Making Your Own... Yogurt!

I had heard of making your own yogurt, but I figured it was one of those lengthy, time-consuming, arduous tasks that only stay at home moms or Amish people took on. Well, I am neither, although I do respect both titles, very much so. Well, actually I am going to be a part-time stay at home mom now, since I am going to just be working 3 days a week now....
Anyway, back to the yogurt.
Yogurt is expensive. If you get the good kind. No, I am not talking about Yoplait, which is more like Jell-o than yogurt, since it has gelatin in it. It's just not right... I get the organic kind, I prefer Greek, but I like it either way. I get Caylen the organic whole milk yogurt, and boy it is expensive! I mean, it's not through the roof, but especially compared to what I can make it for, it is way too much!
So, I bet you are dying to know how I made it right?  Haha, just kidding, it's no secret!All you need, or what I used, is at least a quart of milk, 1/2 cup dry milk, a quart canning jar, a large saucepan, wooden spoon, yogurt starter, a heating pad and some kitchen towels and stock pot. Here goes:

I got my recipe from my handy dandy Tightwad Gazette. It recommends buying a container of store bought, active culture yogurt from the store. I used Dannon. This will be your starter yogurt, or starter culture. You will need the bacteria from this yogurt to get yours going. The tightwad gazette is always finding the most cost effective way of doing things, so it recommended taking the yogurt by 2 tablespoons each and freezing them in ice cube trays. So, you end up with about 16 2 tablespoon starters (?) I can't remember how many compartments there are in those ice cube trays. Anyway, in order to start the yogurt, you need to take one ice cube worth of starter, 2 tablespoons in other words, and let it melt. In the meantime, take your milk, whole milk, 2%, organic, whatever, and measure out a quart. The easiest way to do this is to pour it into a quart canning jar, which is what I used to store my yogurt in. Put the quart of milk in a large saucepan, and mix in the 1/2 cup of dry milk. Heat the quart of milk up to 180, I used my candy thermometer to track it, and then cool it down to 115. At this point, take a 1/2-1 cup of the warm milk, whisk it very vigorously into the starter. Then, take the starter/warm milk mixture and mix it into the large batch of warm milk. Whisk very vigorously. There has been no evidence that vigorous whisking can kill the cultures. However, it is pertinent to make sure the cultures are well distributed so all the milk will turn into yogurt instead of curdled milk. After it is well-whisked, pour it into your quart jar, fasten the lid, put it on a heating pad on low, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and put a stock pot over the jar so it is dark and warm. This is so the cultures will have opportunity to grow. Let it incubate for 8-12 hours. I did mine for 8, then put it in the fridge, but it just depends on how 'tart' you like your yogurt.
I call 'tart' 'sour.'
Anyway, after 8 hours it was firm and delicious! It lasts for about 5 days, give or take, mine lasted at least 6, but I am not sure how much longer after that it would last since we ate it all! I liked to serve it with a little raw honey-- soooo  good! Or, for Caylen, I mash up a little banana in it! Yummy!

My next yogurt venture? How to flavor it?! I'll let you know how it turns out!

New Way to Do... Well, Everything!

So my last post was about a new way to do my skincare. I know, it was like forever ago. Since then, I have found many other new ways to do many other new things! Like making your own dishwasher detergent. Or, washing your clothes.



Last night, I finished my 3rd load of laundry using soap nuts. I buy them from here. The results? They are great! No, the clothes don't smell, at all, but they are very clean, very soft, and may I mention, washed very cheaply....! Now that's my kind of 'detergent!' They are about half the price of Tide HE, and I can use about 5 nuts for about 5 fairly heavy loads! As a plus, there is no need for fabric softener! They are soft as can be, in fact softer than if I had used fabric softener, but without that chemical-y residue. Conclusion: I am extremely pleased and I can't wait to use my 10% off coupon I received with my order, on my next order!
Next: Dishwasher detergent. I found a way to make my own concoction of this as well, with an added bonus: a Jet Dry substitute! So I mixed a cup of washing soda (I found mine at Ace), a cup of Borax, and a half cup of salt and shook it together in a Mason jar. Ok, it was a Ball jar. Anyway, I made this Wednesday night, and I finally used it last night (Thursday). I was anxious to see how my dishes came out, since I had been buying the cheap, Eco-Friendly Palmolive for my dishwasher. It left white residue everywhere!!! So, I inspected my dishes after they ran a cycle, the Normal cycle as always with heated dry, and wow! They looked even better than when I used the good detergent! They were clean, no spots on the silverware, which is a common occurrence for us.... And, no water spots thanks to the 'rinse aid!' So I bet you are dying to know the secret rinse aid, huh? Well, just put plain, white distilled vinegar in the compartment you normally put the rinse aid. It lasts forever, so you rarely have to fill it back up, so of course you have really saved some $$! I of course never bother to buy jet dry, I don't care about some water spots, and that stuff is expensive for what it is, especially now that I know it can be cheaply replaced! My conclusion on the homemade dishwasher detergent: Excellent substitute! Only this: when I run out, I am going to try to simplify it by using Borax and baking soda and salt, to make it cheaper, and we'll see how it goes!!
To update on the last post, my facial cleansing routine is going great-- I will not go back to my old facewashes and lotions! They feel sticky, heavy, and thick to me now! I have had to use my old facewash once, and my lotion once as well, under dire circumstances, and I wasn't pleased at all. The only con is that it occasionally makes my bangs oily at the end of the day, or if I am not careful, they get oil on them before I even get dressed :( but I have been able to work around it, and hey, it is worth it to me if I can have clear skin! As for the homemade shampoo and conditioners, I have only used them on our guinea pig, Caylen, but they do great on her! I am just waiting to run out of our commercial ones first!
Oh, and one last thing. I am not sure if I mentioned this in the last post, but I have been using Virgin Coconut Oil as a body lotion for a few weeks now, and I LOVE  it! It is so rich and moisturizing, and Bath and Body Works ain't got nuthin' on that scent! AAAHHH! It smells so delicious and luscious! You have gotta try it!



