No-Poo Problems

I have been working on a no-poo solution for my hair for the past couple of weeks. Warning: none of these methods have worked. However, I thought I'd share my journey so far and ask for any suggestions.

I have so far tried out a couple methods. My problem is, since I switched to using coconut oil as a conditioner, I can't seem to find a recipe that will get the oil out of my hair. I'll scrub in the solution, let it sit 20-30 minutes, rinse out, blow-dry my hair, and what do you know? Still greasy, so I'm left to rinse it out with REAL shampoo.

Here's recipe #1:
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup aloe vera gel.

Recipe #2:
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 egg yolk

The benefits:

Honey: Antioxidants and nutrients
Aloe Vera: Moisture and nutrients
Egg: Vitamin E and A and Grease cutting

Results for both, again, greasy hair. I'm looking forward to trying the aloe vera honey without the coconut oil. Maybe I will try doing this in the next week or so. However, with the coconut oil I'm struggling to find a solution. Many Pinterest girls said the egg yolk got the oil out of their hair just fine, because egg yolk breaks down grease. That's not what I found. My hair was a crunchy, greasy mess. When you blow dry your hair for 10 minutes and it still looks as wet as when you stepped out of the shower and you can get enough oil to use as lotion from it, that's a problem.

So I'm opening it up to my readers. What are your suggestions? Does anyone know of a no-poo solution to get coconut oil out of hair?
 

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DIY Eyeliner and mascara

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So I have some good news and some bad news. 

Good news first: 

DIY eyeliner is the best thing I have ever done. It's so easy and left some serious definition to my eyes. 

Bad news: DIY Mascara is probably the worst idea I've ever had. 

So first I'm going to tell you all about the eyeliner and then going to talk about my mascara mishap and why I'll never try to DIY this product again. 

Eyeliner

Ingredients: 

-activated charcoal capsules

-water

Break 4-6 activated charcoal capsules into a small container (this is super makeshift, but I put the empty metal cup from an old tea light into an old altoids tin and used this as my container. We'll call it recycling). Then add drops of water and stir with toothpick until desired texture. 

Result: 

I used an eyeliner brush to apply

Mascara

Now off to the disaster. Sorry there aren't any pictures for this part, but this was seriously the messy thing I had ever done. The recipes I found said: 

1tsp coconut oil

1tsp Shea butter

11/2 tsp bees wax

4 tsp aloe Vera gel

1-2 capsules activated charcoal. 

Melt the first 4 ingredients either on the stove or in a microwave safe bowl for 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Stir in the activated charcoal. Transfer to a cleaned and sterilized mascara container. (May put into a plastic bag and squeeze into container). 

First thing that made this a struggle: have you ever tried to clean out a mascara container? This seriously took an hour. I moved all the dishes out of the sink and then spent an hour trying to scrub out the mascara residue from my old container. Note my previous mascar was done for. I could 't get a drop out of it. But it still had dried out or mascara stuck to the sides that was impossible to get. So after and hour of scrubbing, soaping, slushing, it came clean and I sterilized it in my dishwasher. 

Then I used the microwave version, because remember, a part of this is the recipe needs to be quick and simple. I'm a busy girl and I don't have eight hours a week to make a tube of mascara. So I melted the first 4 ingredients together and the stir in the charcoal with a toothpick. Then I poured it into the mascara container. But guess what! As soon as I put it into the container, it turned solid again. Then it clumped around the brush! I thought it just must have been a fluke. It would probably work. So I finished cleaning up, which was all sort of another adventure. Because the main ingredients were wax and oil, it stuck to my dish and because it was black with charcoal it was stuck and black. This took another hour. I had to use vinegar, baking soda, coffee grounds, my Norwex spiri sponge ( which is now ruined). Then I put it in the dishwasher. So now between all those things it is mostly clean. So then I had to wash my hands. I looked and felt like a grease monkey and it took forever to get the stuff out of my fingernails. I had to shower to get clean again. 

Finally I was able to apply it and it was so chinky it wouldn't even go on my eye. I even tried adding some saline solution to break it up. Nope! Worst adventure ever. 

