The adventures of canning

During 2013 I had been trying out several different marinara sauce recipes and by the end of the year I had successfully figured it out! After I made all these batches of sauce I would freeze most of it for use later. Then my freezer filled up and I noticed that the sauce started to separate and some got freezer burn. I was not a happy camper.

This led me to attempt to learn how to can. No not learn the game Kan Jam, but learn how to preserve foods utilizing water-bath canning. I figured I would learn a new skill as well as free much needed space in the freezer. So I put on my winter boots and headed to Walmart in search of canning supplies. I got quart sized jars and the Ball Blue Book for a time tested resource on canning. I got home and started working. I now know looking back, my mother is always right … read EVERYTHING first before you do something, right? I guess I was just super excited.

I had made the marinara sauce but then realized I needed Citric Acid in order to can it. Citric Acid (found in lemon juice) is needed to alter the pH of the food to prevent spoilage. So I turned off the stove and headed out. Walmart carried food grade Citric Acid right in the canning section. How did I miss it the first time?!

Well then I was back at it! I had 3 quart sized jars in my stock pot but then realized it was a VERY full pot. I continued to follow my recipe and filled the sanitized jars correctly, placing each filled and sealed jar back in the water. When all three were full I put the lid on and cranked up the heat. It came to a boil after awhile and I realized my pot was definitely too short. You need 2 inches of water on top of the jars while boiling, and that brought the water to the very tip of my pot. I was continually wiping up water as it spurted out! I survived the 45 minutes of processing time. Then after the jars cooled for 12 hours I tested the seals and they worked! We are in business people!!

Don't let my experience scare you away from canning … just make sure to read your recipe in advance and have a large enough stock pot!

For reference the pot I was using was 9 inches tall. I am going to be purchasing a new one that is at least 11 inches tall to avoid the water catastrophe again!

 

Is that a jar of face cream or an expensive concoction of chemicals?

Over the past years I have enjoyed a vast array of hair products, make up, lotions, etc. but recently I have been making a change. I am realizing I don't need all of that stuff. Yes, make up can be fun and some women enjoy it. That's cool. But for me, all of that combined looks like a laboratory of chemicals that I would like to do without.

So I eliminated hair products and make up from my life … besides the recent addition of red lipstick, but that can be another blog post. Luckily I have manageable hair so no hair products is easy for me. But then it came time to evaluate my face cream and I realized I can't do without that, especially in wintertime. My face gets dry.

My solution? Research on the internet. I came upon the blog The Elliot Homestead and the writer had a great recipe for homemade face cream. Now THIS is right up my alley. I love cooking and why not expand that to "cooking" up beauty products?!

It is seriously the most simple thing ever. Three ingredients listed below and directions at the bottom of this post.

• 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Unrefined Shea butter
• 3-5 drops Essential Oil (Examples: Tea Tree & Lavender are both good for blemish prone skin. Leave the EO out if you want to make eye cream. The eye area is more sensitive and EO could irritate that skin).

The cream is, well, a cream. It's not a light lotion. This is best used at night after you wash your face and are ready for bed as the Shea butter and coconut oil take about 10 minutes to soak into your skin. That means don't apply this and walk into work because your face will be all shiny!

Now you are thinking … what does this all cost? There is definitely an up front investment. I purchased 30 oz of Coconut oil (you can cook with this as well) and 16 oz of Shea butter. After doing the math, the homemade natural cream costs $1.40 per ounce. To put that in perspective let's compare it to Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream which uses mostly natural ingredients, including Shea butter. This cream costs $10 per ounce! 

Homemade cream is 86% cheaper!

You can probably find most of the ingredients at your local natural/whole foods store or you can order it online. I purchased the Coconut oil on sale at our local whole foods store and the essential oils as well. I ordered the Shea butter from Amazon to get a better deal.

I have been using this all natural cream for over 2 months now and absolutely love it. I will never buy store bought face cream again. I put it on every night and go to bed and when I wake up my face is soft and moisturized. I don't have  a need to put more cream on or use some sort of "morning/day lotion". It also doubles as a make up remover for those occasions of fanciness!

My next challenge will be to figure out how to make this homemade cream have SPF for the summertime! 

