RAW Jam Fruit Sread

I pretty much gave up jarred fruit spreads for yummy raw agave syrup and maple syrup a while back.  However, I still have a family that loves their jams and jellies, and I just cringe when I have to buy it.  I do so because, knowing how to make it, I don't make it.  It is an unnecessary cost for me because it is quite easy and relatively cheap (almost free) for me to make it traditionally, as long as I pick the berries myself and reuse my grocery glass jars.  Recently I heard of another way to make jam that is even easier.  So the other day when we were doing our grocery shopping, my husband grabbed the jelly off the shelf and I asked him to give me a chance at the new recipe.

Ingredients:
1 C fresh berry (I used blueberries)
3 T raw agave or maple syrup or raw honey (it doesn't have to be this exact measurement, it's to your own taste, but this amount reaps a good medium)
3 T chia seeds
glass jar

You can cook your fruit with its sweetener if you want, but I chose not to.  It is much healthier to use fresh and raw fruit, and since even my agave was raw, I didn't want to ruin what actually is a healthy jam.  Or at least as healthy as jam can get.

Yes, it really only is 3 ingredients, and approximately 2 hours.  By the time you are done cooking and preserving your high sugar, traditional jam (that's not even cool enough to consume), you can have a raw, healthy, chilled alternative.

Step 1.  Blend your berries and sweetener.

Step 2.  Add chia seeds.

Step 3.  Store and refrigerate.  Seeds that are used for sprouting will form a gel-like substance in the process of the soak.  The chia seeds' gel will give the fruit the hold of pectin, necessary to constitute jelly, jam, and even gelatin.

The jam is optimal within a week, but good as long as 2 weeks.  This will vary on fruit used.  My determination on this is based upon how long fresh fruit is good for (blueberries hold longer than a strawberry), since the jam is using a raw fruit.  You can boil the fruit and sugar in hopes to get a longer life, or even try a vitamin C tab, but you are still dealing with a sprouting seed.  This is why I did my recipe small, and figured it would do better with weekly batches.  Guilt-free jam.  Now that's what I'm talking about!

Homemade Ghee! (Lactose-free/clarified butter)

I just recently discovered how incredibly easy it is to make something that is quite expensive.  Earlier today I compared prices on whether or not it was even worth doing.  I shop at Trader Joe's (which is budget-friendly) and snapped some pictures of the price of their butter versus the price of their ghee.  Between 16 ounces of real butter and 8 ounces of ghee (that's right folks, half the amount of the butter sticks), there was nearly a $2 difference -- $2 more for the ghee.  Yes, it would be worth my time to make the ghee.

So why ghee and not butter?  Well, if you happen to have a lactose issue, but love butter, then this is for you.  Ghee also has a higher smoke point, because it doesn't have the sugar in it -- the sugar being what contributes to burning.  Ghee will burn, but at a higher and longer amount of heat.  Many people are lactose-intolerant.  Many of those that actually are lactose-intolerant don't even realize it.  What is so wrong with lactose?  Simple research shows us that enzymes are needed to digest them easily and safely.  This is why the pills a lactose-intolerant person can take in order to consume lactose contains enzymes.  This is not a fault with the milk.  The milk does have enzymes, but pastuerizing removes them.  Hence, many people that are lactose-intolerant can actually consume raw milk.  So if you remove the enzymes it is probably better to remove the lactose.  This is where ghee comes in.

What you will need:
Unsalted butter
Mason jar
Tea strainer or equivalent, or cheese cloth

Step 1.  Melt the butter fully on medium heat to a boil.  I was careful not to put it on a high heat because I intend on using the solids that will float to the bottom.  Many depend on the solids turning brown to tell them the ghee is done.  I will share with you later how to tell otherwise, without burning the solids so that you may later use them.  I purchased unsalted butter because you will need to add salt to help out the separation after it cooks. If you already start with salted butter you may end up with too much salt in your ghee.  Also, I utilize the unused part of the butter, which is predominately sugar.  I will explain later why I mentioned this.

Step 2.  Turn the heat to simmer.  Once the butter is fully melted, it will start to look frothy.  You will hear snap, crackle, and pops as the water boils out of the fat.  This boil is untexturized.  It is very different from fat boiling (which you will soon see).  At this water boiling stage, when the butter is fully metled, turn the medium heat down to a simmer to finish ridding the water.  The solids will start to separate.  You don't need to skim, so resist the urge!

