Sans Suds

So a couple posts ago I mentioned I was doing a couple experiments with homemade health & beauty products, but in that post I only mentioned the 'oil-cleansing method' (which is going GREAT by the way!).  One of the other things I've been doing is NO shampoo or conditioner!!  Before you start thinking I'm some sort of hippy let me assure you I am still washing and conditioning my hair, just not with commercial products that contain unnatural ingredients that build up on my hair and scalp. 

So how do you wash your hair without shampoo and conditioner you ask?  It's very simple and inexpensive...baking soda and unfiltered apple cider vinegar!  I should start by saying that I was not really expecting anything great when I started this; in fact I expected to hate it and go back to my regular products.  After using it for about a week, though, my hair felt lighter, healthier, shinier, and easier to manage than EVER before!  I've been doing it for about a month now and am still loving it!

All the ingredients I used are pictured below. 

To make the shampoo simply mix 1 T. of baking soda with 1 C. of warm water and stir to dissolve.  Pour it into a squirt bottle and it's ready to use!  The conditioner is also 1 T. of apple cider vinegar (make sure it's the raw-unfiltered kind. Our grocery store carries it but if you can't find it there you can get it at any health food/vitamin store) to 1 C. of water.  I prefer using a spray bottle for this; it allows me to spray it exactly where I want it.  When you're ready to use your new homemade goodies, get in the shower and apply the shampoo to the roots of your hair while it's still dry.  Work it in while squirting it on your scalp making sure all your roots have been covered (you don't need to apply this to the entire length of your hair, just focus mainly on your scalp and roots).  After about a minute rinse it out and squeeze out the excess water.  Now it's time to spray your conditioner to the bottom half of your hair-focusing on the ends.  Then just rinse and you're done!  I will warn you that the first few times I did this my roots got a little greasy.  This is normal!  Your scalp takes a little time to adjust to no chemicals.  After about a week I was good to go!  You can read more about how it works and the science behind it here. 

Freezer Meal Extravaganza!!

I have come across a really helpful website to offer couponing and money-saving tips, and one of those great tips I found was freezer meal planning!!  Here is the link to the freezer meal planner & recipes I used for my last batch of meals: FabuLESSly Frugal. 

You'll have to explore the whole website to see all the great tips & information they have, but the freezer meal recipes are what I use the most!!  I used all the recipes they have listed for August.  I made my grocery list and then went to Sam's Club for my chicken, ground beef, and cheddar cheese since I knew I need a lot of each of those.  Then I finished up my shopping at Meijer, came home and got started cooking!  It took me approximately 5 or 6 hours to get everything done, but it was well worth it because now I have dinners ready to go for the next 2 or 3 weeks! 

The Oil-Cleansing Method

More and more I have become interested in making healthy decisions about what goes in and on my body.  I've come across a lot of websites that give ideas and tips on how to make your own beauty products and I have taken on a couple experiments that I never imagined I would do! 

The first experiment is using oil to wash my face.  Yes, I said OIL!  I came across this idea here.  I use 3 parts Sunflower Seed Oil and 1 part Castor Oil.  I have been amazed by the results!  I have combination skin and am prone to breakouts.  I have worked really hard to keep oil OFF my face, so the thought of rubbing oil directly on my skin didn't really appeal to me at first.  I read all the reviews and everyone seemed to love it, so I gave it a try.  Not only is it WAY less expensive than the Mary Kay Timewise skin care set I have been using religiously for 5 years, but it's all natural and I'm not putting any weird chemicals on my skin (which then get absorbed into my bloodstream) - AND it WORKS! 

This is the process: squirt a nickel size amount in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together to warm it up, massage the oil into my face (even on top of makeup!) for about a minute, place a hot washcloth over my face and let it stay there until it starts to get cool, rinse the washcloth and repeat 3-4 times to draw up the oil.  There is no need to wipe your face because the steam from the hot washcloth draws up all the extra oil, and no need for moisturizer.  My skin is so clear, soft, and actually less oily than before!  If you have oilier skin you might want a little more castor oil and if your skin is drier then try a little less. 

I've been using this for almost a week and have loved it so far!  I'll keep you updated on my results.

WAY Better Than Pizza Hut!

While I do love the effortless stop through the Pizza Hut drive through every-now-and-then to get any size/topping $10 pizza, I've come across a DELICIOUS homemade pizza recipe that is so easy! Before finding this recipe the most "homemade" we ever made our pizza was from the Chef Boyardee box (gross!!!). This recipe is from 'The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book'. It's my new favorite recipe source, so I will definitely be sharing more recipes in the future, but for today it's pizza! Always a good place to start, yes? :)

Dough
~~~~~
*Makes 2 pounds. Enough for 2 large pizzas.

4-4 1/4 cups bread flour
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups warm water

1. Pulse 4 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt together in a food processor (with a dough blade[I use my KitchenAid Mixer with dough hook because I don't own a food processor]) to combine. With the processor running, pour the oil, then water through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30-40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer. If after 30 seconds the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour 1 T. at a time as needed.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and form it into a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, before using.


Pizza Sauce
~~~~~~~~
*Makes 3 cups, enough for 3 large pizzas (leftover sauce can be frozen).

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
Salt & Pepper

1. Cook the oil and garlic together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 4 days.)


Cheese Pizza
~~~~~~~~~

2 pounds pizza dough
olive oil for brushing
2 cups pizza sauce
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a baking stone (or inverted cookie sheet) on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Let the baking stone heat for at least 30 minutes (but no longer than 1 hour). Line a rimless (or inverted) baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, divide it into 2 equal pieces, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keep the other piece covered), press and roll the dough into a 14-inch round on a lightly floured counter. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet and resape as needed.

3. Lightly brush the outer 1/2-inch edge of the dough with oil. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella and 2 T. of the Parmesan.

4. Slide the parchment paper and pizza onto the hot baking stone. Bake the pizza until the edges are brown and the cheese is golden in spots, 8 to 13 minutes. (Prepare the 2nd pizza while the first bakes.)

5. Remove the pizza from the oven by sliding the parchment paper back onto the baking sheet. Discard the parchment paper and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Let the stone reheat for 5 minutes before baking the second pizza. Serve hot!

Hello Again!

I know it's been a LONG time since I've posted on my blog, but I've finally decided to jump back into it and see how it goes.

More to come....:)

The Lovely Bones

I will start off by saying I am not much of a reader. I don't have the motivation or concentration to read, it just takes too long and I prefer to watch the movie. However, one of the books I was encouraged to read a couple years ago, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, has become one of my favorites. It's about a young girl named Susie Salmon who is raped and murdered at the beginning of the book and narrates the story from heaven while she is trying to lead those she loves to the man who killed her. Go figure that the book I read is now becoming a movie! It's being released on December 11 and has a great cast! Susie is being played by a very talented Irish actress, Saoirse Ronan, who was also in Atonement. Other actors include Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci. Coming from someone who doesn't normally take the time to pick up a book, I really enjoyed this one. I read it a couple years ago and it has still stuck with me. If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it...or you can just wait for the movie :P!

French Onion Goodness...er...Soup

I found this recipe for French Onion Soup and it is AMAZING! It takes a while to make because it stays in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours, but it's an easy recipe and well worth the extra time :). If you want to see pictures of what the onions are supposed to look like here's the link:

http://www.cookography.com/2008/the-best-french-onion-soup-ever

The Best French Onion Soup

From: Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 6
Notes:
For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.

Ingredients:
Soup

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
• 6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Make sure you get Yellow)
• Table salt
• 2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (They recommend Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth )
• 2 cups beef broth (They recommend Pacific Beef Broth)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme , tied with kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf
• Ground black pepper

Cheese Croutons

• 1 small baguette , cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

Directions:
For the soup:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Generously spray the inside of a heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with a nonstick cooking spray. Place the butter in the pot and add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, for 1 hour (the onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Return the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring the onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
3. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pot bottom is coated with a dark crust, roughly 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
4. Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping the pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in the sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until the sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the broths, 2 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
6. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

For the croutons:

1. While the soup simmers, arrange the baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To serve:

1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.