Teach Me Tuesdays: DIY Conditioners & Deep Conditioning Recipes

Why do we condition hair- have you ever thought why? Or did you just wash your hair twice with a bubbly shampoo like the label tells us, then are left with such a tangled mess, scoop a HUGE glob of conditioner smothering your hair hoping the results would be a shinny and manageable mane like the commercials show us?

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The natural oil our hair possesses and needs gets stripped in the process of removing daily dirt and grime-conditioners restore the PH balance in our hair to its optimal level of 5.6 on the acidic scale. 

 But with all types of synthetic chemicals- 

what are we sacrificing?

Though I am still struggling with the "No-Poo Method" of cleansing my hair, it is a tanglely mess, not shinny, dull looking and doesn't feel good- I am pressing forward with this

However, keep in mind I have underwent 5 major surgeries, been on life support for 9 days, then in the ICU for 13 days, have been admitted to the hospital for a total of 60 plus days ALL in the past 2 years. I am currently still recuperating from the last surgery that was 6 months ago & still wearing a wound vacuum. 

Soooooo needless to say my body is so stressed and I am loosing my hair by the handfuls, even with the best professional shampoo & conditioner I was not seeing the bouncy and shiny hair I was used to {With 20 years in the salon business I have access to the best available}... Right now, I am just trying to rid my body of as much chemicals and toxins as I can. 

I am going to hang in there and try this for a few more weeks/month(s), even if I am just detoxing. What I have found to work the best for me lately (As of 11/20/12) is: 

1. Cleanse with the "No Poo Method" of choice found here 
2. Use one of the PH balancing rinse formulas below.
3. If you need more detangling or smoothing- use the conditioner formula of choice below as often as needed.*(Mainly because of the hair loss and my body's response to all the chemicals & healing I have gone through. I am using the glycerine & rhassoul clay conditioners every time)

 Here are a few rinses I am trying:

1. Apple cider vinegar. Apply (I use a spray bottle to concentrate o

   

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   n ends of hair) after shampooing, then rinse.
   
2. Coffee grounds. Massage into hair to exfoliate. Rinse thoroughly.
   
3. Lemon juice. Squeeze fresh lemon into jar, or boil and strain. Apply and rinse.

This site offers a short video discussing the pH-restoring benefits found in lemon juice, coffee grounds, and apple cider vinegar.

The following is more conditioning:

1. Glycerin conditioner: {I am trying this one because of the tangling issues}
   • 5 oz. herbal water (infuse nettle or lavender leaves in water—see our this link for an article for instructions) or use 5 oz. distilled water
   • 2 oz. glycerin
   • 1 oz. lemon juice
   Combine ingredients in glass jar and shake well. Apply 1/4 - 1/2 C. after shampooing. Rinse with warm water. Stores in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
2. Coconut oil. Apply to dry hair and leave in until the next wash. Coconut oil helps reduce protein loss in hair. See this article for more information.
3. Olive oil/egg/essential oil blend. This recipe is a conditioning treatment- protein rich eggs strengthen hair and help prevent split ends and damage. You can do this weekly or as needed.
   • 2 tsp. olive oil (moisturizer)
   • 3/4 C water
   • 1 egg yolk (softener)
   • 3-4 drops of essential oils of choice (optional)
   Mix egg yolk until bright yellow in color and thick. Mix water with Olive Oil then add essential oils. {Tea Tree, Rosemary, & Sage help dandruff. Sandalwood, Lavender, & Patchouli have a soothe a dry scalp and have a masculine scent. Peppermint will invigorate the scalp and citrus will help oily hair.}  Combine ingredients and apply to hair. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse using w/cool water, too hot will cook egg on your hair. Some sites say use this before you cleanse hair some say after.
4. Avocado-Coconut Milk: Deep Conditioner For Dandruff & Frizz
   
   1 Avocado
   ½ can of (fat) Coconut Milk
   2 tbsp of Organic Coconut Oil
   2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   Optional extras:
   (1/3 cup of organic honey for extra dry hair)
   (1 lemon for hair loss)
   
   *Blend and apply in hair for 30 min to an hour 
5. Yogurt-Banana Deep Conditioner For Breakage-Prone Hair
   
   1 cup of plain whole-fat Yogurt
   1 Banana
   1 Egg
   2 tbsp of Jamaican Black Castor Oil
   
   *Blend and apply in hair for 30 min to an hour
6. Hot Oil Deep Treatment For Dry Hair
   
   1 cup of Water (Bring to a boil)
   2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   2 tbsp of Jojoba Oil
   2 tbsp of Jamaican Black Castor Oil
   10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
   
   *Stir oils in water until warm. Massage mixture onto hair and scalp. Rinse after 30 min 
   
5. Rhassoul clay. This clay can also be used for deep conditioning of the hair. Feel free to adapt the following recipe to suit your unique hair needs. *This is the conditioner I am using, due to the condition of my hair, I am using this nearly every time I cleanse my hair-which is about every 4-6 days 

• 1/2 c. rhassoul clay
• 1/2 c. warm coconut milk {Don't keep on hand use warm water &  enough dry milk powder to make 1/2 C} 
• 1/4 c. rose water or herbal water (make your own infusion by pouring 2 c. boiling water over 2 tbsp. organic herbs or flower petals. Allow to steep for 30 minutes and strain.)
• 1/4 c. distilled water (double this amount if no herbal or rose water is used)
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil
• Tad of Honey

Mix all ingredients except oil. Once you have a paste, stir in the oil. You may add a tad of honey at this point for added conditioning treatment. Apply to hair and allow to sit with a warm, moist towel or plastic hair cap for 1 hour. Rinse and style as usual. 

