Last Father’s Day I purchased a 1.5 quart Rival ice cream maker for D. We’ve (I’ve) made ice cream an average of once per month over the past year. We’ve made mostly vanilla – both quick and old-fashioned (custard) recipes, Oreo ice cream, and even a few different vegan recipes.
At the same time, we have frequently purchased ice cream at the grocer such as store brand and Blue Bunny, but realized it’s not “real” ice cream. If you look at the front of the carton, it usually says something like “Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream.” These often contain the dreaded high fructose corn syrup and a plethora of hard-to-pronounce words. I’m assuming that Breyer’s vanilla and Haagen-Dasz brands are more expensive because they don’t have these things.
The following recipe is from the Rival 1.5 quart ice cream maker’s guide:
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
1/4 cup sugar ($0.13)
1/8 tsp salt (cost not calculated)
1 3/4 cup whole milk ($0.47)
2 eggs, beaten ($0.15)
(Heat the first three ingredients together in a pot. Add 1/2 cup of mixture to beaten eggs and mix. Add this mixture back to main mixture. Chill for 2 hours.)
1 1/2 cup whipping cream ($1.27)
1 tbsp vanilla extract ($1.16)
(Add the cream and vanilla to the chilled mixture and stir together well. Add to ice cream maker and chill according to manufacturer’s instructions.)
I even used a couple organic ingredients! Although I’m addicted to sweets and vanilla, I thought that 1tbsp vanilla extract was too much in this recipe. I will try using less next time.
Of course, my cost may be different then yours. I could cut the cost if I purchased the dairy in bigger sizes (not 1 qt. sizes) and used all non-organic ingredients. When I look at the final cost, I think, “It’s not much cheaper than Breyer’s, more costly than Blue Bunny and store brand, and I have to prepare it.” But then I realize: the ingredients are natural and there are absolutely no preservatives or corn syrups in it, and that’s important to me.
It’s important to take good care of your skin because the skin helps your body keep infectious viruses and bacteria from entering your body. For centuries, people have used natural methods to clean their faces. Yes, cleaning your face can be done without a trip to the synthetic chemical-ridden beauty department.
Facial masks are an excellent way to clean your pores. When you slather on the mask (clay, gel, fruit), the material gets smooshed into your crevices and pores, attaching to the dirt particles. As the mask dries, it pulls away from the skin and pulls all of the bad particles (dirt and dead skin cells) with it. When you wash the mask off, you also wash away all those bad particles, leaving you with fresh and clean skin.
Masks usually have a high water content in them, so as they dry, your skin is hydrated. Now that your pores are clean and hydrated, they can close up, giving your skin a smoother appearance. With a warm mask, your blood vessels open up, allowing for better absorption of nutrients into your skin.
1 – Before masking your face, wash it and pat it dry.
2 – Put some of the mask into your hand. Apply it with soft circular motions to help it get smooshed into all crevices of the face. You want it to be thick enough that it gets into all the crevices and pores, but thin enough that it will dry and lift away the grime in your pores and on your skin. A good rule of thumb is that you want to put on just enough so that you can’t see the skin.
3 – Let the mask dry. Each mask is different and will take from 10 to 30 minutes to dry. When the mask is dry, use warm water and a washcloth to wash away the mask. This keeps the pores open so that any remaining mask material is cleaned out of them, and the washcloth helps to get the mask off your face.
4 – When you’re done, you can follow up with a rinse of cold water (or an ice cube). The cold water will close the pores back up again, helping them keep future grime from entering!
So what materials are good as masks?
Apples – For acne prone skin. Mix 1 grated apple with 5 tbsp warm honey.
Aspirin and Honey – Aspirin has astringent properties and is good for oily skin. It can do bad things if you use it too frequently, so please use it no more than 2 times per week. Mix a little water with aspirin tablets (not gel caps) until the tablets dissolve, then add in a little honey. Use like any other mask. This is a very cost effective mask – a bottle of 100 aspirin tabs at my local grocer is only 99 cents!
Avocado – For softer skin. It is very nourishing and works great on mature, wrinkled, and dry skin.
