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Blocked Chakra

Three years later... and I'm back.  Why?  Apparently my third chakra (my throat chakra) is blocked.  I've been getting migraines everyday for the past three weeks.  Sometimes twice a day.  I went to my doctor and was given narcotics to rid the pain.  But, I'm not a narcotics girl, so I went to my massage therapist, Ranjot. It was he, that told me I had a lot going on around my 'third eye' (which is not a zit in the middle of your forehead.) Don’t worry; this chakra thing is new to me too!)  In other words, I am thinking A LOT and my throat charka is blocked, which means I'm not talking about whatever I'm thinking about.  So hence, I'm going to start talking about it, by starting to blog again (as opposed to spending money on a therapist.)   I know I have another blog, but I think my 'randomalyson' thoughts are not what people want to read on a beer soap blog.  So, as this blog name suggests, this will be reserved for my random thoughts... Now that I have compartmentalized everything, I'm feeling better already.

Ranjot, the amazing, gave me the following strategies to unblock my Chakra:

1) Talk about worries/thoughts

2) Meditate daily (this even means reciting a mantra over again. "This is Me-time, enjoy it!  This is Me-time, enjoy it! This is Me-time, enjoy it!")

3) Ground yourself by walking barefoot on lawn, grass, anything not man-made!

4) Visualize: Breath out the bad, breathe in the good.

So what did I choose:  I combined some strategies.  I ripped out a 10 X16 ft area of brick (manmade), which got me breathing heavily. I may not of been visualizing out with the bad, in with the good...  but I did seem to work something out...  

Well, see how my third eye took it!!!!  

Free Family Fun- Tennessee Valley

With easy access from HWY. 101, and minimal competition from the Mt. Tam / Stinson bound drivers, the Tennessee Valley was just what the Swihart family needed.  Tennessee Valley Road (located off of the Mill Valley/ HWY. 1 Exit) led us straight to the parking lot, where we began our adventure.  With the little one strapped to Dad's back, and a 4 yr. old being pushed in the "BOB," we found the 1.7 mile trail to Tennessee Beach to be fairly level...  and half of this distance paved!  Despite the fact that we could only use two of the three wheels of our stroller ( we love slow leaks!!!), we recommend the Lower Valley Trail, when you come to the fork, as the Upper Trail has many hills.  Though narrower than the Upper, the Lower Trail offers a flat surface to hall your goodies, and provides an up close and personal encounter with various native grasses and plants.  Eventually, you meet up with the Upper Trail, finishing your hike to the beach!  Also important to note:  There are no bathrooms once you get to the beach.    So for the kids, make sure they visit the restroom (located in the parking lot) prior to departure!!!!!

The ABC juice

If I were to eat this, it would take all day!  And if I were to eat this all raw...  it may take me longer than that...  so, I juiced it (inspired by John Cross's Documentary)!

Ingredients:

3 Apples

2 Beets (Greens and all!)

3 Carrots

7 Chard Leaves

1 Ginger (thumb size)

Results:  I got four cups of juice, which makes a great snack in between meals (or a meal itself).  I must admit, I am not a raw beet person, so I do not think I will put it in again.  I will substitute with cucumbers and celery!

Also, it's important to note to put the chard in first.  This way, the other food will make sure the chard gets pushed through the juicer! Have Fun!

Getting Back on Track!

It's time to publicize and become accountable for getting back on track with my health!  I'm vowing to get healthier... I'm getting this pregnancy weight off, I'm going to model the benefits of regular exercise and  healthy eating habits for my kids, I'm going to feel good, and have fun while doing it!!!!!  Why do I need to announce this to the world?  Because I need the support of others to say... "Yes you can!  And I will help!"  Two role models have led me on this path... my Dad and Joe Cross's documentary, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead!"

My dad has definitely been an inspiration.  A couple months back he had a heart to heart talk with his doctor who informed him, that by changing his eating habits many of his aliments that he has been suffering from for years... (over weight, skin inflammation, aches and pains, migraines), would go away.  Since then, he has eliminated  sugar, wheat, and starch out of his life and has incorporated more vegetables, nuts, fruit, and meat. His ailments have virtually disappeared.  He's lost 40 pounds and is feeling great.

Joe Cross had similar problems that my dad did.  However, he took his eating to an extreme.  He basically "rebooted" his body for 30 days by drinking only homemade veggie juices and slowly incorporated whole food in moderation after that time.  He too, lost weight and the illnesses he was struggling with basically disappeared.

