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Cottonwood Bud Salve: Soothing and Healing

22 Apr
Cottonwood bud salve is easy to make and has many medicinal qualities.

Cottonwood bud salve is easy to make and has many medicinal qualities.

I’m a big believer in people making their own salves and healing oils, not only for controlling what ingredients touch your skin (especially open wounds), but also to save money. Cottonwood bud salve has been a well-known European and Native American ointment for ages, and is easily made if you have access to dormant buds from a poplar tree.

The salve can be made using the dormant buds from different species of poplar trees (Populus sp.). Cottonwood is the most well-known, but aspen and poplar can be used too. The active ingredients are salicin and populin, pain relievers and anti-inflammatories related to aspirin. (Poplars are healing for other purposes, but here I’ll focus on the salve.)

This salve is sometimes called balm of gilead, or oil of gilead, a valued salve from biblical times. However, the plant used to make oil of gilead was likely one among several options, all indigenous to the Middle East, including desert date (Balantes aegyptica), mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), or the most likely candidate, myrrh (Commiphora opobalsamum). In fact, many consider myrrh to be the only true source for Balm of Gilead (or Balsam of Gilead). Therefore, the balm made from poplar buds, even though it is definitely effective as a salve, is not true Balm of Gilead though the name is probably interchangeable at this point.

 

 

Cottonwood bark is very coarse and distinctive looking.

Cottonwood bark is very coarse and distinctive looking.

USING THE DECOCTION

You can use the oil or salve on your skin wherever you are feeling discomfort from aches, pains, inflammation or sore joints. Some massage therapists use the oil for clients who experience arthritis pains, or for athletes with very sore muscles. It can also be used to help heal burns or various skin irritations like chapped skin or scrapes. Just rub the salve on your skin as needed.

GATHERING THE BUDS

Collect the unopened leaf buds when they are dormant, in winter to early spring, between January and March. I like to wait until early spring right before the buds open; I find the amount of resin is higher in early spring than when the tree is in full dormancy.

The bark of cottonwood is dominated by large, grey blocks of bark on the tree trunk. The leaf buds are distinctive, large, and pointed, arranged alternately along the stem. The bud scales are a yellowish green with reddish or orange tinge at the edges. It is not uncommon to see beads of resin on the buds, especially in early spring (my preferred collection time).

The buds of poplar trees, like this cottonwood, are distinctive looking.

The buds of poplar trees, like this cottonwood, are distinctive looking.

I collect the buds after a windy day or a storm; bits of branches break off and fall to the ground, making collection a simple process. If you can find low-hanging branches, that works, as well, but fallen branches are easier and they don’t damage the tree since they have already been removed by natural forces.

MAKING THE DECOCTION

There are two ways to extract the active ingredient from the buds: simmer it or let it steep.

Let it steep:

To let it steep, remove the rinsed, dried buds from the stems and place them in a jar. Cover them with about twice as much olive oil as you have buds and put the lid on the jar. Let it steep in a cool, dark place. Some let the buds steep in the olive oil for a year or more before calling it good. Some leave it sit for a week. Because of this variability, I feel I am getting the most out of the buds using a low simmer (heat that is too high, however, will damage the active ingredients so watch it).

Let it simmer:

Remove your buds from the stem, rinse them to remove any dirt, and let them dry. Place them in a saucepan and cover them with about twice as much olive oil as you have buds (you can also use coconut oil). Turn the heat to as low as you possibly can, and let the buds simmer for two hours or more, then strain.

These cottonwood buds will be rinsed, dried, and simmered very gently with olive oil.

These cottonwood buds will be rinsed, dried, and simmered very gently with olive oil.

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The oil is good as-is after this process. You can just jar it up, store it in a cool, dark place, and rub it on your skin as needed. Or you can take it a step further and make a salve from it, which will make it a bit easier to apply. (Note: If you use coconut oil, it will solidify on it’s own in temperatures above 76F, but will melt in warm weather.)

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Grated or chopped beeswax can be melted gently with the cottonwood oil to create a salve.

Grated or chopped beeswax can be melted gently with the cottonwood oil to create a salve.

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To make a salve, add no more than 1 oz of beeswax (by weight) for every 5 oz of cottonwood oil. You can either grate it or chunk it up with a good knife. Add it to the saucepan along with the strained cottonwood oil, and melt the beeswax on low heat. Once it is all melted, pour it into a jar. As it cools it will solidify and be ready for use.

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Add the beeswax to the cottonwood oil and gently heat until the beeswax is melted.

Add the beeswax to the cottonwood oil and gently heat until the beeswax is melted.

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3 Comments

Posted by on April 22, 2013 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Saving Money

 

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5 Benefits of Cleaning Wood Floors with Tea

20 Jan

You can keep your wood floors clean and looking great using black tea.

Tea is more than just a tasty beverage–it can do wonders for cleaning wood floors! This goes for both hard wood and laminate flooring. Just buy the cheapest black tea you can find, brew it up, clean the floors, buff the floor with a dry cloth, and you’re done. Here are the 5 benefits of cleaning your wood floors with black tea:

IT’S EASY: Simply brew 3 tea bags with four cups or so of boiling water. Let it sit to cool a bit, then use a funnel to transfer it to a spray bottle. It’s ready to use. Spray it on your floor enough to see a sheen of wetness, but don’t overdo it; too much moisture takes too long to dry and can warp your wood through time. After you spray it, wipe or mop to remove dirt. I use wash cloths that I attach to a Swiffer sweeper. Or I get on my hands-and-knees and clean the floors old-school. Rinsing isn’t required.

Black tea is strong enough to clean the dirt, but not strong enough to damage your finish.

Black tea is strong enough to clean the dirt, but not strong enough to damage your finish.