Step 3.  Allow ghee to simmer 10-15 minutes.  This was the time frame for my stove.  The time to simmer will depend on how much butter you started with and your stove.  I used 16 ounces of butter and have a hotter stove.  You will allow the ghee to simmer until 1) the boiling has turned into smaller, textured/thick bubbles, 2) you can see the bottom of the pot when you try to separate the curds on the surface, and 3) when you see that most of the curds have actually dropped to the bottom of the pot.  Basically, when the ghee is transparent, it is done.  You don't have to watch the solids (until they turn brown), instead watch the ghee.

Step 4.  Take off the heat and add a pinch of salt.  This helps the curds to fall to the bottom.  If you started with a medium heat and went to a simmer, then your curd solids will have preserved themselves enough to be used again.  The solids are mostly sugar.  They burn easily.  So in order to use the solids you will have to remove from the heat as soon as the ghee is transparent.

Step 5.  Strain ghee into a mason jar.  I didn't have a cheese cloth nor did I have a tea strainer, so I used a frying lid.  Hey, it works.  I did a triple strain, from one glass jar into another.  I had read somewhere that if you do more than one strain, be careful not to rinse out your strainer.  Allowing water into the ghee will diminsh its shelf stability.

The milk solids won't amount to much, but since it has a high sugar concentration, why not make it a coffee creamer?  Or you can add it to pancakes as a mock buttermilk.  Allow the ghee to cool.  It doesn't need to be refrigerated.  I have taken a picture of the ghee I bought from Trader Joe's for $4.79 versus the one I made for a total of $2.99.  Excuse my jar, it used to be a peanut butter one.  You know I'm all about repurposing if it saves me a dollar.

Ghee is shelf-stable.  Foods with lactose require refrigeration, but your new and better "butter" doesn't have that issue anymore!

DIY Perfume and Cologne

I remember back when I was in the single digits, or maybe even 10 years old, my neighbor friend and I decided to gather rose petals, soak them in a glass jar, and see how long it would take to make perfume.  Though we may have made a low-grade rose water (using tap water at that!), the smell never did get strong enough for even a child to consider it perfume.

It wasn't until a few weeks ago when my husband was trying to get me back into running that I decided maybe I could make my own perfume.  After years outside of the running game, my ears started aching during a run.  I googled that it was vessel constricition by combination of the raise in blood pressure and the cold air.  My husband, rummaging through my essential oils, decided to put ylang ylang on and below my ears to see if it would help, since it says it helps high blood pressure.  Surely, that next run ended without an ear ache, and I finally made use of the ylang ylang I bought for his restless legs this past August.

While I was wearing it, it gave me a sense of nostalgia until Google brought me to realize it was the signature smell of Chanel No 5.  My mother was a Chanel gal, selling it at one point of time.  "Oh yes, that is the smell."  I came to find more uses for it, like putting it on my scalp to help with my postpartum hair loss (which is the best thing I've found to work, by the way), with a bit of argan (good hair oil too).  I was getting whiffs of ylang ylang all day long and felt so satisfied knowing that I smelled good, without it costing me double or triple digits.

So from my good friend Google I have learned that store-bought perfumes and cologne contain anywhere from 80 - 95% alcohol, and the essential oils that take up the remainder are perfume-grade, which means that they are not therapeutic.  Excuse me if I don't fall for it.  Why not buy therapeutic grade oils, significantly cheaper than your designer perfumes and colognes, and make multiple bottles of perfume and cologne, while at the same time actually improving your health and/or bodily functions?  I don't know, it just makes sense to me.

It's actual quite simple, you will need just a few items, plus your desired essential oils:

• Jojoba oil
• Rubbing alcohol
• Amber (or other dark) glass bottle
• Essential oils

Before I give you our formula, I'm just going to say that since I am a budgeting mom, I use what I have, which means I need to be flexible with exact measurements.  I repurpose my carrier and essential oils' bottles.  For this reason, I'm just going to give you measurements in percentage to the full bottle, rather than exact.  This way, you can use what you have.  (Note, essential oils are potent and should not be stored in plastic, even in a perfume).

