Making My Own Soap - Recipes

I think we are ready to figure out our recipes... not that the melt and pour method (our first try) requires a lot of parameters to work through.  I wanted to provide you with lots of ideas - so will be including recipes that are very different in nature. 

El Don Soap Bar (Intermediate skill level)

Ingredients: Commercial crafting melt and pour soap base, cosmetic grade colorants, soap fragrance (Leather, Masculine Musk, Juicy Lime, Green Tea (Soap Crafters), Sandalwood, Frankincense, Myrhh).

Canola Harvest cooking spray used for mold release. 70% rubbing alchohol sprayed on for soap layer adhesion and bubble reduction.

This batch was made mostly from leftovers that already had some fragrance in it. I added some extra Frankincense and Sandalwood during Step 3. All of the color mixes I used in this soap were opaque.

1. Mix up a batch of light brown soap, about the color of hot chocolate. Pour into a container and let it harden.
2. Cut curls from the light brown with a melon baller or your curl-cutting tool of choice. Fill a suitable container or loaf mold with the curls, spraying periodically with rubbing alcohol or Bubble Buster. I used a large yogurt container for this project.
3. Mix one batch of pearly white soap and one batch of pearly green soap in separate glass measuring cups. You'll be pouring these two colors simultaneously, so try to melt them at the same time and get them to the same state of liquidity at the same time. It doesn't have to be exact, just close. Add fragrance now.
4. Let the two melted batches start to form a skin on top.
5. Remove the skin, then pour both batches at the same time, one on each side of the mold. Don't move the cups much while you pour if you want a two-tone effect like my sample.
6. Gently tap the sides to dislodge any bubbles and allow them to float to the top. Use the alcohol or Bubble Buster to break bubbles on the surface.
7. Let the mold sit undisturbed until the soap is hard. Such a large chunk of soap might take several hours to harden completely. To be safe wait until it has cooled off completely and then wait some more. It will be worth the wait!
8. Pop the loaf out of the mold, slice, and enjoy!

I liked this recipe for all of the swirls in the soap.  This one was pulled from http://www.chasenfratz.com/soaprecipes/#eldon.  They have some good ones here - so check them out for some other interesting ideas.

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Cocoa Vanilla Layered Soap Recipe (Intermediate skill level)

Submitted By:

Aaron of Mulberry, FL

Summary:

A pretty layered soap

Ingredients:

2 oz clear melt & pour base
2 oz white melt & pour
10 drops chocolate fragrance
10 drops vanilla fragrance
Cocoa powder or brown colorant

Instructions:

Melt the clear soap in double boiler and add the cocoa powder to get a nice deep brown color and a natural cocoa scent. Alternatively, you could also let the clear MP cool slightly and form a light skin, then sprinkle it liberally with the cocoa powder and swirl loosely with a toothpick before pouring. This will cause a swirl effect of chocolate instead of a clear brown. Let it cool briefly. Add 10 drops chocolate fragrance oil if you wish. *You may wish to make this bar extra special by adding a little cocoa butter to the brown batch*. Pour into a mold, filling halfway up. Let the clear sit for about twenty minutes until it is slightly tacky at the top.
In another pan melt the white soap. To this you may add a little shea butter or coconut oil. Allow the melted base to slightly cool and then add vanilla fragrance oil. After letting it cool a few more minutes, pour over the cocoa colored soap.
Let the soap sit for a few hours to firm. Overnight would be best. Pop out and voila! Layered Chocolate-Vanilla Soap! Some other ideas are: Chocolate-Peppermint Honey-Almond Lemon-Orange Mango-Shea Use your imagination!

Many people like layering either scents and / or textures.  This one allows for mixed scents and a pretty change of color.  Consider some of your favorite combinations - Cinnamon / Cloves, Apples / Cinnamon, Orange / Cream, Blueberries / Cream, etc... This one came from http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/recipe/recipe.asp?recipe_id=328 and they have some great ideas. 

