DIY Herbal Honey Cough Drops

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The flu season is upon us, and coughs are a-plenty.  People seek relief from cold and flu symptoms in various ways, including pharmaceuticals, and medicated candy such as Halls.  Halls, owned by Cadbury, is a leading supplier of cough candies.  Aside from the fact that they suppress coughs, they contain an unacceptable amount of chemicals.

Active  Ingredient: Menthol 9.4 mg Inactive  ingredients: acesulfame potassium, aspartame, beta carotene, FD&C blue no.  1, flavors, isomalt, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, soy lecithin, water (www.gethalls.com)

In one example, Halls peppermint variety, the only active ingredient is menthol.  The inactive ingredients are used for flavour, color and texture.  How many of them do you recognize?  How many of them do you recognize as ingredients you try to avoid in general?  None of the inactive ingredients are going to boost your immune system at a time when you need it the most.

Herbal honey cough drops are easy to make, use all natural ingredients, soothe your throat and cough, and give a natural boost to your body when it is fighting a virus.

Peppermint Oil:
Peppermint oil contains a large amount of naturally occurring menthol.  Menthol is used, among many other things, as an antipruritic to reduce itching, as a topical analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, in decongestants for chest and sinuses, and to produce a cooling sensation.  These work together to soothe an itchy, sore throat and calm a cough.  Caution: menthol, in very large doses, can be lethal.  Peppermint oil can contain up to 55% menthol so it is important, as with any essential oil, to use only very small amounts of it.

When choosing a peppermint oil, make sure you choose a therapeutic grade oil from a company you trust.  Most essential oils are not therapeutic grade, are meant for aromatherapy and may contain ingredients you don’t want to consume.  Read the notes at the bottom to find a high-quality, therapeutic grade essential oil.

Honey:
Unpasteurized honey has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Honey has been used over the years to soothe coughs, heal wounds and prevent bacterial infections.

Ginger:

Ginger is a natural immune booster and is used to help with congestion. It also contains antiviral properties and is a great natural cold and flu fighter.

Optional:

Cold and Flu teas: check the label of your tea to discover the benefits the herbs provide.

Materials:

  • Thick-bottomed pot
  • Silicone candy molds, parchment paper and/or greased cookie sheet
  • Candy or deep fry thermometer (must reach 300F)
  • Metal whisk

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c. raw honey
  • 3 inches peeled, organic ginger root
  • 5 drops therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil (essential oil droppers are not standardized. Use common sense.)  0.2 ml will work too, from a syringe.  Make sure your essential oil is therapeutic grade (food grade).  Not all essential oils are created equally.
  • Optional: herbal Cold and Flu-type teas: Echinacea and Roots Tea by Mountain Rose Herbs or Traditional Medicinals teas
  • powdered sugar for dipping in afterwards

Directions:

  1. Boil ginger root and tea in a pot with 2 cups of water.  Reduce “tea” to about 1/4 cup by simmering, on low.  Strain liquid.
  2. Heat honey and tea mixture in a thick-bottomed pot over medium heat.  It will try and boil over, so adjust temperature to keep if from boiling over.    Keep a thermometer in the pot to observe the temperature.  Stir constantly.
  3. Once the temperature passes 225F your water has entirely boiled out, and the honey mixture will rise in temperature rapidly.  Stir continuously to prevent scorching.  Continue to stir until temperature rises over 300F.  This is the temperature needed to “candy” the honey, and make it hard. Remove from heat.
  4. Add therapeutic grade peppermint oil.  It may smoke a little as the impurities burn off.  Stir rapidly.
  5. Pour immediately into candy molds or onto parchment paper that has been coated with powdered sugar or onto a greased cookie sheet.  Allow to cool completely.
  6. Once cooled, dust each candy with powdered sugar.  Wrap with parchment paper and store in a sealed container for up to a month. If you aren’t going to use them immediately, store in a sealed container in the freezer.

Tips:

  1. Whole New Mom demonstrates how to make powdered sugar from organic sugar to avoid GMO icing sugar.
  2. Most essential oils are NOT therapeutic grade and are meant to be used for fragrance instead of consumption.  Make sure the essential oil you are using is therapeutic grade.  Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils are high quality, organic and therapeutic-grade.
  3. Peppermint essential oil contains approximately 50% menthol.  Menthol, though naturally occurring, is toxic in large quantities.  Use common sense!!
  4. Honey naturally absorbs moisture from the air.  Keep candies in an air-tight container to prevent them from “melting” and sticking together.
  5. Caution: Do not use when pregnant or on children under 2.  (based on warnings for peppermint and raw honey.)

This post has been shared on Homestead Barn Hop #95, Homestead Abundance Link-up #6, Waste Not, Want Not Wednesday, Simple Living Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday #72, Thank Your Body Thursday, Get Real Frugal Friday #3 and Fat Tuesday, January 22nd.

 

 

Sweet Potato Lentil Curry: Kid-friendly, Vegan and Gluten-Free.

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I am on a mission to include more lentils, beans and curries in our family’s diet.  They are extremely healthy and economical.  This isn’t necessarily an easy task since my kids are not used to any of them.  They aren’t super picky eaters though, so I searched for mild curry recipes that included lentils.  I found one from Smitten Kitchen and since her recipes never fail to impress me, I thought I’d give it a try.  Naturally I didn’t have everything on hand that I needed, so I played around with the recipe and changed it into a mildly sweet curry dish that even my pickiest eater would eat.  OK, she ate most of it, anyway!  A good first step towards introducing lentils and curries into our meals.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1  1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated.
  • 1 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cups of vegetable (or chicken) broth
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 lb. peeled orange-fleshed sweet potato (otherwise known as yams in my neck of the woods), chopped in 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups previously soaked lentils (from a dry state)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
  • finely grated zest of 1 lime
  • juice from one lime
  • 1/3 c. chopped almonds

Directions

  1. Saute onions and garlic in coconut oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add ginger, garam masala and curry.  Stir well for about 1 minute.
  3. Add broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, chopped sweet potatoes, lentils, lime juice, bay leaf and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.
  4. Partially cover pot with lid.  Over medium heat, boil gently for about half an hour or until sweet potatoes and lentils are soft.
  5. Serve over rice or quinoa, and garnish with cilantro, lime zest and almonds.  Enjoy!

Spice it up:

This recipe has been designed specifically with children in mind.  If you want it more flavourful or spicy add 1/2 tsp more of both curry and garam masala.  Add a few chopped jalapeno peppers.  Top with a spicy nut mix.

Veg it up:

You can add chopped spinach or swiss chard when you add the broth.  Corn and raisins can also add flavour and vegetables/fruit.

This post has been shared on Homestead Barn Hop #94 and Fat Tuesday, January 15h.

Top Posts of 2012: DIY Tutorials Rule The Roost!

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After reviewing the most viewed, shared and commented on posts from My Healthy Green Family, it is clear that do-it-yourself tutorials and recipes rule the roost!   Here they are, in order.

#1. Washing My Hair With Baking Soda

#2. Homemade All Natural Deodorant with Men and Women’s Fragrances

#3. Homemade Borax-Free Laundry Detergent with Price and Product Comparisons

#4. Homemade Borax-Free Dishwasher Detergent

#5. 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread That Rises Like White!

#6. Plastic Wrap Alternative: DIY Beeswax Cotton Wraps

#7. Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner

#8. To Can or Not To Can? BPA Is the Question

#9. Whipped Body Butter with 2 Simple Ingredients

#10. DIY Faux Paper Towels: Upcycled, Eco-friendly and Cheap!

For more eco-friendly and economical tutorials check out My Healthy Green Family’s DIY Recipes page.

Thanks for all your encouragement, ideas and support over the year!  Watch for more tutorials coming soon.  See you in 2013!

 

The Best Butter Tarts Recipe From Sratch.

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My all time favorite treat as a child was butter tarts.  My mom made them at Christmas and I soon learned how to make them for my own family.  There is something about the sweet, chewy raisin centres that are to die for.

 

Crust

(Makes enough for 3 pies so you can freeze what you don’t use, or half the recipe)

  • 4.5 c. white flour
  • 1 c. whole wheat flour
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten lightly
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 lb. butter or lard

Directions for crust:

  1. Mix first 3 ingredients well.
  2. Combine egg, vinegar and 1 c. cold water in a glass measuring cup.  Mix well.
  3. Cut butter or lard into dry mixture with pastry cutter until pieces are pea-sized.
  4. Add water mixture, a bit at a time, while tossing with a fork, until dough will form a ball.
  5. Kneed a few times to make a ball.  Roll out half of the dough to about 1/4 inch thick or thinner, as preferred.  Cut into circles with large round cookie cutter or wide mouth mason lid.
  6. Press dough carefully and evenly into un-greased muffin tin.
  7. Freeze extra dough for another day.

Tart Filling:

  • 1 c. raisins
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 c. melted butter

Directions for filling the tart shells:

  1. Combine and mix tart filling ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Spoon the filling into the tart shells, about 3/4 full.
  3. Bake at 375F for 15-17 min.
  4. Allow to cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from tins carefully and cool fully.

This post has been linked to Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest #14.

3 Last Minute DIY Body Product Gift Ideas on the Cheap.

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Need a last minute gift for someone who enjoys all natural body products? Don’t have a lot of money to spend?  Want to quickly make it yourself?  Check out these three recipes for spa-quality products made from easy to find ingredients, some of which you will already have in your pantry!   They make great stocking stuffers or put them  together in a basket and you’ll have a fantastic gift.

Decadent Whipped Body Butter for thirsty skin

You can easily spend $20 on a 3 oz container of all natural body butter.  Make this one for a fraction of the price!

Chai Spice Body Scrub and more!

A 15 oz. all natural sugar scrub can cost up to $34 for a container.  Make the equivalent product in less than 5 minutes for less than $1.

Chocolate Chip Mint, Honey Vanilla, or Sweet Almond Lip Balm

You can buy 1 tube of organic lip balm for $8.  You can make 3 of them for much less than that!!

Need more convincing?  Check out 100% Pure products to see the price comparisons.  They have delicious products, but you can make products of equal quality and effectiveness for a fraction of the price.  And who doesn’t love homemade gifts!  Merry Christmas!

 This post has been shared on Homestead Barn Hop 92., Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways#58, Waste Not, Want Not #10, Homestead Abundance #2, Farm Girl Blog Fest #14 and Wildcrafting Wednesday #68.

You might also like:
Plastic Wrap Alternative: DIY Beeswax Cotton Wraps

Chai Spice Sugar Scrub… and more! Great Gifts!

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Last year I discovered the joys of sugar scrubs.  They are a great exfoliant, leaving your skin soft, moisturized and bright.  They make a great shaving “cream” or overall body scrub.  Talk about dessert for the skin!  Hand me a spoon!  They are almost too easy to make, and they make fantastic gifts.  My favorite to date is Chai Spice.  It is as simple as opening a Chai Spice tea bag, mixing it with the sugar, adding 10 drops of cinnamon essential oil to a base oil, and stirring!

Basic recipe:

2 parts sugar, 1 part oil. 

Choose your sugars.

  • Regular white sugar gives a soft, gentle exfoliation. (My favorite texture, although I don’t bake with it since it is likely GMO)
  • Brown sugar gives a deeper exfoliation.
  • White cane sugar gives a firmer, deeper exfoliation.
  • True demerara sugar (as opposed to demerara style) provides the deepest, firmest exfoliation.

Choose your oils.

Most liquid cooking oils will work fine.  I have used olive oil, sweet almond oil and grape seed oil.  Smell it first.  Make sure it isn’t rancid.

Choose your additives… or not.

  • Ground candy canes (run it through the blender to get small bits)
  • Ground coffee beans
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Almond or Vanilla Extract
  • Essential oils
  • Loose leaf teas (think, Chai Spice with cinnamon!)

Mix your ingredients.

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, combine liquid ingredients.  Add wet to dry and stir well.  Spoon into jars and decorate jars to your liking!  Enjoy!

Mountain Rose Herbs has exceptional quality, certified organic herbs, spices,oils, essential oils and more.  They maintain a strict emphasis on sustainable agriculture.  I highly recommend them for outstanding quality and service.

 

 

Lip Balm Recipes: Honey Vanilla, Chocolate Chip Mint and Sweet Almond.

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Most commercial lip balms contain petroleum products, artificial colors and flavours, and are loaded with preservatives.  Applying these to your lips is as good as eating these ingredients.  Thankfully, lip balm is simple and cheap to make.  You can make it with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, or at the very least, that you can find fairly easily in natural foods stores.  With pure, all natural ingredients these lip balms are effective and safe, and they make fantastic little gifts!

Choosing your oils

You can use any cooking oil you like.  Some have better qualities than others.  Choose one with little or no fragrance unless you love the fragrance.  Good ones include olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, sweet almond oil etc.  You can use any of these oils instead of the ones in the recipe.  They will all work well.  You can also use herb-infused oils such as chamomile or calendula to create a very soothing, calming product.

Choosing your butters

Butters are oils that are solid at room temperature.  (Except coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature but classified as an oil, not a butter).  Butters are loaded with enriching qualities.  Cocoa butter, shea butter and mango butter are great choices for lip balms and other body products.  Cocoa butter is probably the easiest to find.  You can substitute any of the butters with each other.

Beeswax

Beeswax is necessary to solidify the product.  If you are vegan you can try substituting carnauba wax for beeswax, but you will need some kind of wax in the balm.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is moisturizing and has antioxidant qualities.  It is also added as a natural preservative.  It helps prevent rancidity, and extends the shelf life of the product.  No natural preservatives are as effective as synthetic ones, so use up your products in a matter of months, not years.  Store any products you aren’t currently using in a freezer in a sealed container.  If you don’t want to use vitamin E you can substitute it for rosemary essential oil, which also has natural preservation properties.

Essential Oils

Essential oils can be substituted for others, or left out entirely.  They do have a bit of a natural preservative effect, but if you don’t want fragrance they can be left out.  Do not use citrus essential oils.  Most citrus (and a few others… worth checking out the link) are photo-toxic and should not be worn when you are exposed to the sun.  Peppermint essential oil contains menthol, a natural analgestic which soothes sore, chapped skin.

Extras, such as honey or chocolate chips.

Again, these can be left out entirely.  Honey is great in body products because it attracts moisture.  It is also naturally antibacterial and… it tastes good…  The chocolate chips are added for color and flavour.  I choose organic, all natural ones to maintain the purity of the product.  Do not add ingredients that are water based such as aloe, or rosewater etc.  Introducing water to your product will allow a bacteria-growing medium into your product which you don’t want, and is completely unnecessary for lip balms.

Choose your recipe below, and follow these directions. 

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients except essential oil in a small sauce pan or double boiler and melt, on low heat.   Stir just until melted.  Do not allow the ingredients to boil!
  2. Stir in essential oil.
  3. Pour immediately into lip balm container.
  4. Allow to cool before moving.  Cap and use!  Or gift!

Here are three “tasty” recipes to choose from.

Chocolate Chip Mint

Honey Vanilla

Sweet Almond

Mountain Rose Herbs has exceptional quality, certified organic herbs, spices, essential oils and more.  They maintain a strict emphasis on sustainable agriculture.  I highly recommend them for outstanding quality and service.

Notes:

  • Each recipe fills 2-3 tubes or tubs.
  • You can purchase the lip balm containers at Mountain Rose Herbs.  Search “lip balm containers”.
  • Use up in a few months to avoid the oil from going rancid.

This post has been linked to Homestead Abundance #1, Waste Not Want Not #9 and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #57.

Whipped Body Butter Recipe: 2 Simple Ingredients

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“Decadent, smooth and rich.”

This Christmas I am, once again, attempting to make (almost) all of my Christmas gifts.  A great gift to give is something that can be used up.  Natural body products are not cheap to buy, but they can be fun and economical to make.

I have not ventured down the homemade lotion road yet for one very good (in my opinion) reason.  Quite simply, lotions are made from an emulsion of oils and water.  Water, including rose water, distilled water and even aloe vera products, is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and if you want an all natural lotion with no preservative in it, then you need to be VERY careful when making them.  Or, keep them in the fridge.

