A Chemical Free Lifestyle

It's been on my heart, lately, that it is important for Josh and I to make the switch to a completely chemical free lifestyle. It seems as though everyone is making the switch to "clean eating," which is great and I'm very happy for those who are choosing to clean up their eating habits, but one question that I keep coming back to is this:

What good is eliminating chemicals from your diet if you're still putting toxic chemicals into your body through what you clean with? 

This, for me, includes your common household cleaners and things such as shampoo, body wash, makeup, etc.

I decided that we don't need a different chemical cleaner for each individual cleaning task in the house.

For a while now, I've been making my own laundry soap, and using baking soda + vinegar as a replacement for most of our household cleaners, but there were still a few things that I wanted to replace because I just didn't feel right about them.

So, yesterday, I set about making a few changes.

{1} We have been using a "natural" dish soap for a while now, but it still had ingredients in it that I wasn't super happy with. A book I'm reading, called Green Clean, recommended grating up a bar of castile soap and mixing it with hot water in one side of the sink, then filling up the other side of the sink with a bit of vinegar + hot water for rinsing. Dr. Bronner's liquid soap has been a favorite in our household for over a year now, [[specifically the peppermint variety.]] so I already knew which brand of bar soap I would use. This process has dramatically reduced the amount of water I go through. It has also gotten me to do the dishes more regularly. Before, I would let them pile up in both sides of the sink + on the little counter space that we have, but now, because I need all of that space to wash the dishes, I can't let them pile up as much. [[Hooray for becoming a more efficient housewife!]]

UPDATE (5.14.2013): I found that adding vinegar to our rinse water actually left a really greasy film on all of our dishes. After eliminating it, our glasses were crystal clear again. So if you are trying this and see that film, try getting rid of the vinegar to see if that helps.

{2} I don't wear makeup that often, I honestly think I'm a little nervous because I have absolutely no idea what is in it. I would like to have a more regular routine, one that is simple, yet effective. Yesterday, I put together some basic foundation powder. I was pretty skeptical because I usually don't use powders. They tend to look, well, powdery. But, lo and behold, as soon as I swiped it on my skin, the redness in my cheeks was reduced and I was left with a nice, even, non-powdery looking complexion.

{3} I have been using Tom's of Maine toothpaste for a while with little to no complaints. It has a relatively low score on the Cosmetics Database and it did the job well.  But, again, it still has some ingredients that I'm not 100% comfortable with. So, I made my own toothpaste, and though it's a bit salty [[baking soda has quite the salty flavor]] it seems to do the job well. I took before pictures of my teeth and I'm going to see if there is any noticeable difference after using my homemade version for a while.


If you are interested in any of the recipes I used, feel free to email me at:

jspencer2303 {at} gmail {dot} com

Also, the Cosmetics Database is a wonderful resource where you can enter in your brand of beauty product and it tells you its safety rating. It lists the ingredients of concern and if there is anything else that you need to be watching out for. It is really eye opening and I highly recommend checking it out.

If you're looking for a pretty decent documentary on the subject of going chemical free, you can find Chemerical on Netflix. This documentary was one of the things that led me to finally go for the gold. [[By gold I mean, chemical free lifestyle.]]

Have you ever considered switching to non-toxic cleaning solutions? If not, what has kept you from switching over?

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Scrumptious Saturdays: Chai-Spice Cookies

Salutations!

Today I'm bringing you one of the most delicious cookie recipes you will ever try. The cookies come out chewy and full of flavor. My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

Let's dive in, shall we?

Chai-Spice Cookies

This is the book I'll be sharing from today. If you love to be in the kitchen and you don't own this, go to Amazon right this instant and order it. Here...I'll even give you a link!

{1} Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

{2} Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

{3} Melt butter. Cut cream cheese into 8 pieces.

{4} Place sugar and cream cheese into a large bowl. Pour butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine.

{5} Whisk in oil until incorporated. 

