Honey, I Shrunk the Pores

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Cleanser, toner and face cream

Cleanser, toner and face cream

 

Today I am sharing with you my 1,2,3 skin care regimen I use on my face.

Over the years I have spent a good bit of money on face washes and lotions. Only to face extreme breakouts and rashes. The only thing that did not break me out was Noxzema, which is a great product. But as I began to age my skin began to dry. Badly. I suspected at one time I was beginning to mummify because my skin was so dry.

So I had to say goodbye to my beloved Noxzema and search for alternatives. Luckily my search was short. I researched natural beauty products and singled out a few ingredients I knew my sensitive skin could handle.

Step 1 is the sensitive skin cleanser.
Step 2 is a toner
Step 3 is an anti-aging cream

Before we go any further lets talk about shelf life. After researching natural skin care I have learned this: shelf life is a tricksy thing. Some people believe these products have a shelf life of three weeks other three months. Yes that big of a difference. I just make small batches of these recipes so I know I will use them up sometime during the 3 week to 3 month range. Now each product on it’s own seems to last forever but once mix together that changes. I don’t know why. Maybe they don’t play well together?

Step 1: SENSITIVE SKIN CLEANSER
I’m going to share some information on the Sensitive Skin cleanser, which I found on Pinterest which led me to Beautyandthefoodie blog. Check her out she has some great DIY beauty recipes. Here is the recipe located on her blog. Sensitive Skin Cleanser.
I have been using a few weeks now. Just twice a week and eventually three times. The other days I wash my face with coconut oil.
So far I am liking this cleanser. It is gentle yet you feel like you are getting a deep clean. The recipe does call for raw honey, I used some honey I bought during a trip to Asheville, NC. It is that dark amazing tasting honey. So good. I’m sure you can find a good quality honey at your local farmers market.

face cleanser

Step 2: SKIN TONER
The toner I also got from Pinterest but as sometimes happens you pin then next time you try to visit the site it is blocked. Luckily I wrote down the recipe, I changed some amounts because I felt the amount of one item was too much for my aging dry skin.

Skin Toner
1 oz distilled water
½ oz apple cider vinegar
10 drops tea tree oil

Just mix. I store in an amber glass jar. You can also use 10 drops lavender essential oil instead of the tea tree oil. The vinegar has a strong odor but will be gone by the time the toner dries.

Step 3: FACE CREAM/OINTMENT
The Face Cream or Ointment. It does look more like an ointment instead of a cream. I concocted this recipe from products I researched and had on hand. This stuff turned out to be amazing. AMAZING! I use it at night before bed. A little goes a long way. Sometimes I use a dab in the morning after my shower. Once a week I heavily slather this on my face, let it sit for an hour then use the cleanser. I love this stuff.

What you need

What you need

GOTHA’S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH OINTMENT

¼ cup almond oil
2 droppers full of Argan oil
2 tbsp coconut oil (solid)
2 tbsp beeswax pellets
1 tbsp Shea butter
10 drops lavender essential oil

Use a large glass measuring cup, that is sitting in a water bath on the stove (medium low heat). Add your two droppers full of Argan oil. Pour in ¼ cup almond oil. Add the coconut oil, beeswax and Shea butter. After everything has melted and stirred well remove the glass measuring cup or whatever you are using from the heat. Add your lavender oil. Mix well. Pour into your storage containers. Let cool completely before putting on lid. Store in a cool dark place.
You can add a few drops of vitamin e oil when you add the lavender. It would just make this great cream even better. I do not use vitamin e oil because my skin tends to itch when I use it.

Freshly poured magic

Freshly poured magic

Fountain of youth?

Fountain of youth?

Just for your 411: when you begin to use natural products your face may experience a breakout or two as your skin releases built up toxins and anything yucky lurking about. Now if after a few weeks you are still experiencing breakouts this stuff may not be for you.

I buy everything but the coconut oil off of Amazon. Only because that’s where I find the best deals.

Now let’s talk common sense. If you begin to break out in hives or your skin begins to experience a burning sensation STOP. WASH OFF PRODUCT! As I always say, research all the ingredients before using them. Know what is going on your skin!

 

Gotha’s Chocolate Coconut Bombs

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Too damn tasty

Too damn tasty

I have added coconut oil to my diet in hopes of helping my dry cracking itchy skin. I am trying to heal my skin from the inside out because in my 40 something years nothing has helped my skin from the outside. If I had back the money wasted on lotions, I wouldn’t be rich but I’m sure I could pay a few big bills off.
I first became familiar with coconut oil from Pinterest when I was looking for natural hair treatments. That sparked my interest about that amazing oil, so I researched the many uses and benefits of the awesome coconut and the oil it produces.
What you must first understand is the oil is solid like lard. Fortunately it has a low melting point of 76 degrees. Which makes it easy to use on the hair and skin. Now getting it inside the body is easier for some but not everyone. I fall into the not everyone category.

I have tried melting the coconut oil and just slamming it down the hatch like a shot of liquor. Nasty doesn’t even begin to describe that process. Some Pinterest pins suggest just eating it by the spoonful, solid. That ended up with gagging like a cat trying to upchuck a fur ball. I have added it to food and drink with some success.