IT’S CHEAP: A box of cheap black generic tea can be had for a few dollars, and only three tea bags are needed to fill an empty spray bottle with the black tea cleaner. How long that will last depends upon how much floor you have to clean, of course.

IT WORKS: This is the most important benefit–it actually cleans the floors. The slight acidity of black tea (about pH 5) is enough to lift the dirt off the floor and onto your cleaning rag. Water doesn’t quite cut it, soap can be too hard to remove from the floor, and vinegar is too harsh. Which leads me to…

IT WON’T STRIP THE FINISH LIKE VINEGAR: White distilled vinegar has a pH of between 2.4 and 3.4 (apple cider vinegar has a pH of 2.8 to 3.0). These acidic levels are too harsh for a floor’s finish and as a result shouldn’t be used to clean your wood floors. Tea, however, won’t strip the finish. It is strong enough to remove the dirt, but you won’t have to refinish your floor every few years.

IT MAINTAINS THE WOOD’S PATINA: The color of the tea is enough to deepen and enhance the natural color of your wood floor. This is also good for floors that get a lot of traffic or dog nails–the tea helps disguise the lighter wood color that results from buffs and scratches.

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2 Comments

Posted by on January 20, 2013 in Home and Living, Kitchen Tips, Saving Money

 

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Home-roasted Coffee: Morning Beverage or Nectar of the Gods?

16 Sep

Home roasted coffee is a good argument for scratch-n-sniff photography.

For 10 minutes worth of work, you can have the best damn coffee you’ve ever put in your mouth. No, I’m not exaggerating. Coffee I used to rave over at the local cafe where they roast their own now tastes like swill since I’ve learned to roast my own. The main reason is that coffee begins to lose its flavor after it’s roasted; only seven days after roasting the taste is seriously deteriorated.

There are different methods to roast coffee. You can buy a home roaster, but those cost about $90 and are a waste of money in my book…use that dough to buy a lot of coffee. You can roast the beans in a popcorn popper, either an air-pop style or a stove-top model. I own neither but once you learn the physics behind roasting you’ll be able to adapt roasting to the popcorn popper easily. Here I’ll show you how to roast coffee in a skillet and in the oven (watch a video of this here). 

Green coffee can be purchased from different sources. I get mine from Camping Survival. Their organic green Costa Rican Monte Crisol coffee beans (available here) are canned so I can buy in bulk and they keep on a shelf until needed. After I open a can, I keep the green beans in the freezer until I’m ready to roast a batch, which I do twice a week or so. How often and how much you roast depends upon your own personal needs, but don’t roast less often than once a week or you’ll defeat the purpose of home roasting. One guy I talked to roasts his coffee every evening, ready to grind the next morning when he wakes up. Roasting only takes about 10 minutes, so this is the ideal scenario.

SKILLET ROASTING

A heavy skillet, be it cast iron or heavy stainless steel, is necessary since high heat is needed to roast coffee. And take note: roasting coffee is smoky business, especially if you like darker roasts. The longer and darker the roast, the smokier the process is because you are caramelizing the beans and burning off more and more sugars. Make sure you have your kitchen vent set to high. A window fan doesn’t hurt, either.

To roast in a skillet, place the skillet on the stove (or a hot grill outside) and heat on medium until it is hot. Do NOT put any oil or anything else in the pan; coffee is roasted dry. Dump the green coffee into the skillet and start stirring using a whisk. You’ll need to stir constantly to keep the beans moving for an even roast.

Stir until your desired level of roast is reached, turn off the heat, and immediately dump your beans into a colander. Shake the colander to cool the beans and remove the papery chaff from the beans. That’s it…your done. You can either grind all of the beans immediately, or just what you need each morning. It’s up to you.

OVEN ROASTING

This is easier in many respects, but I prefer the taste of stove top roasted coffee myself. Try it both ways and see which one works for you. For this method, just heat your oven to 500F. Place your green coffee on a heavy duty cookie sheet with plenty of space between beans. You’ll still only want to roast smaller quantities at a time even though your cookie sheet can hold much more; the more coffee you roast, the smokier it is.

After your oven is fully heated, pop the beans into the oven and wait. You’ll have to experiment a little bit with your oven and determine how long it takes for the beans to reach your desired roast. In my oven it takes about 15 minutes to get a very dark roast, which is what I aim for.

Once your desired roast is reached, remove the beans from the oven, dump them into a colander, and shake to remove the chaff and cool the beans. Then you’re done! As with stove-top roasting, you can either grind it all at once or grind each morning. It’s up to you.

THE PHYSICS OF ROASTING

Coffee roasts best between about 375F to 540F and there are several stages coffee goes through while it is being roasted. You’ll quickly learn what these stages are and be able to customize your own roast based upon what you hear, see, and smell.

“First crack” is the auditory signal that a very light roast has been reached.

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The “first crack” occurs at about 3 to 4 minutes. Here the sugars will start to caramelize causing some smoke to appear, and steam starts to escape. First crack indicates a very light roast, which is rarely brewed into coffee but it’s your coffee, so you get to decide on your own whether you like it.

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Second crack indicates that a Full Medium Brown or City Roast has been reached.

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The “second crack” can be heard at about 6 minutes, and is louder than first crack. At this stage you’ll also see the beans jumping around a little bit as the steam escapes; sometimes a bean will explode like popcorn. At second crack the coffee is considered a Full Medium Brown or City Roast. Still not dark enough for me but  this is a common roast for people to drink.

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The roast darkens after this and develops a wonderful oily sheen; at what stage you want to stop roasting the coffee depends upon how dark a roast you want. But be careful, over-roasting coffee can burn it, and then it tastes like charcoal.

