Monthly Archives: January 2014

How to Make and Use Whipped Coconut Oil

How to Make and Use Whipped Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is good for your skin, and feels much better when it’s whipped, especially during winter when your coconut oil is probably hard and difficult to get out of the jar. Fortunately, it’s really easy to whip, and then you have this wonderful lotion that feels even better to use.

To Make

1 cup solid coconut oil
skin-friendly essential oils if desired

Put the coconut oil into a mixing bowl. Use your mixer to beat it on slow to break up the coconut oil. As the chunks disappear, increase speed to high to really whip it. It should become light and fluffy, and look like about twice as much as it was. Add essential oils, just a few drops, if desired as you whip the coconut oil.

Spoon into a container that you can close up. I prefer glass jars. Keep in your bathroom when the room is cool enough, but know that this can still melt as the weather warms up. You can keep it in the fridge too, and it will not get as hard as unwhipped coconut oil would, but will be firmer than if you keep it out.

Don’t try a blender to whip this recipe up – you’re more likely to simply melt the coconut oil.

You can also combine with other natural skin care ingredients such as shea butter, cocoa butter or vitamin E.

If the weather is warm enough that to coconut oil is melting, this probably won’t work without a little help. Cool the coconut oil in your refrigerator first, then try to whip it. You could also try freezing the bowl first.

The type of coconut oil doesn’t matter too much, beyond personal preference. If you like the coconut smell, virgin coconut oil is fine. If you can’t stand the smell, make sure to use a refined version.

To Use

Use this just as you would other moisturizers, but be prepared for it to take a little more time to soak in. Some people find coconut oil too greasy, but the whipped version is easier to put on more lightly. Many people get the best results putting this on damp skin.

If you have cracked feet, this can work as a pleasant overnight treatment. Rub it into your feet, then put socks on and go to bed. The socks are important for best results.

Whipped coconut oil also makes a good hair treatment. Rub some into your hair, especially the ends, which tend to be the driest. Wrap your hair in a towel so that you don’t get oil everywhere and let it sit for an hour or overnight. Wash your hair thoroughly in the morning. If your hair is still oily, wash again or try conditioner – some people find that conditioner gets the oily feeling out better than shampoo.

This works as a lip balm too. Apply a small amount to your lips with your fingertips. Don’t try to carry it around in this form, however, as it will melt in whatever container and could leak out. You can melt coconut oil with beeswax if you want something more stable to carry around.

This Will Melt

As this recipe doesn’t include any stabilizers, the coconut oil will still melt easily in warmer temperatures, and may lose the air bubbles that make it so light over time even in cooler weather. Don’t make a large batch and think that it will stay that way forever. Make a reasonable amount for your needs, and rewhip as necessary.

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How To Get Home Cooked Meals On The Table More Easily

How To Get Home Cooked Meals On The Table More Easily

Home cooked meals are generally healthier and cheaper for your family than eating out or making convenience foods. But they take time, and all too often parents struggle with finding the time to prepare a home cooked meal. It doesn’t have to be all that hard, however. Take a little extra time when it’s convenient for you, and you can cut down on the time it takes to make healthier meals for your family.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is one of the most important tools you have in cooking at home more often in less time. Planning ahead allows you to know what you’re cooking for each meal, what ingredients you need, how much time you need to make it, and so forth. It saves you from debating each day what to make, or wondering what to buy at the store. You’ll know what you need.

Planning is best done with current grocery store specials and seasonal produce in mind, especially if you get produce from a CSA or other arrangement where you have little control over what veggies you’ll have. Don’t plan on having something you aren’t sure you will have the ingredients for – that’s an easy way to get desperate enough to resort to convenience foods or a meal out.

Chop Early

Many ingredients can be chopped days before you need them. If you’re as lucky as I am and have kids who love to snack on vegetables, having chopped vegetables also means you have healthy snacks ready for them. If you’re planning a stir fry or other meal with chopped meat, that’s another easy item to cut up in advance.

Cook Early

You can even cook some things early, so long as they reheat well. I don’t like to precook vegetables; it’s too easy to turn them into mush with repeated heating. When you precook vegetables, make sure they taste good to you after being reheated. Fortunately, many taste good raw or can easily be prepared along with your main dish. Lots of vegetables are wonderful roasted, for example, and may do well in the oven at the same time as the main dish.

Beans, on the other hand, are easy to prepare in advance. I like black beans, and usually have a bag of cooked ones in the freezer. I make a large batch, then freeze them in ice cube trays, moving them into a bag after they’re frozen. The cubes make it easy to get just the right amount of beans into my recipe.

You can also cook meats early. Once again, be careful about reheating, as meats are easy to dry out.

Use Your Crockpot

When days are rushed, I love my crockpot. It’s pretty good other times too, but it’s an absolute delight on those days when I otherwise wouldn’t have time available to make a home cooked meal.

It takes time to find really good crockpot recipes. Bad crockpot recipes take away all the flavor of otherwise good ingredients. I don’t recommend cooking vegetables in the crockpot all day – they’ll be soggy and flavorless. Add veggies later in the day if you can.

Think Raw

Not all foods have to be cooked just because they’re a part of a meal. I often let my kids pick which raw vegetables they want with their dinners. It ensures their enthusiasm, as they all love a variety of raw veggies. My youngest, for example, is utterly obsessed with bell peppers, no matter the color. But sometimes she’d rather just eat a carrot or some snap peas.

There are plenty of books out there to help you make quick homemade meals. Having good recipes is a big part of making homemade meals quickly. Here are some that look promising:

The Elliott Homestead: From Scratch: Traditional, whole-foods dishes for easy, everyday meals
Operation Dinner: How to Plan, Shop & Prep for Easy Family Meals
Michael Symon’s 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners
The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner: Easy Family Meals for Every Day of the Week

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