Home Chemistry i.e. Laundry Detergent (Borax Free)

As commercial laundry detergents tend to smell gros... funny or cause itchiness or rash in our family I decided to try to make my own some time ago.

First I dived into Pinterest, but you know how it goes... Either there was borax, which is forbidden in EU, or there was soap which blocks certain fabrics and they won't work as they should. This is important factor as PUL and it's buddies are used in outdoor garments and I wash Tiny's outdoor garments quite often. Soap also tends to develop build-up, but it's not an issue in our case because I use so little detergent.

But I digress, as usual. Then I happened to stumble upon Limepop's recipe (in Finnish) and decided to try. I left epsom salt out though (and added tiny bit of citric acid), but still this thing works wonders! It works with dry blood and sweat stains and you can use it as stain remover too. Being able to get rid of dried blood stains has become important factor since Tiny has developed (pollen allergy related) tendency to have nose bleeds. 
It also leaves clothes feeling soft without softeners.

I have used this detergent for few months and have nothing but good things to say.

My saving grace

350 ml bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) (~11.83 US fl oz)
350 ml washing soda (~11.83 US fl oz)
 10 ml salt (~0.34 US fl oz)
7,5 ml citric acid (~0.25 US lf oz)

You just mix these in where ever you plan to store it in (I have huge mason jar) and if you wish you can add few drops of essential oils. (And if you have those little silica gel bags you get with anything you buy just place one or two of them in your storage jar to prevent possible lumping.)

I use 15 ml (1 tbs) per wash and use 60 C (140 F) program as it does kill germs and detergents in general work better in higher temperatures. And despite I use so little of detergent our clothes are clean, actually they look better because there is no build-up.

6 x 9 = 42

Life's dragging along. I am eagerly waiting for that day when it becomes normal again, without constant obstacles thrown on our way.

Tiny's tummy ache was diagnosed as food allergy (as I suspected) after few dozens of blood tests to opt out all kinds of nice things like colitis, celiac disease, amebas and other funny parasites. He is now off dairy, eggs and fish and has become more like his old self.
It turns out he may have been allergic last two years, if not his whole life... he just hasn't been able to communicate it and haven't realised that it is not normal to have nausea and tummy ache until now.
This and my father's cancer cause enough stress to make my system more unstable and it seems that my allergies (and my thyroid) may be worsening again. Yay. It would make life really interesting, though luckily Tiny is at day care so he gets diverse diet even if ours were more restricted.

But on the bright side, it's Mother's Day and we have cake!

So... Bumpy ride goes on and on.

I got SRTD from noise and spent summer with a burnout and was stupid enough to go back to school like nothing. Then I got sick and was too sick or tired to do anything 1,5 months. So, fall semester went to dogs.

We relaxed whole holiday period, it was tons of fun for both Tiny and me, and in January I started studying with goals.

Tiny got sick. Apparently he is more or less allergic to milk, fish and bell peppers. At least. And he reacts with his intestines. So, he has been at home a lot because his tummy hurts and he has reflux symptoms. Based on his blood work and check-up he is a healthy lad. At the moment we are waiting to get an appointment with allergy specialist. Until then I get to hear "mom, my tummy hurts" almost daily. And it sucks.

Then my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with several metastasis in his liver. It's unoperable as long as he has them. And life expectancy isn't great even at its best: 10 % of PC patients are alive after one year, 2-3 % after five years.
And I worry already how Tiny will take it when his grandpa dies. "Luckily" he is no stranger to death: my sister's older cat died of cancer some time ago and Tiny helped our mother to bury her. He has been asking lots of questions about dying since. And he still thinks everyone will be buried at granny's yard when they die. *grin*

So. This is how it has been. I am hoping this would be enough for next ten years or so...

Banana Cookies

Thanks to Tiny's rather erratic craving for bananas we have had quite a few overripe bananas in our house lately and I have been baking like there's no tomorrow (and my waistline has appreciated that greatly).
Today I googled banana cookies as it sounded like a fun idea and came upon this.

They came out as little cakes, but are yummy!

I replaced 1/4 of flour with coconut flour (which I love), added ½ tsp of cardamom (which I love) and replaced suggested nuts with sunflower seeds.

Absolute yumminess.

I am afraid that there may not be any left when my mom comes on Thursday even I thought it would be nice to have something sweet with coffee...

