Oatmeal and Honey Spa Facial Treatment From Your Kitchen

You don't have to spend a lot of money to get great results when it comes to skin care.  There are many foods in your kitchen that will help you retain that youthful glow and very little effort is required.  After some research, I have come up with a great mask for all skin types that helps keep your skin clean and soft.  I have been using it everyday this week to see what kind of results I could achieve.  I really didn't have any expectations and have had to tweak the recipe to get the right consistency for easier spreading.  I have been blown away by the results!  After one week my skin looks cleaner, pores are smaller and my overall color is more even.  I haven't noticed any change in my wrinkles but the clarity of my skin is so much better I don't care.  I figure, with continued use, I could see some improvement in the wrinkles too.
I wear the mask in the morning after I drop the kids off to school.  I put it on and do housework, ecetera.  I keep it on for at least 30 minutes up to one hour.  You can wear it at night too before bed.  Basically, you just want it to completely dry on your face before washing it off.  I correlate it to my shower for easier removal.  For those of you looking for a quick fix for your skin, there is no such thing.  There will always be a time commitment for anything worth while.  And going natural, will always be better than using chemicals. 
I have used this now regularly for a couple of weeks and found that while my skin did feel wonderful after the facial, I noticed it was cleaning my skin so well that I was breaking out.  This is normal when you do facials like this every day.  I have decided to limit it to once or twice a week to keep my skin looking bright and feeling soft but to minimize the breakouts as it pulls all the dirt out.  I also have done it at night and then in the morning and think I prefer doing it in the morning.  For some reason, doing it at night made my skin feel irritated the next day.  However, if I did the facial in the morning, I didn't have those issues.  Hmmm?  
Recipe:
1 whole large egg
1 T Honey
4 Large Capsules of Flax Seed Oil=about 1/4 tsp of oil
   If you don't have Flax Seed Oil, use olive oil.  I have Flax Seed Oil capsules from Costco.  You can find
   it at just about any grocery or natural foods market.
3-4 T Oat Flour-either purchase oat flour or make your own.  Put regular oatmeal in a blender or grain mill and process until it is a fine powder.  You want to get the oats milled as finely as possible so the face mask is smooth, not chunky.  I mix 1 cup of oats to make about 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour and then save it in a small container.
Instructions:
1.  Place a wet washcloth on the counter and then put a small mixing bowl on top of it.  The washcloth provides traction for the bowl so the whisking doesn't move the bowl all over the place.
2.  Mix the egg, honey and flax seed oil together in the bowl with a wisk until well combined.
3.  Put the egg mixture in a tupperware container reserving 1 T in the bowl.
4. To the 1 T of the egg mixture, begin whisking in the oat flour 1 T at a time until the mixture resembles a thick cake batter.  If it is too runny, it won't stay on your face and if it is too thick it will clump up.
5.  Save the remaining egg mixture and oat flour in separate containers for use during the rest of the week.  the eggs should last in the fridge for up to one week, perhaps two.  Don't combine them until you are ready to use them.
6.  Take a one inch pastry brush or flat make up brush and brush the mixture on your face.  Be sure to cover your entire face.  You can go right under your eyes and I also do down my neck.
7.  Let the mask dry on your face completely and then rinse with warm water and a wash cloth.
8.  Let the warm wash cloth loosen the mask before you begin wiping it off.  I find rinsing in the shower with a wash cloth easiest.
9.  Apply your day or night cream after and then make-up if you wear it.
10.  Your skin should feel soft and smooth and the overall tone should begin to even out with continued use.  Your pores will begin to clean out and should reduce in size over time as well.   The jury is still out on the wrinkles, but I will let you know.
11.  These are all natural ingredients and there are no allergy or sensitivity issues with these items.   I don't know if allergies regarding consumption of foods applies to topical applications of the same products.  Only you can decide that.

Produce in Season in May

Black:  These foods are not in season in Utah this month but are in season elsewhere and can be imported from other states.  Red:  These foods are in season in Utah.
Aritichokes
Cabbage
Corn
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions
Potatoes
Cucumbers
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Papaya
Pinapple
Asparagus
Arugula
Fava Beans
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinich
Peas

Produce in Season in April

Black:  These foods are not in season in Utah this month but are in season elsewhere and can be imported from other states.  Red:  These foods are in season in Utah.
Mushrooms
Green Onions
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinich
Artichokes
Cabbage
Asparagus
Grapefruit
Pinapple
Strawberries
Bananas
Arugula
Peas

How to Prevent the Aluminum Foil from Sticking

Spray the bottom of the foil with cooking spray before covering your cherished cheese covered dish.  When you are ready to unveil your baked creation, the foil will come right off and leave a beautifully melted masterpiece to enjoy. 