I stop roasting at about 13 minutes using the skillet method, when the coffee is a dark roast and shiny. This would be a French or Espresso Roast. Or maybe the Rural Spin Roast. If you like a darker roast, try going a minute or two longer as the beans darken and get even shinier to see if you like that taste; this Dark French or Spanish roast is not readily available in the United States, but is in parts of Europe and elsewhere.

At about 13 minutes, the Rural Spin Roast has been reached…aka a dark or French roast.

 
15 Comments

Posted by on September 16, 2012 in Home and Living, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Saving Money, Uncategorized

 

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Five Ingredients for an Effective Homemade Deodorant

10 Sep

Five simple ingredients make up this effective homemade deodorant.

First, let me say I do not like to stink. And while I’m not the stinkiest person on the planet, I can create quite the odoriferous presence if given the right activities and environmental conditions. But with two immediate family members surviving cancer, I decided to take a hard look at any chemicals I put in, or on, my body.

Deodorant typically contains parabens and formaldehyde, among other nasties. And antiperspirants also contain things like aluminum, which clogs your pores and prevents sweating. All of these chemicals have been shown to be dangerous: Aluminum can cause kidney problems, parabens can cause problems for our endocrine system, and formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.

Instead of rubbing these things into the lymph nodes in my arm pits, I wanted to make a safe deodorant that worked, even though I knew I’d be giving up any antiperspirant activity (however, I haven’t given up hope that I’ll find a natural ingredient that will work as an antiperspirant). This is what I came up with and I love it. I make a batch that lasts about a month for me. And for the guys out there, this does not smell girly at all; there is not enough coconut oil to impart a tropical scent, so no worries!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/8 cup aloe vera gel (99% pure)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil (you can use another type of oil, like apricot, if you wish)
  • 1/8 tsp tea tree oil (use lavender oil if you are pregnant or allergic to tea tree oil)

Place all ingredients except for the tea tree oil in a small saucepan and heat on low heat until combined, stirring constantly. You don’t want the ingredients to boil, you just want them to warm until everything is evenly incorporated and smooth. Turn the heat off, add a small bit of tea tree oil and stir thoroughly. I then pour mine warm into a small, 1/2 cup jelly jar and keep it in my bathroom. Apply with fingers and that’s it!

WHAT DOES WHAT

Baking Soda: is a natural deodorizer. It does feel a tad gritty, but incorporating it in with the other ingredients on the stove decreases this. It can also leave a white dust at times, but it just dusts off with your hand or a towel really easily, and washes off the inside of black shirts without fuss.

Aloe Vera Gel: this helps bind the baking soda and also soothes skin. Aloe has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties, and some studies have shown that it can sink into your skin up to 7 layers deep.

Vegetable Glycerin: helps make skin smooth and soft, and also helps to bind the ingredients together. It also acts as a preservative.

Coconut Oil: is also wonderful for the skin and helps heal skin, and prevents skin infections.

Tea Tree Oil: this is a go-to oil for all manner of skin problems. It is antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral. It does a great job of combating the bacteria responsible for body odor, but less is not necessarily more so don’t think you can just rub this on your pits. Used straight it can cause burns on the skin, and has even been used to do things like remove warts. But if you find you want more odor-fighting in your batch, you can increase the amount of tea tree oil you use for your own mix.

Essential Oils for Scent: Notice I don’t use any. I don’t want scented deodorant, but if you do you can definitely add your favorite scent, a few drops at a time, at the same time you are adding your tea tree oil.

 
22 Comments

Posted by on September 10, 2012 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Recipes, Saving Money

 

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Homemade Cottage Cheese, 1839 Style

29 Jul

In 1839, making cottage cheese was just a matter of leaving raw milk sit out until it formed curds, then strain overnight.

First, let me say that this won’t work unless you have raw milk available to you. The reason is that raw milk never really goes “bad,” it just sours. You can use it months after it’s left the cow (properly handled, of course). Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, has had its molecular structure altered, and because of that it doesn’t ever sour, it putrefies. This means if it goes bad, it’s not edible. I know, I know, this happenstance eliminates the possibility for many to make cottage cheese using this method, but it’s still interesting to see how people made food 175 years ago.

But if you do have access to raw milk, this makes a wonderful creamy cottage cheese that I love. It’s creamier than store-bought cottage cheese, and the “lumps” are very small. The flavor is a combination of cottage cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese. It doesn’t taste like store-bought cottage cheese because the store-bought stuff is cultured, which gives it a specific flavor. You can make cultured cottage cheese at home, too, if you purchase the culture from an outside source, but this recipe allows you to make your own like folks made it at home long ago. And, it’s easy as pie!

INGREDIENTS & HOW-TO

  • 1/2 gallon raw milk
  • salt (optional)
  • butter (optional)

Raw milk forms curds on its own after it sits in a warm location for several hours.

Take your milk out of the refrigerator and set it in a warm corner (room temperature or higher) until curds form, which will take between 12 and 24 hours, depending upon the temperature of your room. You’ll see the curd development easily as the curds will separate naturally from the whey, as seen at right.

Once the curds form, strain them overnight, making sure not to press them. This can be done in different ways. I took a colander and placed it inside a larger bowl, and then poured my curds into a jelly bag. I left the jelly bag sit in the colander in the refrigerator overnight (you don’t need to refrigerate it). If you don’t have a jelly bag, you can just line your colander with a kitchen towel. Or if you don’t want to save your whey, you can secure a jelly bag or towel (tied at the ends) to the kitchen sink spigot and just let it drip into the sink.

The next day, turn your cottage cheese into a clean bowl. At this point you can choose to add more cream if you want it super creamy (I don’t find this necessary), butter for additional richness, or salt or spices to taste. I like it plain, myself. I just dump the cheese into a bowl and call it good.

