Zesty Lemon Rosemary & Sage Bath Salts

There are many people like me who do not respond well to strong essential oils. Unfortunately, many bath and body products contain them. So, I am learning how to make a variety of products at home from natural ingredients that do not require the use of strong essential oils.

This is a zesty yet calming bath salt. Covenant Natural Health Care provides a wealth of information about DIY beauty products utilizing natural ingredients.

According to Herb Wisdom, rosemary is note-worthy for its health benefiting phyto-nutrients, anti-oxidants, and essential acids. The benefits of sage are abundant, but is thought to counter stomach upsets, aging, night sweats, and promote relaxation. The calcium, vitamin C, and magnesium in lemon has been shown to fight all sorts of infections, help with immunities, and even spike weight loss efforts.

Ingredients:
2 C. epsom salt
1 C. course sea salt
1/2 C. baking soda (aluminum free, if possible)
The rind of one lemon, grated

1 Fresh rosemary sprig, the leaves picked off and chopped into small pieces 

1 Tbsp dried (culinary) sage

Directions:

- Combine the epsom salt, sea salt, and baking soda in a glass bowl. Mix well.

- Add in the grated lemon rind, rosemary and sage. Mix well.

- Store in glass jars until ready to use.

Kitchen Sink Venison Stew

Derek pulled together this comforting "kitchen sink" venison stew while I was building shelves in my art studio.  I was sore after bending over, lifting and hauling all day, so this was a perfect way to loosen my aches and pains.


Ingredients:
1 Lb venison
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp marjoram
1 Tbsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

4 C broth + 2 C water
1 bay leaf
5 mini sweet peppers, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
5 medium carrots, chopped
10 small red potatoes, chopped
1.5 cups garbanzo beans
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp coriander
Red pepper flakes


Directions:
- Heat the olive oil on medium high and then brown the venison.
- Half way through browning, add the onions, garlic, marjoram, parsley, salt and pepper.
- After browning for about 5 minutes on medium high, add the 4 cups of broth, 2 cups water and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil.  Add the peppers, celery, carrots and potatoes.
- Bring to a boil again.  Turn down to medium and add the garbanzo beans, turmeric, cumin and coriander.
- Let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve with warm, homemade buttered bread.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Coffee Grinds Body Scrub

I never previously contemplated rubbing coffee grounds all over my face...on purpose.  However, I learned that coffee is renowned as an anti-cellulite agent.  It works to detoxify and tighten the skin. According to Jessica Kernochan, founder of skincare line LaLicious, the ground beans can also exfoliate, reduce fine lines, and fend off acne.

There are tons of facial scrubs available for purchase, but why not make this easy concoction at home?

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp used coffee grinds
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Dampen skin slightly. In circular motions starting with your feet and working your way up, gently exfoliate your whole body. The sugar and coffee grinds slough off dead skin cells, while the olive oil hydrates. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes before gently washing it away with warm water. Follow up with your favorite cream or more olive oil.

Try it out - it's actually very invigorating!

Making Vanilla Extract

Thank you to Including Cake for this tutorial on how to make vanilla extract.  A friend of ours in the Methow made some of this for Christmas gifts, and it turned out beautifully.  They even made their own sweet labels.

This DIY project is affordable and simple. Check out Vanilla Review if you would like detailed information on making vanilla extract.

Your extract will be ready to use after approximately 8 weeks.  It will continue to infuse for the months to follow.

Ingredients:
35-40% rum or vodka
Vanilla whole beans

Directions:

• Sterilize all equipment prior to use.
• Use approx. 8 vanilla beans for each 250ml bottle of extract. Cut each of the beans in half exposing the caviar in the middle. Some guides suggested scraping out the caviar to get a greater surface area when it is all added to the bottle, however I felt that this wasn’t necessary as there was still a lot of exposed surface area once the bean was slit and it seemed like unnecessary mess. Fill the bottle(s) with the split beans and then add the alcohol of choice. Secure the lid.  Shake well.
• Shake bottle(s) once a day for one week and then a few times per week thereafter.

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato & Carrot Sage Soup

One of our dinner guests was on a very strict diet, eliminating many normally-essential ingredients, such as garlic, soy, dairy, gluten...the list is long.  His family has apparently been consuming ample potatoes and fish.  The following delicious (and wonderfully orange) recipe supported our friend's limited diet.