Amazing Uses for Coffee Filters

A friend sent me this email about all the wonderful uses of coffee filters.  Be aware, coffee filters are also graded for quality and chemical safety.  If you choose to utilize the food applications for coffee filters, be sure you are getting some that are not chlorine bleached.  This will filter into your food and is not safe for consumption.  I found a website that outlines the safe coffee filters on the market.  I have highlighted the tips that I think are most useful.  The others you can take or leave. 

http://www.greenyour.com/lifestyle/food-drink/coffee/tips/choose-reusable-or-recycled-coffee-filters

COFFEE FILTERS

Coffee  filters .... Who knew!   And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the  microwave.   Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2.. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome....  Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3.  Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4.  Filter broken cork from wine.  If you break the cork when opening a wine  bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5..  Protect a cast-iron skillet.  Place a coffee filter in the  skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6.  Apply shoe polish.  Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7.  Recycle frying oil.  After frying, strain oil through a sieve  lined with a coffee filter.
8.  Weigh chopped foods.  Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a  kitchen scale.
9.  Hold tacos.  Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10.  Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot.  Line a plant  pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through  the drainage holes.
11.  Prevent a Popsicle from dripping.  Poke one or two holes as  needed in a coffee filter.
12.  Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows?  Use  strips of coffee filters.
13.  Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken  fingers, etc on them.  It soaks out all the grease.
14.  Keep in the bathroom.  They make great "razor nick  fixers."
15.   As a sewing backing.  Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16.  Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17.  Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18.  Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car..
19.  Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20.  Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies..  Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21.  Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22.  Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23.  Use them to sprout seeds..  Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers.  Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in  phone book..
25.  Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

Produce in Season in March

Black:  These foods are not in season in Utah this month but are in season elsewhere and can be imported from other states.  Red:  These foods are in season in Utah.
Radishes                      Grapefruit
Rhubarb                       Oranges
Spinach                        Pineapple
Mushrooms                  Apples 
Parsnips                       Bananas
Peas
Potatoes
Artichokes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Arugula

Produce in Season in February

These foods do not grow in Utah this time of year but are in season and can be imported from other states.
Brussel Sprouts          Oranges
Parsnips                     Grapefruit
Spinach
Rhubarb
Arugula

Produce in Season in January

These do not grow in Utah this month but can be imported from other climate zones.
Spinach                   Tangerines
Turnips                    Grapefruit
Eggplant                  Oranges
Parsnips                   Apples
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Potatoes
Avacados
Arugula

Staying Healthy by Eating Foods in their Season

With so many varieties of produce available to us now, we often don't stop and think whether it is best for our bodies to be eating them when we do.  Our bodies need more or less of different nutrients in different seasons of the year and those nutrients come from the foods we eat.
In this section you will find a list of which types of produce are in season during which months of the year.  You will find that in season vegetables and fruits are also the least expensive in the grocery store because they are in greater abundance when in season.  I like to wait until the produce has been in the store a couple of weeks.  Then I know I am getting ripe foods at a great price. 
The list I have on here was created from the http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbystate/a/utahseasons.htm
website.  It includes most foods available in all areas, highlighting foods specific to the mountain states.  For a look at your own state's seasonal foods, check out the website and look under your own state.

Make Your Own Read Along Stories from the Friend Magazine

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=ae20e975d2a2b010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
This link will take you to the Friend Magazine website.  On it there are stories from present and past issues that you can download and save onto a CD from your computer.  For Christmas this year, I removed the stories from past Friend issues and put them into protective sleeves and created a read along book for each of my children.  On the CD are the stories they can read along to and also some music too.  For my older son, I made a giant comic book of the comic stories included each month too.  They are stories from the lives of the prophets.  He loves comics and now he has all of the stories together.  The comics aren't read aloud so I included in his book a collection of songs from the site. I also included the activities from the Friend too so they have something else in there too.  A white board marker works on the plastic sleeve for any drawing or writing activities so they can do it over and over again. 
This project can be as elaborate or simple as you like.  

Materials needed:
A folder or binder that can hold protective sleeves.
Letter size Clear Protective sleeves that open from the top.
A CD for your computer with a clear cover.
Instructions:
Select the stories you want to put into the book and remove them from the magazine.
Put the pages into the clear sleeves in the order you want them.
Download the stories onto the CD from the above website.
Add music as wanted.
Print a cover for the CD case that includes all of the stories on it.
Decorate the cover of the folder however you want.

Food Co-ops

I have found a fantastic produce co-op available to people living in the western  U. S. states.  The website is boutifulbaskets.org and has a complete listing of available drop sites.  Check to see if they are in your area.  If not, there are co-ops everywhere.  Just get online and google co-ops in your area and see what comes up.
So how does it work?
Go to the website and register. 
Determine your drop location and this will determine when you can purchase your basket.
They offer a standard produce basket that has fruits and veggies.  You order in two week cycles.  There is enough produce to fill a large laundry basket! 
It costs $15 for a basket and for first timers there is a $3 fee to start.  Every two weeks you go online and purchase how ever many baskets you need for your family and then pick up your basket at your drop site at the designated time later in the week.  There is a $1.50 handling fee for all purchases.  So my total basket is $16.50 each time I order.  You don't have to order every two weeks, but that is the ordering cycle.  Make sure you take a container with you to put your food in.  They don't provide them at the pick up site.
The baskets have different things each time but it is well rounded.  I have figured there is about $50-$75 worth of produce for $15.  It has helped us reduce our food budget tremendously. 
There are other things available each time too.  They have specialty baskets you can purchase like a mexican produce or italian and citrus in season too.  You can purchase whole grain and specialty breads too.  All at a savings over traditional grocery stores.  All of these items are in addition to the traditional basket and the prices vary.
Since it is a co-op there are no paid employees.  They ask that everyone help out and that includes going early to help divide up the food off the truck and then help handing out the baskets.  It has been tremendously rewarding and our family is eating healthier too because we have more produce now than we normally do because it is so inexpensive. 
What comes in the regular basket?  
I have been doing this for about 2 months now and have gotten the following items throughout this time.