When done properly coconut oil in coffee is a great tasty way to get it into your diet. But when you have stomach issues like me, coffee every morning is a no-no.

Much by accident I came across several pins about coconut bombs.
What are coconut bombs you ask? Just a tasty way to ingest good ole healthy coconut oil.

There happens to be a few ways to make these bombs. Some recipes just have you mix the solid form of the oil with some tasty ingredients. Some call for you to melt the oil before mixing.

Ingredients added to the oil varied also. Some people used ground cinnamon, some cinnamon with chocolate and others used just chocolate or cocoa powder. None that I found had shredded coconut in the recipe. What?
Now my version is one of many. You may not like it. No problem. Go to Pinterest and search ‘coconut bombs’ you will have so many recipes you are sure to find one you love.

Here is my version:

What you need

What you need

Gotha’s Chocolate Coconut Bombs for Smoother Skin

1 cup of melted coconut oil. (about 60 seconds in microwave handles that)

A small handful of chocolate chips, about 25. Semi-sweet, milk chocolate, basically whichever floats your boat.

One tablespoon cocoa powder.

1 cup of shredded coconut.

Here is the easy peasy way to build your bombs:

Add your chocolate chips and cocoa powder to your melted coconut oil and stir. Stir a lot. It took some convincing for the chocolate chips and oil to decide to become one. After that mix in the shredded coconut. Your mixture will be runny. Just toss it in the freezer for two minutes. While your bombs are cooling lay out some wax paper on your counter.

Remove mixture from freezer, stir well. If it’s still too runny pop back in freezer for another minute. Once cooled and slightly hardened use two spoons or a melon baller to shape bite size bombs. Place on wax paper to set up. I ended up with 25 bombs. You may get more or less depending on how you size them. I have most at a two-bite size.

This is from a smaller test batch. The recipe makes much more.

This is from a smaller test batch. The recipe makes much more.

Adding the coconut. Yum

Adding the coconut. Yum

I store the bombs in the fridge. Remember coconut oil has a low melt point. My house is HOT!
The husband thinks we live in the artic and keeps our heat on what I call the tropical setting. I have had to go outside in 20 degree weather wearing shorts and a t-shirt to cool down. True story. Neighbors must think I’m having menopausal hot flashes. So I feared my coconut bombs would react like Frosty the Snowman on a tropical island and turn into coconut puddles.

Tasty. This is a skin treatment that can spoil a girl.

Tasty. This is a skin treatment that can spoil a girl.

Right now I have two bombs a day. One at my first break at work the other during my second work break. If in a few weeks I feel I need more coconut oil I will add a third bomb. And yes I do yell, “Bombs away” before eating one. (UPDATE: with two per day for two weeks my skin still looks dry, but man it feels soft. So it is helping. I will now add a third bomb to see where that takes me on my dry skin journey).

How do they taste? Like an Almond Joy minus the almond. But without almonds it’s a Mounds you say. Nope. Mounds uses a dark chocolate which changes the taste dramatically. Don’t argue I’m a ‘robust’ girl, I know my candies.

Now some people use coconut bombs for weight loss. Does that work? I don’t know but you might want to omit the chocolate chips from the recipe if you are trying to watch your weight. I have not lost any weight but I have noticed that after eating a bomb I do feel full plus do less mindless snacking. It’s the late evenings that kill me with the over eating. I will soon tackle my food issue. First I am focusing on being more active. Which with my Vivofit is working well. Small changes, not all at once is my plan.

A note on buying coconut oil. My first suggestion is do your research so you can make an informed decision. After trying several, some refined some unrefined. Some virgin some not so virgin. Some without taste others with a coconutty taste. As of right now my favorite is a unrefined virgin coconut oil from Target. It does have a coconut taste. I still try other types/brands as I find them so one day my favorite might change. So, research, try a variety, maybe look at some brands on Amazon and read the reviews.

Are you a coconut oil user? If so please share with me, I am always looking for new ways to try this amazing oil.

UPDATE: I have tried this a few times adding extra ingredients. After research I have discovered Cacao Nibs are a nutritional powerhouse. Brazil nuts may help my Thyroid issue. So I added 1 tbsp of the nibs and three chopped Brazil nuts to the recipe for my bombs. The bombs are still great with the add ins.

 

A Hairy Situation

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I am in a hairy predicament. All because of my hair.

My hair, my sad, sad hair.

 

This stuff that sprouts from my head is thin with just enough curl to make it look like an unbrushed rat’s nest, when it is freshly brushed in the morning oh the frizz! Also because I have a thyroid condition my hair tends to fall out more than your average everyday hair shed. Then you add the medicine I take for the thyroid which has a side effect of causing hair to fall out. You see my dilemma? What hair that doesn’t fall out is a hot frizzy untamed mess.
I discussed this hair falling out situation with my doctor. He was a total ass to me plus offered no solutions. Now to give him credit he is also an ass about everything else ( I am in the process of finding a new doctor).
I was in a hairy situation. So as usual Gotha protocol off to the internet and Pinterest I went to look for a solution.
After researching I decided what was needed was something that can treat the scalp plus help what hair I have left.
After a few weeks of research I came up with a recipe. You have things in it to help improve hair and scalp plus some things that are suppose to increase circulation to scalp which may/may not help the hair to grow.