I know when I'm defeated, so I ran to The Wedge and bought a tube of 

Zulu Mascara. It's mineral based, natural, organic, and not tested on animals. It was recommended by the staff over other brands. And it was only $14. So far I love it! i will need go back and will definitely not try makin mascara again. Even if I found another recipe, the clean up was too messy to make it worth it. Guess I'll be leaving this one to the professionals. 

Egg carton Snack Dish

Again, those following, I am going on an adventure of going green, which means reducing, reusing, and recycling whenever and wherever possible. So this week I needed some Peanut Butter. So of course, I took my BPA free plastic container to my local co-op ( The Wedge) and ground my own peanut butter! (I don't care how many times I go to the co-op that still amazes me).

I was using it in a recipe and when I ran out of my usual breakfast food this morning I though, peanut butter and apples it is. Only problem was, I had used all of my tiny storage containers, and who really wants to take a tiny bit of peanut butter in a Sandwhich sized container? Not I!

I've tried plastic wrap, wax paper, and Sandwhich bags all in the past, but all were super messy and I only got half of the peanut butter and the rest stuck to wrap. So next plan: egg carton caddy. :)

This was the best thing I have done for my peanut butter. I was worried I was going to get little shreds of carton in my peanut butter, but no such luck. I cut a cup off of the carton, spooned the peanut butter into the cup, and covered it with just a tiny bit of plastic wrap for the next morning.

Result: perfection:)

Yes, the carton did soak up a bit of the oils, but since the carton material is so absorbent, it didn't make a mess. Plus, not of the butter stuck to the side. Definitely doing this again. Plus, It goes into te compost bin, making it even more Eco friendly :) 

Adventures in Green Living: DIY Toothpaste vs. Store Bought

About a month ago I started selling this product line called NORWEX. (I should really post a blog about Norwex, but that will be for another day). In short, Norwex is a line of green (eco-friendly) cleaning products that use the science of microfiber laced with silver ions to clean and anti-bac your home (like I said, i need a whole post about this).

All that to say, the more research I did on Norwex, chemicals in mainstream products, and what that does to your body. The more I realized, wow wouldn't be cool if I could actually go away from all mainstream products and make my own products! So here I am going, as I am running out of my everyday products, going to venture out in old-wives-tales and home-remedies to make my own products. Here goes week 1.

I ran out of toothpaste, and so went to the Internet to research (because clearly the Internet is the most reliable source.) And i found plenty of information and recipes. Here's just a few of the articles I found:
Wellness Mama
DIY Natural
Weed Em and Reep
 However, this seemed to be the post popular, and most copy-catted diy recipe that I found:

Homemade Toothpaste

This recipe called for:

4 Tbs coconut oil

4 Tbs bentonite clay

2-3 Tbs filtered water

1/2 tsp real sea salt

10-15 drops essential oil of choice (I used spearmint)

and a pinch of stevia if desired. 

I followed this recipe, plus added 1/2 tsp of baking soda, because the weed em and reep recipe was similar plus had baking soda. Plus I know that it is a natural whitener, because when I first started drinking coffee in college I received horrible stains on my teeth. Adding baking soda cleared those up fast./

Most of the websites shared information about what each ingredient does and why it is beneficial for the mouth. Again, a whole Internet of bloggers can't be wrong. 

So in the afternoon I whipped my recipe up and I tried it. 

The first thing I noticed is that this is not like store-bought toothpaste. I had to chunk it onto my toothbrush. Plus, it had a weird oily texture due to the coconut oil. But hey, coconut oil is good for you, right. The Internet said that it helps whiten and restore. So I brushed. 

In fact I've been brushing for a week. However, on day 3 I started to notice my mouth was a little sore. I thought, not big deal, maybe it's just my mouth adjusting. I kept brushing. 

By day 5 I had the worst sores in my mouth I had ever seen. I would post a picture, but no kidding, if you google "Cancer of the mouth" or "mouth ulcers" you'll get a pretty good look at what was going on. NOT pretty. I also noticed my teeth turning yellow. What!? What happened to the baking soda. At this point I decided to add a mouth rinse. Hydrogen peroxide is a good mouth rinse, and there's even instructions on how to use it on the back of the bottle. I mixed up a concoction that was put on the back of the bottle. Dilluted in water, plus I added stevia and 25 drops essential oils, peppermint. This seemed to work wonders. I got the freshness I had been missing from my store-bought toothpaste. Plus by day 6 my teeth were white. 