I eat my cottage cheese with fruit and nuts, and I use it in recipes for things like homemade ranch dressing, dips, or anywhere I’d use cream cheese, sour cream, or sometimes plain yogurt. It has a wonderful flavor, and is so easy to make that I use cottage cheese in many ways. It is really only limited by your imagination!

Note: The references for this came from  the 1839 publication, “The Kentucky Housewife,” by Mrs. Lettice Bryan. The original text reads: “Take a large bowl of milk* that is just beginning to turn sour, cover it and set it in the corner where it will keep lukewarm till if forms a curd. Then place a linen cloth over a sieve; put in your curd, fold over the corners of the cloth to keep out the dust, and let it drain till next morning, without pressing it in the least. Then turn it in an earthen dish, add as much rich, sweet cream as will make it a little soft; add a large spoonful of butter to each pint of the curd, mixing it in a very little salt, and work it with a spoon till th whole is very smoothly mixed. Then put it in a china bowl, and set it in a cool place till the tea-table is ready.”

 
16 Comments

Posted by on July 29, 2012 in Fun Experiments, Great for Kids, Homesteading, Recipes, Saving Money

 

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Rediscover Peasant Cooking: 3 Cheap, Healthy, and Tasty Unrecipes

06 May

Minestrone is a well-known peasant stew from history, and you can make your own variation of this pottage by following some simple guidelines.

Every culture has its own peasant food staple: a low-maintenance dish that turned cheap ingredients into a wonderfully flavorful meal that almost cooked on its own while the entire family worked in the fields. Today, cheaper cuts of meat and less expensive grains, beans, and vegetables are typically full of delicious flavor for a frugal and satisfying meal that can be cooked in a slow cooker while you’re at work, or made enmasse on a weekend and saved for later. It also provides those who are into food storage with a way to cycle through dried and canned foods that need to be replenished.

Here is a collection of what I call unrecipes inspired by traditional peasant foods through history that can be made by busy parents or the budget-challenged among us. An unrecipe is more of a cooking guide than a hard-and-fast list of ingredients that must be manipulated in a particular order. This allows you to make the most of local sales, family favorites, and whatever happens to be languishing in your refrigerator, cellar, or cabinet.

These dishes become easier when you add unrecipe food anchors to your kitchen. Food anchors are staples you can keep in your kitchen on a regular basis and use at-will for meal preparation, and which give these dishes desirable tastiness. Examples of food anchors are rice, barley, or other grains; beans such as lentils, pintos, garbanzos, and more; taste boosters like olives, garlic, and ginger; herb and spice mixes to reflect Mediterranean, Mexican, French, Cajun, or other flavors you enjoy; or liquids like lemon and limes, vinegars, wines, tomato sauce, or broths.

The trick to peasant cooking is looking at it more as a method than a list of ingredients. It’s true that peasant food historically was made up of cheaper foods (at the time) like ox tails, beef stomachs, pork shoulders, beans, potatoes, or rice. But it was also the layering of flavors with multiple, well-chosen ingredients and letting these cook for a long time to break down tough meats and starches, which was the core of satisfying peasant food dishes that were light on the family budget. And since peasant foods typically are low on fats and meats (which have generally been expensive and reserved for upper classes), these dishes are also very healthy for you and your family.

POTTAGE

This is where it all began. We have been making pottage since man had fire and a pot in which to cook food. Pottage was basically throwing whatever was around in a pot and letting it cook…sometimes for weeks on end…adding to it as a new ingredient came along. The main ingredients are vegetables and grains, with fish or meat thrown in whenever possible, though this was the exception rather than the rule. Here are the basics:

Choose three vegetables for your pottage. Look at what you have in your kitchen, root cellar, or garden, and consider what is starting to look a little on the high side of fresh; pottage is a great way to use what you would otherwise toss. Cabbage or other greens that are looking a little wilted, carrots that are starting to dry out a bit, or root vegetables that you aren’t sure what to do with are great options. The addition of onion or garlic helps to boost flavor, too. For all of your vegetables, remove any rotten/soft bits and wash and chop the rest. Throw everything into a pot or a slow cooker.

Select fresh or dried herbs and spices to add to your mix. Some great herb and spice combinations include oregano, basil, marjoram, and parsley for an Italian flare; parsley, thyme, tarragon and chives for a French taste; or garlic, cumin, oregano, cilantro, jalapeno, and coriander for Mexican.

Next, add a grain to the pot, such as barley (a personal favorite), brown rice, or even steel cut oats. Try to keep your grains to about 25 to 30 percent of your vegetables. At this point you can also add meat products like soup bones or ham hocks. Lastly, add stock or water to the pot, making sure everything is covered with about an inch or two of liquid.

If you’re using a slow cooker, set it to low and let it cook all day. When you get home, taste everything and add salt and pepper if needed. You may need to increase the heat (set it on the stove if you’re able) to boil off any excess liquid, depending upon if you feel like something that is more like a soup or a stew (the choice is yours). If you’re cooking the pottage on the stove, simmer until the vegetables and grains are cooked through, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.

Serve in bowls with grated cheese or a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream. Bread is a wonderful traditional and wonderful accompaniment to pottage.

Beans and simple ingredients turn into gourmet offerings in an oven, such as this simple peasant food, a French cassoulet.

DRIED BEAN MEAL

The name says it all: dried beans are the basis for this unrecipe. I make this a lot using all manner of bean and adjusting the anchor ingredients depending upon what mood I’m in. Dried beans are high in protein, low in fat, extremely nutritious, and very cheap; they should be a common staple in everyone’s kitchen.

