Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale

We are offering a big Sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday while supplies last.
Our wood wick candles are made with pure soy wax, organic wood wicks and highly scented fragrance oils.
Our body product sampler gives you the best of everything for your body. Packaged with a two ounce lotion, body spray, sample size cream, sample size soap, lip balm and a nail brush all gifted packaged in a nice cosmetic bag. Both gift ideas have a special price good now through Cyber Monday while supplies last.

Fall Lineup

Chickenmash Farm Fall Lineup! This September our first stop is the Country Living Fair located at the Ohio Village in Columbus, Ohio. The village is filled with antiques, artisans and food. The show is on September 13, 14 & 15, 2013.

Our next stop is the Thornville Backwoods Fest September 20, 21 & 22, 2013 in Thornville, Ohio. The setting is beautiful. Walk through the woods shopping from local vendors. Old fashion fun, food and live music playing throughout the festival is relaxing and enjoyable. We will be in the encampment area this year. The encampment area is a step back in time with primitive tents and local vendors dressed in periodic clothes. 

Our last show for September The Apple Fest is in Dayton, Ohio at the Aullwood Audubon Farm September 28 & 29, 2013. Come out and enjoy the fun! Lots of activities for children, cooking over an open fire, artists, music and so much more. You can even take home a hot apple pie baked over an open fire. 

Be sure to check Chickenmash Farms Calendar of events for information on these shows and many others.
 

Early Bird Gets the Worm

Come out to the Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio Village. The show dates are September 13, 14 & 15, 2013. The show is open daily from 10am-5pm. You can buy an early bird pass and start shopping before show hours. Early bird tickets can shop from 8:30am-10am and save from many vendors at the fair.
Chickenmash Farm is offering an early bird special again this year. Shop early and save 10% off your purchase total. We can't wait to see you there! Our booth is located on Main Street, booth #99. Stop in and try a free sample.

Sea the Difference With Mud From The Dead Sea

We're not the first ones to use mud from the Dead Sea in beauty products. No, the Egyptians knew about its benefits long before us. The mud and water from the Dead Sea has been known for centuries for its healing properties.
It has a unique location as it's the lowest place on earth and has about 300 sunny days a year. The Dead Sea has the highest concentration of minerals on earth. People from around the world travel to the Dead Sea to experience the best natural spa on earth.
The mud is unique in the fact that it contains many essential minerals twelve of which are found in the Dead Sea only.
The mud we use in our soap is 100% pure. No preservative and no fillers. Our Mineral Mud Goat Milk Soap contains not only pure goats milk from our goats but also mud from the Dead Sea. It removes impurities from your skin by deep cleansing. It penetrates pores to absorb dirt and makeup residue.
It's normal for you skin to to feel tight after using this one and you may want to moisturize after using our Mineral Mud Goat Milk Soap.

http://chickenmashfarm.com/mineral-mud-soap.htm

We have a friend that lives in Israel. He said the water is so salty it's almost syrupy. This next image is Tristam's Grackle, which is found only at the Dead Sea.

This last picture has an Ibex, which is found only in the Judean Desert in Saudi Arabia

Don't Crack Up!

Don't crack up! It's suppose to look that way. Have you ever used bentonite clay?

It makes a great face mask. Benonite clay draws excess oil and debris from your pores. It’s also great for removing black heads. We use cosmetic grade clay, sourced from reliable clay farms in Wyoming. They are pure and free of pollutants and certified lead free. Bentonite clay is a good choice for oily skin. I wouldn't recommend it for dry or sensitive skin though.

It's so easy! You can make your own face mask at home. I use one tablespoon of clay to about six tablespoons of water or milk. I add one spoonful at time mixing until I get a nice mud paste. When you apply a face mask you want to stay away from your eyes. Spread on your forehead, above your eyebrows, on your nose, cheeks & chin. I would keep it off your lips too. It's normal for your skin to feel tight. If it's burning take caution and remove it immediately. 