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Oatmeal Soap (Beginner skill level)

(1) Melt 8 oz. of white/opaque base
(2) Melt 8 oz. of clear base
(3) Optional: Grind up 1/2 oz. of Oatmeal in coffee grinder for a smoother,
lighter exfoliation. Also, the smaller the particle, the easier to suspend in the soap.
(4) Combine the two bases
(5) Add your fragrance oil - approximately 1/2 oz. (Oatmeal, Milk and Honey is a good one!) and stir in well
(6) Optional: Add colorant
(7) Add the oatmeal and stir. Wait 20 or 30 seconds - is the oatmeal sinking to the bottom of your bowl/Pyrex or is it staying suspended. If it is staying suspended, skip to step 8
(8) If the oatmeal is sinking, this simply means that your base is not thick enough to support the oatmeal. Either cover the bowl/Pyrex with saran wrap and wait for the base to cool, or stir the melted base until it is becomes thick enough to suspend the oatmeal.
(9) Pour your oatmeal soap into molds
(10) Spritz with alcohol to finish the soap and break up any bubbles on the top of the soap
(11) Wait 2 to 3 hours (or even better, overnight!) to pop the soap out of the molds. Wrap with saran wrap and you're done!

I LOVE oatmeal soap.  It is one that I have in my shower always.  It is a wonderful exfoliant and it aids in clearing up acne and softening skin naturally.  I prefer to have LOTS of oatmeal in my soap and for it to be roughly ground.  This recipe came from http://www.teachsoap.com/recipes.html

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Loofah Soap (Beginner skill level)

You will need :
a loofah
melt and pour soap
A spray bottle full of water
fragrance or essential oil (optional)
liquid color (optional)
A shallow dish( like a jelly roll pan). It should be a little larger than the length of your loofah.
Some small disposable plastic plates

Melt a small amount of CLEAR soap and pour it into your shallow dish. Spritz your loofah with water until damp. Take the loofah and roll it in the soap, so that it completely coats it. Set it on some wax paper to dry.

After it has dried and set, cut into slices. Melt some more CLEAR soap and pour a small layer onto each plastic plate. Take the loofah pieces and set one of the cut ends into the layer of soap while it is still soft. (One loofah per plate)This will seal your soap on one end. (I tried just wrapping some plastic wrap around the end instead, but it didn’t work.) Melt some more soap, color and fragrance it and fill the loofah. It works best if you pour it in after the soap is cool enough to form a light skin on the top.

This one looks definitely interesting.  I will have to get some natural loofahs and try it out.  This recipe came from http://www.soapcrafters.com/how_to_make_loufa_soap and there are other options on the page.  Here is another page where they show step by step photos which helps.  http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soaprecipes/ss/loofahsoap.htm

If you have any recipes you would like to share... please reach out to me.  I would love to hear about them.  Blessings... E

Go from Guilty Pleasures to Healthy Pleasures - part 2

Yesterday was all about understanding body weight and calories... today we are going to take some of those guilty pleasures and turn them into healthy pleasures.  Before we start - you did check to see where your healthy weight is and how many calories you should be intaking each day right?  If not... go do that and come back... you will need that info during this portion of our discussion.

Fast food - Have you ever looked at the calorie counters for fast food??  O...M...G!  Here are a couple:
McDonalds Big Mac - Calorie Count: 576  Daily Fat %:  50  Daily Salt %: 31
McDonalds Large Fries - Calorie Count: 500  Daily Fat %: 38  Daily Salt %: 15
Burger King Double Cheese Burger - Calorie Count: 500  Daily Fat %: 45  Daily Salt %: 43
Wendy's Frosty - Calorie Count: 328  Daily Fat %: 13  Daily Salt %: 6
Arby's Beef and Cheddar Sandwich - Calorie Count: 445  Daily Fat %: 32  Daily Salt %: 53
Starbucks Grande Caramel Macchiato - Calorie Count: 304  Daily Fat %: 18  Daily Salt %: 7
Starbucks Blueberry Muffin: Calorie Count: 380  Daily Fat %: 29  Daily Salt %: 16

So, no fast food... well not necessarily.  There are options out there that are better for you than others.  Subway - better, grilled chicken - better, salads - better.. but the best thing for you would be to bring something to work that you know the calorie count.  Restaurants tend to use lots of butter, oil, and salt.  None of which is great for trying to control your caloric intake.  Don't nibble through the day - those calories tend to add up VERY fast and before you know it you have blown all your calories in "snacks" that give you empty calories.  I tend to have one MEAL a day and two light meals.  Breakfast - light.  This gets the metabolism going for the day.  Mid-day meal I push back until about 2pm and this tends to be my largest meal of the day - giving my body time to burn those calories.  Evening tends to be fruit or a salad or maybe even some yogurt. 