{6} Add egg, milk, and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth.

{7} Add flour mixture and mix until a soft dough forms.

{8} Now you will add in the spices. 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. [[Cardamom is a pretty expensive spice, but these cookies alone make it completely worth it!]]

I know they aren't all even, but for me, baking is an art...not a science. Who cares if they don't bake evenly? That's part of the fun!

{9} Pour ~1/3 c sugar into a pie plate or small bowl [[your preference]]

{10} Working with 2 tbsp of dough at a time, roll into balls and coat in sugar.Place on baking sheets

{11} Bake for 11-13 minutes. [[I usually stop at 11 because Josh likes underdone cookies. But you know your oven and your taste preferences, so you bake those cookies until they look done to you!]]

Do you have a go to cookie recipe? You know...the one that you use when you know people are coming over later and you need to whip up something quick? I would love to hear about it!

PRR: Sweet Potato Fries

The Husband and I have been on a bit of a sweet potato fries kick lately. We found a frozen brand at our grocery store that we really like. They come out of the oven fairly crispy but we mostly enjoy them for their flavor. [[They have chipotle pepper on them...YUM!]]

So, seeing that there was a recipe on Pinterest for "The Best Sweet Potato Fries Ever!" I just had to make them this week's Pinterest Recipe Review. Find the original recipe here.

Soaking the fries.

Finished product.

I apologize for the lack of interesting photos, but I was really trying to crank these out because we were just really hungry...So sadly, I wasn't thinking about this post very much...

Anyway...

The breakdown:

Pros:
 - Simple recipe.
- They taste delicious.
- They really were as crispy as advertised!

Cons:
- Due to user error, there was too much cornstarch and so some of the fries developed a very hard outer shell.
- Also due to user error, they weren't very well seasoned...

So, what's my verdict?

Go ahead and give these babies a shot! The only problems with this batch arose from me being in a hurry and not fully reading the recipe. Otherwise, they were really, amazingly delicious, and they were easy. [[Which is very important in our modern, hectic world.


Have a recipe request? Did you give this recipe a try? Did you agree or disagree with my assessment? Send me an email and let me know!

[[ jspencer2303@gmail.com ]]

PRR: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

After my last PRR [[Pinterest Recipe Review]] on Gooey Butter Cake, I decided I was going to take a break from Pinterest desserts...that is...until I came across this one.

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES!!

These are all words that I enjoy on their own...but when they are all smashed together into one delicious sounding phrase, I just had to give them a try!

Brownie batter.

Cheesecake swirl.

After it comes out of the oven.

Ready to eat.

So...what did I think of this treat after going through the entire process?

Pros:
- Recipe was easy to understand/follow.
- Tasted okay warm.
- Tasted even better when chilled in the refrigerator over night!

Cons:
- The amount of red dye in it. Next time I may try a natural substitute. [[For example, I've heard you can use beets?]]
- The recipe doesn't make a whole lot of bars...it's only enough to fill an 8" pan! [[And trust me...you're going to want more than that!!]]

The husband loved this recipe. Thus, I will be making them again. They were easy to make and super delicious.

If you try out this recipe, please leave a comment or send me an email. I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

PRR: Gooey Butter Cake

Let me preface this post with saying that this is not a recipe for those with weak stomachs. Anyone who cares even a little about their health should not even attempt to read this recipe because it will cause an instant heart attack.

That being said, as you can probably infer, this week's Pinterest Recipe Review is on Gooey Butter Cake. The only reason I even tried this recipe was because of my begging and pleading husband. [[The things we do for love...]]

For those of you who don't know, Gooey Butter Cake is a recipe from Paula Deen, Queen of Southern Cooking. Knowing that fact alone may make you a little queasy when you hear the name of the recipe. I mean, Ms. Paula is known for her over use of butter. So if she has a recipe called butter CAKE then one can only imagine that it is just slabs of butter pressed into a cake pan...

While that is not too far off, I'm going to do my best to give an unbiased opinion of this recipe for you all to consider...

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

[[no...you are not mistaken...this does come out to a FULL CUP of butter. and yes...that is an ENTIRE POUND of powdered sugar...stick with me here...]]

{1} Combine the cake mix, egg, and melted butter. Once everything is well mixed, press into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 pan.
{2} In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and butter and beat together.
{3} Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture.
{4} Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Feel free to under-cook a little thought because this cake is supposed to be gooey.

Look at how gooey that center is....

Just before taking the plunge...

So, here is my Pros/Cons break down.

Pros: 

-There are relatively few ingredients

-It actually is pretty okay if you let it cool down a lot before actually eating it. [[It was just nasty straight out of the oven...keep in mind...melted butter+powdered sugar create the consistency of lard when warm...YUCK!]]

-It is a husband pleaser.

Cons: 

-It is 100% unhealthy. There is nothing even remotely good for you in this recipe. [[this counts for 2 "cons" points because it is just sooo unhealthy!]]

Well...[[surprisingly]] it looks like Pros won out over Cons this time in a victory of 3-2. If you don't mind eating yourself into a heart attack, I would recommend this recipe. But if, like most people nowadays, you are trying to watch that waistline, stay as far away from this cake as you can. Even breathing in the fumes from it can cause your blood sugar to rise dramatically and your hips to pack on a few extra pounds.

Personally? I will never be making this cake ever again...no matter how much my husband begs and pleads...

I would appreciate any input for a Pinteresting recipe for next week because we see what happens when I let my husband choose the recipe for the week!!

Happy Wednesday!

Chocolate Trifle

I am on a dessert kick right now...it's horrible...but I can't help it! My husband and I are both sweets people. When we first got married, I was making a new dessert at least every other night...no joke! [[Needless to say, I perfected several recipes in that first year.]]

The recipe I want to share with you right now is the Chocolate Trifle. I received this recipe from a woman at my old church at my "Kitchen Themed Wedding Shower" [[which is a fantastic idea by the way...]] I have made a few tweaks to the original recipe. Nothing too drastic, so they're easy to follow.

[[I apologize for the lack of photos. I was in a rush when making this because we were having company over and I needed to have this thing FINISHED! But I have a photo of the finished product so that will just have to suffice.]]

Ingredients:
1 Chocolate or Fudge Brownie Mix [[I have a DELICIOUS brownie recipe below for those interested! Or you can be boring and just use a box mix...]]

4 TBSP Strong coffee + 1 tsp sugar [[I don't measure the coffee, just use how much you deem appropriate. Also, I lose the sugar...IT IS NOT NECESSARY! The whole dish is sugar, for goodness' sake...but if you love sugar and want to add this extra tsp, that's your prerogative.]]

3 (3.9 oz) packages of chocolate instant pudding

1 (12 oz) tub of whipped cream

1 package of Heath Toffee Bits [[This is your chance to get creative. I loathe Heath...so I substitute whatever I fancy that day. This time it was Oreos...yum!]]


{1} Prepare brownie mix as directed.
{2} Prick top of warm brownies. Drizzle with coffee and let cool.
{3} Prepare pudding.
{4} Place 1/3 crumbled brownies in the bottom of a 3 qt. trifle dish.[[I like to just cube the brownies so that you get a huge brownie chunk in each bite!]] Top with 1/3 of the pudding, then 1/3 of the whipped cream, then 1/3 of Heath [[or whatever you are substituting.]]
{5} Repeat this 2 more times.
{6} Chill 6-8 hours before serving

 

And for the most delicious brownies on earth:

2 c flour

2 c sugar [[I use turbinado because it gives a better texture in this particular recipe. But if you don't have turbinado sugar, don't go out and buy it just for this recipe. Just use whatever kind of sugar you already have on hand.]]

3/4 c cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 c water

1 c vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

{1} Mix dry ingredients.