There are natural ingredients that contain antibacterial qualities, but it isn’t easy to gauge how well they work, and how long they will extend the shelf life of your product.  Some companies use products such as grapefruit seed extract as “natural” preservatives, but when studied further, grapefruit seed extract is NOT a natural product and does contain synthetic ingredients, including parabens etc.  Vitamin E oil can help increase the shelf life, but it is not a preservative and certainly cannot be a guarantee of a bacteria-free product.  Rosemary oil extract is another all natural product that contains antibacterial properties but once again, is not strong enough to guarantee a bacteria-free product.  Some people use Borax, but I am not convinced of its safety and so I don’t use it in my laundry, much less my cosmetics.

Body butters are oil-based and contain no water-based ingredients.  They are a mixture of oils and butters.  They are very hydrating, but they tend to be greasy.  I have been searching for a way to make oil-based butters smooth and light.  I have finally come across a simple way of dealing with butters: you whip them.  Like whipping cream.  This makes them soft, light, and less oily since there is air whipped into the product.  You can add any essential oil you like, and the overall appearance, texture and hydration is decadent.  The final product feels and looks like whipped cream.  I was very tempted to eat mine…

One thing to keep in mind with whipped butters, however, is that they are really only an oil and they will “melt” back into their oil state IF the temperature at which they melt is reached.  For example, a coconut oil-based whipped butter will melt at 24C (depending on what temperature your oil melts at.  Different coconut oils have different melting points).  Other butters may have a slightly higher melting point.  If your house gets higher than that melting point, or you keep it in a steamy bathroom, or on top of the dishwasher (which I did) it will melt back into an oil and you will have to re-whip it.  You can keep it in the fridge if you are worried about the temperature.

Does it stay like whipped cream for a long time!  YES!  It does.  How long?  I don’t know, but it hasn’t melted on me yet, and so I’d say weeks at least, if not permanently.

I have found this “cream” to be very effective as an eye cream, and as a hand and body lotion.  I don’t usually use night creams, but I think it would be great for that too.  I do use it as a day cream on my face but some would probably find it too heavy for this.  I don’t add essential oils to this recipe because the fragrance of the cocoa butter is enough to satisfy my fragrance requirements!   With a mild and delicious cocoa fragrance, it isn’t necessary to add extra fragrance, but you certainly can if you like. Do not use citrus essential oils in body products since they are photo-toxic when exposed to sunshine. I am not a huge fan of the smell of coconut oil and so I choose the coconut oil that is fragrance-free.

Is this product non-greasy?  No.  It doesn’t contain alcohol or any other ingredients that “dry it out”.  But it is much less greasy than heavy, pure body butter, and it will depend on the butters and oils you use (some are less greasy than others).

Over the next few weeks I will be playing with different ingredients, including kokum and mango butter, two butters which are less oily than cocoa butter and coconut oil.  I have shea butter which is extremely hydrating, and I will also be experimenting with infusing herbal extracts such as calendula, chamomile, green tea and lavender, into some of these oils to make whipped butter recipes that provide soothing, calming and anti-aging properties.  Subscribe to be updated regularly or “like” us on facebook so you know when these new recipes are available.

Ingredients:
6 oz. Coconut Oil (fractionated coconut oil is less greasy but any kind will work)
2 oz. Cocoa Butter
Essential oil if desired.

Materials:

  • Electric mixer and stainless steel bowl
  • Scale
  • Small pot
  • Pyrex measuring cup
  • Whisk or fork
  • Spoon
  • Spatula
  • Storage jar and lid

Directions:

  • In a small pot or double boiler, over low heat, melt 2 oz. of cocoa butter.
  • Add and melt 6 oz. of coconut oil.

  • Once oils are melted but NOT boiling, immediately remove from heat, pour into mixing bowl and refrigerate.
  • Once your mixture looks slightly opaque, remove from fridge and whip.  I use a stand mixer which makes the process go a lot faster.  It will get creamy quickly, but won’t whip immediately.
  • Once it is creamy put it back in the fridge for another 5 minutes or so and whip again. 
  • Once it starts to whip like whipping cream, you know you have it.  If it doesn’t, put it back in the fridge for a few more minutes and try again.  It could take up to 10 minutes of solid whipping to turn it into whipped butter.  It will get quite “stiff” and feel like chocolate mousse if you whip it long enough.
  • Once it starts to form soft peaks you can add your essential oil (if desired) and you are done!
  • Spoon it into jars and put lids on.
  • Store in a cool location.

