Razzle-dazzle Dough-ya

This is a conglomeration of different recipes I’ve tried over the last six years. It’s easy to make with the kids, you don’t have to cook it over the stove,  it doesn’t smell disgusting and allows you to make different colors within one batch of dough. The glitter adds a fun bit of sparkle but you can easily leave that out. Consider jazzing it up with other small, non-perishable items — sequins, small beads, etc. You could also use peppermint or almond extract for a different scent.

As for playdough tools, I let the kids use my plastic cookie cutters and wooden rolling pin…they seem more interested by the “Real” tools than they have been by fancy little ones. They also love using cups, blunt children’s cutlery, and other randomly shaped and textured household items…just make sure whatever you give them is easily washable.

Razzle-Dazzle Dough-ya Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 2 tbsp Cream of Tartar (4 tablespoons would extend the shelf-life, but I personally don’t like playdough to hang around more than 6 weeks or so. Little fingers put a lot of ickies into it.)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups boiling water
• Food coloring and glitter (optional)
• Mug and teabag (optional, but you’re probably going to need it if you’re making this with little helpers. )

Put the kettle on to boil. Prepare mug and teabag. Gather a large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, measuring cups and dry ingredients. Combine flour, salt, cream of tarter , vanilla and cooking oil in the mixing bowl.

When water boils, start your tea brewing, then add 2 cups of boiling water to the mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture is a big lumpy glob and cool enough to handle. Turn it out on the table or counter and knead well until smooth and supple.

Roll dough into a log and cut into four equal size pieces. Squish them into a fat pancake shape, and add a few drops of food coloring and maybe some glitter to the middle. Fold the pancake over on itself with the food coloring inside, then knead it well until the color is evenly distributed. (If you are concerned about stains, protect your work surface. If you don’t want technicolor hands, wear gloves.) Repeat with the other sections as desired.

Store in an air-tight container. Keeping it in the fridge will extend the life but isn’t mandatory. Now sit and enjoy your tea in the 10 minutes that all the kids are going to play happily before they start arguing over who gets the blue dough…

Moroccan Mint Facial Cleanser

I’ve been using this recipe for a couple weeks now and I love it. It’s all my skin needs for morning cleansing, and it does wonders for puffiness under the eyes…and I am convinced it evens skin tone as well. All without drying my rather sensitive winter skin.

You know how healthy Green Tea is…now treat your skin to some of the benefits!

You’ll Need:
1 1/2 tbsp Moroccan Mint looseleaf tea (OR 1 tbsp green tea leaves and 1/2 tbsp dried mint; OR 2 green tea bags and 1 peppermint tea bag)
1 cup boiling water
Bowl or large mug, lid of some sort to cover it
Strainer
Glass jar with lid

To Make:
Place tea in bowl and pour boiling water over it. Cover, and let steep until it reaches room temperature — about 3 or 4 hours. Strain out tea leaves (or remove teabags) and pour into jar.
Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To Use:
Saturate a cotton ball and apply generously to face, using short upward strokes. Allow to dry on skin.
Personally, I like using it straight out of the fridge — it really wakes up your face and brings color into your cheeks. But if that’s too abrupt for you first thing in the morning, let it sit at room temp while you take a shower.

Smelling Pretty, Breathing Easy

I love the simple pleasure of opening the front door, and inhaling deeply of the warm, happy scents of home. However, I have also learned from experience that using chemical air fresheners and scents irritates my allergies, triggers eczema, and guarantees a migraine. Here’s some basic info about indoor air quality.

So, how to have a yummy-smelling home without the health risks?

My favorite tricks are the simplest — I keep a bowl of water on top of my radiator-style heater, and scent it with a few essential oils. (Right now, I’m enjoying a blend of sweet orange, clove bud, and eucalyptus. It smells like Christmas, and has the added benefit of being an anti-viral blend — buh-bye winter colds!) In addition to smelling good and cleaning the air, the extra humidity is great for easing dry-skin-blues.

Another favorite trick is to create a spray freshener. This can be as simple as blending some essential oils and water in a spray bottle and spritzing around the room, or you can blend a 1/4 cup of vodka with 3/4 cup water and add the essential oils to that blend — the alcohol helps disperse the scent.

Here’s a link with more ideas… and here’s another one for Winter Holiday Mulled Cider Air Freshener. Yum!

If you have any favorite recipes for a sweet-smelling home, share them! I’d love to hear.

Rooibos Beauty Oil

Commercial lotion is full of known carcinogens — visit Skindeep and look up your brand if you don’t believe me. Here’s a simple alternative that smells amazing and works wonderfully.

You’ll Need:

• 4 Vanilla Rooibos teabags
• 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp liquid Vitamin E (or a couple capsules)
• Double boiler, wooden spoon, and a clean bottle or jar with an airtight lid.

Heat double boiler over low-medium heat; you want the water hot but NOT boiling. Place teabags in top pot, cover with the olive oil. Now let time and head work it’s magic! Gently heat it for a few hours, periodically poke and squeeze the teabags with the spoon. When the infusion seems strong enough, remove from heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then carefully remove teabags from oil — be sure and squeeze out as much of the oil from them as you can. Stir in vitamin E, and transfer to your clean bottle or jar. Allow to cool with lid loosely close, then tighten lid securely.

Shelf life – up to 2 months. Always discard product if it develops a strange smell or color.

To use

• pour desired amount into hand and massage into skin — this is most effective after a warm shower or bath. For added benefit, massage towards your heart — it stimulates your circulation.
• add approximately 3 tablespoons to your bath after you’ve been soaking for a few minutes; the oil will lock the moisture into your skin.
• facial cleanser – massage oil into face; cover with a washcloth that has been soaked with hot water and wrung out. When cloth cools, use it to gently remove excess oil.
• use as a facial moisturizer too — warm a small amount between your hands, gently massage into face.