Homemade Deodorant

Have you ever picked up a container of commercial deodorant and read the ingredients? I can guarantee there will be at least one ingredient in there would put any tongue twister to shame. I've always had sensitive skin, and words like "fragrance" are a sure fire way to irritate my skin. Let me just say, my armpits are the last place I want itchy, painful, irritation. 

Once I hit puberty I began to use deodorant. I remember my first stick was some off-brand commercial kind advertised specifically for teenage girls, the scent was something along the lines of waterfall mist ... or something. The biggest thing I remember about it was the red bumps my armpit broke out in; effectively halting my use of that brand.

Tree here, I had already been thinking about ditching my commercial deodorant for different reasons. I had stopped using antiperspirant and switched exclusively to deodorant. Take a moment to think about why you sweat. The skin is the body's largest organ and its purpose is to protect the body. It protects the body by keeping foreign bodies out and by sweating toxins out. So if you prevent your body from sweating out toxins through your armpits what happens to those toxins. It was also around this time that we learned that aluminum (the primary pore clogging sweat blocker) may have a connection to breast cancer. 

Me and my mother hunted the grocery stores for a less irritating option, and we discovered natural brands. I tried many, some worked better than others, but none of them had the effect I desired. 

When it comes to "natural" deodorants the consumer bears the burden of doing their own research and bringing a dictionary with them. Many "natural" deodorants are no better than the commercial ones. I tried a number of them, some irritated my skin and others just didn't feel like they worked. I needed to reapply several times throughout the day (even when all I was doing was going to work).

Finally I decided to make my own. I read many internet resources, some praising the effects of it, some cursing it to the grave.

By the time Lulu had found her deodorant recipe I had decided on just powdered deodorant. I had scoured the internet myself and found the same things she did. People either loved it or hated it. I decided to skip the extras (needing to melt down a solid oil) and just use baking soda cut with a small amount of corn starch and peppermint essential oil. Now keep in mind peppermint eo is considered a hot oil and many people may find applying it directly to the skin irritating, especially to the sensitive armpits. I also learned that in many recipes baking soda can be an irritant, so if you try a recipe and it irritates you try melting it down again and adding more solid oil to cut the baking soda. 

I was using the powder with relative success (sucked for actual workouts) and it could be messy, then .....

I've decided I like it, and here I will share two recipes I've tried. I love both of them.

Recipe number one I made a while back.

You will need equal parts:

Shea Butter

Coconut oil

Baking soda

Beeswax

Arrowroot powder

If you so choose you can add a few essential oils.

Directions:

1. Melt down the oils in a double boiler.

2. Take oils off heat, and combine dry ingredients with the oils.

3. Stir and allow to cool a little.

4. Add essential oils of your choice.

Lulu as an athlete was loving the recipe above so I decided to accept her offer to make me my own. I LOVED this recipe. It worked great. I did find on my 12 hour days of class followed by clinic I needed to reapply, but it was easy to bring with me and easy to apply.  Then my container dwindled and so it was time to make more. However we did not have and Shae Butter. I had read a recipe that was just coconut oil and essential oils. This is my kind of simple.

The second one is my moms favorite.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon arrowroot

1 tablespoon baking soda

Essential oil of your choice

Directions:

1. Melt down coconut oil.

2. Add dry ingredients to oil

3. Allow to cool a bit and add oil.

As Lu pointed out this is my favorite recipe so far. This recipe could be poured into an old deodorant container and used just like real deodorant (or you can purchase new deodorant containers online). This recipe goes the distance. I wore it to an interview with no issues. At the end of my day I am still clean and fresh. I am still thinking of trying a recipe that is just coconut oil and eos, because I am all about simplicity, but right now this is the clear winner for me. 

Some really great essential oil combinations are ...

Melaluca and Clove

Melaluce and Lavender

Rosemary and Lavender 

Orange and Rosemary

Peppermint and Orange

Sunday Super - What Dinner Looks Like in My House

My recent post on Sunday Morning Pancakes featured a recipe from Brittany Angell's cookbook The Essential Gluten Free Baking Guide, Part 2, this dinner was inspired by what I had on hand (eggs, potatoes, scallions, tomatoes, peppers and cheese). 

I was originally thinking I would make frittata, which is my go to meal when I have eggs and some veggies and potatoes, then I realized I was really craving pizza. If I could find a grain free pizza crust I could make BREAKFAST PIZZA! 

In the picture above the dough actually looks pretty normal, but I remember thinking the dough looked kind of grey. I followed this recipe. One of the things I really love about Brittany Angell is that she has GREAT recipes on her website for free. I am also a Club Angell member and I HIGHLY recommend it. I followed the reader's comments to substitute a chia egg for the egg in the dough (because I only had enough eggs for the topping). I did not make this thick, it to me is normal pizza crust thickness. Not too thick, not too thin.  