 

Notes:

  • If you are looking for a good source to purchase body product ingredients check out Mountain Rose Herbs.  Exceptional quality, certified organic ingredients.
  • Cocoa butter helps increase or maintain skin elasticity and is very hydrating.
  • Coconut oil is, among many other things, rich in antioxidants and contains natural microbial and antibacterial properties making it a great oil choice for body products.
  • A little goes a long way.  Use a small amount!

This post has been shared on Frugally Sustainable’s Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways 56, Farm Girl Friday Blogfest #12, Homestead Barn Hop #91, Seasonal Celebration Wednesday #42, Wildcrafting Wednesday and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday #8.

 

 

DIY Faux Paper Towels. Upcycled, Eco-friendly and Economical!

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One of the first unsustainable products I “disposed of” when I made the decision to stop using single-use products, was paper towel.  Old rags made from torn up pieces of old cotton bath towels worked beautifully.  They absorbed more than paper towels, they were free, and they washed up nicely to be reused again.  They weren’t, however, attractive.  I like beautiful things, and when I first came across faux paper towels (also known as un-paper towels) on etsy I was attracted to them.  Not only are they functional, eco-friendly and cheap to make: they are a beautiful addition to the kitchen!  And they make great gifts.

I hit up the thrift stores and purchased a few towels in good conditon, as well as a few pillow cases and napkins, also in good condition, made with a fabric pattern that suited what I was looking for.  1 large towel makes 12, 11 inch un-paper towels.  If you happen to already have fabric you like, and a few old towels, you won’t even need to purchase them.  I admit it feels good to upcycle old bedding, table cloths or napkins into something new and useful! 

Perhaps the most challenging part of the un-paper towel project is what to fasten them together with so they roll up nicely and stay together on the roll.  I have a snap press used previously for making my babies’ cloth diapers so I chose snaps.  Buttons would also be attractive, and velcro would work too.  Or, if you don’t want them to roll up like paper towels you can leave them on the counter in a basket.

If you love the concept but don’t have the time, skills or materials needed to make them and would just like to buy them, check out Green Planet Parties (Canadian supplier but also ships to the USA) or this etsy seller (based in the USA), or google them and find many other WAHM-style cotton towels!  Butterflies and Needles is a facebook follower of mine who makes and sells them.  They sell anywhere from $40 and up, and are worth the cost if you can’t make them.  They take several hours to make at home if you have the right materials.

Materials:

  • Attractive fabric for the decorative side of your towels.  11×11 inches or so for each cloth.
  • One large bath towel for the absorbing side of your towels.
  • A sewing machine or serger.
  • Snaps, buttons or velcro for attaching them together.
  • Scissors or rolling cutter (and cutting board), thread, pins.

Directions:

  1. Wash and dry your fabric if necessary.  Iron.
  2. Find something to use as an 11×11 inch, or 12×12 inch pattern.  An old tile would work, or cut one out of cardboard.  I used a child’s book :D .
  3. Cut 12 pieces of your decorative fabric into squares using your pattern.
  4. Cut 12 pieces of your towel into squares using your pattern.
  5. Place one piece of towel together with one piece of decorative fabric, right sides showing.  Pin together and serge or tightly zig-zag your squares together.  Repeat for all pieces.  You could also stitch, turn and top stitch if you would rather have a more finished looking edge.
  6. Choose your fasteners.  Make a simple paper pattern for snap/button placement.  Mark the spots with a washable pen or chalk.   If using buttons, make button holes on one end of each cloth and sew buttons on the other end.  I’d recommend 3 per side.  If using snaps, attach male snaps and caps to one end, and attach female snaps and caps to the other end, making sure that the caps on one end  are not on the same side of the fabric as the caps on the other end, as shown.  (Again, I recommend using 3 snaps per side).  If using velcro, place fuzzy side (loop) and rough side (hook) on opposite sides and ends of the fabric.  Attach.
  7. Fasten together your fabric and roll up, or onto a paper towel holder and you are done!

