Homemade Healing Salve

This post was inspired by a friend's request for help with first-aid items to keep on hand :) 

As you can see, we have already dug into this salve- actually, my kids reach for this salve regularly!  They have learned that it can soothe the itch of a bug bite or help bruises heal more quickly.  Since I have added lavender essential oil, it also smells great :)  We use this salve for anything and everything- scrapes, bug bites, blisters, chapped skin, bruises, sun burn, etc.  If I had a baby in the house, I would also use this to prevent/treat diaper rash!

 

Here's my recipe for healing salve: (all herbs are dried)

2 parts plantain leaf

2 parts comfrey leaf

1 part calendula

1 part yarrow

1 part echinacea

1/2 part rosemary

olive/coconut oil

beeswax

 

Depending on how much you are making, chose your measuring tool (anything from a tablespoon to a cup).  Fill a canning jar about 1/3-1/2 way with herbs, then cover the herbs with olive oil, coconut oil, or a mixture of both.  Cover tightly with lid.

 

Next, set your jar on a thick cloth in a crock pot.  Fill crock pot with water, up to lid of jar.  Set crock pot on "warm" setting and let it warm the herbs for 2 to 3 days.  Shake once a day to keep herbs circulating (add more oil if the herbs are not covered).  Add water to crock pot as it evaporates.

 

After infusing your oil, strain off herbs into cheesecloth or other thin towel.  Place infused oil into a small saucepan.  Add 1 oz beeswax for every 4 oz infused oil and heat until beeswax is melted.

 

Remove oil from heat and add essential oils (I like lavender)- pour into containers while still warm.

Your homemade salve is ready to use when it is completely cooled!  

Homemade Italian Stuffed Peppers- NO Fillers!



I love the taste of green peppers- on anything!  This is for all you green pepper lovers out there :) 

 

I've always thought you had to have fillers (bread or rice) or binders (eggs) in stuffed peppers, but this recipe calls for neither.  It is very flavorful and filling and a meal in of itself.  These peppers are also good warmed up as lunch leftovers! 

 

 

 

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb Italian pork sausage ( I used link sausage and took it out of casing)

2 T butter

4-6 peppers, red, green or yellow

1 small onion, minced

green pepper tops, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 cups seasoned, organic tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

 

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F

1. De-seed and wash peppers.  Save tops to mince and add to stuffing.

2. Brown meats in large skillet, set aside.

3. Add butter to skillet and saute onions and minced pepper tops until soft.

4. Add meat, garlic, tomato sauce and 3/4 c mozzarella cheese to skillet.  Mix until incorporated.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Fill peppers with stuffing and place in a shallow, greased pan.  ( I used a cast iron skillet) Sprinkle remaining cheese over peppers.

6.  Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes.

7.  Bake another 10 minutes, uncovered. 

 

As an added treat, my son made himself an "Italian sloppy joe" with some leftover stuffing.  He said it was even better than the peppers!  Two meals in one- I love it!

Homemade (Gluten-Free) Peanut Butter Cookies

My mom made some mean peanut butter cookies when I was growing up... she still makes them when we have a family get-together.  They are comfort food at its best. 

 

Since my family is trying to cut out grains, I have found a great recipe for these yummy morsels that calls for NO wheat flour.  I have also cut the sugar down from the original recipe, and the peanut buttery goodness shines through :)

 

 

This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies:

1 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 c organic sugar
1/4 c packed organic brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c + almond flour
1/2 t aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t fine sea salt






Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients until well-incorporated.  Roll into balls (about the size of large marbles), then smoosh with a fork in a grid pattern. 

If the dough is too sticky, just add a little almond flour as you roll them out!  Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until light golden brown.  They will be very light and fluffy- great with a big glass of raw milk :) YUM!
( just a note:  parchment paper was mentioned in the original recipe, but ours worked fine without)

Let these babies cool for at least 5 minutes before you dig in... and you will want to dig in!  These are so yummy :)  Enjoy!

