I am so FruSTraTeD!!!!

I have a new favorite drink, KOMBUCHA!  Due to the high costs of buying it from the store, I am learning to make it on my own.  It basically is a fermented sweetened tea.  I will post later on making it.


But let's get to the frustrated part.  Tea.  I needed to buy just plain old green or black tea.  When you think of tea, what do you think is in it?  Tea leaves?  Right? No, wrong!!!!!  I went grocery store (actually three, that's how many I go to, to find what we need due to allergies~ but I digress) and almost all teas, even organic had MSG or soy or something added.  *** note: natural flavors almost always means MSG on a food label.

Why, oh, why???

I am frustrated, irate, and confused as to why tea needs these ingredients?  Even organic?  We avoid soy (it is almost all GMO and is not good for boys~I could write a post on this, but believe me, its not good stuff)  We avoid MSG~nasty stuff!!!!  Ugg!

Anyone know of a good organic tea with out additives?

SIGH, sigh, sigh.

Essential oil tips

A good friend and I were chatting at church while doing childcare.  Her little ones had been playing outside all day since spring had finally arrived; I noticed they were a little pink cheeked.  She asked me what I do for sunburn since she knows I prefer to use natural remedies and essential oils.  I told her my favorite thing for burns of all types is lavender.  I use Young Living brand essential oils. 

I love lavender for burns.  Once, while cooking, I was heating oil to brown chicken and I sloshed it over one of my hands.  Thank goodness it was winter!  I grabbed a baggie full of snow and plopped that on my hand.  In between changing bags of snow (it works great because it forms to your burnt body part's shape, unlike ice) I applied lavender.  It should have blistered and left a scar, but it never blistered and never scarred.  Love lavender (did I say that already?)

Some of my other favorites are:

Lavender: burns, bruises, put on feet to help respiratory (colds etc)
Lemon: bug bites (takes the itch out of mosquito bites), put on feet to help respiratory system
Thieves: helps to fight off illness, I dilute it in a carrier oil and rub it on my lympnods
Oregano: digestive, detoxification
Peppermint: eases headaches, tight muscles, increases concentration, careful it can burn skin if put on undiluted
Ginger: upset stomach
Melaluca (aka tea tree oil): antiseptic, use in place of neosporin
Food grade hydrogen peroxide: it is recommended to dilute it for various needs.  Diluted I use it as a face cleanser, wound cleasning.  Undiluted, it will burn your skin.  Add 1 cup to a bath.  I will post more on this later.

What are your favorite oils?  How do you use them?

Fun Odds and Ends

We had to add a new light for over the kitchen table.

We also added wider molding.


I cut a piece of trim to go over the sink.

We are gettting closer and closer to being done.  I can't wait!

What time is it? TILE TIME

My DH has been working so hard, I decided to attempt installing the tile on my own.  I had to master a tile V-notched trowel, a float, tile adhesive, and a wetsaw.

Here are some photos.  I feel pretty good about how it turned out for my first time tiling.  Oh, and by the way, my DH was super surprised.  But later, he did help me grout.

Here we are grouting

The sweet smell of Vinegar

Vinegar.  I am in love with vinegar.  There, I said it. 

It is my staple, that I could NOT do with out.

So as not to be wordy (which I can TOTALLY be)  here are my uses for vinegar:

Cleaning spray (fill a spray bottle with half water, half vinegar, you can add essential oils for a scent)
Dishwasher rinsing agent (just add where you would put your jet dry etc.)
Fabric Softener (I add a bit in my beach dispenser and fabric softener dispenser)
Mildew smell in clothing (soak in hot water with a couple cups of vinegar, rinse and wash)
Toliet cleaner
Air freshener (see cleaning spray)
Disinfectent (spray cleaning spray, let sit)
Soap scum (spray shower down with cleaning spray after every shower)
Sinks (before bed fill with hot water, add 2-3 cups of vinegar, let sit overnight, rinse and wipe out in the morning)
Stainless Steel pans or coffee pots (bring water to a boil, add vinegar, let sit over night)
Carpet cleaner (use in place of commerical cleaner when using  a carpet cleaner)

Learning as I go....

Ok, so this is all new.  I am trying to add to my Blog List/roll call and can only add a couple sites.  Any suggestions as to why?

Terriffic Taco Seasoning

Two of my sweet boys have mulitiple food allergies and because of this most of our cooking is from scratch.  I read somewhere a recipe for a taco seasoning.  I have tweaked it for our family's taste and I make a HUGE batch because we have tacos or nachos once a week, it seems like. 

As an added note, I only use Trader Joe's spices and McCormick Spices that are additive free.  Most are gluten free.  Always double check before using.  I also prefer seasalt over table salt.  Flavor is better and you get wonderful minerals from the salts.  For a jar, I simply reused a glass dressing jar.

Add to a clean glass jar:

 4 TBSP onion powder
2 TBSP Chili powder
1 TBSP crushed red peppers
1/2 TBSP dried oregano
2 TBSP sea salt
1 TBSP tapioca starch
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP ground cumin



All the ingredients assembled.





                



All shaken up!!!!