I keep this in a glass jar in the fridge and will bring to room temp before I use & will place in a pan of hot water to gently heat.
 
Rhassoul clay is excellent for ethnic hair as well, as seen in this video.

Alternative to Plain Guac' Sauce: Avacado & Tahini Spread

Super Delicious Alternative to Plain Guacamole

 Yummy... This is soooooooo good another little Dippy-Do treaty-treat I just crave!! 

Sometimes I get bored with plain old guac and this tangy Middle Eastern version of Guacamole is a real tasty solution served with Naan an Indian Fry Bread or a Fluffy Pita...I have even spread this on my Falafels, Kibbeh, Roasted Chicken BLTs, Spread on Roasted Potatoes, Rice, Pasta, Veggies, Fish....there is no limit only your imagination....

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Avacado and tahini spread

1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, (about 1 lb.)
2 cloves garlic 

1/2 Lemon, squeezed
4 T tahini
4 T olive oil
4 T water (Or as needed to thin)
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or ground dried toasted coriander seed
1/2 t salt-to taste
1/4 t fresh cracked pepper- to taste
pinch cayenne to taste

Pit and quarter the avocados, then squeeze lemon over pieces. Place avocados along with rest of ingredients, into a food processor and process into paste. 

Serve spread on crackers, toasted Pita, or Naan bread

Teach Me Tuesdays: DIY NO-POO Method "Shampoo" Recipes

I have been slowly going down the list of chemical free cleansers and household cleaners this year. I have heard of natural shampooing and the reasons for going El'naturel' for a few years, but nothing has been as compelling as the simple paragraph I recently read from MomsAWARE BLOG HEALTH'S JOURNEY:

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"Our hair is made up of fiber, much like wool that comes from sheep or Kashmir goats. With at least 100,000 hair fibers on our head, it makes sense to treat our hair much like we would a cashmere sweater. Most commercial shampoos contain chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, which strip much-needed moisture and amino acids. Why not switch from the "heavy-duty cycle" to "delicate" and try these natural alternatives?"

SO that being said, I have started down the natural "NO-Poo Method" of cleansing my hair on the "Natural Cycle". I have only tried #1 & #5, so far, the rest are some I have found on this site:

1. Baking Soda-- Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in just enough water to make a paste. Apply this to your roots only; work it in and let it sit for a minute. (Having ready made in travels sized containers like pictured above is a great idea) I have used a picnic condiment bottle with a long nozzle to make sure the baking soda stays in the root area.
   
   (Next STEP IS IMPORTANT! YOU need to do this to lower PH- use only on ends) After you rinse the baking soda out, pour the apple cider vinegar over the ends of your hair, let it sit for a minute and then rinse it out. That’s all there is to it!  Pour about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a cup and add water. (Having ready made in travels sized containers like pictured above is a great idea or in a spray bottle. ) I also use a similar bottle for ACV rinse. This is the easiest and cheapest, I have a delicate scalp so this formula isn't one I use the most, only when I run out of rhassoul clay.
2. Castile Bar Soap.--Shampoo can be as simple as an all-natural, fragrance-free soap. Either grate the bar and make liquid soap, or moisten it and use the resulting lather to cleanse your hair. A little goes a long way! {Blogger "momsAWARE" offers a chemical-free, all-natural coconut castile bar soap, available at thier Online Store.}
   What seems to be most important is to be sure to use a pH-restoring conditioner such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or coffee grounds to bring the hair back to its natural pH level of approximately 5.6.
   
   Greta Breedlove, author of The Herbal Home Spa, offers these suggestions for shampooing your hair:
   • Wet hair thoroughly and use a small amount of shampoo, a dollop about the size of a quarter.
   • Put the shampoo on your hands. Rub together to form lather before applying to your hair.
   • Use your fingertips, not your fingernails, to massage the shampoo into your scalp.
   • Rinse hair thoroughly, then shampoo again.
   • Rinse again thoroughly, using the coolest water possible for the shiniest hair.
   • Pat hair dry; avoid rubbing.
   • Gently comb hair. (Consider a natural bamboo comb.)
3. Birch Shampoo.--Adapted from the book Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond. Birch was a major ingredient of nineteenth-century shampoos. Birch contains betulin, which is beneficial for hair loss. (See momsAWARE's article Five Ways to Stimulate Hair Growth for more help on hair loss.) The following recipe uses a birch herbal infusion.     To make an herbal infusion, pour 2 c. boiling water over 2 tbsp. birch bark or birch leaves. (Herb sources include  Mountain Rose Herbs.)
   • 1 c. birch water (directions above)
   • 4 oz. raw apple cider vinegar
   • 1 oz. liquid castile soap
   • 1 tsp. vegetable glycerin
   Combine ingredients in glass jar. Shake well. This formula can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 months. Note: The high salicylic acid content of birch makes it beneficial for dandruff. Add tea tree oil to the above recipe for added benefit.
4. Egg and Lemon Shampoo.--Adapted from the book Green Beauty Recipes by Julie Gabriel.
   • 1 egg yolk
   • 1/2 oz. olive oil
   • 1/2 oz. liquid castile soap
   • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
   • 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
   Combine egg yolk with olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and stir slowly. Wet your hair and massage well. Leave on for 30 seconds or more. Rinse with lukewarm water. (REALLY IMPORTANT TO USE COOLER WATER, UNLESS YOU WANT SCRAMBLED EGGS!!)For oily hair, use even less or no oil. Rinsing with straight beer is really nice will give you a bouncy rinse to curls and straight hair.
5. Rhassoul Clay. {This is my chosen shampoo I LOVE rhassoul clay, the benefits are amazing ck this link for more info as to why I believe so. NOW  after one week, I am not so thrilled w/my hair, after 20 years in the salon industry I am used to my hair feeling differently. I am going to try this, but not sure I can stand the withdrawal...} Rhassoul clay has been used for hundreds of years for skin and hair care. This shampoo method involves some trial and error, but may be worth it for those who desire a thorough cleansing of the scalp and hair.

To create your clay shampoo: 

• Combine 2 tbsp. rhassoul clay
• 1/2 c. filtered water.
•  Allow this to hydrate for several minutes until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency. 
• Add more warm water if needed. 
• This should keep at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or longer in the refrigerator.

 Directions for shampooing: 

• Apply liquid paste to hair and scalp.
• Comb through to distribute clay mixture. 
• Rinse thoroughly. 
• Comb through again and rinse one more time. 

I really prefer the Clay over the Baking Soda

For more information, see momsAWARE's helpful article on Rhassoul Clay.

Linked to Homemade Mondays

Teach Me Tuesdays: Making Staples for the week

Sundays are my day of accomplishing whatever tasks I have had in mind all week to do, but for some reason haven't been able to 

& for preparing the week's grocery staples. 

I of course go to church and spend time with the family, 

however we try to designate Saturdays for Family Fun Days, 

so I multitask on Sundays after church while Mini-Me-Moose is napping.

This day I made: loaf of bread, started dough for bread throughout the week, made homemade yogurt, dried orange peels for diy citrus scrub, whey infused ranch dressing

I. Making Homemade Bread Products From ABI5MD (Artisian Bread in 5 min/Day):

• making the last loaf of bread from my bread dough I have in the fridge 
• making a new batch to set in fridge for me to provide fresh baked bread products for the week (Pitas, Flat bread, Naan, Chibata, Bule, Sandwich bread, Flour Tortillas, Gooey Cinnamon Rolls, Bread Rolls).  
• I might have to make a fresh batch mid week, yet I always am making a fresh batch on Sundays.

I have 2- 5 LB bag of un-bleached flour in the deep freeze, but I forgot to get it out and it won't rise properly if the temp is that low, so I threw in 1 & 1/2 C of ground flax meal not sure how that will affect the gluten and baking chemistry over all. Don't know if that will affect the dough as it rises, or bakes or the chewiness, but u know I don't do a lot of things bc of fear of failure. I won't loose out on much, and I will gain experience and knowledge...we will see, maybe I will come across success to? Saw that Wal-mart has 25 Lb bags of unbleached flour for $16 that is on my list...

(UPDATE: the flaxmeal an interesting addition, it added an crispiness to the dough, especially since I use EVCO to grease my pan, I REALLY liked the toasty nutty flavor this gave the crust!)

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SIDE NOTE:
I did learn something that extra-virgin Olive oil (evoo) is NOT a good substitute for extra virgin coconut oil (evco) for  non-stick baking when using the wet dough of The Artisan Bread in 5 min/day. Ughh!

I asked the authors how to make the bread into loaf pans without using non-stick pans and Jeff Hertzburg assured me that using this one heavy commercial bakery loaf pan would help me along with heavily greasing it up. He uses EVOO, I had only used extra-virgin coconut oil as non-sticking agent up until 2day,  I thought I would give evoo a try, but NOPE, part of it stuck and as I tried to pick it off I accidentally placed my thumb on the pan and OUCH!! Searing pain immediately...

I placed a dab of evco, on my thumb and then added lavender essential oil and you know, I was so

• amazed that lavender actually helped take the pain away, 
• amazed that I didn't see a blister forming, 
• amazed that something natural actually works as purported to work!!

A Little FYI on Lavender: 

I have heard that the healing powers of essential oils was discovered when a french chemist had accidentally burnt his hands with some chemical mishap and dunked his hands in what he thought was water but was lavender essential oil. He noticed immediate pain relief from the natural occurring analgesic properties that lavender naturally posses and the healing properties helped heal the skin faster than the chemist expected. He then focused his search on the healing properties & recuperative properties of lavender and other essential oils.

I have 2 oz of Lavender I always keep it on hand I use it as perfume but now I will keep it in the kitchen for a first aid kit too. Plus I learned that evco works amazing as a non-stick agent, amazingly well, plus it helped my burn, it is barely even red, just kinda tingles...so cool I learned that some things actually work like I hear on the natural web. I will also be making a burn salve soon with evco and lavender within this week after that experience going to look up some recipes...

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II. FREE SUBSITUTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

 A. WHEY, MILK AND YOGURT-
I made tacos for Sunday supper and forgot to purchase sour cream so I took my plain yogurt and did the classic drain with a mesh strainer over a larger bowl trick to make the yogurt thicker like a sour cream product. It turned out great and no one knew of my trick, LOL! Now what to do with the whey left over, I have never given a second thought about throwing out the whey liquid in the past, but now-a-days who can afford to throw away anything that has nutritional value or possible meal enhancer quality or FREE substitutional ingredient.

Yes, I know i just made up a word, but really how many times have u found a FREE substitute ingredient in your pantry for something that typically costs lots-o-dough?? 