It’s a great natural ingredient for soap when you want to add that extra slip and lather to shaving soaps. We use it in our Bay & Clay Goat Milk Soap. When we started this soap we wanted to make a great bar soap for men but it’s not just for men. Women can use it too.. 
http://chickenmashfarm.com/bay-clay-goat-milk-soap.htm

Product Highlight - Pink Sugar Body Spray

Spray It! Splash It! Mist It! Either way you're sure to love it.
Our Pink Sugar Body Spray is my personal favorite. Cool, refreshing & sweet!
Sweet fragrance combination of cotton candy caramel & vanilla. Our body sprays contain nutritious extracts of aloe juice to hydrate your skin, black willow bark & sugarcane extracts to help soften your skin. Cherry extract is known for its anti-aging and antioxidant properties while green tea naturally contains ECGC, an antioxidant, 200 times for powerful than Vitamin E.

http://chickenmashfarm.com/pink-sugar-body-spray.htm

Plan Your Own Spa Party

Summer is coming so enjoy it with friends and plan your own Home Spa Party.

Make a pitcher of lemonade or herbal tea for relaxation. Invite your friends and have them bring a robe and slippers. Have your guests prepare their favorite spa recipe or make them yourself. We have recipes you can use in our blog. Plan a recipe for a facial, pedicure and manicure. Have someone bring the nail polish or already have an assortment? Put them out and let each person pick their own color.  

Turn on relaxing music. Surround yourself with friends, candles, fresh cut flowers, finger sandwiches, fruit salad and treat yourselves to a day at the spa. 

As your guest leave give them a parting gift. We make a Stress Relief Goat Milk Soap that is a perfect gift hand wrapped in fabric for a day at the spa or our Stress Relief Soy Wax Candle.

http://chickenmashfarm.com/stress-relief-goat-milk-soap.
http://chickenmashfarm.com/stress-relief-soy-wax-candles.htm

Cucumber Tomato Toner

Make your own body care products at home with simple ingredients! Buy organic or even better grow your own cucumbers and tomatoes for this one - This toner is good for oily skin. The vegetables and vodka are gentle astringents that remove excess oil and dirt. 

You'll need

-1/2 cuucmber, cut into chunks (do not peel or seed_

-1/2 tomato, cut into chunks 

-1/4 cup vodka

In a food processor, combine ingredients and blend until smooth. Pat mixture onto face and neck with fingertips or cotton balls. The toner will be watery. Don't worry if it doesn't seem to stick on your face. It's working just leave on for 3-5 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry. 

http://chickenmashfarm.com/cucumber-cream-goat-milk-soap.htm

Home Spa Recipe Banana Face Mask

Home Spa Recipe with simple ingredients from home. Enjoy! 

· 1/2 mashed banana 
· 1/4 cup oatmeal, cooked with milk 
· 1 egg 
· 1/2 tablespoon honey 

Mix ingredients together. Massage onto face in a slow, circular motion and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water. This mask is good for both sensitive and dry complexions: oatmeal is high in vitamins and minerals, and gently cleanses and heals skin; bananas contain vitamin A; eggs contain lecithin, a natural skin emollient; honey helps to maintain the skin's natural acid mantle. Acid Mantle is a very fine, slightly acidic film on the surface of the skin acting as a barrier. Oatmeal is one of several ingredients in this facial mask to cleanse and heal the skin. 

Our Oatmeal & Honey Goat Milk soap has some of these same great ingredients. Made with pure goat milk, ground oatmeal, honey and a sweet almond vanilla fragrance. 

http://chickenmashfarm.com/oatmeal-honey-goat-milk-soap.htm

Featured Ingredient Olive Oil

From time to time we like to feature the ingredients we use in our body products. Olive oil is one of those ingredients we include in all our soaps and our lip balm.

Olive oil moisturizes and gently cleanses your skin which is two really good reasons we use it in our products.

Olive oil is great to use in skin products as it is an all-around emollient. Emollient simply means having the quality to soften & sooth skin. Olive oil is known for its ability to help reduce wrinkles. Prevention is the best way to fight wrinkles. Start using quality ingredients on your skin as soon as you can. It makes a big difference.

