What is cooking in my kitchen this week?

What is cooking in my kitchen today? It is all edible but none of it is food. I was out of a few things so I whipped up a couple easy recipes. Lots of people ask me how I have the time. Really it does not take that long. I have all the ingredients on hand and can whip together most recipes in a few minutes. Lets take a look at what I made today...








Deodorant: I have used this recipe off and on over a year. I would say I am pleased with the results. I have tried several over the counter natural deodorants and still like this one better.

I purchased empty deodorant containers on amazon but you can use old ones after you clean them up if you wish. Here is the one I purchased.

You will need:
4 tablespoons bentonite clay
1 tablespoons shea butter
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon baking soda (optional)
1.5 tablespoon bees wax
25 drops essential oils- this batch I used 15 drops lavender and 10 drops Mel-A

In a double boiler melt the coconut oil, shea butter and bees wax. (I like to use an 8 ounce glass gar that I reuse for this each time.) Add in the clay and optional baking soda. Note: Baking soda can irritate some peoples skin. Mix well. Remove from heat. Add essential oils. Mix then pour into deodorant containers. It will make about 2 deodorants. Let cool completely before adding lids.

This project takes me about 30 minutes only because I have to wait for the oils to melt and I tend to do it on low heat. But during that time I can do lots of other things- like make a cute label.


Lotion Bar: I have been making these for years. I just love them and give them as gifts to all my friends and family. They are great for dry skin. Rub them in your hands and the heat from your body will melt the oil. These bars are very moisturizing. I get cracked skin along my finger nails in winter and I will rub my lotion bar on the cracks at bedtime. By morning the crack will be gone. Happy dance!

You can use lots of options to make this with different molds. I use a small loaf silicone mold but you could make hearts for Valentines or pour them into deodorant containers for easy use as well!

You will need:
1 cup bees wax
1 cup mango butter
1 cup coconut oil
1-2 tsp vitamin E oil or about 5 capsules of vitamin E
50 drops of essential oil

In a double boiler melt the beeswax, mango butter and coconut oil. Once melted, remove from heat and add Vitamin E and essential oils. Then pour into molds. Let completely cool before removing from mold or if using deodorant containers make sure its cooled completely before adding the cap.

In the past I have made bars with just lavender essential oil but this batch I decided to use stress away as I recently have been obsessed with the scent of cedarwood and lavender together and this was a perfect complement.

This project takes about 30 minutes to prep and get into the molds. Most of that time again being the melting of the oils. Using the mold above I generally get 10-11 bars.


So there you have it! My quick nap time projects in the kitchen today. Happy cooking!

Blessings!


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Cranberry Tangerine Scones and Citrus Fresh Fruit Dip

I love trying new things. One thing I do not try enough of is new foods. Having a house full of picky kids is not conducive to the excitement of "new." So I took advantage of having some friends over and made a couple new things that I really loved! I hope you enjoy!

Cranberry Tangerine Scones

Scone Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and then frozen

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

Tangerine Essential oil

Icing: Mix about 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons water--enough to make it thick but drizzly. Add 5 drops tangerine. Mix well. Drizzle on cooled scones with a spoon.

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.      In food processor, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3.      Add frozen butter and blend until butter is well incorporated (pea size or smaller)

4.      In a small bowl, mix sour cream and egg until smooth. Add 8-10 drops Tangerine Essential Oil.

5.      Add liquid mix and cranberries to food processor. Pulse until is incorporated and becomes a ball. (does not take too long)

6.      Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a knife to cut into 12 triangles; place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

7.      Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

8.      Let cool then drizzle with icing.

      Citrus Fresh Fruit Dip:

4 ounces of cream cheese

4 ounces of marshmallow cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

3-4 drops of citrus fresh

blend well and serve with fresh fruit

Blessings!

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Green your Clean Series! Kitchen

Last time we looked at the laundry room. So today lets take a look under the kitchen sink. You know, that area that is filled with all kinds of chemical concoctions that could probably start a nuclear explosion if put together in the right order... yeah that stuff.

