I've been asked to share recipes and discoveries for natural products
that I use. I'll try to start here and see what comes to mind. First of
all, as I have been recently asked so it is fresh on my mind, is hair
color.
I stopped using any hair color other than my own
creations about a year ago. For years, I highlighted and colored in a
salon. Then when money was tight as a stay at home mom, I started buying
the boxed colors, from there to a beauty supply store to mix my own,
and then as I started my journey to natural products, to the boxed
natural colors at a local market or from Amazon. Frustrated and tired of
coloring last year, mainly now to cover those pesky grays, I stopped. I
even used natural products to begin stripping the added colors from my
hair until I could see what it actually looked like. Horrors!! Then I
began to research natural ways to color and cover. There are so many
sites out there that offer suggestions and how-tos! My two favorites are http://wellnessmama.com/5112/natural-hair-color-recipes/ and http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-herbal-hair-dye/
So from there, I began to try all sorts of combinations and here is where I have settled for about the last 6 months:
8 oz aloe vera gel
1 Tb Henna powder
2-3 drops olive oil
1-2 Tb each Dried calendula and chamomile
1
Tb black tea, either loose leaf or empty 1 small tea bag (this step is
optional, as it makes the blend darker but olive oil and chamomile
lighten)
Water
I empty half of the bottle of
aloe into another bottle (I usually save the empties and split the
bottle). The I put the henna powder, olive oil, herbs and tea into the
half full bottle. I add water to fill 3/4 full, cap and shake. Then I
place the bottle in my cabinet and leave for a week to "steep" the
colors together, or longer until I am ready to use it. I strain out the
additives and keep the colored aloe gel in a squirt bottle, using as
needed about every 4 weeks, to stain my hair. Leave in approximately 30
minutes. I take a detox bath or clean my bathroom while it is on my
hair. The amount needed depends on the length of your hair and the
amount of gray. Once stained, it makes the gray appear as golden
highlights. I also keep some of the same in a bottle to apply topically
here and there for a boost if needed. To keep the color from being
stripped, use homemade, natural shampoos, or even better, no-poo
recipes. Baking soda or vinegar tend to strip faster so minimize the use
of these healthy no-poo recipes. My recipes for those to come later.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Non-Microwave Popcorn - Buttered or Caramel
One of our favorite snacks is popcorn. I love caramel popcorn. To make a more healthy popcorn, I no longer use my microwave. This article by DIY Natural tells of the dangers of microwave popcorn: Microwave Popcorn Dangers.
Instead of the microwave, you can make stove top popcorn. I use the Great Northern Popcorn Popper. It's a stainless steel, stove top popper that makes the best popcorn ever! One of our favorites is caramel popcorn. I'll share my recipe:
1/2 to 3/4 cup popcorn kernels (I like Bob's Red Mill Popcorn)
1 TB oil (olive, safflower or coconut)
1 TB butter (real butter)
1 tsp salt
Pop corn kernels in the popper following directions for the popper. Or use the stove top method by putting it in a deep pan or dutch over, covering with a lid, and shaking gently side to side on the burner as it pops. To serve as simply buttered and salted, you are done. To serve as caramel, lightly grease a deep bowl and pour the popcorn in (to keep the caramel from sticking). Then prepare the topping.
Caramel topping
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar (organic cane or coconut palm sugar)
1 tsp butter
pinch of salt
1/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter or coconut butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
Put honey, sugar butter and salt in a small saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring occassionally. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down a little and let it continue to boil for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat once more and stir in peanut butter or substitute. Once that is thoroughly incorporated, remove from heat. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla once removed from heat. Pour gently over the popcorn, stirring as you go, to coat. Serve and enjoy!
Instead of the microwave, you can make stove top popcorn. I use the Great Northern Popcorn Popper. It's a stainless steel, stove top popper that makes the best popcorn ever! One of our favorites is caramel popcorn. I'll share my recipe:
1/2 to 3/4 cup popcorn kernels (I like Bob's Red Mill Popcorn)
1 TB oil (olive, safflower or coconut)
1 TB butter (real butter)
1 tsp salt
Pop corn kernels in the popper following directions for the popper. Or use the stove top method by putting it in a deep pan or dutch over, covering with a lid, and shaking gently side to side on the burner as it pops. To serve as simply buttered and salted, you are done. To serve as caramel, lightly grease a deep bowl and pour the popcorn in (to keep the caramel from sticking). Then prepare the topping.
