Diy Apple Cider Vinegar

There are a host of health benefits from using apple cider vinegar. It can get expensive in some stores and  recently a close friend said she was making her own. Not to be undone, I wanted to give it a whirl.

5 large organic apples (cores and stems also)
filtered water
1/2 cup honey
2 half gallon mason jars

• Wash the apples and coursely chop them up no smaller than 1inch.
• Fill apple chunks halfway in 2 half gallon mason jars or 1 gallon jar .
• Pour filtered water until almost filled leaving a 2 inches at the top
• Stir in honey until dissolved.
• Cover with paper towel, cheesecloth, linen, dishtowel and hold it in place with a rubber band.
• leave in a warm, dark place. Gently mix by rotating a couple times.
• Once bubbles start to ferment into alcohol, stop mixing.
• When apples sink to bottom it usually a sign that hard cider has been formed.
• Leave on counter for another 4 week.
• Taste after 4 weeks. If it is strong enough, remove apples and put in fridge. If not ready continue to leave out. Keep out of direct sunlight. When ready it will keep indefinitely.

I have just started this, so I cannot tell you much else until the acv is completed.

water kefir

I have lots of experience making dairy kefir from grains. I love the taste of kefir, but it does take a little getting use to it. I like to blend it with frozen bananas. Yum.

I wanted to try water kefir. I have tried making kombucha and really found it too sour for my liking. As a result I have giant scobies in their scoby hotel. 

Kefir water

1/4 cup kefir grains

1/4 cup sugar (white, brown, rapadura )

4 cup glass measuring cup

3-4 cups spring water. (if your water has flouride in it you will have to boil the water to get it out)

quart size mason jar

 Kefir grains are finicky. Do not use metal spoons, bowls or metal strainer with  kefir grains. Gently rinse kefir grains with spring water. {If you are using tap water, make sure your water is not chlorinated. If so, you will have to boil the water and let it cool completely before using.}I can use my tap water because it comes from a well.

Place1/4 cup grains in mason jar. Boil 1/4 cup water for dissolving sugar. Transfer the water to a measuring cup and add sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Add 3 cups cool water to sugar mixture and then pour over grains in mason jar. Place plastic lid or coffee filter with rubber band around it over mason jar and let on counter or dark warm place away from sunlight.

After 48 hours taste to see if it is at desired sourness. Sometimes my water is done after 24 hours...It just depends how hot your house is and  what season it is.

Two  bowls ( non metal)
One plastic strainer to fit on top of bowl
plastic spoon

Get your bowl and strainer that fits over bowl to catch the grains..the bowl will catch the water kefir.
Slowly pour from the jar the water and grains. Place grains to the side over another bowl whilte working on the 2nd ferment of the kefir water.


2nd Ferment

Transfer the kefir water to a clean mason jar. At this point you can add whatever flavoring and fruit that you want. I have tried different things and I like adding pineapple chunks to mine. So I cut the pineapple into small chunks and add it to the water. I put a lid on it again. In the picture I tried strawberries. I will let you know how that tastes. I have a pickle it lid on mine that I ordered from Amazon for fermenting uses.




 Let it sit for 24 more hours. Taste and if you like it...transfer it to the fridge until ready to drink.

sprouting

         

Broccoli sprouts

   I have wanted to try sprouting again. I use to do alfalpha sprouts on and off. I have heard a lot lately about broccoli sprouts. I tried doing them once a long time ago and didn't like the taste. I heard somebody on the radio just recently explaining that broccoli sprouts taste like radishes, so I decided to try again with a new batch of seeds.
            I placed a 1/4 cup of seeds in a clean quart sized mason jar. I covered the seeds with clean filtered water and let them sit overnight.
              Next morning I drained the water out of the mason jar leaving the seeds in the  jar. I placed a mesh top over the mason jar and screwed on a mason ring. I flipped it upside down and sat it an angle so it could drain for 12 hours away from sunlight. At night before bed, I rinsed, drained and flipped again and let it sit undisturbed until morning. I repeated the same process for the next 6 days. By the third day little sprouts began showing up. By the 6th day...they were longer and ready to harvest.
             I got a large bowl of water ready and put the sprouts in the water. I swirled them around until the seeds collected on the sides of the bowl. I then used a spoon to gather the seeds to throw away. I drained the water again and transferred the seeds to a clean mason jar. I let them dry in sunlight which helped them turn green. I then put a regular lid on the mason jar and placed them in the fridge, They are quite tasty and tangy in salads.