The magic formula?

The magic formula?

I also added some vitamin/supplements to my diet that claim to improve hair growth.

I have done this for a few months now. I am pretty sure my hair has grown a good bit but I can’t tell because as the condition of my hair improves the more it curls. So it looks like my hair has gotten shorter when it really has grown. Ha-ha, great cosmic joke there. Now as to my hair getting thicker, I can’t tell if it has or not. If it has it’s not been enough for me to get excited about.

Sadly I will never have thick hair. I will always have excessive hair loss due to my thyroid. BUT what hair I do have is growing a tad faster then before, also it’s pretty darn healthy looking and curly.

If you have similar hair issues and have some tips, hints or a miracle please feel free to share in the comment section.
Gotha’s scalp and hair treatment

½ cup coconut oil. Melted.
1 tbsp. sweet almond oil
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops tea tree oil
10 drops lavender oil
15 drops peppermint oil
1 tsp. beeswax pellets
Place a glass jar or glass measuring container in a small pot that has four to five inches of water in it , a water bath. On medium heat melt the beeswax and coconut oil. I find that the beeswax pellets like to be difficult melting on medium heat, so you may have to increase your heat for a few moments. Stir often during the melting process.
Once melted completely, remove glass container from heat. Pour in the sweet almond and olive oil. Mix well. Add your essential oils. Stir.
Since I tend to be impatient I pour the mixture into my storage containers and allow them to cool for 10 minutes in freezer. I then take out give each container of scalp treatment one final stir then allow to set up completely on my counter top. Once set, place lids on the containers and store in a cool dark place.

Container lined with wax paper. Makes storage and clean up easier.

Container lined with wax paper. Makes storage and clean up easier.

I added the beeswax to the recipe during the second batch I made. You want the oils to melt quickly as you massage into scalp and throughout hair, but you don’t want the oils to melt in the container just from the heat of you holding it. So I added to beeswax to stabilize it slightly.

How to use Gotha’s Scalp and Hair Treatment

Scoop a small amount into hand. Massage into scalp. Once the scalp is covered well massage the oils throughout hair till the ends. Thickness and length of hair determines how much of your oil mixture you will use. My hair is thin so I use very little.
Cover or not cover with shower cap, it is your choice. I have used both methods and find the shower cap is only necessary if you’re applying heat with a blow dryer as part of the treatment. Some people like to heat their hair treatments but with this I think since it’s mainly for the scalp heat is not needed.
Leave on 30 minutes to 2 hours. Shampoo, probably twice is a good idea.
IF after drying your hair looks oily next time leave the treatment on for a shorter period of time or during the first shampoo leave shampoo on hair a few minutes, rinse then shampoo again. No need to leave shampoo on long during the second go.

You can omit some or all of the essential oils from this recipe. Just so you know each one brings great things to the scalp party, but are optional. As always: before making or using any home treatment RESEARCH all your ingredients. It’s your scalp and your hair so be fully informed about what is going on it.

Teaser: I have made and been using an anti-aging ointment for my face. IT IS FRICKING AMAZING! I will share this with you soon.

You Dropped a Balm On Me

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Leader

Most over the counter lip treatments. Like lip balms in tubes, name brands and generic. The moisturizing effects don’t seem to last long, some even tend to dry the lips even more. I have made a cinnamon lip balm in the past, my first time I made the mistake of replacing some of the ingredients I needed with what I had on hand. Lip balm did not set up. My second time I used the right ingredients but used too much cinnamon oil. My lips were on fire after using even a tiny amount.

Those failed attempts did not stop me in fact they made me more determined to master the whole do it yourself lip balm. Have I mastered it? No, I feel DIY natural product making will always be a learning process, the more you learn the more your recipes evolve. I have had several dozen lip balm making sessions that have turned out perfectly. Some batches not so perfect yet I have learned a lot from the failed batches.

Today I will share a few recipes that have worked pretty well for me. I like these balms a lot as the moisturizing benefits can last up to several hours with just one application.

Before we begin lets apply some common sense. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients, DON’T USE THESE BALMS. If you use these balms and experience an allergic reaction, wash balm from lips and discontinue use. If your lips puff up like a actress that has had a bad botox injection you may want to seek out medical attention. ALWAYS research your ingredients before making anything that will go on or into your body. I am sharing the recipes NOT forcing you to make and/or use the products.
I have had only positive experiences with these balms, lotions, and hair treatments. Every person is different so I would advise trying a tad of the product on the skin at the fold of your elbow to test your reaction before committing fully.

