As I mentioned before, I am trying to become more of a naturalist. That is, I want to make a lot of my own household things and reduce the amount of waste I add to the earth. After all, my faith is that I honor and celebrate the earth and her seasons so I don't want to be a person that is adding to the negative impact on our planet.
August 20 was National Honey Bee Day, and so I think it's appropriate to tell you about a new product I stumbled onto called Bees Wrap! It's taking natural resources that are sustainably produced and replacing the plastic wrap, Press and Seal, and some Ziplock Bags in your kitchen. It's washable, reusable, and compostable. Beeswax is naturally antibacterial and will keep your food fresh. John just talked me into making them ourselves and I'm excited to take this on as a couples project.
I finally found a crockpot at the local thrift store, so I am looking forward to getting into making my own soap very soon! I made liquid hand soap from handmade bar soap that I had picked up at a local festival. You can purchase natural bar soaps at any market and use it to make liquid hand soap and laundry soap. The first batch of laundry soap I made was with Ivory original. It's inexpensive and pretty straightforward. Making your own soaps will save you money, and I find it to be a lot fun. Basically, anytime I can feel like an alchemist, I'm having a blast! Making the liquid hand soap and laundry soap was also easy. Making homemade soap from scratch will be a little bit more of a process, but I am excited to get started. I will also be making my own toothpaste!
Do me a favor, and if you decide to make your own toothpaste as well, do NOT add essential oils to it. Essential Oils should NEVER be added to anything you ingest or put in your mouth. If you want particular flavoring, use fresh ground spices. Most likely the spices you choose are good for oral health. I will be using cinnamon and clove in mine.
Are there things you have changed about your lifestyle to be more natural and more friendly toward the environment? Are there any details you would like for me to share (I know I kept things pretty general here)? Let me know!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Monday, August 15, 2016
Marinate Me
As I've stated before, we eat a lot of chicken here but I loath preparing it the same way all the time. So I threw together this new marinade the other night, and it was tasty!
2-3 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
1-2 teaspoons each:
It's simple and healthy. Once in a while I try to remember that less is more.
My recipes are standard for feeding two people. If you're feeding more people, or making enough to have leftovers, please adjust accordingly!
We grilled the chicken after letting it marinate for about thirty minutes.
Do you have a marinade for grilling chicken that you love? Share it with me!
2-3 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
1-2 teaspoons each:
- Turmeric
- Tarragon
- Dill
It's simple and healthy. Once in a while I try to remember that less is more.
My recipes are standard for feeding two people. If you're feeding more people, or making enough to have leftovers, please adjust accordingly!
We grilled the chicken after letting it marinate for about thirty minutes.
Do you have a marinade for grilling chicken that you love? Share it with me!
Friday, August 12, 2016
New Age Freedom
Last month, I posted a status update on Facebook about how much I enjoy the spike in the popularity of witchcraft and how it makes it much easier for me to find what I need online. I included a line about what a shame it is that people of varying religious beliefs took so long to realize that witchcraft is not the "devils work."
There are many misconceptions floating around about what witchcraft is or is not. Hollywood made up stories to sell movie magic and twisted much of the symbology into something evil for its cause. Unfortunately, with the widespread reach of Hollywood, these fictions have been set into the mindset of most people who oppose religious freedom and tolerance to become thought of as fact. This is just one of many reasons people abhor and fear the thought of witchcraft.
Witchcraft is a practice, not a religion. I know several people of varying religions who are also practicing witches. Jewish, Christian, Pagan, Catholic, Atheist - all of these groups, and more, contain practicing witches.
If you enjoy the uses of essential oils, natural remedies, the use of herbs, incense and candles, etc, you are dabbling in witchcraft (black salve for drawing out splinters, stingers, spider venom, etc). If you eat particular foods for their healing properties, you are dabbling in witchcraft. In example: 12 almonds provides the relief of 2 Tylenol. These are some of the things that would have condemned you as a witch in times mostly forgotten. These are some of the things that healers, shamans, medicine women, etc were known for and revered for. Mostly knowledge of properties that were beneficial to our needs as a community or even individually.
With the wider acceptance of many things the majority of the country has kept oppressed until recently, we are able to be more open about our practices and beliefs. There are several companies pushing wares such as essential oils and DIY ways for a natural home and lifestyle. Popularity for these traditions has grown exponentially over a handful of years. These are not new. These are things that were, until recently, hidden from the general public because they were frowned upon so much so that people were murdered for knowing and practicing them.
