The Wearing of the Spanx

Did I ever tell you about the time I went to Dillard's to shop for a Spanx V-Neck Camisole to wear under my knitted tops? I wanted to smooth out the extra flesh my body has produced. I mean I have WAY more flesh than I need to cover my muscles and bones. I slipped into the dressing room intending to slip into a size medium V-Neck Camisole. Not without some difficulty I maneuvered the garment to where my arms were up over my ears and the camisole had rolled into a huge, powerful and immovable "rubberband." Hopelessly entrapped, I felt panic starting to engulf me. My first instinct was to scream for the clerk to come and bring a hacksaw. I calmed down and was able to escape from the size medium Spanx V-Neck Camisole, and without further discussion, got myself into and out of a size large Spanx camisole which I did purchase.

Later that summer hubby and I attended a wedding in Lewistown. I wore the Spanx V-Neck Camisole underneath a knitted dress. I also wore (beneath the dress) some compression underpants. I tucked my compression V-Neck Camisole into my compression underpants, thereby cutting off all lymph flow between the Northern and Southern hemispheres of my body. Immediately following the wedding, we attended a reception where a sumptuous meal was served. I indulged myself in the eating and drinking festivities, but the hour of reckoning dawned when I arrived in the "Ladies' Room." It appeared to have been converted from a small coat closet and contained three tiny stalls. I don't even want to THINK about the grunting, gasping and deep breathing that erupted from my micro toilet stall as I determinedly struggled to rearrange my upper and lower super-spandexed "shapers" to prepare myself to occupy the "throne." An equal amount of time and toil was required to put myself back together before emerging from my sweat box to wash my hands.

My advice to anyone who is trying on a Spanx V-Neck Camisole for the first time is this: Climb into it feet first and pull UP. Much easier than getting stuck when trying to roll DOWN. My leg muscles are stronger than my arm muscles, and I haven't had an entrapment since using the feet first method. As the song written by two guys goes, "I Enjoy Being a Girl." (a BIG girl!)

Gee, I hope you're feeling good! Smile on.

Mainly Skin

It has been some weeks since I posted, and I hardly know where to begin. I have been following a skin care regimen and feeling rather smug about it. Then yesterday I noticed the beginnings of some blemishes on my face!! So I tried to think why that would happen while I have been practicing such "excellent" skin care. Each night I remove my make-up using the cleansing cream I made (it is very pure). I wipe off the cream with facial tissue. Then I gently scrub my face using the cleansing grains I made. After rinsing thoroughly, I splash on cold water to close the pores. Sometimes I spray on the calendula toner I made, but not always, because the toner has to be kept downstairs in the refrigerator, and it is inconvenient to trudge downstairs to get it, etc. (Okay - I admit I've been a bit of a slacker regarding the toner, and a demerit is in order.)

The one thing I had not yet tried that is recommended by Rosemary Gladstar is to steam your face occasionally to clean the pores. So tonight after cleansing and scrubbing my face, I heated a kettle of water to boiling; then set the kettle in the kitchen sink. I put a heavy towel over my head and held my face to the steam, and I did this for 8 minutes. After the steam, I gently patted my face dry with a clean cotton cloth. To close the pores, I splashed on cold water; then semi-dried my face with facial tissue. Rosemary suggests adding various herbs to the steaming water, but I wanted to try it plain first.

Another thing I am considering is making moisture cream using grapeseed oil instead of jojoba or almond oil as the base. Jojoba and almond are supposed to be better for mature skin and grapeseed oil better for oily skin. But, as I have read, each person's skin responds uniquely to each base oil; so I wish I had tried them all out first, sampled each on my arm and noted how readily my skin absorbed it, how it felt - like the books advise. (But, what the heck! Why spoil my record for making things as frought with problems as possible and learning everything the hard way?!!) I think I would also like to substitute shea butter for coconut oil. Finally, I would use only essential oil, such as grapefruit seed oil for natural preservative purposes and vitamin E. Unscented or a very subtly scented cream would appeal to more people. (I must say I have tended to go hog wild - adding to the concoctions various essential oils in weird combinations! Note to self: use essential oil restraint.)

It was another beautiful day here, and we expect more of the same tomorrow. Hope all is marvelous with you! Happy day!