First I par boiled the potatoes and then I oven baked them covered in Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic and Rosemary. I took the idea from Jamie Oliver and his Christmas recipe special. I found the recipe here.

I LOVE my cast iron pans and I don't know how I coked without them. They make the BEST potatoes and the BEST eggs and the BEST everything. 

I chopped up some of the potatoes and pan fried them like hashbrowns, then I scrambled some eggs and baked both upon the already par baked pizza dough. 

Since Lulu doesn't eat meat I cut her piece out before I added the bacon, and there is no cheese on Thia's section of the pizza because she doesn't eat cheese. Everyone topped their pizza how they wished: Lu used mustard and Karma Sauce as well as Scallions; Paul and I added peppers, cherry tomatoes and scallions along with Karma Sauce and Cajun Seasoning Blend; and Thia added scallions, mustard and Karma (she also ate the small amount of melon that was left over). 

My homemade Breakfast Pizza was far better than ANY I have ever had here in the ROC!

Sunday Morning Pancakes!

I used to make all sorts of yummy breakfast treats; giant cinnamon rolls, pancakes, waffles, omelets, and french toast. When I went back to work making breakfast baked goods sort of just fell to the way side. Then the girls and I went gluten free, and Lulu eventually went grain free. 

Gluten Free baking is tough and Grain Free baking is even tougher without accounting for the COST of gluten free baking. For those of you who don't know what gluten is, it is a protein in wheat (and other things) that binds. This is what makes your bread fluffy without falling apart. 

After several Gluten Free Baking Fails I gave up. I figured life would just have to go on without bread and pancakes. I would search out Gluten Free and Grain Free recipes that had reviews and think "maybe some day". The problem I found is that MANY of those recipes called for a ton of eggs. Now I have nothing against eggs or honey. But a pancake recipe that has 5 eggs in it!? Those pancakes tasted like pumpkin scrambles eggs.... there had to be a better way.

For Christmas 2014 I purchased a couple of "cookbooks" for Lulu. She had really been getting into Gluten Free baking, and doing quite well at it. 

Then a few weekends ago Thia had a friend over for a sleepover and I wanted to make good pancakes. I made the friend normal pancakes (because she is a super picky eater if it is not white and a sugar/starch she doesn't eat it), but I wanted something for Thia. So I searched the cookbooks and I found a Vegan Pancake Recipe that could be Gluten Free or Grain Free. HAPPY DANCE!

 This is MORE than a cookbook, it is  "GUIDE".  From the beginning intro to the tips in each recipe this book will teach any skill level the ins and outs of Gluten Free and even Grain Free baking.  You decide what flour you want to use (or combination thereof) and go from there. This edition is The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide: Part 2 Learn How to Use Sweet Rice, Sorghum, Buckwheat, Teft, Cassava and Potato Flour in 50+ Recipes the Authors are Brittany Angell and Iris Higgins. Ms Angell has a website with a ton of recipes on it, and she does a great job of detailing those recipes, but I still think Part 1 and Part 2 are the way to go if you are just starting or in need of some serious help the way I was.

But I digress, back to the Sunday Morning Pancakes.

Since I had failed so many times before at MANY Gluten Free and Grain Free recipes I followed the recipe to a T (confession I did not read ALL of the tips, which you really should before you begin).

For this recipe you choose your flour from the flours suggested. The guide tells you the pros and cons of various types of flours. "Almond flour makes the best pancakes, hands down!" p.144

The recipe also gives the flour and starch measurements in cups and grams. I have a food scale and I had read from a number of sources that weight and not volume was the way to go in gluten/grain free baked goods. Although the Guide has a little something different to say on the matter: "If weight is so important then why do we include volume measurements? It's because we both use volume in our own baking. We keep track of our weight measurements so that we can reproduce recipes exactly from one time to the next. But when we're substituting one flour for another, we have found volume measurements work better for us. We know this is different from what most people will tell you, so let us explain."

The first Chapter is "How to Use This Book" and it discusses different types and brands of flours, as well as sugar alternatives and the things you need to know when using different flours or sugars. This really is a complete guide and is almost like having the authors in the kitchen with you training you.

I chose Almond Flour and Potato Starch because, according to the Guide those were the two to use. I weighed them out. Keep in mind when you work with starch they are very light so they can create a big mess. They also like to stick to the bowl or measuring device so I use a rubber spatula to scrap them into my mixing bowl. While the guide tells you that any mild flavored oil can be used, I used olive oil because that is what I use. I used applesauce and coconut sugar this time around. Since I always spice my pancakes I added freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon and a dash of clove. 