Bananas – Help slough off dead skin, energize the face, and is a good anti-wrinkle treatment. Can also be mixed with avocado, oatmeal, yogurt, honey, and/or vitamin E.
Clay with aloe – Clay is rich in minerals, deep cleans, and tightens pores. Aloe soothes your skin. A cheap and readily available way to get clay is by the chunky clay kitty litter. Don’t get the powdery stuff, the stuff with blue crystals, or scented. And please don’t put used kitty litter on your face! As always, Michelle does an excellent job of explaining this!
Cucumber – Revives skin. Can be mixed with yogurt. Also great sliced over the eyes – helps reduce bagginess and dark circles.
Eggs – Egg whites leave normal to oily skin feeling tight and refined. Mix egg whites with lemon juice to help get rid of blackheads. Egg yolks contain vitamin A and are great for dry skin. Egg yolks also help heal blemishes.
Honey and Almond – Moisturizes. Best for mature, sensitive, or dry skin. Honey has antibacterial properties. Mix 1tsp warm honey, 1tbsp ground almonds, and enough water to make a nice paste. Apply to face; in 10-15 minutes rinse off.
Milk – Moisturizes. Mix with other ingredients before using.
Papaya – Contains an enzyme, papain, which dissolves oil and dead skin cells.
Strawberries – The seeds exfoliate the skin and the fruit is an astringent. Mix with a little yogurt to sooth.
Tomato – For oily skin. Scoop/compost seeds, puree tomato meat with 1 tsp each lemon juice and oatmeal.
Yogurt – Cleanses and nourishes, has been used for centuries due to its healthy properties. Mix 1 tsp with juice from 1/4 orange for a refreshing mask. For a great all-purpose deep cleaning mask for all skin types, mix 1tbsp finely ground oatmeal, 1tsp warm honey, and 1tbsp yogurt together. Apply to face; in 10-15 minutes rinse off.
A couple notes:
Many fruits and vegetables can also be used effectively. Anything acidic (lemon, strawberries, grapefruit, etc.) will tend to whiten and refresh your skin, but you need to be careful if your skin is dry.
For OILY skin – bananas, strawberries, lemon, clay
For DRY skin – avocados, honey, olive oil
In general, don’t apply masks more often than about twice a week, and try to vary the ingredients.
Every Sunday D and I try to make a special breakfast. Since yesterday was Easter, our Sunday “ritual” was even more important. As we gathered the materials needed for pancakes and omelets, we realized that we had used the last two eggs for a cake the other night. Neither of us wanted to go all the way to the store for just one ingredient, so I started researching options.
What I found was “5 Minute Vegan Pancakes” at Recipezaar. I’m pretty good for trying new things, so I had no problem with “vegan” pancakes, but D did. Our only choices were vegan ‘cakes or no ‘cakes at all so I made them anyway.
There are only 6 ingredients in this tasty recipe…
You simply mix the dry ingredients then add in the wet ingredients and mix well. Cook as you would for “normal” pancakes.
The Verdict:
They look like regular pancakes, are fluffy like regular pancakes, but do they taste like regular pancakes? Even my meat-a-tarian hubby thought they were delicious. You can’t taste the soy in them and it makes for a thick but fluffy pancake. I would suggest adding more milk to thin the mix, because they are very thick – that could have been because I used whole instead of white flour. I also added in a little bit more sugar. You obviously don’t need eggs to make scrumptious pancakes – we’ll definitely be making these again.
In conjunction with a previous article on the natural wonder of vinegar, I went on a search for the many uses of it. Many of the following ideas we use here at home. I have not tried any of the health related uses, but am curious to see if they work. Vinegar is a natural alternative to synthetic cleaners and disinfectants, conditioners, and fabric softeners. There are many uses for it, but most people know that it can be used for cleaning and for making “volcanoes.” In the following tips, when I refer to vinegar, I’m referring to “white” vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will stain porous materials, so please be careful.
Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains with vinegar. Simply wipe the surface with vinegar and rinse with water.