I am happy the world is finally more accepting of these traditions as commonplace and good. This is a great time to be a witch, where everything you need is at your fingertips and there is much less fear and shame in practicing. We are moving forward. But please remember where this knowledge came from, especially if you have never had the intention of calling yourself a witch.
Maybe this can be your first step into freedom, acceptance, and respect for what others believe and practice.
It is time we all stop attempting to force others to believe as we do. It is time to forget our hate and time to stop spreading our hate and fear. It is time to learn truths. It is time we stop to be kind and helpful to each other no matter what the circumstance.
There are many misconceptions floating around about what witchcraft is or is not. Hollywood made up stories to sell movie magic and twisted much of the symbology into something evil for its cause. Unfortunately, with the widespread reach of Hollywood, these fictions have been set into the mindset of most people who oppose religious freedom and tolerance to become thought of as fact. This is just one of many reasons people abhor and fear the thought of witchcraft.
Witchcraft is a practice, not a religion. I know several people of varying religions who are also practicing witches. Jewish, Christian, Pagan, Catholic, Atheist - all of these groups, and more, contain practicing witches.
If you enjoy the uses of essential oils, natural remedies, the use of herbs, incense and candles, etc, you are dabbling in witchcraft (black salve for drawing out splinters, stingers, spider venom, etc). If you eat particular foods for their healing properties, you are dabbling in witchcraft. In example: 12 almonds provides the relief of 2 Tylenol. These are some of the things that would have condemned you as a witch in times mostly forgotten. These are some of the things that healers, shamans, medicine women, etc were known for and revered for. Mostly knowledge of properties that were beneficial to our needs as a community or even individually.
With the wider acceptance of many things the majority of the country has kept oppressed until recently, we are able to be more open about our practices and beliefs. There are several companies pushing wares such as essential oils and DIY ways for a natural home and lifestyle. Popularity for these traditions has grown exponentially over a handful of years. These are not new. These are things that were, until recently, hidden from the general public because they were frowned upon so much so that people were murdered for knowing and practicing them.
I am happy the world is finally more accepting of these traditions as commonplace and good. This is a great time to be a witch, where everything you need is at your fingertips and there is much less fear and shame in practicing. We are moving forward. But please remember where this knowledge came from, especially if you have never had the intention of calling yourself a witch.
Maybe this can be your first step into freedom, acceptance, and respect for what others believe and practice.
It is time we all stop attempting to force others to believe as we do. It is time to forget our hate and time to stop spreading our hate and fear. It is time to learn truths. It is time we stop to be kind and helpful to each other no matter what the circumstance.
Friday, August 05, 2016
The Abbey Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Recently, John and I traveled to a dear friends' out of state wedding. I was stoked about the weekend and who wouldn't be!?! Upon arriving, we would be getting ready to take a Jazz Dinner Cruise around the lake with the happy couple. Plus, three days at an amazing resort would be just the vacation we needed.
I booked our stay at the resort three months in advance under the wedding block reserved for the joyous event. I saved for the trip well in advance and intended to pay it all off in cash the moment we returned home.
Please, do not stay at The Abbey Resort. Do your best to not be enticed by the commodities they offer, for they all come at a very steep price.
Let down #1 was that my accommodations were only discounted at the event rate for one night, not all three. This greatly exceeded my price expectations for our stay here.
Let down #2 was that none of the rooms reserved under the wedding block were near each other! We were all scattered about various buildings and floors. We were all under the impression that we would be on the same floor in the same hall.
Let down #3 What do you mean there is an extra daily fee for enjoying the resort!?! Yes, there was a daily fee on top of the expensive room rate for being at the resort which was for things including but not limited to access to the pool. It did not, however, include any breakfast or even a bottle of water.
Let down #4 was that for the price of admission and accommodation, you received sub-par service and low quality items. Wait staff that did not know what the bar stocked or did not stock; bar tenders and servers alike, that didn't seem to want to serve anyone and moved at a snails pace; well spirits at top shelf prices with the cheapest mixers available, etc.
There are other things I could go on about. But what it boils down to is that at the end of my stay we felt like we were not treated as guests, or even as people, but as walking dollar signs. No one went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and special. I have had much better experiences at regular hotels and when I plan to stay at a resort I do expect to be treated better and receive better. for the amount of extra money I spend. Instead, I drove home feeling like I was robbed for an experience I thought would be so much more than it was. I could have gone on a five day cruise to the Caribbean for what I spent to stay at this resort for three days.
I did complete the online survey which I received via email from the resort. About a week later, I received a reply email entitled: Concerning your stay at The Abbey Resort.
I booked our stay at the resort three months in advance under the wedding block reserved for the joyous event. I saved for the trip well in advance and intended to pay it all off in cash the moment we returned home.
