Homemade hand lotion

Homemade Hand Lotion  

The parts to making lotion include:  

a water (i.e. pure distilled water, floral hydrosols, or herbal infusions)

an oil (i.e. olive, grapeseed, jojoba, sweet almond, apricot, avocado, coconut, cocoa butter, shea butter)

an emulsifier (I’ve always just used beeswax)

natural preservatives (i.e. benzoin essential oils, vitamin E oil, grapefruit seed extract or rosemary oil extract),optional 

natural additives (color, fragrances, essential oils), optional

Ingredients

-4 ounces oil, 2 oz coconut oil, 1 oz jojoba oil, .5 oz shea butter, .5 oz olive oil
-2-4 ounces distilled water
-0.5 ounces beeswax
-0.5 ounces vegetable glycerin
-o.5 ounces witch hazel
-1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
-15 drops essential oils of lavender or deep blue, optional, I used doTerra Deep Blue

Measure out the oils and beeswax by weighing them on a kitchen scale. Add them to a wide-mouth pint sized glass mason jar. Using a makeshift double boiler method, place a washcloth on the bottom of a pot filled with water, then place the jar in the pot. Melt oils and beeswax over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove the jar of melted oils and beeswax from the pot and allow them to cool on the counter. Note: This is the most important step! It is important that  the oils, beeswax, water, vegetable glycerin and witch hazel all becoming room temperature prior to mixing. This must happen in order for the lotion to bind.    

Throughout the cooling process, blend the oil mixture with a food processor in order to produce a smooth texture. Once room temperature, begin slowing adding vegetable glycerin, witch hazel, and herbal infused water (and essential oils if using) in a slow steady stream while blending. Note: Add infused water, between 2-4 ounces, until you have reached desired thickness. As the lotion cools further, it will thicken.

 Pour into storage containers. This recipe will produce approximately 6-8 ounces of high-quality lotion. 

Recipe from: 

http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/03/a-recipe-for-calendula-lotion/

I wanted to make a rub for soar muscles by adding the Deep Blue essential oil. It turned out pretty weak. I wish I had divided up the lotion into portions and then just put the Deep Blue in one portion. Oh well.  :)

Egg green Chili Cheese puff casserole

Egg green chili cheese puff

10 eggs

½ C flour (I use half white  all purpose and half whole grain flour)

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

½ pint (1 cup) small curd cottage cheese

6 oz. shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese

4 T butter, sliced and diced

1 can diced green chilies
1/2 C milk

4-5 strips of bacon, or ½ lb. diced ground Jimmy dean sausage, cooked/crumbled

Optional: add about 1 cup total of sautéed onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat eggs.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients.

4. Blend well the dry ingredients into the eggs.

5. Stir in cottage cheese, shredded cheese, green chilies, breakfast meat, and sautéed vegetables.

6. In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, place the cut up butter and place it in the oven for 2 minutes only. Pull it out, swirl the butter around, and set it on the stove until you have everything else ready.

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is firm.

Serve hot with sour cream and salsa if desired. I love it as it is! It also makes great leftovers for the next morning.

(We have to double this and serve it in 2 casserole dishes to feed my family except we don't add the green chilies and the other vegetables to the second dish for the kids.)

Peanut Butter Fudge

I made this today. I had some raw cream that I needed to use up so I poured into my kitchen aid mixer and made me some raw butter. Then I made this. I actually always keep it in the freezer. Raw butter goes bad fast. My kids love it!

Peanut Butter Fudge from Health Home Happiness

½ C raw butter
½ C natural peanut butter
¼ C virgin coconut oil
¼ C raw honey
3 T cocoa powder
Dash of salt

Whip all ingredients in a Kitchen aid mixer.
Line an 9 x 13 casserole dish with parchment paper.
Pour PB fudge on the parchment paper and smooth out evenly.
Freeze for about 2 hours or so.
Pull the fudge out of the freezer and out of the dish using the parchment paper.
Cut into 1 inch squares and place in a plastic container.
Cover with a lid and keep refrigerated or frozen.

Tator Tot Casserole

Tator Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
2 cans mixed veggies or 1 lb frozen mixed veggies (carrots, greenbeans, peas, corn)
2 Cans mushroom soup
2 soup cans milk
½ - 1 C shredded cheese, cheddar or Colby jack
1 C diced onions
1 (2 lb) bag tator tots

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray or grease it.
Bake the tator tots in a half sheet at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or so while preparing the mixture. In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef and sauté the onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the veggies, soup, and milk. Stir mixture together and heat through. Put half of the cheese in and stir. Put a single layer of tator tots in the bottom of the dish, about 2/3 of them. Pour the mixture over the tator tots and spread it evenly over them. Put a few tator tots on the top and sprinkle desired amount of cheese over all of it. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Chicken rice veggie Alfredo casserole

Chicken, rice, veggie, Alfredo casserole
2 C cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp salt
1 C chopped celery
1 C brown rice uncooked
½ C sour cream
4 hard boiled eggs chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ C mayonnaise
1 ½ C parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) bag Cali. Blend veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
Pepper to taste (I don’t add any)

1- Boil 1-2 chicken breast (to equal appx. 2 cups or so) in water enough to cover the breast until the chicken is 165 degrees. You can add a little salt, pepper, dried onions and garlic powder for extra flavor.
2- In a medium sauce pan, put the butter, olive oil, salt, the onion and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes and then add the garlic, stir, and then the rice. Stir and then cover with 3 C water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 2 hours, yes, 2 hours for brown rice.
3- Stem the mixed vegetable until crispy tender or desired tenderness. (I don’t use the bagged veggies. I buy the individual veggies and use the equal amount.)
4- Boil the eggs on low in a covered pot for 14 minutes.
5- After everything is cooked, combine 1 cup of the parmesan cheese with all the rest of the ingredients in a large casserole dish. I use my 10 x 14.
6- Sprinkle with the last ½ parmesan cheese and homemade bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I combined the two recipes: Hot chicken salad and rice and veggie Alfredo pie to come up with this recipe.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Peanut butter-oatmeal Cookies 1/2 C butter and 1/4 C coconut oil 1/2 C peanut butter 3/4 - 1 C raw sugar 1/2 C packed brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda Add 1 heaping T cocoa powder 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 C all-purpose flour and 3/4 ground mixed grains flour 2 C rolled oats 1 C chopped peanuts or chocolate chips 1/2 C shredded unsweetened coconut (optional) 1/2 C chopped pecans In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, (coconut oil and cocoa powder) with an electic mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and baking soda and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour. Stir in oats, nuts, (and coconut). Drop dough by teaspoons 2 inches apart (I rolled them into 1 inch balls and then mashed them down with a fork like peanut butter cookies.) onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool.