Fermented Garlic Honey
Fermented Garlic Honey
Cold and flu season is here. This fermented garlic honey great home remedy to have on hand to boost your immune system. Garlic is a powerhouse and widely recognized for its anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-viral properties. Garlic is a great addition to any garden, too. It doesn't take up a lot of space, and while it does have a longer growing season, it doesn't require much care. Choose varieties that store well for homegrown garlic all year long.
Fermenting garlic in honey makes it easy on the belly and compounds all of those lovely benefits. Take a spoonful when sick or when you feel a funk coming on. This fermented garlic honey is a perfect for kiddos - a spoonful of sugar, right?
While I'm totally on the slow living train, this garlic chopper saves so much time - it works great with ginger too, and has everything you need to chop, mince, and dice without sticky garlic paper fingers.
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Disclaimer: As with anything, do your research and choose the best route for your family. Do not give honey to children under one year of age.
Essential Oil Bath Bombs
Essential Oil Bath Bombs
Doesn't it just add to the relief to have bath bombs that aren't filled with toxic chemicals and fragrances? While a lot of self-sufficiency is learning the basics - growing and preserving food, natural remedies, etc. it is nice to learn those things that make you feel like you're at a fancy spa. Minus the hormone disruption.
These bath bombs can be customized using whatever essential oils that make your skirt fly up. I'll throw a few of my favorite blends at the bottom, but these make great gifts. Once you get the hang of the texture, they are easy peasy.
Some things you may not have on hand are linked: citric acid, bath bomb molds, and jojoba oil.
Bath Bomb Essential Oil Blends
All essential oils can be found at Young Living.
Relax:
4 drops of Lavender
4 drops of Cedarwood
2 drops of Grapefruit
2 drops of Marjoram
Deep Breath, great for stuffy sinuses or cough
4 drops of Eucalyptus
4 drops of Lavender
2 drops of Peppermint
2 drops of Tea Tree
Sleepy Time, great for kiddos
2 drops of Orange
4 drops of Lavender
2 drops of Gentle Baby (Young Living)
Moody
4 drops of Evergreen Essence (Young Living)
3 drops of Copaiba
2 drops of Pine
2 drops of Bergamot
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Orange-Infused All Purpose Cleaner
Infused All Purpose Cleaner
This infused all purpose cleaner is easy to make, non-toxic, with no essential oils, artificial fragrances, dyes, chemicals. It's pretty much free of all the things you don't want to clean with, especially when you have babies roaming around the house. This is great for a quick wipe on the bathroom counters, toys, your car, the changing pad. Just don't use it on marble or hardwood - orange and vinegar can be finicky when it comes to those surfaces.
Is this my mega-deep clean, dog had an accident, baby had a blow-out go-to cleaner? No. This is my everyday, de-funkify, give the countertops and high chair a quick wipe and move on type of spray. Vinegar is a surprisingly effective cleaner. Plus! Put those rinds to good use.
Instead of orange peels, swap them out for limes or lemons for a fresh fun scent. Love using essential oils? Feel free to add a few drops in when you are mixing this in the spray bottle.
When you've mixed your cleaner, throw the rinds to the chickens or pigs or add them to the compost pile for a no waste cleaner.
These are my favorite amber glass spray bottles!
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Homemade Garlic Salve
Homemade Garlic Salve
It's only been in recent years that modern pharmaceuticals have been the only avenue for healing. Garlic was actually the preferred method to treat bacterial and viral infections up until the wave of vaccinations and medications. This homemade garlic salve will be a staple during cold season.
Garlic (specifically the compound allicin) is an incredible healer of the lungs and respiratory system. And, since it's from nature, this homemade garlic salve is safe to use on everyone in your family - from babies to the elderly.
Here is our go-to recipe for this homemade garlic salve. Use lard or coconut oil depending on what you have on hand and your family's sensitivities. Make it before the sickies hit so you have it on hand. Salve lasts four weeks or until completely used. Store in pantry or fridge for a longer shelf life.
