Happy and Healthy - Dry skin? Try an Oatmeal Bath

I have used lotion to ward off dry skin for most of my life. When I got pregnant with my first child I started to look at what goes into my cosmetics as well as my hair and skin care products. Needless to say, I was shocked, and started to look to natural alternatives. We live in a year round dry climate where it can snow at least 6 months out of the year. My kids have never really needed any lotions to keep their skin hydrated. They drink lots of water, bathe every 2 - 3 days, and when their skin gets dry we just add oatmeal to their bath. There is not a simpler, more natural, and cost effect method. It can cost $6 for an 8 pack of commercial oatmeal bath powder. This will cost as much as the oatmeal you use. It is also good for itch relief.

Oatmeal Bath
By Tiffany Teske

Ingredients
~ 1 c Organic old fashioned, quick cooking, or instant oatmeal (They all work just as well)

Directions
Grind your oatmeal in a coffee grinder or food processor. Put in your oats and grind until they are a fine powder. If you would like to make a large batch of powder you can grind in smaller batches and store in a jar with a lid for up to 6 months in a cool place. Add 1/2 - 1 c directly to your bath water or about a 1/3 c to a baby bath and swirl around with your hand. The water will look milky and feel silky. In a powdered form the oats will go down the drain without any problems.

If you don't want to or can't grind your oats you can add 1 - 2 cups whole old fashioned oats to a sock, knot the sock just above the oats so they are snug in the sock, and put it all in your bath for 15 - 20 minutes. Wring out the sock several times. Oatmeal powder will make your tub more slippery than usual, so take care.

Happy and Healthy - Making Homemade Yogurt - Part 1

I have always wanted to make yogurt. I know it is an easy thing to buy but I want to make it myself, like I want to learn to make cheese. Yes, I can now find even organic yogurt everywhere, but I still want to try to make it. It is a goal of mine to at least try to make everything I so conveniently buy from the store, from scratch. I make many things from scratch, although some things I leave to the experts (like sushi, you know how some things just taste so much better when someone else makes them?). In my effort to learn more about yogurt making, I ran across the blog One Hot Stove. In a post on making yogurt, Nupur states the following reasons for why she wanted to make her own yogurt:

"I'm happy I started making yogurt for several reasons-
(a) Texture: Don't get me wrong, I like store bought yogurt just fine and have eaten it for years. But since I started to make yogurt at home, I love how the texture is creamy but never gummy.
(b) Packaging waste: I'm very happy to be able to avoid the plastic yogurt tubs. I always reused the tubs (for pantry storage) or recycled them, but reduce beats both reuse and recycle.
(c) Cost: The yogurt cultures are not dirt cheap or anything (around 5-6$ for a pack of 6 sachets), and you have to factor in the cost of the milk, but homemade yogurt is still significantly cheaper than store-bought stuff.
(d) Streamlining my grocery list: I use fresh yogurt in place of sour cream and cream cheese in dips and spreads and to dollop on burritos, so I have cut down significantly on buying other dairy products."

These are all reasons I want to make yogurt. I also prefer to make the things I eat because they are fresh and I know every ingredient that has gone into to them.

It seems that I can make yogurt at home with very little equipment. There are many yogurt makers available for purchase and I have ordered the Cuisipro Donvier Electric Yogurt Maker above from CSN Stores. Have you ever heard of CSN? They have over 200 online stores that sell everything from dining sets to pet supplies. I am always finding some new kitchen gadget I need at CSN. I am anxiously awaiting my newest kitchen helper and will happily pass along my results.

Do you make yogurt at home? Do you have any good recipes to share? I would love to hear your advice so please comment below.