The consistency was nothing like pancake batter. It was stiff and not runny. I used a Pampered Chef large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoon size) to measure out my pancakes (because I like uniformity). Once scooped into my pre-heated cast iron pan (which had coconut oil in it) I used the rubber spatula to squish them down a bit. 

I patiently nervously waited. I had gotten to this point a number of times before. Everything looks good, but then when you go to flip the pancakes it is a disaster. Either they stick to your well oiled surface or they just fall apart. 

These pancakes take time, about 2 minutes on each side to get the crispy outside. The good news is if you under cook these there is nothing in them that is potentially dangerous. 

This was the result

A crispy outside and a soft FLUFFY inside! They even tasted like real pancakes. I tried some, Lulu tried some and Thia LOVED them!

I topped them with Chia Chai Apple Compote:

Chop up a couple of apples, I used 4. I peeled my apples because they are cold storage apples which makes for tough skins, but in the fall when they are fresh I would use them skin and all. That is just a preference. Then I added roughly 1 cup of brewed Chai tea and let them cook together for about 10 minutes. As the apples warmed they become soft and let out some of their juices. You could stop there, but I am a super food junkie so I added 1 Tbsp of Chia seeds to the liquid and let that set up. I do not use ground Chia seeds, just whole ones. I also added 1 Tbsp of Coconut Sugar. 

This recipe was so good it was requested by Lulu for dinner at Grandmas where everyone else was having pizza (I picked up a Gluten Free/Dairy Free Daiya pizza for Thia and I, but since that has rice flour in it Lulu doesn't eat it). 

When I went to make them again for Lulu I realized (as she often does) she ate all the applesauce. Now this is where the confession that I didn't read all the tips and hints BEFORE making the recipe comes in. I had canned pumpkin in the house and I thought it was worth a shot to swap out one puree for another. I now had Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. Lulu loved them and I have made those again for both girls. "For the applesauce you can try using any puree. Banana, sweet potatoes and pumpkin work well." p 145

There was a request to make these chocolaty, so I added 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder and an additional tablespoon of coconut sugar. The first time I made the recipe I used coconut milk (because I had it), the second time I used the left over "water" from a can of coconut cream, and after that I have used water for every recipe. I recommend making this strictly according to the directions before you play with it. It is important to know the consistency of the batter so that when you vary the recipe with say cocoa you can add extra water (which was needed).  The chocolate version was simply topped with some coconut oil and heated fruit preserves and everyone has loved them.

This morning I made them with home made almond "flour".  This was the remnants of my making almond milk in order to make dairy free egg nog.  After I soaked the almonds and the pureed them in the blend the mixture is strained and the pulp is spread out on a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet. I let that air dry for 2-3 days and then I put it in the oven on warm (175 degree or so) for 4 hours. After that it set out for a week or so more. Then last night Lulu used the food processor to make flour and we put that in the fridge. 

I measured that out, but I didn't have enough. I was 30 grams shy. Since these pancakes were for Lulu using the Teft or Sorghum flour I had was not an option. We thought about Quinoa but decided to risk using coconut flour. The guide tells you that coconut flour does not work in this recipe and as a main flour that may be correct. The other change I made was to use coconut flour. I heated it to a liquid state and measured it out, but as soon as it hit the cold pumpkin puree and cold water it solidified and I was not happy with it. I will continue to use olive oil. The coconut oil did not damage the batter, it was just lumpy in the batter. Due to the addition of coconut flour I had to add almost the maximum amount of liquid called for in the recipe.  I added water to get the batter to the consistency I knew it should be from previous attempts. 

The results were spot on. The resulting pancake was a bit chewier but still crisp outside and fluffy inside. These I topped with butter and pumpkin puree with some coconut sugar (heated to combine) and Lulu topped hers with coconut oil and preserves. Overall a pancake win! I plan on trying some different flours with Thia (but this makes a Grain Free pancake Lulu can have). I also want to play with the starches, try a few different ones and even reduce the starch if possible. 

Saying Goodbye to 2014

What a year it has been. One year ago I asked the Universe to guide me on a path where I could enjoy what I do, find financial freedom and help people. I thought I knew what that path was. I thought that path would include educating people about safe usage of essential oils and living a more natural lifestyle. That was the birth of this blog. Lulu and I talked about doing a blog together. We settled on a name and finally set it up. 

Then the unexpected. In March I was let go from my position as a legal assistant and office manager. I had worked in that small office for 2.5 years.  I saw it as an opportunity. For years I had thought about becoming a massage therapist. I know so many wonderful people who are massage therapists. I even looked into the OSTM night program. I had a plan to do the night program when Thia graduated from high school. 