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, washed and sliced into 1/2" chunks
4 C water (vegetable broth preferred)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp dried sage
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional Garnish:
Plain yogurt
Baked croutons
Orange zest
Fresh lemon juice
Red pepper flakes
Green onions, chopped

Directions:

• Combine butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and olive oil in a Dutch oven.  Heat on medium-high, stirring every few minutes to bring cooked  vegetables to the surface, until vegetables are tender around the outside.  Turn heat to medium.  Add 2 C water and continue to cook for 7-10 mins or until vegetables are tender all the way through.
• Process vegetables in blender, slowly adding the remaining 2 C water.  Replace to pot.
• Continue to heat soup on low, stirring occasionally.  Add dried sage, salt and pepper.  Adjust seasoning, as needed.
• Serve, and garnish with yogurt, croutons, orange zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and green onions.
• Enjoy!

Plantable Seed Paper

E-How is a wonderful source of (can you guess?) DIY projects.  If you aren't certain how to make or do something, consult this great resource.  I did.  I often do.

If you enjoy gardening and you thrive on giving homemade gifts to others, you are bound to have fun making plantable seed paper.  It is a smart way to use paper that might otherwise end up in a landfill, and you get to turn it into art to share with others.

Instructions:

Things You'll Need

• Sponge
• Terry cloth
• Strainer
• Cup or bowl
• Blender
• Large spoon or spatula
• Flannel or felt
• Recyclable paper
• Flower seeds

1. • 1
     Collect a large pile of recyclable paper and tear it into very small pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl. Fill the bowl one-half to one-third full, cover with warm water and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours.
   • 2
     Drain paper.  Add paper to blender.  Pour warm water into the blender jar over the pieces of paper. Fill the blender to the top line with warm water. Turn the blender on low for about 10 seconds. Increase the speed (or use the "Blend" button) for about 30 seconds or until no visible paper flakes remain.
   • 3
     Sprinkle one-half to a teaspoon of flower seeds into the mixture and stir well (do not blend or else you may break open the seeds). Set the strainer on the cup or bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer. Use the spoon or spatula to press the mixture against the strainer and squeeze out as much water as you can.
   • 4
     Lay the piece of flannel or felt onto a flat surface and dump the mixture onto the fabric. Use the spoon or spatula to spread it out on the fabric into the shape you want. Spread it as thin as you can so that it will dry more quickly.
   • 5
     Use the sponge to flatten the mixture and absorb more of the water from the paper mixture. Press firmly with the terry cloth to absorb more water.
   • 6
     Allow the paper to dry on the top and then turn it over. Allow the other side to dry completely. Use the paper to make a note card or ornament. Include instructions for your recipient, letting them know that they can plant the paper directly into the ground or soil in a pot.

Top Ten DIY Eco Friendly Projects

While I would love to make and do everything myself, I've come to the sober realization that I simply cannot.  That certainly won't keep me from trying!

I want to pay tribute to some inspiring eco-friendly DIY projects that I've stumbled upon, so concocted this first list of Top Ten, not in order of preference.  I plan on posting a Top Ten each month, so I can share others' creations without always having to tackle them myself.

Enjoy!

#10
Funky Junk Interiors provides an excellent tutorial on how to make stairs out of old wood crates.

#9

Recycling Tomorrow created a cool lamp out of a recycled mint green hair dryer.

#8

Italian furniture designer Manoteca constructed this gorgeous table from an old wood door.

#7

German designer Gabriel Wiese collects recycled corks to create one-of-a-kind cork chairs, and they look comfortable!

#6

Bluebird Heaven makes all sorts of racks and shelves to help organize home spaces.  This one in particular stands out to me.

#5

StilNovoDesign uses reclaimed wood and recycled wine barrel rings in his classy furniture.

#4

I love this recycled soda can pendant by Reduce Reuse Redecorate.  It adds a rustic yet classy flare to any room.

#3

I refer to Posh Fairytale Couture for design ideas that could be used to inspire creations for Confluence's annual Recycled Fashion Show.

#2

Chairs come with all sorts of personalities.  Their mere presence can vastly alter the ambiance of a room.  Antonello Fusè from Resign uses recycled chairs to create personality-rich hangers.

And finally...