Cleansing Grains

Yesterday I finished putting together my most recent personal care product concoction - cleansing grains. It took a couple of weeks to accumulate all the necessary ingredients, particularly the white clay. I had read the clay was cheaper if you purchase it in a ceramics supply store than if you buy it in a health food store. There was not a ceramics supply store listed for Missoula, so I went to JoAnn craft supply store and bought a big bag of what turned out to be not pure white clay, but white clay mixed with several other ingredients, such as cellulose, which are not intended to be put on your skin. So I returned it and purchased pure white clay from Meadowsweet Herbs. White clay is supposed to be less drying than other clays, such as green or red clay.

The recipe for cleansing grains calls for 2 cups of white clay, 1 cup finely ground oatmeal, and small amounts of ground dried rose buds, dried lavender, almonds and poppy seeds. This forms the base which I use in smaller amounts to mix with raw honey and distilled water to create a moist, thick texture. I made a 1-week supply in a small jar, and Wednesday night I tried out the cleansing grains. I gently massaged about 1 tsp. of the grains/honey/water mixture all over my face, then rinsed it off with warm water. I patted my face dry with a clean soft towel; then spritzed on the toner I made. Finally I applied moisture cream. My facial skin feels as good as it did after my expensive professional European facial I received a few months ago! (And I have spent only about three times as much on my ever-growing collection of personal care product ingredients!)

Right now I am in the process of using up my "mistakes". The moisturizing cream began separating - the water and the oil - shortly after I first made it on July 11. I tried re-blending the oil and water; but that has proven unsuccessful. However, I am still using the moisturizer, because it still contains the wonderful jojoba oil, rosewater, beeswax and other superb components. It has a bumpy texture that becomes smooth as soon as the cream is applied to my skin. The cleansing cream is now starting to separate slightly, but it still works marvelously well. I have been keeping the creams and the toner in the refrigerator during the hot weather. As soon as I turn out a really lovely batch of moisturizing cream, I will start giving it out to friends and family and ask them what they think of it.

I want to try a recipe for deodorant that is completely different from the deodorant I made in July. I want something that does not melt when it gets above 80 degrees in the house. Instead of baking soda, coconut oil, lavender essential oil, arrowroot powder and borax, the new recipe calls for simply witch hazel and lavender essential oil. I can spritz it on. The witch hazel and lavender essential oil both have preservative and deodorizing properties. I will let you know how it compares to the baking soda-based deodorant. Keep smiling!

Tomato plants; plus the oil business

Two or three weeks ago Gary planted the two tomato plants I purchased at the Farmers' Market. I would some day like to try growing heirloom tomatoes, but this year I wanted to be safe; so I got Early Girl variety, which I have grown in years past. Our yard, and the entire neighborhood where we live, for decades was home to populations of deer, and we still involuntarily share our yard with them. They help themselves to most everything we could plant in the way of food or flowers; and have been known to stand on their hind legs, stretching to eat the leaves from our last surviving ancient apple tree. We have a large pot filled with flowering plants on our front porch post, and we're hoping one of the deer doesn't climb up there and munch off all the colorful blossoms. Our neighbors who have fenced-in back yards do not have ongoing plant wars with deer.

Okay, back to the tomato plants. They are being watered every other day by a drip line from our underground sprinkling system. Today we admired the tiny green tomatoes that have appeared. Hopefully the two layers of protective screening that Gary installed will save the plants from the deer, and we will one day harvest the fruit. If this venture is successful, next year we may try growing green beans, another nutritious and delicious food.

On Saturday I made lip balm using calendula-infused olive oil, cold-pressed canola oil, beeswax, wheat germ oil, vitamin E oil, and a combination of several different essential oils. The next day I decided I wanted to firm up the texture and add more scent; so I scraped all the approximately 8 oz. of balm back into a beaker and put the beaker into a hot water bath over a double boiler. I added more beeswax and also some African shea butter, because I like that stuff, stirring to blend all as the wax and butter melted. When it was completely liquid, I removed the beaker to a towel on the counter. Then I began adding drops of various essential oils until it had an aroma that seemed appealing. I have accumulated a rather extensive selection of essential oils, but the list of what is available seems endless; so I keep buying more. It is generally a good idea to include some lavender essential oil in creams and balms, etc., because of its preservative properties.

The modified lip balm is an improvement over the original, and I may try sending some in the mail to my son and daughter-in-law to evaluate for me. I also want to make some more meringued nuts for them to try, but that's another story. Please keep your chin up, and be determined to have a Happy Day!