I've been saying for years that I know, "You are what you eat!" But, I never really got it. No, to watch people actually transform... I finally get it!

So, I'm taking elements of what these two people have learned and making it work for me.  I have begun to eat more veggies, and less sugar/wheat. I  have rid my kitchen of processed foods and replace them with fruits, veggies, and meats that I can get locally or grow/raise myself.   I have started to  juice...  (otherwise, I will be eating veggies none stop... all day) once or twice a day.  I run twice a week for 30 minute (I hope to increase this in the future.)  And now....  I am going to post my recipes so that I have a place to not only log my craft and gardening projects, but to log a healthy lifestyle as well!

For me, this is not about weigh lose, but about being healthy...  making my body  run as efficiently as possible so that I can watch my children's children grow up, have a lifetime of memories with the people I love, and maybe even inspire others, as I have been inspired by these two gentleman!

Free Family Fun - Iron Horse Trail, Walnut Creek

We discovered the Iron Horse Trail last weekend, and we will definitely be going back!   Formally the Southern Pacific Railroad, this now paved trail begins or ends (depending on how you look at it) in Concord. It travels 18 miles through Walnut Creek and ends in Dublin.  It's perfect for biking, walking, or jogging.  It has little parks along the way to stop and eat lunch.  With a four year old and an 8 month old, we probably only did 12 miles round trip on bike, but we will come back to bike another section of the trail soon!

Knifty Knitter Fingerless gloves for kids!

My daughter has been bugging me the past few months about making her some fingerless gloves.  Unfortunately, making the gloves on the blue Knifty Knitter loom makes the gloves go up to her shoulder... Stylish, but not what I'm going for!  So, I thought, we not use the Knifty Knitter flower loom.  They came out really cute! Hope you find this useful:


Materials:  Flower Loom (I hot glued my pegs in place!), yarn (I used 2 stands throughout to make them thick!)

• Cast on (you will be making a flat panel using all the pegs on the loom)
• Knit until the piece is long enough to go around your little ones wrist (I knitted 20 rows)
• When you have knitted the amount you need, reach into the loom and bring up the cast on row
• Just as you would for making a turned brim, put the bars from the cast on row back on the pegs SKIPPING PEG 5!
• Knit the pegs that have two loops on them
• Starting from the last peg, remove the whole piece using the crochet method

Liquid Laundry Soap

My review for the powdered laundry soap is in...  it gets clothes clean, but I feel like I always need to add more than 2 tablespoons.  This is purely a "me" thing... because the clothes are clean!  I think it's because after using name brand laundry detergent over my lifetime, I must be brainwashed that I have to use more (like a 1/4 cup or something).  More is better right?  So, I found myself doing laundry sprinkling in a little more washing soda or borax.  I was also at times putting 3 tablespoons of the laundry soap in.  So, I'm moving on to liquid laundry soap. This recipe definitely is MORE!  It makes 10 gallons!  I'll be having laundry detergent for years!

This soap is apparently the Duggar family recipe.  We don't have a TV, so I don't know much about them except what I see on the internet.  Apparently, they have a really big family (19 kids), and laundry is a full time job in that house.  Therefore, they should know what works.  So their recipe is:

1 grated bar of soap ( I'm going to use my homemade soap!)
1 cup of washing soda (see recipe, if you can't find it in the stores)
1/2 cup of borax
4 cups of hot water
5 gallon bucket
MORE water

Melt the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water.

 Fill up the bucket half way with hot water.  Add the melted soap, washing soda, and borax to the bucket.

Mix and make sure everything has dissolved.  Then add more water to fill the bucket.  Let it stand overnight and it will turn to gel.

Some people use the soap at this point.  One cup per load.  But the Duggar family takes it one step farther.  They are saying that what we just made is a concentrate.   When you are ready to use it, fill half of a used name brand laundry detergent container with your newly made soap and the other have with water.  Use one cup per load!

So I'm going to try both ways...  I'll get back to you!

Knifty Knitter Dish Scrub

A simple 20 minute project with great results!  This little scrubby works great on all hard to clean pots, pans, and dishes.  All you need is a blue loom and nylon thread.  I found this stuff on a trip to home depot with my husband!