So lets talk transformation... always start your meals with at least a full glass of water.  This will reduce the number of calories you ingest.  Don't drink anything during the meal.  Typically we eat too fast and over stuff ourselves.  Drinking a full glass of water before will give you a partially full feeling, and you should eat closer to the proper amount during your meals - which is just less than "FULL."  Don't eat in front of the television - always sit at a table.  You are there to eat - don't read, do crossword puzzles, work, etc...  Try to consciously eat slower - eating faster makes you eat more calories as it takes a bit of time for your stomach to transmit to your brain that you are actually full. So, slow down and enjoy the flavor of your meal.

Double Cheese Burger - If you MUST have twice the meat AND the cheese - make sure you are eating good quality beef, remove the bun, and get good quality cheese.  Each of the condiments will increase the calories - stick with the vegetables lose the mayonnaise or any creamy sauces.
French Fries - completely wasted calories.  If you are craving them, you need to figure out if it is the salt or the potatoes that you are craving - and fix that problem.  Instead of french fries try oven cooked fries - steak fries - sweet potato oven fries - baked potato (no sour cream / no bacon).  Get rid of the oil that they are cooked in and add some seasonings - Mrs. Dash is a good combination if you have a hard time mixing your own. 
Shake - more wasted calories.  If you are craving something cold during the hot summer months - try making some smoothies at home with fresh and frozen fruit, almond milk, and ice.  Still lots of calories - but they are useful calories.  Stay away from the icecream.  Adding lemon or lime will help you burn the calories faster.  There are also frozen fruit pops out there that are better for you than icecream or sorbet - less sugar and real fruit.  If you MUST have icecream - get the good stuff and only take a couple small spoonfuls each day.  See how long you can make a SMALL container last.  Sitting down and eating a whole container of Ben and Jerrys is equivalent to your entire day's caloric intake - OR MORE.
Chocolate - depending on what kind of chocolate you are eating, will depend on its benefits.  Stay away from the milk chocolate and try some dark chocolate.  If you want the sweetness - try the dark chocolate with mint or some fruit.  Dark chocolate actually helps you lose weight.  Just remember one or two squares a day is enough.
Coffee - limit your intake to 1 - 2 cups black coffee each day.  If you need the flavor and sweetness, drink juice.  Seriously.  The stuff added to your coffee punches it up into the 500 - 600 calorie intake per cup.  Pay attention to it.  Create your own frozen drinks with almond milk and ice... remember though, with the frozen drinks they really punch up the caffeine - one frozen drink is equal to 2 cups of regular coffee.  Try mixing 1/2 decaffeinated with 1/2 regular at home. 
Steak - I know I am going to hear lots of grumblings with this one - you REALLY only need a couple of servings of red meat a MONTH.  If you have conditioned your body to need it more often, you really should move towards more nuts and fish to compensate.  Good steak is better for you than ground beef (usually fresher - with less fat).  Try cutting it and using it mixed with other foods. Thai Beef Salad is a great example.  You get your grilled steak - mixed with fresh greens, herbs, etc... This way you are getting less STEAK and more of the greens you need.
Cakes / Cookies / Brownies / Cheesecake - no, no, no!!  Danger Will Robinson!  We have been conditioned to eat dessert with our meals - desserts should be for special occasions, not daily consumption.  Besides the amount of sugar, they usually are made with flour that has been stripped of its benefits and made with lots of butter.  Start moving away from these unhealthy desserts to ones based on fruit - Strawberry Shortcake made with biscuits rather than poundcake or try making it with angelfood cake (another empty set of calories - but much less than the poundcake).  Or how about some fresh fruit with a couple squares of dark chocolate.  Once you move further away from the sugar laden desserts, you will find that they are just too sweet for you. 
Eggrolls - if you are like my family and love Asian foods.  Eggrolls are usually one of the first favorites.  Lumpia, Gyoza, and Summer Rolls come after... Summer Rolls or Fresh Rolls are a family favorite in my house and a wonderful healthy pleasure!!

Guilty pleasures that you should never worry about - strawberries dipped in dark chocolate.  Frozen grapes dipped in raw sugar.  Honey Sticks. 

