HOW-TO-TUESDAY: recipe makeover

Who doesn't LOVE brownies?  Chocolate-y, crumbly outside, chewy-ewwie-gooey inside.... and so-so sinfully decadent.... I mean, full of calories.

So, how can you have your favourite chocolate snack and NOT feel guilty after?  Easy.  Makeover your recipe.

With a few small changes you can cut the calorie count considerably and still get the fix you were looking for.

Today, I'm going to show you how I made over this recipe, from BAKER'S Chocolate and Kraft Canada.  The original recipe calls for a large amount of both butter and sugar.  By cutting these two ingredients down and adding one other thing, you can save yourself from indiscretion.

Here we go.
Julie's Skinny-ish Brownies

You'll need:
4 squares Baker's Semi-sweet Chocolate
1 tbsp Becel Salt-Free Margarine
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1 ripe mashed banana (or 1 Motts snack cup unsweetened applesauce)
3 whole eggs (or 1 whole and 4 egg whites if you have cholesterol issues)
1tsp vanilla
1 cup flour (white, whole wheat or nutri-blend)

Melt chocolate and margarine in microwave for 1-2 minutes, stir til chocolate is free from lumps.  Add eggs, vanilla and banana and mix well.  Add flour and stir til combined.  If you're not totally counting every calorie, fold in a bunch of chocolate chips too, maybe about a half cup ;)

Pour into a 13x9 greased foil-lined baking dish.  Bake for 25-35 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Test the brownie to make sure they're done by inserting a knife or toothpick.... you know the drill.

They should resemble something like this....

Judging by the 'oohs and ahs' I got from the family, I'd say they were a hit.  The banana adds a bit of flavour that melds well with the chocolate and gives that extra hit of sweetness.  Hope you like them too!

Have a fantastically fudge-y day  ;)

COUNTDOWN: four

4 shopping days left!!!!

We're getting down to the wire, and I am pleased to say that I am 99.9% complete.... just a couple of last minute stocking stuffers.... and of course, the groceries....

So, with just 4 shopping days left, what is an easy, do-it-yourself gift that's sure to please?

Homemade Foot Scrub! 

After being on your feet for those long and hectic shopping days, what could be more inviting than a warm soak and relaxing scrub?  Sounds like heaven to me!

Here's a recipe for a foot scrub that uses ingredients you probably already have in your cupboards....

1/4 cup oatmeal (ground or not)
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons brown sugar or course sea salt
a couple drops of essential oil (your choice)

Mix together all ingredients and place them into a nice jar or container.
Add a tag with instructions: add enough water to make a semi-thick paste, soak feet in warm water for 5 minutes then apply paste to feet and massage for 10 minutes each foot; rinse with warm water; dry feet then apply a thick lotion; wear socks to help with absorption of lotion.

A nice little treat for your feet!

Have a great day!  Happy Shopping  ;)

COUNTDOWN: eight

Only EIGHT.... count 'em, EIGHT, shopping days left! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7.... ummmm, 8!

For the young people in your life...  There's nothing better than rolling, squishing, and molding play dough.  It's a fantastic material that sparks creativity in children and adults alike.... AND!  Bonus.... is so very simple to make big batches yourself!

Another project pulled from 3 monkeys archives....

Snowflake Play Dough,
first posted here in winter 2009....

Sorry for the poor quality photo; but, it's hard to capture sparkles :P

In a large bowl combine:
2 cups white flour
1 cup table salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar (what else do you use this strange stuff for????)
1 tube of white, pink or light blue opalescent glitter (I used about a 1/4 of a cup, but certainly use your own discretion for this part)

In another bowl/measuring cup/or some sort of liquid holding vessel, combine:
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon of oil

Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix well. Depending on what it feels like after all of your ingredients are mixed, you may need to add more flour if too smushy or more oil of too dry. Once it has cooled enough to hold, kneed it together until it feels smooth. Then package it in freezer bags or wrap it in plastic wrap. VOILA! Pretty sparkly "Snowflake" Play Dough.

