The DIY Life: Healing Salve

Every so often I make something from scratch and think, hmmm….I MAY need an intervention. And then I take a moment to gather my thoughts and realize, nope, I’m good. Making this healing salve was one of those ohmygoshwhatthehellamidoing!!! moments. BUT – why aren’t MORE people doing stuff like this? I mean, it was simple enough. And people were making their own medicines and salves long before traditional medicine came into play. Don’t get me wrong. I am glad we have hospitals that can heal us, where they perform surgery under sedation, not where they give you a bottle of booze, then cut at you until you pass out like back in the day. Whew. But still. There is something to be said for the healing powers of natural things. Things found in nature, not created in a lab. Enter in this healing salve. It’s simple enough to make, with quality ingredients easily found on the world wide web (see below for links to small businesses I purchase from). This salve is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, moistening, and soothing. And, it’s all natural. The ingredients are simple – coconut oil, olive oil, dried comfrey, dried calendula, beeswax, honey, and lavender oil. That is it.

This took me about 30 minutes total – with roughly 10 of that hands on. EASY. Mine turned out slightly darker than MrsHappyHomemakers, I’m guessing because my olive oil was a lot greener than hers. I had some baby food jars that I had originally set aside for another craft but decided to use them to store this salve. The recipe was enough for 2 jars. I’m looking forward to seeing what it does in the long term for any wounds. I put some on a cut that was already healing and it felt nice on my skin and softened the rough edges of it. After I finish are jar I’ll decide whether to make another batch!

Click HERE for the recipe, as well as details on what each of the ingredients does!

I purchased my herbs and lavender oil from Ancient Indigo Herbs. Get your own here. Fast shipping, and quality products.

Beeswax purchased from Mill Creak Honey. Get your own here. Fast shipping of an unfiltered great quality beeswax. I purchased one pound just to have it around for future recipes!

The DIY Life: Homemade Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer

I’m slacking lately on the posts. Between the garden, weekend obligations, and a ginormous amount of work, ain’t nobody got time for blogging. But before my anniversary camping trip, I decided to grace you all with an easy to do from scratch post.

The hubs and I love to have a morning cup of coffee, english breakfast tea or chai tea. Something about a warm beverage jest feels like it helps to slowly melt away your sleepiness and get you ready for the day! That being said, when you have two people drinking a cup of coffee on average 5 days per week, you can really go through creamer. I admit that I have been purchasing the Sweet Cream varieties in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. I decided to stop that since only one or two options contain actual dairy ingredients, and all contain additives that aren’t found in homemade versions. This is so simple to make that I can’t believe I was spending $3.50 weekly when I could spend that same amount for enough creamer to last us at least 2 weeks and not be full of artificial ingredients!

This recipe isn’t exact in taste as the store-bought, but that is because I don’t have any chemical taste enhancers. The next batch I make I think I’ll add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to boost the flavor profile.

Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer

1 14oz can organic sweetened condensed milk

3 12oz cans organic evaporated milk (not fat-free or low-fat)

Add all of your cans to a medium saucepan and heat of low heat for roughly 5 minutes, until the milks have combined. Let cool and place inside a container that you can easily pour from. Store in the fridge and use to sweeten your coffee and tea!

Slow Living – May 2013

SLOW LIVING UPDATE – May 2013

Heidi over at Lightly Crunchy has been posting these Slow Living updates each month, and I find them rather interesting. It gives you a chance to look back on the prior month with a sense of accomplishment. There are days that I feel kind of lazy, lounging around and not really getting anything done even though there are mountains of laundry to be washed and put away, dishes to be done, floors to be scrubbed. Then there are days, even weeks, where it feels like my head is spinning from all of my to-do’s! I know that I’m not right on top of posting, but figured you gotta start somewhere!

Nourish:

The month of May was an opportunity to clean out the freezer so nothing goes to waste, and save some money on groceries in the process. I didn’t do a whole lot of recipe posting, even though I was getting creative in the kitchen (those recipes will be coming soon!). I made flax bran muffins, “fried rice”, and my own Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer. I did manage to post a recipe when I whipped up a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes with a Garlic Cauliflower Mash.

Prepare:

May was spent prepping the garden for veggies, as well as some landscaping around the chicken coop. A whole day spent pulling rocks out of our creek to keep the flowers up nice and close to the coop. It helps create a little more shade, and will also make the area around the coop look nicer once the flowers grow and fill in.

