Homemade Laundry Stain Remover/Spray

I am always trying to find ways to make my own products of common household products because I like to avoid harmful chemicals and I love to be frugal. Here is one recipe I have been using for 1-2 years. It is tried and true as I have 6 young kids who do spill and otherwise mess up their clothes.

Homemade Laundry Stain Remover/Spray

1- spray bottle (I use my spray bottle from the store bought laundry spray)
1/4 cup liquid glycerin*
1/4 cup liquid soap- your choice- I use Dawn just because I know it is good at getting grease out, but you could use a more earth friendly one.
1 1/2 cup water

Mix the glycerin and soap together in a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill slowly with water (to avoid making too many bubbles) to the 2 cup line (that will add the 1 1/2 cup of water needed). Mix and pour into spray bottle. To use, spray on stain. Stains can be sprayed in advance and left to sit on stain until laundry day or just before laundering. For grease stains, I use a bit of full strength Dawn on it and then spray with this spray. For chocolate, mud, or ink stains, I apply some glycerin then spray it with the spray and let it sit a day or so. All other stains I use just the spray.

*Glycerin may be hard to find as most pharmacies are no longer carrying it. I have found it online at soaping supply stores. Don't buy the thin watery ones as things have been added. The glycerin you want will be thick and a bit sticky. I buy it in bulk to save more money. The glycerin is very important as it helps to loosen the stain so it can be washed away.

Homemade Deodorant

By Apple Blossom

I find joy in making and creating things that are natural and healthy and not full of chemicals. One product I have not had to buy in almost a year is deodorant. I make it myself. It works too! I have tried several "natural" ones available at health food stores with no luck. They didn't seem to work for me and I hated how expensive they were. I absolutely love that I am not rubbing a heavy metal (aluminum) on my underarms daily that has been linked to breast cancer and dementia. It is simple and very quick to make!

Homemade Deodorant

1/4 cup Baking Soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
about 4 TBSP coconut oil
10 or so drops your favorite essential oil

Mix dry ingredients together, then with a fork add the essential oil and the coconut oil until you like the consistency. I have melted the coconut oil and mixed it all up before-- it is easier to mix but it will separate a bit after it cools to room temp. You can store this at room temp (that is what I do) or keep it in the fridge. It wont spoil as coconut oil has a shelf life of 2 years. At room temperature it will be more like a cream that you dip your fingers and rub on. In the fridge it will be a solid-- use like any other solid deodorant -- but it will be cold. I found that in the summer time, my house gets too hot and is it constantly a liquid, so in the future for summer time, I will use less coconut oil so it will be 'drier'. As for essential oils, most coconut oils have a coconut sent so you might want to pick one that compliments that scent. I have found that I like grapefruit or lemongrass essential oils. Use citrus essential oils with caution as they may make you more sensitive to the sun. I have no problem with that as I don't go out showing my armpits to the sun.

Good Stuff

By Ember

When I started using essential oils, I was very fortunate to be able to order some from a Primavera distributor but have not been able to find one since that time. I've found the quality of these oils to be unequaled. The smell is the purest I've ever experienced and I hate to say it, but every other brand has been a bit of a disappointment in comparison.

Today, I was emailed some great news and want to pass it on. Primavera Essential Oils are now available online! They are more costly but worth every bit of the difference. Check them out. If you were to purchase one oil for everyday use, I would recommend Lavender. For food storage, I suggest Oregano Oil. Maybe if we ask nicely, Sassafrass will tell us why we should have these in our health arsenals.

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I love pizza, but I have only purchased store pizza a handful of times in the last three years since I discovered this dough recipe. We have pizza nearly every Friday night but we make it and add as many nutritious ingredients as we want.

Pizza Dough

2 C. warm water
2 Tbls. yeast
2 Tbls. sugar
2 tsp. salt
Mix together and let sit for 5-10 minutes to make a sponge.

Add:
4 C. flour (I use 2 C. white and 2 C. wheat)
Mix well and knead for a couple of minutes to a nice smooth consistency. Add more flour as necessary. (Fresh ground wheat tends to have more moisture and will require more flour).

Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400*. Divide into two balls and roll out on floured surface or right on the pan, if you're tricky like that. I use a baking stone and a perforated pan for cooking pizza. I pre-cook the dough for 7 minutes on the stone and for 3 minutes on the perforated pan before adding toppings . Add sauce and toppings. Bake until cheese is melted.

I have cooked this for many guests and it's a hit!