Alternatively; you can omit the glitter(or not) and add liquid food colouring (with the liquids, of course), or two packages of kool-aid (for colour) to the dry ingredients. I use neon liquid food colouring and it makes very vibrant coloured play dough (and hands while making it)... the kool-aid makes nice pastelly colours with a great smell. For very intense colours, you can try sourcing out powdered food colouring. If there is a cake decorator in your area, they may be able to hook you up with powdered/paste food colouring sources.

Package this together with a short, thick dowel that can be used as a rolling pin, a bunch of fun cookie cutters and wooden craft sticks to use as knives to cut the dough.

Super easy gift that is sure to please!

Have a lovely day....   ;)

COUNTDOWN: nine

Nine days left til Christmas!

Baking!  Baking!  Baking!

Bake your recipient their favourite treat.  It's personal.  It's delicious.  And you know it will be very much appreciated.

Here's a quick little recipe for shortbread.... quick little story:  I had never made shortbread before last week.  For some reason, I always thought it was too finicky to make.  But, in my pursuit to please my guy, I decided to dive in.... and now I'm left feeling rather silly for thinking it was so difficult.  Seriously, 5 ingredients and you have one of the lightest cookies with just the perfect hint of sweetness and buttery-ness (yeah... it's a word)....

You'll need:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup extra fine sugar (you can use regular granulated, you may just get a little crunch)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Whip the butter for 5-10 minutes, yes, that long... please use a hand blender or a stand mixer and save your arms....  Whip, whip, whip!

Add the sugar.... mix, mix, mix for 5-10 minutes more....

Add your yolk and extract.... whip for another 5-10.... oh, my aching arm!

Then do 3 to 4 additions of the flour, using your trusty hand blender for a few minutes between each addition.  By this time, your arm should feel like it's suffered some kind of ancient body stretching torture.... that's when you know you've beaten it enough!

No need to complicate things here, roll into 1 inch balls, throw them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and squish them down with a fork, bottom of a glass or anything close by.  You're looking to flatten them to about 1/4" thickness.... Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven til the edges are just getting lightly browned.  Again, people, I cannot give you an exact time as ALL ovens vary.... mine runs a little on the hot side, so my cookies are generally finished 4-6 minutes before suggested bake times.  For example, these cookies for me, are ready to take out around 8 to 9 minutes.  Use your judgement, and keep a close eye :)

When all is said and done.... package these little morsels of melt-y marvellous-ness in a unique way.... the thought and effort will be welcomed and enjoyed!

Have a fantastic Thursday folks!  ;)

Cranberry yummy....

I spent my Sunday morning making super delicious pumpkin spice pancakes for the monkeys.... Sunday's are always pancake breakfasts.... I; however, generally still have my same old boring oatmeal.... somehow my day seems not quite right if I don't have it, weird huh?

Anyhow, I used this recipe for the pancakes, that I found pinned all over Pinterest.... and judging by all the "Mmmm's" coming from my breakfast table, I'm guessing they are everything they say, and more!

Then, being inspired by the vintage jars I brought home Saturday, I decided to do some canning.... cranberry sauce to be exact.  I picked up 2 bags of cranberries last week when I was grocery shopping.... I love cranberry sauce, and it's so much better homemade.... but, since I'm the only one in my house who likes it, much of what I make goes to waste.  So, I decided to do some preserving in small jars....

Here's my recipe for cranberry sauce:

You'll need:

1 bag of cranberries (I use ocean spray)
1 cup orange juice (with or without pulp)2/3 to 1 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 to 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(optional) grated rind from one orange

Mix juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a saucepan, heat to boiling.  Once liquid is boiling, add the cranberries and grated orange rind.  Lower heat to medium and allow cranberries to simmer roughly 10 minutes.  You'll hear the cranberries popping as they heat and the liquid will begin to thicken.  You can mash the cranberries is you wish or leave them, just depends on the texture you want.

This makes just over 2 cups of sauce.  Sauce cooled to room temperature can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for 6 months.  If you want to preserve it, you'll need a hot water canner, sterile jars with lids and rings, funnel, jar lifter.  Make sure hot sauce goes into warmed jars, wipe jar rims and seal leaving at least 1cm. head space, process in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes (remember:  hot jars go into the canner with warm water).  Remove being careful not to jostle jars about and let rest til cooled.  Store in a cool, dark place.