Reduce/Reuse/Repurpose/Repair:

This month was a great cleansing month at our house. During April and May, I scoured the house for things to donate to charity. I’ll never understand how 2 people can manage to end up with so much stuff. It was mostly me donating my items, but over the next month or 2, hubs is going to go through his things and part ways with duplicate and unused items. For the scheduled pickup for the VVA, I had 4 big bags of clothes, shoes, coats and purses, 2 boxes of books, and one box of miscellaneous kitchen items. I’m happy I was able to pass along so much gently used, well taken care of stuff so that someone else could enjoy it!

Green – cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies:

I’ve slowly been using up all of our chemical laden store-bought products so that I can replace them with more earth friendly ones. I’ve been using a homemade citrus vinegar spray that smells lovely and cleans great. It cleans up the chicken coop, counters, toilets. The recipe is too simple to deserve a whole post. Basically, soak citrus peels – lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange – in white vinegar for 2-4 weeks (I did 4) strain out the peels, mix 1:1 with water, and place in a spray bottle. Green cleaner with about zero effort. The hardest part is remembering to save the peels!

Grow:

We managed to make our garden the nicest looking it’s been since we started. This is our fourth year with the garden, and hubs created nice rows for all the veggies. We – meaning I – scaled back on the amount of plants because I tend to overcrowd the garden, making it hard to harvest tomatoes before they are overly ripe. This year, that won’t be a problem. All that’s left to do now is fence it in to keep the chickens out. They enjoy tomatoes.

Create:

I created a front porch herb garden, complete with mint, parsley, oregano, basil, pineapple sage and dill. It’s nice to look at and makes it easy to have fresh herbs on hand for recipes.

Discover:

A friend had been talking about the show Mad Men. When I realized that all but one season was on Netflix, I started watching. I’m hooked. I want Betty Draper’s clothes. We also discovered a bicycle trail near my little brother and made use of it on my birthday. We did 10 miles that day, and while the first 5 were a bit rough and all up hill, we did it and it was awesome!

Enhance – community:

Now that the hens are laying pretty regularly, we have a big surplus of eggs. Many more than the hubs and I can eat. So, I’ve started sharing them again with my gram, and allowing coworkers to put in an order for some. The only thing I ask for is for them to give me back the egg cartons, and to donate towards the chickens feed. It’s been working out for everyone!

Enjoy:

The hubs and I have rediscovered our deck after it’s winter hibernation. We’ve pressure washed it, busted the cushions out of their prison tote, and entertained some family on it. I was able to share a meal with an uncle whom I had not seen for almost 20 years. We plan on spending many evenings on it, eating dinner, having an adult beverage or two, and sharing the space with family and friends.

Mashed Potato Alternative – Garlic Cauliflower Mash

I have a confession to make – I love mashed potatoes. I have, on occasion, eaten a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. No lie. Just a big ‘ol cereal bowl of them. And I scraped that bowl clean. Not my best nutritional choice, but it was delicious, and I loved every single heaping bite on my fork. That being said, I am always up for trying new things and substituting one food item for another option. On Sunday, I cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot – it keeps the house from getting hot from the oven being on for 3 hours, minimum. It’s low energy use. And, it’s freaking EASY. And not to mention delicious. But we’ll talk about crock pot roast chicken another time…

Anyway, Sunday was a whole chicken for dinner kind of day. We were working out in the yard. And when you are working out in the yard, you don’t really have the time (or energy) to put into peeling, chopping, boiling, mashing potatoes. That is too much time, and too many steps. Enter in the Garlic Cauliflower Mash. This was AMAZING. Seriously. I could have devoured the whole bowl of this stuff, but decided I should probably eat some chicken, because it’s pretty amazing. When these are done being blended, they look just like mashed potatoes. Hubs even liked them. He said you could tell it wasn’t actual potatoes because they were not dense like mashed potatoes, but good, with lots of flavor. Fluffy, tasty, and one could be tricked into thinking they were potatoes whenever they are topped with gravy. I will be making these many  more times to come over the summer because these came together quickly. As in, like 15 minutes start to finish quick. They taste great the next day too. I almost didn’t share the leftovers with the hubs. Almost.

If you don’t have boursin cheese, you can sub in cream cheese. Just add in some extra chives, and a bit more garlic powder for the extra flavor. Don’t have an immersion blender? You can put the recipe into a food processor or blender, whatever you have on had. I would say that a potato masher will work too, but you won’t get the smooth texture that you get from blending them up. Don’t like cauliflower? Well then why in the hell are you reading this recipe???

 

Garlic Cauliflower Mash

serves 4 as a side dish

1 medium head cauliflower
3 tablespoons garlic & herb boursin cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt & pepper
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Bring a medium pot of water to boil.

Wash and chop your head of cauliflower into chunks. Add to boiling water and cook for until fork tender, 6-10 minutes depending on the size of your chunks.

