Tried & True Tuesday

I have been busy again!  Yesterday, I dirtied all my spoons by roasting vegetables, making spinach pesto and preparing my all purpose citrus cleaner.  I found the citrus cleaner recipe at The Prairie Homestead.  She has a great blog and I love the name.  It makes me want to "return to my roots."

If you have a chronic illness or know anyone who has a chronic illness, please check out the link below!  I had a hard time trying to explain my lack of energy to my 10 year old son, until I found this.  What a great  analogy!  It was an "ah ha" moment for him and a sigh of relief for me.

But You Don't Look Sick

I am a fan of all things pesto.  So, when I saw a recipe name that read...Spinach Pesto.  I thought, oh yum!  I just bought a big bag of fresh spinach and decided to try it out.  I didn't even read their recipe because I have made homemade basil pesto and wanted to do this on my own (and experiment a little bit.)  This is my final recipe and I am impressed with the taste.  If you like spinach, I am pretty sure you will like this.  If you're not a fan...probably not so much!

Spinach Pesto

You will need
about 2 cups lightly packed fresh spinach, washed and dried
6 cloves roasted garlic                                                            
1/4 of a large roasted sweet onion  
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 squeezed lemon (juice)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
dash of salt and pepper


I put all of the ingredients in my blender, except of the olive oil.  Pulsed it until it was all roughly chopped.  Then, I started to drizzle the olive oil in while it was blending.  It turned out wonderful.  I used it as a bread dip, but I froze the leftovers for the countless recipes that I am creating in my head- uh oh. 

Pesto, whether basil or spinach has a short (refrigerator) shelf life.  I usually make a batch and then freeze what I can not use up within a week.

I just pour my pesto into an ice cube tray, top off with extra oil, wrap with plastic wrap and then freeze overnight.  Once frozen, remove pesto cubes (quickly, as the oil will melt) and refreeze them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container.  Pesto keeps in the freezer for about 6 months.  It may keep longer, but it gets used before six months in my house. 
Speaking of freezing extras....I had a whole extra zucchini left over from making my zucchini muffins that I didn't want it to go to waste.  It was a big zucchini that was picked out of my sister's garden.  It put the grocery store zucchinis to shame.  I was also sick of it taking up much needed counter space.  I ended up just grating it, putting it into a freezer bag and into the freezer it went.  Hey, why not!  I figured some cold winter day, when I am reminiscing about the summer days and those lovely muffins, all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer and wallah.

Jeez.  You would think I have a large freezer.  I wish!

-------------UPDATE----------

OK, so my "NO POO" revolution almost came to an end.  My hair is going through the dreaded transition phase.  It feels really gross.  I just about broke out my shampoo and conditioner yesterday.  Instead, I broke out my new hat :) 







I can do it! I can do it!

I did find this nifty little bead holder at Michael's that I put to good use.

  I was tired of dragging the stuff I needed for the baking soda shampoo into the shower.  So, I put the baking soda in each little section and use one at a time.  It holds about one tablespoon per section.  And with six slots, that will last me six shampoos.  I just dump my baking soda into a measuring cup (that I also keep in the shower) and fill it with warm water from the shower.  Smart...I know.

Have a splendid day!

-Nicole



Tried & True Tuesday

I was a busy bee today.  I was awake before the sun even came up and decided to use the quiet of the morning to work on a few projects.  My first, was to clean out and re-organize my bedroom.  Which I did and it feels soooo good! Then, I got to start on the fun and yummy stuff.  My mom has a great recipe for Zucchini Muffins.  We all love them, but I also wanted to try one that I found and tweaked to suit myself.  Shout out to my sister....Thanks for the zucchini, fresh from her garden.

Mom's Zucchini Muffins....or Bread 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease cupcake tins or bread pans. 

You will need
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour (I used wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
2 cups grated zucchini (skin and all)

Mix the all the dry ingredients in a bowl, same with the wet ingredients.  Combine both mixtures and put in 2 bread pans or about 24 cupcake tins.  Bake muffins for approximately 20 minutes and loaves for approximately 40-45 minutes.  Insert a knife into the center of the muffin or loaf, if it comes out clean they are done. 



My Zucchini Muffins

Preheat oven at 350 degrees, grease cupcake tins or bread pans.

You will need
2 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter                                         
1 1/2 cups honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups wheat flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 cups grated zucchini (skin and all)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Mix the all the dry ingredients in a bowl, same with the wet ingredients. Combine both mixtures and put in 2 bread pans or about 24 cupcake tins. Bake muffins for approximately 20 minutes and loaves for approximately 40-45 minutes. Insert a knife into the center of the muffin or loaf, if it comes out clean they are done.  I love how rustic looking my muffins turned out!

Homemade Ice Packs

Ice packs are my best friend!  Before my brain decompression surgery, I had made some hot/cold rice packs to use, but they didn't get a cold as I would have liked them to.  And when I say "I" made them, I mean my mom sewed them and I added the rice and essential oils.  I hate strongly dislike sewing.  I would rather poke my eyes out with the straight pins.  I do have one ice pack that I had bought at Wal-Mart, but when that one got warm, I was outta luck.  My mom had seen a recipe for the homemade ice packs some time ago and told me about them.  I finally made one last night! I love the fact that they freeze quickly, they are so simple to make and inexpensive!

Homemade Ice Packs  (for a large ice pack)

2 one gallon size Ziploc bags
2 cups water
1 cup rubbing alcohol
food coloring (optional)

Place one bag in a bowl and fold over the edges, add water, alcohol and food coloring.  Zip the bag closed, mix and then place inside another bag for extra protection from spills etc.  Put in your freezer and you can use it for as long as you'd like.