One more thing, I promise, I am looking for a cheap, eco-alternative to my dish soap. I tried Dr. Bronners, but it is a little too watery and harsh for me. Smells good though (I got the Hemp Almond kind). So, if you have any suggestions, ppppplllllleeeeaaasssee let me know!!

New Way to do Skincare!

By the title of my post, you might think that I had an eventful trip to the cosmetic counter at the mall this weekend... Not so!! I actually just looked around at some 'natural living' blogs, looking for a superior, natural way to care for my skin, that would also eliminate the biweekly trips to the drugstore for new face wash, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, etc. Well, I did, and (shriek) it involves oil! I know, I practically shrieked at this at first glance too, but I was willing to try it out. So here goes, and just as a note, these are not my recipes, not that they are any secret, but I do not take credit for them. Here goes.

• For my face, I have began 'oil cleansing.' Sounds counter intuitive, right? That's what I thought, but I was willing to try. I blended half and half castor oil and grapeseed oil and I put a few drops of patchouli in as well. Cause I like the smell, and it's purifying, and gentle. Anyway, I take this oil, which I put into an old 'body splash' bottle and I squirt it out and then massage it into my face morning and night. I massage for about 2 minutes or so, then I wet a washcloth as hot as I can, put it on my face to steam my 'pores' then massage again. Then repeat hot washcloth, then wipe the oil off with a clean, hot washcloth. Make sure not to get it too hot-- you don't want to burn your face, it is just that my water heater is on low. If after I wipe off the oil my face still feels like it needs moisturizer, I use a pea sized amount of either coconut or grapeseed oil. Also, I want to add that I have problem skin, and for the 3rd full day of doing this, my face has never looked better! 
• Now, these are 2 I haven't tried yet because I have yet to run out of my current product. However, here are some more 'recipes' for shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant. Well, I haven't used them myself, but I did use them on Caylen, and the shampoo and conditioner worked great! I of course didn't try the deodorant. 
• For shampoo, mix a tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water. For Caylen, I put hers into a squirt bottle-- she loved it! Massage into the scalp and let sit, then rinse. 
• For conditioner, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water. I also put this into a squirt bottle. Massage, then rinse.  And yes, they really did work on Caylen's hair, which of course lacked so much oil, but did have food in it :) However, it is also supposed to get rid of excess oil, hair products, etc. Your hair will, supposedly, have a period of where it gets 'adjusted' but this should last no more than a couple of weeks. Your scalp just has to get used to no having to produce as much oil, since it is not continuously being stripped. 
• For deodorant, and not antiperspirant, mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Add coconut oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the mixture until it is well mixed (about 4-6 tablespoons). Then, if you like, you can add a few drops of essential oil. Although, it will already smell like fresh coconut :) Then, pack it into a used deodorant container and stick it in the fridge, if it is summertime. Use and enjoy! 

*I found these recipes on www.simplemom.net, but there are similar and other variations of these recipes all over the web. If you want to find them, you can usually just google and find them if these recipes don't suit you.

A new Burkhead Addition!

I guess this is a few days late, as we got him on Sunday, but we got a dog! Sorry I don't have pictures yet, but I will post some soon. :) He is a one year old Australian Shepherd, red and white with green eyes, and his name is Buddy. (<----- that was the shelter's name, not ours, but we figured he was too old to change his name). He is super sweet, he loves Caylen and she loves him! She was already calling him Buddy by the 2nd day! Pictures to come!

Back From Vacation!