Drain well. While still hot, pat dry with paper towels, pressing down to squeeze out any excess moisture.

Add to a bowl with the boursin, garlic powder, salt & pepper, chives and butter if using. Add in the hot cauliflower, and using an immersion blender, mix until smooth. Serve immediately.

 

 

Quick Dinner – Spinach & Feta Chicken Burgers

We are getting to that time of year when things start to get busier at our house. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones either. Outdoor chores like weeding the flower beds, mowing the grass and planting the garden come into play. With warmer weather also comes more outdoor activities – motorcycle rides, outdoor parties, weddings, graduation parties, camping, bicycle rides. That means less time spent at home, which translates to quick dinner options on the weekdays. I don’t want to be stressing about what to make for dinner, or punk out and make something that is quick, but completely unhealthy. Since I am on the path to healthier eating, I’ve been thinking up meal options that can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less, but are healthy, filling, and taste great. These burgers fit that bill. You get a burst of nutrient rich veggies from the spinach mixed into the burger, plus the addition of using more baby spinach in place of lettuce. The chicken is packed with protein but lower in fat than your traditional beef options, and frankly more flavorful than ground turkey. The feta cheese adds some dairy, and eliminates the need for additional salt since it helps flavor the meat. I used olive oil mayo that I spiced up with some wasabi sauce, giving the burger a little zing. It complimented the burger very well! Ciabatta rolls were a lovely change of pace from traditional burger buns, and could actually be skipped completely if you are looking to limit your intake of carbs, serving it over a bed of baby spinach with a little smear of the wasabi mayo. We enjoyed these with a large serving of garden salad, and it was delicious!

Spinach & Feta Chicken Burgers

makes 4  1/4lb burgers 

1lb ground chicken

4oz feta cheese crumbles

1 1/2 cups baby spinach, torn into smaller pieces

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all of your ingredients in a bowl, and form into 4 1/4lb burger patties. Pan fry – no additional oil – or grill until cooked all the way through, 10-15 minutes. Serve on toasted ciabatta bread with baby spinach and wasabi mayo. Serve with a garden salad for a light and healthy dinner! Also great for lunch!

The Liebster Award!

I logged into my email this morning and saw that I had a new comment on my blog. Comments are always awesome (unless they are spam…but sometimes those are awesome for their hilarity) because it means people are actually reading your blog. This one was a double dose of awesome because it turns out I was nominated by a fellow blogger for a Liebster Award. A special thank you and shout out goes to Little Bit Sweet for the nomination. It’s a special nomination for bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It helps get your name out there, and potentially increase your following. You aren’t in any way obligated to participate, but I think it’s a sweet and simple way to spread the word about blogs that interest you!

The rules:

1. Thank the person that nominated you and answer the 11 questions posted by your nominator.
2. Pass the award to 11 bloggers with <200 followers and ask them 11 questions to answer.
3. Display the Liebster award in your post.

Here’s my list of questions from my nominator:

1. What’s one thing on your “bucket list”?

I’d honestly love to someday own a little pub or a food truck. It would be awesome to provide people with a cozy atmosphere where they could grab a home cooked bite to eat while enjoying a really good beer. So many people eat pre-made or convenience meals, totally neglecting any nutritional value and totally missing the point of a good meal – to sit down and ENJOY some from scratch cooking.
2. Name something you’re proud of.

I’m proud of how far I’ve come in my 32 years with my cooking skills. I feel like my cooking methods mimic my Bubba’s. From scratch cooking that is healthy, tastes good, and fills you up.

3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

This mostly depends on what is going on. Do I want to stay up till 2am just for giggles? Nope. But if I’m entertained and in enjoyable company, 2am can come around quick. That being said, the latest I seem to sleep in is around 8am. And that’s usually after a 1 or 2am evening out! So I guess I’m both! Is that even possible? Must be.

4. Worst cooking disaster has been…

This would probably be the time I made a batch of english muffin bread…..and forgot to put in the yeast. I pulled the bread out of the oven and couldn’t imagine why I had 2 flat dense loaves of bread. When making a yeast bread, you have to add the yeast. Oops.

5. What inspires you?

People who are trying to get back to the basics. Simple, healthy meals. Canning and preserving. Growing your own foods.

6. If you could visit any time era, which would it be?

This may or may not have something to do with the fact that I’ve been sucked into the awesomeness that is Mad Men, but the 1950′s. I don’t like that women are talked down to and looked at as secondary to the males, but I LOVE the clothing, the parties, the music, and the fact that they always have booze around!

7. What trait do you find most valuable in others?

Honesty. I can’t stand people who are full of BS or lie. I’m bluntly honest, so I kind of want other people to be honest with me too.