Cast on leaving 8-10 inches on the holding peg. E-wrap and  knit 15 rows.  Cast off using the gathering method.  Using the thread from the holding peg, using the gathering method to gather the other side.  Tie off and hide the thread inside.

I also made a smaller scrub by knitting just 10 rows!  Experiment away!

Again, thanks to Rostitchery for another great tutorial!

Washing Soda

So, I've been making soap like no one's biz... and now I want to go to the next level...  laundry detergent. It's economical, and I can use my homemade soap in it.  The basic ingredients are 1/2 of Borax, 1/2 cup of washing soda, and 2 cups of grated soap.  I had no problem finding the borax... but the washing soda, I couldn't find to save my life.  You would think in an urban setting, I would have no problem finding it.  So with a little research I found out you can make it!  Washing Soda is Baking Soda cooked.  By baking baking soda for about 2 hours on 400 degrees, the baking soda becomes washing soda.  If you are interested in the chemistry of it... google it....  but I must say....  I am now a proud maker of laundry detergent.  Two table spoons of detergent into the load... and I have clean clothes!

Cold Process Soap: Alternatives to Water, What NOT to do!

Another wonderful experiment with cold process soap!  This time, I wanted to try to substitute water for another liquid in my soap.  I have had much success with beer.  So I thought, why not use apple juice using the apples from my tree (how full circle of me!)

Well, let me tell you a little secret... it was NOT a smart idea!  Thank god I had on gloves and goggles!
So, this is what happens to the lye solution when adding lye to juice:

...  it turns to sludge... in seconds....  it's called pectin ... Boy, did I learn my lesson!
So,  I disposed of the lye solution properly by waiting for it to cool, and transfered it into plastic bags  to throw away.  Then I tried it again... this time I dissolved all of the lye into half of the amount of water I normally use, and used the other "half" for the apple juice.  The key is to add the apple juice to your oils and lye just before you pore it into your molds.  Then it turns into something like this:

Apple Art

Here is another idea for using apples!  As you know, we have been talking a lot about apples around our house since I have been cooking with them so much.  My four year old said, "We should paint with them!" Hum... not a bad idea! We can make apple prints!  And so, we did!

Applesauce

 Our tree is loaded this year, and I have been spending most of my free time creating something with this wonderful fruit! Today, I made applesauce!  I forgot how fun it can be... especially with a 4 year old helper!  The basic recipe is simple.  I threw the following ingredients in my crockpot and cook it on high for 3 hours.  Once it cools, I pureed it, added any additional sugar or cinnamon to taste...  and bam....  GREAT APPLESAUCE!

Apples (about 5 lbs)

spritz of lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup of H20

cinnamon to taste

Fairy Princess Tutu

Fairies, princesses, and dress-up are a HUGE thing around our house. And we are in need of something new to add to our collection...  So, today, I went on a scavenger hunt around the house to find items that would make some sort of costume. What I found wound up making a tutu. I used a hair band, tule, and ribbon.  I cut the tule into 3 inch strips and looped them onto the hair band.

 

I then kept adding tule until it was filled up!  I was happy, and so was my daughter!

A Fart Egg?

Raising chickens has been quite an adventure.  We've learned (though experience) how our chickens were escaping from our backyard,  how to clip their wings, that they don't get seriously sick every fall (they  just molt), and that every once in awhile, they may lay very, very small eggs... called fart eggs.

Of course, being new to raisimg chickens, we thought that there was something seriously wrong with them.  But after a little research...(ok,  A LOT of research), we discovered that a fart egg had been laid.  Apparently, it occurs when reproductive tissue breaks away.  The chicken's body treats the tissue as a yolk and forms the rest of the egg around it.  However, the fart egg is completely yolk-free.  Who knew?

Sprouting Time!

New addiction: sprouting! Good on sandwiches... Good on salads... Good for you!  I had heard that those little sprouts had more nutrients then their elder counterpart, the full grown plant.  So, I figured why not try to grow then myself?  Our family always needs more "good stuff." 

Day 1:  Take seeds ( I used spinach) and soak them in water overnight in a jar.

Day 2: Drain and set jar at a 45 degree angle in order over the course of the day to prevent seeds from getting moldy.  That night add water to the jar, giving the thirsty seeds a drink.  Then immediately drain and set jar at a 45 degree angle.

Day 3 -5:   Each night add water to the jar.  Then immediately drain and set jar at a 45 degree angle until seeds sprout.  Keeps up to a week in the fridge!