The little container with the brown balm is COCOA BALM

The little container with the brown balm is COCOA BALM

Cocoa Lip Balm

Makes three 0.20 oz. jars (tiny)

1 tsp. beeswax pellets
2 tsp. Shea butter
1 tsp. sweet almond oil
1 tsp. cocoa powder
Using a glass container, sit it in a pot with a few inches of water also known as a water bath. Turn heat on medium low. To the glass container add the beeswax. Next add your Shea butter and sweet almond oil. Allow to melt, stirring often. I use a wooden skewer to stir, once I’m done with the balm I just toss the skewer in trash. Once melted remove glass from pot. Stir in your cocoa. Pour your flavored lip balm into whatever container you have chosen. I use these little plastic pipettes to transfer the balm from glass to lip container. Makes things easier but is not a necessary piece of equipment.
Let set. Now you have in your possession a balm for tasty smooth lips.
*with this recipe you can replace the cocoa with flavorings. Some people use Kool-Aid drink mix powder I like to use Crystal Light drink powders.

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balm 2
Peppermint Lip Plumping Balm

Makes three 0.20 oz. jars

1 tsp beeswax pellets
2 tsp. Shea butter
1 tsp coconut oil
5 drops peppermint essential oil

Using a glass container, sit it in a pot with a few inches of water. Turn heat on medium low. To the glass container add the beeswax. Next add your Shea butter and coconut oil. Allow to melt, stirring often. I use a wooden skewer to stir with. Once melted remove glass from pot. Stir in your 5 drops of peppermint essential oil. The peppermint oil will increase blood flow to the lips adding a dash of plump. Pour your peppermint lip balm into whatever container you have chosen. Let set. Now you have a lip balm that will plump those lips. Now that your lips are plump, give your man (or woman) that pouty look to get your way. BUT remember there is a fine line between pouty and duck face. Let’s not cross it.

For my personal peppermint balm, I add a small chunk from a Burt’s Bees lip crayon for a hint of color. If you make a batch of tinted balm for friends please use a fresh stick of whatever lip color you choose. To use one you have been using on your lips is just…yuck, wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Healing Balm

Healing Balm

Healing Lip balm

Makes three 0.20 oz. jars

1 tsp beeswax pellets
2 tsp. Shea butter
1 tsp coconut oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
¼ tsp. of honey (local is best)

Using a glass container, sit it in a pot with a few inches of water. Turn heat on medium low. To the glass container add the beeswax. Next add your Shea butter and coconut oil. Allow to melt, stirring often. I use a wooden skewer to stir with. Once melted remove glass from pot. Stir in lavender essential oil and honey. Pour into lip balm container and allow to set. Here’s my experience with this recipe. I have made it several times. I don’t know why, but sometimes the honey mixes in well and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t you have honey in bottom of your container and atop that you have your set lip balm. Weird.

This if for when your sweet lips are in need of some TLC. Like severely dry and cracked or worse; your lip has exploded from a fever blister/cold sore. This is why I like to make small batches, it’s cheap so tossing it after your lips are healed is no big deal. Some people argue that the virus that causes cold sores dies quickly so your lip balms aren’t contaminated. Well, I just made a healing lip balm for mere pennies; excuse me why I toss the left over in the trash just to be on the safe side. Better safe than lip explosion!
If you don’t have all this handy and the lips are in emergency need just rub some honey on your lips several times a day.

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balm 5

A little of this a little of that:
The beeswax is what allows the balms to set. If your balms are too hard next batch use less beeswax. Too soft next time more beeswax. Easy fix. You can add a few drops of vitamin E to every recipe. I do not because I tend to experience some itching of the skin when I use Vitamin E.

I buy most of my supplies from Amazon. Mainly because I have Amazon Prime and can get most items with free shipping. If you plan on making balms, lotions and other concoctions in large batches I would suggest shopping around to find the best deals.

I have used many items as lip balm containers. Little jars I purchased just for balms, also Altoid tins, old chap stick tubes, if it has a lid it is fair game in my house.

Natural Deep Conditioner Treatment for Hair

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Ingredients
Remember me mentioning some beauty products I ordered at a deep discount? They arrived yesterday. So now I have my Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Argan Oil and Lavender essential oil. I also have the coconut oil I always keep on hand. I still need a few other things to arrive but I can begin with what I now have.
I’m so excited to try all my experiments!

Today I will share with you some natural deep conditioner treatments for your hair. I opened my package of products as soon as I got home from work. I had to try the Shea butter and Argan oil right away. I wanted to see how each product conditioned my hair on its own. So on one side of my head I slathered on the Shea butter the other side I applied Argan oil.

The Shea butter. Taking it straight from the jar and putting directly to the head is not an easy task. It is solid like coconut oil but as I discovered it doesn’t melt as quickly as coconut oil. You have to really do some rubbing of the hands to get it to melt. It will melt but you will have to work for it. It did take a good bit of the butter to just one side of my head. Once you get this stuff on don’t try to run your fingers through your hair, won’t work. The hair feels a little bit tangled. By the time I was done coating my hair my hands were really soft. My hair wasn’t feeling soft , yet.

The Argan oil. This stuff went on easy. It’s a liquid oil. I had my hair covered in just a few minutes. Bonus: it did not take much oil to coat my hair and scalp. My hair felt really good and I could run my hands through it easily.