More on skin care products

Yesterday I put a handful of dried calendula flowers into a jar of 8 oz. of distilled water and let it set overnight. This morning I strained the calendula-infused water and put two oz. of it into a spritzer bottle. Then I added three teaspoons aloe vera gel, one teaspoon glycerin and chamomile, fennel and vitamin E essential oils. After shaking this mixture, the directions are to store it in the refrigerator, use it within two months and spritz it on your face for a refreshing facial toning.

After putting together the toner, I finely ground 2 oz. calendula dried flowers and put them into a jar into which I had put 10 oz of olive oil. Several hours later, I strained the calendula-infused oil and will use it for other recipes in addition to the lip balm recipe. Tomorrow I plan to make my first batch of lip balm using this calendula-infused olive oil and other natural ingredients. The main products that I use on a daily basis and I want to make myself out of pure ingredients are deodorant, moisturinzing cream, cleansing cream, facial toner, lip balm, bath oil and skin lotion. So far I have made deodorant, moisture cream and cleansing cream. Lip balm, lotion and bath oil are not far behind.

Wednesday was the day I pick up my order from Farmer Brown of the Heirloom Project. I purchased one-half gallon raw milk, one loaf whole wheat sourdough bread and one beef sirloin roast. I find the raw milk easy to digest, unlike the pasturized milk I had been trying to drink the past several years. Tomorrow morning we plan to shop at the Farmer's Market for green vegetables, carrots, greens and bacon. We have to get to the market by about 8:00AM in order to beat the crowd. Good Night!

Success report...

In my earlier post today I described a recipe for Holiday Nuts that I was trying. I am pleased to announce the Holiday Nuts turned out to be a tasty treat! They spent 6-1/2 hours in the food drier, and my husband turned off the drier and placed the snack food into a small, cute cookie jar. To repeat the ingredients in this recipe: a total of five cups crispy cashews, almonds and walnuts mixed (the way to make crispy nuts is to soak them overnight in water and sea salt; then dry them for about 12 hours in the food drier), three egg whites, one-half cup Vermont Maple Syrup, pinch of sea salt and one tablespoon vanilla extract. I also added one-half teaspoon sea salt.

Also in my earlier post today I mentioned jojoba might be too oily for my skin. However, I just read in another book that your face needs only a tiny amount of the cream, and to apply it, dip the tip of your little finger into the cream and gently massage it all over your face. At first it will seem to be too oily; but it will soon be obsorbed by your skin, the pure natural ingredients leaving your face soft and smooth. To deal with the separation of the oil and water in my first attempt at making moisture cream, I will just shake the container well before applying. Tonight I found another recipe for moisture cream I want to try, and it has a slightly different process for mixing the waters and oils, but the directions say it can be tricky to get it right. I will let you know how this new recipe turns out. Good Night!

Technique Needs Work

My homemade moisturizing and cleansing creams feel good on my skin. Because they have no chemical preservatives or stabilizers in them, the creams have a very loose texture during our summer heat. They become firm under refrigeration, and the texture alters a bit from that as well. Whatever the textures are does not affect how well the creams perform. I intend to try using grapefruit seed extract in my next batch, as it is supposed to have some natural preservative properties.

When I apply the jojoba-based moisturizing cream to my face (I am also using it on my hands, arms, legs and feet.), it feels very concentrated, and I have to tissue off the extra. Otherwise I would walk around with a very shiney face and need to be particularly careful not to walk through an insect hatch. I may make some moisturizing cream with grapeseed oil rather than jojoba oil as the base, because it is supposed to be less oily.

On the nutrition end of things, today I am making what is supposed to be a wholesome and nutritious snack - - Holiday Nuts. The recipe, from the Nourishing Traditions book, is called Holiday Pecans, but I am substituting a mixture of walnuts, almonds and cashews for the pecans. I had already soaked the almonds, cashews and walnuts in sea salt water overnight; then dried them in my food drier for another night. These are called Crispy Nuts.

To make the Holiday Nuts, I beat three egg whites and a pinch of sea salt until the whites were stiff. Then I gradually poured in one-half cup Vermont Maple Syrup and one tablespoon vanilla. I hope I don't regret it, but I also added an extra one-half teaspoon sea salt to the mixture. I ended up with what seemed like an enormous amount of whipped egg whites, syrup and vanilla (was this caused by the added salt?). I stirred in an extra cupful of Crispy Nuts, because there was so much of the creamy fluff.

