September in Review

I figured I would highlight some of my discoveries of the last month.

Literature: September’s feature was Thich Nhat Hahn’s Peace is Every Step.  Simple yet practical, this book suggests very basic practices for mindfulness. He recommends practicing smiling and concentrating on your breath in order to bring yourself into the present moment. Although written about 15 years ago, I still find this book to be extremely relevant and helpful. I highly recommend it.

Health: As some of you know already, this month came the revelation and the witch hunt to eliminate everything that contains SLS (sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate).  What is SLS you may ask? It is the foaming agent found in everything from toothpaste, laundry detergents, dish detergents, shampoos, liquid soaps (hand soaps, body wash, bubble baths, etc.), and even some conditioners.  It is a highly toxic chemical that has been proven in over 16,000 studies to cause cancer, skin abrasions, hair loss, and if in too much concentration, death.  Due to the low concentration found in our cosmetic products, it is not the one time usage that is of concern.  It is years of exposure that is the problem since the skin absorbs so much of the chemical over time.

After making this discovery, I took it upon myself to empty out my bathroom of all of the SLS-containing products.  I threw out the majority of them.  After silently weeping over the vast amounts of money that was literally just thrown away, I did some research on what some good products and substitutions might be.  Below are some of the winners:

Earthpaste: This perhaps is the best product that I have come upon yet. While making your own toothpaste is possible with some baking soda, water, and some flavoring oil for taste, I thought Earthpaste was more well thought out, containing essential oils to kill bacteria and using edible clay as a base so that it wouldn’t be harmful if you swallowed some by accident. All of the product reviews from Amazon and several blogs were positive, and I have to say I have not been disappointed.  I will admit that the color is a bit gross (brown), and it takes some getting used to because it doesn’t foam, but it does clean my teeth and mouth so much better.  It feels like I just walked out of the dentist each time.  Also, I have found that my breath is better.  I absolutely recommend this product.

Sulfate-free shampoo: I have a recipe for a sulfate-free shampoo that I will be trying after I’m done with this, but I don’t really have any complaints about this product. I got it at the Heaven and Nature store on Jonestown Road. It doesn’t have a particular name. You can simply ask for the sulfate-free shampoo and you will receive a scentless, paraben and sulfate free, 8 ounce bottle. You can add essential oil (10 drops per oz) if you want a scent or you want something that will clean the scalp of bacteria (tea tree) or help hair growth (rosemary). 

As expressed in past entries, I have been experiencing severe itching, burning, and hair loss for some time and no clue as to where it was coming from. After trying this shampoo, I will say that I have experienced an improvement-less burning/itching and less hair on the comb (although I had a setback last week after using a protein pack that felt like it was going to burn my scalp off...the rest of my protein packs went in the trash). I’m not 100% sold on this particular shampoo (as I said I will be trying a new recipe after I’m done with this), but I think it is definitely an improvement.

Bar soaps: I don’t have a particular recommendation here, but I have been impressed with the more homemade soaps as opposed to Dial/Dove/etc. I used a goat milk soap that I bought from Heaven and Nature and found that it was gentler on my skin and didn’t have any skin irritation as I have experienced from liquid soaps in the past. I definitely recommend switching to bar soaps.

Soap nuts: [Insert sexual joke here] The jury is still out on these. Soap nuts are pretty self explanatory.  They are nuts that have cleaning qualities and you put them in the laundry to wash your clothes. Supposedly they have been used for hundreds of years (cue cheesy sound effects) in other countries.  When you use them, they leave your clothes scentless and you don’t have to use fabric softener in the dryer.  I purchased a sample and tried them last night. I think I liked them. I will say that they have a vinegary smell to them once they get wet, however, once the clothes go through the dryer they don’t have a smell. You can get soap nuts in liquid concentrate and then add a few drops to water, which I think I’m going to try.  I didn’t like throwing the nuts (which were in a drawstring bag) right in with my clothes because I wasn’t certain that they were washing the whole load.  So, jury is still out and I’m open to other options.

I think that’s about all. Til next month!!

Black Hair Product: Cantu Shea Butter

Before I start this review, I want to say that I think I have *almost* found the key to doing my hair.  I have found in the last couple of months that the less product, the better.  And!! The product that I do use cannot be heavy and has to be some sort of oil or combination of oils.  Otherwise, the petroleum based substances and heavy creams tend to cake on my hair and scalp giving me a dirty, greasy feel in hours after washing/conditioning/flat ironing. It’s annoying and it’s harmful to my hair.