So half an hour later I’m ready to hop in the shower to wash my hair. I’m gathering up my towel and other things I need when….the power goes out. Yes the power went out. We have well water so when the power is gone the pump doesn’t work. Three hours and some odd minutes later the power comes back on. By then the Shea butter side was a hot mess but the Argan oil side was pretty decent.

Shower time! Woohoo!

The result: my hair, both sides felt soft and amazing. Will I do this treatment again? Yes but not this way. After referring to Pinterest I found several recipes I thought were okay then adapted it to my very own hair treatment.

Natural Deep Conditioner Treatment for Hair
( I think this will make a good skin lotion to use right before bed also.)

Ingredients:
½ c. coconut oil
½ c. Shea butter
3 tbsp. sweet almond oil
3 tbsp. Argan oil
5-10 drops lavender oil
1 tbsp vitamin e oil (optional)
(1-2 tsp. olive oil if mix is to thick)

I didn’t want to make a full batch for the first time, just in case I didn’t like the finished product so I halved this recipe. It still made a good size batch.

Shea butter, Lavender oil, Sweet Almond oil, Argan oil, and coconut oil

Shea butter, Lavender oil, Sweet Almond oil, Argan oil, and coconut oil


In a medium to large size bowl combine the coconut oil and Shea butter. Microwave for 20 seconds or until just begin to melt. With your electric hand mixer beat a minute. Add your sweet almond and Argan oils. If it seems to thick, like a body butter add a tsp. of the olive oil. Beat a minute more. Add your vitamin E and Lavender oil. Beat 2 minutes. Refrigerate 5 minutes. Beat on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t skimp on the last few minutes of beating the more your mix it the more it increases in volume and it will look more and more like conditioner. Pour into your storage container.
This is how the conditioner looks before the fridge and mixing a second time with hand mixer

This is how the conditioner looks before the fridge and mixing a second time with hand mixer

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: After pouring into my jar there was still a ‘film’ of the mixture in bowl. I scraped it out with my hand and massaged it into my hands and arms. It did a pretty good job as a skin lotion. It did take several minutes to absorb.

To use has a deep condition treatment for hair: Massage in beginning at scalp and work to the ends of hair. At this point your could cover your head with a shower cap or not. Leave on 30 minutes to an hour. Shampoo out.

The finished product

The finished product


Okay now do yourself a favor, go onto Pinterest and search “Argan oil for hair. You will see some many hair uses, for example: You can add a drop or two of oil to your hands, rub together then work that tad into your hair ends. Or to smooth those splits, or to control those fly away hairs and so much more.

I will be using this treatment to get my hair in shape for some abuse later this year. This fall is the time for Gotha to go all black. Yes there is nothing that enhances that pale deathly looking skin like black hair.

FYI: It’s has been almost five hours since I massaged the hair treatment mixture into my hands. I’ve done a sink full if dishes and some gardening. My hands are still soft.

The coconut oil I got at Wal-Mart (I usually get their organic brand but they were out of stock this past time)
Vitamin E at CVS
Sweet Almond Oil (gift from sister) she got at Amazon
Native Soul Shea butter I got at Amazon along with the Argan oil and Lavender oil.
Since I have Amazon Prime I paid nothing for shipping!

Loaded Blueberry Chia Muffins

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muffin

I have several boxes of blueberry muffin mix. It was on sale the other week along with chocolate chip cookie mix. It was a GOOD sale, too good to pass up. So I got two boxes of each. The next day here comes my dad with three boxes of each. He said it was a great deal and plus he thought it would be nice for his daughter to bake him some blueberry bread. The story doesn’t end there. Later that day as my husband comes home from work he announces, “hey look what was on sale”. Yes he got two boxes of blueberry muffin mix. I open the pantry door and reply to him, “yes I know it was on sale.” He sees all the boxes, laughs and replies, “Well at least we’ll have muffins during an apocalypse.”

So three boxes of muffins later I really wanted to change them up some. I decided to bake some to freeze them for workday breakfasts. Now if I’m going to have a muffin for breakfast I want it to fill me up. I opened my cabinets to see what I could throw in with the mix. There was my new Chia seeds. I can replace the eggs with that. I spotted some walnuts, some sunflower seeds, a packet of granola and some toasted coconut. I thought to myself, ‘what the hell throw it all in.”

And I did. The result: a muffin that filled me up and tasted pretty good. I did go overboard with the sunflower seeds, the taste almost overpowered everything else. So I will cut the amount in half next time. They are small muffins, at first I thought I would need two to fill me up. No. One was plenty. Is this a muffin your kids will like? Doubt it. Is this a muffin you will like? I hope you give it a go to find out.

A little something I want to share: I think the muffins would have risen more if I had used eggs instead of Chia seeds. I did bake a loaf of blueberry bread later that week, the only thing I changed in the recipe was using Chia seeds in place of eggs. I ended up with a tasty but a much smaller loaf than usual. Something I need to investigate further.
Do you replace your eggs with Chia seeds? If so, how does it work for you?