Most of the things under my sink were cleaned out several years ago. However, there were a few I have not taken the time to take them to the hazardous waste site so there they sit. Today I cleaned it out. Besides the usual scrubbers, sponges, gloves, and my current cleaners. Here is some of the things I found in the back... stainless steal cleaner, scotch guard, window cleaner, TSP, leather cleaner... yeah some funny things find their way in lock up.

I went to read the ingredients and they are not even listed on most of them. However they do have warnings! (I know there is some scary stuff in there.) Have you checked under your sink lately? I am sure you may have some interesting things under your sink too.

In the kitchen stick to the basics. Vinegar, baking soda and a little dish soap.

So here are a couple alternatives I have been using around the kitchen:

Fruit wash:

Option 1: Did you know you can wash your fruit in vinegar if will kill bacteria and remove pesticides? Simply use 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle to spray on or soak in a bowl of water. Rinse afterwards. You can add lemon or grapefruit essential oils for a little extra cleaning power and a great scent.

Option 2: If you want a little more scrubbing power with a pleasant scent try this bubbly one. Combine the following in a spray bottle so its ready to use:
1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 tbsp baking soda

10 drops lemon essential oil

When needed, spray on fruit and rinse off.

Oven cleaner: OK, so really. Who needs to clean their oven? I have to honestly say this is something I try only like once every 10 years as I think that must be how long my memory of it lasts. The labor involved in scrubbing....let me say its not worth it! Wipe out the crumbs and spend your time on something more important. If you must then use your self clean option, which uses a lot of energy but no chemicals.

If you really need to scrub:
1. Make a paste with baking soda and water. Use this to scrub the interior.
2. Wipe out as much as you can.
3. Spray the inside of the oven with vinegar. This will help to remove any left over baking soda. You will be able to wipe it out, no problem.

Otherwise - take this pass and move on! ;-)

All purpose cleaner: 

An all purpose cleaner is recommended in every home. Don't think you need a special product for every thing in your house. All purpose is the way to go! 

I personally love my Thieves Household Cleaner. You can make an all purpose cleaner with it using 1 ounce of the concentrate with 32 ounces of water. This can be used in place of any surface cleaner. 

Microfiber cloths: 

I have to say I love my microfiber cloths. I have been using them for a variety of household cleaning since the start of my journey and they are awesome. Nothing picks up grease, dirt and germs like them. They do an excellent job of removing grease and grime. When I wipe down my counters nothing compares. I will use just water or use my all purpose cleaner with them.






So there you have it. Get under that sink, clean it out and start fresh. You won't regret it.

Blessings!!

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DIY Face Serum that is pure AWESOMENESS!!!!

So after using this for a few weeks I just have to share!!
I have been wanting to try something new for my facial moisturizer. I spent countless hours researching different formulas and ingredients (A.K.A. I procrastinated and worked on using up the products I had on hand). O.K. I was putting it off -a little. I was really worried about using an OIL on my face.

I finally scrapped the bottom of my jar and I had to either buy more of the super expensive natural stuff or go for it. So I finally did it. And... to my surprise my face is LOVING it. The skin soaks it right up. I am not feeling oily and I have not had any breakouts. In fact I am noticing that my skin is clearer and looks fresher, younger even. Why did I wait so long???

In my procrastinating here is what I finally ended up with:
I chose to go with jojoba oil for its low comedogenic rating. Also it was convenient - I had it on hand.
There are other liquid carrier oils you can choose from. Here is a useful listing of oils and their ratings:

I also decided to use Frankincense, Lavender and Melaleuca alternifolia essential oils for their effectiveness in skin rejuvenation, wrinkles and acne. Some other essential oils known for their skin properties are: Sandalwood, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Geranium, Myrrh, Vetiver, lemon (photosensitive), neroli and Helichrysum.

Super simple and I gotta say I am LOVING IT!

Face Serum Recipe:

1 oz. jojoba oil, 

10 drops Frankincense

10 drops Lavender

8 drops Melaleuca alternifolia

Combine ingredients in a glass dropper bottle. Apply a few drops on your face and neck after washing your face at night and in the morning. What are you waiting for?? You will not regret it. I promise!

Blessings!!

Do not lose a Drop! Dropper, Reducer or Pipette- Which method do you use?

Essential Oils are amazing for so many things! I simply love them. But I do not want to waste even a drop. So here is some useful information....

