The Domestic Goddess is now published on a website and in an online magazine! Follow the links below to read about saving money while going green and about delicious summer beverages!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1826087/iced_tea_the_original_summertime_beverage.html?cat=22  - this is Associated Content site

http://healyourselftalk.com/magazine/going-green-reducing-household-expenses   -  This is on the Heal Yourself Magazine site. This magazine will be going into print soon!

I hope you enjoy these articles. Look for more articles monthly in www.healyourselfmagazine.com in the Domestic Goddess section!

The Domestic Goddess

I have had some requests to do a post on all natural beauty products. So I did some research to supplement the information that I already had. I do not know how to make homemade eye shadow and lipstick. These recipes and suggestions are all natural altenatives to other beauty products. Most recipes contain ingredients that you already have in the kitchen, making these recipes very inexpensive and affordable.  I hope some of you try at least one of these recipes and comment back and let me know how they worked for you. Include any improvements that you made to the product.

• wrinkle remover: Honey ( yes just plain old honey). Dab onto desired areas, around eyes and mouth for example. Leave on for approximatley 10 minutes, then rinse with warm/hot water. ( I have used this for about 2 years now, and nobody believes that I am 33- everyone thinks i am in my mid to late 20’s. Could just be a coincidence though!)
• Natural Exfoliator: combine 2 tablespoons corn meal, 1/2 cup honey, and 1-2 tablespoons hot water to make a paste. You can mix in aloe gel or olive oil for softening benefits. Rub on with washcloth, rinse with water.
• Homemade Lotion: 1/2 ounce Cocoa Butter (melted), 1 ounce olive oil, 1 ounce orange juice, 2 drops essential oil (orange if possible-smells great and combines well with cocoa butter). Mix all ingredients together. You can put in an reused lotion or squeeze bottle container. I put mine in a redused blue noxema tub with screw on lid. I suggest keeping this in the refridgerator because it will be cool when you put it on and it feels wonderful, especially in the summer time.
• Homemade body oil: 2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice. Mix ingredients and store in airtight container. Does not need refridgeration. Shake well before each use. I use this every night before bed and my skin has never been so soft! I reused an empty lotion container for my body oil.
• lip gloss: this is incredibly easy! This idea is also a great way to use up that last little bit of lipsick that is stuck down in the bottom of the lipstick tube. Scrape out the remaining lipstick and put in a small, microwave safe container. Depending on how much lipstick you use ( you can also use multiple colors to create your own shade), Put in about a tablespoon  of vaseline ( the good old fashion petroleum jelly stuff that all of us have in our medicine cabinet somewhere). Microwave until melted. Watch carefully and microwave about 10 seconds at a time. I would suggest reusing an old Carmex container- the one with the screw on yellow lid. Reuse any container that will easily go into your purse and not leak.

I have found these suggestions are easy to create in my kitchen, very inexpensive to make and work just as well, usually better, than anything I can buy in a store. An added benefit is that I have Eczema, skin allergies and EXTREMELY sensitive skin. I can use all these products and not worry about an allergic reaction. The ingredrients are all natural, therefore not harming my body or our earth. I hope you enjoy these recipes. Leave your comment and let me know how you like them!

The Domestic Goddess

Imagine your sitting in your backyard or on the porch, it’s warm outside, the flowers and trees are blooming. The kids are playing and laughing in the yard. Maybe your working on a craft or reading a book. Suddenly, your throat feels dry. Nothing sounds better than an ice cold beverage. Here is the  dilemma: do you reach for an expensive soda, energy drink, or juice? Do you drink water, or could you make your own satisfying beverages for much less money than soda, energy drinks, etc? The answer is Yes.. you can! For years now I have been making homemade lemonade, sun tea, or drinking other inexpensive drinks.

Homemade Lemonade: 1 cup real lemon juice, 1 cup sugar or splenda, 2 quarts cold water. Stir to mix and enjoy! I can buy a 1 quart bottle of 100% lemon juice for between $1.00 and $1.50. A large bag of sugar sells for around $1.49.  This is by far cheaper than store bought juice, contains real lemon juice(which is good for you) and delicious.

Sun Tea: I use a re-used, clean milk jug. I fill this with water and put 5 to 7  Lipton orange-pekoe tea bags in through the top, leaving  the paper tags to hang outside the jug. Let sit in the sun for approximately 4 hours and remove tea bags. Refridgerate and enjoy. You can sweeten with sugar or artificial sweetener, add lemon if you wish or any other add ins. I drink this all summer long and it is very nutritious and delicious. You can use your favorite tea and adjust the amount of tea bags used for weaker or stronger tea.

Kool Aid:   I have been buying generic kool aid for years, usually on sale at 10 for $1.00. You can use real sugar or artificial sweetener, I have used both and recommend using slightly less artificial sweetener as it is stronger. You can’t beat this as it is extremely inexpensive. Obviously if you use sugar it is not “healthy”, however you can use this drink to make homemade popcicles, add gelatin and make homemade jello. It is far better than soda or other sugary drinks. A wide variety of flavors are available to please any tastebuds.

Juice from concentrate or ready made :  In my area a large bottle (around 25 - 32 oz.) sells for between $3.00 and $4.00. You can buy a container of frozen juice concentrate for less than $2.00 and it makes about 2 quarts. Do I need to say more?

I hope these ideas help make your summer most enjoyable and refreshing!

Thanks to all!

The Domestic Goddess

Your food bill is one of the easiest places to cut your expenses. Since nobody can have enough recipes, here are a few of my families favorites.

Create a Casserole:

This recipe is an all purpose guide. It allows you to use ingredients that you already have on hand. This is a great recipe to use when have a lot of leftovers you need to use up.

1 can cream soup- which kind is your choice (I usually use cream of chicken or mushroom, my mom uses cream of celery), 2 - 3 cups pasta or rice ( leftover noodles and rice works here also), 2 cups meat, 2 cups vegetables, 1/2 can water or milk (your preference). Put all your ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir until soup and water is mixed together. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees until heated through, usually 20 to 30 minutes depending on your altitude and oven.

Scalloped Potatoes:

You can bake in this dish in the oven or put it in the crockpot in the morning. It’s yummy either way.

4-5 med to large potatoes- peeled and sliced, 1 sm - med onion- peeled and chopped,  2 T. flour, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper, 3 - 4 T. butter, 1 c. meat ( I usually use ham, but any leftover or on hand meat will work), 1 1/2 c. milk. Put potatoes and onions into an 8×8 baking dish or similar casserole dish. Sprinkle on flour, salt, and pepper. Dot with butter. Add meat and stir lightly. Pour milk over entire potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir lightly. Put back in oven and bake an additional 40 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Taco Bake:

1 lb hamburger, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar or mexican style cheese, 1 batch homemade biscuit dough or 1 can plain biscuits, any additional taco toppings your family likes. Prepare hamburger and taco seasoning according to packet directions. Pour meat into a large casserole dish or large baking pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over meat. Add any taco toppings you choose that needs to be warm at this time. Either spread your homemade biscuit dough ( i use a homemade biscuik recipe) over entire surface OR place your canned biscuits over the entire surface with sides touching. Bake according to biscuit directions. If you have any taco toppings that have a lengthy cooking time, it would be best to fry them up first and then add them to your taco bake.  Remove from oven and serve. Each individual can add any additional toppings they like, like sour cream, lettuce, chopped tomato, jalapenos, etc.

I hope you like these recipes and try them in your own kitchen. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Thanks to all!

The Domstic Goddess