Gotha’s Loaded Blueberry Chia Muffins

1 blueberry muffin mix (or your favorite blueberry muffin)
Chia seeds to replace 3 eggs (3 tbsp chia + 9 tbsp water, sit to side for 15 mins)
½ c. water
1/3 c. oil (I used coconut)
½ c. walnuts
1 ½ tbsp. sunflower seeds
¼ c. granola
3 tbsp. coconut flakes
Blueberries (can that came with mix)

After your chia seeds have absorbed all the water and is gel like, add the seeds, mix, water and oil to a large bowl. Mix by hand.
Add walnuts, granola, sunflower seeds and coconut flakes. Mix.
Last add your blueberries. Fold them in gently.
Fill muffin tins.
Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
This made a dozen.

Don’t judge a muffin by its picture. These aren’t picture perfect muffins but they are tasty.

Add 9 tbsp. of water to 3 tbsp. of seed. Let sit for 15 minutes. Replaces 3 eggs.

Add 9 tbsp. of water to 3 tbsp. of seed. Let sit for 15 minutes. Replaces 3 eggs.

Those nutty nuts

Those nutty nuts

The muffins aren't going to rise much at all.

The muffins aren’t going to rise much at all.

The small but filling Loaded Blueberry Chia Muffin

The small but filling Loaded Blueberry Chia Muffin

 

 

 

 

 

Scrub a Dub Dub – DIY Body and Hand Scrub

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trio scene

Today I will be sharing recipes for two types of scrubs. One is a strawberry scented body scrub, for a gift, the other is a pumpkin spice hand scrub (it can also be used as a body scrub but your shower/tub will get slick). The hand scrub is for me.

My sister, we will call her D had her 30-something birthday a few weeks ago, I would tell you the exact age but she would never forgive me. Let me tell you something about my sister. She is spring/summer where I am fall/winter. When the first blooms fight their way out of the earth after winter my sister comes to life. She smiles more, there is excitement in her voice when she talks about her garden plans, and she will happily spend her days sitting out in the sun reading a good book. Me, my life is fall. When the days get shorter and there is that cool bite in the air, that is my time. Oh I still love to garden in the summer but I’m not happy out in the hot sun. I worry about bursting into flames.

For Ds birthday I decided to make her a summer scented body scrub. The recipe I used is similar to whipped coconut lotion. You just add an extra ingredient.

D has always loved strawberries. The scent and the taste. A few years ago she suddenly developed an allergy to strawberries. I don’t mean she breaks out in hives, no it’s an allergic reaction that requires a trip to the ER. She misses strawberries dearly. I went on Amazon to find some strawberry fragrance to use in her body scrub. If she can’t eat them I can at least give her strawberries in a safe way. I ended up getting a multi-pack with several summer scents.

 


 

Strawberry Body Scrub

Ingredients:

1 cup to 1 ½ cups coconut oil.

Vitamin E oil (1 tbsp) optional

Tea Tree Oil (just a few drops) optional

1 to 2 cups Brown sugar

Strawberry fragrance (12 drops or more depending on how strong you want the scent)

Bowl

Hand mixer

Fork

Container for the scrub. For a gift I use a pretty glass jar with lid, for me I just use a plastic container with a lid.

I must tell you this will be a thick body scrub. Not a runny oily one. I like the thick ones with coconut oil for the shower. Coconut oil seems to just run down the drain if the water is hot enough whereas the runny oils tend to stick to the tub making a slick mess which could result in slips and falls. This I have learned the hard way.

Instructions:

Scoop out several big spoonful’s of coconut oil.(it is a solid oil, like lard). If you don’t have a measuring cup, six or seven heaping spoonful’s should be plenty.

Add your vitamin E and tea Tree oil if you are using them.

Now with your hand mixer, whip up the coconut oil until is the consistency of a thick hand lotion. This will take several minutes.

Add your fragrance.

Mix it in by hand or mixer.

Now add you brown sugar. Use enough to make the concoction feel more like a paste instead of a lotion. Usually one to two cups. Mix it in by hand, with a fork. Fork just seems to work better than a spoon.

making scrub

Smell your wonderful scrub. If the scent isn’t strong enough now is the time to add more.

Now your are ready to put the scrub in pretty jars to give as gifts. This filled three 4 oz. jam jars and one slightly larger decorative canning jar. D got strawberry whipped coconut lotion, body and hand scrub.

sisters


 

Here is the recipe for hand scrub I use when I come in from the garden. I have dirt on my hands and a ton under my nails. This scrub does a good job of getting that stubborn dirt off my hands. I keep a small jar by the kitchen and bathroom sink. I got this recipe from Pinterest. Pumpkin Spice Scrub. On Pinterest it is called a body scrub but I like it as a hand scrub.

p s hand scrub

Pumpkin Spice Hand Scrub *

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup of vegetable oil. Since this is just to get dirt off my hands I don’t use the more expensive oils.

Bowl for mixing.

Jars for storage.