Lentil sprouts

          I also tried sprouting  lentils because my cholesterol is very high and I read that lentils can help bring your numbers down. I used a cup of lentils to begin with and it produced way too much sprouts for me. I used a half gallon mason jar and the whole jar was crammed with sprouts by the time i finished sprouting. Next time I will only use a 1/4 cup lentils. You sprout the lentils just like the broccoli sprouts. Once they are finished sprouting they are delicious on salads. They produce a little tail...not as long as alfalpha sprouts. They are crunchy...eating the lentils and the little sprouts.
   Because we had an abundance of the sprouts I tried making lentil burgers with them. I dehydrated them with some other ingredients. I personally did not like the way they taste so I will try other recipes until i find one I like.

Skin products for very sensitive skin

           My skin is very sensitive to chemicals in makeup, body lotions, and face washes. Since I was 16 I wore makeup base every day until I turned 50 and then I stopped because my skin would itch, my eyes would swell a little, my nose would clog up and sometimes it led to a sinus infection. I also couldn't wear moisturizers all those years without breaking out. Finding a body lotion was a challenge also. I love pretty smells, but some of those smells would set my nose to running non stop.

       For the last 5  years I have been using strictly coconut oil on  my face and skin when needed. I live in
Florida, so the only time my face gets dry is in the winter. Now that I am closing in on 60, my skin is not looking so good. Yikes, where did all those wrinkles come from.
I have put together some things that work for me and our hard water.

Foaming face wash

Bar soap leaves my skin feeling dry and itchy. I don't care who its by or how much moisturizer there is in it my skin is still itchy. I searched Pinterest and came across this one that I wanted to try.

• 1/4 cup Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap 
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp almond oil 
• 2 tsp aloe vera gel
• 2 tsp glycerin
• 10 drops cucumber oil (Remnant Remedy)
• 10 drops lemon oil
• 10 drops geranium oil
• 1 empty foaming pump bottle

1. Mix all ingredients except the dr. Bonners soap. Somehow I missed that remarka nd ended up with a whole bunch of bubbles. I had to wait until the foam went down before I could continue

2. Add Dr. Bonners soap. Mix on low until everything is mixed well.

3. Slowly pour the mix into the bottle and place the lid on.

4. When ready to use, pump a few times to get it going and out comes this beautiful foaming face wash.

.

Vitamin C face serum

• 1 t vitamin c powder
• 1 t rose water
• 1 t vegetable glycerin
• 1/8 t vitamin E

1. Mix all ingredients until vitamin c dissolves completely
2. Pour into a dark glass bottle. I used one with a dropper.
3. Use a couple drops on face after washing your face. 

Golden milk and carpal tunnel

Recently i  have been having problems with my thumb, wrist and arm. I have done a lot of internet study on carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, remedies and exercises. I have also done quite a bit of research on the herb tumeric that is used for inflamation. I came across the recipe and decided to give it a try. I was quite suprized at how well it tasted. I am not a big fan of tumeric, but in this drink I feel like I am drinking a blonde hot chocolate...kinda ....I have been drinking it once every day for 3 days straight. I look forward to drinking it, but can't really say it is working yet. 

In order to make this tea you first make the tumeric paste which after it is cooled it will be stored in the fridge until ready to  make tea. 

Tumeric paste

1. Take 1/4 cup turmeric powder, mix with 1/2 cup pure water and simmer over medium-high heat for at least 7 minutes, stirring constantly. You will notice a thick paste form.
2.  If it get's too dry while cooking you can add additional water. 
3. Once cooled, put into a glass jar and put in fridge. This is good for up to one month. 

Golden Milk:

Add 1 tsp. to 1 cup. hot milk (cow, goat, soy, rice, almond, or any combination), 

maple syrup or honey to taste and 1/2 tsp. of almond or sesame oil. 

Gently heat and stir. 

My family loves this just before going to bed.

here is the link for the recipe and the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYCQb2YNGt4&list=PLX2rwNJnvyQHFQ4_p7ECs0fz3XxLj9rY2&index=9

  I found this recipe I liked better to use with the tumeric paste.

• 8 ounces (1 cup) almond or coconut milk ( i used almond milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2-inch wide round slice of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon honey or other sweetener
• Optional additions: a small pat of butter, cinnamon, cardamom

1. Gently warm the almond or coconut milk on the stove.
2. In a mug, combine the remaining ingredients.
3. Drizzle a teaspoon of the warmed milk into the mug and mix until the liquid is smooth with no lumps. Add the rest of the milk and mix well. You can leave the pieces of ginger in the tea, or strain it out before drinking.