After discussing the possibility with my dear hubby we decided I should go ahead and change careers. I went to OSTM and enrolled in the next session. That session didn't start until July. I had planned on doing the 1 year program and toyed with the idea of working part time if my unemployment was not extended for the training program. 

On day 1 of the program I met some wonderful women (Peg and Hannah) who convinced me to switch over to the 6 month program. I am so glad I did. 

2014 has not been an easy year, but it has put me on the path to so much happiness. On Monday, January 5, 2014 I will begin my career as a massage therapist. 

So tonight as I spend time with my family (watching Star Trek The Next Generation, The Princess Bride and whatever other movies my girls select) I am grateful for the year that brought us to this point. 

To Sleep or Not To Sleep?

No, that is not really a question, but I cycle through phases of sleep. Sometimes I sleep really well. I have to be honest and state that these times of sleep are when I eat clean and avoid grains and dairy, exercise (moderately), and keep a hold on the stress in my life. 
Then there are the other 95% percent of times when I vacillate between not being able to fall asleep and falling asleep but waking every 2 hours. 

So lets start with the typical sleep cycle. Did you know there are stages of sleep? And not just the REM cycle...

In my anatomy and physiology class we learned from the great Dr. Tristum Eaton that sleep cycles run in 90 minute intervals (so you really need to divide your sleep cycle by 90 and make sure you are not shorting yourself a cycle). 

At any rate things that negatively effect sleep:

Light
Sure you already know that it is difficult to sleep with the lights on, but did you know that it is not just your eyes that are effected by light in your room. If your room has windows (like mine) and those windows let in street lamp light that light landing anywhere on your skin impacts your quality of sleep. (Google it - there was a study where a flashlight was shone (shined?) on the subjects knee.) So while the sleep mask might help you fall asleep and stay asleep if you have light reaching your skin (hello your face isn't covered when you sleep, unless you sleep in a cocoon sleeping bag, but then your nose and mouth are out) you may not be getting the best quality of sleep. 

Then there are all those little lights that no one wants to talk about.... unless the electronics in your room emit RED light it is most likely effecting your circadian rhythm. Consider removing ALL electronics from your bedroom including your electronic alarm clock. Replace your alarm clock with the old fashioned non-light emitting kind (oh wait there is even more of an argument for this one). Try it just for a month and see if you don't sleep better. 

Artificial light
Our bodies are designed to take our cues from nature. When the sun sets it is gradual. It tells our bodies that it is time to wind down our day and activities and to get to bed. The problem is that we live in an artificial light world. The lights in our houses are as bright at 10pm as they are at 10am.  The solution is simple. Turn down your lights. If you have multiple lights in a room try turning some off. If you like candle light try using candle light for the last 30 minutes before bed.

Electronics
Back to beat a dead horse. By now, most people acknowledge that the light from our screens (television, phones, computers) all disrupt our sleep cycle. The recommendation is to turn all screens off 2 hours before your go to bed. This would mean replacing the mindless television show you are watching (which isn't as mindless as you think if you know what is going on in the show) with a book, listening to music (without a digital display screen), taking a walk outside as the light goes down, or even meditating. 
A note on reading, if you are going to read before bed make sure you allow yourself 20 minutes after you have read to process what you have read so your mind is not racing when you climb into bed. 

For me the issues are simple and the solutions are even simpler. 
Noise
The one window (that has not been replaced) rattles (storm and window) and the noise disturbs me. There is some research that our brains learn to tune out routine noises, but for whatever reason this noise bothers me. Since we don't use that window all that much I am tempted to calk the storm (holding it in place) and the window, but I think the easier solution is to MacGyver it with some duct tape.
Light
The light from the street bothers me. Insulated or black out curtains are not an option, but asking the hubby to leave them shut when I am sleeping. He likes to leave an opening for the cat to look out. She likes that he does that too, but I need to sleep. I have also flipped so my feet are at the window and not my head.
Routine
I need a nighttime routine and I need to stick to it. Chamomile tea and some meditation by candle light will do wonders.
I also need a morning routine. Did you know that the snooze button actually makes you more tires? See the above where I informed you that we sleep in 90 minute cycles which means that a 3-10 minute snooze setting does not allow you to get any more sleep. I need to start listening to my body. I typically wake around 5:30 in the morning, but I struggle to stay in bed using the snooze button for over an hour (at which point it turns off) and maybe even staying in bed until 10:30....
Lastly, I need to honor my body by eating clean, avoiding grains and dairy and getting in some daily activity (even just a walk around the block). 

How about you? What do you do to improve you quality of sleep?