Instructions:

Mix the dry ingredients: the two sugars and pumpkin spice together. Mix well. Try to get all the lumps out. Add oil and stir. If it is too thick add more oil until you get it to the consistency you want.

*This will make a heck of a lot of hand scrub. I halved the recipe, it was still too much. I could tell it was going to be too much before adding the oil. So I poured the dry mix in the two jars I was using then added the oil to the jars. I had quite a bit of dry mix left. I just poured the remaining dry mix into a labeled baggie to use at a later date. It was a warm breezy day when I made these scrubs. I had windows and doors open enjoying the nice weather. Sadly as I was pouring the dry mix into a baggie the wind slammed the front door shut making me jump out of my skin which resulted in half of the mix missing the bag and spilling into the floor. And on my pants leg. And down my shoe. Do you know how sticky brown sugar is? Pretty darn sticky I discovered.

Now if you are using this for gifts go with the full recipe. I don’t know how many jars it will fill up but I’m sure it will be more than plenty.

How easy was that? Once you learn the process there are so many scents you can use to customize your own scrubs.

open scrub

 

Tinted Lip Balm. How it bombed before it went right.

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IMG_4887

 

I’m coloring my hair red tonight. Trying to cover these bothersome gray hairs that are trying to take over my head. So while I’m waiting on the timer to tell me I’m done I thought I share with you the tinted lip balm I attempted to make.

Tinted Lip Balm

Some of your favorite lipstick: a little dab will do (tint is optional)

Coconut oil 1 tsp

Vitamin E oil (optional) a drop or two

Beeswax ½ tsp

I used a little metal measuring cup to make my balm in and a wooden stick (like a lollipop or popsicle stick) for stirring. Turn an eye on stove to low. Heat your beeswax first, it takes longer to melt. Once the beeswax melts add your coconut oil and if using something to tint balm with add now. Stir. Take off heat, add you vitamin e oil. Stir. Then pour into your container.

The pinner who posted this, like me she did not have any beeswax handy, so she used a tube of Burt’s Bees chap stick she had. I had an unopened tube myself so I used that.

Okay I will confess the original pin was not ‘tinted’ lip balm. But I read enough pins to know what it takes to tint lip balm. Everything looked good but it did not harden. I ended up with a container of tinted lip butter. What the hell did I do wrong?

My tinted lip balm was more like Tinted Lip Bomb. My first attempt sure did bomb.

The pin/blog did warn about too much oil vs. not enough beeswax.

Second attempt I used more Burt’s bees chap stick less vitamin E oil.

Also used red lipstick, but very little. The result was nice. Not nice enough that I would make it again. I’m not a big lip balm user to begin with that might be why I just don’t feel the need to make more.

Bad balm on left, very nice balm on right.

Bad balm on left, very nice balm on right.

But if you like the balm go ahead and give this a go. If you know any lip balm/chap stick users this will make a great gift. FYI: I did make it a third time as a gift for my sister.

Here is where I found myself after following the pin. There is also a recipe for lip scrub here.

DING! Time to rinse my hair. Wish me luck it turned out nice. Have a Pinteresting day !

Hair update: I like the red, sadly my grays are still showing. I did end up with stain from the color on my face. I used some coconut oil to take it off. The coconut oil took it right off, no scrubbing needed. Coconut oil is something every household needs. You can use it for so many things.

 

I Give Good Bread

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First off, please forgive the title. It’s been a long day and lack of sleep is catching up with me.

Awhile back the hubby and I were out shopping. I decided to buy a wax burner for scented wax. Here is the conversation the hubby and I had in the store.

Me: “I’m going to buy this to melt scented wax since I know how to get the used wax out now.”

Hubby: “Oh is that something else you saw on Pinterest?” This was said dripping with sarcasm and ending with a dramatic rolling of the eyes.

Me: “No, it’s has instructions here on the box.” This was said in the tone of voice that clearly translated into, ‘you’re an asshole.’

Hubby: “humph.”

I stood there in the store thinking to myself, “Self do you think maybe you Pinterest too much?”

Self replied, “hell no.”

I then giggled out loud.  The hubby stared at me like I had just jumped on the crazy train.

Me: “Let’s hurry up and get home.”

Hubby: “What’s the hurry? I thought we were going to get coffee.”

Me: “Not now, you got me wanting to go home to get on Pinterest.”

Hubby: I can’t put down his reply. Just know it contained strong language.

He is not always anti-Pinterest. He is extremely pro-Pinterest when I’m trying out a recipe I discovered while at that much loved site. Like last night when I found a new banana bread recipe. (As you have read before, my dad is always bringing me bananas) Normally I use my go-to banana bread recipe that I got from my Aunt Betty…Crocker. But with the over abundance of bananas I had this week I had used up all of the box mixes.  So when I saw a Pin that said the bread was so good people drove for miles to eat a slice, how could I not try it?

I gathered everything I needed. I began to doubt this recipe when I realized it did not call for water or milk. Just oil and eggs. But life is not about playing it safe so I went with it. The only thing I added that was not in the recipe was pecans. How can you not have nuts in your banana bread? That is insane!