Well actually we got back Tuesday. But, this is the first time I have had to write about our trip! We started out on Friday afternoon to Pigeon Forge, we got there and went to Dollywood Saturday and Brandon and I left Sunday to go to Highlands. This was our little anniversary trip. This was also my first trip without Caylen :( But, we had sooo much FUN!
We stayed at a place called Fire Mountain, in a treehouse, which was extremely private and had a most gorgeous view! Oh and if you go to the website, that picture of the 2 chairs is absolutely the way it is up there! We sat in those same 2 chairs and watched the sunset. It was awesome!Our room was small and simple, which was great for us-- no air conditioner, TV, radio, alarm, etc. We looved it! It was so incredibly quiet and peaceful. It was also about 10 degrees cooler up there, way up on a mountain, than it is in Blairsville. Every morning there was a homemade gourmet breakfast ready for us at 9:30. First morning was frittata with kale and heirloom cherry tomatoes, bacon, strawberry jam (best I ever had), fresh fruit, and biscuits. Second morning was buttermilk pancakes, homemade banana syrup, an egg in a cup (yeah, sorry can't remember the name, but it was gooood), fresh fruit and sausage. It was such a wonderful breakfast and halfway through the morning that we never had to eat lunch! That was also good because during lunchtime we were out on the trails :)
Before I get into my hiking section, I have to share something. We bought the most awesome shoes and we went hiking in them and let me tell you, I have never hiked like this before! I could feel the ground when I was walking, and when I was about to lose balance, these shoes made it so much easier to keep my balance. Without further ado, I introduce to you Vibram Five Fingers Shoes. They are great, and I have to give credit to Bryan Bates, the first person I saw wear them. I had heard about them, but they truly are great shoes. I don't know how far I would hike in them-- some of our 10 mile hikes might be too strenuous, but they are great! They look funny, but sometimes, well almost always for me, function is more important than form!
We hiked 3 waterfalls, did about 3 miles total one day, so light hiking-- easy going down, straight back up.  At one falls, Glen Falls, we did hike to the midpoint of the falls and there was a flat part of the waterfall, about 30x30 maybe? It was flat, anyway, and it was a large area. We went out there in the middle of it where there was a pool and sat in it for a while, it was COLD! and then we turned around and sunbathed-- wow the view was just wide open! That flat area was definitely the best vantage point for the view of the mountains!  Oh and I forgot my camera. Or, I thought I did, really it was at the bottom of the suitcase... We really could have taken some good pictures, but believe me they wouldn't have done any justice to what we saw. And, it kinda goes back to the John Mayer song about "didn't have a camera by my side this time.... hoping I would see the world through both my eyes..... " but yeah the pictures would have been great.
On Monday night we ate at this place, Cyprus, and it was great. It was international cuisine, and every night the chef spotlights a different country. They have a regular menu as well that has other international food on it too, and I got a dish off of it, while Brandon got the Pork Ragu off the 'special' menu. Both were very good, and it was really a cool place to eat at. Not too expensive either. I can't really enjoy my food too well if I am getting ripped off ya know? Kinda gives me indigestion.....
Anyway, we left on Tuesday morning and went by and saw some more falls and went a couple of places then headed to Bville, which is only 1.5 hours away. So, we definitely plan to go back just for a day and do some hikes with the babe. Also, we plan to go back there every year for our anniversary for a couple of days since we loved it so much!

Just a Routine Update

Well, maybe it's more than that. I just had a few things to touch on, and I needed a name to group them all together, so I called it that. Update 1: Potty Training. Currently at a stand still due to her 'not cooperating' at daycare. I figured it would be okay to wait for a bit. She's only 20 months, right? This brings me to update 2: actually, she is 21 months today, July 16th. Happy 3/4 birthday Caylen! Time is just flyyyying by! Update 3: We are in Pigeon Forge, yay! But not so yay, it is after midnight and I have yet to go to bed. Have I ever mentioned that I am a 10 o'clock-at-the-latest-bedtime kinda person?  I have been told I turn into the Hulk without sleep. Maybe that is why Caylen slept in the bed with me for 9 months? It did greatly improve my amount of sleep, I must say. That's just how I work! Anyway, I tend to ramble (note that all of this is in one paragraph...)when I am overly tired and get my second wind, which I am on currently. The deal is this: Caylen will not sleep on vacation. Never, ever, ever. We just got back from a trip to KY a couple of weeks ago, well not even, and on that said trip she slept nada. None. Zilch. She also, since being in daycare, is always sick on vacation. I am not lying. She is fine up until the first night of vacation and here comes this runny nose, cough, and drainage thing. Same thing every time. She will go to sleep okay, she is thankfully pretty good with transitions after all our moves and instability.... anyway she goes to sleep pretty fast, but then you hear her breathing, and you can tell she is congested, then she sucks some of that back and every few breaths she will have to cough, and this wakes her up. This means that she wakes up crying at least every 30 minutes. Great for the sleep cycle. Not only is the night so frustrating you want to go jump off the nearest cliff but you are too tired to look for it, but also the next day is complete agony. You, your spouse, your baby, are tired and grumpy and no one wants to deal with anything the next day and it takes all you can do to even get through it. So, tonight Brandon and I watched a movie after Caylen went 'to bed' and it wasn't over till 11. We turned the lights for about 2 minutes, then got up to tend to Caylen. I decided then, and I had been thinking of this earlier, that we would not go to bed at all. Unless, that is, she is asleep and no stirring for a good 30 minutes. This is about the best we can hope for. So far, nothing. I have come to a couple more conclusions, though. You all can take note of this and hopefully be able to hold me to my word. or, wordS.
1. We will not go on any overnight stays, with Caylen, anywhere other than our own home until Caylen is over 3 years of age. This means nowhere, folks. Brandon and I have talked alot about this lately and we are both on the same page here and we feel like we are shooting ourselves in the foot for even taking her anywhere overnight.
2. If I feel the urging of wanting another child before Caylen turns the said age of 3, I will attempt to take her somewhere overnight and remind myself of how impossible it would be to have anything more than just her.

