Lovely Spring We're Having This Winter!

Okay, so, it's been a while since I've posted to this blog.   Last year was taken up with Bill getting his knee replaced, and it took a very long time before he was able to get back to his normal self.  We both are very happy that this entire experience is behind us.  Just to give you an idea of how difficult this surgery was for him, his doctor (the same doctor that replaced my hip three years ago) told him that he won't do his other knee.  He said Bill took 10 years off his life with all the complications. So, I think we both have decided not to go down that road again.

Plum Tree

I don't know where you live, but here in Southwest North Carolina, in the Piedmont area, we have been having a winter to beat records, warm winter that is.  I thought I'd take a few pictures so you could see how faked out nature is here.  This is February, supposedly the middle of winter.  I'm fairly certain we're going to have another frost or two, so, there goes all our fruit harvest again.  This will be the second or third year this has happened.  It is so disappointing.

Cherry Tree

So, here are our fruit trees in the middle of what is supposed to be winter.  The plum tree is just gorgeous with it's white blossoms bursting out all over.  I don't believe we've enjoyed a plum from it yet.  Maybe this year, forever hopeful!  The Cherry trees are beginning to bloom as well.  Last year we did get a bountiful harvest of tiny little cherries called Nanking Cherries, enough to make a nice batch of cherry jam.  I'm hoping they're not going to be frost bitten this year.

Homemade Ocean Breeze Dead Sea Salt Soap

I first saw this soap on Pinterest posted by Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen, and I immediately liked the idea of a salted soap. Unlike my standard shampoo bars, this one is a simpler soap, but with the added benefit of salt nutrition and exfoliation by the way of Dead Sea Salt. So, I decided to give it a try, and my version of it is this one.

It's made with coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, and shea butter.  Added right at the end is a handful of Dead Sea Salt for the nutrition and exfoliation benefits and then sprinkled on the top to make for a beautiful soap bar that is so good for your skin. According to the San Francisco Salt Co., "Dead Sea Salts contain 21 minerals including magnesium, calcium, sulfur, bromide, iodine, sodium, zinc and potassium. These essential minerals naturally occur in our bodies but must be replenished, as they are lost throughout the day. These minerals are known to treat, detoxify, and cleanse our bodies."  

Handmade Rose Petal Soap!

A Beautiful Rose!

Roses. What woman doesn't love roses...the fragrance, the beauty, the softness of the petals. I think that roses are one of the most beautiful flowers on earth!  I love getting roses from the love of my life.  I love getting any flowers at all, from anyone at all, but, there's just something very special about a vase full of roses.

The sad part comes for me when they're spent and it's time to throw them away. I tend to keep them way beyond the last vestures of beauty because I resist parting with them.  Well, my friends, I have discovered a way that we can keep our roses and enjoy their lingering fragrance and delicate softness for months and months while using them to pamper ourselves and benefit our skin.

Handmade Rose Petal Soap!

To clarify, this is not a soap recipe or a tutorial on how to make soap.  This is a couple of ideas for you to incorporate into your very own soap recipes if you so desire.  

DIY Antibacterial Facial Cleansing Soap

I've been doing a bit of research whilst looking for a facial cleanser that will have a significant impact on acne.  It seems that charcoal has the ability to draw out impurities and toxins from the skin.  In so doing, it can help to relieve certain forms of skin problems.  Charcoal is a safe, gentle and natural ingredient that you may want to try.  It will not harm your body, some even advocate taking charcoal internally.  I, personally, haven't gone there yet.

Gentle Antibacterial Facial Cleansing Soap

I decided to use a pre-made soap base, or melt and pour (MP) soap, for this project.  I used a combination of Coconut Milk soap, and Aloe Vera and Olive Oil soap. The benefits of coconut for the skin are many.  As discussed in several other product blogs I have written, coconut is a moisturizer, antibiotic, multivitamin, and has anti-aging, anti-wrinkle and an anti-oxidant properties. Coconut Milk provides deep and real moisture. It helps strengthen underlying tissues and helps remove excessive dead cells on the skin's surface.  

DIY Happy Hens Herbal Mix!

Oh my goodness, it smells so good!  I love mixing up these herbs and giving it to my girls every day.

I have found that the hens love this nesting box mixture of herbs I have concocted with the help of Treats For Chickens.  I purchased their Nesting Box Blend, and loved it so much that I determined to figure out how to make something like it.  It smells so good, and helps to keep away mites, lice, and other pests, like spiders and mice who don't like the scent of mint.  I just sprinkle a pinch or so into their nesting boxes daily. You can also sprinkle it around the perimeter of the coop if you need a little extra protection against those pests.  It's a great little extra I enjoy doing for them just to say thanks when I collect their eggs each day.  Who wouldn't want to snuggle down into a cozy bed of fresh hay that smells of lavender, mint, eucalyptus, etc.?

7 oz. Jar of Herbal Mix

I love chickens!  My hens are special to me.  They provide my family with eggs, plus some extra to sell to help offset the cost of their feed.  Poultry is a fairly easy backyard hobby that can be very rewarding.

Have you heard about "Switchel"?

It was a big hit with the guys!

I recently discovered this refreshing drink called Switchel.  Just the name itself peaked my curiosity and I had to check it out.  It is taken from The Old Farmers' Almanac, their website has two recipes that vary just a bit.   "Switchel is a refreshing drink from the colonial era and early American farming days.  Switchel was how hardworking farmers quenched their thirst out in the hot, sunbaked fields. That's enough of an endorsement for me!  This drink is also called Haymaker's Punch (because it was drunk while haying fields)..."

I made it today and served it to my two farmers, and it was a huge hit!  I made the second of the two recipes.  I think I would like to add a bit more water, sparkling water, or tonic water next time, and maybe a little less sugar.  I think it's much healthier than some other options such as iced tea, lemonade, or soda, and it is more thirst quenching than just plain water.  In addition, a little vinegar is very good for you!

Here's the recipe I used:

1 gal. water
2 cups raw or dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ginger (fresh)

Switchel, a delicious and refreshing old time beverage!

I used light brown sugar and powdered ginger because that's what I had on hand.  I think I would like to use raw sugar and fresh ginger next time.  But if, like me, that's what you have on hand, make it anyway, it's worth it, it's delicious!


Carpe Diem! Lil and Bill