Budget Saver Tip #35: Baking Soda Challenge

Remember back in October I posted about using baking soda instead of shampoo? And then a couple weeks later I wrote about using baking soda as a facial cleanser and exfoliant? Well, once a week or more, I still like to wash my hair with baking soda because, for one thing, it doesn't dry and irritate my scalp--giving me a break from shampoo, which does. And nearly every night I still use baking soda for my face. Its surprisingly gentle and very effective.

What I had never tried until recently was using baking soda as a body wash or to replace soap. Sure, baking soda doesn't make anyone smell pretty, but to me that's the beauty of it. Instead of masking body odors with artificial scents, how about neutralizing the odors altogether? After one or two uses in this way, I was sold. I still use soap for some things (like regular hand washing), but baking soda definitely has a permanent place in my shower.

Do you dare take the baking soda challenge?

Baking soda is so cheap in comparison to beauty products--and what you see is what you get: no unpronounceable names on the label of who-knows-what chemicals. If a catastrophe happened and soap, shampoo, body wash, etc. were not able to be produced any longer, my family would totally be fine. :)

My Favorite New Product of 2013

I've wanted an essential oils diffuser for years but never felt like I could fork out the money. I wanted a good one and the only good ones I knew of were delicate and expensive and I just didn't feel good about either.

So last week when a friend told me about an amazing deal going on for the SpaVapor mist diffuser, I got really excited. I looked up the info on this product and thought it might actually be what I'd been looking for, since it's durable and easy to clean. Plus, I liked the idea of dispersing the oils with water, thereby adding moisture to the dry air in our house (especially during the winter) and not having to use half a bottle of oils in one use (like some expensive diffusers). I've long used a humidifier for this purpose, but as it wasn't made for oils usage, after a while the poor machine started to get corroded.

The mist diffuser is listed here for $49.99, but I got it for $20 (plus shipping)--so I ordered two and my total came to $50. You can't beat that! I think this deal goes until May of 2013, but I'm not entirely certain. You can order it here and use the code SpaVapor to see if the discount is still going on. Another option, I noticed, is Amazon.com, where it's listed for around $32 (plus shipping).

I love how well this product works, how durable it really is (and it's BPA free!), how super easy it is to clean, and how wonderful it is to finally have oils dispersing through my home, helping us stay healthy (or get better, depending on the situation). I even love the 6 changing LED lights that are pretty and soothing. (They can be turned off, if you prefer). My kids love the lights too and my girls even insist we put one of the diffusers in their room at night. Once it's filled up, it runs for a few hours before it turns off automatically.

A big thank you to Greenair for creating such a great product!

Lasagna (with whole wheat noodles and spinach)

This has been a classic in my own family for several years now, but it's not a family recipe--although, to my kids it will be. :) Everyone who has eaten it has agreed: It's GOOD! This recipe actually came from my Better Homes & Gardens cook book, p. 390. I generally do it the "quick" way by not making my own sauce (there are still a couple things I don't always make from scratch) and not boiling the lasagna noodles. Modifications as listed below.

Lasagna

12 oz. sausage or ground beef
26 oz. (or so) jar of pasta sauce (Ragu is my favorite)
6 dried lasagna noodles (I always use whole wheat)
1 beaten egg
15 oz. container ricotta cheese or 2 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best, of course)
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
16 oz. chopped frozen spinach or bunch of chopped fresh spinach*

Cook sausage in large saucepan.

While sausage is cooking, pour hot tap water into cookie sheet with lip. Place lasagna noodles in pan, single layer, so they are submerged in water. (Soaking noodles during preparations replaces boiling them and they're much easier to handle this way.)

When sausage is cooked, turn off heat and add jar of pasta sauce. Mix.

For filling, combine egg, cottage cheese (ricotta), and Parmesan.

In 9 x 13 (2 quart rectangular) pan, spoon about 1/2 c. red sauce and spread. Layer half of noodles over this, trimming or overlapping as necessary to fit.

Spread with half of white filling. Layer of half the spinach.