Please, do not stay at The Abbey Resort. Do your best to not be enticed by the commodities they offer, for they all come at a very steep price.
Let down #1 was that my accommodations were only discounted at the event rate for one night, not all three. This greatly exceeded my price expectations for our stay here.
Let down #2 was that none of the rooms reserved under the wedding block were near each other! We were all scattered about various buildings and floors. We were all under the impression that we would be on the same floor in the same hall.
Let down #3 What do you mean there is an extra daily fee for enjoying the resort!?! Yes, there was a daily fee on top of the expensive room rate for being at the resort which was for things including but not limited to access to the pool. It did not, however, include any breakfast or even a bottle of water.
Let down #4 was that for the price of admission and accommodation, you received sub-par service and low quality items. Wait staff that did not know what the bar stocked or did not stock; bar tenders and servers alike, that didn't seem to want to serve anyone and moved at a snails pace; well spirits at top shelf prices with the cheapest mixers available, etc.
There are other things I could go on about. But what it boils down to is that at the end of my stay we felt like we were not treated as guests, or even as people, but as walking dollar signs. No one went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and special. I have had much better experiences at regular hotels and when I plan to stay at a resort I do expect to be treated better and receive better. for the amount of extra money I spend. Instead, I drove home feeling like I was robbed for an experience I thought would be so much more than it was. I could have gone on a five day cruise to the Caribbean for what I spent to stay at this resort for three days.
I did complete the online survey which I received via email from the resort. About a week later, I received a reply email entitled: Concerning your stay at The Abbey Resort.
"Thank you for recently staying with us at The Abbey Resort. We value each guest, as we know that you have a choice when deciding where to stay while here in Fontana on business or pleasure.
I had a chance to review the survey that you recently completed. I was concerned to hear about your experience with our hotel. We strive to accommodate our all of our guests and their needs, and I was disappointed to hear about the problems you encountered. I know that does not change your experience but I hope that you can feel confident that we heard your concerns and they will be discussed at our next Management Meeting.
Thank you again for your feedback, we truly appreciate knowing about our guest's experiences so we can celebrate our successes and address our challenges to better serve you in the future. We look forward to your return when you are in the area again."
What are you thoughts and opinions? Have you had a horrible experience somewhere? Have you had a fabulous experience somewhere? Please share!
Thursday, August 04, 2016
A Crock of Chicken
We eat a LOT of chicken here. I believe that most Americans do. It's very healthy and certain cuts are inexpensive. Luckily for us, those inexpensive cuts are thighs and drums. I love chicken thighs and not too long ago it was reported that they are just as good for you as breast meat. Drumsticks are a great alternative to wings at a fraction of the price and more meaty to boot!
However, I do tire of eating the same meal all the time, or even just the same preparation of one dish.
My new recipe is a crockpot recipe. What I love about utilizing a crockpot/slow-cooker is, I can prepare everything as early as I have time for and then let it cook all day without having to stand over it in the kitchen. It saves so much time and meats always fall apart in tenderness from cooking at a low temperature. It's a win/win and I find myself wondering why I don't cook this way more often.
Slow Cooked Chicken Marsala
Combine all ingredients in your crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours.
About 40 minutes before you want to eat, remove chicken and set on a large plate or in a bowl and let cool until you can handle it to pull it apart. I know some people use two forks to pull/shred chicken for meals, however, I like to hand pull the meat so I can leave it a bit chunkier. It's up to you! Then mix the chicken back into the crockpot and enjoy.
However, I do tire of eating the same meal all the time, or even just the same preparation of one dish.
My new recipe is a crockpot recipe. What I love about utilizing a crockpot/slow-cooker is, I can prepare everything as early as I have time for and then let it cook all day without having to stand over it in the kitchen. It saves so much time and meats always fall apart in tenderness from cooking at a low temperature. It's a win/win and I find myself wondering why I don't cook this way more often.
Slow Cooked Chicken Marsala
- 3 Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Sundried Tomatoes
- 1 Pint Halved Grape Tomatoes
- 8 Oz Sliced Bella Mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons Artichoke Antipasto
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Kalamata Olives
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1/2 Cup Marsala (Wine)
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth/Stock
- Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Combine all ingredients in your crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours.
About 40 minutes before you want to eat, remove chicken and set on a large plate or in a bowl and let cool until you can handle it to pull it apart. I know some people use two forks to pull/shred chicken for meals, however, I like to hand pull the meat so I can leave it a bit chunkier. It's up to you! Then mix the chicken back into the crockpot and enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)