The caveat? I have noticed that my scalp’s health has been deteriorating quickly. While my ends and color has been looking stellar, I’ve noticed that my hair has been thinning at a rapid pace.  I’d rather not go bald at 25.  My scalp gets extremely irritated-tightness, burning, some (painful) itching, which I cure by putting oil on my scalp, but I find that my hair still falls out.  I started using Dr. Miracle’s Hot Gro cream today (petroleum based with oils) and I’m going to give it two weeks with an application everyday (may the divine help me) and see what happens.  I’ll post with my results.

However, my scalp and hair woes are not the point of this post (although, if anyone has any suggestions re: the hair falling out, it would be MUCH appreciated!!).  My point was to review Cantu Shea Butter: No Drip Hair and Scalp Oil.

When I first got it I was attracted by the fact that it was not petroleum based.  It is simply solidified oils. I can tell you right now I have not been disappointed.  It has been one of the best hair product purchases I have made in a very long time.  I primarily use it on my scalp, which I find is the best use for it. It doesn’t drip all over the place (although you do have to watch that sometimes the oils do liquefy in the bottle and when you first squeeze it out it’s all oil) and since it is light oil and not petroleum based, it doesn’t cake on my scalp and hair making it greasy.  I find that it evenly distributes throughout my hair as the days go by to the point that I don’t have to worry about putting on product throughout the week. My hair is shiny and dark and styles really well with it.  It has become a part of my routine.

Downside? The applicator tip is awful and it’s actually really hard to squeeze the stuff out after awhile.  The bottle is a firm plastic so when you have a flat iron or comb in one hand and are trying to put the product on, you can’t squeeze stuff out easily.  I find that I have to squeeze the product out first on the counter top or my hand and then go from there.  Also, as I mentioned before, the oil does tend to liquefy a little bit at the top, but it’s usually not an overwhelming amount.

Overall I really recommend this product.  It’s light, it smells great, it works great.  I will definitely be buying this again.

Grade: A-

Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets, and Parties: Review

Over all, I give this book a B.

It has some interesting recipes, but I'm not sure that the end products were the greatest. I felt like the pictures were more flashy than the taste was in most cases. I do have to say, though, it did give me more experience with new dishes (bread pudding, souffles, etc.), that I wouldn't have normally tried, so for that I'm happy I cooked with it. However, I'm pretty eager to move on, haha. I definitely would have to say that it is not a "must have" for the kitchen.

So, what's the next book? Santa's Favorite Cookies: Sweet Treats for the Christmas Season.

Stay tuned!

Halloween Food, Fun, and Crafts: Summary

I know that unfortunately, I didn't get to all 10 of the recipes I wanted to make, however, I still have to say that I did like this book. I thought it included cute (and tasty!) recipe ideas for Halloween. I would indeed recommend this book for anyone looking for Halloween themed party ideas or who just is enthusiastic about the holiday. It gives a lot of fun ideas to take "ordinary recipes" and turn them into something special.

My next recipe book? Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets, and Parties

Hershey's Fabulous Desserts: Exit Summary

Before I give my thoughts on this book, I'd like to note that I only made 9 of the 10 recipes that I promised. Reason? For the 10th recipe, I couldn't find some of the ingredients (specifically nut quick bread mix). So between that and I wanted to move on to a different cook book, I decided 9 was enough. Besides, I foresee more desserts in the future!

Ok, that being said, here's my take on this cookbook:

Pros: Most of the desserts are quick and easy. Most of them require cake mixes or bread mixes, which saves a lot of steps when you bake. Also for the most part the clean up was quick and easy. Most of the desserts turned out great. It also didn't make an overabundance of stuff, but just enough for a family.

Cons: Some of the ingredients were difficult to find or they aren't made any more (Cherry cake mix....). Sometimes quality was forfeited for easiness and convenience (in the case of the fudge).

Over all, I thought it was a good, easy mode cook book, especially for someone who is just starting to bake. It's also great for someone who is trying to throw something together at the last minute or who doesn't want to invest a lot of money into something they are making. Most of this stuff came pretty cheap.

The biggest disappointment out of what I made was the Mint and Chocolate Fudge.

The biggest success out of what I made were the cream filled cupcakes.

I think that about wraps this one up! The next cookbook is Halloween Food, Fun, and Crafts (2008).