My Non-Guilty Healthy Pleasures:
Thai Beef Salad - http://www.food.com/recipe/my-o-my-best-thai-beef-salad-ever-51081
Summer Rolls - http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/SpringRolls.htm
Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam) - http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaisnacks/r/PapayaSalad.htm

Enjoy your Healthy Pleasures today... Blessings.  E

Foods You Should be Eating - Dark Chocolate

Good Morning!!  I hope you have had a wonderful start to your day!  :)  Most everyone I know (but not all) LOVE chocolate.  It is a girl's best friend after a breakup (endorphins producing byproduct in chocolate is a mental stimulant), and her worst enemy if she has acne.  What other things should one know about dark chocolate?

What is the difference between bitter / dark / milk chocolate / white chocolate?  The darker the chocolate the more antioxidants (boost heart health, cellular health, skin health, and immune system health) and the less sugar / milk.  Milk Chocolate is what most Americans are accustomed to, but in Asia and Europe darker chocolate is the standard.  As I have moved towards a more vegetarian / less processed diet, I find that what I thought was bitter (dark chocolate) is quite sweet to me now.  White chocolate while made from cocoa butter does not contain the darker colored solids that house all the antioxidants - so don't think that you are getting all the benefits of "chocolate" if you are eating WHITE chocolate.  On the flip side - white chocolate has only trace amounts of caffeine. 

We talk a lot about eating lots of foods with Antioxidants without really digging into the WHY of it... so just to ensure we are all on the same page... Antioxidants destroy free radicals, purge our body of toxins, and boost cellular health and overall immune health.  So, in the simplest of terms, eating foods high in Antioxidants reduces your chances for getting cancer, heart disease, and any other potentially deadly disease.  Dark fruits and dark green vegetables are the best sources for Antioxidants.  There are a wide range of different Antioxidants in foods and so getting a good mix of colors is vital.

Dark chocolate has a high amount of the Antioxidant substances called Polyphenols which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.  It is rich in minerals - copper and magnesium.  With two types of flavonoids, dark chocolate is an immune booster.  A strong immune system means that your body will naturally fight illness.  Dark chocolate also helps lower cholesterol levels.  It also has lots of seratonin which will also fight depression.  And finally, dark chocolate helps fight diabetes. 

So, I am here to tell you that eating DARK chocolate is VERY good for your health!! 

Recommended Reading: http://www.allchocolate.com/health/basics/
More recommended reading: http://www.dark-chocolate-antioxidant.com/

There are some wonderful new (at least to me) chocoates out there that are organic and in many different flavors... one of my favorite is with cayenne and cinnamon.... mmm... you get heat and spice together.  Check out these great bars...

Green & Black's organic chocolate: http://www.greenandblacks.com/
Dagoba organic chocolate: http://www.dagobachocolate.com/products.asp
Vivani organic chocolate: http://www.vivani.de/P_Product_range_USA.html
Endangered Species organic chocolate: http://chocolatebar.com/categories.php?category=Chocolate-Bars-%26-Treats/3oz.-All%252dNatural-Bars
Chuao chocolate: http://store.nexternal.com/chuao/chocolate-bars-c5.aspx

Enjoy!!  Blessings... E

Cravings

We all have cravings... not just pregnant women.  Cravings are a way for our bodies to tell us that something is missing in our diet. Cravings can also come from addictions... yes, you can be addicted to certain foods.

Let's start with addictions.  Processed food manufacturers and Fast Food Businesses have learned that you CAN be addicted to certain things - and so they add them to their foods to keep you coming back.  Have you seen "Harry's Law"?  I don't watch much TV but saw an episode where an obese woman sued a fast food company because she was addicted to their food and had a heart attack. 

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is a dangerous component of many foods - it makes the food taste better - sweeter, saltier... just tastier and many non-Asian Asian Restaurants use it to enhance flavor, it is added to your processed foods - and it is not only HIGHLY addictive, it is TOXIC. 
Recommended reading: http://www.advancedhealthplan.com/msg.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251

In a previous post we discussed the artificial sweetener Aspartame, this is another HIGHLY addictive and HIGHLY toxic additive.   See post from February 16, 2011 - Diet Food Poison.

Recommended reading: http://www.dorway.com/tldaddic.html
http://www.rense.com/general82/assp.htm

And let's look at one more - Nitrates and Nitrites are commonly used to preserve meat.  You will find them in EVERY deli meat and every processed meat in the grocery store.  Nitrates again are a potentially toxic additive that is addictive. 

Recommended reading: http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_226337/Nitrates_in_commercial_foods_more_dangerous_than_we_first_thought
http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html

The saddest thing about each of these addictions (beyond the obvious) is that many times we eat them to help us LOSE weight - in reality these particular addictions cause us to gain weight.

