Homemade Toner/Astringent

Homemade Toner or Astringent is probably one of the easiest DIY skincare products you can make. There's only 3 ingredients, one of which is water, and another of which is optional.

Here is what you'll need:

~2/3 cup water (I used filtered)
a few drops of tea tree oil (Trader Joe's sells it and of course Amazon has everything)
a few drops of lemongrass essential oil (also on Amazon) (optional)

How to use it: 

Fill a small bottle with filtered water. Mine held almost 2/3 of a cup. Put in a few drops of tea tree oil, and a few drops of lemongrass EO (if you want). It still works REALLY well without the lemongrass, however TTO does not smell so great, so if the smell makes you gag, add the lemongrass (or other essential oil). I chose lemongrass because of what it says on the back of the bottle:

I use this toner/astringent/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, after I wash my face to remove excess makeup, dirt and oil. I also use it sometimes when I haven't worn makeup that day, and I'm too lazy to wash my face. Probably a terrible idea (to not wash my face), but hey, it's better than nothing I guess. 

Pour a small amount onto a cottonball and wipe your face. You will be shocked at the amount of dirt that is still on your face after you just finished washing it.
I have normal/oily skin, so I don't always put moisturizer on after, but if you have dry skin, you might want to do that. This toner tends to dry out your face a little. 

Also note, DO NOT GET THIS IN YOUR EYES. I haven't done this (yet) but I have a feeling it will sting a lot. 

I hope you give this very easy DIY toner a try!  Leave a comment and tell all your friends! :) 

~Mallory~

Homemade Tooth Powder (Guest Post)

If anyone is still reading this blog, they will recall that in my first post that I mentioned how much I hated the homemade toothpaste that I had tried making.
Well, a good friend of mine (who happens to be a fabulous chocolatier), messaged me about my toothpaste comment and asked if I'd be willing to try her recipe (and blog about it of course!). Her recipe is A LOT different than the one I tried last year, so I said I'd give it a go! She sent me some a few days ago and since I first tried it, I haven't used ANY regular toothpaste!
This stuff is seriously AMAZING! True, it is brown, and looks strange to brush with, not to mention it turns your toothbrush brown-ish, BUT, it works SO WELL!
It does a fantastic job at cleaning my teeth, tastes WAY better than the toothpaste I was previously using, and is Junk-Free!

Finished Tooth Powder

Here is the recipe and what my fantastic friend Allie had to say about it:


"Out of the zillions of all natural products used as alternatives for the more chemically loaded ones, toothpaste seems the most reasonable and important to me. Why would you scrub so many chemicals on your teeth? Although you’re being told they’re good for you, you’re putting chemicals IN. YOUR. MOUTH. And you ingest them every time you brush your teeth. This does not sound right.

A good friend of mine (whom I refer to as the organic and all natural guru) introduced me to tooth powder. I made it with a huge dose of skepticism, but much to my surprise, I loved it. I must, however, give credit where credit is due: my friend got this recipe from another blogger who aims to help others live a more healthy lifestyle.

http://wellnessmama.com/5252/remineralizing-tooth-powder-recipe/

On this post, she explains why she puts the ingredients into the tooth powder, the benefits of using a tooth powder, and where to find many of these ingredients, among other things. I used her recipe pretty much as is, with one exclusion.

Here is my recipe and method, but if you want to read more about the tooth powder, definitely check out her blog!

Tooth Powder Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. Bentonite Clay
• 3 tbsp. Calcium Magnesium Powder
• 1 tbsp. Baking Soda
• 2 tbsp. Powdered Mint Leaf (powder in food processor or spice grinder)
• 1 tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Clove Powder
• A few drops of Essential Oil (I went with Peppermint)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon, or put them all into a small glass jar with a lid and shake to incorporate. I went with mixing it right into a mini mason jar because a) less dishes to wash and b) mini mason jars are adorable and I want to put everything in mason jars.

How to Use:

Wet your toothbrush and dip it into the powder. Brush your teeth like normal and rinse.

Notes:

This recipe makes approximately ¾ c. of tooth powder which lasts for months. The tooth powder is dark brown and over time, it will turn your tooth brush the same color, and it may leave a residue in your sink, but it’s easily rinsed out. Also, I omitted the Xylitol Powder from her recipe because it was only added for sweetness and I personally didn’t mind it without. Lastly, I would recommend if you want more than one member or your household to do this, get separate mason jars and label them for each person because #germs." 

I hope you try her recipe and let me know how you like it! I will definitely be adding it to my homemade recipe book! 

The Fanciest Tasting Hot Cocoa I've Ever Made

True, you can just buy powdered cocoa/hot chocolate mix, stir with water, and microwave for 60 seconds, and I used to do this all the time, until one day, I tried making my own...

If you are a foodie and/or have taste buds, you will never go back to mix again after trying this recipe.
It's seriously so good. And seriously so easy.

I can't even... so delish. 

This recipe serves 2, and took me about 10 minutes total.

Ingredients:
*2 "mug-fuls" of your favorite milk  - measuring with the mugs you'll be drinking out of, ensures you'll make just the right amount :)
*1/4 cup sugar 

*4-5 heaping teaspoons of cocoa powder (more or less to taste)
*1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips(optional) 
*1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* a pinch of sea salt
*a PINCH of cayenne pepper - seriously, do NOT put too much, or else...

Directions:
Pour the milk into a small pot on the stove. Heat but don't boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients with a wire whisk. Pour into mugs once it is fully mixed and comes to the desired temperature (about 5 minutes). Enjoy!