Veggies:
Lettuce, potatoes, spinich, broccoli, onions (red and yellow), carrots, celery, cucumbers, broccoflower, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans
Fruits:
Pineapple, Guava, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, cantaloupe, bananas, blackberries, strawberries, kiwi, cranberries
The specialty baskets have the ingredients listed on the website when they are available. 

Second Hand and Resale Stores Rock!

In our efforts to live frugally, we have been frequenting the local second hand store for things we need before going someplace to buy it new.  We have been able to purchase items needed for a fraction of their retail price and been able to fulfill some frivolous wants in addition to our needs because the prices are so low. 
Our latest acquisition was a Christmas Tree.  We went looking for some warm clothes for my constantly growing daughter and were surprised to see that there were Artificial Christmas Trees available too.  We were not going to buy a tree this year because it cut into our presents budget so we were happy to see that we may be able to afford one after all. 
We had budgeted $40 for this trip and had the cash to spend so we weren't using any kind of a card.  Regardless of what kind of card it is, we seem to spend more if swiping is involved.  We were able to purchase a 7'5" foot artificial tree for $10; new in the box!  Along with the tree, we found an air hockey table for $10 for Christmas, a puzzle with all of its pieces for $.75, and 3 pair of pants and a shirt for my daughter.  Our total purchases came to only $34.75!   The tree didn't have lights on it, but we have our own at home and for $10 we didn't care. 
All of the items we purchased were in new or almost new condition and we saved hundreds of dollars by shopping second hand.  By budgeting, creating shopping lists, and using cash we have been able to cover Christmas for our entire family this year for a mere $250.  This includes food for our Christmas dinner and stocking stuffers.  All of our children picked one thing they really wanted and that is what we worked to get them.  We have added books from the school book orders and some homemade items.  We went to our local $1 store for stocking stuffers and looked in thrift stores for other things.  For the food, I joined our local produce co-op and have been able to save a ton on food.  And when turkeys were on sale for Thanksgiving, I bought two to save for Christmas.  I don't think we have ever had such an inexpensive Christmas.  Happy Shopping!

Holiday Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Cranberries

This recipe was a huge hit at Thanksgiving this year.  Even people who don't love sweet potatoes, love this recipe.  It is very easy to make and if you prep everything first, it goes together pretty quickly. It is sweet and tangy with a hint of spice.  The textures are in perfect harmony with each other and the marshmallows finish it off nicely.
Equipment:
15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 2 1/2  casserole dish (or close to this size)
Small sauce pot
Wooden Spoon
Bowl Scraper
Aluminum Foil
4 C Liquid Measuring cup
Ingredients:
6 Sweet Potatoes-The ones that are orange inside; peel and slice into 1/8 inch slices
3 Baking Apples-Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala; peel and slice
1 Bag of Fresh Cranberries
3 T Butter
1 C Brown Sugar
1 Whole Lemon cut into thin slices
3 T Corn Starch
3 C Warm water
3/4 tsp Nutmeg
3/4 tsp Allspice
3 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 Bag of Miniature White Marshmallows
Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Spray the bottom of the casserole pan with cooking spray.
3.  Layer the potatoes then the apples in the bottom of the pan.
4.  Sprinkle the cranberries over the top and then set aside.
5.  Mix together spices and salt-make sure they are well combined, set aside.
6.  In the Liquid Measuring Cup, combine the cornstarch and the water and mix completely and set aside.
7.  Measure out the brown sugar.
8.  Make sure the lemon slices, brown sugar, spices and cornstarch mixture are all accessible to the cooktop before starting the sauce.
9.  Melt the butter in the sauce pot on high.
10.  Add the brown sugar and mix with a wood spoon combining the sugar and butter.
11.  When the butter and the sugar have incorporated, add the lemon slices and as they heat mash them down to release the juices.   Let it cook and get bubbly.
12.  Add the spices stirring till combined.
13.  Add the cornstarch mixture and cook the sauce until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Make sure you cook the sauce long enough for the sugar to completely dissolve. 
14.  Pour the hot sauce over the pan with the potatoes, apples and cranberries.
15.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.
16.  Test the potatoes for tenderness at 30 minutes.  If they are still a bit crunchy, then cook for 5-10 more minutes.
17.  When they are finished cooking, remove foil and sprinkle the miniature marshmallows over the top of the casserole.
18.  Let it bake for 1-2 minutes to brown marshmallows.
19.  Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving.