Detox Your House and Cosmetics! What do you do?

[mobius]

Pickled egg recipe: I used 3c vinegar and one cup water and it was enough for 28 eggs in a big glass jar in the fridge. Hardboil them and shell them (chickens were happy to get the crushed up shells). I added a little tumeric for color myself and found out that some people use beets for color variation! Then they go into the fridge for a couple of weeks to pickle (if they last that long).

http://www.food.com/recipe/pickled-eggs-29150

Boil up the mixture, use whatever spices you like, put the shelled eggs in a glass jar and pour the hot pickling liquid over them to cover. Cap tightly, cool for a few hours, and put in fridge.

 

[mobius]

Toothpaste recipe:

https://wellnessmama.com/2500/remineralizing-toothpaste/

I use very finely ground eggshell for the calcium and I add a little green clay. I never used the xylitol. Peppermint EO!

 

[rjohns39]

Omg and how do you store 82 quarts of stock? I seriously do want to know!

I have a pantry with shelves on all four walls up to 7'. But I also use a LOT of stock. Use it in lieu of water in many recipes. The funny part is how the setup came about. I have two pressure canners so I can do 28 quarts in about 2 hours. It takes 12-18 hours to make a good stock, so one day I'm with my eclectic group of friends and coworkers in an Atlantic city hotel hanging out on the patio... We had a biologists, a physicist and a couple engineers of different flavors at the table. My problem was I needed to be able to do that more efficiently... The biologist was good on time and temp requirements to avoid bad bugs, we determined that the 160 quart pot would give us about 80 quarts, so the pot was in, then came the search for a burner... The physicist went to work calculating heating that mass of water to 212 degrees in the time allotted by the biologist and wala, we needed a 150,000 btu burner. The other folks on the patio, as many of you probably do, thought we were absolutely crazy.

 

[mobius]

That reminds me: When I started making all these things i got equipment to use just for these processes: mixing bowls, coffee grinder, immersion blender (great for body butter), food processor...found these all at thrift stores... and set up almost a separate pantry for the equipment and ingredients on shelves in the guest bedroom.

I became a seeker of glass bottles to reuse for containers as well...none of those ever get thrown out. I use them for herbed vinegars, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, which I make at home. Even made my own ketchup, great use for tomatoes....you will never go back. Next up: make my own mustard!

Better and easy and less expensive as well...the REAL original ranch dressing recipe is in the Joy of Cooking: buttermilk, one lime, garlic minced, salt, black pepper and chopped fresh chives. If you want it thicker you can add mayo or sour cream. Also not high in calories before the additions!

 

[mobius]

Also use pink himalayan salt in everything except cleaning products. Don't pay store prices, Amazon has it quite inexpensively in a 2 pound bag:

https://www.amazon.com/Spice-Lab-Hi...3683&sr=1-7&keywords=himalayan+pink+salt&th=1

 

[Junochick]

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/tiffani-thiessen/blueberry-lemon-scones-3250029

Recipe for the scones ^ but when you roll them out, just do a big circle and cut it like a pizza into 8 slices, who knows why they have to make it so complicated also I opted out of the toppings...they are so perfect on their own

Thank you for the recipe, I researched a bunch on indoor air quality every home should grow 1 nice size plant for every 100 square feet. So I have lots of indoor plants. I also shop at a humane society thrift store for clothes and household items. I have reduced my garbage for the dump to very little. Have a great day

 

[FrankHomestead]

Thank you for the recipe, I researched a bunch on indoor air quality every home should grow 1 nice size plant for every 100 square feet. So I have lots of indoor plants. I also shop at a humane society thrift store for clothes and household items. I have reduced my garbage for the dump to very little. Have a great day

Good for you! This past new years my resolution, which I never make those, too cliche...was to drastically reduce my family's eco footprint. I started recycling every single scrap I possibly could, digging things out of the garbage my family threw out...took a bit to train them, LOL...unfortunately the garbage man picks up garbage weekly, buy only biweekly for the recycling. my garbage can is never full anymore, maybe half...and by time they pick up the recycling that can is overflowing and things on top of it and next to it. Also switched all our bulbs to fluorescent which use way less energy and actually reduce electric bill by a lot. Stopped running the dishwasher and used it as a drying rack. Stopped buying cleaning chemicals and made my own using vinegars, oranges & lemons...etc. I want my husband to build me a clothes line so I can stop using the dryer. Maybe someday wash clothes by hand if I ever have the time lol. Someday I would love to cover the roof in solar panels. Someday I'd love to have no grass at all, every square inch of land covered in fruits, vegetables herbs and beneficial plants for my family, my pets, my livestock, and have enough left over to share with extended family and friends and this church food pantry that are amazing and helped my family in a time of need. I'd also like to grow vegetable plants in little pots to donate there so the ppl in need can bring home a continuous source of food and maybe learn about growing their own food. I also hope to have enough egg layers to share. I love talking to you guys..you're all brilliant. Have a blessed day

 

[FrankHomestead]

I also am planning a cpl projects I have to hide from my husband. Bee keeping- both Mason bees and honey bees. if he sees any he'll kill them, and then I might have to kill him
And a bat house. he's actually afraid of bats and will high tail it inside at the sight of one. Sitting next to me, outside mind you, I just witnessed him killing a daddy long leg..because it was crawling on his leg. I chewed him out lol. I don't wanna know what he'd do to a little snake.
Every beneficial, important species he hates. But....he's a city boy from Jersey City. One time he legit freaked out over a dragon fly. He had our 2 yr old daughter petrified of FLIES. Oh, no, that's not happening. I nipped that right in the bud. now she just says shoo fly, and swats them away.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Cool thread, you guys are way better than I am!

When we bought our house that is on well and septic, we cut out most chemicals... or so I would like to think!

But... I use antiperspirant. Tried the salt rock one and hated it. Mostly just brush my teeth with straight water. Bought Dr. Bonners castile soap for all our hand pumps and to use in the shower, but I hate it in the shower. For some reason my hubby insist on using Irish Spring, which quickly build up and clogs my drains if used with cold water. Still use Dawn and dishwasher packs (whatever the green ones are), as well as laundry detergent. We just scrub and flush the toilet. Doesn't smell quite nice and clean afterwards, but I guess it's OK since that's how it's been for almost 3 years now and I haven't changed it yet. Bleach is used as a cleaning agent in the laundry machine, when it starts to smell and on smelly dish sponges. We practically just rinse our hair, with the occasional use of shampoo and conditioner. Hubby uses hair spray daily. No cosmetics here. And yes, I used permethrin on my birds to combat lice/mites. (will switch to pyrethrum when it comes time to replace it.) I also cannot afford to use organic chicken or dog feed. Nor do I buy organic everything for myself. I do not however use herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. We do use things like otc pain relievers as well as all the stupid meds we have to take. I used to have a red wiggler bin for composting but since the chickens have quit doing that. However anything left behind seems to attract rats. So my big fight right now is rats. Trying real hard to avoid poison as it doesn't line up with my lifestyle. So snap traps and 1 electronic shock trap are what I'm using, with some but probably not total success. We also use topical mosquito bite relief agents. And sadly I ferment my chicken feed in one of those big ol' non food grade plastic yard trash cans. As well as feeding it in a non food grade plastic rain gutter. I'm sure there have got to be more things I forgot to confess to! Sounds like I'm the temptress at the wrong place.. but I really do have a goal of becoming chemical free to the best of my ability. And I choose not to beat myself up for what I haven't yet been able to change, knowing that most things are a process.

We actually have a cheese factory right here in town and they are working on zero waste. They have some though not all organic products. They put them on sell often for only $2.50/#, that's a steal! We do talk about doing our own simple mozzarella, but I did NOT know you needed to use un-homogenized milk. Great info! I did buy raw, pasture raised milk (Humboldt creamery) for a while, but got scared off by one of the local vet's wife having used raw milk and catching something and being paralyzed in the past. Now all the milk from that place goes to the local cheese/butter factory. Also learning there is no regulation for the term pasture raised made me wonder (never mind the $16/gallon). That place (Alexandra's) that sells the milk to our cheese factory (Rumiano) also does sell pastured eggs and pasture raised and finished (no corn) beef and pork. This place being local I can see their pastures with the livestock in it. They still transport 3-4 hours for slaughter though. And we have another local farmer who also does pasture raised and finished beef/lamb and only transports his 2 hours for slaughter. In our move to conscientious consumption we WAY cut back, try to buy local/pasture raised (though not always because it gets pricey $8/# ground beef). We are lucky to get a good bit of local caught seafood. And we moved to buying only line caught for tuna or anything else we can. Big chicken can bite me! We raise and process our own, though I don't feel one bit of guilt for looking to pay someone else to process. Though we have done all our own so far.

