Recipes

Teacher Momma's Deodorant Recipe

   A few days ago, my friend,  The Resourceful Mamma asked me to blog about my natural deodorant recipe. First I want to tell you why I began making my own. Around....oh, 7 years ago, I got an email from my mother-in-law (she's the sweetest thing since gummy bears) stating some facts about Antiperspirant Deodorants in a baaaad way! Breast Cancer is hereditary among the women and men in my family, so when I saw "may be a link to Breast Cancer" among other things, I pumped my breaks and started doing more research. This article has some good info on my findings! 

   How did I come up with the recipe? Well, honestly it was trial and error. When we first stopped using Antiperspirant deodorants, we were using Toms of Maine, which isn't bad, but did a horrible job keeping the "funk" at bay (just keepin' it real). When I was younger, I remember my mom putting baking soda on my armpits when we ran out of deodorant (it made a mess but it worked), so I thought "baking soda is a natural product, so we could just use that"! And we did, until we all starting getting rashes! The baking soda by itself was just too much for us (some people can handle it). I needed something that would help soothe us in the process, and I'm in love with coconut oil, so I decided to add some and see how that worked....in the process, I added some of my all time favorite essential oil just to make it smell nice and......guys, it was magical! This is how I do it

First I place the coconut oil in the plastic container and microwave it for 15 seconds

All of it may not be melted, but that's OK

Just give it a stir to help the rest melt

Now, add the baking soda and mix until it's well

incorporated and paste like consistency

 Go ahead, add your essential oil...My fav is Lavender

But, you can use whatever you like.....Mix well

Take the sticker off the old deodorant container.

I had a hard time, but a little warm soapy water helped a bunch....See

Nice-N-Clean! 

Now, take the top off and open up a baggie.

Place the baggies bottom inside the deodorant top...

Aaaaaah Ha, it's an instant mold!

Unscrew this part all the way off and clean out with 

warm soapy water.

Spoon your coconut oil/baking soda/essential oil mixture

into the mold

Grab that screw part and gently place it on top...press very

lightly, making sure not to spill it over (like I did hee-hee)

Gently bring the sides of the baggie up....careful, don't lift it out!

Place in the freezer on a flat surface for at least 3 hours

(I like to leave mine overnight, but it doesn't take all that)

Gently wiggle the bag out of the mold, peel the baggie away from 

the deodorant....Ladies and Gentlemen....we have made deodorant!

Almost done!

Now for the real magic...Place the deodorant with the screw side down

(like it came out) into the deodorant container and

screw it down. You may notice some deodorant overlapping the sides making it tough to screw on, No worries. take your spoon and scrape at the overlapping parts to make it even (you will perfect it over time) and continue to screw it down...you also may have to give it a little push. 

Place the top on it and keep in the refrigerator or else it will melt (coconut oil is easily melted by room temps) 

Lastly, add a personal touch! It can be given as a gift or you can personalize one for each person in the family! (kids can do their own)

P.S. Some people are sensitive to Baking Soda, please take note of how your skin is reacting to this recipe. If a rash should occur, then try adding less baking soda. 

If you give this recipe a try, come back and share your experience!

_________________________________________________ Peaches & Cream Crepes 

If this doesn't make your mouth water, you may want to check you pulse ;)

Juicy, nectar-sweet peaches are one of the joys of summertime eating. In this southern-inspired dish, they are tucked into crunchy cornmeal crepes and then warmed in the oven until piping hot, to create a breakfast to linger over. A dollop of buttery mascarpone and a dusting of sugar provide the perfect finishing touches. An easy peasy treat that's almost impossible to screw up. Enjoy

Peaches and Cream Crepes

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

2 large eggs

5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. granulated sugar, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

4 peaches, halved, pitted and thinly sliced

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Canola oil for cooking

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

About 2 Tbs. heavy cream

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

To make the crepe batter, in a blender, combine the milk, flour, cornmeal, eggs, 2 Tbs. of the butter, the 1 tsp. granulated sugar and the salt. Process until smooth. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice and sugar to taste, and toss to coat evenly. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the peaches to release some of their juice.

Lightly oil a 7-inch nonstick frying pan and place over medium-high heat until hot. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan to cover the bottom evenly. Drizzle a little batter into any holes. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed and stacking the crepes, separated by parchment or waxed paper, as they are ready. You should have 10 crepes, or 2 more than you need (the extra crepes are the cook’s treat!).

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the remaining 3 Tbs. butter. In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together the mascarpone and enough cream to create a creamy mixture, then stir in granulated sugar to taste. Set aside for serving.

Place 1 crepe on a work surface. Spoon one-eighth of the peaches in an even layer on half of the crepe, then fold over the other half to cover. Fold the crepe in half again, to form a triangle. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with 7 more crepes and all of the peaches. Brush the tops of the filled crepes with the remaining butter. Bake just until hot throughout, about 5 minutes. To serve, place 2 crepes on each plate. Crown the crepes with a dollop of the mascarpone cream, and then sift confectioners’ sugar over the top. Serve at once. Serves 4.

Variation: In the summer, swap out the peaches for other stone fruits, such as nectarines, apricots or plums. Sliced bananas, lightly sautéed in butter with a little brown sugar, are delicious other times of the year.

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Veggie Tuna

    I absolutely loved tuna when I was a meat eater, but now that I'm a vegetarian there certainly things I won't eat and that includes tuna. Last week my mother-in-law made some really good selling tuna. She served it with saltine Ritz crackers & grapes....yeah, mmmmmmmm, that's what I was thinking too. Some of us in this big 'ole world are vegetarians but, would still like to tickle our taste buds with familiar yumminess (is that a real word?). Make this recipe and your once tuna - loving family will think you're a "Master Mind". Enjoy

You will need

3 cans Garbanzo Beans (drained & mashed)

2 tablespoons Mayo (light)

1 tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard

1/4 cup chopped Green Onion

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

1/4 cup chopped Celery

1/4 cup chopped Red Onion



Lets get busy!!

Drain Garbanzo Beans, place in a medium sized bowl and mash well (a lil' lumpiness is good). Add all of the other ingredients (omit some if you like) and mix well. It will even smell like real tuna!

Serving suggestions:

- For a bit of fun, try adding some died green apple & 2 tbs. of raisins to the veggie tuna and spoon into some whole grain pita pockets.

- Prepare the day before you serve for max flavor!

- Add 1 cup of cut (in half) grapes and top with whole gran Goldfish crackers (the kids love this one)

Let me know how you like it!......How does your family "Veggie Tuna"