30 days later

Oh yes, I am very much alive. I have just entered the phase which is said to be nasty to most people, one month of medication, and hence I am quite... tired. Though I would imagine that my problem is mostly that Mr. Wonderful traveled to Nigeria and I simply have not been sleeping too well. As usual.
It's also possible that I have started to take my thyroxine too late and stay awake until early hours because of that, but I would bet on lack of my Wonderful. I have never been good on falling asleep or sleeping soundly throughout the night when He is not by my side.

And of course I obviously need higher dose of thyroxine, but... I really shouldn't up the dosage before I get blood drawn in August.

Regardless, I love the stuff, which obviously means that my thyroid is not ok. Actually I foresee quite a high dosage eventually which means that my thyroid is either very dysfunctional (not literally dead, not yet at least) or my body just needs more of the hormone, for reason or another... but on a brighter note, I may be able to FINALLY lower my cortisone intake!

I noticed this within last two weeks as I wasn't taking my asthma meds as often as I was supposed to and used officially empty (the magic with easyhalers is that they are not empty at that point, the manufacturer just does not quarantee correct dosages at that point) easyhaler without any symptoms of worsening asthma. Pre-thyroxine me would have been hospitalized by now.
There has also been drastic change in my allergies: I have taken like five tablets within whole month of June, whereas back in old times I would have took approximately 60 by now from June 1st... AND the best bit is that my thyroid medication actually has corn starch in it and there are no issues, taking that I take it carefully (if it touches my lips there are symptoms).

Crossed stitches

I have been stitching, have two biscornus almost finished, but I haven't got around ironing and finishing them yet. I blame work for that: no matter how great evenings are because of the extra pay they kind of limit the things you have energy for outside work.

But, I took this weekend off as my birthday is tomorrow (yikes, I am 31 soon! ) and have decided to wake up early tomorrow (3rd) and spend the whole day... stitching and watching DVDs (and eating something less healthy *grin*).

I think that sounds like a great plan.

Maybe I have the energy tomorrow (after yet another day of coming home just before 1 am... from work) to post about the loveliness Jenna sent me, too!

Wonderful

I am not sure have I ever said that He is a real sweetheart? If not there it came.
I have an interesting feeling that now that we are married He is treating me even better than before - which is of course how it should be - He even cooked some food (tuna sauce (He makes the best tuna sauce ever) and okazi soup) for me "for a bad day" before He traveled, which He has never done before (well, intentionally).
(Or maybe He has found out that Nigerian food has become my comfort food and it is easier for me to cope with it - when I had the suspected Swine I craved for egusi soup...)

Ah well...

... or rather unwell. In midst of everything I managed to find sinusitis and otitis (in both ears!) and then I was lucky enough to find out that I was allergic to that antibiotic I was given for them... which means that now I am even bigger statistic oddity: allergic to three different antibiotics.

Yes, it's difficult to be this good, but I try to live up to my reputation.

I am getting better slowly, and hope that I am actually better by Tuesday when I am supposed to go to work again.

One down, one less to use

Well, it seems that that "nothing" was actually an allergic reaction to doxicyclin (an antibiotic I was prescribed for my bronchitis) as I feel lots better after only one dose (40mg) of cortisone prescribed to me by a nice doctor at private clinic (and employer pays ).

They say that allergy for several antibiotics (in my case two: penicillin and doxicyclin) is very, very rare condition, but oddly enough I am not only person in my family allergic to at least two different kind antibiotics. Maybe we are slightly odd then.

At least one thing is for sure: I will sleep like a baby next two weeks, because of that course of cortisone. (Taking that the reaction actually becomes milder within 24 hours, otherwise I have to run back to the clinic.)

The Plan

I do love the strong euro as it makes shopping so much cheaper.
Last night I finally got fed up with the continuous sinus problems and as I have heard good things about Neti pots I decided to give it a try.

I chose stainless steel after reading Jalanetipot.com's material comparison and ordered this baby:

It's interesting really: every time when I have had a flu, and nowadays just sinus problems, I have wanted to wash the sinus blockage away with salt water... I just hadn't heard about Neti pots and saline baths for sinuses before this year.
Human body seems to know what's good for it, hopefully. At least I am really waiting to give the Neti a try.

A sad, sad thing...