One of our most popular soaps is our Rosemary Mango Goat Milk soap. We use olive oil in combination with other Non-GMO oils and goat milk. 
http://chickenmashfarm.com/rosemary-mango-goat-milk-soap.htm

Mother's Day Display At Rhoads Garden Center

This weekend we have our products on display at Rhoads Garden Center in Circleville, Ohio. http://www.rhoadsfarmmarket.com/

If you are traveling near Pickaway county be sure to stop in and shop at Rhoads, a family-owned, local garden center. They are one of our local favorites not far from Hocking Hills.

Check us out online to see our latest events and products. http://chickenmashfarm.com/

Strawberry Almond Home Spa Recipe

It's strawberry season! 
Not only are whole foods health for our body & waistline but our skin also. Here is body care recipe you can easily do at home. 

Strawberries are an astringent, baking soda a cleanser, almonds an exfoliate and the combination of yogurt and egg is a moisturizer and skin softener. Store in the refrigerator. 

5 strawberries, hulled 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
1 egg 
1 Tablespoon plain or vanilla yogurt 
1/4 cup whole almonds with skins 

In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries, baking soda, egg and yogurt and blend until smooth. Add almonds and blend until smooth. Apply mixture to face and gently scrub in a circular motion. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry. 

The Art of Antiquing, Come Out To The Country Living Fair

Let’s face it shopping is fun. It’s even better when you find that one of a kind item that fits your style. We have an antique corn sheller in our dining room and love it. What farmer years back would have thought it would be a focal point in someone’s home?

You don’t have to be an expert picker to know what you like. I’m not an antique specialist. It’s exciting finding an item that makes you smile.

The Country Living Fair is one of those events where you can find really cool items. They have shows in Georgia, Ohio and New York. We attend and set up a booth at the Ohio show, selling our goat milk soap and body products. We don’t sell antiques but it is always enjoyable walking around and finding special items.  We set up at all kinds of shows in the Ohio area but this is one we highly recommend.

It’s not just the antiques that make this one special. It’s like flipping through your favorite Country Living magazine, watching the Food Network and HGTV all at once. It’s educational, fun and don’t forget all the good food.

We’ll keep you up to date with the coming event for 2013. Happy Shopping!  http://www.chickenmashfarm.com/event_2013_country_living_fair.htm

DIY Avocado Facial

This recipe is easy enough to do at home. Once a week it's a good idea to give your pores a deeper cleaning to unclog and condition. Avocado nourishes and conditions, ground almonds gently remove dead skin cells, olive oil and honey improves skin's elasticity and helps protect against moisture loss and citrus refreshes your skin. 

All you'll need for one face mask:

-1/4 cup mashed ripe avocado 

-1/2 teaspoon honey

-1 teaspoon finely ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

-6 drops sweet orange essential oil

In a bowl, combine the avocado and honey, blend together. Stir in almonds and olive oil. Add the lemon juice and the orange essential oil. Mix to a creamy consistency. Use immediately. 

Spread thickly onto dry skin, avoiding the sensitive area around your eyes. Leave on 10 minutes, then rinse off with warm water, massaging as you rinse. Finish by splashing your face with cold water, to close the pores and pat dry. 

Great Gardening Tips For Growing Herbs

We grow our own herbs here at Chickenmash Farm. It’s pretty easy and nothing tastes better than fresh herbs. You can tuck herbs anywhere. We grow herbs in our flower beds, garden and containers.

Let’s talk about growing herbs in containers. You want to use containers that drain well and you can use anything from a wicker basket to clay pots and even an old boot. An advantage to growing herbs in containers is you can move them around to the best location for sun or shade when needed on scotching summer days. You need to remember to water when drying out. Plants in containers dry out faster in the heat the plants grown directly in the ground. The great thing about growing most herbs is you can keep trimming the herbs and harvest the whole season.

Growing herbs in the garden has great advantages for you vegetable plants. We like to grow basil near our tomato plants. Basil helps tomatoes with insect control and improves flavor. Bee Balm is another great herb to grow with tomatoes. It helps improve health and flavor. Not to mention it’s a beautiful herb.