• Like when u make homemade stock and you place in fridge to cool
• remove the fat layer off,
• what do you do with that, throw it away? 
• NO!! 
• You finely dice an onion and render it with that chicken fat and 
• AND you have Matzo Ball soup starter, you pay a fortune for that in the store, 
• but this is a FREE substitutional ingredient.

That being said, the whey that I had drained I caused me to pause and ask myself, 

"This is a tangy nutritional liquid, do I throw it away or find a use for it??"

I make my weekly ranch dressing and add buttermilk subsitute (milk with lemon juice), but instead of that I added the drained whey...guess what it worked!! YAY!! It was a free substitutional ingredient and it added nurtrion as well.

I have read about making your own yogurt with pre-made yogurt and milk on the blogs. So I set about making the yogurt, it takes 10 min to cook the milk to kill off the bacteria in milk, then you cool it down so it won't kill the yogurt cultures, then you add the yogurt to the milk in a warm crock and wrap it with towels and blanket. Allowing it to sit overnight...in the morning walla homemade yogurt stretcher. We will see how this works, Jim was not happy to see me pouring a half gallon of the precious "white gold" in a pan and not into his cereal bowl. I am moderately anticipating that this work. I am only out $1.29 if this doesn't work, but I have spent $3.99 or $4.99 on yogurt we all hated, so we will see. (Update: It turned out great and I have been making my own yogurt for over 5 months)

 B. DRIED CITRUS PEELS:
I read from a blogger that she uses dried citrus peels to make a version of citrus scrub. Our family eats about 3 lbs of citrus/week I hate wasting the peels so I do grate the peel of limes and lemons and place in freezer for future use.  Just haven't really thought of what to use the oranges for besides making orange cookies, which we LOVE!, but now, we have a FREE subsitutional ingredient!!

I have orange peels drying (Jim thinks I am insane), but hey, once he sees us saving money, the essential oils will become more intense upon drying so it will smell awesomely gr8 too! (UPDATE: THE BEST WAY TO DRY AROUND HERE WITH THE HUMID WEATHER IS TO PLACE IN OVER- I HAVE GAS, OVERNIGHT AND BY MORNING IS PERFECTLY DRY)

• Once they are dried- 
• might make about a week, 
• then I will grind it in my bullet 
• add borax and baking soda to an upcycled large herb container with w/sprinkle lid

I LOVE HAVING a citrus scrub to remove the stains on my white ceramic sink which turns brown and stained even if I pour tea down the drain plus extra cirtus cleaning power to clean bath tub and sinks!! Pretty cool, huh? I have spice containers Jim thought I was nuts to save but now I have an upcycle purpose for them, I will place the mixture in those with the label I made from a free printable site.

So in less than one hours time, I made a loaf of bread, started dough for bread throughout the week, made homemade yogurt, dried orange peels for diy citrus scrub, & made whey infused ranch dressing

Teach Me Tuesday: When Ambition takes the backseat to LIFE...

{Found this draft from back in March 2012, I just hadn't posted it} 

I had so many ambitions, as last week was so chock full of appointments, tests, and procedures- I was looking forward to catching up on household chores, Kissi-cat's homeschooling, mini-moose' therapy and more ambitious whole foods cooking. It really takes time to, planning, and prep to cook more traditionally and I look forward to the process of it {Just NOT the clean up}

Then it all came to a screeching halt as I heard the rumblings  & rattlings & hacking & coughing, sure signs of upper respiratory inflammation starting up in Kissi-cat. Mini-moose has had congestion and sinus issues since last Wed, didn't know if they would precede with his MRI since he had to be sedated, but they were able to work out a good situation for him. But now his nose is draining like a faucet down his face and Kiss-cat is draining down her throat.

There comes a time, when you have to choose to allow somethings to go undone when you are needed by children or situations happen outside of your control. It kills me to not reach my goals for the day even if that just means washing the dishes, I LOVE my children, it might sound the opposite because I am giving myself permission to hold a sick child versus doing chores. Yet, I had to mentally give myself permission to leave somethings undone,  so we had store bought egg noodles instead my homemade version. I usually keep some in the pantry just in case, now this might be a cop out, if I didn't have it I wouldn't rely on it? Perhaps, I am not that hard core though, and there are times when life happens and ambition takes the backseat, you know? I hope to make homemade pasta when I make Spaghetti Bolaganse this weekend, but we will see, I do have store bought pasta in my pantry-some shapes you just can't make or roll thin enough.

In the past we would rush to the doctor who would say the same thing, use Vick's Vapor Rub on chest, back and bottoms of feet, use humidifier, elevate her pillows, elevate her bed, restrict dairy and phlegm causing food.  IF they get all croupy take outside for them to catch their breath, or turn the shower on full blast and all hot to get extreme steam to help clear the air ways...

All drainage is clear so I am not going to rush them to the doctor's and risk them getting some other bug... This time I am mustering up my courage and tapping into my mother's intuition, instead of allowing fear of ridicule from others keep me from making choices I know are right for my family. In any case the doctor would not offer much else than I have all ready heard dozens of time before.

I have been interested in alternative medicine for as long as I can remember &  have made a "lung butter" or a salve like the "Vick's" only not synthetic ingredients and petroleum to get ingested into their developing systems along with the trace amounts of essential oils. So this time I utilized my years of research and applied what I have learned. Below is some remedies I have used time and time again and some new ones I have had in my files for years but only used recently:

Here is a list of Essential oils and the medicinal effects or issues they work best for:

• Asthma: clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, frankincense and marjoram.
• Chesty cough: Cedarwood, clary sage, eucalyptus, ginger, myrrh, pine and tea tree.
• Hay fever: chamomile, eucalyptus, pine and rose otto.
• Sinusitis/catarrh: cajeput, Cedarwood, eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary and tea tree.
• Headaches: chamomile, lavender and peppermint.
• Insomnia: chamomile, lavender, jasmine and ylang ylang.