Caramel topping
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar (organic cane or coconut palm sugar)
1 tsp butter
pinch of salt
1/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter or coconut butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
Put honey, sugar butter and salt in a small saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring occassionally. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down a little and let it continue to boil for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat once more and stir in peanut butter or substitute. Once that is thoroughly incorporated, remove from heat. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla once removed from heat. Pour gently over the popcorn, stirring as you go, to coat. Serve and enjoy!
Friday, September 12, 2014
Nourish Meant
My mind keeps wandering to this subject and I cannot stop pondering it, so I thought I would share it. Recently, I have read of several healthy diet plans, not as in to lose weight for a goal but to eat more healthy, resulting in weight loss and better overall health. However, these healthy eating plans required giving up things like grains, legumes, dairy or sugars, even natural ones. Here is where my gears start turning.....
In the Bible, in the very beginning, God created a garden with all that Adam and Eve would need to live and be healthy and happy. In that garden were fruits, with natural sugars, as well as nectars. There were nuts, berries, vegetables, including legumes, and even grains. God said it was all good. He put it there, so it had to be good! So why would we now say those are not good?
Fast forward a bit, after the fall, after Adam and Eve leaving the garden, into the Old Testament. Abel brought to God an offering of the first fruits of the ground. There was the lentil stew and bread that Jacob prepared. Grain and bread offerings were made in the temple, and breads were consumed with and without leaven as directed by God. Grains were important enough to their diet that God instructed the corners of the fields to be left for the poor. Leviticus 19:9 "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest." Apparently, grains were a source of not only business but also nourishment. When God spoke of the Promised Land, He promised a land flowing with what? Milk and honey. While that has more meaning than the literal "milk and honey," milk and honey refer to sustenance, of which God was their provision. Milk and honey were also something they would know as part of their diet. Now, I realize that the Old Testament lived under the law, but even Jesus fed and broke bread with the people in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, Jesus fed crowds with fish and loaves of bread, which God had blessed abundantly enough to share. Jesus used fields and crops, including grains, in his parables. He broke bread with his disciples and referred to Himself as the Bread of Life. I have read and heard arguments for and against all of these facts as reasons to and not to eat bread, or other foods, and what the Bible ordains as good to eat and not good to eat. The fact remains that God gave us all of these things to eat and if they were important enough to Him to include in the very beginning, and important enough for Him to include in His laws, and again important enough for Jesus to use, then they must be important for life. Oh, but Jesus also referred to the wine as His blood, so alcohol must be okay, right? No. The wine of those days were not the drinks of today, but fermented fruits, which contained vitamins and probiotics, both necessary and beneficial for good health. They help cleanse and purify the body, improve digestion and enhance immunity. Perhaps Jesus was saying that by His blood we are cleansed, purified and made immune to the ways of this world. Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)
Here's where I will admit that the grains of those days are not the grains of today, nor are the sugars, dairy products, fruits or veggies. Here is where man has messed up. Our food is processed, modified, treated, and mass produced. The grains that we get in the store such as breads, crackers, chips, cookies, and so on, even those that say they are healthy, are not "real" grains. You are getting a watered down version with little nutritional value. So they then become carbs that your body converts to sugars. The sugars are so refined that there is little nutritional value, and then people switch to artificial sweeteners which are nothing more than a chemical process to taste like sweetener. There are other ways, such as fresh-made breads instead of store bought, milled grains instead of bags of flour that have been sitting on the shelf and in the warehouse, farm produce instead of grocery store, farm meats and dairies instead of store bought, and real fats instead of manufactured ones. Use as close to natural sugars as you can, like pure stevia, or syrups like agave, maple or molasses, honey or coconut sugars. And lastly, exercise. In the Biblical days, people walked everywhere and worked with their hands instead of riding in cars or sitting at desks. So make sure to get out, work in the yard, stroll the neighborhood, play some ball, play with the kids or the dog, jump on the trampoline, and absorb some natural Vitamin D and fresh air! The Bible is our handbook for living, and God's Word is always right and true. If we live by it in all that we do, and listen to what He speaks to each of us individually, we will find life abundantly. Nourish yourself, body and soul, with God's Word.
In the Bible, in the very beginning, God created a garden with all that Adam and Eve would need to live and be healthy and happy. In that garden were fruits, with natural sugars, as well as nectars. There were nuts, berries, vegetables, including legumes, and even grains. God said it was all good. He put it there, so it had to be good! So why would we now say those are not good?
Fast forward a bit, after the fall, after Adam and Eve leaving the garden, into the Old Testament. Abel brought to God an offering of the first fruits of the ground. There was the lentil stew and bread that Jacob prepared. Grain and bread offerings were made in the temple, and breads were consumed with and without leaven as directed by God. Grains were important enough to their diet that God instructed the corners of the fields to be left for the poor. Leviticus 19:9 "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest." Apparently, grains were a source of not only business but also nourishment. When God spoke of the Promised Land, He promised a land flowing with what? Milk and honey. While that has more meaning than the literal "milk and honey," milk and honey refer to sustenance, of which God was their provision. Milk and honey were also something they would know as part of their diet. Now, I realize that the Old Testament lived under the law, but even Jesus fed and broke bread with the people in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, Jesus fed crowds with fish and loaves of bread, which God had blessed abundantly enough to share. Jesus used fields and crops, including grains, in his parables. He broke bread with his disciples and referred to Himself as the Bread of Life. I have read and heard arguments for and against all of these facts as reasons to and not to eat bread, or other foods, and what the Bible ordains as good to eat and not good to eat. The fact remains that God gave us all of these things to eat and if they were important enough to Him to include in the very beginning, and important enough for Him to include in His laws, and again important enough for Jesus to use, then they must be important for life. Oh, but Jesus also referred to the wine as His blood, so alcohol must be okay, right? No. The wine of those days were not the drinks of today, but fermented fruits, which contained vitamins and probiotics, both necessary and beneficial for good health. They help cleanse and purify the body, improve digestion and enhance immunity. Perhaps Jesus was saying that by His blood we are cleansed, purified and made immune to the ways of this world. Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)
Here's where I will admit that the grains of those days are not the grains of today, nor are the sugars, dairy products, fruits or veggies. Here is where man has messed up. Our food is processed, modified, treated, and mass produced. The grains that we get in the store such as breads, crackers, chips, cookies, and so on, even those that say they are healthy, are not "real" grains. You are getting a watered down version with little nutritional value. So they then become carbs that your body converts to sugars. The sugars are so refined that there is little nutritional value, and then people switch to artificial sweeteners which are nothing more than a chemical process to taste like sweetener. There are other ways, such as fresh-made breads instead of store bought, milled grains instead of bags of flour that have been sitting on the shelf and in the warehouse, farm produce instead of grocery store, farm meats and dairies instead of store bought, and real fats instead of manufactured ones. Use as close to natural sugars as you can, like pure stevia, or syrups like agave, maple or molasses, honey or coconut sugars. And lastly, exercise. In the Biblical days, people walked everywhere and worked with their hands instead of riding in cars or sitting at desks. So make sure to get out, work in the yard, stroll the neighborhood, play some ball, play with the kids or the dog, jump on the trampoline, and absorb some natural Vitamin D and fresh air! The Bible is our handbook for living, and God's Word is always right and true. If we live by it in all that we do, and listen to what He speaks to each of us individually, we will find life abundantly. Nourish yourself, body and soul, with God's Word.
Interestingly, as I finished this up, my daily Bible verse arrived in my email from Daily Manna:
Deuteronomy 28:11-13
The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Letting it go was God's idea
How have we become a world where everything is supposed to be fair? Where did this start? No one should be left out; no one should get their feelings hurt; no one should lose. Everyone deserves something; everyone needs a part; everyone wins; everyone should be happy. What are we passing on to our children when we teach these concepts in sports, social activities, church, school, or even at home? What ever happened to "good job; congratulations" or "nice try; maybe next time" accompanied by a pat on the back? What ever happened to considering the other side's point of view or letting by-gones be by-gones? Everything does not need to be made right for our children because later in life, in adulthood, life is full of hard knocks, and you need to learn early on how to take a few.
When I was growing up, we learned to deal with the good and the bad of life. There were winners and losers, name-calling and cliques. There were even fist fights at school! But once all was said and done, whether you felt justified or condemned, vindicated or incriminated, accepted or ignored, you learned to accept it as life. You learned to find and be the you that God created you to be. Even sports reflected the ups and downs of life. If your team won, you were the winners. The other team lost and, yes, they were the losers. One side learned to be gracious winners and the other side good losers. When the day came that the opposite occurred, all had learned how to be good sports. In socialization, when someone hurt your feelings or said something unkind, you talked to your parents about it, you had friends who didn't care what others said, and your self worth was not damaged. You even learned to pray for those who hurt you and forgive! Then you moved on and did not need to have someone make it right for you. If you did not fit into a group, you learned that you could not make that change unless you wanted to act as someone you were not. You also learned that being who you were had more worth than fitting into that group. If there was something major going on, all parties and their parents were in the same room at the same time so that the matter could be discussed and handled right then and that was the end of it. If correction was needed, it was doled out there and followed up by the parents at home. By the time it was all washed out, everyone felt better -- maybe not happy, but better. Teachers kept it to themselves; parents did not gossip; drama did not ensue. Rumors only were spread by those who speculated but had no proof, because those involved had settled it and moved on. Even in the classroom, if you did not follow instructions or received a bad grade, you worked harder the next time to put your best effort forward. The burden was not shifted to anyone but you; yet even at that, we were taught to accept that life is not always fair if things did not go the way we thought they should have.
Today, it seems that life has become about keeping everyone satisfied, even so far as keeping everyone happy. Let's face it - Jesus said that we would face trials in this world. He never said we always get our way or that life is always going to be just right. He told us to turn the other cheek as much as it took and let God handle the rest because revenge was not ours to take. This world is an imperfect place filled with imperfect people, and imperfect people do imperfect things. We have to learn early on to face those facts, handle what comes our way, and live our lives without the need for our own gratification. We will never find that in this lifetime except when we mold our minds, hearts and lives to that of Christ. God's love should be enough for us no matter what people do or say. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2. No, it does not say to concern yourself with renewing another person's mind -- renewing your mind. How? By weighing everything according to scripture and by prayer. You know that saying that everything happens for a reason? It has a good source: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28. Even the losing, getting your feelings hurt, being left out, or whatever bad thing comes down the pike, right into the trials of adulthood, God has a plan that will use all of it for good. It does not say for the good of teaching the other person a lesson, for getting your way, for making us happy or that life will be perfect. The scripture say for God's purpose. We are not in charge of our own happiness but as God measures happiness to us, even if that means first accepting unhappiness and then seeking His happy place in the midst of whatever happens. Our lives, the ups and downs of it all, are all for the glory of Christ.
When I was growing up, we learned to deal with the good and the bad of life. There were winners and losers, name-calling and cliques. There were even fist fights at school! But once all was said and done, whether you felt justified or condemned, vindicated or incriminated, accepted or ignored, you learned to accept it as life. You learned to find and be the you that God created you to be. Even sports reflected the ups and downs of life. If your team won, you were the winners. The other team lost and, yes, they were the losers. One side learned to be gracious winners and the other side good losers. When the day came that the opposite occurred, all had learned how to be good sports. In socialization, when someone hurt your feelings or said something unkind, you talked to your parents about it, you had friends who didn't care what others said, and your self worth was not damaged. You even learned to pray for those who hurt you and forgive! Then you moved on and did not need to have someone make it right for you. If you did not fit into a group, you learned that you could not make that change unless you wanted to act as someone you were not. You also learned that being who you were had more worth than fitting into that group. If there was something major going on, all parties and their parents were in the same room at the same time so that the matter could be discussed and handled right then and that was the end of it. If correction was needed, it was doled out there and followed up by the parents at home. By the time it was all washed out, everyone felt better -- maybe not happy, but better. Teachers kept it to themselves; parents did not gossip; drama did not ensue. Rumors only were spread by those who speculated but had no proof, because those involved had settled it and moved on. Even in the classroom, if you did not follow instructions or received a bad grade, you worked harder the next time to put your best effort forward. The burden was not shifted to anyone but you; yet even at that, we were taught to accept that life is not always fair if things did not go the way we thought they should have.
Today, it seems that life has become about keeping everyone satisfied, even so far as keeping everyone happy. Let's face it - Jesus said that we would face trials in this world. He never said we always get our way or that life is always going to be just right. He told us to turn the other cheek as much as it took and let God handle the rest because revenge was not ours to take. This world is an imperfect place filled with imperfect people, and imperfect people do imperfect things. We have to learn early on to face those facts, handle what comes our way, and live our lives without the need for our own gratification. We will never find that in this lifetime except when we mold our minds, hearts and lives to that of Christ. God's love should be enough for us no matter what people do or say. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2. No, it does not say to concern yourself with renewing another person's mind -- renewing your mind. How? By weighing everything according to scripture and by prayer. You know that saying that everything happens for a reason? It has a good source: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28. Even the losing, getting your feelings hurt, being left out, or whatever bad thing comes down the pike, right into the trials of adulthood, God has a plan that will use all of it for good. It does not say for the good of teaching the other person a lesson, for getting your way, for making us happy or that life will be perfect. The scripture say for God's purpose. We are not in charge of our own happiness but as God measures happiness to us, even if that means first accepting unhappiness and then seeking His happy place in the midst of whatever happens. Our lives, the ups and downs of it all, are all for the glory of Christ.
Monday, June 30, 2014
A start....Create and Renew
People tell me that I should write and/or blog. I'm giving this a try. I've stepped away from Facebook a bit, but I do still like to share thoughts and happenings with family and friends. I have written and published some in the world of freelance in the past, but I just haven't devoted time to it since becoming a mom and then a homeschooling mom. We'll see how this goes and where it leads.
You might notice my blog name and wonder. It's one of my favorite scriptures and one I try to start every day out with: Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." Steadfast - that word grabs me. To be unwavering, resolute, firm. I want my life to be that - a clean heart, free from dirt and contamination, and an unwavering spirit with a mind on the will of God and a heart of Christ. None of these can I accomplish on my own but by faith and the Holy Spirit's guidance. It is something that needs renewing as I face each day, and something that needs examining as I close each day. I'm sure I have a score card where my enormous failures outweigh my itty-bitty successes, but I am going to keep trying!
You might notice my blog name and wonder. It's one of my favorite scriptures and one I try to start every day out with: Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." Steadfast - that word grabs me. To be unwavering, resolute, firm. I want my life to be that - a clean heart, free from dirt and contamination, and an unwavering spirit with a mind on the will of God and a heart of Christ. None of these can I accomplish on my own but by faith and the Holy Spirit's guidance. It is something that needs renewing as I face each day, and something that needs examining as I close each day. I'm sure I have a score card where my enormous failures outweigh my itty-bitty successes, but I am going to keep trying!
A Walk with a View
Sometimes, life is sort of like walking in a beautiful pasture, admiring God’s beauty all around you, getting all wrapped up in the sunshine, the green grass, the sounds, the breezes, and the critters so amazing as they scurry or mosey or flit here and there. Then suddenly, you realize that you just stepped in a pile of poo. Your focus abruptly changes from peace and joy to discontent. Are your eyes on God anymore? Well, if you are a master at keeping your eyes on Jesus, then yes, you will realize that poo is a part of life. You will shake it off and move on. However, it takes a lot of piles of poo and a lot of practice to become so focused, to be able to brush off the discontent and revel in the joy despite the poo. Usually, the closer you are growing to Him, the more poo you find in your path. You cannot avoid the poo. Will you begin to let your walk center more on where the next pile of poo may be? How does that affect your walk? You can learn to watch your steps while you keep your eyes on Him, so that when you do step in the inevitable poo, the beauty of your walk is not spoiled. Maybe even consider kicking off your shoes and walking barefoot...I'm thinking that one over....may as well. The poo sticks whether you have on your best shoes or you walk in your bare feet! Just bathe yourself in Jesus' love and the poo doesn't matter anymore.
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