Rosemary is great to grow with you carrots as it helps repel the carrot fly. Rosemary is one of my favorites! We grow it in the garden, containers and flower beds. This is one herb we use not only for cooking but also in our Rosemary Mango Goat Milk Soap. It holds its flavor and fragrance even when dried. You can use the woody stems as a kabob skewer. While we’re talking carrot, chives are also a good herb to grow with carrots.

 Dill is a good plant to grow with cabbage to help with health and growth but doesn’t like to be near carrots. Honeybees like dill also. And we all know honeybees are a gardener’s best friend.

Flax is good to grow near potatoes to help repel Colorado potato beetle.

Now let’s talk flower beds. We grow herbs in our flower beds and use clay pots to contain herbs like mint. And it just gives the flower bed a decorative edge. We take clay pots and break the bottoms out. We then” plant the pot” so to speak. We leave the top half the pot sticking out of the ground and bury the bottom half. I leave the pot in the ground all year long.

We grow lots of lavender for our Legendary Lavender Goat Milk Soap and in the flower bed it adds color and a can be used as a hedge. You don’t have to use the same clay pot method we do in our flower beds but it is great for the mint family. Mints like to spread and take over so the pot helps hold them in place and it makes it easy to give the mint a haircut. Just trim the mint spilling outside the rim of your pot and you dry for later use. We all know it’s good in tea but you can also use dried mint to repel clothes moths. The dried leaves repel rats and mice too.
We can’t end without at least mentioning parsley. Parsley is one of those herbs we use all three methods, in the garden, in the flower bed and in containers. We love this one for our goats. Sometimes after giving birth goats will have a congested utter. Keep in mind a congested utter is different than a goat with mastitis. We have had amazing results by feeding parsley which is a natural diuretic.  It should not be used in excess with pregnant women as it has been shown to stimulate uterine contractions. Happy planting and exploring all the options herbs have to offer! 

Soap Making: What's In Your Soap?

Are all soaps the same?  No. There are many different soaps out there.

 So how do you know what you’re getting? Read the ingredients. Know what you’re putting on your skin.

There are a few different ways to make homemade bar soaps. There’s Cold Process, Hot Process and Melt & Pour. We use the Cold Process method.  To make cold process or hot process bars of soap you need Sodium Hydroxide. Without it you cannot make bar soap. Then there’s melt & pour, which is typically in a block form you can buy at craft stores or online. You melt and pour in your own molds and add your own scents and herbs.

Then there’s the question of ingredients. We feel ingredients are very important! Which is why we use Non-GMO oils and feed our goats Non-GMO grains so the milk in our products are produced from goats whose diet is carefully monitored.

Here’s a list of our ingredients:  Goats milk, olive oil, coconut oil, babassu oil, safflower oil, castor oil, organic flax oil, *sodium hydroxide, organic cane sugar and some soaps may contain the following , essential oil, fragrance oil, rose petals, lavender flowers, rosemary, spearmint, oatmeal, mango butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, aloe juice, honey, eggshells. *Sodium hydroxide is not in the finished product. We cure our soaps at least six weeks which cures the sodium hydroxide (lye) out of the soap. We source Non-GMO oils for all our products.

The average cold process and hot process soaps contain: Water, a variety of vegetable oils, and can contain a variety of butters, herbs, essential oil and/or fragrance oil and sodium hydroxide.

The average ingredients list from melt & pour: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Laurate, Glycerin, Goat Milk, Triethanolamine, Titanium Dioxide.

The typical ingredients in commercial soaps: Sodium cocoyl isethionate, stearic acid, coconut acid, sodium tallowate (animal fat), water, sodium isethionate, sodium stearate, cocamidopropyl bentaine, sodium cocoate and/or sodium palm kernelate, fragrance, sodium chloride, tetrasodium EDTA, trisodium etidronate, BHT, titanium dioxide, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate

There are a lot of great soaps out there and some that don’t meet our standards or other soap maker standards. You just have to decide what’s right for you. If you want to stay away from Non-GMO ingredients be sure what vegetable oils are being used in your soap. Some people use tallow in their soaps. We’re not knocking the use of tallow that’s what the pioneers used for fats in their soap. One thing I would caution is where did the fat come from? Was it from animals fed a diet on Non-GMO grains? When it comes to commercial soap many use tallow and given the cheap price I would worry that the tallow came from overcrowded feed lots not fed exactly healthy. Don’t be fooled with the commercial soaps that say now 20% larger. Often they fill their soap with air to make a bigger bar. It doesn’t make the bar last longer.

We hope when you’re out there shopping for soaps we’ve helped inspire you to read the ingredients and know what you’re putting on your skin.  
http://chickenmashfarm.com/index.html

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:

4- Amy's Organic Veggie Burgers

2 Cups Steamed Carrots

2 Cups Smashed Sweet Potatoes

1 Cup Steamed Peas

1 Cup Organic Frozen Corn, Thawed

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

8 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

Veggie Broth 

Chopped Onion

Organic Corn Starch

Salt & Pepper

Thaw veggie burgers and crumble. Salute onion and mushrooms in a pan with broth and cornstarch mixed with a little water to thicken and make a gravy.Salt & Pepper. Add steamed carrots, peas, corn and veggie burger crumbles. 

Put in a casserole dish, spread smashed sweet potatoes on top. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake in the over until the cheese is melted on top. 

I used Amy's Organic Veggie Burgers as a meat substitute. You can use any variety you like. Instead of traditional mashed potatoes I used smashed sweet potatoes (no butter, no milk). I use organic corn starch to stay away from genetically engineered corn starch. If you have a hard time finding Non-GMO corn starch I found it at Whole Foods. I used cheddar cheese on top but it's easy enough to leave it off if you want a Vegan Recipe.

Lavender Products from Chickenmash Farm

We love lavender at Chickenmash Farm. We grow a lot of our own lavender that we use in our soaps. For all things lavender be sure to check at our website. We use lavender in our Goat Milk Soap, Body Sprays, Candles, and Cream.

Featured Ingredient- Lavender

From time to time we like to feature some of the ingredients we use in our body care products. We’d like to reintroduce you to the timeless scent and benefits of Lavender.

Using herbs in your body care products is a satisfying way to indulge your skin with natural wholesome ingredients.

Origin of Lavender                                                                                                                                           Lavender is an old world plant or shrub belonging to the genus Lavandula, having spikes of fragrant, purple flowers.  Lavender has been known for its gentle and soothing fragrance since ancient times. Used by Greeks and Romans in the public baths, the word lavender is derived from the Latin word lavare, or to wash.

Lavender has many uses from culinary to medicinal to cosmetic.

Let’s talk about culinary. You can use Lavender to flavor ice cream, jams and vinegar to name a few. I’m not sure about the health benefits of cooking with it but it sure sounds fancy.

There are many medicinal benefits for using Lavender from calming nerves, to soothing headaches. Try putting Lavender flowers in a sachet and tuck it in your pillow. You’d be surprised how it can help a troubled sleeper relax and get some rest.

Now let’s talk about why and how we use Lavender in our products. We use both Lavender essential oil and Lavender flowers.

 We add Lavender flowers and Lavender essential oil to our Legendary Lavender Goat Milk Soap to make a great bar that is gentle and delicate for sensitive skin.

 We use Lavender essential oil in our Legendary Lavender body spray. Not only for the timeless scent of Lavender but for the calming benefits of Lavender in the air. Our sprays can be used as a body spray, room spray or linen spray.

 When we started our foot and body cream Lavender was a must. You can rub a little on your temples to help sooth a headache or on your hands at night to help you sleep.

 Summer Daze is our natural bug repellent body spray that has a combination of five different essential oils known to help repel bugs and lavender is one of them. We include Lavender in our Summer Daze spray to help repel ticks.