And there you have it!  Yummy cranberry sauce ready to enjoy whenever you like, or to give as gifts!  The bigger vintage jar and the half full jar went straight to the fridge for our upcoming belated Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws, who will be arriving this coming Wednesday....

Have a great Monday everyone ;)

Yummy, I hope....

So, I've always loved the idea of canning my own food. In the past I've done some preserving; like freezer jams, apple butter, apple sauce, strawberries (frozen).... Well, yesterday, we took a trip to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market with some friends.... I love St. Jacobs and the market. It's a cute little town full of little shops surrounded by a very large Mennonite population, and the market is the largest I have ever been to. It's a feast not only for the eyes, but every other sense as well.

My kids love checking out all of the booths; food, craft, and everything else in between.

Anyhow, I've always wanted to try pickling beans.... Hot, spicy beans. I purchased some beautiful yellow beans for $3.... TONS of beans.... ok, so not TONS; but enough to do 2 quart jars. I just kind of winged the recipe. You know; 1 part vinegar, 1 part water, salt, peppercorns, hot chilis, LOTS of garlic and a sprig of dill in each jar, processing.

And, voila! Check it out!


If nothing else, they sure are purdy! I'll know in 3 weeks if I've got a winner or a flub.... Mr. Monkey is not totally convinced that my 'winging it' will pan out. Ahhhh, recipe-shmecipe, who needs one.... Ummm, maybe I should hold that thought for about 3 weeks....

Have a great day everyone ;)

Mac 'n cheese monday....

I know my kids love this stuff, and I have to admit that I do too.

I grew up as the third child of four, to a single mother. We didn't have a ton of money to spend on food. My mom always made us meals that we could afford, meals that would stretch over a couple of days, and more importantly, meals that would fill our bellies.

Needless to say; Kraft Dinner was not a staple in our home.... if fact, I don't think I even tried it until I was in my teen years. And boy, let me tell you, my first taste was like a flavour explosion in my mouth. It wasn't until I was older that I realized the amazing taste came from the high salt content, the over-processed white noodles, and the powdered 'real' cheese flavour. Flavour - there's a word you can find on many boxed food labels that really doesn't explain what you're ingesting at all. It's somewhat of a mystery... someone asks, "Mmmm. what's that I'm tasting?". The reply, "Oh that? That's the FLAVOUR." See, mysterious.

Aaaanyway, I do buy KD for my kids as a treat, like once a month.... and honestly, I also eat a tiny little bowl of it too :P .... But, that's what it is for us, a treat.... something we indulge in once in a while. I would never consider it a staple when there are so many better, healthier alternatives.... say, Mac 'n cheese from scratch? So easy to make, and my kids even comment that they enjoy it more than the fakey-fake stuff.

So, without further adieu.... Here's my version of Mac 'n Cheese, enjoy :P

1 2/3 cups dry, whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons flour (I use nutri-blend)
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (or prepared if that's what you have)
1/2 to 1 teaspoons chili powder
Few grinds of fresh black pepper
1 cup half and half
1 cup fat free milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2-1/2 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar and monterey jack)

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat, as butter is melting add in flour and mustard and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in cream and milk so that no lumps form. Once combined you can add in salt, pepper and chili powder. Bring mixture to a near boil then reduce and simmer til thickened. Do not scrape the bottom of the pot with your whisk. The milk will form a coating on the bottom of the pot to protect the sauce from scalding and you don't want any of this burnt tasting guck in your sauce, bleck! Once you've achieved a thickened sauce, remove from heat and add your cheeses, stir to blend. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't seem thick enough, it will continue to thicken, and the gluten in the noodles will also thicken it further.

Butter a 2 quart oven-safe dish, add your cooked noodles and pour your cheese sauce over. I like to crush breton crackers over top then bake in a 350 degree oven till they brown; but that is totally optional. You can eat your mac 'n cheese after you mix in your sauce; or you can top it with more cheese then bake to melt the cheese; you can freeze it for another day.... possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Hope you like it! Have a great day all ;)

Unexpectedly delish....