However, on day 6, and now on day 7 I have noticed my mouth ulcers are getting worse. I think it's time to ditch the toothpaste. 

Doing even more internet research, I've noticed there is a lot of controversy on whether brushing with baking soda is actually good for your teeth. If you do it right (like in a store bought paste, or with a store bought paste on occassion) it will work great. However, dangers can be abrasiveness to gums and enamel. Still trying to figure out the mouth ulcer issue, because baking soda is supposed to clear those up. 

In the meantime, going back to my regular store-bought toothpaste, and going to use my rinse to try to heal up my mouth wounds. Hopefully will have more success in round 2 of Adventures in Green Living!

Coconut Lavender Face Wash

It's been a while since I've posted a good ol' diy. However, this week I ran out of face wash and I just love the idea of using all natural products on your skin. So I did some research and adlibbed with some of the ingredients.  However what I came up with has left my skin so soft and clean, I may not go back to store bought wash.

Coconut Lavender exfoliating face wash

1/2 jar coconut oil
3 tbsp raw honey
1 cup raw sugar
5-6 drops lavender essential oils

Place honey in jar with coconut oil. Microwave 30 seconds or until liquid. Add sugar and oil. Stir.

Directions for use: wet face, take a quarter sized amount of wash and scrub over face. Let set for 2-3 minutes. Rinse :) when I get too much I simply rub the rest over my arms and legs for glowing skin all over.

Clean Eating Muffins

Look at these beautiful muffins I made! For real! I had to be up at the butt-crack of dawn this morning, so what better way to kick off the day than muffins I made the night before. I've been trying to take better care of my body by eating more wholesome meals. These muffins, paired with a glass of whole milk and coffee did the trick, and guess what! Gluten free, sugar free! Tasty. They're not as sweet as other muffins, but I feel like some honey drizzled on top could round it out for eaters with a sweet tooth. 

Clean Eating Muffins

1 1/4 cup oatmeal

1 very ripe banana

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

nuts, berries, dried fruit, etc if desired. 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 6-12 muffin cups. (I used 12. Should have used 6!)

2. Place oatmeal in magic bullet and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to mixing bowl and add baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. 

3. Place banana, milk, applesauce, and vanilla in magic bullet. Blend! Add to dry mixture. Combine until all is wet. Add mix-ins until desired (I didn't add any, but I think these would be beautiful with walnuts and dried apricots. )

4. Bake for 12-15 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

5. While pans are still hot, pop the muffins out of the cups and let cool. 

6. Serve warm with hot coffee  <3 Enjoy!

repurposed backpack

A couple summers ago I traveled to Nicaragua and while I was there I picked up a super cut, if not completwly durable backpack. Within the year it was totally buated apart, but whose really gonna get rit of a backpack that they picked up on an adeventure to Latin America? Not me.
So I saved the pieces until I could find away to salvage the remains snd today I did!
Check out the wallet I made thanks to the help of some scrap fabric and grandma's vintage sewing kit :) feeling inspired.  Who knows what else I may sew up this weekend?

Zipper pocket

Unfolds

Second zipper pocket

Pferrneuse

O my gosh! So I love downton abbey yesterday I made some ccookies straight from the mansion. About a week ago Sue came into the bou and said "I've been baking cookies all day, and sweetie, you need to try these."

Pferrneuse
definitely my new favorite cookie.
Spicy with anise and molasses.  Scrumptious i
s how I would describe them.



Ingredients needed to make Pfeffernusse (amount depends on size):

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups flour
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. crushed anise seeds
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
Powdered sugar for dredging (coating)
Steps:

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
Into a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening, molasses, butter, eggs, sugar and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.
In large bowl, whisk the flour and the remaining ingredients, except the powdered sugar, until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until a stiff dough forms.
Chill the dough 1 hour.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out portions of the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Place into the oven and bake 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
Once cooled, dredge (coat) the Pfeffernusse in powdered sugar.