* DIY Vick's Vapor Rub:
Adapted this recipe from An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants, by Mary Bove, N.D. page 286.

• Pour 1 ounces of almond or olive oil into a small bowl or cup.
• Add 1/2 Ounce Melted Coconut oil
• Add 1/2 ounce whipped unrefined shea butter-can omit and just use 1 oz melted coconut oil, I just like the softer texture of whipped unrefined shea butter
• Add 20 drops of essential oil {You want to use 10 drops TOTAL of oil per 2 ounces if you are using this on small children and infants} – choose eucalyptus, hyssop, thyme, peppermint,  basil, or rosemary.
• {I use 5 drops of tea tree, 4 drops hyssop, 4 drops peppermint, 3 drops lavender, & 3 Drops rosemary plus 1/8t of myrrh powder. This formula works well on my children, 10 drops didn't seem to do enough and 20 was too strong for Kissi-cat's sensitive skin}

Transfer to clean sanitized tin and allow to cool, apply to chest, feet and back you normally would.

 I also have been giving Kiss-cat & Mini-Moose some tea, this tea is soo good and as long Kissi-cat doesn't see the grated ginger, pulp of lemons, and it is sweet she will gladly drink it- Mini-moose is a crap-shoot. Here is the Ginger-Lemon Tea recipe:

* Ginger Lemon Tea w/Raw Honey: This is my version of a tea I enjoyed drinking when I was fighting extreme nausea during some fertility treatments. I found out later the other medicinal qualities of the ingredients and we drink this when we are starting to feel under the weather- 

• Ginger is another traditional cold and flu remedy, & works well for that rattly cough that lingers because it  contains at least a dozen antiviral compounds. You can use fresh or powdered ginger for this recipe- I really don't think the compounds are as vital when they u purchase the dried, unless u have a reliable source, PLEASE NOTE:  Fresh ginger has higher levels of gingerol {If you want to know what gingerol is: chemically, gingerol is a relative of capsaicin and piperine, the compounds which give chilli peppers and black pepper their respective spiciness, this is LOST when using dried version!} as well as FRESH ginger’s active protease (it's anti-inflammatory compound) than using dried verions-FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST!!
• Lemon is a traditional sore throat soother, essential from all that hacking and coughing- so I steep the lemon slices, or if I have rinds in freezer I add them

To make the tea:
Add 1 heaping teaspoon of grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon powdered),
3 slices of organic lemons,
To 1 cup of boiling water. 
Allow to steep COVERED for ten minutes
Strain {OR add the above to a tea ball and just remove at the end of 10 min}
Add Raw Honey to taste-then drink. 

If I am fortunate enough to have Licorice Root or Wild Cherry Bark I will add to my tea ball. They work well as a medicinal tea:

• 1t of dried licorice root- a natural throat coat, an expectorant to help keep your lungs clear and a booster to your energy when you are tired from coughing.
• 1t wild cherry bark- for irritating cough from bronchitis, croup, asthma and whooping cough b/c of it's Anti-spasmodic; Sedative; Anti-tussive; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ), Expectorant, Supports lung and respiratory function, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Sedative, &  Stomach Tonic.

Onion-Garlic-Ginger Poultice: WHY USE  onion, garlic and Ginger?
* Onion is filled with phytochemical and quercetin which assist the body by moving and breaking up the mucus in the head and chest. The powerful odor causes the eyes to tear and the nose to run is the affect that stimulates the immune system to fight the virus or bacterial infection. This is helping your body shed the virus and reduce the inflammation from congestion.
*Garlic is known to have strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties… and there are no known side effects (other than smelling like garlic!), getting kids to eat this raw or adults for that matter is impossible, so using it as poultice works for my family.
*Ginger has antiviral and anti-inflammatory compounds as listed above

• Crush 1/2 of a small onion, 3-6 cloves of garlic in a mortar and pestle  or with knife to get all juicy 
• Grate or slice thinly 2 T FRESH ginger.  
• Place in a thin material, cheese cloth, old t-shirt, I use the thin cloth diapers I used as burb clothes on kids when they were babies (these are the perfect thinness) and fold like a burrito
• lay in a deep medium bowl
• And pour Very Warm-Hot'ish water, NOT BOILING
• Allow to Steep until comfortably warm.

I rub a neutral oil, like sweet almond seed, jojoba on the skin prior to poultice as a protector of the natural secretions check often because garlic and ginger can be very warm to skin and will cause a "burn". 

I apply the poultice to the foot of my young children. The foot is a great receptor of natural remedies and the healing properties enter their systems fast. I will sometimes wrap a plastic bag over the foot to aid in keeping the poultice in place, checking every 2 min for skin irritations or hot spots. I will also apply to back and chest alternating up to 20 min, some people will suggest up to 60 min, since my kids are so young we don't apply this longer than 20 min.

