervous to approach someone I thought was homeless.  What if they were offended or easily upset?  So far, I have not gotten a bad response. The person has smiled and thanked me.  I don't ask if they are homeless.  I just ask if they could use a bottle of water on this hot day and some snacks.  I just smile in a friendly way. These are people just like you and me. 

This can be as cheap as you want it.  Coupons often can purchase you these items for free.  Most of my kit has unused items from hotels I have been in. The chapstick came from the hospital I work at.  Things we had around the house that we haven't used. Next time, I will add bandaids.  Even if it is just a bottle of water that you carry in your car to hand out, this can make a world of difference to someone in need. 

What exactly is in it?

My kit that I made today has:

1-2 brown paper bags (I double bag)

1 bottle of water

1 granola bar

1 baggie of gum and hard candy

 toothbrush

toothpaste

tissue

hand sanitizer

shampoo

lotion

soap

wipes

disposable razor

shaving cream

chapstick

 1 gospel tract or a card with church or shelter contact info
(I printed mine off the internet)

 Stuff it all in.

 Staple shut and place in car within easy reach. All done! :)

I hope that this easy idea inspires you to come up with your own way of helping others. I know it has been a great experience for me. If anything, it has made me be on the lookout when I drive around to see if I can help someone.  That has to be a good thing that in itself. :) 



Menu Plan

Monday:   Fried rice, steamed broccoli
Tuesday:  Southwestern crockpot chicken
Wednesday: Sloppy Joes
Thursday:  Hamburger soup
Friday:  Mac-n-cheese/leftover smorgasboard night

Freezer pleasers

I was inspired by a friend looking for freezer pleaser meals.  I have attempted it before, but not in a real sense.  I do freeze meatballs, cookie dough, bread etc.  But meals...not so much.

But as Back to School and a very busy Cub Scout schedule looms ahead of me, I thought, well why not?  It would be nice to have some lunches, dinners and snacks to pull from the freezer.  Besides, I need to fill my freezer up anyway.

So here is my first freezer pleaser attempt. It is something I know that the family will eat.  It is easy to assemble and not a casserole.  Love casseroles, but some times that is not what you want to eat all the time.

French Bread Pizza

loaves of french bread
Pizza or spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Parmesean Cheese, grated
Pepperoni (or other desired meat)


To assemble freezer meal:

Take a loaf of french bread and roll it tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil.

Combine parmesean cheese and mozzarella cheese into a freezer baggy.  I eyeballed the amounts, but probably can never have too much cheese.

Next, I took purchased pizza sauce and poured some in a freezer baggie.  If you don't use pizza sauce, you can use spaghetti sauce.  I have also taken a can of tomato sauce, opened it, added garlic, onion, and italian seasonings and mixed it right in the can for pizza sauce.  Pizza sauce seems to be kind of forgiving to my type of cooking.

Make sure you squeeze all the air out.  This will prevent freezer burn and extend the life of the food in your freezer.

I also added some pepperoni to a baggy also.  I might dice it into pieces when I thaw it out to kind of spread out the amount.  When we do heat up these pizzas, we will add fresh veggies to them.  Whatever we have on hand at the time.

It is also very important to label food items with a Sharpie and date them.  I have been guilty of not doing that and it really isn't fun to have some frozen mass of I don't know what in the freezer and have to throw it out. 

I decided to put the items in a bread bag. It won't provide really more freezer protection, but it will keep the items together and I don't have to worry about pulling things apart.   I would say that this would keep for 2-3 months in the freezer based on what I have done before. 

When ready to bake, remove pizza kit from freezer.  I am going to let it thaw first, lol.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  But just slice the bread in half lengthwise.  Spread some pizza sauce on each cut side.  Sprinkle cheese on top along with toppings.  Bake until cheese is good and melted.  About 15-20 minutes.  Serve with salad. 

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

Okay... it has been one year since I posted to this blog.  Facebook has taken over my life and I have found it to be a better way to keep family up to date.  However, I do miss creating pages and I can't have a blog without at least one tutorial on it.... Every homemaking/family blog needs a homemade laundry detergent tutorial, lol.  I was inspired by a friend today on facebook and decided, "what the hey?" :)

So... I make the powder version of homemade detergent.  Mostly because I have no place in my overcrowded laundry room to put a 5 gallon bucket of goo.  I make a small batch of powder currently.  One day, when I find that perfect old fashioned retro metal tin to put it in, I will make larger batches.  But right now, I love my mason jar storage.  Just call me an old fashioned girl at heart.... ;)

So here are the ingredients:

I use Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, borax, and Octogon soap.  You can use any kind of laundry soap, Fels Naptha, Zote, etc.  Even ivory... But this is what I have available at my store.  It isn't as pretty. Kind of a 70s avocado green, but I really don't look at my laundry detergent a lot, so I think it is okay. However... maybe using pretty soap will make me do my laundry more.... hmmm... stop that thinking right there, young lady...

First we grate the bar of soap.  You can use a cheese grater, but I use the attachment to my kitchen aid and grate it that way. As you see, this always gets the attention of the little one who then has to "help", lol.

Sandy got this as a safety prize at work.  Isn't that sweet that he picked his prize just for me?  Aren't I a strange wife to love appliances for presents?  Hey, anything that makes my life easier is romantic to me!

Love this part!  In the soap goes... and press.

Little hands love trying to catch the soap.  Yeah, it is a little stringy as it comes out, but it seems to break up into little pieces in the bowl.

Laura helping make a mess.  What fun is it to do something like this if we don't scatter and spill it everywhere???     Now add one cup Washing Soda.

Then add 1/2 cup Borax. 

This is where I use slave labor called my children.  Isn't that the whole point to having kids?  Hey, at least they don't have to get up to change the channel on the tv like we did as kids.  We had it rough!!

  Okay, time to put into the mason jar.  Love my funnel! 

Trying to take photo holding a heavy bowl, pour it into a funnel, while a two year old is reaching in saying, lemme help, lemme help! is challenging.  But I did it! That is why I am so good, lol!

Now I use two spoonfuls for a load of laundry. If Sandy's clothes are extra greasy or dirty from work, I might add one or two more spoonfuls.  So far, this soap has done the job on this family's dirty clothes.  You can add fragrance to it if you would like also. 

This is how it sits on my laundry room shelf.  Isn't that pretty?  And it is all natural and good for the environment.  But I like it because it costs about 2-3 cents a load.  Check out the store shelf labels to see how that compares...