So, let's talk about cravings, what they mean, and what to eat in their place.

Salt - Chips / Crackers.  Salt provides the body with minerals and aids in removing toxins through sweating.  You may have thyroid or adrenal gland issues that need to be tested if simple food changes do not change your cravings. Too much salt raises blood pressure, causes heart disease, migraines, Addison's disease, and makes you retain water while dehydrating you.   Salt cravings can be from an addiction or from a low mineral count.  Try eating pickles and other things that have a lot of vinegar in them rather than salty foods.  To gain more minerals eat root vegetables.  There are some great root vegetable chips out there that help you transition from your unhealthy craving.

Fried foods - chips / deep fried anything - Many people get a LOT of oil in their diet - the wrong kind.  And cravings for these foods may be your body crying out for more of the right kinds of oils.  Get away from vegetable oil / canola oil and use more olive oil, sesame oil.  Reducing the amount of oil used in your diet is essential for a healthy heart and healthy blood flow.  Try eating more tuna / salmon (weekly) or a daily supplement of Omega 3/9.  You should find your body craving those fried foods reduce substantially.

Sour - pickles / pickled fruits / vinegar / lemons / limes - There are several potential reasons for these cravings including overload of toxins (if you are beginning to lose weight and are obese - you may have overloaded your body with toxins that need to be removed - drinking a lot of water will help your body flush the toxins).

Sweet - candy, ice cream - Many people that crave sweets are addicted to the processed white sugar.  Once these things have been removed, the sweet cravings will reduce as well.  Medical reasons for craving sugar include diabetes, thyroid imbalance, or iodine deficiency.  You also may have a mineral deficiency.  Make sure you get checked if your cravings continue after reducing your processed sugar intake.  Many people don't realize that I have a HUGE sweet tooth - I refused to keep sweets in my house because I will eat them.  In their place I have a couple squares of dark chocolate and a piece of fruit daily. 

Chocolate - Chocolate cravings have been linked to a manganese deficiency.  Eating a small amount of DARK chocolate every day is good due to the high amount of antioxidants.  If you are low in manganese try eating more whole grains, seeds, nuts, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables.

Meat - This one is a pretty obvious one, people craving a lot of meat, usually need additional protein.  There may also be a phosphorus imbalance.  Meat is very difficult for the body to break down and use for energy and a LOT of it is wasted. Many highly carnivorous humans have excess undigested meat sitting in their intestines.  These foods may be better alternatives and will help you maintain proper weight.  Nuts, seeds, spinach, grains, and legumes.

Caffeine - This addiction we have been fighting since the coffee bean was found.  Pay attention to how much caffeine you ingest each day.  In the weaning process, start by changing from high caffeinated drinks after noon to moderate and then low.  Eventually, stop all caffeine after lunch.  Change to green and then white tea.  You should really drink very little caffeine daily.

Junk food / Diet food - Most of these foods have addictive ingredients that cause you to crave them regularly.  Don't ever shop when you are hungry.  You will spend 1/3 more and that 1/3 will primarily be "craving" foods that are addictive.  Find something that is 1/2 way between junk food and healthy if you need to make the transition slowly.  Dried fruits, root vegetable chips, nuts, seeds, etc.. all will help ease that transition. 

Spicy - Spicy food has a warming affect on your body - so if you are beginning to feel under the weather - spicy food will help raise your blood pressure, temperature, and help you fight that illness.  You may not even know that you are getting sick... but your body knows!  :)  Cayenne in your food also is an anti-inflammatory, and aids in stomach ailments... so... lots of good reasons to crave that spice!

Specific items - You may be craving foods that you are allergic to.  Yes, your body craves things that you are sensitive to - at times.  Don't we all want what we can't have? 

Recommended reading on cravings: http://www.crystalalgae.com/articles_cravings.htm

If you have very odd cravings like cigarette butts, cleaning detergent, etc... please get medical help immediately. 

This blogger says it soooo very clearly... you ARE what you eat... http://www.natural-cures-and-home-remedies.com/healthy-foods-to-eat.html

Remember that we have three pillars to optimal health - diet, exercise and mental well being.  Many people use food as a crutch for mental issues.  If you are having cravings, you are not at your optimal best and need to make some changes - some of those changes, may be in need of mental attitudes - to relationships between food, money, and people. 

Blessings... E