For my perfume, I will use about 80% carrier oil, then add my essential oils, and then top of with alcohol.  I would suggest small batches just in case you don't like your formula.  I already said I like ylang ylang.  I have a history with bergamot as well, and also love the uplifting properties of sweet orange.  I used equal parts of each of these.  I have seen formulas that are excessive in essential oil.  Each one seems to be operating on preference and opinion in their formulas, so I'll share with you my own preference and opinion in mine.  First, I'm a budgeter.  Second, therapeutic grade essential oils are very strong.  Third, I see that a half a cup of water in a diffuser only needs a few drops of oil for a whole room.  For this reason, my preference is to stretch my essential oils, and my opinion is you don't need that much essential oil to the carrier.  In a 10 mL bottle, I filled 80% jojoba, 10 drops each of ylang ylang, bergamot, and sweet orange, and the rest with rubbing alcohol.  The longer it sits (days) the more blended and potent.  Shake often as you let it sit.

For my husband's cologne, I used a slightly higher alcohol content (about 5% more) since men's cologne is generally strong and powerful and lady's perfume is slighter (or should be, in my own opinion).  Instead, I started with 75% jojoba, then essential oil blend, then topped off with alcohol.  I only used frankincense and cedarwood.  Essential oils from herbs are a better for colognes, to not leave confusion on what constitutes a manly smell.

Note -- Herbs and citrus oils are very fragrant.  You may want to start with only a few drops of these at a time -- being the last essential oil you add -- as you smell its compatability to blend with (without overcoming) the other oils.  Start light (in number of different oils used).  You can always add an aroma as you prefer and use your newly-blended fragrance.  You can also use water, rather than carrier oil.  If so, it goes without saying that it would not last as long.

Mainly, it is your fragrance.  Make it what you want! 

Punjabi Eggplant Masala

This is one of my Indian favorites.  It's so good to me that even the box dinner satisfies.  There's still something about buying a box dinner though that seems so wrong.  I got better though and moved up to making my own, albeit using jarred tomato sauce as my base for the masala.  Now I've moved up even more and made the whole thing.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

2 large tomatoes

1 red onion

3 cloves garlic

olive oil (for rub and saute)

1 t tumeric

1 t cumin

1 T coconut sugar

dash of ginger

salt to taste

To get started, you will have to roast the eggplant to the best of your ability.  I think traditionally it would be in a tandoori oven.  I don't happen to have one of those, so I just rubbed mine over with olive oil and put it on broil in the oven, door ajar.  This helps give it that smoky taste, which is a part of what makes the dish what it is.

Since it is the broiler, you will have to keep an eye out.  I only had mine in for maybe 5-10 minutes each side (again, door ajar).  You will know it is done when the eggplant shrivels and the skin looks roasted.

While it cools, chop and saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until slightly softened.  You can either finely chop the tomaotes, or put them in your blender.  I opt to chop them and let the cooking pull the fluid out.  It makes it more savory.  Add the tomatoes.  This is your masala.  Depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes, I may or may not add the coconut sugar.  This is slightly sweeter than things like curry dishes.  Sometimes the tomatoes are so ripe they don't need it, but sometimes they do.  You will have to be the judge on yours.  Add the cumin, tumeric, and ginger.  Mind you, I don't use exact measurement -- especially in spices.  I typed up an approximate, but it's your tongue, roll with the measurement to your liking.  This is also where you would want to add your hot-factor with fresh peppers.  Since my 6 year old thinks that black pepper is hot, I didn't add any to mine.

You notice in time as the tomatoes cook they soften and the masala becomes more liquidy.

As you have that mixture on low, start peeling the skin off of your eggplant and move to a dish that can collect the liquids that release as you mash.  I mash with a fork, since I don't mind chunks in my food.  You may prefer to actually blend your cooked eggplant.

Add the eggplant to the masala and let saute on low for at least another 5 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Cutting the Cost and Chemicals in Face Care

My now teenage daughter (13) came up to me and said, "Did you know that if you put tape over a pimple it will go away?"  I replied, "You could also wash your face."  Amira:  "Nah, that's too much work."

