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Health & Fitness

"Cooking With The Kitchen Diva!"

Want to give a home made gift from the heart for Christmas this year? I have a few awesome home made gift recipes to share with you! Read more...

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since the last time I sat down and blogged a bit. The holiday season is now coming into full swing and I don't know about you, but I am the type of person who just loves to make things for people for Christmas.

I am not going to bring out the food recipes this time... no, I am going to bring out the "make at home gift recipes"! I thought I would share a few of these with you. I think they are great little stocking stuffers, teacher' gifts, a friend in the neighborhood or anyone else you want to feel just a little bit special! It doesn't really take much time to make these ... so if you are in the mood and have the time ... here they are!

Lavender & Peppermint Foot Cream

INGREDIENTS:


1/8 Cup Cocoa Butter
1/2 teaspoon Beeswax
1 1/8 Cup Refined Shea Butter
1/4 Cup Aloe Butter
1/8 Cup Avocado Oil
1/8 Cup Liquid Vegetable Glycerin
1 Tablespoon Vitamin E Oil
1 teaspoon Tea Tree Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons Lavender or Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
1 teaspoon Peppermint Essential Oil
1 Tablespoon Mountain Rose Herbs Restorative Skin Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butters and beeswax over low heat on the stove or at half power in the microwave just until melted. Mix well, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Whip in a blender or using a hand blender.

Pour evenly into four 4oz. plastic or glass jars. Allow to cool and harden completely, about two days. For a thicker cream, double your amounts of cocoa butter and/or beeswax.

For a cooling sensation in your foot cream, add menthol crystals.
Ingredients for this project can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs.

http://www.soapdelinews.com/2009/03/lavender-peppermint-foot-cream-recipe.html

 

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Candy Cane Sugar Body Scrub...

 

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Yield: 6 1/2 pint mason jars

5 cups granulated white sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 cups coconut oil

1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the coconut oil until melted, in 30 second bursts. Once melted, add the olive oil and peppermint extract, stirring to combine. Add your sugar and mix until no dry sugar remains. Add to jars up the 1 inch head space mark. Wipe rims, add bands and voila!

If you want to do the layering effect to make it look like a candy cane, take half of your sugar mixture and add it to another bowl. Use food grade GEL food coloring – this works the best. Mix until you have a nice consistent color and then layer it in your mason jars – one layer red, one layer white, and keep going till your jars are full up to the 1 inch head space. The red layers may leave some red coloring on your skin, but it easily rinses off with some soap.

Note: Since this is an oil based scrub, you’ll want to be careful after using it in the shower since it will leave a slick film on your tub. I usually just rub the slippery areas with my foot and it’s all good.

 

Home Made Natural Lip Balm...

 

1 1/2 tsp. Beeswax
1 7/8 tsp. Coconut Oil (or in other words just shy of two teaspoons)
1 1/8 tsp. Cocoa Butter
3 tsp. olive oil
3 capsules Vitamin E
7 empty chapstick tubes


Like everything else, I put everything minus the Vitamin E into my trusty Pyrex measuring cup and melted it all. I did this over a double boiler, but you can do it in the microwave if you like. I add the Vitamin E afterward so that it doesn’t lose any of its helpful properties by being heated too much. This will make the tiniest amount of liquid and you won’t believe that it will fill all seven tubes, but it will, perfectly. I carefully poured them into the tubes and waited for them to cool. Then they are ready to go!

*** I have added lavender, peppermint, lemongrass and various essential oils to the mix... just a couple of drops to flavor the chap stick... it is wonderful! Add any oil you wish!

 

Homemade Face Cream Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (8g) Emulsifying wax
  • 1/3 cup (75ml) Jojoba or Apricot Kernel oil or
    a combination of oils suited to your skin (see below for suggestions)
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Vegetable Glycerin
  • 1/3 cup (75ml) Rose Water
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) Vitamin E
  • 10 drops Grapefruit Seed extract
  • 4 drops Sandalwood essential oil
  • 3 drops Patchouli essential oil
  • 1 drop Frankincense OR Chamomile essential oil
  • 1 drop Rose Geranium essential oil
  • 1 drop Ylang Ylang essential oil

Directions

  1. Stir together the oil, emulsifying wax and glycerin in the top part of a double boiler, warming slowly over a low heat until the wax is melted. Remove from heat and pour in the Vitamin E.

  • In a separate pot on the stove or in the microwave, gently warm the rose water just until lukewarm.

  • Slowly pour the water into the oil, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture is thick and smooth.

  • Stir in the essential oils and the grapefruit seed extract. Pour the homemade face cream into a clean, sterilized 6oz (175ml) dark glass or PET plastic jar and allow it to cool before putting the lid on.

  • Stir the mixture occasionally as your homemade facial moisturizer cools to prevent the ingredients from separating. Store in a cool, dark place.
  •  

    Customizing Your Homemade Face Cream Recipe

     

    For a thinner consistency, add a little less emulsifying wax.

    Choosing the best carrier oils: You can customize your homemade face cream with small amounts of Avocado or Evening Primrose oil. Read the carrier oils page and see what might work best for you.

    You can also replace the rose water with other hydrosols such as calendula, chamomile, helichrysum, lavender, rose geranium or sandalwood - all of which are good for dry, aging or damaged skin types.

    *** Your face cream will store in the fridge for up to six months!

     

    I have another recipe for face cream you might like. This one is super healthy for your skin!!

     

    Home Made Peppermint Foot Cream...

     

    1 tablespoon (0.5 ounces) Cocoa Butter, firmly packed 1/4 cup (2 ounces) Shea Butter, firmly packed 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Coconut Oil, firmly packed 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil 1 teaspoon (about 12 capsules) Vitamin E Oil 1/4 teaspoon Tea Tree Essential Oil 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Essential Oil 1-2 teaspoons Peppermint Extract (optional)

    In a double boiler, melt the cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil. Mix well and remove from heat.
    Let cool until it starts to set up. I usually put it in the fridge or freezer to help this process go a little faster. Once cooled, add in remaining ingredients.
    Using a hand mixer, whip lotion and then pour into desired container.

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