Homemade, Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

 

Rice pudding is one of life's simple pleasures.  It is so easy to make, and so yummy!  I especially like this recipe because it uses so little rice :)  I would rather taste the rich milk than have to chew a mouthful of rice in my pudding.                                                              


Here is the oh-so-simple recipe for this delicious dessert:

4 cups milk
3 T rice (I used basmati)
1/2 t salt
1/4-1/2 c natural sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, etc)
1 t vanilla extract





Combine all ingredients and pour into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Bake at 325 degrees F for about 3 hours.  Stir occasionally during the first hour.   Chill before serving.  (I like to mix in raisins for an added treat) Enjoy!

 

 

5 Steps to a Chemical-Free Morning Routine

I love to use products that I've made myself.  No label-reading necessary, because I know exactly what is in them.  And, my friends are always willing to be guinea pigs for my homemade concoctions, so I get free feedback from them.  If something doesn't work for any or all of them, I can make adjustments until it is perfect! 

 

In this post, I am going to share with you 5 easy steps to make your own chemical-free bathroom products- just imagine, a morning routine that doesn't involve bathing yourself in chemicals and synthetic perfumes!  

 

 

Step One:  Make your own tooth powder!! 
Did you know that, historically, fluoride has been added to water supplies as a poison?  Yes, fluoride is a toxic chemical that has been forced upon us in drinking water and conventional toothpaste.  You can take my word for it, or do your own research (here's a good article, or this one). Here's the good news: you can rid your life of fluoride-ridden toothpaste!  Make your own tooth powder :)  Here's the recipe I use every day:

Tooth Powder
2 T aluminum-free baking soda
1 t fine sea salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t clove powder-or-5 drops clove essential oil

Mix ingredients well and keep in a sealed container.  To use:  wet your tooth brush, then dip bristle tips into powder.  Brush as usual.  This powder will not only clean your teeth but give you fresh breath as well!

Step Two:  Make your own deodorant!!
Please read the ingredients label on your stick of conventional deodorant.  First off, can you identify all the ingredients?  Didn't think so.   The worst ingredient in conventional deodorant (in my opinion) is the aluminum.  I read an article recently that said 100% of malignant breast tumors contain aluminum... where would the tumors absorb this aluminum?  My guess is:  conventional deodorant! 

Although "natural" deodorants work, I am still not convinced that they are totally safe.  Better safe than sorry- make your own!!  Here's the recipe I use every day:

Deodorant Paste
3 T coconut oil
2 T shea butter
1 T beeswax
4 T aluminum-free baking soda
essential oils (about 5-10 drops)

Melt your oils over low heat (heat until beeswax is completely melted).
Add baking soda and stir... and stir... and stir until everything is mixed thoroughly.  You can take breaks in between stirring.  When mixture has cooled and started to solidify, you can add your essential oils (I like orange and ginger).  Store in a cleaned deodorant tube or a small pot in your bathroom.  This can be spread on or rubbed in with your fingers.

Step Three:  Make your own lotion!!
Once again, read your labels!  Store-bought lotion is nothing but chemicals with a little oil thrown in.  Do you really want to slather chemicals on your body right out of the shower?  That doesn't sound too clean to me.  Here is a very simple recipe that I use every day (including on my face):

Body Butter
3oz shea butter
3oz cocoa butter
3oz coconut oil
3oz almond or grapeseed oil
essential oils (optional)

Melt solid oils over low heat, then let them cool for 30 minutes.
Add liquid oil and any essential oils for scent.
Chill until mixture starts to solidify.
Whip with a hand mixer until light and fluffy!
You can store this in your bathroom in a sealed container, as long as it doesn't get too hot.

Step Four:  Make your own shampoo and conditioner!!
Check out my recent posts on liquid shampoo and vinegar rinse and henna bar shampoo!
Store-bought shampoo has lots of chemicals- some for lather, some for shine, some for sensitive scalp, etc.  If you just use a homemade, chemical-free shampoo, you will have lather, shine and a healthy scalp, and without all those added chemicals :)

Step Five:  Make your own soap!!
This is  a big step, but I know you can do it!  There are many how-to videos and instructables online that teach soap-making basics.  I have also done a detailed post on making goat milk soap.  If you are not comfortable making your own, just be careful when buying soap at the store.  Pick soaps that do not have synthetic scents and chemical additives.  Some skin problems, like eczema, are aggravated by harmless-looking ingredients and fragrances.