Like all mom's, I'm always on the lookout for different ways of incorporating new (or weird, as my kids would say) veggies into our diet. The beet love has been a slow and almost agonizing sell; but, they will eat them oven roasted along with sweet potatoes and parsnips... a small victory for any mom, I say. And, being a person who loves colour; beets win me over in the veggie aisle. every. time.

So when I came across this Beet Root Pesto recipe over at Design Sponge (an amazing home dec blog, check her out!) I jumped in with both feet. I always have beets on hand for roasting with whatever main dish I've made.... roasted veggies should be a staple in anyone's meal plan just for the sheer ease of preparation - no thinking, just washing, chopping and roasting - little prep for loads of flavour - easy peasy lemon squeezy!

So what d'ya think of this yummy looking snack?


I can tell you with all honesty, my taste-buds were very happy :P And my eyes, they were taken by the breath-taking beauty of that rich jewel-toned red.... ok, ok, the colour is great; but, breath-taking? Yeah, I'm not really that much of a cheddar-head. If you're interested in trying this recipe out, click the recipe link earlier in this post and you'll get the low-down on the beet root-y goodness.

Anyhow, peeps... I'll be checkin' back in later with my friday night video (providing I don't forget).... any requests??? Ah, well, I'll think of something fun and festive to kick off this weekend!

Have a great afternoon everyone ;)

Sunday dinner a la crock pot and a baby quilt....

So, I don't normally like using ketchup in recipes; but, in this case, it seems to work well.... What's for dinner tonight?....

Easy Crock Pot Pork Chops

4-6 pork chops
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2-3 cloves chopped/crushed garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger (1/2 tsp dry)
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red chilies (optional)
1-2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
sesame seeds & chopped green onions to garnish (optional)

Place pork chops in crock pot (if you'd like to cut them into chunks go right ahead or leave them as is, your choice). For the sauce/glaze; mix the ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and optional crushed red chilies and sesame oil in a bowl and pour over the chops.

Cook for 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 on high (the slower the cooking, the more tender the chops will be). Serve with sauteed or steamed veggies and rice or quinoa, and garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions.

Tastes much like teriyaki.... which is a bonus since my kids LOVE teriyaki!

This recipe is very easy to adapt to your own preference for taste... play around with it and see what you come up with. Alternatively, you can swap out the chops for chicken; and if you prefer more sauce, double it. You can also add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch mixed with a little cold water to the crock pot about 5 to 10 minutes before its done to thicken the sauce.... yummmm :P

Aside from dinner, I spent the three hours before the kids awoke, putting together a cute little baby quilt.... now, as I said previously, I am a complete newbie to the world of quilting - and it definitely shows! Puckering here and there and not a straight line of quilting anywhere! In my defense, my machine is the most basic machine around and is totally not meant for anything more than hemming pants and fixing seams.... I am; however, proud of what I've done so far, and I think the recipient will appreciate the time invested and the personal-ness (is that a word?) of the gift, at least I hope ;)

While putting the quilt together, I decided that, 1. I am a quilter, simply because I was quilting at the time; and 2. That if there are types of quilters, I can refer to myself as a 'Rustic Quilter' (I made that up to hide my mistakes... but, that's just me, always thinking of ways to see the bright side of things while being accepting of my faults).

I even went as far as cutting and making my own quilt binding! Something that at first seemed tedious and not worth the time; but, ended up being very therapeutic for me.... I enjoyed it, really.... a very strange thing to come to enjoy, but then again, I am strange :P

Here's a sneak peak of the quilt, just needs the binding sewn on then it'll be ready for gifting along with some other little tidbits!


Have a nice Sunday everyone ;)

What's next, a wash board?

I've been making my own laundry soap for quite some time now... seems like forever, really... and I find it's been working just as well as commercial grade soap. Of course, I still use bleach once a month in my whites just to fight the dinginess that somehow overtakes anything that is white; and I can't seem to give up my fabric softener addiction.... admittedly though, I have cut back to half of what is suggested per softener usage and started buying bulk Costco brand instead of my favourite Downy scent.... Aaaanyway, here's the recipe for the soap if anyone is interested in trying it out:

Laundry Soap
1 bar pure soap grated fine (I use sunlight laundry bar)
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
3/4 cup baking soda

Mix everything together in a large freezer bag or an air tight container. Use 1-3 tablespoons depending on your machine and water hardness.


