Part of the BBRN's Public Information series; local moms and professionals teamed up to present natural, homemade and inexpensive alternatives for everyday/disposable items!
We had a great response in June 2012 for this event and everyone wants RECIPES!
The booklet that was provided to our guests is available at the bottom of this post to download too!There were several contributors to this event, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
Thanks to
EcoBambino for hosting and giving us a venue to find healthy items for our familes! Located at:
- 863 Monterey Street
- San Luis Obispo, California 93401
Repurposed Crib above can be found at: http://alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.com/2011/08/repurposed-cot.html
Paige's Recipe List:
Homemade Coconut Oil Deodorant:6-8 Tbsp Coconut oil (solid state)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, but arrowroot is preferred)
Optional- 5-10 drops essential oils such as tea tree or lavender (both of which have additional antimicrobial properties)
-Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder/cornstarch. Slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a fork until it maintains a firm but pliable texture. It should be about the same texture as commercial deodorant, solid but able to be applied easily. If it is too wet, add further arrowroot powder/cornstarch to thicken. You can either scoop this recipe into your old deodorant dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use.
Makes about 1 cup. This recipe lasts about 3 months for two people with regular daily use.
NOTE: Since coconut oil melts at 76 deg, I would not recommend traveling with it unless it is in a sealed container. We live in a pretty hot area, and inevitably, mine always ends up melting in our bathroom :-/
*Courtesy of
Passionate Homemaking: All Natural Deodorant Homemade Coconut Oil Toothpaste:3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp baking soda
25 drops peppermint essential oil -or- 1 ml peppermint extract
1 packet stevia (maybe you could "borrow" one from Starbucks?)
2 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional)
Put the coconut oil and baking soda in a bowl and mash up with a fork until blended. Add the peppermint essential oil, stevia and optional vegetable glycerin and continue to mash and stir until you’ve reached toothpaste consistency.
NOTE: I store ours in a small (4 oz) canning jar and just use my toothbrush to scoop some out (not the most hygienic, I'll admit), but someone mentioned these
refillable squeeze tubes last night... I may need to invest in some!!
*Recipe Courtesy of
Crunchy Betty: Want to Ditch the Fluoride?Homemade Laundry detergent:(Cost- between $0.04-$0.09 a load depending on which soap you buy)
2 cups finely grated bar soap (I use a bar of
Dr. Bronner's Lavender Castile Soap , but you can use other less expensive varieties such as
Fels-Naptha, Ivory,
Kirk's Original Castile Soap, or
Zote )
1 cup
Washing Soda*
1 cup
Borax **
Mix well and store in an airtight container. If you have trouble with getting the soap grated finely, use a coarse grater, and process in a food processor after mixing with the borax & washing soda; processing the soap alone will leave a thick sticky residue. (I find it to be MUCH easier to grate coarsely and process... plus the results are much nicer :)
Use 1-2 tablespoons per load. Safe for use in HE washers.
*Washing soda can be tricky to find. Our local Ace Hardware carries it, but you can also make it from baking soda by baking it at 250 deg for an hour. More details on
Penniless Parenting.
**If you are concerned about the use of borax, I highly recommend the following article:
Crunchy Betty: Getting the Bottom of Borax For Liquid Laundry Detergent: Add grated bar soap to 4 cups boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until melted. Pour the soapy water mixture into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved. Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed. Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
T-Shirt Tote bag:Turn any heavy weight cotton T-shirt into a reusable grocery bag (Youth size XL or Adult S/M work best)
Lay shirt flat on a table.
Using scissors, remove the sleeves- make sure to leave the seam in place (the seem strengthens the handle).
Position a dinner plate halfway over the neck opening and trace (this will be the opening for your tote bag). Cut along the traced line.
Turn the shirt inside out and sew the bottom of T-shirt (hem) closed. Reinforce your tote bag by sewing over this seam a second time.
You may also add a "gusset" in the bottom corners by sewing across the corner at at right angle so that the bottom of the bag sits more like a box rather than just lying flat.
*Courtesy of
SewMargaretSew
Homemade Coffee CreamerAnd while we are on the topic of healthier & homemade... I thought I'd throw a link in for my
Homemade Coffee Creamer. If you like your coffee on the lighter side, like I do, it's nice to have a yummy alternative to chemical soup CoffeeMate. (And... our Target just started carrying organic sweetened condensed cream at the best price I have found... so excited!)
Erin Maureens List:
INGREDIENTS
Organic unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar $2.49 for 16 ounces (Trader Joe's
Coconut Oil $5.99 for 16 ounces (Trader Joe's)
Olive Oil $5.99 for 32 ounces (Trader Joes)
Garlic $1.99 for 2 heads
Ginger ~$1.49 per pound
Lemon ~$0.39 per fruit
Raw honey 4.99 for 12 ounces (Trader Joe's)
Raw local honey $15.00 a quart, Stotley's Bee Farm, Atascadero
(optional: turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, $2-7.00/jar)
RECIPES
Lemon Honey Throat Soother
2-3 tbs raw apple cider vinegar
1 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs raw honey (as local as you can get!)
½ lemon, juiced
Mix together, gargle and swallow. Tastes like a rather tart lemonade. Repeat 3-4 times daily until effective (it won't be very long until you notice the difference!).
Ear Remedy
Cover the bottom of a small saucepan with olive oil. Smash or mince a garlic clove, add to oil and heat SLOWLY on low until “fragrant”. Let cool slightly, apply drops to ear while lying down (for small ones who might wiggle, I saturate a q-tip with the oil, then run the tip around the outer ear, letting the oil drip down into the canal). Plug with cotton swab or fabric scrap and lie still for a few minutes, until oil does not drip out when you stand up.
Cough Syrup
(Thanks to Kala for directing me to this recipe from gwens-nest.com!)
½ c raw honey
½ lemon juiced
2 fresh/frozen garlic cloves, smashed or minced
chunk of fresh/ frozen ginger, macerated/minced
Mix together, refrigerate, take teaspoons as needed. Replenish honey as often as needed, replace garlic and ginger daily. OPTIONAL: Add 1 tsp turmeric plus a pinch of fresh black pepper, OR 1 tsp cinnamon, for more histamine blocking power!
Hair Mask
Honey is great for your skin, and it’s also great to use in a hair mask. Honey is a humectant and it will seal the cuticle of the hair and make it shiny. Coconut oil is very moisturizing, so the two together will give you soft, shiny hair. Who doesn’t want that? Take three tablespoons of oil and two tablespoons of honey, mix them together and apply to your hair, starting at the tips. Top with a shower cap, or plastic wrap and leave on for 15-30 minutes, shampoo and condition as usual, rinsing well. Another method: wet hair in shower, apply mixture to hair and let sit for ten minutes. Shampoo and condition as usual.
Zit Zapper
Plain raw honey on affected area, rinse after several minutes, moisturize as usual. For more drastic issues; mix a paste of cinnamon and honey, leave on affected area as long as possible, preferably overnight. (I use a cotton scarf around my chin to keep the paste from dripping/spreading in the night.)
ENTIRE BOOKLET CAN BE DOWNLOADED BELOW!!
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| green_on_a_shoestring_complete_book.pdf |
| File Size: | 360 kb |
| File Type: | pdf |
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