If this list looks very daunting to you, just take it one step at a time!  Try one recipe per week, or two if you're feeling motivated :)  You can rid your life of chemicals and feel good about doing it.  Enjoy!

Homemade Herbal Wine

I have been wanting to make my own wine for years!  Not the nitrate-ridden, chemically enhanced wine you buy at the store, but naturally-fermented, organic wine that I have made without any added crud.  When researching online for wine recipes, I had a very hard time finding anything that didn't call for "yeast and nutrient", "enzymes", or "Campden tablets".  All I want is old-fashioned wine, is that too much to ask?  Way back when, they didn't have all those fancy additives, and I don't want to use them.

I discovered that my favorite online herb store, The Bulk Herb Store, carries a product called Berry Herbal Brew- a naturally-fermented herbal wine mix!  I was curious and wanted to try it for myself... I already had a few cups of organic, homegrown, wild muscadine grapes that I picked on our property- that was a good start!

The directions for Berry Herbal Brew called for ingredient in "parts":  one part herbal mix, three parts water, two parts seeded grapes, one part blueberries, one and one-half parts sugar.  The ingredients in the herbal mix are listed here- nothing artificial, no commercial yeasts, no crud!  \

The final product is a non-pasteurized, no-nitrate wine that is fruity, tasty and full of herbal goodness!  I let mine brew for three weeks and finally strained and bottled it today.  It filled an empty wine bottle I had saved for this purpose, plus there was about a glassful left over to sample :)  I am amazed that my first attempt at homemade wine turned out so well!

So, if you are interested in making your own homemade wine, don't settle for those recipes calling for extra crud!  Wonderful homemade wine can  be made from  nothing but fruit, herbs and sugar.  Enjoy!

Homemade Henna Shampoo Bar

A few years back, I found and printed out a recipe for a shampoo bar.  It interested me, but I had my favorite store-bought shampoo and was unwilling to give it up... now, after trying my hand at liquid shampoo, I am ready to take it to the next level :)  Although I was satisfied with the liquid shampoo,   I was curious to try a shampoo bar on my fine, thin hair.  With the liquid shampoo, my hair is left a bit heavy, like I used a little too much product when styling it- even when I let it air dry with no product whatsoever. 

With the shampoo bar, my hair is shiny, light, soft and manageable!  Here's a picture of what my hair looks like after washing with the bar, using a vinegar rinse, and air-drying (keep in mind that I have not been kind to my hair in the recent past):

The original recipe that caught my eye so many years ago was from the Snowdrift Farms website, which has since shut down.  I changed the oils to suit my needs, and added henna leaf powder and coconut milk to improve the health of my abused hair and scalp.  Here is my revised shampoo bar recipe (oil and lye measurements are by weight, milk and water are fluid oz.):

Oils:

15 oz coconut oil

12 oz macadamia nut oil

6 oz castor oil

4 oz palm oil

3 oz jojoba oil

Lye (NaOH)

5.5 oz.

Liquids:

5 fl oz coconut milk ( I used canned., organic milk)

10 fl oz water ( I froze the water before adding lye)

At trace, I added:

1 oz henna leaf powder

0.4 oz chamomile flower powder

0.4 oz silk protein liquid

splash rosemary essential oil

While the ingredient list is extensive, this recipe is well worth the trouble!  

You make the shampoo bar just as if you were making lye soap.  

**If you need detailed directions, please see my other post on making  goats milk soap.  The only difference would be that I added the coconut milk directly to my heated oils and mixed the lye with the ice/water.**

I am so happy I found a more natural way to make my hair look healthy.  No more crazy, long chemical names on my shampoo bottles- and no more bad hair days, either!  Enjoy!