Sep 24, 2010 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Recipes, Uncategorized
I like to post on this, but usually do it from my cooking blog so I thought you could indulge me…
Great Recipes for Keeping it Clean and Green:
Rub-a-Dub Tub Scrub
(or “Because I have 3 men in my tub scrub”?)
- In a mixing bowl pour about equal amounts of baking soda and Borax. (What I do is take 2 jars, fill one almost full of Borax and the other almost full of baking soda. Then I pour them both into a bowl.)
- Pour in some True Lemon powder (you can use True Orange or Lime also, or citric acid if you can get it) just enough to scent the mix, about 2-4 Tablespoons more or less.
- Mix and put back in your jars!
To use: Wet bathtub or sink. Sprinkle tub scrub in tub. Watch the fun! It bubbles when it gets wet!
Scrub and watch the sparkles! This smells yummy too.
Laundry Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda (you can get this at most grocery stores now)
1/2 cup Borax
7-10 drops of tea tree oil (disinfectant and antibacterial)
*You can add other essential oil drops if you want a scent but I don’t
1/4 cup or so of
Dr. Bronner’s Baby Castile liquid soap
4 quarts hot water (first) then added about 8 more quarts
Mix it in a bowl with a whisk because the washing soda (soda ash) gets hot when it gets wet. (Luckily I knew this from my pool or I’d have probably burned my hands trying to get the clumps out.) Let sit for about 20 minutes to cool off, then put in containers. I use old detergent bottles and glass bottles.
Very inexpensive and effective!
Natural Deodorant
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
*If you have sensitive skin (like me) use more cornstarch and less soda to still equal 1/2 c total.
10 drops essential oil (I like tea tree or bergamot)
Mix it all together(takes about 2 seconds)
You can use it just like that- dust it on as a powder
OR if you want to put it in a stick form you add
2-3 tbs coconut oil (I use more and a little water because it’s been dry here and seems to crumble if I don’t.) you find it in the baking aisle by the shortening (also good as a skin cream and lip balm)
Once you have it all mixed up you pack it into an old, empty stick deoderant container. You will have to add and pack and keep this up until you get to the top. I like to use a small baby spoon to help pack it down tightly.
Let “cure” about 24 hours for it to hold together properly when you apply it.
This really works well, especially with the tea tree oil/bergamot mixture. Haven’t tried the powder form. Makes about 2 sticks in a normal ladies’ sized container.
Feb 1, 2010 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Recipes
I just found this recipe for Natural Deodorant on this site.
I am so excited to try it as I know it will save bundles and I will know what’s in it!
You use your own empty stick deodorant containers (washed out.) I found a site once where you can order these new, but can’t find it now. If you know of it please let me know!
Natural Deodorant
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
10 drops essential oil(they recommend tea tree or lavender)
Mix it all together(takes about 2 seconds)
you can use it just like that-dust it on as a powder
OR if you want to put it in a stick form you add
2-3 tbs coconut oil
you find it in the baking aisle by the shortening (also good as a skin cream and lip balm)
Once you have it all mixed up you pack it into an old, empty stick deoderant container.
Let “cure” about 24 hours for it to hold together properly when you apply it.
*Another recipe is HERE. (They say to use 1 part baking soda to 6 parts corn starch.)
Jan 25, 2010 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Uncategorized
Tub Scrub (I love this!)
In a mixing bowl pour about equal amounts of baking soda and borax.
(Maybe 2 cups each?)
Pour in some True Lemon powder (you can use True Orange or Lime also!)
just enough to scent the mix.
To use: Wet bathtub or sink. Sprinkle tub scrub in tub. Watch the fun! It bubbles when it gets wet!
Scrub and watch the sparkles! This smells yummy too.
Glass & General Purpose Cleaner
Both of these are subjective recipes too. (Sorry!)
I have some spray bottles I bought at Sam’s Club in a three pack.
