On Sunday morning our son, Karl. messaged me and asked if we could make macaroni salad and if I’d show him how to make homemade laundry soap later in the day. I said sure. It’s my perfect kind of visit…something planned but loose plans.
I’m entitling this post Kar’s Favorite Finds. I often write about my favorite finds but on this day, it was Karl that discovered some good things.
We are a foodie family and love trying new things. Karl heard good things about Kewpie Mayonnaise. It is suppose to be a Japanese Mayo. He found it at Walmart. He brought it over for me to try. Oh my. We both LOVE it. It tastes like egg salad. I ended up putting a bottle in my pick up order. I think it would be awesome on a sandwich. The plastic of the bottle is lightweight and different but the actual mayo…awesome.
It comes with the bottle inside this package…
If anyone has tried this or has an opinion about it, please leave a comment in the comment section.
One of the things Karl had wanted to do was learn how I make homemade laundry soap. I use the Duggar family recipe. You can find it HERE.
I have been making it for years and years. It’s super cheap and super easy. I had all the ingredients here so I told Karl if he brought a bucket over, we could easily make a batch. I did a little math and it’s only about $1.50 to make a batch and a batch is 10 gallons worth. It’s cheap and I think it works. It’s not beautifully fragrant but I’m totally okay with that.
Making a batch takes about 15 minutes. I HIGHLY recommend it. The recipe is perfect if you want to save some money.
We were at the end of the box of washing soda and there was a big clump in what was left so Karl mashed that up.
Laundry soap making was a success and Karl couldn’t believe how easy it is.
Karl and I have been in a deep dilemia. We both love macaroni salad and we both love it made with ring noodles. There’s one problem though. Ever since covid, we haven’t been able to find our favorite ring noodles. UGH.
Karl was in Walmart the other day and found these. They aren’t our old staple but he wanted to give them a try. He brought them to my house and together we made a batch of macaroni salad to test them out. THIS is my rough recipe.
Our verdict…we like it pretty good. We still prefer our regular ring noodles but if we can’t find them, this will do okay. I’m found that I really love Spam as the meat in my macaroni salad…my kids agree we like it better than regular ham. Odd, I know. Some people give Spam a bad rap but we all don’t mind it a bit.
The last thing…I don’t think was Karl’s favorite find. I beat him playing a game of Patchwork. HA! He usually wins and for once, his momma did….and not only did I win, I smoked him!! Patchwork has proven to be a real favorite here and I can’t recommend it enough.
Kelli is going to be here a couple of days this week and I’m sure we’ll play. She loves it. You can find it HERE on Amazon.
That’s all I have for you today. Karl and I had a great time hanging out for a few hours. I love when we can hang out, have fun and accomplish something too.
Thanks Karl for sharing your favorite finds.
Is your laundry soap liquid? From the boxes in front of Karl I thought it would be powder.
I don’t think Walmart is carrying Creamettes macaroni products any longer. I used the brand you have pictured using the spirals…WOW 8 servings is the largest bowl in the Pyrex mixing bowl set!! WAY more than I expected. How did the rings cook up, they don’t the same size as the Creamettes brand.
Sounded like a fun day!!
Macaroni salad is such a great dish….it can be a main course or a side….we have it mostly as a main dish, and mostly in the summer. I always include green peas. And usually chopped tomatoes, and grated Parmesan cheese. Most of the time I add pepperoni, chopped green onions and sliced black olives. And usually Greek dressing. It’s one of our favorite meals in the summer.
I vary the pasta depending on what is in my pantry… anything from elbow macaroni, to bow tie pasta, to penne pasta, to small shells. We love them all!
LOVE Japanese mayo!! We’ve been using it for YEARS! Sometimes it’s a little more expensive, compared to “US” mayo, but it’s worth every penny. The flavor is second to none! You can also find it in the international sections as well as in ‘international’ grocery stores. Enjoy!
I don’t know how you manage to lug 5 gallons of detergent! I can’t, nor do I have the space to store it. So you inspired me to look for a powdered version! I found one for myself and others if anyone is interested. Thanks for the tip! And here is a link to a dry mix. https://youtu.be/dXHOfLFhMQI
I don’t know how you manage to lug 5 gallons of detergent! I can’t, nor do I have the space to store it. So you inspired me to look for a powdered version! I found one for myself and others if anyone is interested. Thanks for the tip! And here is a link to a dry mix. https://youtu.be/dXHOfLFhMQI
How fun that your adult children enjoy learning to make their favorite foods they grew up with. The Kewpie mayo isn’t something I’ve seen here yet, but I will watch for it. On the topic of Spam – yum! I cut it up and stir it into my corn bread batter. We just had it on Monday.
I make a macaroni salad that includes tuna, apples, and Mandarin oranges. Very different, but one of my favorites.
I have used white vinegar to wash my clothes. Sometimes I put it in the washer where the fabric softener goes as well. It works well, the towels come out fluffy, there’s no vinegar smell, and if you have a front loader washer it keeps it from smelling around the door gasket.
I’ve been using Kewpie for years. My local grocery store carries it in limited quantities, but I usually order it from Amazon. I’ve been told that the “recipe” for the version that’s actually sold in Japan is different/better than the American version, but (as far as I know) I’ve only had the American version and it’s . It’s more flavorful and egg-y than other mayonnaise brands. (My fallback is Duke’s, tho.)
*dropped a word–it was supposed to say “it’s good.” :-)
Homemade laundry soap? this is new to me, and I think I shall give it a try, thanks Karl for wanting to know. I have never seen the Kewpie mayo and I did some research on how it is different, now I will have to try that in my next noodle dish or sandwich. We enjoy spam but I haven’t added it to any salads before, but this is something I always have on hand. Thanks for sharing.
In 2022 I found the Patchwork games at Walmart for $3.00 after Christmas. I sent one to you. You commented maybe someone would play with you. I am glad it has turned into a fun pastime. You give us so much, it was just a small token of my appreciation. I admit I am only interested in the quilting, kid and dog stories, I am just not into the cross stitch and usually skip those stories. Your blog has something for everyone though. If you ever have a quilt retreat, I will be the first to sign. Thanks again, Jo.
I’ll have to look at my Walmart for the mayo. I looked it up and it says it is made with egg yolks so that is why it tastes more eggy.
Our Costco carries the kewpie mayo.
My mom always uses Spam and peas in her macaroni salad too. I am going to have to look for the patchwork game and see if I can convince my husband to play!
A gluten-free and delicious salad can be made with iceberg lettuce, spam, cheddar cheese and dehydrated onions for a crunch. Or green onions, dried cranberries, bacon bits… Then add whatever dressing you prefer.
Just love love kewpie mayo we get it here in Australia too