Homemade Oreos

I just made this recipe for homemade oreos from smitten kitchen, http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/my-kingdom-for-a-glass-of-milk/, and they were PRETTY GOOD! I can't lie and say they taste exactly like oreos because the cookie isn't as crispy, maybe because I made my cookie a little bigger than an actual oreo wafer, uncooked they were about the size of an oreo but they grew to be about twice that big while baking. If they were smaller perhaps they would have gotten crispier in the 9 minute baking time? Anyway, I liked them alot, I used non-hydrogenated organic vegetable shortening for the filling, no butter. I'll definitely be making these again, I love quick, easy recipes like this!

My first attempt at a rocket stove...

so I started out with 5 cans,

and after gathering up tools and supplies (mainly a can opener, metal cutters, perlite, quickrete, and a marker) I put together this,

Its a rocket stove with a horizontal feed and really this was just a test run. Ultimately I would like to make one that is much more insulated (this one has about 1" of perlite/quickrete and got VERY hot on the outside container) and that has a vertical feed. I will attach it to an insulated box that I will fashion using an old bbq grill, a cast iron grill sheet and lots of insulation. I want to take the wheels off the bbq pit and make it look like it belongs in a pretty kitchen. It will have exhaust leading outside. Anyway, I am proud of myself for finally attempting this and that it kind of worked. More results will be coming...

Tiny Home on Wheels

We are still unsure of where we will be buying land, as Jarvas's job is a determining factor and right now he is "transitioning". Building an earthen home is dependent on "owning" or having unlimited access to land. In the meantime, I thought a good idea up. I can build a small home that is mobile in about 8 weeks, so that when we do buy land and start construction on our earthen home we will have a comfortable place to live. I estimate 6-12 months to build the earthen home, and that number varies depending on materials used, prep work involved (splitting and curing lumber takes up to 6 months), and financing plan (pay all up front or pay as we get). Living on the land we are building on would be optimal, for convenience and cost effectiveness. Obviously I don't want to live in a tent for 6+ months. The idea of a tiny home on wheels is intrigueing. Also it would give me some building experience of which I currently have none. I would like to build this home for somewhere between 5-7K. Later I will use it as a guest cottage or resale it.

Right now my first step will be buying a flatbed trailer and figuring out were I am going to park it...

My inspiration:

Building a House out of Dirt!

This may sound crazy and/or laughable, but outside of the "developed" world it is what many people do for shelter and have been doing for thousands of years. It also happens to be an idea that is intoxicating to me. I sit for hours and fantasize about my future earthen house. I draw and revise sketches of my earthen house, planning for the opportunity. Many women LOVE to nest: appoint, decorate and organize their home. I am one of them. As a kid, building forts and clubhouses in the woods was one of the things I enjoyed the most. So it seems that in the very near future I will be able to begin what has been a lifelong dream of mine and I can't wait. I am going to chronicle everything right here on this blog. It may be a few months before anything actually happens but this is what I am hoping for.

Body Lotion Recipe

I hit pay dirt yesterday! My shipment from Mountain Rose Herbs finally came in and I was able to try out this lotion recipe I adapted from a recipe I found online here, www.the-soap-dish.com/basic-lotion-formula.htm. I made some changes to the formula, mainly using different oils, but more or less using their formula as a guideline.

I made this lotion for my husband, who MUST use lotion after every bath on his extremely rough, dry skin. Unlike me, pure oils and butters on damp skin do nothing for him. Previous homemade lotion recipes that I came up with were either too waxy, leaving a residue, or too oily, leaving skin dry and greasy. He has been using Gold Bond Ultimate lotion, which works great for him, but has toxic parabens and low quality ingredients. This final recipe, is comparable to the Gold Bond and has received his seal of approval.

About the lotion:

1. It is THICK. After cooling and setting up, it has the consistency of mayonaisse. It probably wouldn't work great in a pump or squeeze bottle. I've stored mine in a glass jar.

2. It penetrates quickly. My initial reaction was that it penetrated too quickly and wouldn't be emollient enough. In my experience, lotions that work take a long time to rub in...

3. It is magical. Despite penetrating quickly and feeling "watery" when rubbing it in, immediately after rubbing it in, the skin feels soft, smooth, and moisturized. It has great emolliency without feeling greasy.

Here is the recipe and directions:

Oil Phase

1 oz shea butter

.3 oz coconut oil

.7 oz cocoa butter

1 oz castor oil

.8 oz emulsifying wax

.8 oz stearic acid

Water Phase

15 oz water

.2 oz citric acid

.6 oz glycerin

additional ingredients: .2 oz optiphen and .4 oz fragrance

Directions: Boil water and allow to cool slightly while mixing and melting oil phase. Weigh out oil phase ingredients and melt in a large glass mixing bowl. Add glycerin and citric acid to water and mix with stick blender for a few seconds. Pour water phase into oil phase and mix well with stick blender 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then add optiphen and fragrance and mix with stick blender 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes, mix with stick blender and allow to cool completely before pouring into glass jar.

Just a note about fragrance, it is optional, but I really like it. I used chocolate serendipity from Southern Soapers, and really like the chocolate cake scent. It reminds me of Palmer's Cocoa butter smell, which is one of my favorites.

A note about optiphen, this is a preservative, and also optional. However if you choose not to use it, then you must store your lotion in the refrigerator and plan to use it within a month.

Flaxseed Gel

I bought a pound of flaxseed a while ago, intending to use it in my diet. I did use it a little, ground up as a binder in vegan recipes, or stirred into my oatmeal, but I usually forget about it. I've seen mention of flaxseed gel for hair on various hair blogs and after watching a youtube video tutorial yesterday, I decided to finally make my own. It was very easy, just boil 1/4 cup with 2 cups of water, then strain and let cool. So I applied this gel generously to my hair and got some popping curls! I am so excited to have another all natural home-made product to add to my beauty arsenal, AWESOMENESS!

Garden Update!

My banana trees died and even though I spent about $30 on them with shipping I just don't feel like sending them back. Many of my herbs didn't even germinate. Chamomile seeds germinated into cotyledons that died from lack of water I suppose. Radishes, beets, and carrots are coming up niceley, along with a row of spinach. Me and grandma made four rows and planted purple hull peas, some cucumber plants, tomatoe plants, and mustard greens. Anyway, just wanted to go ahead and log that into my journal...

Training britches!

Well I made my first pair and I nixed the wool part because I don't need them to be waterproof, anyway here is a pic of the first pair I made, they are plenty cute and plenty functional, they just take a while to dry because I put 8 layers in the wet zone, Also the workmanship is a little shabby, I need to practice and find a better method of attaching the waist and legbands...