Top with half of remaining red sauce and half of mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers: Remaining layer of noodles, spread last half of white filling, layer of rest of spinach, top with remaining red sauce and rest of mozzarella cheese.

Place baking dish on baking sheet (I often forget this step and still don't have spills). Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. I like to cover it with foil for the first 20 minutes or so, to make sure it doesn't get over browned, then uncover it for the remaining time. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above. When all layers complete, cover unbaked lasagna and chill for up to 24 hours. To serve, bake covered, at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through.

*Besides the obvious nutritional benefit of the addition of spinach (the only sure way most of my kids will eat spinach), the additional moisture cooked out of it provides the moisture needed to cook the noodles soft. If you don't use spinach, be sure to add a little extra water or tomato juice, etc.

Improving Your Emotional Health in 2013

So many of us--particularly women--do a lot of negative self-talk on a daily basis. Most of us probably aren't tuned in with this or realize how often we cut ourselves down, but we do it a lot. What if there were a way you could undo this and learn to be kinder to yourself and spread that positivity to others?

In modern Western society as a whole, we not only neglect our physical health, but also our emotional health, which gets even less attention--and I'm not talking antidepressants. Yet, how can we be truly whole or feel completely healthy if we are not emotionally sound?

For the last couple years I have heard of  "Tapping" from a few different people but didn't really know what it was. So I recently looked into it and realized I've already done it while being treated with NAET and the Emotion Code. But I didn't know I could do it on my own and that I don't have to go to an alternative medicine practitioner to experience the benefits--much like the Emotion Code. So I decided to try it to improve how I feel about myself in a specific area (and who can't use a little of that?). So far, so good!

"Tapping," or the Emotional Freedom Technique reminds me of the Emotion Code in its use of positive thoughts and energy, its focus on letting go of negative emotions, the way it works in concert with prayer (if you are religious), and how it teaches you to accept and love yourself while you do all of the above. One thing that makes Tapping different from the Emotion Code is how it uses the psychological acupressure points "based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles" (Source). This helps you retrain your emotions to think and feel positively about yourself, instead of reverting to all that negative self-talk. Doing this improves your emotional health but can also:

• Reduce Food Cravings
• Reduce or Eliminate Pain
• Implement Positive Goals (like weight loss or diet/lifestyle improvements)

There are other websites that detail the Emotional Freedom Technique, but the Mercola website (linked above) is the one I have been learning from the most. If you are tired of thinking and feeling negatively about yourself, I invite you to learn about this technique and try it for yourself!

I also recommend reading this article, Drops of Awesome, by a regular mom who came to what I think was an epiphany about how to recognize the daily good she does, one little drop at a time. This way of making our self-talk positive is something I've been trying to work on ever since I read the article. 

I hope you will join me as we work together to improve our emotional health this year!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you're a pumpkin fan, then pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are a must during the fall/winter! There are so many pumpkin cookie recipes out there, many of them quite delicious, but the one I tried before Christmas  (found here) couldn't have been any better. Plus, the cookies freeze perfectly (which was what I wanted) and are delightfully cakey. Yum!

As usual, I modified the original recipe to not use refined sugar and to use whole wheat flour. Please see it for tips on using shortening instead of butter.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: Makes 50 small cookies

1/2 c. raw sugar

1/2 c. honey
1 c. butter (see note in Advice section of original recipe)
1 egg
1 c. pumpkin puree (preferably made from your homegrown pumpkins!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients. Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper (for easy cleanup).

Bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Another Hot Cocoa Mix

Last year at this time I posted a recipe for a hot chocolate mix using raw sugar. We thought it was great! But this year, I've improved on that by finding a recipe (here) to mix into milk instead of water. I'm not a real fan of dried milk and have been so blessed the past few months to have fresh, raw milk, so I wanted to make hot chocolate with it instead of the fake stuff. The only modifications I made were substituting raw sugar for refined and using Real Salt instead of refined salt. 

I don't believe I've ever had a better cup of hot cocoa in my life! And that with only three ingredients, plus the milk...

