3 Ingredient Lotion

There are so many weird ingredients in store-bought lotion. You don't want to be rubbing unknown synthetics into your body's largest organ, right? I tried to just get away with coconut oil for a while, but the winter makes my skin super itchy so I had to add a couple things.

2 parts Coconut oil

1 part Shea Butter

3 parts Vegetable Glycerin (try to get this ethically sourced to you don't end up vicariously killing orangutans)

You can fool with the ratio of the ingredients because everyone's skin is different. I like this one because for me it doesn't leave too much of a greasy residue and doesn't make me break out.

 Just mix up those three ingredients in whatever container you are using.  If you heat it, it will come together better, but it is entirely unnecessary. I just mixed mine with my fingers. 

The glycerin works better with some added water, so I put mine on after my shower. I wouldn't add water to the lotion or it might mold. I had a test batch sit in the open for months and it did not spoil one bit, so it is fairly shelf stable.

You can also add essential oils to make it smell nice. As is, it had a bit of a musty smell from the shea butter. 

It also works pretty well as a hair moisturizer, if you don't put too much in.

I Made Hot Sauce!

The Fiery Food Fest in my city is coming up soon. I am super excited! I love all things spicy. 

 I had a bunch of extra habeneros, so I made a sauce to keep the peppers from rotting. This is a very simple sauce, and is just a showcase for the flavor of the peppers. If you're really serious about making sauce, I think it would be better to experiment with adding garlic, onions, herbs, carrots ect.

All I did was cut the seeds out of the habeneros (leave the white part - that's where most of the heat is!), and put it in the food processor with some vinegar and lime juice. This site has a breakdown of how much acidity you need to prevent botulism (complete with nifty pH strips). Most people say 20% vinegar is a good guess.

You also want to be careful about what you're going to put it in, especially if you're not going to eat it within a few days. I highly suggest you sanitize any container you use.

Strangely, after about a week, my sauce lost some of its heat. I'm not sure if it was because I kept it in the fridge, or if some weird reaction took place.

My infertile Hawaiian chili pepper and its friend, Alien Skull, chilling with my new hot sauce.

Autumn Veggie Feast

I got delicata squash, butternut squash, and tat soi, all of which are in season. I love trying new veggies! I had never tried delicata squash before. And romanesco is my favorite. I wish they would sell it like frozen broccoli at the grocery store here like they do in France. 

Unfortunately I have never found the right recipe for butternut squash soup... it always turns out too sweet. It did this time, too, so I wont give you the recipe for that. But I will give you the incredibly easy recipes for the other three veggies. 

Romanesco

Separate the florets

Steam romanesco until tender (5-8 minutes)

Shock in cold water to retain bright green color

Toss in melted butter and lemon juice

Delicata Squash

Cut the ends off the squash a dig out the insides of seed and gunk

Cut into rounds a little less than 1/2 inch thick

Coat squash in olive oil and roast at 400F for 15 minutes

Turn squash over and top with Parmesan cheese

Roast for another 15 minutes

Tat Soi

Cut the leaves from the base

Boil tot soi until wilted (about 2 minutes)

Shock with cold water

Top with a dressing of soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil

And as bonus I had left over romanesco: something that has never happened to me before! I made some pasta with arugula, Canadian bacon, and Parmesan for lunch the next day. It was amazing. 

Tasty Treat

This is a super easy and delicious snack. Just slice some pepperoni and a seedless cucumber and stack!