I fill one up about two inches with vinegar (disinfectant,) then add about an inch of rubbing alcohol (disinfectant and makes it dry faster,) then add a few drops of tea tree oil and fill the rest to the line with water. To make it more of a general cleaner I add a tablespoon of Borax and let dissolve (makes icky stuff come off counters better.) To be just a glass cleaner you can actually use all vinegar, but I like the mix of the alcohol and vinegar- just think it works better.
This works great on almost every surface (except nice wood.)
Hope you like these as much as I do! If you have some good ones to share please comment!
Jan 21, 2010 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Recipes, Uncategorized
This is a great recipe for playdough!
4 cups of flour
1 cup salt
4 cups water
4 Tablespoons oil
1/2 cup of cream of tartar (I get my from Penzey’s.com- much cheaper!)
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low/med. heat until dough is completely
formed and no longer sticky. Allow to cool a bit before putting in a bag or tight container to store.
*You can add food coloring, kool-aid (for smell and color,) I usually put True Lemon in it to give it a nice scent. This recipe lasts a LONG time (as long as your kids put it away!)
Dec 23, 2009 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Recipes
I am going to try this recipe for liquid dishwashing soap from naturemoms.com.
I have tried MANY recipes for natural dishwashing soap, and not had good results.
Hope that this one works!
Natural Dishwasher Soap Recipe
1/2 CUP LIQUID CASTILLE SOAP *do NOT use regular liquid soap!*
1/2 CUP WATER
1 TEASPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE
3 DROPS OF TEA TREE EXTRACT
1/2 CUP WHITE VINEGAR
COMBINE WATER AND LIQUID CASTILLE SOAP. STIR.
ADD LEMON JUICE, TEA TREE EXTRACT AND VINEGAR.
STIR UNTIL EVENLY BLENDED.
STORE IN A SQUIRT TOP BOTTLE.
USE 2 TABLESPOONS PER DISHWASHER LOAD.
CAUTION! DO NOT USE REGULAR SOAP IN PLACE OF CASTILLE, UNLESS IT IS LOW SUDSING SOAP….. OTHERWISE, YOUR DISHWASHER WILL OVERFLOW!I’ll let you know!
Dec 7, 2009 | In-Edibles, Recipes, Uncategorized
This is the recipe I use to “feed” my Christmas tree.
I got it online somewhere a long time ago but modified it to not use bleach.
How to Make Your Christmas Tree Fire Resistant
(and keep it living til 3 King’s Day!)
Ingredients:
• 2 cups of Karo Syrup
• 2 ounces of vinegar
• 2 pinches of Epson Salt
• ½ teaspoon of Borax (some recipes also call for 1 teaspoon of chelated iron which you can get at a pharmacy or garden store- I’ve never used it though.)
• 2 ground up aspirins
• Hot Water
Procedure:
1. With a saw, make a fresh cut at the base on the tree trunk. Cut off at least an inch and try to make a flat or level cut.
2. Immediately after cutting the base off the tree, mix the fireproofing ingredients listed above. Fill a 2-gallon bucket with hot water to within 1 inch of the top and add the ingredients. Stir thoroughly.
3. Stand the trunk of the tree in this solution and leave for 24 hours.
4. Every day, without exception, fill up the well of the tree-stand with the fireproofing solution.
How this procedure works:
The Karo Syrup provides the sugar necessary to allow the base of the tree to take up water. The tree may take up to 1/5 gallons of water over a two-week period. Boron in the Borax allows the tree to move the water and sugar out to every branch and needle in the tree. Magnesium compounds in the Epson Salt and Iron from the Chelated Iron provide essential components for the production of chlorophyll that will keep the tree green. The vinegar keeps mold from forming in your solution. This fireproofing procedure will also help prevent the needles from dropping and will increase the natural fragrance of the tree.
They say you can try to light a branch once it’s sat for 24 hrs and it won’t catch on fire! I love that it does keep my tree nice and green until I want to take it down after New Year’s.