This post has been linked to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #55, Fresh Eggs Daily’s Farm Girl Blog Hop #11 and Waste Not Want Not #7, and Homestead Barn Hop #90.

Plastic Wrap Alternative: DIY Beeswax Cotton Wraps

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I was first introduced to beeswax-coated cotton wraps by Suzanne from Green Planet Parties.  They quickly became an important part of our food storage regime. They are beautiful, functional, reusable, economical and eco-friendly.  And, as I soon discovered, not difficult to make.

I have been trying to cut back our kitchen plastic usage for years.  I don’t trust plastic especially when it is holding food, and it is simply NOT sustainable.  I replaced all my plastic storage containers and zip lock bags with glass or stainless steel ones.  Other than the cost, those weren’t too difficult to switch over to.  The item that I had a greater challenge replacing was plastic wrap.  The convenience is difficult to replace.  These beeswax wraps, however, have single handedly eliminated plastic wrap from my kitchen.  They are great for wrapping cheese, covering dishes, or folding into snack bags.  They can even be sewn into small snack bags to be used at school or work if desired.

Plastic wrap (I used Saran wrap) is a wasteful, single-use, petroleum product that I am convinced is not an acceptable part of natural living.  When used to store or heat food, plastic leaches toxins into our food that we then consume.  Many studies have now proven that BPA, a chemical that is in many plastics, causes a number of unacceptable health issues in those who consume food products in contact with it.  All plastics contain chemicals, and some are not well-studied to prove their safety. Plastic wrap is no exception.  Beeswax cotton wraps provide a safe and effective alternative.

We have beeswax available all the time since we keep honey bees.  Beeswax is 100% natural, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive.  I use it in my body product recipes such as hand lotions, body butters, deodorant and balms.  It is water-repellent and has natural antibacterial properties.  When applied to cotton, it renders the cotton “unbreathable” which helps maintain the proper moisture content when storing food.  These qualities make it a great candidate for a plastic wrap alternative.

When choosing your fabric, use 100% cotton (organic is preferable).  The ideal thickness is a sheeting cotton.  (Think, your bed sheets or pillow case).  You can reuse old sheets or pillow cases, or you can choose beautiful fabrics for fun.

If you would rather purchase these wraps made in North America by a sustainable company and priced reasonably, click here.

Materials

  • beeswax, grated (or pellets).  I use about 0.5 oz. of beeswax per wrap
  • 100% cotton fabric, cut to appropriate size (12×12 in. or 8×8 in. works for us)
  • old cookie sheet (that will be used for this purpose only, forever after)
  • paintbrush (that will be used for this purpose only, forever after)
  • chop stick for stirring the wax as it melts
  • cheese grater (used exclusively for beeswax)
  • a make-shift clothesline and clothes pins
  • oven

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 185F.  (Higher will burn the wax.  I know from experience…)
  2. Place pre cut fabric on cookie sheet.
  3. Sprinkle evenly and lightly with grated beeswax.  You don’t need a lot!
  4. Place in preheated oven.  Watch carefully!  This should take 5 minutes or less.
  5. As soon as the beeswax is just melted, remove from oven.
  6. Spread wax evenly with paintbrush to cover over any spots that are not yet coated.
  7. Hang on makeshift clothes line with clothes pegs, to dry.  Once cooled, you can use it!

Notes

  • If your wax starts to harden before you have evenly spread it, simply reheat it in the oven and try again.
  • This recipe uses less than 1 oz. of beeswax per sheet.
  • If you have a lot of wax left on the cookie sheet, place another piece of fabric on empty cookie sheet and it will absorb the extra wax.
  • All of the supplies except the beeswax can be purchased cheaply at thrift stores and can be used again for other DIY projects involving beeswax.  Purchase the beeswax through Mountain Rose Herbs, a trusted company carrying all sorts of ingredients for body products.
  • Wash in cool water with a mild soap.  I use liquid castile soap.
  • Each wrap will last several months or more depending on usage.

This post has been linked to Frugally Sustainable’s Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #54, Fresh Eggs Daily: Farm Girl Blog Hop #10, Homestead Revivial’s Barn Hop # 89, and Real Food Forager’s Fat Tuesday November 20th.