UPDATED! This makes two crusts. It works just as well cut in half if you only need to make one pizza.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

By Sage

I've discovered my new favorite breakfast, and I LOVE breakfast! When left to my own devices (In other words, when I don't have to wake to an alarm clock, which is... let's see... almost never...) then I wake up hungry. However, mornings are very busy for me, ergo I don't have time to make a gourmet meal. So what I've started doing lately I can do quickly, and it sticks with me for hours without feeling heavy or making me feel guilty.

1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Hot Cereal
Handful of Old Fashioned (not quick) oats
Dried Blueberries
Raisins
Almonds & Pecans chopped into largish chunks
Skim Milk (or soy milk, or rice milk, or nut milk, or whatever you use)
Honey

Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the 10 Grain cereal and oats, stir well, reduce heat and cook until water is all absorbed, stirring occasionally. Transfer cereal to bowl and throw in the amount of fruits and nuts you desire. Add milk to taste, and drizzle a little honey over the top.

Yum! I get the dried blueberries at Costco, and they're so wonderful for cereals, muffins, etc. Chock full of antioxidants, those! They're probably available at many health food stores, too. I've also found that when I'm really pressed for time, I can throw the nuts and fruits into a bowl of Raisin Bran, Smart Start, or some other whole grain cold cereal, which makes it much more satisfying and nutrient-rich.

You've got to start somewhere, why not with breakfast? Chuck that Captain Crunch, those Pop Tarts, and even that Sausage Egg McMuffin in the garbage where they belong, and do something good for yourself!

Word of Wisdom Backwards

By Ember

First - Welcome new readers! Please leave a comment, as we'd love your input on topics you'd like to see written about and your feedback on the things we do write. What do you have to teach us? What are you doing to better your health?

Now - On to the 'meat.'

I have included a link to the Word of Wisdom Backwards. The information is very interesting in my opinion. And I must add, it's not always well received. The first part is the author, Joyce Kinmont's, interpretation of the W of W. It's an eye opening, verse by verse, view. The rest is statements from the prophets. I came across this many years ago and it was a bit of a shock. I have loved discussing this with people.

Would you please read the short article and then read the rest of this post?

Thanks.

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Please don't run away screaming because I brought up the 'meat' subject. This seems to be the topic that stands out the most after people read the Word Of Wisdom Backwards, so I will focus my thoughts on it. I realize that I run the risk of having you skip over every post that includes 'By Ember' under the title, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. Feel free to pass over me. The other women have very valuable information to pass on to you.

I wasn't trying to trick you. Well, maybe I was a little bit. Please forgive me; I find that most people won't read the quotes any other way. I'd love to hear your (respectful) thoughts on this subject after you have read and pondered the quotes of our leaders.

Here are mine: I'm not here to promote a vegetarian diet. I do still eat meat. It’s probably less than most but more than I feel I should. Our stomachs produce acid (is the acid produced in the stomach or somewhere else?) that is tailor made for digesting animal proteins. Healthy meat contains some healthy nutrients not found anywhere else. But I have tried to incorporate more meals that are meatless and plant rich. My goal is to eat meat only once or twice a week. It will not been an easy task, especially because the change involves my husband, who would love to eat meat for every meal. (Actually, in truth, he doesn't have the desire for it like he used to and finds that it doesn't always agree with him anymore.) When I was young, I tried to be a vegetarian but my father wouldn't stand for it. He is a very good man, and used the W of W as his basis for putting his foot down. He was convinced that a diet involving animal protein was superior. I wonder, though, what would happen if more people were simply aware that prophets have encouraged us to eat little meat and that some were vegetarians themselves? If my children felt compelled to be vegetarians, I would try my best to support/encourage them. I would also make sure that they understand the different nutritional needs they would have and make those foods as available as possible.

I apologize if you're feeling a little sideswiped. I have felt that way many times as I am reprogrammed towards a *holistic life. By taking baby steps, and praying for the changes I can make right now, I have managed to make many improvements over the last 10 years. I know that you can too. I also know that it is completely worth it.

*holism - A theory or belief emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.

My next few posts will be about the lifestyle changes that my family has made, how we've transitioned and been able to afford them, and how to not be so discouraged while making the changes.

"Let me plead with you, search the Word of Wisdom prayerfully. Do not just read it, search it prayerfully. Discover what our Heavenly Father gave it for. He gave it to us with a promise of longer life and happiness, not if we fail to observe it, but if we observe it." - George Albert Smith, 8th President