{2} Add wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

{3} Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. [[I usually only keep them in for 20 minutes though because they are a lot more gooey. Just know your oven and your preferences and take the brownies out of the oven accordingly.]]

PRR: Nutella Cookies.

As I have mentioned before, I am a huge fan of being in the kitchen. I love preparing food for loved ones and even strangers because it makes me feel closer to them. I know it's not it's own official Love Language, but I think it totally should be.

Because of this love of cooking, [[and because of seemingly everyone's love of Pinterest]] I have decided to begin a weekly review of Pinterest recipes. [[Pinterest Recipe Review or PRR for short]] The one that I've seen floating around the pin boards a lot lately that really caught my attention is Nutella Cookies. Who doesn't like Nutella? And who doesn't like cookies? This marriage should be a blissful one should it not? Well, that's what I was out to find out.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:
1 c flour
1 egg
1 c nutella

1. Mix ingredients together.
2. Form into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet.
3. Bake @ 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes [[or until dough sets]].

Simple enough right?

Well...maybe not...
So as you may or may not know...Nutella is super sticky...it was a beast to get out of the container, into the measuring cup and then into the mixing bowl. It made a huge mess in my kitchen [[which was obnoxious]]. My fingers were sticky...my counter was sticky...obnoxious. The actual mixing and baking was super simple so even the most beginner chef in the world could make these things and not mess them up.

They came out of the oven looking outstanding [[because, again, who doesn't love Nutella?]] but when we tried them, they were just okay. The normally subtle hint of hazelnut was all of a sudden the overpowering flavor [[kind of a turn off for us]].

So here is the run down:

Pros-
1. Super easy to make.
2. That's the only pro...

Cons-
1. Nutella is pretty expensive. Why would I use a whole cup of it on mediocre cookies?
2. The Nutella made an unnecessary mess in my kitchen.
3. The cookies were not that good. Strange texture. Odd flavor.

So my advice? If you are a huge fan of Nutella, just eat the stuff straight out of the jar like a normal person. And if you are bent on having Nutella flavored cookies, just make chocolate cookies and add some chopped hazelnuts to them. That would taste better and be a whole lot cheaper.

p.s. Have a Pinterest recipe that you've been dying to try but just haven't had the time yet? Send it my way and I'll try it for you!

Lucinda's Laundry Soap

I have been waiting for about 8 months to make this post happen. Here is the deal...last fall I decided to try out making homemade laundry detergent. However, I didn't want to just blindly post and put my seal of approval on it since I didn't know how well it worked. AND I didn't take pictures because, again, I wasn't sure how it was all going to turn out...[[why waste my time, you know?]] BUT after 8 months [[it took me that long to go through the first batch!]] I am finally able to say with 100% certainty that this recipe is outstanding! So outstanding, in fact, that while making the second batch, I decided to actually slow the process down enough to take pictures! [[I would like to take this time to apologize for the poor photo quality...it's HARD to make laundry soap with a camera in one hand...]]

So here it is...after 8 months...Lucinda's Laundry Soap! [[side note about the name: I decided to call it after my Grandmother who takes on different personas for different chores. Lucinda is the laundry woman. =) ]]

Ingredients:
-1/3 of a bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap
   This can most likely be found in the laundry section of your local super market.
-1/2 c of Borax
-1/2 c of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
   I believe this was also in the laundry section. DO NOT think that you can just substitute baking soda for this. Because you CAN'T. So don't. =]
-A boat load of water
-Essential Oil [[optional]]
-A bucket with a lid

Step 1: Chop the Fels Naptha bar into thirds. Finely grate 1/3 of the bar. In my photo, you will see huge chunks left. If you want...you can take a knife to those puppies. I got lazy...and didn't. They will just take longer to melt in the next step if you leave them alone.

Step 2: Put the grated soap into a large pot with 6 cups of water. Heat [[on LOW]] until soap melts but doesn't boil.

Step 3: Once it is all melted, add the Borax and the Washing Soda and stir until it is dissolved. Keep stirring until the mixture is as thick as honey. Remove pot from heat.

Step 4: Pour 4 cups of HOT tap water into your bucket. Add the soap mixture and stir it up. Now is when you would add your essential oil. I used peppermint and since I was dumb and didn't write down how much to actually use from the original recipe, I just eye-balled it...actually...I just went by how strong it smelled...I ended up using ~50 drops...which may or may not be a good idea...let's just say that my husband and I smell minty fresh. =]

Step 5: Add 1 Gallon + 6 cups more of HOT tap water. Put the lid on your bucket.

Step 6: This is the exciting step...Let it sit over night!

Step 7: [[If you want]] Use a Blender Stick to smooth out your detergent. The 2 times I've made it, it has been a lot of liquid with a huge gelatinous mass in it. I chose to blend it just to make it easier to get into my containers.

Step 8: Funnel the detergent into your container(s). In my case, I have a leftover laundry detergent bottle. Most of it fits in there. But I have a milk jug that I saved to put the rest of the detergent in.

You should use 1/2 c per load. [[Or so says the recipe...I just do as I did with previous soaps, which is to use an amount that corresponds to the size of the load I'm doing...our clothes still smell good...so I think my method is fine!]]

And for those of you who [[like me]] have hard water, and no dryer OR if you just like fabric softeners, here is the recipe I use for that!

Ingredients:
4 c Hot Water
2 c White Vinegar
2 c Baking Soda
10 drops of essential oil [[I used peppermint again because it's the only essential oil I have and I  have a lot of it...]]

Step 1: Put everything in an empty milk jug.
Step 2: Shake.

Use ~1-2 teaspoons per load of laundry.

Enjoy!

Awww Nuts...

Yesterday I got home from the grocery store and was swiftly met with the question "Did you pick up any snacks while you were out?" "Of course!" was my defensive response but upon further investigation, I had in fact, forgotten to pick up any snack food items.  Instead of having to go back to the store [[I had already spent 2 hours running errands and rush hour was just beginning...I was NOT going back out...]] I rummaged through the cabinets sure that I would be able to find something to quell my husbands hunger until dinner.  All I could find were some end of the season dried soybeans that I had bought because the farmer selling them was really nice.  Needless to say, my husband had to "suffer" a few hours until it was dinner time, but after seeing that I still had that bag of beans, I realized that I needed to get rid of them.

I remembered back to when I had bought the beans, the farmer had given me a little slip of paper with a recipe for roasted soy nuts.  I dug it out of a bin that I hadn't touched since the move and decided to give it a go.  It seemed simple enough.

1. Soak beans for 8 hours or more.
2. Drain the beans, then spread into a single layer on baking sheet. [[use up to 2 cups of beans per baking sheet.]]
3. Bake at 350 degrees F, stirring after 15 minutes, and then after every 5 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. [[the best part about this step is that you get to taste test the entire time you're roasting!]]  The total time will vary depending on the moisture of the beans, but should take about 25 minutes. [[Mine took closer to 45 but I had been soaking them for about 24 hours...so that probably had something to do with it.]]
4. When the beans look like they're getting pretty close to finished, I sprayed them with some EVOO and sprinkled them with a little salt.  That wasn't in the recipe, but it just added a little bit of extra flavor.

And for those of you who don't have 25-45 minutes to stand over an oven, the kindly farmer included a MICROWAVE recipe!

1. Use 1 cup of beans that have been soaked for 8 hours or more. Drain them well.
2. Spread the beans into a single layer in a 9" or 10" glass pie plate.
3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir, then cook 3 minutes more.
4. After that, cook for 1 minute at a time, stirring after each minute to ensure even browning.
5. When the beans are beginning to get hard and golden, you may want to cook for 30 second intervals to avoid burning them.  Total cooking time should probably take between 9-12 minutes.