I have suffered from bouts of sinusitis symptoms few times after The Flu (took two weeks) and I finally managed to deduce the cause of it: chocolate!
Milk chocolate to be precise, as milk increases the mucus production (asthmatics should avoid dairy in all its forms) and in my current state it seems to be enough to block my right maxillary sinus. (Though I am dead sure that part of this is caused by the dust from the pistachios my mother and bits_2_whole ate last night.)
Now I just need to wait few days and eat some dark chocolate and hope it won't cause similar symptoms... (As I have used chocolate as a sleeping draft lately.)

And Masa has recovered well from his tiny operation, though he's still a bit sleepier than normally (but isn't that how castrated toms should be: lazy asses? *grin*).

שּׁנה טובה

(Completely evil header... *grin*)

Anyway, my allergies have been behaving lately because I am well medicated and I stay away from allergens... but today I got an image of how bad my allergies really are.
I can't be in the same room with a plate of buns and cookies (made of wheat), not even heavily medicated (20mg of ebastine and 400mg of mometasone furoate), without getting a sinus induced migraine...

And this is "only" cross reactivity... (maybe I should reconsider that Epi-pen prescription...)

Blah, maybe I just should get back to bed and continue my nap until 6:15 tomorrow...

R(ecipe)-I(n)-P(rogress): Rice flour chocolate chip cookies

I go, oh so, American; 12 cookies

• 2 eggs
• 1 dl sugar (probably needs 1½ - 2 dls)
• 4 dl rice flour
• 2 dl dark chocolate chips (needs some more)
• pinch of salt
• 150 grams butter

Preheat oven to 200 °C. Mix chocolate chips with 1 dl of rice flour. Whisk butter and sugar, add eggs, rest of the rice flour, salt and chocolate chips mixed with rice flour. Divide to 12 separate piles of dough on the cookie sheet (covered with baking paper).
Bake about 18- 20 minutes.

The recipe also could use some vanilla extract and maybe mixed chocolate chips (white, milk and dark).

Yawn

After 18 hours of sleep (after being awake 26 hours) one almost feels like a human being again. And adds ability to sleep on the list of Advantages of what-ever-drug they gave me at spirometry (even though I got an allergic reaction from it).
And I got another reason to dislike that GP. I spesifically said to him that I can not use medication with any kind of starch in them and this bright fellow prescribed me medicine which has... corn starch, my worst enemy.
I know that corn allergy isn't one of the common ones, but you could imagine that a doctor would believe the patient noticing that he does not know me. I can take it if our regular Jane and John Does don't understand that I really am allergic and don't choose what I put in my mouth just to be nasty, but this guy is an actual doctor... When it comes to Ventolin(e) either the dose could be bigger or I have to learn the finesses of discus, but at least I got no symptoms from it (unlike from Nasonex, my eyes are itching - known side-effect) and it's nice to breathe freely again.

Anyway, retail therapy... I stumbled upon fabric sale and came home with two plastic bags full of fabric (click the thumbnail as usual):

 

My reason to go into a fabric store was that little tan piece on the upper right, as I need it for model's lining. Others... well, they just wanted to come with me.
The blues on upper left were the expensive ones, but I couldn't leave them there... rest of the fabrics in the big picture were in One bag full of fabrics only for 10€ sale so I just picked up everything I thought could be useful for me or my mother. (That white webbed fabric for example will end up in dye pot and after that I will sew couple of airy home tops. Those flowery fabrics end up serve my shirt demo - and rest of them... who knows, they would be great curtains, for someone who likes lighter shades (like my mother).

That ant fabric (who could resist a black fabric with metallic red ants on it?! Even less when it was in One bag full of fabrics only for 10€ sale...)) will probably end up being something more comfortable, I actually can see it as a dressing gown, and there's so much of that fabric that rest will probably end up being nice, short, "airy" nightie... just to have a matching set, you know. *grin*

And the books: 'Dictionary of Jewish Biography' ($43.80?! I paid $16.5... and mine was bought from a Finnish store and they had to order it for me (odd thing for a sale book, don't you think?)) and 'Hand-stitched Boxes' ("List Price: $24.95", I paid ~$10, and this one had to be specially ordered too).
I have to say that based on short browse that box book is really worth those 7 euros it was in sale. Imagine book filled with instructions for several dirrently shaped and sized boxes made of fabric and there's instructions even to those beautiful sewing cube boxes I have been drooling all over 'net.