When life gives you lemons, make a face scrub

So I've been doing some reading on things good for your face and skin, and lemons are one of the things I found are beneficial! So today I made a lemon-sugar face scrub and WOW! Softest my face has been since birth. What did I do?

1Tbsp Sugar
1 Slice Lemon
Scrub. Scrub. Scrub. 

Seriously, try it.

And for a little fun, here are 10 fun facts I found on the World Wide Web about the benefits of lemons for your skin:

1. Heal Acne and remove black heads
2. Lighten dark spots and blemishes
3. Help prevent oily skin
4. Soothe chapped lips
5. Natural skin cleanser
6. Helps remove scars
7. Exfoliates
8. Moisturizes
9. Fights Wrinkles
10. Helps fight skin cancer

Farmer's Market Muffins

So Wednesday I went to the farmers market with my roomies! Best investment yet. Apart of my skin cleansing, I know I need to start eating with intentionality. Being mindful. I'm so good at simply eating off the food shelf. However, if I want to care for myself, my body, and my well being, I'm recognizing, being intentional is key. Therefore I went to the farmers market and came home with enough food to maybe not have to shop for the rest of the month. Carrots (lots of carrots). Pumpkin. Kale. Collards. pomegranate. All for under $5. That's what I call a deal. Plus I got some inspiration for imagination. I deciding to make some muffins that could make my skin glow, a boost of nutrition, and tastiness for my tummy. I took these to a community event and they were a hit! Love it when that happens. Enjoy!

Farmer's Market Muffins

1 Cup pumpkin puree (can pumpkin works as well)

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

2 tsp baking soda

3 medium shredded carrots

2 small apples shredded 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease regular-size muffin tins

2. In bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, and spices. Add flours, oats, sugar, and baking soda. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in carrots and apples. Divide batter evenly among cups. 

3. Bake 20-25 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from tins immediately and let cool. Best served warm. (Who doesn't love a warm muffin?) 

Save the Soup!: Day 2: Oatmeal Flax Sweet Potato Pecan Bread

Yum yum! This bread was fantastic! Probably one of the best breads I have ever made. Just replaced the milk in my oatmeal flax bread recipe and voila!

Best Ever Oatmeal Flax Sweet Potato Pecan Harvest Bread (AKA Mouthfull Bread)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 2/3 cup boxed sweet potato soup
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon old-fashioned oats

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x4 loaf pan with cooking spray
2) in large bowl mix flours, brown sugar, 1/2 cup oats, flaxseed, and baking soda. Stir in soup and pecans just until mixed. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon oats.
3) Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan to colling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. 

Home

So the Lord has me on a journey currently, but less of a journey and more of a resting. He has me in a season of not so much adventure, but more meditation, and apart of this is a discovery of what it means to dwell. A dwelling. A place of inhabitants. A home. But what does that word mean. Home. We some times think of a house or that common phrase "home is where the heart is" but my quest is to discover what does home mean.

In this process I'm starting on an art project. One in which  I need a little help. Some voluntary participation. I'm asking people. All people. Friends. Family. Strangers in the community.

"What does home mean to you?"

Then i'm going to compile all the answers into an artistic expression. 

So want to know how you can participate? 

Email your answer to homemeanstome@gmail.com and share with your friends. 

Can't wait to see your answers. Love Ya!

Looks like Heaven, Tastes like Health Food

So last night I made these cookies and they look good. They look so so awesome and myself, along with all my roommates liked them. One problem: I probably shouldn't try feeding them to my brother, my boyfriend, or anyone that really is expecting an oatmeal raisin cookie. I mean, you think I would have known when I was subbing out white beans for flour, applesauce for butter, flax seed for eggs, and honey for sugar. But hey! give a girl a break. These are loaded with fiber and are sure to be good for your digestive tract.

White Bean Cookies
1 cup white beans
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
2 tbs flax seed
1/3 cup water
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 min. Enjoy warm.

Cup o' Community

So I'm apart of this community called Source. Apart of this community is gathering together for weekly meals, a part of "doing life together" (excuse the buzz words). We meet every Wednesday to eat fabulous food cooked by the same lady. This lady is a fantastic cook. Middle-aged, decked out in tattoos, piercings, and plugs. She whips ups salsbury steak, tacos, hot dish. Anything you would enjoy at a home cooked meal and serves the community. This lady works to feed an army. She works hard and this is not all she does. On Fridays she coordinates the community food shelf. She feeds the whole neighborhood and thus is kind of the lifeblood of our little community. She's so essential. 