So! If you find yourself with a surplus of dried soybeans, try this recipe out!  Also, if you try different spice mixtures out and find a favorite, please share it! I would love to try it!

Since I'm Back to Being a Housewife...

So, you know how some people are emotional eaters? Well, I am an emotional baker. [[Which is good for me because I don't suffer from extra pounds as I would if I actually ate the stuff...it's also good for my dear husband because this usually means that he gets extra treats!]] Today was an especially great day and I was just overflowing with joy, so what can a girl do but bake?

I decided to take a recipe out of my More-With-Less cookbook. It turned out so stinking delicious that I just had to share it with all of you. So here it is:

Dutch Apple Bread:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Cream together:
      1/2 c margarine
      1 c sugar
3) Add and beat well:
      2 eggs
      1 tsp vanilla
4) Combine Separately:
      2 c flour
      1 tsp baking soda
      1/2 tsp salt
5) Add dry ingredients alternately with:
      1/3 c sour milk or orange juice [[because sour milk sounded disgusting, I opted for the OJ.]]
6) Fold in:
      1 c chopped apples
      1/3 c chopped walnuts
[[I also added in a little sprinkle of cinnamon because it's my husband's favorite spice.]]
7) Bake in greased 9"x5" loaf pan for 55 minutes, or until loaf tests done.


If you try this recipe, I would LOVE to know how it works out for you!

C is for Cookie

So, today I stumbled across a cookie recipe while surfing the net. Being a girl who happens to be addicted to chocolate, I decided that I needed to make a batch...pronto. Boy am I glad I did! They were so gooey and delicious, I was tempted to eat the whole batch...by myself...BUT being the nice wife that I am, I shared a couple with my husband. He said they were the BEST cookies he had ever tasted, and I had to agree with him. I thought about sharing the recipe with you all, however, I am too selfish and the only way you will get a taste of these puppies is to come visit me...or come to a function [[like a potluck]] that I too am attending. And I highly encourage you to come over because I really want to share these cookies with you...just not enough to share the recipe...but hey...everyone needs their own secret family recipe...and this one will be mine. =]

Rockin' Rolls

I love being in the kitchen. It's great to have the oven going, especially on chilly days when I am in need of a quick way to warm up. Lately, I've been trying to make my own breads and such. The other night, we were having pot roast for dinner. [[BTW, it was delicious!]] Meat and potatoes are great, but I felt like we just needed something extra with the meal to round it out. I decided to make a batch of crescent rolls [[which I am not a huge fan of]] but with a twist. In one of my new favorite cook books, I found a recipe for sweet potato crescent rolls! Sounds delicious right? Well, they totally were. They added a little bit of sweetness, which was a perfect contrast to the meal.

1 1/2 c whole wheat bread flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 c sweet potatoes [[cooked and mashed]]
1 c milk
1/4 c butter
1 large egg [[beaten]]
2-2 1/2 c bread flour
2 tbsp butter [[melted]]

1. Combine in a large bowl.
2. Combine potatoes, milk and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until butter is melted and mixture is warm.
3. Add to flour mixture.
4. Beat with mixer set on low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is moistened, 1-2 minutes.
5. Add egg and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes
6. Stir in enough flour by hand to make dough easy to handle.
7. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic [[around 7-9 minutes00
8. Place in greased bowl, [[turn to grease both sides]]. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk.
9. Punch down dough and divide it in half.
10. Roll each half of dough on lightly floured surface into a 12" circle.
11. Brush each circle with 1 tbsp butter.
12. Cut into 12 wedges and tightly roll up each wedge from wide end to point.
13. Place crescent rolls, point side down, on greased baking sheet.
14. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated oven at 375 F until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.


So there it is. Try this recipe out and let me know what you think! Also, if you have any favorite recipes, send them my way. I love trying new things in the kitchen!

jspencer2303@gmail.com