#1

With my love of mosaics, I am a particular fan of art that incorporates recycled glass.  Red Yellow and Blue Ink constructs fabulous bird feeders using colorful glass from recycled traffic lights.

Indian Cumin Coconut Milk Stew

Ingredients:

Chicken (optional):
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C vegetable oil
4 lemongrass twigs, sliced in half and cut into 2" lengths

Rice:
1 C Basmati rice
1.5 C Water
1 C shredded coconut
Salt to taste

Stew:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 C. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp coriander, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
4 red potatoes, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
1 C water
1 15-oz chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
10 C spinach, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced (optional - keep extra for garnish)
salt to taste
red pepper flakes
red hot sauce

Directions:

To cook the chicken:
- Turn oven to 375 degrees (F).
- Place all ingredients into baking dish.
- Bake, turning 1-2 times, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbling.
- Remove from oven and set aside.

To cook the rice:
- Combine rice, water and salt in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.  Bring to a boil over high heat; stir a couple of times.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed (approx. 15 mins.).  Remove from heat and let stand, covered.
- Sprinkle coconut onto cookie sheet and spread thin layer.  Broil on high for 3 mins, turn once.  Broil for another 2 mins until coconut is browned.  Remove and let stand to cool.
- Mix together rice and coconut, toss with a fork to fluff.

To make the stew:
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic; stir occasionally, until onion is translucent (5 mins).
- Add the coriander and cumin, stir for 30 seconds.  Add the potato and bell pepper.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until all vegetables are crisp-tender (3 mins).
- Stir in coconut milk, water, chickpeas and spinach.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7 mins.  Throw in cilantro.  Season with salt to taste.
- Spread fluffed layers of rice in the bottom of soup plates.  Top with chicken, and then the stew.  Garnish with cilantro, red pepper flakes and red hot sauce.

Birdseed Party Favors

Thank you to Intimate Weddings for this tutorial.  It's a simple eco-friendly party favor, and a sweet way to thank your guests.  It's also a great project to do with your child for his/her birthday party favors.
Here’s the DIY:

(Makes approximately 21 two-inch shapes)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
3 tbsp corn syrup
4 cups birdseed

You will also need:
large mixing bowl
cookie cutter (I used a canning lid)
vegetable oil & brush
chopstick or bamboo skewer for making a hole in the ornament
parchment paper
cookie sheet
jute or raffia
card stock
rubber stamp & ink or chalkboard paint and chalk
scissors
hole punch

Mix flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup. Add birdseed and stir well.



Coat the inside of the cookie cutter with vegetable oil.

Place cookie cutter on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture inside of cookie cutter, pressing mixture firmly with greased fingers. (The more you press it down, the less shedding of seeds you will have.)

Using a chopstick or bamboo skewer, make a hole near the top of the shape.

Remove chopstick.

Carefully pull cookie cutter away from birdseed shape. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. (You should spray the cookie cutter after every few uses so that it won’t stick.)

Let dry 6-8 hours

Cut 10-12 inches of jute. String jute through whole and add a tag. I created my tags by using recycled brown paper bag cut into hearts, sprayed with chalkboard paint, and a message written with chalk. Tie the jute in a knot after you have added the tag.

That's it!

Cracked Marble Pendants

I found this idea on Dream-It-Make-It and had to try it for myself.  My favorite part of the project was seeing and hearing the "fried" marbles suddenly crack yet remain intact.  Here is the very simple tutorial:

Materials Needed:
Clear marbles
Bead caps
Metal wire
Clear craft glue

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F)

- Place the marbles on a metal cookie sheet and bake for 20 mins.

- Immediately after removing from the oven, place them in a sink filled with ice water.

- Let dry.

- Twist wire into a loop shape and press ends into bead cap, cut wire ends.

- Glue bead cap to marble.  Attach to a chain for necklace or ear wires for earrings.

Glowing Jars

Thank you to Panka for this great Glowing Jar Project!

Big jars tend to work better for this project and appear more magical, but little ones work well, too. It definitely takes a long time to paint larger jars, so be forewarned. Be careful with the paint, it’s waterproof, so after it dries you may not be able to remove it from your clothes and furniture. If you want to keep your paintbrush, be sure to wash your it after use.