 

 

Cold Process Soap

I finally had the courage to make Cold Process Soap.  The lye factor scared me, but after hours and hours of research, I bought my materials, had my wonderful husband watch the kids, and made my first batch of soap.  I couldn't have done it without The Soap Makers Companion, by Susan Miller Cavitch.  I must admit, it was a meditative adventure... it was a first time in awhile that I was completely present and not thinking of anything else, but what I was doing at the moment.

I used Cavitch's "Soap Essential's Bar II" recipe: olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil.  I added vanilla EO to it... but suprisingly, I couldn't really smell the vanilla.  It was the olive oil that took over.  After some reading, I learned that maybe I should use the extra light olive oil.  I will try that for my next batch.
Here is a picture documentary of me soap journey!  The final soaps did come out looking like unfrosted cake...  hope that's ok....  Would love to here your thoughts!

Measuring the Sodium Hydroxide

Adding the Sodium Hydroxide to the water to make the LYE

Adding the Lye to the melted oil

Stirring it until it traces

Quickly adding it to my mold

Insulating it for 24 hours

Cutting it in bars and letting it cure for 4 weeks!

Onesie Bouquet Basket

Ok... so I'm not Martha Stewart, but I think I did pretty good with this one.  My girlfriend is having a baby at the end of July. She is going with a garden theme for her shower and baby's room.  So, I had to try Martha's bouquet tutorial... it would go perfect with the mother-to-be's theme.  But no such luck for me.   I could not, for the life of me, wrap the floral tape around the thicker socks or onesies.  So...  I made what I could into flowers, found a basket, stuffed the bottom with diapers (to hold the 'flowers'), and stuffed what I couldn't wrap the tape around into the basket as well.  Viola... a onesie basket!!!!  And the mommy loved it!

Clipping chicken wings!

Well, it has been a long time!  Bringing a new child into this world has taken up most of our lives the past two months, and it sure has been a joy!  And while this has been going on, we have managed to keep our chickens in the yard by clipping their wings.  Here is a video on how we did it.  This is our first time at it, so we very much would appreciate any suggestions!

Baby Booties using the Knifty Knitter

I finally had the courage to make socks!  I've been wanting to for sometime.  But I'm not a pattern maker... I need instructions!  Unfortunately, my on-line searching skills are not that great and I had a challenging time finding one for the Knifty Knitter.  Rostitchery has one for an adult foot using the blue loom, but I was nervous to commit to it... I needed something smaller... a baby sock would do!  The Knifty Knitter yahoo group recommend Bev's Country Country Cottage for a pattern.  So this weekend, I sat down and tried it.  I had to modify her pattern a little to make it fit the KK flower loom...  but after three tries, I found something that worked for me!  The blue sock in the picture was my first attempt.  I used the same amount of rows Bev recommended (but remember... a different loom)  and the sock fits my 3-yr old.  I then modified the rows for the cuff and ankle, but not the foot. This sock would fit a baby with a REALLY long foot (purple sock!).  Finally, I figured it out by sock three (purple and black sock) and am happy enough with it that I will make it's pair!

Here is what I came up with thanks to the wonderful guidance of Bev's Loomed Newborn Booties!
Material:  KK flower Loom, 2 colors of Baby Yarn.  You will use 2 strands throughout!

Instructions:  E-wrap around the loom twice, and knit off 1 over 1
Knit 10 rows
Turn up for a cuff (like making a brim on a hat)
E-wrap and knit 3 more rows

Make the Heel by: E-wrap 8 pegs, knit off those 8 pegs (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
E-wrap backwards only on 6 pegs (7,6,5,4,3,2), knit off
E-wrap forward again 4 pegs (3,4,5,6), knit off
E-wrap backwards again  2pegs (4,5), knit off

Now increase the number of pegs by two.

E-wrap peg 6 (knit-off) then e-wrap 5,4,3. Knit off.
E-wrap peg 2 (knit-off) then e-wrap 3,4,5,6,7. Knit off.
E-wrap peg 8 (knit-off) then e-wrap 7,6,5,4,3,2,1. Knit off. 

Form Foot:  E-wrap and knit 6 more rows (if you want you foot longer, keep going!)
Use the gathering method to to end!

Let me know how this worked for you and thanks again to the KK yahoo groups and Bev's Country Cottage patterns!