There are approximately 85 drops in a 5 ml bottle.

There are approximately 250 drops in a 15ml bottle.

This will vary depending on the thickness or viscosity of the oil, the method used to dispense the drops (reducer, pipette or a glass dropper) and the amount of pressure used when using a pipette or dropper. So many variables!

The most accurate way to dose drops for recipes is with a dropper or graduated pipette. The drips that come from the reducer are not as consistent and can get very aggravating when an extra drip falls in or two. 

If you choose to use a glass dropper do not store it in the bottle. You can wash your glass dropper between uses so it is not necessary to have a dropper for every oil you use. I find droppers useful if I am making large quantities. However I feel like I am wasting precious oils by washing the dropper or pipette!

So for those who want to use the reducer, this was an eye opener for me from the latest Young Living conference...

The reducer in your bottle has 2 holes in it! The large hole in the center is not where the oils comes out.... that is for air. There is a tiny pin hole that the oil comes out. 

If you look close you will see it. The small pin hole is where the oils come out of your bottle. If you mark you bottle on the side of where the pin hole is and make sure that hole is toward the bottom when you are dispensing your oil oils will come out faster and hopefuly you will not waste or loose so much oil.

Oh the little things in life!

Blessings!

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How to Make Simple Foaming Soap

This is so easy you will laugh! One of the first things I made when I started my journey to cleanup our house was a foaming soap. It's so easy!!!

First you want to use a good liquid soap. I prefer Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap. It's all natural, no yucky stuff. It can be expensive so it's good to know where to go. If you want unscented I have found its best to stock up during Earth week at Target as they always put it on sale that week. Otherwise you can get peppermint at Trader Joes for $11.99 for a 32oz. bottle. (If you have any hot buys, I would love to know where you find good deals on castile soap. I use it for so many things around the house!)

Second you need a foaming bottle. I have purchased the empty bottles from various companies and found it is not worth it for me to buy the empty bottle. You can buy Method foaming soap on sale at Target or buy a foaming soap at the Dollar Store and dump it out.

Finally the super easy part....

Pour approximately 1 part soap to 5 parts water into your bottle. But this is not exact, you can make it thicker if you like. I like the soap I use in the shower thicker (2:5) than the one I use for hand washing. 

So, if you have a small medicine cup- fill it once with soap then 5 times with water. Done!!

If you don't want to use the medicine cup every time, you can mark your bottle after you add the soap then again after you add all your water. However this method requires you to use all your soap before refilling.

Super easy? I know!!! Don't spend money on a new bottle every time! Save your money and make your own.

Now the fun part.... If you want to use essential oils, just make sure you use unscented soap. Once all the soap and water have been added, add your essential oils. I would recommend starting with 15 drops of essential oils. Shake gently and enjoy. You will love it, I promise!!!

Finally, some people find that castile soap is a little drying. You can add a small amount of almond oil to the recipe to make it a moisturizing soap. This is something I generally do in the winter when I notice my hands are dryer. Here is an example:

To make a Moisturizing Thieves Foaming Hand Soap combine in a 10 oz bottle:
7.5 ounces of water
1.5-2 ounces of liquid soap
1/2 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
15 drops of Thieves Essential Oil

Blessings!!

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Quick Tip: Filling Capsules the easy way

Filling tiny capsules can be tricky. Filling them with several ingredients and making more than one capsule is even trickier! I remember coming across a post where someone used bread and I think that is genius! I have been using that tip ever since and thought I would share this quick tip!

When using any essential oils, you want to start out slow and see how your body responds. I started with a couple drops of each along with coconut oil as my carrier oil. I heat up coconut oil in a double boiler using a baby food jar and a dropper as shown below.

1. Poke holes in a slice a bread. I used the end of my spoon since they are about the size of a pencil head. 
2. Place your capsules inside. I use "00" size. Like this
3. Fill with desired amount of essential oils.
4. Top off with a carrier oil like coconut, olive or grapeseed.
5. Add tops & your done! (I do shake them a little to mix it before it hardens. Then store it in the fridge to harden the coconut oil)
6. You can eat the bread if you spill and not waste any oils!! :) win-win

I hope you find this helpful!

Blessings!!

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Google+, Twitter or Facebook.