Amira is experiencing teenage acne.  It was something I was spared as a teenager, though I cannot say the same for my brother.  Yet, even then drug use played probably the biggest part of hormonal imbalances within him to create massive blemishes.  My acne didn't come to me until after my 2nd child, while in my mid-twenties.  The dermatologist, upon trying to recommend Accutane to me (which I never took), advised me it was indeed hormonal and probably would last until I was thirty.  It took a lot of money to make me feel better that I was at least attempting to do something about it.  Finally, I said, "You know what -- if it's going to last until I'm thirty I might as well try to save some money and get my face used to simpler ingredients."

Have you noticed how many ingredients are sitting in your facial cleansers, toners, and moisturizers? Not to mention the serums you would add for age spots, wrinkles, or blemishes.  Then you throw on your makeup over the [probably] over 100 ingredients that already is sitting on your face from the cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and serum.  I mean, if it's not imbalanced hormonal, maybe it's immune-system overload and the poor immunities are too busy working through chemicals to target the bacteria under and above your skin.  Just a thought.  I'm not a doctor, just using my head.  

My skin did get clearer, and it was before I turned thirty.  A lot prayer saw me to that day, as well as some -duh- changes, like to simpler ingredients, and I also officially let go of any sort of cover-up (for over a year now).  I don't even use concealer.  Oh the freedom to be able to touch your face or lay down your head on your white pillowcase without makeup removal.  Here are the changes I made, which is the fewest ingredients I've been able to find so far.

Cleanser

I've seen expensive cleansers like Sheseido and Mary Kay, chemicalized though hypo-allergenic.  Personally, I use bar soap, the same I use as my hand soap.  Of course I'm referring to strictly plant-based soaps.  I switched to a simple, natural bar soap seeing as the hands are so porous, very easily we let invaders in through them.  I use Trader Joe's soaps for the cost ($1.69 for oatmeal or $1.99 for tea tree for a pack of 2 bars).  Yet, Kirk's Castille is at comparable price (approximately $1/bar or a wee more), with only 5 natural, plant-based ingredients.

Exfoliant

I've heard of, and used, coconut oil mixed with sea salt.  In fact, I've been in some restaurants that have that mixture as their hand 'soap.'  It is a great idea, though I keep the cost down even more with just a box of baking soda at less than $1 a regular sized box.  This works as a microdermabrasion as well.  I will mix a tad bit into my soap-lathered hands.

Toner

My mother long ago told me to switch to witch hazel, since it says right on the bottle it is a facial astringent and so much cheaper.   It does the job for as low as $2 a bottle.  You can get a really good witch hazel at a health food store, but admit that I cheat with this one and buy the one that has a bit of alcohol in the regular band-aid section of the store.  What of those using toners to balance their face tone and pores?  For this reason, I do also alternate essential oils with my witch hazel, that way my face doesn't get used to just one oil.  I alternate with tea tree, lemon, and frankincense.  All you need is one drop per cotton ball of witch hazel.

Moisturizer

Now I've heard people say they may use cheaper cleansers and toners, but the one thing you should not compromise on is the moisturizer you use.  Even to my mother, moisturizer is the most important thing you put on your face.  At Mary Kay we were taught it protects your face so it should be a great product.  Oh I agree.  Yet, I found a way to not compromise with using only one great ingredient.  That's right, just one.  Jojoba oil.  I have friends that use other single-ingredient oils as a mosturizer, like coconut oil, almond, or even argan.  I use jojoba because its composition is the closest to your own face's natural oils than any other oil or cream out there.  That familiarity is what, from other reads and testimonies, calms your face from wreaking havoc with excessive oil production.  If you choose jojoba oil, you should ask many questions of the manufacturer, like if the oil is filled with another.  I have read how companies can advertise 100% jojoba oil, but that does not mean what you think it does.  Since jojoba oil is actually a wax, it will harden in cooler temperatures.  Your purchase would prove itself pure if the jojoba oil has hardened when left in the fridge overnight.

With every article I read in my mid-twenties while I was battling my own blemishes, I came to acknowledge diet and exercise are your biggest contributors to healthy skin.  The biggest change I noticed with my skin is when it got hydrated -- through humid environments and water intake.  Water truly is your best friend.

So if you were counting, from the soap, to exfoliant, to toner and esential oil, to moisturizer, that is as little as 9 ingredients amongst all.  Does just your traditional cleanser have that little ingredients alone?  Love your face -- it is the first thing people see when they meet you and the last thing they forget when about you.