After much experimenting, this is the recipe that works best for my extremely hard water (that by the way, is also softened with a water softener...uggg, I hate hard water and so does my hair) and my 13 year old trusty Maytag top-loader. You can certainly use this recipe as a guide to find your own formulation... much is dependent upon your own water and machine...

This recipe makes roughly 32-48 loads (1-1/2 to 2 tbsp soap)... here's the cost breakdown of the ingredients:

Soap Bar $2.49 for a package of 2 (wal-mart or grocery store)
Washing Soda $5.99 3kg(Zehrs grocery store)
Borax $5.99 2kg(Sobeys grocery store)
Baking Soda $4.99 2kg(any grocery store)

I haven't yet calculated how many cups are in each ingredient box... and will keep track from now on, so I can give a more accurate price per batch... Roughly speaking though, each 32-48 load batch is under $4.00 .... but; this is also a variable cost, as the ingredient prices will vary from store-to-store and town-to-town and be dependent upon the bar soap you buy.... so many variables, is it really worth it???? I say yes... for me anyway... I like knowing what is going next to my children's skin, I like knowing that I am making a more environmentally friendly choice, and that I'm saving a little money too. Hey! Works for me!

There are soooo many recipes on the net if you're looking for something a little different, all you need to do is search Homemade Laundry Detergent... the possibilities and recipes are endless. You'll find recipes for liquid or powder... I like the idea of liquid; but, as I found it a little difficult to find a 5 gallon pail and the space in my crampy laundry room, I opted for the powder and have been very, very happy with my choice.

This time around, I chose Dr. Bonners Peppermint Castile Soap (available at most health food stores) which was definitely not cost effective; but every now and then I like to change the scent up a bit... and a light minty scent is very energizing... I guess my point in this is that I know the ingredients, they're pure and natural and not toxic to my family.

Have a fantastic Monday everyone ;)

Warmth-on-a-cold-day soup....

So, here's a SUPER easy recipe for a SUPER yummy soup that really is hands-off.... now that's my kinda soup.... easy-peasy, no-thinking-involved....

And to be honest, I don't really have a name for this soup, so if you'd like to make one up, feel free.... For now I'll call it....

Pond-Hockey Soup because that's what we were doing the day I made it....

2 generous size boneless pork chops, cubed
1 parsnip, peeled and cubed
1 small zucchini, cubed
2 carrots, cubed
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 19 oz. can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of broth, chicken or veggie
1 tsp dried oregano
baby spinach
fresh basil
parmesan
fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

Throw the first ten ingredients in the crock pot in the order they are listed. Cover and set to low temperature. Let it cook for 8-10 hours. Seriously, it's that easy.

When serving, tear 2-3 fresh basil leaves and a handful of baby spinach into each bowl, ladle soup over top.... the basil gives a huge pop of flavour, sooo much better than dried basil.... sprinkle a generous amount of parmesan (freshly shredded is best, but if you're like me, freshly shredded is just too darned expensive) on top with some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.... So good on a cold day :P

And, by the way, I would have taken a picture if I hadn't eaten it all up.... it's seriously THAT good, I didn't think you'd want to see a picture of my empty bowl.... Let me know what you think....

Re-vamping my "green" cleaning...

So, recently I hosted and enjoyed a girls' night with my beautiful girly-friends... our conversations range from silly to serious... and this night we touched a little on what cleaning products everyone was using around their homes...

I love my vinegar/water/lavender spray and was sad to find that it's not the optimal choice for cleaning my counter tops... I do still use lysol diluted with water once a week to give my kitchen a good cleaning, however, after this revelation, I jumped on the internet to find a better, green choice for my everyday cleaning... soooo, here it is...

Disinfectant Spray*
2 cups water
3 tbsp liquid soap (I use a pure liquid soap, available in the health food aisles of my grocery store)
20-30 drops of tea tree oil or any other essential oil with disinfecting properties (optional)

So simple and effective and plays right into my plans for ridding my home of unnecessary chemicals... not to mention a complete money saver... and who doesn't love to save money???