Coincidentally, the "Bou" has a series of cups right night that talk feature saying about what makes life worth while. One says "Life is rubbing elbows at the community table." How can I not think of my community and the hard work coming from the hands that prepare our meals? Hence, I decided to gift this cup. I know. I know. That sounds trashy at first glance. I mean, really? Gifting a disposable coffee cup? But actually it turned out really cool. Guess who figured out how to bake banana bread into a coffee cup. This Chick!

Yeah! So check it out, and see what our fabulous chef will be receiving as soon as I see her. 

Banana Bread ala Bou. 

Instructions: Make banana bread. Spoon into Cup about half-way full. Bake at 350 for 30-45 min. Let Cool. Wrap. And Gift!

Life is what you make it. 

I made banana bread for the lady that makes my meals. :)

Happy Anniversary

Mom and Dad under the Banner my
sister created

 Wednesday is my Parents' Happy Big 25th Anniversary. A rarity today's day and age, and a huge, blessed occasion for my family. In honor of this, my sister and I, as well as the church family put our heads together to celebrate.  Western themed to pay tribute to our Montanan Roots, we enjoyed a day food, friendship, and faithfulness. Love you Mom and Dad.

Buffet life of pulled BBQ Turkey Sandwhiches,
Calico Beans,Potato Salad,Potato Chips, Fruit Salad,
and Jello Salad. Yum!

Dishin' Up!

Cowboy Hat Cookies for Dessert!

Centerpiece: Daisy's, Jars of Grains, Bucket o' Peanuts, Candle,
and Mason Jar to Catch Peanut Shells.

Cards and Gifts Table. My siblings and I got them some matching
mugs, and a 1/2 lb of Caribou Coffee to enjoy on their 2nd
Honeymoon to Duluth!

The church family enjoying the feast. 

6 Days!

Avocado-Blue Cheese Flat Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 Tbs shortening

2/3 cup water

1 Mashed avocado

1 Tbs crushed red pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 red pepper

1 Caramelized onion

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, shortening, and water to form crust and then pat in greased pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix avocado, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Take crust out of oven and spread avocado mixture over crust. Add thinly sliced red pepper, onion and blue cheese. Bake for 30 min. Enjoy!

Overall, the boyfriend gave it a 5 star rating. I'd say it was a little rich. May have instead used feta instead of blue cheese to give it a lighter flavor. Also, maybe would have used more of a pizza-ish crust. This crust was a little more like a pie or quiche. Next time, since the boyfriend loves (and I mean LOVES) blue cheese, I may trade out buffalo sauce for the avocado, and replace the red pepper for chicken for a buffalo-chicken flat bread. Thoughts?

Embroidered Beauty

Before

Rain Rain Go Away!

 Again, raise your hand (or comment, or like this post) if you think this girl needs to start a blog. This is my brother's girl friend and earlier this year I featured some Food Art she'd been displaying all over her Facebook Page.
And looks like she did it again. I don't know if I can take all the craftiness inside this girl. Super cute. She needs to start offering up some tutorials on this cuteness she's producing. Love It! Follow here on Instagram here: http://instagram.com/CHRISTY_OGAARD

Tea time

Before

Letter for the Boyfriend (That's my brother)

Flowers in Spring

Food Art

Lately a lot of the blogs I follow have been showcasing guest blogs (referencing someone else's blog on your own blog). Today, I'm not going to have a guest blog. However, I am going to introduce you all to someone who should start a blog.

This is my brother's girlfriend, Christy, and although she does not have a blog, she totally should with all of this cute food art she makes. Check this out and leave a comment if you totally agree she should start blogging.

Valentine's Day Love Birds

St. Patrick's Day Rainbow

Coffee

Pumpkin Cake Before

Pumpkin Cake After

Cute Cupcakes Before

Cute Cupcakes After

Fishy!

Brer Rabbit

Summertime!

Love

Coo Coo Clock

Lemony Tea Cake

Lean Mean and Green!

Choo Choo