Ingredients:

Recycled jar
Glowing paint (you can get it here or here)
Paint brush
Water

Directions:

1. Wash your jar(s), and mix the paint with your brush so that the glowing particles dissolve evenly.

 

2. Make tiny dots in the inside of the jar. The more dots you make, the more magical the jar will appear.

 

 

3. You’re done. It’s this easy. In daylight your jar won’t look that fancy, but at night… it will transform your room into another world. Charge it with a lamp and take it to a dark place!  Have fun!

Bacon-Flavored Dog Treats, Round 2

After a gorgeous, long ski with a friend today, I returned home to a quiet house.  Huge snow flakes were swirling around our home, and Derek had left me with a warm, cozy fire in the stove.  It's not like me to do nothing...so I used the precious time to make dog biscuits for Sa'be.

I basically used the same recipe as I did for my last bacon-flavored dog treats, with a couple of variations.  These turned out well, so I'll share the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Emmer Flour (or other brown flour)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup chicken (or other meat) stock
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
4 tbsp. bacon drippings

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

- Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets & lightly flour surface area to roll out the dough.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add flour.
- Mix together egg, milk, chicken stock, garlic and bacon drippings, add to the flour. Stir.
- Add more broth or flour to manipulate the dough if it is too dry or wet.
- Roll out dough on floured surface to about 1/4" thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired size/shape.
- Bake for 30 minutes and let cool.

Cottonwood Bud Salve

Tonight I took some time to make my annual batch of Cottonwood Bud Salve with our beeswax.  This is probably my favorite salve with its sweet smell and its anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and pain relieving purposes.  Check out Rosalee's blog - she has a wealth of information about native plants and their remedies.

I pulled this thorough tutorial from Survivalist Boards rather than recreating the wheel:

The buds of a number of varieties of cottonwood and poplar trees (Populus nigra, Populus balsamifera, Populus augustafolia and others) contain a sticky orange resin that has been used for centuries to make a soothing, healing salve commonly known as “Balm of Gilead.” This salve has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic/antiseptic and pain relieving qualities, and has been effectively used to treat abrasions, minor burns, frostbite and to ease the pain of sore muscles and joints. It is also (sometimes known as Black Salve) a traditional skin cancer remedy.

The months between December and March are, depending on your location, best for harvesting the buds.  The buds must be collected, of course, before the leaves emerge, and if you wait until too late in the spring, you may end up with more of the sticky orange sap on your fingers than not! Cold days are best for collecting the buds; anything below freezing will do. Best of all is to find a fallen branch or two, as they will be easier to reach and will not damage the tree, as taking too many buds from a living branch can do. If you cannot find a fallen branch, go ahead and harvest from the living branches you can reach, but take selectively, a few here, a few there, so as not to damage the tree by preventing entire branches from leafing out.

Once you have collected the buds, you can either use them right away, or they can be dried or frozen for later use. If you choose to dry them, make sure they are spread out in a single layer on a board or cookie sheet, as they will tend to mold pretty quickly if left in heaps and allowed to retain moisture. Freezing really is the best way to preserve them, if you’re not ready to make your salve right away.

There are several ways to extract the resin from the buds for making Balm of Gilead salve. One is done by slowly simmering the buds in hot oil to release their resin, and the second, which takes longer but yields a slightly more potent finished product, involves placing the buds in a crock or jar, and covering them with oil, leaving them to “steep” for a period of several weeks to a year. The resin can also be extracted by soaking the buds in alcohol for several weeks, the results combined with oil and simmered to drive off the alcohol, but I have found the oil itself to be sufficient for extraction.

Fill a mason jar or crock halfway with buds, cover with olive oil and set aside. A sunny windowsill or warm spot in the kitchen speeds up the process. Leave in place for 6 months-1 year.  There is really no such thing as leaving it too long.

Making the salve:

Ingredients:

Bee's wax

Cottonwood bud oil

I find that a ratio of 1/.75 by volume of oil and wax shavings generally works well.

Equal measures (approximately) of wax shavings and oil, by volume

Heart the oil just to lukewarm, and add the wax. Do not boil. Stir with a wooden stick or, if you must use metal, with stainless steel.

Set out your containers. Almost anything will work, from "jelly" sized mason jars to Altoids tins to these salvaged air gun pellet containers I'm using (on left.)