Directions:

Spoon out the coconut oil and Shea butter in a microwaveable safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds then whisk together until completely smooth. You may need to heat again for 10-20 seconds and whisk again. Then add the essential oil of your choosing. Store the cream in a clean container with a tight fitting lid such as an old face cream container, small plastic or glass jar (like a baby food jar). The mixture will become solid once it cools to room temperature (place it in the fridge to rapidly cool it).

Crossroads

Which way do I go? It's like an X or T in my path but which way is the right way to go? Someone says left, another says right but I thought I should go straight. I have found myself in this position quite a few times in my life. But right now, this time, it is different.

I have God in my life and He is directing my path. You will see that I did not say it was easier but that it is different. I do not have a crystal ball that shows me the correct path. But I can take comfort in knowing that the God of the universe will make good out of every situation His children are in.

Over the past 2 years of my Christian life I have learned a lot. One of the valuable things I have learned is that God has placed several people in my life of whom are great spiritual leaders, in my life and others. Those that I share life with daily and those that are only a phone call away. I have learned that not only is it okay to ask for help but it is a necessity. I cannot go through this life on my own. Only God can enable me to do so and God has many hands and feet on this earth He created. (1 Corinthians 12:27) I have prayed many prayers of "Lord, help me through this situation" but only to keep my eyes and ears closed to those He sent to help me.

My situation reminded me if a story I once heard. A man is drowning and calling out to God for help. A boat comes to the man and the sailor offers help but the man refuses saying God will help him. This happens several times. God then cries out "I am helping you! Didn't you see the boats come to your aid?". It reminds me to listen and look for God because He always answers our prayers, though sometimes it is not in the way we wanted. I have to continually remind myself that God's plan is much better than anything I can dream up.

Three Sundays ago I attended Grace church in McKean, PA. Pastor Derek was starting a new sermon series titled "Finding Forward" (sermon link at the bottom). This was one of those moments where God was speaking to me through His children on earth.

Derek talked about having to listen for God's direction. In order to do that we have to pray waiting prayers. Like the apostles we need to devote ourselves to prayer (Acts 1:14) and listen for God. This is really hard for me because I am so used to the instaneousness of our culture where everything is just a mouse click or card ride away. 

Lord I will wait for your guidance for You are good and all knowing. I will listen for Your direction! I will pray bold prayers for You are The Almighty God! You will direct me at the crossroads!

Sermon link:

http://whoisgrace.com/resources/sermons/finding-forward-listen-for-gods-direction/

Homemade PSL

Fall is my favorite season by far. Are there any other fellow pumpkin enthusiasts out there? Pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin soup, and the list goes on until you reach … the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Shout out to Starbucks for making this drink a cultural phenomenon in our society. The amazing little drink that costs a whopping $4-5 but oh it tastes delicious but I want to save money! What do I do? Make it at home!

There are various recipes out there if you ask the Google. But here is what I recently tried this week after having some leftover homemade whipped cream in the fridge from our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving-in-October party … and now I think it will become a regular in this house!

Ingredients:

Homemade whipped cream (recipe below)

1 1/2 cups coffee (brewed however you like it)

1-2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup milk (I use 1 or 2%)

Pumpkin pie spice (or a combo of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and if you have it add cloves and allspice)

Making the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

If you have an electric mixer this is super easy, if not you get a free workout! Place bowl (glass or metal bowl works best) and whisk of electric mixer in freeze for 10 minutes. Once the bowl and whisk are chilled add all the ingredients together in the bowl and whisk away! Come back in a few minutes and check the texture. You want it to form soft to firm peaks. Don't know what those are? Check this great visual resource.

Making the latte:

When your coffee is done brewing, spoon out a heaping spoon of whipped cream into your to-go mug. Add some pumpkin spice in and pour your coffee over top. Sweeten the coffee to your liking (I normally put about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar in mine). Stir the mixture quickly to dissolve the sugar. Then pour in the milk to fill the large cup. Place in microwave for 1 minute. Remove the cup and give it a good stir and top with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice and you are good to go! The combination of the whipped cream and milk makes the drink frothy and delicious!

Craving more pumpkin flavor? Add 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin puree when you add the sugar. 

Enjoy the fabulous foods of Fall!

UPDATE: Pumpkin Whipped Cream!!
Wow! Adding pumpkin to the whipped cream is fabulous! You must try! Follow the whipped cream recipe and mix in 1/3-1/2 cup of pumpkin puree once the cream is finished. Then add a big scoop to your coffee! Enjoy!!