I covered the screens of my food drier trays with foil and buttered them. Then I spread the creamy, globby egg/nut mixture onto the trays. They are to remain in the food drier for several hours, until the egg whites, which are now beige, are dry. I have never seen anything that looks like this before, and I hope it turns out well.

My overall opinion of the projects I have described today is that I need to work on my technique to develop a better batch of cream and a better batch of Holiday Nuts. We learn by doing, as the old adage says. Happy Day!

At last - the creams!

Last Wednesday I prepared my first two batches of skin creams. One is cleansing cream; the other is moisturizing cream. The recipes produced so much that I am thinking of having my husband, Gregarious Gary distribute samples to the ladies in our neighborhood. I will need to find proper containers and label what they are and the ingredients. I want to get these products out while they are still fresh during these warm summer months, because they are pure and have a relatively short shelf life. I definitely want to make certain my darling daughters-in-law have a chance to try them. Then I want to determine which carrier oil works best for each of their skin types so I can provide them with the optimum skin care products.

Lotion, lip balm and shampoo are the next three items on my cosmetics to-try list. I am having fun, especially now that I have tried it with some degree of success. Next time I do the moisturizing cream, I will put in more solid oil, such as shea butter so it sets up better.

While shopping for ingredients for the skin care product recipes, I found myself in the Body Basics store on Higgins. The lady running in charge knew her business, so I asked her about shampoo. I have always washed my hair every day and used creme rinse - with products that are purported to be high quality - but the past several months my hair has been dry and scalp itchy. She sold me a small amount of Walnut shampoo and told me to dilute it. I have tried it twice and believe it improves the texture of my hair. Last night I even used the hair rinse I used when I was 13 years old - vinegar water. It worked like a charm. My hair is chemically altered because I color it; so it is somewhat delicate.

This morning I made yet another purchase of expensive ingredients for the skin care products; so I should be off and running trying more recipes. I wish more people were here to try the lovely creams I have made. Happy Day!!

Enjoying company...avoiding cooking...

Today is the 4th of July, and we have had company at our house for the past 4 days. My husband's two bachelor friends are here, and, with the exception of Saturday evening when Gary asked me to be in charge of cooking the hashbrowns and cutting up the watermelon while he barbecued the steaks and salmon, set the table and served the food, I have managed to avoid cooking for our company. Yesterday morning I made coconut pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and fresh strawberries, but I did not do it out of a sense of obligation. I wanted to try out the coconut pancakes on them and sample our Vermont maple syrup I purchased through the Heirloom Project.

The two bachelors, Tom and Brian, are accustomed to looking out for themselves and tend to drink several cups of black coffee first thing in the morning before the idea of eating something occurs to them. (I remain in my room reading while Gary and his friends mellow into their day). When they begin to experience signs of hunger, the guys discuss where they can go for food. We have lots of food in our house, but I want my husband to be in charge of feeding them. He was a bachelors himself for many years.

I wish to remain on the sidelines, responsible only for being polite and welcoming. I enjoy listening to my husband and his two friends talk and laugh and really enjoy being together. I like feeling free to go off by myself and read my book, watch TV or go to the internet - "off duty" activities - while still having these nice people "around."

Last evening Gary, Brian and I (Tom was at another social gathering) met our friends Mike and Deb for dinner at a restaurant downtown. Today Brian took Gary and I out to lunch, and this evening we are attending the annual Rattlesnake Gardens barbecue, less than a mile down the road from our house. So I have had a good deal of success this 4th of July weekend avoiding cooking while still enjoying Gary's friends. Happy 4th!!!

Preparing to make moisturing face cream...

After checking out a brand of skin care products made from only natural ingredients, I decided that rather than pay $79 for a small tube of moisturizing face cream, I would learn to make my own. Meadowsweet Herbs is a local shop that sells most, if not all, the ingredients for making skin care products, and they also offer training classes. I intend to find the schedule and attend some of these classes. I am also studying a book called "Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair," which contains hair and skin care product recipes. I find these recipes to be a bit more tedious than I hoped for; and the recipes call for such a vast array of essential oils and fresh herbs (I need to grow a garden of a wide variety of herbs) that it might be more cost-effective to buy the $79 cream! I am hoping the Meadowsweet Herbs classes have recipes with simpler ingredients.

The "Earthly Bodies..." book has many recipes requiring a heat-proof measuring cup. One necessity for this is measuring beeswax. You heat a certain number of ounces of oil in a heat-proof measuring container and add wax scraped off the beeswax block until the liquid is to the prescribed level.