Anyways, my biggest personal issue(s) with making all the soaps and such is I'm lazy(ish), limited storage space, failure to follow through with ideas because I spend WAY too much time spinning it through my head, and the unending projects already consuming my time. Yep, I sprout for my chooks and do FF. Plus I grow meal worms. And chicken math has pushed my limits till I'm exhausted by mid summer every year and I just can't wait for winter so I can sleep a little more!

Yes, I did come to this thread to learn and I'm open to suggestions. Please don't hate if I can't be as awesome as you!

 

[FrankHomestead]

Cool thread, you guys are way better than I am!

When we bought our house that is on well and septic, we cut out most chemicals... or so I would like to think!

But... I use antiperspirant. Tried the salt rock one and hated it. Mostly just brush my teeth with straight water. Bought Dr. Bonners castile soap for all our hand pumps and to use in the shower, but I hate it in the shower. For some reason my hubby insist on using Irish Spring, which quickly build up and clogs my drains if used with cold water. Still use Dawn and dishwasher packs (whatever the green ones are), as well as laundry detergent. We just scrub and flush the toilet. Doesn't smell quite nice and clean afterwards, but I guess it's OK since that's how it's been for almost 3 years now and I haven't changed it yet. Bleach is used as a cleaning agent in the laundry machine, when it starts to smell and on smelly dish sponges. We practically just rinse our hair, with the occasional use of shampoo and conditioner. Hubby uses hair spray daily. No cosmetics here. And yes, I used permethrin on my birds to combat lice/mites. (will switch to pyrethrum when it comes time to replace it.) I also cannot afford to use organic chicken or dog feed. Nor do I buy organic everything for myself. I do not however use herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. We do use things like otc pain relievers as well as all the stupid meds we have to take. I used to have a red wiggler bin for composting but since the chickens have quit doing that. However anything left behind seems to attract rats. So my big fight right now is rats. Trying real hard to avoid poison as it doesn't line up with my lifestyle. So snap traps and 1 electronic shock trap are what I'm using, with some but probably not total success. We also use topical mosquito bite relief agents. And sadly I ferment my chicken feed in one of those big ol' non food grade plastic yard trash cans. As well as feeding it in a non food grade plastic rain gutter. I'm sure there have got to be more things I forgot to confess to! Sounds like I'm the temptress at the wrong place.. but I really do have a goal of becoming chemical free to the best of my ability. And I choose not to beat myself up for what I haven't yet been able to change, knowing that most things are a process.

We actually have a cheese factory right here in town and they are working on zero waste. They have some though not all organic products. They put them on sell often for only $2.50/#, that's a steal! We do talk about doing our own simple mozzarella, but I did NOT know you needed to use un-homogenized milk. Great info! I did buy raw, pasture raised milk (Humboldt creamery) for a while, but got scared off by one of the local vet's wife having used raw milk and catching something and being paralyzed in the past. Now all the milk from that place goes to the local cheese/butter factory. Also learning there is no regulation for the term pasture raised made me wonder (never mind the $16/gallon). That place (Alexandra's) that sells the milk to our cheese factory (Rumiano) also does sell pastured eggs and pasture raised and finished (no corn) beef and pork. This place being local I can see their pastures with the livestock in it. They still transport 3-4 hours for slaughter though. And we have another local farmer who also does pasture raised and finished beef/lamb and only transports his 2 hours for slaughter. In our move to conscientious consumption we WAY cut back, try to buy local/pasture raised (though not always because it gets pricey $8/# ground beef). We are lucky to get a good bit of local caught seafood. And we moved to buying only line caught for tuna or anything else we can. Big chicken can bite me! We raise and process our own, though I don't feel one bit of guilt for looking to pay someone else to process. Though we have done all our own so far.

Anyways, my biggest personal issue(s) with making all the soaps and such is I'm lazy(ish), limited storage space, failure to follow through with ideas because I spend WAY too much time spinning it through my head, and the unending projects already consuming my time. Yep, I sprout for my chooks and do FF. Plus I grow meal worms. And chicken math has pushed my limits till I'm exhausted by mid summer every year and I just can't wait for winter so I can sleep a little more!

Yes, I did come to this thread to learn and I'm open to suggestions. Please don't hate if I can't be as awesome as you!

Love your realness, we are NOT better than you, everyone starts from somewhere. this day in age it's likely none of these topics we're taught to any of us, and we never questioned it growing up because that's all we knew. The good part is, we each have something to teach to the person next to us, and vice versa.