Additional Remedies I found online and lost the resources but this we recently tried and I am liking the way it is seems to help soothe my throat: 
 

* Sore Throat Gargle with Hyssop or Sage:
Sage & Hyssop are traditionally calming herbs & known for their 
anti-inflammatory properties

• One cup of distilled water 
• 20 Drops sage or hyssop essential oil 
• Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 2 t Food Grade Vegetable glycerin {My family won't use this without the sweetened taste glycerin gives the gargle solution, plus it helps preserve it longer}

 Store in the refrigerator for two to three days, gargling whenever you need some relief from your sore throat. [Not sure where I got this recipe, but have been using it and adapting to my family's tastes for years-kids haven't been able to gargle without swallowing so primarily this is for adults]

* Lemon Throat Spray:  is a traditional sore throat soother, and you can put into a spray bottle of any size (look for travel-size spray bottles to take some with you when you're on the go) and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Combine:

• 15 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 t food grade vegetable glycerin (again my family won't use this if it's not sweetened, so this is a must, it slightly sweetens and helps the taste)

[Found this in my files a few months back, not sure of where I got this, but we have been using this and it is very soothing.]

Teach me Tuesdays: BEAUTY DAY!!

Today I will focus my attention of my skin care regimen. 

I have heard about using oils for cleansers and I all ready use an olive oil based cleanser which my dry & sensitive skin loves. SO no real tweaking until I run out then I will be making my own version.

I have some recipes I will be trying out soon:

• olive oil 
• castor oil, 
• jojoba oil 
• in 1/3 proportions.

But today I focused on my facial scrub, mask and moisturizer.

Recipe mine, pic from this site

Facial Sugar Scrub:

• Castor Oil
• Tamanu Oil
• Rosehip Oil
• Sugar

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1. I use a castor oil base scrub bc it gives you the most cleansing & dissolving bang for your buck. It’s also highly antibacterial in nature, along with tamanu and rosehip seed oil (These both are quite pricey and I don't typically use them for a scrub since it doesn't rest on the skin for very long, but they both have limited shelf life and I need to use them up)  

Both tamanu and rosehip oils are healing and regenerative, they DO need a carrier oil so castor works as a carrier (base) oil for this as well.

1. I used oils 1/3 portions. 
2. NEXT I added sugar- 2 parts oil blend to 1 part sugar. 

I LOVE they way my skin feels, I might be using the rosehip and tamanu on a regular basis, as long as I have these oils at least.

There are other essential oils I can add like:

• lavender, 
• helicrysum, 
• myhrr, 
• rose 

All good for the regenerative qualities since I am nearly into my 40's I am into regenerating my skin as much as possible, especially in my sun damaged areas.

I am quite pleased with my scrub, so I turn my attentions to my mask. I am really into cleansing clays for my masks, I have tried the green french and Benoite clays, but I don't have oily or problematic skin so I opted to try Rhassoul clay from Morocco. Click this link to learn more about this amazing clay.

My Rhoussoul Mask with customized Oil Serum:

• I used 1T clay & 2/3- 1/2 C helichrysum/Lavender/Lemon Balm(Melissa) hydrosol or distilled water to make a creamy semi-liquidy paste. 
•  I add small drops of hydrosol at a time and watch as it absorbs the clay to get the proportions just right to properly hydrate the clay. 
•  I made a Jojoba(for added toning affects), tamanu, & rosehip seed oil serum that I added an essential oil blend with lavender, helichrysum, rose and myrrh powder blend to lay directly onto my skin under the mask so it would ionize into my skin. 
• Then a layer of the clay mask directly over. 
• It gets really tight as is dries, so it really tones and pushes/ionizes the precious oil blend into my skin.

For my night time moisturizer I have been using extra virgin coconut oil with added essential oils:  

• lavender, 
• helichrysum, 
• rose, 
• and patchouli
• the standard is 7-10 drops per tablespoon. 

My day moisturizer varies, sometimes I just use an oil blend bc my nighttime cream is so rich I barely need anything during the day, I mainly use oil to protect my skin from pollutants.

That is my skin care regimen right now and it works!

I love the customizing aspect of making it myself. 

There are times your skin needs more hydrating than other times or needs more balancing other times-so I only mix small batches at time, it keeps it fresh and allows me to customize as needed.

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8/22/12-Update on Rhossoul Clay mask:  

I have to say that within one use my skin feels velvety soft like when I have a micro-dermabrasion treatment. And within 2 weeks of use- The jaw line is more defined, the sun damaged areas on my cheeks look less pronounced as well. Amazing skin texture, I would say it knocks off 5 years in a manner of 10-15 minutes. LOVE my rhossoul clay!!

10/1/12-Update on the EVCO Moisturizer: The flakiness that I typically have on my forehead and around my nose, gone, the texture like I said velvety soft, the "marionette lines" on either side of my mouth are much less noticeable.

FRUGAL& FREEZER FOOD STORAGE FRIDAYS: Using up Perishables...

We have all been there- you buy the 3 lbs of garlic bulbs because it's on sale, you planned using it for a variety of dishes BUT you just didn't quite get around to making, or for whatever reason you are left with garlic on it's last day & you have nearly ALL 3 POUNDS OF IT!! Or those bags of limes that looked so awesome in the grocery store but now they are on their last leg and you just don't feel like making Lime-Aide...

What to do?

Well, I was there today with quite a few odds and ends ready to expire:

• 3 lbs of yellow onions 
• 3 Lbs of whole garlic cloves
• 2Lbs each of lemons and limes
• 1 head of cabbage
• left over rice 
• mashed potatoes
• potato water from a previous meal

I already address usage of potato water in this previous post, after reading that post you can see why I save the water from boiling potatoes, I did freeze most of the left over water, yet I had some on the 3rd day and for me most left overs have a 3-day limit for freshness in my fridge after that it's eat it now,  freezer, or trash!