Unscrew the shower head, remove the rubber washer, and place the head in a pot of equal parts vinegar and water. Bring to a boils and simmer for five minutes.
Clean your toilet by pouring in one cup of vinegar. Let it stand for five minutes and then flush.
Have a spray bottle of straight vinegar ready when you need to clean your windows, then wipe clean with a soft cloth. I think you can also use newspaper.
Use vinegar as a stain fighter. Apply directly to the stain and then wash as usual.
Clean food stains off of clothes by using a mix of two teaspoons dish soap and two teaspoons vinegar per two quarts warm water. Lightly wash and then blot up before washing.
Clean baked on food with vinegar. Simply pour vinegar in the pot/pan and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Then wash as usual.
Clean drains… pour baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar (yay for a fun chemical reaction!). When the fizzling stops, rinse with hot water.
Use equal parts of baking soda, vinegar, and water for a homemade fabric softener. Only use the fabric softener balls when using this recipe.
Clean your automatic drip coffee pot by filling the reservoir with vinegar and running it through the brew cycle. Rinse with two cycles of cold water. Do this once per month to get rid of buildup.
If you have dentures, you can soak them overnight in vinegar and then brush them off in the morning.
If you have cows, clean milking equipment with un-perfumed soap followed by a vinegar rinse. And since vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it lowers the bacteria count.
Clean up pet stains with vinegar.
Clean your washing machine once per month by pouring a cup of vinegar and running the machine one cycle (without clothes).
Mixing one tablespoon vinegar to water when mixing plaster will slow the drying time.
Soak rusty items in vinegar overnight.
You can prevent eggs from cracking during hard-boiling if you add 2 tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water. The shells also peel off better with this method.
Propane lanterns can burn long and brighter by soaking new wicks in vinegar for several hours and then letting them dry before using.
Use vinegar as a sticker/decal remover. Soak a cloth in vinegar and cover the bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in. The sticker should peel off easily.
Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight with vinegar. Coat the window with a solution of three parts white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to one part water.
Vinegar is a great air freshener. It can be sprayed full strength into a room or placed in small dishes near the offending odor. It can also be placed in small places such as lunch boxes – if a small dish doesn’t fit, use a vinegar-soaked napkin or cloth. You can also boil one tablespoon per one cup of water to get rid of kitchen odors.
Vinegar is acidic. You can occasionally water (acidic soil loving plants) with a mix of 2 tablespoons per one quart of water.
Along the same lines… if you over water with vinegar, you may kill plants. Pour some straight vinegar down sidewalk and driveway cracks to get rid of weeds.
Vinegar can also help prolong the life of your floral arrangements. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons sugar per quart of warm water.
Some insects such as ants, can be repelled by spraying equal parts vinegar and water around where they try to enter your house.
Before each meal, drink a glass of water with two teaspoons apple cider vinegar to relieve arthritis pain. It may take a few weeks to notice a difference.
Relieve cold symptoms by mixing equal parts of apple cider vinegar and honey. Take one tablespoon every couple of hours.
You just might be able to cure your hiccups by drinking a mix of one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in one cup warm water.
Drinking one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in one-half cup of water may help to quiet an upset stomach.
Dab bug bites and sunburns with vinegar to sooth the pain.
Add a couple teaspoons to your humidifier to help soothe a sore throat.
Vinegar can also help prevent yeast infections by adjusting a woman’s pH balance. Douche with one tablespoon vinegar to one quart warm water.
Vinegar can be used as (hair) conditioner. Use either a mix of 1 cup apple cider vinegar to two cups water OR 2 cups vinegar to 2 cups water. This adds highlights to brown hair, restores acids, and removes soap and oils.
For the kids… soak small bones (for example, chicken) in vinegar for a few days. It will have turned into “rubber!”
Also for the kids… make the traditional “volcano” with baking soda and vinegar.