Before pouring into the containers, put a bit of the salve on a spoon and refrigerate it for a few minutes (or just set it out on the counter, if your house is as cool as mine…this sample hardened shortly after contacting the spoon) to make sure that the finished texture will be alright. It is much easier to add either wax or oil to the mix now, than it will be to later dig the salve out of containers and modify it.

Pouring into the tins...

Freshly poured...a wonderful yellow-orange color:

Checking the texture again...just right!

Solidifying takes only minutes in a cool house, longer if the weather is warmer:

All done and ready to use. A very versatile salve that can be used in place of antibiotic ointment on minor cuts, abrasions and burn, helps treat frostbite (have tried that...) and works wonders on dry, chapped hands and cracked fingers and toes.

This is the simplest, most pure version. Some possible additions could include lanolin, vitamin E oil or coconut oil, all of which slightly change the properties and texture of the salve. Experiment with small batches, and learn what works best for you!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
3 large red potatoes, cut into 1/4" cubes
2 large onions, chopped
3 broccoli flowers, chopped
4 C. heavy cream
2 C. chicken or vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper
Toasted croutons
Feta cheese
Red pepper flakes

Directions:
- Steam potatoes for 10 mins.  Add onions and broccoli.  Steam until tender when pierced with a knife, approx. 10 mins.
- In a blender, mix vegetables together with cream, broth and garlic. Blend until smooth.
- Return soup to pot, heat on medium-low for 20 mins.
- Add thyme, salt & pepper.
- Add more broth if too soup is too thick.  Adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve, top with more fresh thyme, croutons, feta and red pepper flakes.

Homemade Snow Globes

There are many different ways to make snow globes. My friend Keri and I facilitated a snow globe class at Confluence which turned out to be a lot of fun.  Snow globes range from super easy to some that take a bit of prep time. All are well worth the effort in the end.

Materials Needed:
Recycled Glass Jars
Distilled Water
3 drops of glycerin
Styrofoam balls, cut in half
Recycled toys (not wood)
Hot glue (used with hot glue gun)
Glitter (silver or white)
Silicone Rubber Sealant
Sand Paper

Directions:
- Lightly sand the inside of the lid.
- Use a hot glue gun to hold the Styrofoam in place. Let dry.
- Stick toys (figures) into Styrofoam, glue into place.
- Add water, glycerin and a pinch of glitter to the jars.
- Tighten the lids onto the jars, add sealant around edges and allow it to dry.

Enjoy!

My photos didn't turn out, so I pulled this one from Intello Kids.

Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

After refining our beeswax, Derek made some wonderfully smooth, moist Cocoa Butter Lip Balm. I may have to argue with my last post about Derek's lip balm since perhaps this is his best batch! Once I've finished making the labels, we'll sell them on Etsy for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:
3 tsp Cocoa Butter
3 tsp Coconut Oil
2 tsp Beeswax
.05 oz Lanolin
15 drops Tea Tree Oil
15 drops Peppermint Oil

Instructions:
Melt beeswax and cocoa butter in a double boiler. Add all other ingredients and melt. Stir thoroughly and pour into small containers. We prefer tin containers that fit flat into our pockets, and reuse the same ones repeatedly.

Refining Beeswax

Derek refined our beeswax today to use in making more lip balm which you'll soon see on Etsy.  The process was more labor intensive than he anticipated, but he produced a gorgeous, bright yellow wax.

Materials Needed:

Double boiler

Water

Beeswax

Metal spoon

Tin foil or paper cups

Instructions:

1. Pour water into the bottom pan in the double boiler and set it on the stovetop. Place the top pan onto the bottom pan. Turn the burner on low.
2. Add the beeswax to the top pan. Allow the beeswax to melt slowly.
3. Scoop out any large pieces of debris from the beeswax as it melts, using a metal spoon. Do not use a plastic or rubber spoon that could melt. Discard debris.
4. Let the wax melt completely, continuing to scoop pieces of debris from the wax. Do not stir the wax.
5. Pour the melted wax onto the tin foil or into the paper cups once it has melted completely and is as free of debris as possible.
6. Let the wax cool inside the cups. Peel the cups away from the wax.
7. Identify the bottom part of the hard wax pieces you have made, which will have collected the remaining debris. Pull the debris out of the hard wax with your fingers.
8. Repeat Steps 1 through 7 until you have clean, clear strips/blocks of wax.