From pinto beans to lentils to split peas, there is a version of a dried bean meal to fit any mood. And they can be either slow cooked in an oven, as is the case with New England baked beans or a French cassoulet, or cooked in the form of a soup such as chili or split pea soup.

For a serving of 6 you need about a pound of beans. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different beans here; lentils, garbanzo beans, black beans, and split peas are wonderful choices, along with your own personal favorites. Rinse your beans and throw them in a slow cooker or on the stove in a large pot (feel free to soak the beans in water overnight if you wish).

To your beans add a selection of vegetables you might have on hand, including things like sliced carrots, celery stalks, onion, and garlic. Keep in mind that you want to the focus to be on the bean, so keep your vegetable usage simple and no more than, say, one whole chopped onion and a few stalks of celery or carrot. You can also add a grain like rice (think the famous red beans and rice from Louisiana).

To your pot add herbs and spices, but keep these simple; beans have much flavor on their own. Options include a few whole cloves, a bay leaf, sprigs of rosemary, dried thyme or sage, and salt and pepper to taste. You can again add soup bones or ham hocks if you like.

Cover everything with water by an inch or two. If you’re using a slow cooker, just set the pot to low and let it cook all day. If you’re cooking this on the stove, let it simmer several hours until the beans are cooked through and soft–it is preferable to cook the beans long enough to allow them to begin to break down. In the case of lentils and split peas, they will disintegrate into a lovely smoothness.

Barley is the grain staple of choice in my house, but brown rice, quinoa, wheat berries, oats, and more can be yours.

GRAINS GALORE

I make this dish quite a bit, the main reason being that I love it and it is very simple. And cheap. I favor barley as the grain of choice in my kitchen, but brown rice (a hearty mix) is always appreciated, too. Try making larger batches of the grain one day a week, and have it on hand pre-cooked in the refrigerator to throw together a tasty, delicious, and cheap meal after a long work day. Here’s how it works:

Take your pre-cooked grain out of the refrigerator and place the amount you need in a bowl. How much you need depends upon the other ingredients you plan to add, how many people you are feeding, and how hungry you typically are. I tend to use about 1/2 cup cooked grain per person.

Using a fork, break up any clumps of grain; the starches in the grain can cause them to stick together in the chilly refrigerator.

To the bowl add chopped garlic and onion. You can also try things like ginger root, or even horseradish root, which is not as nose-singeing fresh as it is prepared.

Cook in an oiled frying pan set to medium heat. Add to this a chopped green such as spinach or kale, and fresh herbs and spices. A favorite herb of mine is rosemary, and just some salt and pepper. Cook until the green is tender; if you’re using kale place a lid on the pan to allow the kale to steam a bit until cooked.

To individualize the meal, add things like shredded cheese, chopped olives, bacon bits, leftover cooked chicken, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, or hot sauce. You can even do things like add beans and Cajun spices for a quick red beans and rice. This can be handy because the dish can be served in individual bowls, and each person can add what they like.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on May 6, 2012 in Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Saving Money

 

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Tips and Tricks to go Shampoo-free

22 Apr

My hair is thicker, shinnier, and healthier than it ever has been now that I've gone shampoo free!

I stopped using shampoo, conditioner, and any other test tube-made product on my hair a month ago. Now I only use baking soda and vinegar, and my hair is thicker, shinier, has stopped falling out, and stays cleaner longer than it ever has in my entire life. And this dramatic effect costs literally pennies compared to expensive store-bought products. Not only that, but going shampoo-free eliminates the need to buy gels, mouse, anti-frizz stuff or any of that. Think of the savings!

And for those who like to stockpile supplies for a rainy day or buy in bulk, it’s much less expensive to buy gallons of vinegar and pounds of baking soda than worry from where the next deal on shampoo is going to appear. It’s always nice when your bulk goods do double-duty, too. Vinegar and baking soda should be staples, for cleaning you, your home, and for cooking. Shampoo only does one thing (and sometimes it doesn’t even do that very well). And in a pinch, you can make your own vinegar.

Before you decide to give shampoo-free a whirl, check out this overview. Much of this information is all over the internet, but I experimented with everything I read, got feedback from a ton of people who have gone shampoo free (or who tried it), and compiled everything I learned here:

A NOTE ON WATER

The type of water you have will have an effect on how baking soda (or shampoo for that matter) works on cleaning your hair. Soft water causes hair to be naturally sleek and is essentially free of the calcium and magnesium hard water contains, which can get “stuck” to your hair. Soft water makes it easier for the baking soda to be rinsed out of your hair easily.

Hard water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium and causes hair to become rough and tangly by elevating the microscopic scales that are on each strand of hair. The minerals get caught in the scales and make it more difficult to rinse anything (including commercial shampoos) out of the hair. Companies add chemicals to shampoos to combat this problem, but they have a drying effect on the hair that necessitates the need to buy hair conditioners and other products.

When you go shampoo-free in a hard-water environment, the minerals do react with the baking soda, and can cause a build-up. Beyond installing a water softener (your laundry would thank you, too), there are a few things you can do to combat hard water such as using distilled water or filtered rain water (see below for more info).

THINGS TO KNOW

The only ingredients you need are baking soda and vinegar. Some people add an oil to the mix to counteract drying some people experience. You can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or any oil you want. One woman I spoke to has very oily hair and adds a few drops of liquid castille soap to her baking soda solution to give it a little boost. Many, if not most, men and women won’t need to do this.

There is about a three week adjustment period for your hair to go through its detox withdraw from shampoo: Shampoo strips your hair of just about everything and it takes awhile for your hair to readjust back to its natural, healthy state. How your hair will react to this transition period will vary from the next person. Some people experience a temporary “greasy period” lasting only a few days. This greasy period can occur anywhere in the three-week adjustment period. I had mine at about the half way mark, but it was barely noticeable to me. Others have more of a problem. But stick with it, your hair will quickly improve in a matter of days and continue to get better after that.