Potato Water & Mashed Potatoes:
I decided to make Pierogie dough with the left over potato cooking water and fill the peirogies with the left over garlic crock pot cooked mashed potatoes.

This recipe makes so much I divided it in half and froze the extra portion for extra meals, I dislike making meals that don't offer repeats- so this is gratifying to me. It is a soft dough, so refrigeration is a must, I think I added to much potato water b/c it was tough to roll, I didn't eat any I made today so I hope it is not a chewy tough dough. {Just learned my cutting and re-rolling were the culprit of my tough to roll dough, the next batch I will roll into balls then smooth out to make pierogies. My favorite way to eat pierogies is to boil them slighty then sauté them caramelized onions, bacon, & ghee sprinkled w/smoked paprika & served with a dollop of drained homemade yogurt so it is the consistency of sour cream and topped off with a sprinkling of sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and parsley...YUMMY!!

Pierogie Dough
        6 cups flour
        1/2 cup margarine, room temperature
        2 eggs, room temperature
        1/4 cup sour cream
        1 1/4 cups potato water- room temp 

(save from making mashed potatoes)
        2 t of kosher salt

    

    1.    Mix flour and salt in large bowl.

    2.    In a second bowl, mix together the potato water, sour cream, and eggs-beat slightly.

    3.    Cut Margarine into the flour then add rest of ingredients to flour

    4.    Mix liquids into flour mixture & wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 min.

    6.    Prepare perogies with filling of choice.

To cook:

Drop perogies in boiling salted water. Cover. When water has almost boiled over pot, lift cover 3 times (This is from the original recipe, not sure why and what is "magic" is about 3 X's?) remove perogies from pot & sauté with chopped onions, in butter, margarine, ghee, or bacon renderings {this extra step of sautéing  really "makes the pierogies" otherwise they are "slimy" in my opinion} and add this to the roast pan. . Shake well to ensure mixture coats all perogies or layer pan with perogies, chopped bacon can also be added, and sautéed onions as you fill roaster pan for carry-in dinners or serve immediately.

If you are going to freeze perogies, place them on a cookie sheet uncooked and in the freezer. Once frozen, they can be removed and placed in freezer bags.
   
Notes: You can save potato water from potatoes you boil for your meal the night before. The water can be refrigerated and used the next day. Best to have at room temperature, though. You can use some of the dough right away and freeze the rest for a later date. Works well that way.

I always double this recipe if I want to fill up my roaster to the brim. If the eggs are not room temp, I increase the heat of the water. The favorite filling of the house is mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese. Second is mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and ground beef."

Garlic:
I have addressed the garlic clove issue in this post, What to Do With Extra Garlic?, I made a garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, that you can use for specialty flavorings for bread dippings, drizzled over salads with some red wine vinegar, or drizzled over seared steak or chicken, pasta with grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano, even use to for ear infections ( I have addressed this usage in this post: "When it's time to say, WHEN!") or to make a garlic poultice for congestion also addressed in the same post.

I took the cooked garlic mashed with a potato masher and froze for future use, will be great to give me a head start on nearly all my dishes I froze flat so I will break of what I need, could also freeze in ice cube tray, but I don't want the solid 1oz cubes, easier to break apart...

Onions:

Carmelized Crock Pot Onions-this creates such a wonderful aroma as the onions slowly carmelize in the slow cooker. I typically will do this with vadilia onions but since nearly the entire 3 lbs of onions were on the last day of freshness I had to use them up quickly and I didn't want to use them in one fell swoop especially since I JUST bought the bag, really irritating.....I guess that tirade will have to wait for another post...

3 Lbs Onions, sliced (Awesome for vadilia onions, any onion will do) or Peel onions and cut off some of the top and bottom
1/2 C EVOO
1/2 palmful of kosher salt and few grinds of fresh cracked pepper

In a 4-6 quart crockpot, place peeled whole onions and top with olive oil. Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours: 7-8 hours if you have a newer, hotter cooking crockpot.

The onions will literally fall apart, get a deep golden brown color, with sweet caramelized flavor. Use them as omelet fillings, in sandwiches, soups, casseroles, as an appetizer with softened cream cheese or ricotta cheese, in spaghetti sauce, as a condiment with any grilled meat, or any recipe that calls for onions.

I used to throw the oil out, silly me, now I pour the onions over a sieve and drain the oil to place in a jar and refrigerate for nearly same uses as garlic oil.

Lemons & Limes:
I have addressed the citrus usages in this post: which by all means I could have used the rind for that, but I typically use oranges and grapefruit for those uses. Lemons and Lime juice and zest I really love to use in my water, make lemon or lime aide or other lemony-lime beverage, & to add to fish and chicken dishes....

So what I did, half I zested for future meals and juiced great recipes for zest & juice- I placed both in a small ziplock baggies for easier portioning. The other half I sliced and placed into muffin pans so I would be able to enjoy my lemon-lime slices later plus have ice cubes.





Head of Cabbage and Left Over Rice:
The cabbage I got for 39 cents so I bought way too many, I have made many recipes with the cabbage I thought the family would revolt, so I sorta forgot about the one in the veggie bin all alone left behind and definitely ready to expire within the next 24 hours. The rice I have had for 3 days, that is the limit for starches, the sugar breaks down quickly so 3 days is the max, I was planning on making rice pudding with this batch of left overs, but I added onions so that simply wouldn't work...enter

Cabbage Rolls!

