I Made a Vapor Rub

Last week I didn't feel well. and in a moment of clarity or desperation, depending on who you ask, I decided to make my own vapor rub for two reasons, 1. I was out of vapor rub and 2. store bought vapor rub is full of petroleum byproducts.

Surprisingly I had a really good idea how to go about this and I had all the ingredients.

Vapor Rub

• 5 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoon beeswax
• 1 Tablespoon Evening Primrose
• 20 drops peppermint oil
• 20 drops eucalyptus oil
• 15 drops rosemary oil
• 10 drops clove oil
• 10 drops melaluca/tea tree oil
• 5 drops lavender oil

Directions

1. Add coconut oil, beeswax, and Evening Primrose in a container to melt. You can do this several ways, I choose to place everything in the mason jar I wanted to store the rub in and place it in a hot water bath.
2. Slowly melt the mixture, stirring often. It took me 15 minutes.
3. Remove jar from water bath and add essential oils. 
4. Cover container with a paper towel or anything that will allow the heat to escape but not allow contaminants into the jar. In my house that translates into keeping the dog hair out.
5. Allow mixture to cool until solid. I was impatient so I placed it into an ice bath but you can leave it on the counter to cool or place in the fridge.
   
   

 How does it compare to store bought

This mixture is less thick and heavier than the stuff at the store. It also absorbs into the skin quicker. Probably because all those yucky ingredients are missing. It is also harder than the store bought stuff, so you end up digging the mixture out of the jar. This may be because I keep my house a little on the cooler side and because the mason jar I had was a pint jar which is much to big for the amount of rub I made. 

Personally I think it did just as good of a job as the stuff in the store. I rubbed it on my chest and feet and it cleared up my sinus and I started to feel better. I have also place it in my wax burners in several rooms of my house to help everyone breath a bit better. If I have learned anything it is that once one person in my house gets sick, everyone will eventually get sick.

Be sure you are using quality essential oils. All oils are not creates the same. Do your research. 

Check out the two posts that inspired my recipe: Wellness Mama and Modern Alternative Mama

Have Tomatoes? Make Spaghetti Sauce

If you have been following my mad cap adventures these last few weeks on Facebook you may have noticed my Health Nut Sister and I have been doing a lot of canning. We are obsessed with food preservation all of the sudden. And since she and I already canned tomato sauce (more on that later I promise) I decided to make spaghetti sauce with all the tomatoes, onions and peppers from my garden and freeze it. I may have canned it but my mom has all the canning equipment and it doesn't sound like as much fun all by myself.

And believe it or not but canning with family is lots of fun. Or at least it is with my family. But we are very odd people.

1. I started out by collecting all the goodies from the garden and washing them. When I say I collected them I mean The BF went and got all the goodies including some things for dinner that night.

2. After washing them I cut them in to large pieces and placed them into my handy dandy Ninja. This is apparently controversial because I don't blanch and peel the skins off the tomatoes. When I freeze or can whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes I always peel them but when I am making sauce I don't...mostly because I am lazy and that's an extra step. I have never had any complaints. Back to the ninja, I puree the vegetables. You can leave it chunky if you like but I am trying to hide the vegetables the kids don't like.


Ingredients*: 

• 19 cups of tomatoes after you have pulsed them in the blender
• 3 medium onions
• 2 green peppers 
• 4 celery stalks
• 2 tablespoons garlic (I like the already chopped kind)
• 3 -12 oz cans tomato paste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning of your choice (I used Pinch Perfect Tuscan and Sicilian seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

3. After all the vegetables are purred I add them and all the other ingredients to a big stock pan and bring to a boil.

4. Once the mixture is at a boil reduce the heat and cook for at least two hours, I usually cook it 3 hours but two is the minimum, stirring often.

5. Remove from heat and let cool completely or start the canning process if you are not freezing.

6. To freeze the sauce place 2 cups in freezer sandwich bags. Push as much air out as possible, seal the bags and lay flat.

7. Put on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. Once they are completely frozen stack in freezer.

Now you have some homemade spaghetti sauce in your freezer.

Check out my homemade tomato sauce.

* I modified this recipe from My Crazy Life as a Farmers Wife.