It works great on curly hair: A lot of the ammonium this and ammonium that in shampoos can play havoc with curly hair, necessitating the use of anti-frizzers and whatnot to reclaim what you naturally had before shampoo removed it. Going shampoo-free eliminates the need for all of the “product” previously used to keep curls in check and frizz under control. You may want to add a few drops of oil to your locks if you like sleek curls.

Your hair won’t need conditioners to combat tangles, because they will be limited: A baking soda wash and vinegar rinse won’t strip your hair of anything but the dirt, so your hair’s ability to detangle itself won’t be inhibited.

It works with dyed hair: Vinegar is known to actually set dyes, and it has the same effect on hair dye. Some people also report that they experience less fading of their dyed color once they make the move to baking soda and vinegar.

It’s wonderful on grey hair: In fact, vinegar and baking soda will whiten grey hair, while shampoos can cause grey hair to yellow.

Baking soda, white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) and essential oils keep my hair looking better than it ever did using store-bought shampoo and conditioner.

HOW-TO

There are several ways you can go shampoo free, and you really need to experiment on your own hair to see what works for you, keeping in mind what kind of water you have. This experimentation can be frustrating for some who are used to the squirt-and-suds of shampoo, but considering the ultimate pay-off both in your budget and potential hair awesomeness, you owe it to yourself to pay attention and see what method works best for you.

No matter what you do, rinsing the baking soda out thoroughly is a must: It’s also a must with shampoo, but many people don’t rinse as thoroughly as they should and walk around with shampoo still in their hair. Rinsing the baking soda out well is very important; leaving it in can dry your hair and I’ve even heard of some people rinsing so poorly that they complained of white stuff on their locks (unrinsed baking soda). Rinse it!

The most common way to wash your hair with baking soda is to make a solution with one tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of water, pour it over your head, then scrub away: Some people use less baking soda and deciding how much is part of that experimentation process; thinner hair requires less baking soda than thicker hair. You can make as much of this solution as you want and keep it in a bottle in the shower (an empty shampoo bottle would work great). Adding a small bit of liquid castille soap to the solution is an option if you have very oily hair. And if you have hard water, use distilled water or rain water in this solution. Rinse thoroughly after you’ve scrubbed your scalp and head.

If you’re lazy like me, you can just put the baking soda in a shaker and leave it in the shower, sprinkling it over your head and then scrubbing: When you wash your hair, just shake about 1/4 cup (depending upon hair length) on your head, making sure to part your hair in areas to get it to your scalp. Work the baking soda in, occasionally putting your head briefly under the shower head to allow the baking soda to dissolve and be distributed all over your head and hair. Work it in with your fingers as you would shampoo, and rinse thoroughly.

Next, pour vinegar over your head and briefly work it into your hair: I use about 1/2 cup of vinegar on my hair, which is to the middle of my back. Make sure you don’t get it in your eyes (been there, done that, ouch).

You can use either white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar: I found that apple cider vinegar was too heavy on my hair and made it feel a tad limp and heavy, but white vinegar worked great. Experiment to see which one works for you!

You can leave the vinegar in, or rinse it out: Official mantra is to leave it in, but again, this didn’t work great for my hair. Leaving it in weighed it down too much, but I imagine for curly hair leaving it in would be wonderful. Try both methods and see which one works best for your hair. And, no, I’ve never had my hair smell like a salad, even when I left the vinegar in. Apple cider vinegar, however, does have a stronger natural scent than white vinegar.

If your hair is becoming too dry, you can just wash with the vinegar and forgo the baking soda: Some people I talked to said the baking soda was a tad too drying for their baby fine hair. Instead, they just washed with the vinegar and were very pleased with the results. Others used the baking soda once a week and only vinegar for the rest of the week. If you find your hair becoming too dry for words try adjusting how often you use baking soda versus vinegar alone, or…..

Conditioning your hair with natural oils daily or weekly is wonderful with this method: Some people who complained that their hair was too dry now add a few drops of an oil (olive oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, a mixture of oils, the choice is yours) to their baking soda and include it as they wash their hair. Myself and others condition weekly. I take about a teaspoon or two of coconut oil, melt it, and work it into my hair and leave it in for about an hour or so, then wash as usual with baking soda. Your hair will sing with glee!

Washing your hair like this allows you to add personalized scents to meet your own needs and wants: I love to add essential oils to my vinegar, customizing it depending upon what I feel like at the time. Lavender and rosemary are personal favorites. I’ve never had a problem with the smell of vinegar on my hair, but this is a nice way to make your hair smell wonderful without artificial ingredients.

You can add herbal hair enhancers as natural remedies to hair and scalp issues: Sometimes just getting off shampoo will cure issues like dandruff and allergic reactions on the scalp. But if the move to baking soda and vinegar alone doesn’t solve the problem, you can add herbs to your baking soda or vinegar to help you out. If you have dandruff, you can add some tea tree oil to your baking soda or vinegar. Tea tree oil is wonderful for scalp health, and if the switch from shampoo to baking soda/vinegar alone doesn’t solve your dandruff or scalp problem, adding medicinal herbs will.

In a future ‘spin I’ll cover hair enhancers and natural remedies to include in this process. Until then, start giving it a try, and do make sure you give it a full three weeks before abandoning the process if you can manage it!


 
214 Comments

Posted by on April 22, 2012 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Outdoor and Survival, Saving Money

 

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The Humble Crab Apple: An Underutilized Free Food

09 Apr

A crab apple in full bloom is a beautiful thing! But the fruits deserve more credit than they get, too.