I have been looking online for a heat-proof measuring cup that clearly marks each ounce; because those are the amounts you work with when making creams and lotions. I am intrigued with the idea of borosilicate glass measuring cups or beakers. Borosilicate glass is lightweight, thin, durable and able to withstand extreme temperatures. (It is different from Pyrex which is made of tempered soda-lime glass.) I will see if Meadowsweet Herbs carries borosilicate glass measuring cups. Natural homemade skin care products will not contain chemical preservatives such as parabens; so their shelf lives will be shorter. Thus, you will probably want to make amounts that can be used within 1 or 2 months. I was interested to read that grapefruit seed extract is a natural preservative, as are some essential oils such as lavender; but they are not as potent as the dreaded parabens.

Carrier oils such as olive, coconut, grapeseed, jojoba and almond, serve as the bases for homemade creams, lotions and balms. Each person's skin has a unique responce to an oil, and you can find the oil best suited for your skin type by testing each on your skin and seeing how it sits on or is obsorbed by your skin, whether it leaves your skin softer, how its aroma mixes with your chemistry. Generally, grapseed oil is considered to be good for oily skin, olive oil and coconut oil good for dry skin, jojoba oil good for mature skin and almond oil good for normal skin.

I am amazed at the antimicrobial and cleansing properties of essential oils. There is a lot to learn about them, and I am eager to start using them and see how they work. Hopefully, I will be conscientious about keeping you posted about my experiences with using them. Happy day to you!

The food drier...

The almonds from Farmer Brown were soaked overnight in salt solution and have been in the food drier for about 18 hrs. Word is they might need to remain in the drier for another day in order to achieve the desired crispness. The food drier, which I purchased only yesterday, can also be used for making yogurt, which I would like to do using some of the delicious milk we purchased from Farmer Brown this week. I enjoyed some of the skimmed off cream in my coffee this morning - excellent flavor and texture.

The first food drier I ever owned was hand made of wood. The outside was painted barn red, and the contraption sat on the floor. It was about 18" square in diameter and three feet tall. The base was about 8" tall and had a heating element near the floor with a sheet of metal between the heating element and the floor. Then came several stacking trays of mesh screens with wooden frames. The top section of the drier had a fan with a vent opening to draw out the moisture from the drying food. The most difficult part of the operation was cleaning the rather flimsy screens of all food particles after each drying project. The recently purchased drier is small and sits on the counter. The vents are on the sides.

Later in the season I hope to dry ripe fresh fruit, as I did on my ancient food drier. It is a particularly good way to preserve fruit that is almost over-ripe, and making your own dried fruit, you can avoid sulfur that is usually added to dried fruit to preserve the color.

I need to finish this and start my next post. Happy Day to you!

Transitioning

I am SO SORRY I have been neglecting my blog! Every time I think of something to focus on and write about, I am jerked to something else. I recently joined a group called "The Heirloom Project," and that is first on my mind right now. Through this group, I can buy locally grown milk, eggs, greens, meat, homemade bread, etc. Today I made my first purchase at their once-a-week get-together, at 801 Sherwood in Missoula. I purchased 1 lb. cheese, 1/2 gal. whole milk, 1 lb. sausage, 1-1/2 lb raw almonds. I am following a recipe in my new cookbook "Nourishing Traditions" for processing the raw almonds. I am soaking the almonds in saltwater overnight. Tomorrow I will drain off the water and bake the almonds very slowly in the oven.
The guy who provides many of the products, particularly milk and meat, calls himself Farmer Brown. His name is Frank Brown, and he lives with his young family near Ronan, MT. Gary and I are planning to visit their farm this summer.
The book "Nourishing Traditions" that I have been getting my new eating plans from, has some good information. However, like all nutrition books I have read, I take issue with some of the ideas laid out in the book. For instance, the "Nourishing Traditions" author calls for carob chips instead of chocolate in her recipes! How crazy is this - almost as crazy as her remarks against caffeine! Where is this woman's brain? NO, NO, NO - I will not give up chocolate or caffeine!
I am transitioning to a diet plan that for a few decades now, I have wanted to try. If I feel better, then I guess the eating plan is a good one for me. In my earlier years, I did not have the time or energy I needed to devote myself to this experiment. I am encouraged by what to me are new concepts - - that meat and animal products such as milk, eggs and cheese, are good for your health! Especially if they are grown without chemicals, growth hormones, antibiotics, etc. Whole milk and milk products are better for your body, and the bodies of growing children, than processed unnatural products such as skim milk, lowfat yogurt, margerine and Velveeta Cheese (please don't take away my Velveeta - just kidding!), etc. Butter is good! Lard is good! WAHOO!
At the same time I am trying to assimilate into my brain new information about food and how to prepare it, I am trying to absorb information about personal care products and how I will make them. This is a good exercise for me; but I am plodding along at a snail's pace and trying to forgive myself for the slow-pokey-ness.
I will let you know any surprising and intriguing things I learn in the next few days and weeks. Happy Day!!!!!