:http://www.mintconditiondaily.com/2013/10/24/creamy-tumeric-tea/#sthash.X9UkLdtG.dpuf

Oil pulling and sage mouthwash

                      I have a great dislike to going to the dentist. My teeth are super sensitive and I can't even stand them blowing water on my teeth. The last time I went for a cleaning, I was so jumpy in the chair the hygienist got very agitated with me. Needless to say I was not encouraged to go again. My  husband switched dentists and I tried his dentist. I told them of my problems and they said they would numb my mouth so that I could tolerate what they would do. They numbed my entire mouth with 8 shots on each side of my mouth. It was a weird sensation...hard to swallow...They cleaned my teeth which seemed to take forever. I was encouraged to schedule every 3 months for a cleaning and asked to use a Sensodyne toothpaste. When the next appointment came up, they cancelled on me and I never went back.
                     So I have been interested in what I can do to help my teeth and gums out. When researching magnesium oil, I came across several articles about oil pulling.I had tried it once before but didn't stick with it.
               So, I have been oil pulling now for about 2 weeks now. It's not hard to do, just a little time consuming. I do this when I first wake up for 20 minutes. I make sure I have some 1 -2 tsp coconut oil in a small dish and a spit cup. Sometimes I oil pull while I am doing stretches.
                    To oil pull, put the oil in your mouth, don't swallow at anytime...swish, pull, suck the coconut oil. I usually have a lot of phlegm in the morning and as I do this I will have to spit out the phlegm and coconut oil because my mouth gets too overloaded with all of it including the build up of saliva. So when this happens, I spit it out in my  spit cup and just put more coconut oil in and repeat all over again. The oil will turn white as it starts pulling toxins out of your gums.
                          At the end of 20 minutes spit the stuff out in the trash or outdoors. Rinse your mouth with warm water and then brush your teeth thoroughly. I rinse my mouth out with a sage and salt mouthwash that I make myself. I don't  like using commercial mouthwashes because of the extra toxic ingredients that are added into it.

Sage mouthwash

1/2 cup fresh sage
4 cups water
2 T salt
Boil 4 cups of water. Steep the sage for 15 -30 minutes in the water. Add salt. Let cool and then place in bottle and seal. Keep in fridge until needed. When ready to use, pour a T of the mouthwash and swish in mouth for a minute. Spit out. 

Magnesium deoderant

             Lets get real girls.I have had a problem in the past with using deodorants...I don't like using them, even though I need to. They make me feel like I can't breathe and I just don't feel right. So, 10 years ago I stopped using commercial deodorants. I also at that same time stopped wearing polyester and changed to 100 % cotton. In the last 4 years I have changed once again to 100% linen especially in the hot months here in Florida. 

                In the last year I ran across a deodorant that you could make yourself and would use that occasionaly when I wanted to smell not so stinky. But it caused irritation... i didn't know why, it just did. I later found out it was the baking soda in the recipe. Last week I ran across an article about a magnesium spray that you could make at home. I was curious. 

I have been taking magnesium citrate, the "Calm" brand, for help with irregularity and constipation nightly. It has helped tremendously. I know that you can use Calm also for muscle cramps and for stress to calm you down. 

          My interest in magnesium was heightened when I read that you can also absorb  magnesium through the skin,in either an oil or lotion form. I came across this article by Wellness Mama and was quite impressed. I made the magnesium oil first. It was so easy to make. I bought the magnesium chloride flakes at the health food store. Magnesium chloride is not the same as epsom salts. After making the magnesium oil and deodorant, I tried it out. It worked...the stinkies were gone for awhile...didn't last all day...but I can carry a smaller spray bottle and keep it with me to refreshen during the day. I like the idea that there is no bad chemicals in here and that the magnesium is actually good for your body. 

Magnesium oil

• ½ cup Magnesium Chloride Flakes
• ½ cup distilled water
• A glass bowl or measuring cup
• A glass ior plastic spray bottle

Instructions

1. Boil the distilled water. It is important to use distilled to extend the shelf life of the mixture. Put the Magnesium Chloride Flakes in the glass bowl or measuring cup and the pour the boiling water over it.
2. Stir well until completely dissolved. Let cool completely and store in the spray bottle. Can be stored at room temperature for at least six months. I keep in my bathroom to use daily.

After making this I was ready to make the deoderant. Here is the link for the oil.

http://wellnessmama.com/5804/make-your-own-magnesium-oil/

Magnesium Deoderant

• 4 ounces magnesium oil
• 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil or a mixture
• A 4 ounce or larger glass spray bottle 

1. Make the magnesium oil if using homemade magnesium oil.
2. Pour in to glass spray bottle and add any essential oils if using.
3. To use: spray a small amount on underarms and rub in gently. Let dry for about 5 seconds.

And here is the link for the recipe.

http://wellnessmama.com/22357/spray-deodorant-recipe/