8. If you could tell your 8yr old self something, what would it be?

Don’t EVER get a credit card. EVER. Seriously. No matter how grown up you think it is or how awesome the lure of spending money you don’t actually have is, fight it. Because it is so not awesome when you get the bill each month. Especially when you get to the point where you can’t remember what the hell you bought.

9. Favorite book or tv show:

This is way too hard to narrow down. But just to name one, I love the Sookie Stackhouse Series. They are easy reading, great for the imagination, and even better – I get to watch the show the books helped create – True Blood. I dig science fiction, vampires, werewolves, the realm of Fae. I’m a little bit nerdy. I’m ok with it.

10. How long have you been blogging?

Oh gosh, a little over a year. I started blogging as a way to share recipes with family and friends because it was just easier to do it on a website than to try to remember to email a recipe to someone.

11. What’s your best blogging advice?

Blog about what matters to you, in your own voice. Do it because you want to, not because you are looking to have a gazillion followers.

And now, here are those that I nominated for an award! I won’t lie. There are some that have more than 200 followers, but I feel like they deserve recognition, and sharing!

Lightly Crunchy

Dinner is Served

Recipes Happen

The Food and Wine Hedonist

So Woodsy

Craft it. Bake it.

My Rubber Boots

Farmhouse 38

Shenandoah Valley Homesteader

Nutty Kitchen

Homemaking in the Last Frontier

My questions for you:

1. If you could live anywhere, and money were not an issue, where would you live and why?

2. What is your go to meal when you’re having people over?

3. If a zombie apocalypse were to actually happen, would your strategy be to hunker down in your home and wait it out, or pack up what you can and seek a more secure form of shelter? (the zombie apocalypse version could vary – 28 Days Later scenario where they die off – best case. Worst case – Walking Dead where they NEVER DIE!!!)

4. What is your favorite music to cook to?

5. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

6. Describe your blog in on sentence.

7. If you could have celebs over for a dinner party, who would be your top 3 invitees?

8. For the rest of your life, you can only watch one movie. What movie would that be?

9. If your life were a sitcom, what would the show title be?

10. Beef or chicken?

11. What do you do to relax?

Healthy Meal Idea – Spinach & Bacon with White Beans

I’ve been on a blog hiatus recently. Not because I’ve been overly busy or anything. More like I’ve been trying to enjoy the lovely weather when it comes about. Catching up on some spring cleaning chores like cleaning out the chicken coop and run. Trying out new recipes, and revisiting old ones. I am always on a mission for easy, healthy, simple and QUICK meal ideas. Have you ever noticed that most of the easy meals tend to be unhealthy because you are either eating a premade meal made who knows when, preckaged stuff that has so many preservatives you feel almost pickled after, or it’s laden with fat to compensate for flavor? Blech. Enter in the Spinach & Bacon with White Beans. It’s fast. It’s tasty. It’s healthy. It’s LOW FAT. Even with the butter and bacon. Ya, that’s right. But it’s REAL butter. Not margarine. Not anything that’s 1 step away from being plastic. If you are going to ingest a fat, make it a natural one. BUTTER people. BUTTER. Say it with me….BUTTER. End rant.

Anyways, back to this meal. It’s filling. Because of the beans. That’s a lot of fiber. Good for you, keep you full fiber. It was delicious. No added salt or pepper was needed. I used precooked bacon because it’s quick, and it’s lower in fat and calories, and we always have some on hand. Don’t feel like you HAVE to. Don’t feel like you have to use bacon either – you could use some chopped country ham, prosciutto, salami. Whatever. And you can mix up the greens too – collard greens, mustard greens, kale. I just had a big ass container of spinach, which I happen to love, and wanted to use it up. Boy, I’m glad I whipped this up. I think hubs wished I made a double batch. He wanted more. So, I guess I should say this would serve 2 as a lunch sized portion. Double the recipe if you’ve got a big meal eating man in your life. Next time I make it I think I’ll cook up an egg over easy and top the greens & beans with that. And a little parmesan. Wow. I want that right now.

Spinach & Bacon with White Beans

Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a meal

Ingredients

1 pound fresh organic baby spinach

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 pieces pre cooked bacon, chopped

2 cans Great Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon REAL butter

shaved parmesan

Add butter to a large skillet, letting melt. Add in your garlic and bacon, cooking until bacon is crisp and garlic is starting to get a little crispy looking – about 3 minutes. Add your beans, tossing to coat with the bacon garlic butter mix. Keep tossing until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add your spinach, in batches if necessary, stirring the mixture around to let the spinach wilt and cook through.

Serve immediately, and sprinkle with some shaved parmesan cheese for an extra hit of flavor!