New Old Nutrition Philosophy

This morning we went to the Farmers' Market to buy a fat hog (okay; not exactly). I purchased a beef chuck roast and a pork shoulder roast as well as beets and turnips with their greens on. The greens are soaking, and I will research the best way to cook turnip greens. Paula Deen might know.
I am in the process of revamping (again) the way I think about what to eat, based on the advice of my nutritionist who believes what Sally Fallon, author of NOURISHING TRADITIONS says. Basically, she advises that processed foods are what you should NOT eat; and UNprocessed foods are what your body needs in order to maintain vitality and help prevent the degenerative diseases that are becoming more and more prevalent in our society.

In my first post, I talked about re-introducing butter, coconut oil and lard into my diet; and eliminating processed oils such as corn, canola and Crisco. I am also focusing on eating more meat, because meat contains triptophan, an amino acid. Triptophan makes seratonin which elevates mood. Seratonin produces melatonin, a hormone necessary for sleep. Meat does other good things for your body; and fat from the meat you eat stores energy, enabling you to go longer without food. Meat raised without growth hormones or antibiotics is best, as we have been advised for the last several years.

According to Sally Fallon, fat will not make you gain weight. Processed foods make you gain weight, because they are in a form that your body was not designed to process. Avoiding processed foods takes resolve and constant vigilance. The sugar and flour most of us were raised with, as well as boxed cereals, snack food items, vegetable oil, to name a scant few, are all processed foods. I wonder if there is any fast food that is not processed?

I have been following this food philosophy for 9 days. With very minimal sugar consumption, I feel more energetic and sleep better. In a month, there should be a noticeable drop in my weight. If this happens, I will be pretty well sold on the idea of getting back to what people ate in the days before processed foods and before the medical community decided that red meat, butter and eggs could have an adverse effect on my health. I find this new eating plan to be very pleasant. Happy day to you!!!

Lotions & Cremes

My nutritionist gave me a list of nine personal care product ingredients to avoid, and - FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - no wonder the backs of my hands look one-hundred-and-ten years old!!! One of the ingredients on the avoid list is sodium laurel sulfate, said to be found in 90% of personal care products on the market, "...breaks down the skin's moisture barrier, potentially leading to dry skin with premature aging." Yipes! Over the decades I have applied tons of lotions and creams to my hands. I'm sure they contained the dreaded sodium laurel sulfate. Besides "moisturizing" my hands several times a day, I slathered on an extra layer at bedtime.

Things are looking up, though, because more and more personal care products containing NO harmful ingredients are coming on the market. Burt's Bees products are quite good, and I see my Avalon Organics Clarifying Shampoo contains all good stuff. I purchased some Waleda Skin Food recommended by my nutritionist, and it is lovely and not a threat to my skin.

Last Sunday I made some underarm deodorant, and I have been using it the past five days. I should confirm this with my husband, but I am pleasantly surprised at how effective it is - I like it a lot. The recipe calls for: coconut oil, arrowroot powder, baking soda and essential lavender oil; so it costs very little to make. I put it into a Tom's of Maine empty deodorant container and set it in the refrigerator overnight, and now I keep it in my bathroom cupboard. I plan to purchase a couple of books my nutritionist told me about and learn to make more of my personal care products. I would like to make bath oil, soap, shampoo, lotion and maybe fizzy bubble bath! Doesn't that sound like FUN? - Happy Day!!!

Blanching as a way of life...

Gary's Aunt Rouene sent us an article from her local paper - The Grand Junction Sentinel. It was about Nathan Myhrvold's 6-volume cookbook "Modernist Cuisine." The article mentioned a test Myhrvold had conducted for his book to confirm whether or not blanching extended the shelf life of blueberries or of lettuce. The test results indicated that, yes, the shelf lives were extended! It said that apparently immersing the lettuce into boiling water killed the organisms that would have caused the lettuce to have a shorter shelf life.

