This recipe is from my german Grandmother.  Please excuse the poor instructions, they are partially from memory.

1 c. margarine at room temperature

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

3 c. flour

1 c. buttermilk* 

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 c. jam

* If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1 cup.

1. Preheat oven to 300F
   
2. Well grease a 10" bundt pan, set aside.
   
3. In a large bowl, beat margarine to soften and then cream with sugar, added in a steady stream, until light and fluffy.
   
4. Add one whole egg at a time and beat until fully incorporated after each addition, about 2 minutes each.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixture.
5. In a second bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and spices.
6. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Mix just until blended.
7. Add 1/2 of the liquid ingredients to the mixture.  Mix just until blended.
8. Repeat until all ingredients are used, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally for even mixing.
9. Pour the batter in the prepared pan.  Drop the jam by spoonfuls onto the top of the cake in a ring shape - then take a butter knife and gently drag it through the cake and jam in a  "S" motion to swirl.  (This is optional, some people like a big blob of jam on top!)
   
10. Bake for 15 minutes at 300F, then increase the heat to 350F for 45 minutes.  Cool, invert and serve.  Don't panic if some of the jam sticks to the bottom of the pan - this is not a "pretty" cake.
    

You can use nuts, raisins or coconut in this mixture if you like - and whatever kind of jam you have on hand.  My favorite is homemade plum jam.  Enjoy!

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It seems to me that there must be a way to clean your clothes that won't cost the earth (literally!)  As it turns out, there are plenty of recipes for Homemade Laundry Soap online - but are they cost effective?  And can a busy mom reasonably take time to make soap..?  Well, the boys are off to the movies so I have a little quiet time to find out.

My recipe required the following items:

1. Borax
   
2. Washing Soda
   
3. A Bar of Laundry Soap
   
4. Oxy-type multi-purpose stain remover (optional) - mine came with a plastic measuring spoon that was just the right size!
   

I found all of these items in the cleaning section at my local Superstore.  They aren't cheap though!  The consolation is, I doubled the batch and I still have enough to make several more batches.  Oh - and my recipe says you only need 1Tbl for a small/lightly soiled load or 2 Tbl for a heavy/dirty load.

The instructions are very straight-forward, and with my "food" processor took minutes to finish.  This method does leave small bits of soap in the powder, so warm water is recommended.  Also, I add the soap to the water first to allow it to disburse entirely through the water.  Next in goes the laundry, and 1/4 vinegar for the rinse cycle to get rid of any remaining soap residue. 

So, what is the difference between Soap and Detergent?  Soap is naturally made and Detergent is man made.  On the plus side, soap is better for the environment however, on the negative side, soap can react with minerals in your water causing your whites to grey.  Well, if this is the case I will have to save the soap for dark colors!

Images:

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