Debbie's Face Cream

Scrub on the left, Cream on the right.

With so much junk in cosmetics these days, I came across a recipe in Rosemary Gladstar's* books for a face cream that met my criteria for something I would consider putting on my skin.  I adapted it some and here is what I do now.

I get all my ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs.  They're a fabulous company with an amazing array of herbs, spices, oils, clays, essential oils, containers and more.

Okay, so here we go.....

Ingredients:

Ratio is 1:1 water to oils

Waters:
1 cup distilled water
1/2 cup aloe vera gel

Oils:
1 cup almond oil
1 3/8 oz. Kokum butter (This can be replaced with another specialty butter of your choice.)
1 3/4 oz. coconut oil
1 3/8 oz. beeswax (I use pastilles)
1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
1/2 teaspoon Litsea essential oil (or other essential oil of your choice)

Method:

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.

2. Measure water and aloe vera gel into a measuring cup and set aside.

3. In a double boiler bowl over boiling water, melt the beeswax first.

4. Add Kokum butter and melt into beeswax.

5. Add coconut oil and melt into beeswax and Kokum butter.

6. Add almond oil, stirring until the mixture is clear and liquid.

7. Remove bowl from double boiler pot and pour the oils into a high speed blender container. (Bosch, Blend Tec or Vita-Mix would be best)

8. Allow oils to cool until they are room temperature and starting to get set up.
This is the only tricky part of the whole process.  The oils need to be getting solid, but not BE solid.  They still need to be able to be blended smooth.
junk
9. Add the Vitamin E and Litsea to the container.

10. Start the blender and let the oils get moving in the container.

11. Using the pouring function of the blender lid, while the blender is running, pour the water and aloe vera gel into the vortex of the blending oils.  Keep adding the water, making sure the blender is keeping up with the additions.  The contents will start turning white.  Keep adding the water until you run out.  The blender will be working at this, by now.

12. When the last of the water is added, make sure it's been incorporated into the cream and then turn off the blender.

13.Transfer the cream to small jars and put tight fitting lids on them.

Note: Sometimes the cream develops chunks of some of the oils in it.  I don't know why and have never been able to keep it from happening.  It develops over time.  Go figure!

*Please know that I don't endorse Rosemary Gladstar's New Age philosophies, etc.  She knows herbs and women's health, and I value her knowledge on that level.

Debbie's Face Scrub

Scrub on the left, cream on the right.

I can't use soap on my face without great irritation and turning beet-red, so I've used this instead for years.  It's a great exfoliator, too.

Ingredients:
2 cups white Kaolin clay*
1 cup oats, ground to a rough flour
1/4 cup apricot kernel meal* (optional, it makes the mix grittier)
2 Tablespoons lavender flower powder*
2 Tablespoons rose petal powder*

Method:
Combine clay, oats, apricot kernel meal (if using), and flower powders, mixing well.
I do this by putting it in a zip-loc bag, closing it and shifting the bag back and forth until it's well combined.
It can be stored in the zip-loc bag, or in any other container you choose, glass or plastic.

*I get these ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs

Sirloin Tip Roast

I massacred these roasts for years, and then discovered that I was cooking them wrong.  Here's what I do now!

Ingredients:
3-4 pound Sirloin Tip Roast
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Method:
Mix the salt, herbs and olive oil together and let sit for a few minutes, then rub the roast with it.
Place the roast on a rack over a roasting pan or cookie sheet.  Whatever you have is fine.
Roast in a pre-heated 350* oven about an hour or an hour and a quarter, or until the internal temperature reaches 145* or higher. Whatever your choice of "doneness" is.

Let sit covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Roasted Carrots

These are so easy and so good.

Ingredients:
Enough carrots to fill a 9x13 pan when cup up. (I use about 5 large)
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Melt coconut oil in a 9x13 pan.  I use a glass one lined with parchment paper.
Cut carrots into narrow, thin sticks.
Mince rosemary.
Toss carrots and rosemary with the coconut oil and salt to taste.
Bake for about 1 1/2 hours at 350*
They should be almost carmelizing.  Dark edges and kind of sticky.

"Cream" of Broccoli Soup

During the winter, I miss the fresh veggies of summer, but broccoli is such a great main-stay through the colder months.  This is about as easy as they come for a quick soup.

Ingredients:

4 cups broccoli florets, steamed until soft

1/2 sweet onion, chopped and carmelized, about 1/2 cup (optional)

2-3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh thyme is good, too.

