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In on February 13, 2016 with No Comments

Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

Winter weather is super harsh on my skin. I have very dry skin to begin with, and when it gets cold and windy like it has been the past few days, my skin takes a beating. I think I’ve used every lotion and potion you can buy at the local drug store and have even tried a few prescription concoctions along the way, but what I’ve found that works the best for me is something I can make myself from ingredients I already have at home: coconut oil, sugar and essential oils.

I made the switch to using coconut oil in my baking a couple of years ago, and I also use it to make homemade lip balms and soaps. This time I decided to use coconut oil in a sugar scrub for my dry skin. Coconut oil is extremely hydrating – you can use this as a simple moisturizer straight out of the jar if you like. Good coconut oil is becoming easier to find these days too – even my local grocery store carries a good brand, and that’s saying something for a small town grocery store in a town that has roughly 3,200 people.

Making a sugar scrub is super easy to do. In the wintertime, coconut oil is generally in solid form, which makes it great for this recipe. However, since we heat with wood, our house tends to be a bit warmer than most in the winter, and thus my coconut oil is in a semisolid state. That doesn’t hurt the scrub a bit, but it does make it runnier, almost more of a lotion consistency that’s grainy because of the sugar.

You can use whatever essential oils you like in this scrub. Citrus makes a great scent to use in a scrub, but since I may use this sugar scrub on my face, I decided against using any citrus essential oils. Instead I used a combination of frankincense, myrrh, geranium and rose, all of which are great for dry skin. Use your favorite oils based on your skin needs, or simply choose a fragrance you enjoy.

coconut oil sugar scrub and EO box

 

coconut oil sugar scrub

 

Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon (about 50 drops) of your favorite essential oil

 

Combine all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Store scrub in a glass jar for up to 6 months.

To use: Rub sugar scrub over hands, feet, elbows, face or wherever you have dry skin patches. Rub for 30 seconds, and then rinse off the scrub with lukewarm water. Pat dry. The oil will soak into your skin, making it feel silky smooth.

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In on December 31, 2015 with No Comments

Year in Review

I can’t believe it’s New Year’s Eve already. 2015 has flown by so fast. I guess it’s true that time really does pass by faster the older you get.

After having a record warm November and December (and a green Christmas), we finally got our snow the Monday after Christmas. We had an early snowstorm in November, but it quickly melted, and it was warm enough the weekend before Christmas that the boys and grandkids were outside playing football in short sleeves. Glad it’s finally starting to act like winter.

 

Looking back over 2015 and our garden and my canning, I didn’t get near enough done this year. It was a wet spring, so while we did get an early garden planted, not much grew this spring. I think this is the first year since Kevin and I have been married (23 years) that I didn’t have any of our own tomatoes to can, and I had to buy green beans so I could can those. Thankfully one of Kevin’s co-workers had some extra tomatoes, so I was able to put up some salsa. On the other hand, our apple and peach trees went berserk, so I was able to do a bunch of applesauce, pie fillings and jams to put on the shelves. All this means is that next summer we will have a huge garden, and I’ll be canning up a storm to replace everything we’ll eat this winter. The shelves should be pretty bare by then. Thank goodness I did extra last summer 🙂

I was also able to try several new canning recipes this year. With the boatload of apples, I tried a new apple pie filling, Caramel Apple Pie Filling, which is a new favorite in our house. I also finally got to try canning pickled mushrooms, and this is a recipe I’ll be making a lot in the future.

 

 

This year we raised chickens, and while we lost a few along the way, we now have a full freezer, for which I’m very thankful. The guys were also successful fishing for catfish this summer, so there’s plenty of that in the freezer as well. No venison this year, as they just didn’t have any luck, but between the chicken, the catfish and the couple of huge turtles they caught, we aren’t short of meat this year.

All in all, 2015 was a pretty good year. My family is healthy and happy. There’s food on the shelves and in the freezer. Life is good. Happy New Year everyone!

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