Making your own vinegar…
Vinegar can be made from about any sugary/starchy substance that can be fermented to ethyl alcohol. This includes molasses, sorghum syrup, fruits, berries, melons, coconut, honey, maple syrup potatoes, beets, malt, grains, and whey. The oldest way to make vinegar is to leave wine made from fruit juce in an open container, allowing microorganisms in the air to convert the ethyl alchol to acetic acid (aka vinegar). Vinager literally means “sour wine” in French (vin + aigre). If this is something you are interested in, check out the Vinegar Man’s page on how to make vinegar.
If you have a new way to use vinegar, I’d love to hear what worked and what didn’t. See you later!
I woke up and had my daily tea this morning while reading the news headlines on Yahoo. I clicked on a video labeled “Grandma’s Great Depression tricks to save in the kitchen.” Intrigued, the celebrity-chef Emeril tried her recipes.
His verdict… they work and are tasty! It’s very interesting to see all the different ways you can use cheap and basic staples such as potatoes and pasta. So, now I’m getting addicted and I just can’t stop watching the videos! Check out Depression Cooking with Clara. She’s also on YouTube.
If you decide to eat out, use coupons. Fazoli’s website offers a buy one get one free offer every week. I also just received a coupon for a free sandwich from Arby’s last week. Coupons can be found online, through Val-Pak, Hot Coupons,the 2009 Entertainment book, through the weekly Shopper/PennySaver, and through your city’s Sunday newspaper.
Another way to save when eating out is to share a meal. Meal portion sizes have increased exponentially over the past few decades. My mother in law’s favorite thing to do when visiting Texas Roadhouse is this: one person orders a meal and the second person orders the veggie platter for $8 – they eat more nutritiously and save a little money by sharing. Otherwise, order one meal and split it.
This tip requires a little work… eat less! By eating less (and hopefully working out), you’ll save money on groceries. You’ll also save money by not purchasing pre-made foods, because you’ll want to eat more fresh foods.
Stick to the basics: make a grocery list and don’t stray from it, only buy items that you need, don’t buy items just because they’re cheap or on sale if you don’t need them, make a budget and stick to it – my mom does this by taking a set amount of cash to buy groceries, compare prices at different grocery stores. Sometimes grocery stores will honor other store’s ad prices and coupons.
Check out my list of birthday freebies. Many of those restaurants also send you offers throughout the year.
You may be able to find some of your favorite food items at discount stores such as Dollar General, Big Lots, and bakery outlet stores. Also check out surplus stores, including army surplus. I’ve been to a few that sell almost expired canned goods and other non-perishables, such as powdered mixes, cookies, and gummy snacks at deep discounts.
Buy in bulk through stores such as Costco and Sam’s Club. BulkFoods carries obviously foods in bulk – the downside is that you have to pay shipping. I’ve purchased items cheaper than BulkFoods prices at a local Mennonite grocery store, so be sure to check out local bulk food stores too. eBay also carries food products.
Buying in bulk allows you to make more of a meal so that you can reuse the ingredients. For example, if you make a turkey, use the leftovers to make turkey soup or a turkey pie.
When thinking of shopping locally, consider farmer’s markets and family farms or co-ops. Local Harvest has an extensive listing.
If you eat a lot of natural foods, consider “living off the grid” or being “self sufficient.” There are some great books out there for this. Chickens are extremely cost efficient – they don’t eat much, and you can get both meat and eggs from them. Check out your local ordinance as they are allowed in many residential areas (even Chicago). Check out Backyard Chickens for more information.
Store brands are often much cheaper than more well known name brands, and usually taste the same.
Do a little research to figure out when your local grocer marks down meat and baked goods. In our town, the meat is marked down first thing in the morning and baked goods in the evening.
Eat cheap foods such as sardines, brown rice, old fashioned oatmeal, whole grain pasta, legumes/beans, and nuts and peanut butter, cabbage, kale, apples, cheaper cuts of beef shanks, protein powder is a cheap alternative to protein from meat, whole chicken, eggs are also a cheaper version of protein, broccoli, watermelon, squash, spinach
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=64d9ed3e-0d0f-450e-8036-b055e1004259 "photo")
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=07e2b1a6-ff40-41d8-8c41-b01f6bdd9406 "photo")