Method:

Steam the broccoli til soft.

(If you decide to use thyme, or another herb, you can steam it with the broccoli.)

Add it to a 6 quart pan.

Add chicken broth.

Mash the broccoli down into the broth, then use a stick blender or Magic Bullet to blend it up.

Add the coconut milk and blend again.

Heat until just serving temperature.

Season and serve.

Another option is the addition of steamed greens.  Just add them to the broccoli in either the pot or the Magic Bullet and proceed.

Pumpkin Soup

Fun recipe for Fall!

Ingredients:
1 small pie pumpkin, baked
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 Tablespoons honey
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt to taste
Crispy Pumpkin Seeds (At the very bottom of the post.)

Method:
Mash up the baked pumpkin in the bottom of a 6 quart pan.
Add the chicken broth, honey, curry and pumpkin pie spice.
Blend with a stick blender until smooth.
Heat till steaming, then add the coconut milk and blend again.
Heat again until serving temperature.  I don't like to heat the soup to boiling with the coconut milk in it.
Add salt to taste, garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Baked Pumpkin

Easy-Peasy!  I wish I'd known of this method years ago.  I wouldn't have been intimidated by using up the lovely pumpkins we grew!

To bake the pumpkin, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and threads, and place it cut side down in a baking pan.
Add about 3/4 of an inch of water.
Bake at 350* until a knife pierces the skin and flesh easily.
It takes about 1 1/2 hours in my oven.
Parts of the skin may be blackening.  No worries, if the flesh gets a little dark, I just scrape that part off before using.
After cooling, scoop out the flesh for whatever recipe you're using.

Lacto-Fermented Apples

Another great recipe for the bounty of summer's and fall's harvest!

Ingredients:
3+ cups peeled, cored and cubed apples
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons whey
Filtered water

Method:
Fill a quart jar with the apples, making sure there is at least an inch of space between them and the top of the jar.

Mix remaining ingredients, minus the water, and pour over the apples.
Add enough filtered water to cover the fruit, still keeping the level an inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days.
Transfer to the fridge.

**Fermentation instructions say that these will keep for two months in the fridge.  I have had them keep for 6 months with no difficulty.  Just give them a sniff before eating.  If they smell bad, they are bad, and toss them out.  If they smell fruity-fizzy-sharpish, they're good to go.

Lacto-Fermented Peaches aka "Fizzy Peaches"

Turning summer's bounty into glorious sunny-tasting fermented fruit for the grey days of early winter is such a good idea!

Ingredients:
3+ cups peaches, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup whey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Filtered water

Method:
Fill a quart jar with the peaches, making sure there is at least an inch of space between them and the top of the jar.

Mix remaining ingredients, minus the water, and pour over the peaches.
Add enough filtered water to cover the fruit, still keeping the level an inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days.
Transfer to the fridge.

**Fermentation instructions say that these will keep for two months in the fridge.  I have had them keep for 6 months with no difficulty.  Just give them a sniff before eating.  If they smell bad, they are bad, and toss them out.  If they smell fruity-fizzy-sharpish, they're good to go.

***This recipe works with pears, also!

Homemade Vanilla

Easy, easy, easy!

Ingredients:
6 vanilla beans (I find them at Costco seasonally in the fall, or get them from Mountain Rose Herbs)
1 quart of 100 proof vodka*

Method:
Split the vanilla beans with a knife and open them.
Put them in a quart jar.
Pour the vodka over the beans.
Put the lid on and shake the jar.
Put the jar in the pantry or other dark place.
Shake the jar every couple of days.
Leave for about 6 weeks.

Voila!

*If you are gluten sensitive, look for potato vodka and use that instead.
Here is a link to a list of gluten-free vodkas.  Some are corn-based, so if you're grain sensitive, watch for that.  Potato and grape vodkas are available.

Coconut Milk Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

Here is an easy treat for those of us who are dairy-free eaters.

Ingredients:

1 can organic full fat coconut milk (I use this)

1/2 15 oz. can organic pumpkin (or 1 cup of your own cooked pumpkin)

2 Tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon Homemade Vanilla

OR

1 teaspoon store-bought vanilla plus 1 Tablespoon vodka or gin to keep the ice cream from crystalizing.

Method:

Blend all ingredients in blender or Magic Bullet

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

I divide it into portions for storing in my freezer.  Way easier than trying to scoop some out of a frozen block!