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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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.]]

Boogers and Vomit.

Today was a rough day.  So to treat myself, I thought I would have an at home spa day.  What better way to treat yourself than through a cleansing facial?  I thought I would try cleaning out my pores with a popular recipe from online for "Homemade Pore Strips." 

The ingredients are:

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 tsp. milk

Now, you're supposed to warm these ingredients on the stove before you smear them on your face...and there lies the first problem...WHO ON EARTH WANTS THEIR FACE SMELLING LIKE BABY PUKE?  It was truly nauseating...and it's not like the smell went away as the mixture dried on my face.  If anything, it got worse.

Finally, it dried enough for me to begin the removal process.  According to the websites where I got the recipe, it should peel right off, just like the store bought pore strips but with less pain.  And here is problem number two.  I start to peel and it only comes off in tiny little bits and it hurts like the dickens!  I can already see that this is going to be a long and painful process so instead of going through with it, I just grab a wet rag and begin to wipe it off.  I had to laugh because at this point, I look like I'm covered with boogers and I smell like baby vomit. =]

So, the moral of the story?  Next time I want to "cleanse my pores," just spend the $9 and buy the real thing.

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!

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