And there you have it...I said it was simple :)



Recycled Chunky Crayons

My son is now 10 and he very seldom uses his crayons.  Well, except for melting them onto canvas.  That was a fun project and turned out really neat.  He has some tweaking that he wants to do to it, then he will post his finished masterpiece.  He wanted to make chunky crayons for his three year old cousin.  So, we unwrapped a bunch of crayons this morning and broke them into little pieces.  After spraying a mini-muffins tin with non-stick spray, he dropped different colors in each little spot.  We put them in the oven that was already preheated (from earlier baking) at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the crayons were fully melted.   Here is what ours looked like when they cooled.

I love that my son is so thoughtful.  My niece is going to love these! 

_________****UPDATE****______

Last week I started my "NO POO" revolution.  I have washed my hair four times with the baking soda/water mixture and conditioned with the vinegar/water mixture.  I am liking it so far.  My hair feels very clean,  has more body and feels thicker.  I will admit, it's hard not to reach for the shampoo and all that lather, but I am not going to give up on this!

Have a splendid day!

-Nicole

Tried & True Tuesday

Tried & True Tuesday

I have come to the conclusion that if I cannot put it IN my body, then I am not going to put it ON my body.

 I have been researching (between naps) the wonderful World Wide Web and reading, reading, reading.  I came across a few books last week at the Goodwill, that I have fallen in love with.  The best thing about them...they were only 49 cents a piece.  You can't beat that!  I hit the thrift store jackpot, also finding two glass mixing bowls, two beautiful mason jars, a kitchen (junk drawer) organizer and a wooden mixing spoon.  I have a very  hard time buying items at full price when I am going to be using them for soap making, body butters etc.  I tend to beat the living hell out of my crafting tools. 

Last week's, thrift store treasures

"NO POO," Day 1

Today was my first day of "NO POO."  I have been reading so many different blogs that swear by the "NO POO" approach to washing and conditioning your hair.  I have been and still am very skeptical, but super excited.  I rinsed my hair, washed with one tablespoon of baking soda mixed in a cup of warm water, rinsed again and then sprayed my hair with one tablespoon of vinegar mixed with warm water.  There are several different combinations and opinions on how much baking soda/water and how much vinegar/water should be used.  You more or less, have to be your own chemist on this one.  If your hair gets too dry, use less baking soda and more vinegar.  If your hair gets too oily, use less vinegar and more baking soda.  I read that it can take a few weeks for your hair to adjust to its normal PH.  It can go through a transition period and your hair can become very yucky!  Keep calm and carry on.  After the transition period is over, you will have the hair of your dreams.  Seriously, it is supposed to give your hair more body, make it more shiny and all without the use of chemicals.  Like I said, this is only day one for me.  I will keep you posted!  Wish me luck :)

You can probably see the lemon and limes peals floating in the large mason jar, in the picture above.  That is another project that I am working on.  An all natural, multi-purpose cleaner.

I am in the early stages, just soaking the citrus peels in a vinegar/water mixture.  I will post the finished product and the results on another Tried and True Tuesday.  I found the recipe on Lexie Naturals.      

 Multi-Purpose Citrus Cleaner

OK, on to the real Tried and True.  These are things that I have been doing and LOVE!  For a few weeks, I have been using a slice of lemon and 1/4 of a tablespoon of honey to wash my face.  I only do this about 4 times a week or every other day.  On the off days, I wash with a regular, very mild soap.  My skin is super sensitive and breaks out along my chin.  I don't have blackheads or white pustules, just little bumps.  I hated the way my face would feel when I touched it.  It was GROSS!  I found this idea on Pinterest, but the directions weren't very directional.  So, I just made up my own.  The result...skin that is finally BUMP FREE!!! I couldn't believe it.  Now, I can't live without it. 

Lemon and Honey Face Scrub

1 slice of a lemon (I use left over lemons that I used in my Lemon Mint Water)
1/4 TBSP honey

Drip the honey onto the lemon and use it as a you would a wash cloth to clean your face.  Using a
circular motion, work it into your face.  Let the lemon and honey mixture sit on your face for five minutes and then wipe off with a warm cloth.  You won't see immediate results, but there should be noticeable results with in two days.  LOVE IT!!!

Homemade Deodorant

Again, if I can't put it IN my body, I won't put in ON my body.  Soooo, I made my own deodorant.  And it WORKS!  I used this yesterday and then went to the pool for the afternoon.  I did an armpit check and there was NO smell.  I don't usually smell myself, so I am not sure that my old, store bought deodorant does or doesn't do the trick.  Bottom line, the deodorant that I made is natural and does not contain chemicals!  Love that!

Homemade Deodorant 

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup corn starch

6 TBSP coconut oil

Mix together in a bowl and then store it in an airtight container (in the refrigerator during warm weather).  I did start with a spoon, but then used my hands (for the warmth) to incorporate it well. 

I used one of my old (hoarded) body butter containers.  You may want to add less coconut oil if it seems too liquidy.

This ugly thing called Chiari Malformation can make experimenting and writing a difficult task.  I hope to post as much and as many natural, DIY recipes and concoctions as possible.  If you find that I have missed a few days, please be patient!  I finally, after two weeks of phone calls, messages and tears, got an appointment with my neurologist.  I am so relieved!  He is wonderful to me, but his office staff lack in empathy.  It should NOT take two weeks to get an appointment.  Wish me luck :)

Have a splendid day! 

~Nicole