So, I'd like to once again thank the ladies for a fun night of chit-chat, food and wine/coffee... Special thanks to Becky for opening my eyes about my vinegar/water spray... I now feel totally comfortable getting rid of my Lysol too...

Have a fantastically green Sunday ;)

*disinfectant spray courtesy of Redbook online, follow the link for more great cleaning recipes...
http://www.redbookmag.com/recipes-home/tips-advice/green-cleaning-recipes

Back to basics...

So, recently, I have been reading up on stuff... lots of stuff... sunscreens vs. sunblocks... nasty chemicals that are housed in most of our beauty care products... better-for-the-planet household products... the list goes on and on and on...

What I've come away with is this: I need to get back to basics... a return to the age when mass-produced, chemically formulated, convenience products never really existed and what people used were products that were natural and pure and for the most part, homemade... That being said, it is widely known that many natural products, natural additives and natural preservatives do not have the research behind them supporting their safeness or effectiveness for human use or consumption... A catch 22 for certain...

Anyway, I personally like the idea of using products that have more naturally occurring ingredients than those that are synthetically engineered...

So here are a few things that my family has been using:

White Vinegar -
By mixing 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups water you'll have a very effective glass and hard surface cleaner, mix it in a trigger spray bottle and add 12-15 drops of essential oil of your choice to make it a little more pleasant smelling...

Due to its acetic nature, vinegar has been used by some as an effective green weed killer, it has been labelled as a green because it has been shown not to be absorbed into the roots of plants...

Vinegar can also be used as a rinse agent in your dishwasher or as a fabric softener in your washing machine...

Borax and Washing Soda -
I have been using borax for a very long time now and find it a very effective additive to my laundry detergent... more recently, I have been using washing soda as well, the two paired with my store bought detergent have increased my soaps effectiveness, I also find that I use much less soap... my next laundry project is making a batch of laundry detergent, I will update you soon about that one...

Borax mixed with jam left on a plate indoors or outdoors can be effective at killing ant colonies... be sure to keep out of reach of children...

Baking Soda -
Mix 1 part dish soap with 2 parts baking soda, add a little water if needed to make a paste consistency... use the paste as a low abrasive to clean sinks, taps, ovens, pots... whatever you would use an abrasive cleaner on... tip: if using to clean your oven or anything with thick baked on or greasy grimy surfaces, apply the paste and let it sit for 10-30 minutes to loosen grime better...

Baking soda added to a load of laundry with your detergent will act as a booster and also freshen your clothes...

Add ground cloves to baking soda and sprinkle on your carpets as a carpet deodorizer, let sit for a bit then vacuum, will also freshen your vacuum cleaner...

Baking soda in your bath will leave your skin soft and smooth...

Hydrogen Peroxide -
My friend Sherry sent me an e-mail not long ago about the uses of peroxide in the home... what I came away with was an inexpensive and extremely effective toilet cleaning solution... Once a month, I disassemble our toilet seats and put each of them and their hardware in a sink of hot water and about a 1/4 cup of peroxide, then let them soak while I clean the rest of the toilets with full concentrate peroxide and an old rag... The rest of the month I use my vinegar and water solution to do my daily bathroom cleaning... with two young boys, bathroom cleaning is a daily chore...

Natural Body Soap -
I have had many skin sensitivities my whole life, harsh perfumes and sun exposure often cause my skin to break out in rash and dermatitis... For years, I have used oil free face and body lotions and Dove bar soap for my face and body... body washes and my skin just do not get along... more recently, I gave up the Dove bar on my body, for a natural tea tree oil soap. It's for body and hair; my skin has been less itchy and any dermatitis that I had is drying out and disappearing. I've tried it on my hair with somewhat favourable results; however, I still prefer the shine that commercial shampoos and conditioners give...