Caylen does terribly, horribly bad on vacations. Not just at nighttime either! She screamed her way all through Walmart when we first got here-- I was thoroughly embarrassed at her behavior. We had to scarf our food down at Cracker Barrel whilst picking various objects off the floor that she would throw down while trying to keep her quiet enough as not to cause massive heartburn for anyone and everyone within a 10 mile radius. So, I have concluded that we have been terribly foolish even thinking of vacationing with her.

My parenting style, Attachment parenting, which I try to follow in the way I think is best for our family and for Caylen, talks about how each baby is different and how you can't treat any 2 babies the same. I am a big believer in this, and even though I know most people with a baby Caylen's age do travel, I know that we can't. It's not fair to her for us to put unrealistic expectations on her to act a certain way that she can't handle yet. I can't be too rigid with her, she is just a baby! So, I am just going to have to get realistic here and go with the flow.  Going with the flow is sometimes hard for me because I want things to be predictable and follow a routine, but really I am the one going against the routine and predictability. Experience has shown that 100% of the time Caylen will not sleep while we are on vacation, she will act out 300% more, and she will get sick. So why am I acting like the odds are in favor of her sleeping or otherwise? I tell you why: I like to think that every night she gets a new 'chance' if that makes sense. Tonight could be different and I want to go into it without feeling jaded. However, that really is just blindness! I am blinding myself to the fact that she never sleeps on vacations, so why would she sleep now?

Well, I guess I am done rambling. I just had to sort all this out I guess and restructure my thinking!

Potty Training Cont'd

Well I just had to update everyone on Caylen's potty training status. Yes, amazingly, she does have a status! Yesterday was her first full day of potty training, as I started, well she kinda did, Saturday at about 10 AM.

Yesterday we woke up at about 7, which Caylen has been doing lately and it is GREAT!, and Caylen had pee-peed in her diaper overnight. That's ok, no surprise. What the surprise is though, and pardon me for veering a little, is that when she was tee-tiny, like before 6 months, she never had a wet diaper all through the night! Odd... Kinda gives me a feeling that I might should have tried infant potty training.

Anyway, she woke up with a wet diaper, I sat her on the potty, she didn't go, then we went to eat breakfast. After breakfast, we went and got ready as usual. Brandon and I took turns putting her on the potty while we got ready until it was time for her bath. She then put on a pampers diaper and we headed off to church. When I took her to the nursery, she hadn't yet peed in the potty, but I told the ladies there that she was potty training and if they would put her on the potty. I brought diapers anyway but they were the cheap CVS Caillou ones. I picked her up from nursery, no one said if she had peed or not since they switch out the workers in between, and I checked her diaper. It was the same one that she had on before she went to church! We rushed home, got her on the potty, and she peed right away! This was the first time she had peed on the potty that I was sure of. We clapped and praised the heck out of her and put her back in a diaper which she kept clean until she went squatting off in a corner. I tell you, when that girl squats, it means TROUBLE! So we missed that one for the most part, and she had a few accidents later that day. We did make it to WalMart though and we bought her some training pants. She wet them 2 times last night :( but she wore them this morning and had no accident so far.

Speaking of this morning, Caylen got up, no pee in the potty, we went and ate breakfast, no accidents, then up to the potty again where she peed and did #2! She had no accidents this morning, and that was from the time she woke up, 6:30, to the time she got to daycare, 8:30, and she was wearing training pants the whole time! I brought some training pants and panties for them to use and told them she is using the potty! Hopefully, her day will go well and without many accidents!