You can grow your own Lavender. We do! Here in Ohio it’s easy to grow in our flower and herb beds. We harvest the flowers and use them in our soap. It’s a beautiful plant and easy to cut and dry and add to flower arrangements or wreaths. Make your own Lavender & wild flower wreath for yourself or as a handmade gift for someone special. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Lasagna

This tastes so much better than it may sound! It's an awesome Vegan recipe! You won't miss the cheese or meat. This recipe is based from the Engine 2 Diet but I changed it up a bit.

Ingredients:

1 Onion, chopped

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced

4-5 cups steamed Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots

1 teaspoon Oregano 

1 teaspoon Basil

1 teaspoon Parsley

2 jars Pasta Sauce or make your own, (2 jars if your use uncooked pasta, only one if using cooked pasta)

1 pound Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles, uncooked or cooked it's up to you

1 cup Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained ( I tried to squeeze out as much water as possible)

3 Large Sweet Potatoes, baked and mashed

6-8 Roma Tomatoes, sliced thin

-Start by baking your sweet potatoes first. Scoop out and mash by hand or mixer. You can do this ahead of time or use left overs that what I did. 

- Steam your Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots. I used left over vegetables. 

- In a large pan I put a little water with Oregano, Basil and Parsley and added the sliced Mushrooms and Onions. Just keep adding a little water as needed. Then add the steamed vegetables and mix with the mushroom and onions. 

-Cover the bottom of your pan with your pasta sauce. 

- Add a layer of noodles and sauce. Use a lot of sauce if uncooked. 

-Next put all the steamed veggie, mushroom, onion mixture on top. I put all of it on this layer

-Add another layer of noodles and more sauce, just remember add a lot of sauce if using uncooked pasta

-Evenly distribute the spinach next.

-Now add the mashed sweet potatoes, all of them

- On top the sweet potatoes add sauce, noodles and more sauce

- The last topping - add your thinly sliced Roma Tomatoes

Cover and Bake for about an hour in a preheated over to 400 degrees. The last 15 minutes of baking time take the foil off. Let it rest about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. I used a baking pan that is a little larger than an 9x12. 

DIY Egg Basket Chandelier!

We found an old egg basket in the barn and have held onto it for years. It's worn and beat up and not the best for collecting fresh farm eggs anymore. We thought of a great idea to turn it into a chandelier. We travel all over Ohio attending gift and trade shows and thought what a great light fixture for our booth.

It's really easy to make! Look for a wire basket you like and fill it with string lights. Include bulbs if you want to fill in the basket with extra decor. It's so easy and fun! If you try it share your photos with us. We'd love see what your design! It's an easy, inexpensive "do it yourself" project.

What is GMO?

Read all about it.
By now you've heard a lot about GMO and you've heard us talking about it. A year ago we switched our goats to NON GMO grains. It's a personal choose and one we feel everyone has the right to do. That's not to say I don't go out to eat with friends and still consume GMO foods. I'm sure I do. We buy and grown NON GMO foods for our household.
But we thought we'd just shed a little light on what GMO is for those who aren't as familiar.
GMO stands for genetically modified organism. It's also called GE, genetic engineering or GM, genetic modification. All three are the same just different names.
GMO is a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another.

The process for GMO is completely different than grafting (trees for example), cross breeding (breeding a Nubian goat with a Toggenburg goat for example) or hybridizing seeds (beefsteak tomato for example).
Genetic engineers have found ways to force the DNA from one organism into another. The results are plants or animals with traits that would be virtually impossible to obtain with natural processes like cross breeding or grafting.

Here's a short list of some the high risk crops in commercial production.

• Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
• Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
• Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
• Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
• Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

When we first switched our goats’ grain we started mixing our own and thought we were choosing NON GMO grains. Our goats would eat all the grain in their bowl expect the Alfalfa. I wondered why they were avoiding only the Alfalfa. I called our local feed supply company and told them our list of ingredients in our mixture and asked which of these grains are GMO. They told us the only one that was GMO was the alfalfa. Pretty amazing if our goats are given a choice they choose NON GMO. Since then we started buying our grain from a feed supplier near Berlin, Ohio that sells certified NON GMO grains.

There's a growing awareness of what's being introduced into our food source and we'll keep up on the growing concern. We hope that you will do as us and try to read through the myths and truth about GMO foods. We're not saying don't eat it. We just feel like you and I have a right to know what we eat and can make our own decisions.

Eggcellent Gardening Tips!

If you haven’t started saving eggshells yet get crackin’. Your tomato plants will love you for it. I save eggshells all year round. Not only for our Nitty Gritty soap (an after the garden best friend) but for our tomato plants as well. They love the calcium that the ground eggshells provide. Just rinse the shells with warm water set on a paper towel to dry. When it’s time to plant put the shells right down in the ground with your tomato plant. 

But don’t stop there! Keep saving because you can put all the extra shells in empty milk jugs, fill with water and water your plants with a natural calcuim rich fertilizer. 

Have a problem with slugs around your lettuce? Sprinkle your ground eggshells on top the ground around the lettuce plants! Problem solved!

Dig in and have fun! 

Featured Ingredient - Coconut Oil

 Coconut Oil

Origin

Coconut is a member of the palm family. The term is derived from 16^th century Poruguese and Spanish coco, meaning “head” or skull”

Coconuts are a great super food. Every part of a coconut can be used. Coconuts can be used from cooking to cleaning to cosmetics.

Cooking with coconut has many benefits. Coconut oil actually lowers cholesterol. Recent studies have shown that coconut oil helps our body metabolize cholesterol faster. If that’s not enough to convince you to switch to coconut oil in your diet, it helps with weight loss! Coconut oil helps improve thyroid function. A thyroid that isn't working properly is one of the main causes of obesity. Cultures that use coconut oil for cooking have a lower rate of obesity. Coconut oil contains healthy saturated fats that prevent foods from becoming incompletely digested.

Now, why do we use coconut oil in our soaps and body products? It’s simple really. Coconut oil is like the fountain of youth. Your skin benefits from the natural ability in coconut oil to fight free radicals. Coconut oil helps prevent wrinkles and sagging skin.  It provides our skin with a natural moisturizer and softens dry skin. The use of coconut oil in our soaps helps produce natural suds so no synthetic foaming agent in needed.

Most local grocery stores carry coconut oil. Get some and try your own homemade recipes for cooking or cosmetics. You can mix baking soda and coconut oil for toothpaste. Rub some on poison ivy to help relieve the itching. Heat a little and use as a makeup remover. Just get it a little warm rub on your finger tips and gently massage away makeup. 

Basics for Butter Making

The equipment can be as simple as a mason jar. You can use a blender or mixer as well.

This is a fun project for kids. They can see cream turn into butter.  You can use cow or goat milk. We use goat milk which requires us to use a cream separator.

You don’t have to have a cream separator. You can allow the goat milk to sit in the refrigerator and after some time the cream will naturally rise. I don’t prefer this because I think it gives the butter a stronger, ripe taste.

If you don’t have goats and you want to make butter you can always buy cream at the store.

For the jar method you can use any size of jar. I wouldn’t fill the jar more than half way. Overfilling will not allow enough room for agitation.  For little kids I would recommend a baby food jar or a small canning jar. Use something that will fit comfortable in their hands.

The temperature of the cream should be about 55° for goat milk and 60° for cow milk.

Put the lid on your jar and shake back and forth. If can take anywhere from 7 minutes to 30 depending on how big your jar is and how much you have in the jar.

You will see a mass forming in the jar and will feel the butter falling back and forth. There will still be liquid in the jar. This is buttermilk, which you will drain off.

After draining the buttermilk off run cold water and rinse the butter inside your jar with cold water until the water pours out clear.

Drain the butter. Put a plate and use a spoon to work the rest of the liquid out of the butter. You don’t want to leave liquid in the butter or it will cause it to spoil.

If you want salted butter you can add salt as you are working the rest of the liquid out.

Refrigerate or freeze.

If you use a mixer make sure you put a splash guard over the mixer and a towel. You will need to whip the cream which will come to a whip cream stage but keep going until it forms butter than you rinse and drain and work the liquid out just the same as the jar method.