Hot Cocoa Mix
Yield: 5 3/4 cups of dry mix or 92 eight-ounce servings

3 1/2 c. raw sugar
2 1/4 c. powdered baking cocoa (no sugar)
1 Tb. salt (preferably Redmond Real Salt)
Whole milk for serving

In a large bowl, combine raw sugar, cocoa, and salt, and whisk to combine well. Store the mixture in an airtight container.

For individual servings, pour 1 c. milk into a microwave-safe mug and microwave on high, just until hot. Add 2 Tb. cocoa mix, and stir to dissolve. 

The website notes that the mix "will keep all winter if stored in an airtight container."

The Demonization of Salt

Everybody "knows" that salt is bad for you. But I learned almost a year ago that, like so many other nutritional "facts," this one is inaccurate too--and I wrote about it here.

In this video, Dr. Mercola calls it "the demonization of salt" and explains why our body actually needs salt, the details of why not all salt is created equal, and the kind of salt he uses (which I have yet to try, but at least we regularly use the next best kind). Enjoy:

Our Lovable Mutts

Back at the end of November, I mentioned our "mutt chickens" and that we increased our backyard chicken flock from 3 to 5. This came as a result of being offered two free pullets from a good home, right after I had come to the realization that because our original three chickens are the same age, they will most likely molt at the same time this summer. And I don't want to be without any eggs during that time (since chickens don't lay while they're molting). Thus, enter "Goldilocks" and "Cinderella." (Can you tell I've got young daughters?--but I thought that was better than "Ugly Stepsisters.")

Goldilocks

Before the pullets arrived, I knew not to expect much in the way of beauty and hoped I wouldn't regret adopting them. But now that they're finally growing out of the "dinosaur chicken" stage, they're coming into their own and actually are pretty in their own way.

Even if that weren't the case, though, I have been impressed by these two "mutts." They're much friendlier and more interested in people than our 3 purebreds and are really sweet. They also seem to be smarter. The first day we had them, I was crouched down in the chicken run taking care of something and Goldilocks jumped up on my knee, obviously wanting to be petted. Needless to say, I was quite startled but delighted. Both she and Cinderella still love to be petted, which is not something the other 3 particularly care for (even though they're gently and regularly handled). Whenever I'm near, they warble at me and cock their heads, like they're trying to communicate with me. The other chickens mostly try to ignore me.

Cinderella

As far as introducing new chickens to the existing flock, that was pretty difficult for a long time. I started the two new pullets in the chicken run in their own cage, so they'd be protected from the others and they could all get used to each other's smells, etc. A few hours later, when it seemed that everyone had calmed down and were doing okay, I let Goldilocks and Cinderella out. From then on there was regular bullying and bloodletting. It was heartbreaking to watch and a couple times I had to shew the three older chickens into the coop and close the chicken door, to separate the two groups and give the new ones a chance to recover and have some breathing room.

Red was my favorite chicken before we got the new ones, but as queen of the roost, she was the worst behaved toward Goldilocks and Cinderella. I was seriously appalled at her violence. The new chickens soon learned to just stay out of the others' way and they did a lot of running. I was worried they wouldn't get enough to eat because they only felt safe perched up high, while the food is down on the floor of the coop. Over time--and I'm talking at least four weeks--they all adjusted. It's only been in the last couple weeks that the new chickens have been allowed to scratch in the run with their peers, rather than stay perched up high on the door. I am greatly relieved, to say the least.

With the addition of light in the coop for a couple extra hours in the evenings (as I mentioned here), we were back to getting 2-3 eggs a day, even on the coldest days--until recently. Now that Goldilocks and Cinderella have started laying, too, we're getting up to 4 eggs a day!

Goldilocks ruffled her feathers during this photo shoot, as if to show off for the camera.                                                        

Goals and Resolutions

It's that time of year again when many people set goals and resolutions for the new year. If you're looking for better ideas of how to do that in 2013--and how to effectively keep and reach your goals--check out my list from 2011 of ideas for improving your health, a Stop Doing List from 2012, and my article Goal-Reaching. This would also be a great time to start a Money Makeover or try SlimKicker, both of which help motivate healthy habits (financial and physical).