Here is the recipe. I do not give a measurement on the pecans because I don’t measure them myself. I just throw some in. Okay I throw a lot in.

This is the link that will take you to the Banana Bread pin.

Banana Bread

Dry ingredients:

1 ¾ all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ cup sugar

Wet:

3 lg. eggs

¾ cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)

2 mashed bananas

Pecans or walnuts. Hell both if you want. Remember the nuts are optional. Except at my house, here it is a must.

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter bottom of your bread pan.

Mix your dry items in a bowl. In another bowl mix your wet.  The recipe said to mix the bananas in with the oil and eggs until smooth.  In all the years I have made banana bread I have always added the bananas at the end after you mixed the batter. So I beat the eggs and oil together. Now you pour that in with your dry items. Mix. Add the bananas, mix some more. Now add your nuts. As much as you want, don’t be afraid to go nuts with them. Put in over bake 60 to 70 minutes.

Now let me tell you how this went down. Most breads I bake, I bake them between 375 to 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Never had an issue. But I followed the recipe. 50 minutes into my bake time I began to smell the bread burning. Hey must be done, I thought. Fork tested it. Nope not done. It took the whole 70 minutes. The top and edges were very darn close to burnt. My bread loving soul was not happy. Once it cooled I sliced us a piece to try. The hubby loved it. It was pretty good. Close to being just as good at Aunt Betty’s. This is a dense bread. If you want a lighter more fluffy bread, this is not for you.

The burning was totally my fault, I know my oven. I should have sided with my oven and not the recipe. I will make this again but will adjust my temperature and bake time.

Here is a photo. You can see that the bread is extremely well done. Don’t let my photo turn you off of this recipe. It is really good.

My pretty-damn-close-to-burnt bread

My pretty-damn-close-to-burnt bread

Banana Bread from Pinterest

Banana Bread from Pinterest

Thank you for joining me in my Pinteresting addiction.

Care For That Living Dead Skin

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It has been awhile since I posted. Holidays, heavy work load and novel writing have taken me away from the Pinteresting Life Of Gotha Stewart blog. But I have still been trying things from Pinterest while also uploading some of my own creations to Pinterest.

The hard part is deciding which to share with you first. Should I follow the wheel of the year by going season to season? Or should I buck the system and just go with some random make no sense order?

Maybe I should flip a dead mans coin to decide. How convenient I just happen to have a dead man handy to go through his pockets. The winner of the coin toss is….randomness. Just like the chaos that is my life.

So today we shall talk about care for that living dead skin.

Zombie skin has more moisture than mine. I believe I have the worlds driest skin. So I’m always on the lookout for that ‘miracle cure’. I am ashamed of the amount of money I have spent on name brand high dollar lotions. Did they work you ask? Hell no. So I turned to the one place I could find dry skin ‘cures’ that us everyday hard working people have tried and are willing to share. Pinterest!

What came up often in my searches was coconut oil. Oh my goodness, coconut oil is used for everything. Everything! Do yourself a favor a look up coconut oil on Pinterest. Just be prepared to spend the day there exploring.

My favorite coconut lotion turned out to be very effective for treating my dry skin but also simple to whip up. The pin used only coconut oil but suggested you could add other ingredients.

Here is the original pin: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/314337248962080739/

Here is my whipped coconut lotion

What you will need: coconut oil (I get mine from Wal-Mart)
If you want to amp it up: lavender essential oil (I make my own)
Vitamin E
Tea Tree Oil
Bowl for mixing
Hand mixer
Container to store your whipped creation.

What I use

What I use

First things first: for those not familiar with coconut oil. The oil is solid, like lard. It has a low melting point, 78 degrees. Your body heat will melt it just fine. There is many kinds you can buy: Organic, refined, unrefined, coconut oil expressed by young beautiful island virgins. Okay the last part is not true. But you get my point. Some people say they can smell a hint of coconut. I can’t. But hey I did snort pop rocks once when I was a teenager. My sense of smell could have been compromised from that wild night.

Back to the whipped lotion. I’m not going to give you exact measurements. I’m not the measuring type. Except with baking. One must always measure with baking.

Scoop out some coconut oil into bowl. A cup or more. Next add a few drops of the lavender oil, vitamin E oil and tea tree oil. Now if this is for my face that is all I add. For a body lotion or deep hair condition treatment I will add several drops of fragrance.

Get out that hand mixer. Now whip it, whip it good. Several minutes. Once you have a bowl of fluffy goodness you are done. Transfer to your container.

For the face, a little of this lotion goes a long way. I use it everyday and do not experience clogged pores or breakouts. But everyone is different.

For skin, slather on. You will be greasy but the lotion will be absorbed in just a few minutes.

For hair treatment, massage into scalp and hair. Optional: you can cover head with shower cap and apply heat from your hair dryer. You can leave the treatment in several minutes or one hour. Shampoo twice.

Add some sugar to your whipped coconut oil for a sugar scrub. I do this a few times a week. My living dead skin loves it.

Pinterest

Pinterest

My Whipped Coconut Lotion

No go forth into that good night and whip it. Whip it good.