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Homemade Oregano Oil
Homemade Oregano Oil
Make your own culinary oils is such an easy and simple skill that makes you feel like you've made leaps and bounds toward self-sufficiency. If you're like me, you'll think, "How did I not realize it was this simple sooner!?". You can apply this homemade oregano oil recipe to any culinary herb oil. Be sure to always use dried herbs though, or it will spoil. This homemade oregano infused oil makes a great gift for your favorite home-cook in your life. It's also a great way to add a depth of flavor to any dish.
In addition to being a great culinary addition, oregano has incredible medicinal benefits. Note that this is a homemade oregano-infused oil, not an essential oil.
Oregano-infused oil is also great for your livestock - particularly chickens. Add a few drops to their water to ward off any respiratory issues.
Benefits
- Respiratory Support
- Skin Issues
- Muscle Pain
- Insect Repellent
- Cramping
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How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade vanilla extract was one of those things I spent years intending to make and never got around to doing. Plus, I'm not a huge baker - how would I ever use all of it? Turns out, I'm not the only one who has it on their long list of to-dos. This makes a perfect gift for any holiday!
Short on time? Put it all together and gift it with a note that says "Use in Six Months". A jelly jar with a cute burlap ribbon is all you need for a sweet homemade gift. This homemade vanilla extract is a great addition to your kitchen in your step towards cleaning up ingredients, making things yourself, and taking one more step toward self-sufficiency.
Snag these vanilla beans from Amazon. This 10 pack of Tahitian Vanilla Beans will get you through a batch of this recipe, with a few to spare. Dust off that bottle of rum you've never cracked open and you have everything you need. This recipe is so simple, you'll wonder why you hadn't tried it sooner. Trust me - you'll be amazed at the difference!
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How to Cook the Perfect Steak
We're going to talk about how to cook a perfect steak each and every time. Straight from the beef farmer. Crack a window, you're going to smoke up your kitchen and it's going to be 100% worth it. Need a quick meal? Steak only takes a few minutes.
The Pan
The cast iron pans are the work horses of our kitchen. A nice, seasoned cast iron pan is worth it's weight in gold. Cast iron pans are going to give you that perfect even sear on your steak. If you don't have a cast iron, use a regular non-stick skillet. If you are looking for a solid, heirloom style cast iron, check out Lodge cast iron products.
The Steak
Ribeye, NY strip, filet, Porterhouse - whatever cut you choose, make sure it's a premium dry aged cut straight from your local farmer or butcher. The quality of the steak is going to make all the difference in tenderness and flavor. We cook to a medium rare temperature.
The Prep
Take it out and get it to room temperature for 10 minutes. Season it heavily with coarse salt and pepper right before you cook it. Get your cast iron pan HOT. We usually go for medium high heat. When you see the pan just start to smoke, it's ready. When you drop the steak in, you'll want a very loud searing noise.
How to Cook the Perfect Steak
For medium rare, we shoot for about three minutes per side.
Once your pan gets hot, drop in a tablespoon of olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Let that heat up and drop the steaks in.
Let them sear for three minutes, then drop in a spring of thyme, three pads of butter, and two crushed garlic cloves. A few times over the next three minutes, take a spoon, tip your pan, and baste all that butter goodness on top of the steaks. Finally, take your tongs and flip your steak up on the sides for a few seconds. If you don't have the thyme, try rosemary. If you don't have rosemary, skip it.
Give it one last good baste. Then take it out and set it on a plate. Spoon a little of the butter on top.
How to Tell it's Done
Here's a fun quick trip for temperature. Touch your thumb to your pointer finger tip (like you're giving the "OK" hand sign), feel the inside pad at the base of the your thumb, that's what rare feels like. Touching your thumb to the tip of your middle finger, medium rare. Thumb to ring finger, medium. Thumb to pinky, well done.