Homemade body lotion -
My friend Lindsay makes a wonderful line of body lotions/butters... she has been making diaper cream for me since my youngest was born... I'm happy to report that my little girl baby has had fewer than five bouts with irritated bum skin, not even a full blown diaper rash to speak of :) I've also been using it on her whole body when she gets out of the bath ;)

I use her lotion on my hands every night before bed and love the way it makes my skin feel... I feel good in knowing that there are no harsh chemicals and no unnecessary fragrances... my hands quite often flake when I use perfumed hand lotions or soaps... I have not had this problem while using Lindsay's products...

Sunscreen and Sunblock -
I've found conflicting evidence about whether or not to use sunscreen or sunblock... PABA-free, paraben-free, vitamin A-free... another catch 22 - use sun protection products to protect you from getting skin cancer; however, be aware that some ingredients in these products have been linked to cancers but not proven to be the causal effects of these cancers.... what?! I know. What does all of this mean? Be sun savvy... limited exposure to sun and sun lotions and you'll be fine... or not :S ... In other words, use a broad spectrum sun protection lotion, this will ensure that the ingredients will protect against both UVA (skin aging and cancer causing), and UVB (burning and tanning) rays... but use them sparingly as they may contain ingredients that have been found in some cancerous tumors :S ... again, I know!

That being said... there are several sun protection products on the market that are paraben-free, it's just trying to find them and not having to pay an arm and a leg for them...

I guess what I'm trying to get at with all of my ramblings is this: maybe our fore-mothers... you know - Ma Ingalls... had it just right... elbow grease, salves and poultices as the clean-all, cure-all for their families... It seems that in those simpler days before industrialization and commercialization people lived a much healthier and happier life... Can you blame me for wanting a little part of that?

Here are some links for your consideration:
http://safemama.com/
http://www.armhammer.com/index.asp
http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/using-hydrogen-peroxide-for-cleaning.html
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/about
http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AH1001&Show=ExtInfo
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar

Have a great day... stay cool ;)

Pancake mornings and a mixed bag....

Pancake school day again... so since my little men and little lady love these pancakes so much, I feel obligated to share the pancake love... I found this particular recipe on my favourite-favourite recipe site, all recipes.com. And the reason it's my favourite site is because all of the recipes are rated and reader reviewed... LOVE that. So here it is....

Fluffy Pancakes submitted to allrecipes.com by Kris

3/4 C. milk

2 tbsp. white vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 C. flour (I like w.w. and w. blend)

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt (I omit, but it's up to you)

1 egg

2 tbsp. melted butter (I use becel)

cooking spray (I use a non stick griddle & no spray)

1 tsp. cinnamon (this is my add-in, we love cinnamon)

Combine the milk and vinegar/lemon juice and set aside while preparing the remainder of ingredients. (You could also just use a little more than 3/4 C. of buttermilk, essentially the sour milk takes the place of buttermilk)

Combine all dry ingredients and whisk to break up any lumps. Whisk egg and melted butter into milk then pour into dry ingredients. Mix until moist and there are no visible floury bits... but don't over mix!!!! Let sit for about 5 minutes or so... chemical reactions will take place... and when you return to the batter it will have risen and be full of bubbles (that's the air that makes them fluffy!!!).

I usually set my griddle to 350 degrees, I think that's about medium on the stove-top. If your pans or griddle are too hot the outside of the pancakes will cook too fast and become too hard by the time the middle has cooked. Pancakes need a little time to cook, so be patient... I guarantee these pancakes are delicious! I can usually only get about 7 medium sized pancakes from this recipe... which is perfect for 2 growing boys and their girl-baby sister.

OK... so on to other things, yesterday was a very productive day (craft-wise, that is)... the corking project is still being corked... I started and finished a crocheted hat yesterday... finished a scarf for my skinny little man, also crochet... did a re-con (reconstruct) on a pair of overalls that had stains on the legs for girl-baby, she now has an uber-cute skirt-all with ruffled trim... and last night... after dinner.... CRASH!!!! I did nothing. Ask me if I feel bad about it.... I don't. Not really!

Today... more crafting and playing with babes...I love it!

Mmmmm-muffins...

I was feeling a little ambitious this morning and wanted to make something special for the boys for breakfast. Sometimes on school days they prefer something a little more exciting than hunny-nutter cheerios. I can't blame them really.... cheerios tend to get a little boring at times.