Ye shall not read CraftGossip... I want this even I am not very Halloweeny person (nor much of a fan of that style). That just, you know, rocks.

Blog ponderings

The thought of moving my blog on Wordpress base came out from its hiding place again, while looking for templates for Periphaeria's blog.
And at this point I even have a hosted domain... it would be matter of only installing another WP. The negative side of it is that I would lose all the comments (and apparently tags too) even I could import the posts...

Weight gain

Last months my weight has been slowly increasing without any significant changes in my diet. I found out why: it's my allergy medicine's less known side effect! Said antihistamine causes weight gain which probably means that it messes my insulin levels... it boggles your mind, but at least now I know what to say to my doctor. I rather take cetiritzine as it's better for my metabolism, even if it isn't as modern version as levocetirizine.

To make it fun, levocetirizine also causes... shortness of breath. (I still have it, though I feel better now.)

And how do I know that Xyxal is the one to blame? I have been taking other antihistamine about a week now (because I lost the prescription and ran out of Xyzal). During this time my weight has come down almost five kilos, without any diet changes.

Livejournal is alive again... or is it?

OMG! It's alive! It's always good to complain a bit.

I have been wondering why I suffer from tightness in my larynx after I give HH her antibiotics. Guess twice why (the reason is *so* obvious that I am ashamed of not getting it before I read the safety instructions from the package... (Hint: I am allergic to penicillin. )).
The answer is simple: she is taking amoxillin which is one form of penicillin and I handle her tablets twice a day. Which I shouldn't do, being allergic to that stuff.
At least one thing is sure: I really am allergic to penicillin.

Stitching, allergy and everything

1. I have decided not to participate SAT this month. I need to rest and stitch if I feel like it.
2. I noticed that I despise 28 count linen. It's not dense enough to my taste and stitches look huge on it. Whereas 40 count linen is pure love.
3. I was supposed to stitch Monochromatic Exchange piece, but I ended up stitching something completely different... on previously mentioned 40 count linen.
4. I am still reducing my exchanges. It really has to hit me with 16 ton weight before I let myself participate. And anyway, I need to concentrate on Angi's birthday gift as July is soon (Gawd, I will be 28 soon!), not to mention those PIF gifts and few very belated gifts - and I can always RAK people if I wish to.

4. comes mainly from the fact that there's no sense to burn midnight oil all the time. I get enough of it per deadline.
Another reason is that Periphaeria's designs seem to get bigger which means that I need more time to stitch them. Not to mention that it would be nice to actually have some personal stitching time every once in a while.

Pollen season

What you do when you have doubt that part of your migraine is caused by your blocked sinuses? Stay awake half night and look up your allergy medicine's lethal dose.
Apparently in my case my tolerance for Levocetirizine is a bit too good or I am more allergic to alder pollen than I thought (or than the tests thought) as I after I practised some quackery and raised my daily dose up with 5mg... And guess what? I got rid of those back and hip pains which had haunted me for few days and it seems that my right feet is finally getting its tactile sense back.

I think I know why that doctor prescribed 5-10 mg/ d (for allergy medicine which LD50 is 70mg/kg<). It's once again all about the fact that I am heavier than I look. I am quite sure that 5mg/d would be just the dose for person who weighs what I seem to weigh, but not for a person who weighs as much as I actually do - that 20-or-so kilos worth of optic illusion can be interesting sometimes. Sometimes it leads to insufficient medicine prescriptions.

Yup...

"We'll love you just the way you are if you're perfect."
-- Alanis Morissette

Finnish cuisine goes allergy friendly

It has to be spring... I haven't been cooking this much (during 24 hours) since... stone age, probably (or since my separation at least *grin*).
Anyway, let me introduce you my version of Finnish pancake (Finnish pancake is baked in oven. In this part of the world fried ones are crepes):

Rice flour pancake á la snowprincipessa

4 dl sour milk
3 eggs
4 dl rice flour
1 dl sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 225 °C.
Mix bicarbonate with flour. Mix sour milk, eggs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add flour mix. Whisk until smooth.
Pour on baking plate (preferably with decent edges) covered with greaseproof paper. Put in the oven (surprising turn, eh?) for about fifteen minutes or until your pancake is golden brown.

Eat with (strawberry) jam (and, if you want to be really bold, with some whipped cream).

ETA: This is also liked by higher powers... Seiichi caught one piece of pancake while I was not watching and eats it (while I am writing this).