I boiled the head of cabbage for 6 min until bright green and peeled the outer leaves, not sure if it was because the cabbage was on the older side, but I only got 9 rolls from that head before the leaves just wouldn't peel away nicely. So I sliced the remainder and froze in a gallon freezer bag for future meals that call for cabbage, such as my Romanian Cabbage and Noodles, veggie soup, Bubbles and Squeak...


I have linked this up to "Growing Home"

Whole Foods Eating and Natural/Green Living

So this is the start of week 2 of project get healthy at the Phillips household, there are have tears, tantrums, fits'o'plenty and we haven't even begun to talk about the kids' reactions yet!! Hubby has actually been a big support, with all the issues I have had since the birth of my sun he really wants to see me as healthy and active as I was when we met, heck I would too!!! Wouldn't we all want to be 20 again?? ON the for real though, I am feeling much better, haven't had a "flare-up" in a week that is pretty good considering I would be happy to go 3 days w/out all that drama of sulphur burps and the big "D", bloating, and extreme pain.

I was shopping for groceries and they had chicken on sale, now I haven't gone totally organic yet, would love to but prices here aren't that competitve in that market since there is only one natural foods/organic store in town. Hopefully they will bring in Trader Joes soon they have reasonable prices and Whole Foods and Earth Fare...that would be soo killer!!! Anyhooo I digresss, today I found b/s chicken breasts on sale for $1.49/LB pretty good since it's usually those GROSS IQFCB "Green Peak" that are all hormoned up and sterioded up and injected with broth to puff them up and help with the dryness of the meat. But once u thaw it out they are all jacked up looking and wabbly- eww! I promptly bought all they had in the case, 15Lbs worth much to the chagrin of post Black Friday shoppers I thought I was gonna get ganged up on for grabbing all the chix. But hey sorry, maybe I am totally rude as Jim would say, sorry man I gots to grab what deals I can. I did help some ppl find the extras in another section--they didn't even say thank you...dang I could have nabbed those too!!!

My goal was to cook some for chix kits like chix enchiladas, chix corn chowder, chix w/mushrooms and white sauce, and chix with wild rice and mushroom soup...then have some marinaded for Chinese foods, goulash, pastas, and so on.  But boy oh boy Izak was in a mood, I think Jim didn't really feed him that well, grrrr!!! Why is it when u think u have "free time" to do something like dishes, cooking, groceries bc hubby is "watching" them, u end up paying for it double later?? Izak didn't take a nap all day just was really cranky so I ended up being able to dice 5 lbs of chix w/no marinade. Just ready to sauted for whatever dish I make, then I crock pot cooked 8 bs and diced for above mentioned kits, then made "tenders" out the other 2 Lbs, Izak had it by that point. I was planning on using that portion to make stuffed shells with crimini mushroom, onion, garlic & spinach cooked in garlic roasted red pepper oil and make a parmesan sauce with a little chayene and smoked paprika. They shells wer 100% Whole wheat organic and I would going to stuff the shells with the chick mixture and some ricotta and ramono cheese..but I forgot the mushrooms and just used spinach and cottage cheese and tom sauce. Wasn't really good but were starved the kids were maniacs and Izak was crazy insane so he ate nearly 10 oz apple sauce with peas and cottage cheese. Well atleast he had veggie, dairy-some protein, and some fruit...

I did get to oven dry some grape tomatoes that were on thier last day, boy was that good! I poured olive oil over the toms and placed them in Izak's old food jars (Recycling!! how GREEN am I??). THis way I can used the toms and the olive oil for sauteing later yummy!! I think this week I will make some pizzas, I will use the fresh mozzerella I picked up along with the toms and some basil kinda and extra virgin olive oil, like a crapsie salad pizza? Maybe I will make a cauliflower crust?? That would killer with spinach and crimin's and carmelized onions and perhaps a yellow squash or zuch?? Yummy!! Good ideas here maybe I should make a menu?

I am getting the 5 Min artistian bread book 2morrw in mail and my 6 qt pail to store it, yay! Apparently u make this master dough and just mix it, leave in fridge all week and pull out what u need let rise and do some things to make it like what u want, then u have fresh bread in no time w.out all that mess. I could make pizza crust with it, chibatta style, perhaps???

I had some lemons on their last day too, so I zested them and froze it for later dishes, and took the 1C of juice and made a simple syrup with it for lemonade. I don't have room for the whole pitcher in fridge so I can add to glass as needed this way. That will be nice l8r in week.

I got the busy bag swap bags started, needed ink in the worst way, spent 30 for both ughhh!! They can't refill these kinds, bummer, so we had to bite the bullet. So I got them printed out and now I am trying to figure out how I can use contact paper to help these last, don't want to laminate bc of the expense, will have to see how that works out!

I of course ran out dish soap so I thought, well lets try DIY natural dish soap. IT can't be worse than the dish soap Jim bought I have been suffering through using! I still feel the grease after I wash them several times!! It is the reg Dawn which not to be confused with the ultra concentrate w/bleach kind, I am trying to be as non-chemical as I can on what I wash with, wear body products wise, cook and with and eat...so this just seems a natural progression. We will see how well this does, hope I don't see white filmy spots once they are dried! Worse case this experiment fails, then I go back to using Dawn to wash dishes with. I did learn last year about how clean it gets ur house so I I could use that for my multiprpose cleaner too..

Well it is like 1:30 and Jim is back to work and I will be the one up at the 5:30 am scream-feast, so I will sign off!!