I received the Myhrvold article after I had begun blanching food; and it did open my mind to more possibilities. I have heard that toaster ovens are a healthier option than microwave ovens, because some foods have their nutrients depleted by microwaves, and the waves in and around the microwave ovens are not good (I am only repeating what I heard). Even though I have not yet read this in a respected science journal, I am seriously considering insinuating a toaster oven into my life.

But, back to the subject, I decided that instead of loosening the outer skin of a butternut squash by nuking it for 6 minutes, I would blanch it for 8 minutes. I dipped the whole squash into the boiling water; then removed it and immersed it in ice water. Like always, after it cooled, I peeled the squash and cut it into chunks; then boiled it in a little bit of water, watchful it did not boil dry. I mashed the cooked squash in its cooking pan, incorporating the nutritious cooking liquid into the squash. I added small amounts of sugar and butter plus a little salt. A savory way to ingest some vitamin A and other good stuff found in yellow vegetables.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I blanched some beet greens! They had to have been the most pampered (yeah, after you get boiled, you get pampered) beet greens ever as I carefully removed each leaf from the collander and gently placed it on the towel to soak up the excess liquid. I chopped the greens and sort of pushed them around in the heated skillet with butter and olive oil. What began as a respectable-sized bowlful of crispy greens ended up as two scant 1/4-cup servings. Beet greens are off the blanching list. Kale is next. Happy Day!

Have you tried this with broccoli?

For a long time I have been experimenting with broccoli trying to find a way to prepare it that people will find irresistable, because it is so good for you! I tried chopping it up fresh and mixing it with mayonnaise, thinly sliced red onions, salt and pepper. This wasn't bad when the salad was just freshly made; but not so good as a leftover. When I included broccoli in my stir-fried vegetables, even when I added the broccoli last and tried not to over cook it, the color and texture were disappointing.

A few weeks ago on a DVD of Julia Child's original cooking show "The French Chef", I saw Julia prepare fresh green beans by blanching them prior to stir-frying them in butter and olive oil. I had blanched green beans before packing and storing them in the freezer; but the idea of blanching vegetables just prior to cooking them had never occurred to me. I decided to try this with broccoli.

I soaked about 2 lbs of fresh broccoli in cold water; then drained and trimmed it into flowerettes. I plunged the flowerettes into a large kettle of boiling water for 90 seconds; then drained and plunged it into a bowl of ice water. After draining the cooled flowerettes, I spread them on a clean flour sack towel. The broccoli was a lovely color and texture. Finally, I stir-fried it in butter and olive oil. Broccoli prepared this way has been a big hit at my house! For me it has taken the guess work out of preparing broccoli.

Are you thinking about all the soaking and draining and trimming and boiling and draining and cooling and draining and drying and stir-frying and pots, kettles, bowls, towels, and so on and so forth? (It looks worse in print.) It is not bad after you get into a routine. I prefer to get the broccoli blanched, dried and stored in the refrigerator until I am ready to stir-fry it for a meal. It stays very nice in the fridge. Happy Day!

Day 1

A week ago I received some very encouraging news about cooking oils. I had heard rumors, but it was confirmed for me by a professional nutritionist that coconut oil is now on the "Good Cooking Oils" list! I drove straight to the healthful food store and purchased a 29-oz jar of organic coconut oil (for $18.99).

Distracted by my excitement over the possiblities of cooking with coconut oil, leaving the healthful food store parking lot, I suppose I posed a traffic threat; my mind roaming through recipes; car meandering homeward (I don't even remember the drive home!). Back safely in my kitchen, I tossed out my old "Bad and Evil Cooking Oils" (canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil and Crisco), which left a lavish amount of cupboard space for the new queen of my food inspiration - COCONUT OIL!

Happily, BUTTER is also making a comeback; and is once again being recognized as a nutritious, non-threatening, legitimate food item. Same goes for lard (best for pie crust!) if you can find some good pork lard. So you see why I am encouraged by the re-endorsements of coconut, butter and lard - that you can guilt-freely cook with them and feed them to your friends and loved ones.

Surely some nutrition advisors will continue to caution against using coconut oil and butter; but I choose to believe what my nutritionist tells me - - Happy Day!!