Animal testing: tomato-coconut sauce

Testing my tolerance for mushrooms with a hearty midnight snack. (But fact is that I have eaten mostly white carbs today and my blood sugar levels are having a joyride in a blood sugar rollercoaster - and I need to eat well before getting to bed, otherwise I can't sleep.)

Tomato- coconut sauce with beef slices and rice á la snowprincipessa (Easily adaptable as vegetarian dish if you ask from me...)

2 small onions (red), sliced
1 tsp chili oil (home made, fiery stuff)
400 g beef, sliced (remember to give some to quality control units)
2 tbsp garlic- chili paste
15 whole black peppers, crushed
~100 g champignons (canned or fresh), sliced
3-4 dl tomato sauce with herbs
1 dl coconut cream
1 - 1½ tsp salt

1. Heat your frying pan up, add oil, garlic-chili paste and sliced beef. Fry until meat is brown. Turn the heat to medium.
2. Add crushed peppers and onion slices and braise until onions become somewhat transparent.
3. Add mushrooms. Braise two minutes and add tomato sauce.
4. Cover with lid and let simmer about five minutes.
5. Add coconut cream, cover with lid (again) and let simmer about three minutes.
6. Add salt, mix, turn off the heat and let simmer couple of minutes.
7. Consume with basmati or jasmine rice.

Champignons? I am still alive and I have had no need to take allergy meds.

If it's not an allergy...

...what it is?

I have passed two pricks and two epicutanes with negative results from latex, but still I have got allergic reactions from that stuff.
Dermatographic urticaria could be one possibility, but my dermatologist tested my skin and his opinion is that it's not very likely possibility as my skin doesn't react in the way it should.
And if that was the reason I'd get the symptoms with polyurethane condoms too, which is not the case.

But, on positive note: 2 x prick test, 2 x epicutane and 3x doctor's consultation = 22 euros (which I didn't even have to pay myself..). Cheap, huh?

Nggggggh...

I so love this... not.
Because I am not allowed to take my allergy meds my body has begun to misbehave. My muscles ache, my back aches, one part of my right foot has lost its tactile sense, I itch, I am restless (that is more restless than normally), my skin is becoming spotty... All this just because I am not allowed to take my antihistamines.

It took three hours from me to fall asleep last night because of all this (even I was extremely tired), which means that I have slept whopping 2½ hours. I feel like... you know.

/me wants her Xyzal...

Saga of PayPal...

...continues.
Part N: their site contains inaccurate information. PayPal account's owner and the owner of the bank account you withdraw funds to don't have to be same person/ institution (at least when you transfer to a Finnish bank).
I transferred money to my mother about two weeks ago, and now, when she came back from her cottage, she said that my transfer had got through (I used her credit card at Sewandso (as they don't have PayPal option) to buy some fabric and things for PD).

So, in the end that downgrade was unnecessary.

In general: isn't life a ball? (And SAT update will follow after I get back from the hospital.)

It's spring alright...

...as I am having a nasty itch. I wouldn't have it if I was allowed to take my allergy meds, but as coming week begins with prick test and continues with epicutane I will happily itch and feel miserable until Friday. (Oh yes, another set of tests.)
I have also realised why grains are such a problem: it's all about my pollen allergy. It explains even my corn issues. (And I am not gluten intolerant. It's all allergic: I can eat wheat (without upset stomach, itching stills) if I take maximum dose of allergy meds - this has been tested with an innocent pizza which gave its life for science. Long live scientific experiments.)

PayPal

...or PayPälli as I lovingly call it in Finglish (you can translate it to PayIdiot as pälli is slang expression for an idiot).
They downgraded my account while I was out voting (parliamentary democracy is wonderful thing), I took an advantage of that and withdraw pile of virtual euros. Now... we just have to wait and see will that money actually move to where it's supposed to move. (And, I was pedantic little b*stard and gave whole $FIRSTNAME $2NDNAME $3RDNAME $SURNAME litany to the bank account holder (or what ever) box. Now they can't claim that the name doesn't match. )
Hopefully it happens soon as I Lady P. really needs to buy an external burning drive (my Lady's laptop's CD burner is getting old and blind) as I she needs to take backups of PD's info. (Currently I just move my Lady just moves her backups to bits_2_whole's (nerdy sisters ) server.)