:)

My most popular juice recipe

I posted this on Pinterest a few months ago and it's been repinned 50 times! I don't know whether to call it a smoothie or juice since technically I didn't use a juicer, but whatever you call it, it's easy to make and delicious! 

I used my Nutribullet to make it, but I'm sure any other super speed smooshing device will do. 

Note: there's like A LOT of pulp in this since I didn't use a juicer. I like some drinks better that way. I know I'm getting all the nutrients and fiber too. 

Ingredients:

2 organic carrots, scrubbed with a veggie brush or peeled. 

1 peeled orange

1 banana

Directions:

Put everything in the Nutribullet, blend it up real good. Drink. :) 

This makes the two small glasses shown in the picture. 

I hope you like it! 

Apple Cranberry Pie

This is a recipe for an apple cranberry pie I made a little before Thanksgiving. I didn't make it for Thanksgiving, but because it was November and I wanted a damn pie. I wanted it to have cranberries (fresh ones because I had never cooked with them before), and I wanted to make it from scratch.
I found a recipe similar to this one (which I tweaked slightly), and let me tell you - pies might be my new thing because this one was amazing. My boyfriend and I each ate a slice every night for a little over a week. And hey, there's fruit in it, this is a healthy pie!
I hope you try the recipe. It was really fairly easy and as I mentioned, a-freaking-mazing.
And look! There's a picture this time! :)

Apple Cranberry Pie 

Ingredients: {Filling}
1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. orange zest
1 TBS. salted butter

1 unbaked pie shell
1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries
3 cups peeled and sliced granny smith apples

{Topping}
1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large pot, stir together the syrup, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, orange zest and butter over low heat for about 2 minutes, then add the cranberries and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the apples. Pour the mixture into your pie shell. Prepare the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Add the butter with  your fingers to incorporate. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit filling.

Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven. Place a cookie sheet lined with foil on the rack underneath to catch any escape juices. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pie to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

*Note: I made the pie crust from scratch for this pie (whole wheat too...). If you have time/want to try it, I will post that recipe too, however, since then I've been buying pie crust because it just takes too damn long. Maybe in the future when I'm not working full-time I'll be able to handle the pie crust challenge again. 

Here's the recipe I used:

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

4 to 5 tablespoons ice cold water

Directions:In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture had turned into crumbs the size of peas. Drizzle in the water (4 tablespoons) and continue to pulse until the dough comes together. Add the 5th tablespoon of water, if needed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball, then flatten slightly. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

And here's the pie! 

DIY Deodorant

Since I previously talked about, I will post my recipe for DIY/Homemade Deodorant. Like I said, I've been making and using it for over a year (maybe 2?), so I think it's safe to say I like it.

Backstory: I don't know how it happened exactly (I'll blame the internet), but sometime a few years back, I started to become more concerned with eco-friendly products and organic food. So I bought some Toms of Maine junk-free deodorant. It smelled okay, and was more 'junk-free' than the Dove's I had been using, but it really did an awfully terrible job at stopping sweat/smell of any sort. And it kind of stung my armpits when I put it on. So, as I googled what else I could try, I can across a blog by a lady who had made her own. I think she had gotten the recipe from another blogger as well. It looked easy enough, so I figured I would give it a try. And what do you know? IT FREAKING WORKED. 

So here is the recipe that I have been using. I'll tell you some details about it below.

DIY Deodorant

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup cornstarch

5 tablespoons coconut oil

Who would have thought 3 simple ingredients could literally make the best deodorant EVER.

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together very well. Use a finger size scoop under each arm. If it's too hot where you live, you can keep it stored in the refrigerator. I just keep mine in the bathroom cabinet. 
*Note: I had to melt my coconut oil in the microwave before mixing, because it's winter here and everything is cold and terrible.

This deodorant smells amazingly coconut-y (if you like that sort of thing). I apply it once a day. The only time I've had an issue of it not being 'strong' enough or lasting long enough, was when there was a 90+ degree heat wave in September and I had to teach 25 6-year-olds for 7 hours in 'work' clothes in a second floor un-air conditioned classroom, with windows that only opened half way. I was fairly sweaty that week, but then again, so was everyone else. 

Of course, not everyone is the same so you might not have the same totally awesome results I did, but I hope you do! Give it a try! 

Finished product! :) 

I guess it is easy to start a blog...

I was hoping it would be slightly more challenging to start a blog, because that's a fairly good excuse for not starting one. Turns out, it's really easy. Drat.
We'll see if this lasts though. I've been thinking about starting a blog for the last few years (because hey! I know about some stuff! And I took that creative writing class!...10 years ago...)
Who knows, maybe I'll be an internet sensation!
It's probably more likely I'll forgot to post/make excuses. However! IF I do post regularly, I suppose these are the things I will write about (even if it's only for myself):

1. DIY beauty products - I started making my own deodorant about a year and a half ago. I guess it's a weird place to start DIYing when you think about. Anyway, when I told a colleague of mine about it, she said, and I quote, "Oh my God, really?! Are you like, granola!?" I told her I didn't think so, but maybe you will disagree if this blog thing actually gets going.

2. FOOD! (aka Recipes) - If anyone ever actually reads this, they will come to find that I really really (like really) enjoy food (and cooking!). Pretty much of any sort, though I've been trying more and more to eat clean. (Except during the holidays - that's a free for all).

3. Things I Try - I once tried to make my own toothpaste. It was terrible. But I could have blogged about it! I also just got my first ever "gel" manicure. Also very terrible, but perhaps I'll write up a review/my opinion if anyone is ever interested.

I think that's a fair introduction for now.

Mallory :-)