Most people know that the crab apple is edible, but it is so small (and some are bred not to bear fruit) that it is discounted as a food source and sometimes decried as a pain when the fruit begins to fall and birds start to flock. That’s a shame! Crab apples are a delicious food and, if processed the right way, not as much work as you think to utilize as a free source of tasty treats in both rural and urban locales. And the plant also has medicinal properties that make it an underused plant in the average yard or field.

Most people can identify crab apples when they’re in fruit (and when they’re in bloom). But for anyone interested in collecting plants for food or medicine, being able to identify plants properly will make your life easier, if not save it.

Crab apples are deciduous (they lose their leaves in winter) small trees in the Rosaceae family, and the Malus genus. They reach about 15′ to 25′ at maturity. The buds and leaves have an alternate arrangement, meaning the leaves hop scotch as they move up the stem, as opposed to an opposite leaf arrangement, where the leaves are directly across from each other on the stem. The leaf buds are egg-shaped with several overlapping scales. There are about 700 varieties of crab apples (yep!) so the leaves are variable in color and size. But take a look at crab apples this spring and look at the leaves to learn their general character.

Crab apples have an alternate leaf arrangement and their leaves have the look of other trees in the apple family, but there is much variability.

FOR EATING

The fruit is the main edible part of the plant, eaten raw or cooked, though raw it is highly astringent. Because of this, it is most frequently cooked with sugar and made into jams, jellies, fruit fillings, chutneys, and more. In fact, crab apples contain an excellent pectin, which can be used to thicken other kinds of jams.

One secret to using crab apples for food is to remove their wee seeds, though this is not always necessary (see the recipe below). Yes, to do this with individual fruits is time consuming as each small crab apple needs to be sliced and the seeds removed. I once made a crab apple pie this way and it took hours to remove the seeds from all of the crab apples; I’ll never make crab apple pie that way again! OK…maybe I will because the pie was so tasty, but I’ll have to be in the mood for a lengthy, repetitive task.

In my opinion the best way to use crab apples is to process them with heat and liquid, run them through a sieve or food mill, and use them in recipes. Processing like this will eliminate the seeds with much less fuss.

The seeds should not be eaten in large quantities as the seeds of all members of the genus contain hydrogen cyanide, which can be dangerous in large quantities. If you prepare a crab apple dish that contains seeds (see below), make sure to spit the seeds out as you would an olive or watermelon. The fruit pulp is perfectly safe.

FOR HEALING

There is some conflicting information about whether crab apples have medicinal properties; I’ve not used them as such myself so I can’t say for sure. I have read in different sources from India and China that a crab apple fruit poultice can be used to sooth inflammations and help heal small wounds. (To learn more about what a poultice is, read our ‘Spin, “Roots, Twigs, Barks and Parts: The Home Apothecary.”) The bark, especially the root bark, is reported to help expel parasites from the gut (ick), cool the body, and help induce sleep. The leaves are reported to be an antibacterial.

RECIPE

Here’s a recipe from our 1946 edition of “The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,” by Fannie Merritt Farmer:

Sweet Crab Apple Pickle:

Crab apples can be made into pickles, jams, pies, and this beautiful jelly.

  • 3 pounds crab apples
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger

“Wipe crab apples, remove stems, and steam until soft. Tie spices in muslin bag, put in preserving kettle, add vinegar, sugar, and crab apples, bring gradually to boiling point, and simmer 20 minutes. Makes 3 pints.”

The pickle can be processed using the water bath method for your elevation (the same time is used for pints or quarts):

  • 0 – 1,000 ft: 20 minutes
  • 1,001 – 3,000 ft: 25 minutes
  • 3,001 – 6,000 ft: 30 minutes
  • Above 6,000 ft: 35 minutes
 
6 Comments

Posted by on April 9, 2012 in Edible Plants, Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Outdoor and Survival, Saving Money

 

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Rural Spin Shepherd’s Pie: Economical and Tasty

06 Apr

Rural Spin shepherd's pie uses sliced potatoes instead of mashed for the crust and top to save time and enhance texture, but without sacrificing flavor.

Shepherd’s pie, a savory meat pie with a mashed potato crust and top, is a gift from England and Ireland. It was first documented in 1791 as a staple dish for the poor when the potato was first being introduced to the region. Back then it was known as “cottage pie,” in reference to the humble dwellings of the typical cottage pie eater. The term “shepherd’s pie” did not emerge until the 1870s, and since then has been the most common term used for the dish.

Whether you call it cottage pie or shepherd’s pie, this dish is still wonderful as an economical, tasty, and healthy dinner for the family. All manner or leftover meats and vegetables can easily be made into the filling, and the potato crust and top is still an economical choice.

Vegetarians can forgo the meat and still have a flavorful dish for the table.

I take a different turn on the classic shepherd’s pie by using sliced potatoes instead of mashed for the crust and the top. Why? Because I was feeling both hungry and lazy one day, and I had no desire to take the time to make mashed potatoes, yet I had a craving for shepherd’s pie. I’ve used sliced potatoes as the crust for quiche in the past, and I decided it would make a fabulous crust and top for a shepherd’s pie. So I gave it a shot!

Shepherd’s pie is traditionally a way to use up leftovers, so the ingredients below are what I had sitting in my refrigerator at the time I made the dish. Yes I did, indeed, have lamb in my refrigerator! I love the stuff and eat it about once a week. I had some uncooked cabbage and a small bit of carrot in the refrigerator so they were great choices to join the lamb, and the corn I had frozen from the previous fall after I had bought ears of corn on sale, cut off the kernels, and froze them. The remaining ingredients, potatoes, onion, garlic, white wine, and the herbs and spices, are staples in my kitchen. With these ingredients you can turn just about any meal into a flavorful feast. When you make your shepherd’s pie, don’t be afraid to experiment and root through your refrigerator to see what you have on hand.