My wonderful husband gave me the best mini muffin tin for Christmas... it's a Wilton Elite non-stick dark muffin tin.... I LOVE IT! It makes 24 beautiful mini muffins that release from the pan wonderfully. I adapted my pumpkin spice muffins, I ran out of pumpkin, and made apple oatmeal spice instead... all three babes loved them (I say loved as there are only a few left from a batch of 24).

Here's the recipe.... try it and tell me what you think....
Oh! Sorry, I didn't take pictures... but trust me... they were the cutest little guys!

Apple Oatmeal Spice Muffins

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. oil
2 eggs
1 c. unsweetened applesauce (I used 2 motts unsweetened applesauce cups, the lunchbox size)
1/4 c. water
1-1/4 c. flour (I use a blend of white and whole wheat, but you can use what you prefer)
1/4 c. oatmeal
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and prepare your pan with liners or grease if you don't have a fantastic pan like me ;)

I generally like one bowl recipes... less mess... sooo, first mix all of your wet ingredients together very well with a fork, then sift your dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients. I think this is the most important step as it ensures there are no lumpys in your baking powder or soda. If you don't have a sifter, then I do recommend that you mix your dry ingredients in a separate bowl with a wisk or fork to break up the lumpys.

Mix everything together just until the dry ingredients are moist and there are no visible floury bits... don't over mix, you may end up with very tough muffins :(

Spoon into your muffin pan... I almost fill mine to the top as these are muffin tops that I really don't mind bulging, if you get what I mean... wink-wink! Bake until you can just start to smell them, open the oven door and press your finger in the middle of one... if it spring back up, it's done... if it doesn't, it's not, bake a minute more then test again. They will be a little golden when done. I'm sorry but I generally don't use baking times... I tend to do the spring and smell tests. And! Every oven is different, mine cooks very hot and very fast.....

Have fun baking. I hope you enjoy them, we sure did ;)

Snowflake Play Dough

It's the first day of December (yay!!!!) and we woke up to snow, finally! It lasted on the ground for about an hour before the sun came up and melted it all. But just seeing it put me in the mood for decorating... my husband finally gave in to putting our tree up last night... he is strictly a December-tree-putter-upper. It's all decked out in lights so tonight when the boys get home from school we'll throw on some Christmas tunes and decorate the thing.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting up early in the morning before anyone else, before the sun comes up, making myself a nice cup of tea, turning on just the Christmas tree lights and sitting sipping my tea in silence - in the light of the tree lights - in silence.... SHHHHH. Even if it is just for a moment before someone starts calling, "ma-ma-ma-ma", or "Can I tell you about the transformer I'm going to build", or "I'm so-so hungry"..... just a little-teensy-weensy-minuscule moment all for me.

But, on another note.... my middle big man's teacher sent home a note requesting Snowflake Play Dough - in the spirit of winter. So here's the recipe (which I'm sure everyone already knows, but here it is anyway...)


SNOWFLAKE PLAY DOUGH

In a large bowl combine:
2 cups white flour
1 cup table salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar (what else do you use this strange stuff for????)
1 tube of white, pink or light blue opalescent glitter (I used about a 1/4 of a cup, but certainly use your own discretion for this part)

In another bowl/measuring cup/or some sort of liquid holding vessel, combine:
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon of oil

Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix well. Depending on what it feels like after all of your ingredients are mixed, you may need to add more flour if too smushy or more oil of too dry. Once it has cooled enough to hold, kneed it together until it feels smooth. Then package it in freezer bags or wrap it in plastic wrap. VOILA! Pretty sparkly "Snowflake" Play Dough.

Alternatively; you can omit the glitter(or not) and add liquid food colouring (with the liquids, of course), or two packages of kool-aid (for colour) to the dry ingredients. I use neon liquid food colouring and it makes very vibrant coloured play dough (and hands while making it)... the kool-aid makes nice pastelly colours with a great smell. For very intense colours, you can try sourcing out powdered food colouring. If there is a cake decorator in your area, they may be able to hook you up with powdered/paste food colouring sources.

The picture doesn't really show just how pretty my sparkles were, but you get the idea.

Thank-you to Mrs. N. for the recipe.