Pancakes are one of my favorite foods to make. My husband especially loves eating them, however with his large appetite, most the time he wants more than "just pancakes." Apparently, unlike me, he can not live on sugar and carbs alone. I came across this recipe that was the perfect solution! We get the deliciousness of a pancake, with the nutritional value of a more balanced meal. I like to cook mine in a little bit of organic coconut oil.


Recipe:
1C. Uncooked Oatmeal
1 ripe banana
4 egg whites
1tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in the blender until fully blended into a batter. Cook as you would regular pancakes. 
Serves 2

This picture is what under my kitchen sink looks like. It is all my cleaning supplies. The large jar full of yellow liquid is my homemade dishwasher detergent. In the spray bottles I have a "tough clean" and a "basic clean." I also have a few staple items: White vinegar, baking soda, and washing soda. Not only do all of these work well, I have found they work better than store bought chemicals. (And it saves a HUGE amount of money!) A large container of white vinegar cost just a little over $1. I use it as a rinse-aid in the dishwasher (because we have very hard water), and I use it to mix in with my two bottled cleaners. Recipes are as follows:
Dishwasher Detergent:
8C. Boiling Water
6C. Cold Water
1C. Borax
1 1/2 C. Washing Soda (NOT Baking Soda)
1/2 C. Dawn Dish Soap 
1C. Lemon Juice (The bottled kind, not fresh)

Directions:
In a large glass container mix borax, washing soda, and dish soap. Add 8C. boiling water and stir thoroughly. Add 6 cups cold water and the cup of lemon juice and mix well. Leave in an open container and stir periodically over the next 24hrs, until it thickens up. Use one to two TBS per load.

Spray Cleaners:
(I normally just eyeball these when I make them, so the measurements are estimates.)
Tough Clean-
3TBS Dawn Dish Soap
3TBS White Vinegar
Water
Combine in a spray bottle.
Basic Clean-
3TBS White Vinegar
A couple of drops of peppermint oil (A little goes a long ways)
Water
Combine in a spray bottle.

I use the tough clean for the bathroom toilet & tub, and messier spots in the kitchen like deep cleaning the fridge or the stove top. I use the basic clean for everyday wipe downs of the kitchen counters, bathroom counters, and mirrors. (I also use newspaper instead of paper towels for the mirrors, and it keeps it from streaking.) 

Another huge money saver has been making my own laundry soap. I had to play around with it until I found a combo I liked, and I finally got one that smells good and works just as well as the Tide I was using. 
Laundry Soap:
3TBS Borax
3TBS Washing Soda (Again, not baking soda.)
3TBS Dawn Dish Soap (I use the New Zealand scent and it smells great!)
HOT water.
Directions- Combine borax and washing soda add hot water and mix until dissolved. Add in dish soap and mix again. I make mine in a half gallon container from the dollar store (pictured) and use 2 cap fulls per load. 

For wood polish I used an empty glass honey jar and added the juice of one lemon and the rest olive oil. I barely tip my rag into it and rub down the whole table, the use the dry part of the rag to wipe of and excess. It polishes excellently and it seems to keep dust from gathering as quickly! Made our old coffee table look like new.

And finally, the toothpaste. This one is my favorite, because of the huge difference we have seen! I don't follow a strict recipe for this, but I make large amounts of it at a time. 

ToothPaste:
Baking Soda
Coconut Oil (I buy Spectrum Organic Refined in the glass bottle)
Peppermint Oil (A little goes a VERY long way)

If I had to estimate I would say 1/2 C. Baking soda, 1TBS soft or melted coconut oil, and 1 drop peppermint oil. It has a soft powder consistency when fully mixed together. I store ours in a glass jar with a lid. (It was formerly a large Bath&Body Works candle that we had complete burned through, so I removed all the wax and now it is the perfect storage container.)
For mouthwash we swish with Hydrogen Peroxide when we finish brushing. My teeth have not only been noticeably whiter, but my mouth feels fresher longer during the day and all my tooth sensitivity has gone away.