Sliced potatoes are placed in the base of a pie pan, sprinkled with herbs and spiced, and dressed with 1/2 cup of corn kernels.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb ground lamb (you can substitute turkey or ground beef or leave out the meat for a vegetarian option)
  • 1/2 carrot, grated
  • 1/4 red cabbage, sliced or grated
  • 1/2 cup fresh corn (frozen and thawed are fine)
  • 2 baking potatoes, sliced thin
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Take one of the sliced potatoes and place it in the bottom of a lightly oiled pie pan or casserole dish. Dust the layer of potatoes with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and chili powder. Spread the corn on top of the corn and set aside.

The meat filling is placed on top of the crust layer, then more sliced potato is laid on top for the crust.

Cook the meat, cabbage, carrot, onion, and garlic in a bit of fat until the lamb is cooked through and the cabbage is limp (I used bacon grease left over from canning Tabasco bacon, but you can use olive oil or butter. If you want, you can add the Tabasco sauce to the sautee as well). Add the white wine and turn the heat up a tad to reduce the juices in the pan until they are almost gone.

Place the filling on top of the potato crust and corn. Gently flatten with a spatula to make sure the filling is nestled well, and lay the other sliced potato to make the top crust. Dust the top with more spices, salt, and pepper if desired. Bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

Shepherd's pie with a sliced potato crust. Next time I'll improve the dish by grating the potato for the top crust instead of using slices.

CRITIQUE

What do I think I my experiment? Well, it tasted delicious! The red cabbage, carrots, and corn were a great combination with the lamb, and the herbs and spices I chose added great flavor that complimented the entire dish. I also loved the sliced potato crust as it gave more tooth to the dish. One of my major complaints with traditional shepherd’s pie is that it’s sort of…soft all over. Maybe great when I’m 90 and have no teeth, but for now I want food that requires some chewing.

However…the sliced potato top was met with mixed results. The potatoes cooked wonderfully, and had a great crunchy flavor that I loved. The problem was that they didn’t adhere to the filling; you could literally lift each potato piece up and set it back down where it was before. It made cutting the pie somewhat disappointing as the potato slices sort of slid off.

In the future I’ll grate the potato for the top crust. Grating will allow the starches to converge and knit the potato shreds together on the top of the filling. They will still brown and crisp and provide the tooth I’m wanting, but will act more as part of the dish itself. I’ll let you know how it goes! :-)

 
3 Comments

Posted by on April 6, 2012 in Recipes, Saving Money

 

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Cheap and Decadent Chicken in a Pot

23 Mar

Chicken is a pot is a versatile, cheap, and tasty meal! Making soup with the bones and leftovers adds to the savings.

This meal is satisfying, tasty, and is quick to throw together . You can toss the ingredients in a pot and let them cook while you’re changing out of work clothes, cleaning kiddos, or taking the dog for a walk. Not only is it frugal by using the whole chicken, it also allows for a second meal the following night in the form of soup (stay tuned for a future ‘Spin on that). And, it is amazingly versatile, meaning you can literally use whatever food you have in your kitchen, besides the chicken of course.

But mostly this dish is simply delicious! You won’t miss the crisp chicken skin at all, trust me. The taste and juiciness of the chicken will make you forget all about crisp skin, and you’ll be turning to this chicken in a pot time and time again.

HOW-TO

To make a chicken in a pot you need only four types of ingredients. I’ve even used vegetables that were starting to turn to the low-side of fresh and saved them from the compost bin. Below I give you two versions of this dish, but here are the basic ingredients. Let your own culinary tastes be your guide:

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 3 or 4 kinds of vegetables
  • Seasonings or spices
  • 1/4 cup of liquid (your choice)

The basic process is to first grab a large dutch oven or pot that will hold a whole chicken plus vegetables. You can fill it to the brim, just as long as there’s room to put a lid on it. No stirring is necessary in this dish, so your pot doesn’t need to be ginormous; just-big-enough is fine.

The first step is to place about a tablespoon or two of oil (olive, vegetable, or any sort of fat will do) in the bottom of your pot and brown both sides of your bird. Be sure to sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken, to taste. You can brown the bird as deep a color as you like–once I even accidentally burnt the damn bird, and went with it anyway. It worked out fine and gave the dish a nice “smoky” flavor. Another time I was in a huge hurry and bypassed the browning altogether, simply throwing everything in a pot and calling it good; it still tasted great!

After the chicken is browned on both sides, add your chopped vegetables. I always like to include onion and garlic in mine if I have them on hand, so I tend to pop those in before the other vegetables and let them brown a bit, too. Next, add the rest of your vegetables, which have been chopped into chunks or slices. Keep in mind that root vegetables need to chopped smaller than something that will take less time to cook, like cabbage. But this dish is very forgiving and you can easily leave the pot cooking until everything is cooked through. There is zero worry that the chicken will dry out.

Lastly, toss in about 1/4 cup of liquid, cover the pot, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let the chicken cook, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reads between 165F to 180F.

GET CREATIVE

Here are some variations on this theme. Feel free to make up your own!

Cabbage, onion, and garlic chicken in a pot. I keep it simple by adding just salt and pepper, and white wine for the liquid. This simple version is a favorite.

Sweet and white potatoes and purple kale were the main vegetables for this version. Salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary added abundant flavors, as did chicken broth for the liquid. This was very tasty!

 
5 Comments

Posted by on March 23, 2012 in Great for Kids, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Saving Money

 

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