Musings from the Junque Pile with a little Junque Food thrown in.

Nothing much happened in the gardens this past weekend. It was stormy and rainy and just blech-y.  I was hoping to get my tomatoes and peppers outside and into their warm and comfy wall-o-waters, but it was not meant to be.

Instead, I cleaned up after animals (you can't have 3 cats and a dog and have no smells in the house, I don't care who you are), did a mountain of laundry (that I still have yet to fold), and the hubster and I took turns shaving and trimming the dog (I swear she's part wookie, and smells like one too).

Sunday I concentrated on cooking for the week. I made an awesome pot of refried beans there's no frying don on them, so I don't know why they are called that, except it sounds much better than "Mushed Pinto Beans."  They were totally NOM. I say that, and I don't even like pinto beans. Or much of any bean-y type thing, for that matter. Except Green Beans, and even those can get bean-y if left on the vine too long. Trust me, I know.

But I digress....

I made 2 loaves of bread.  I wanted to make it handmade instead of in the bread machine. I guess I felt the need to knead, if ya know what I mean.  I used a 1/2 combo of whole wheat flour and white flour, with a few teaspoons full of flax seed.  I also covered it in sesame seeds while baking.  The loaves weren't as fluffy as I'd have liked them to be, but I don't think they are super dense either. I'll find out tomorrow when I make myself a sandwich, or toast.

I also made beef tacos for dinner. Seemed fitting, since I'd made the beans.  I love tacos in any form. Fish Tacos - have I shared that recipe with you guys? If not, I will...totally a great recipe, and quick and simple.

Back on track...

I also made a bowl of Tuna salad for lunches.

We are also defrosting a set of pork chops and I just had DaHubster get some hot dog buns, so pretty much all the dinners, with leftovers for lunches are all set this week.

I feel pretty darn good about that.

Not bad for a crappy rainy weekend.

And if you are still with me...I give you: KITTY CAM! Live kittens, go watch!

The Junque Yard - seedlings!

Well, these little guys are not out in the yard yet. But they have been sitting in my computer room window with a light hanging over them for a good 12 hours a day.  We have 2 types of tomatoes (Rutgers and Romas), and 2 types of peppers.  Of the two, the Rutgers, are outgrowing the Romas by quite a bit, and there’s one pepper plant that didn’t take off at all. But I’m just jazzed that I was able to get seedlings started early this year, for once.  I never do, and then end up buying starts from the Farmer’s Market.  But I have all these seeds, and gosh darn it, there is no reason for me not to. 

These guys are about 6 weeks old.  They will soon go out into the raised beds and covered in Wall o Waters.

Oh? You’ve never heard of Wall o Waters???  They are the COOLEST way to get warm weather plants outside and into the garden early. 

I heard about Wall-o-Waters from my favorite magazine Backwoods Home Magazine . I know I've mentioned them before, but they have great articles for people who are looking to go the old time ways, like the Hubster and I am.

I was trying to find an accurate link for them to show you guys, but there are 2 sites with similar URLs and I can't tell which one is the original Wall-o-Water people.  We ourselves bought ours from a local home center store, but II know Amazon sells them (if you buy them from clicking this link, you'll give me a little boost, and I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

WALL O WATER 3 PACK 

Musings from the Junque Pile - another spring cleaning project down.

I have a cabinet that houses half of my spices, and all of my plastic lids.  Before yesterday, I would have been too embarrassed to show you this cabinet, which is above the stove.  This is where we keep our lunch containers that we take to work every day, and you know what happens, lids get lost or the one lid that doesn’t fit any container suddenly multiplies like rabbits overnight.

I found some sort of rack-thing as Salvation Army for $2.00. I had no idea what it was, but I knew I could use it for something. It looks like two ginormous napkin holders that are also conjoined twins. I had visions of painting it a funky color and putting it up on the wall to hold necklaces or rings of keys, or something like that.

But when I was looking for a bigger container to put the ever procreating plastic lids in, and this rack popped into my brain. I just knew it would work, and VIOLA!  Instant lid holder! 

I can actually see what lids I have at a glance. I love it! Even my mother liked it, and that's saying something. She's about 6 inches shorter than I am, and this cabinet is above our stove.  She hated getting on the step stool in order to find a matching lid to a container. Now she can see what she  needs much easier, even if she still has to use the stool to get it (heh).

Junque Food - Banana Bread with a twist!

We have a TON of dehydrated bananas that are sitting on our food shelves, for the simple reason that DaHusband-Man went crazy and bought several dozen bunches of, specifically for dehydrating and storing.

Actually, that's not entirely true.  We love banana chips, and figured that they were the same as dehydrated chips. 

OH.

NO.

THEY.

WEREN'T.

come to find out, banana chips are deep fried, usually in coconut or palm oil. Not exactly healthy for you.

So we have all these jars of banana chips, that are CHEWY as all get out. We tried lots of things to make them palatable. We did the lemon wash so they wouldn't completely turn brown during dehydration.  We sprinkled cinnamon on them (He liked those, I didn't).  We were figuring it was a bust for the snacking dept, but they were something that could sit on our shelves, and we'd have them if we needed. 

So they sat.

For a year. and then another year. 

Until I couldn't stand it anymore, and decided to try to re-hydrate a few of them. I was in the mood for banana bread, but I didn't have any fresh (or over-ripe) on hand.

So I took a loose cup full of them and ran just enough water to cover them. and I let them sit for about an hour.  They soaked up the water, and were instant banana mush. Perfect for bread!

Banana Bread - this is the exact same recipe I used, but I found it already typed in Food and Garden Dailies. Thank you for saving me the time typing from out of my cookbook!

(Better Homes & Gardens, I got it in 1988)

In a large mixing bowl combine:

     1 cup all purpose flour
     2/3 cup sugar
     2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp salt

Add to the bowl and mix:
     1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 medium)
     1/3 cup shortening, margarine, or butter
     2 TB milk

Add to the bowl and mix:
     3/4 cup flour
     2 eggs

Stir in:
     1/4 cup chopped nuts

I actually skipped the nuts, but put in a cup of butterscotch chips....'cause that's how I roll.

Pour batter into a greased 8 x 4 x 2" loaf pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.  Makes one loaf (16 slices).

Oh my.  it was good.  The only reason that I knew this bread was made with dehydrated bananas was that the bread had SUPER BANANA FLAVOR (complete with echo).

It was definitely a success, and now I know I can make banana bread anytime I want. We have tons of banana chips just waiting.....

Musings from the Junque Pile - The Great No-Poo Experiment - Finale

This is the final wrap up from The Great No-Poo Experiment started by me, Vino, and JayBee.  We did it together, because we all have different hair types, and we all are tired of spending so much money on commercial hair care product, and we'd all read how baking soda and vinegar will make your hair soft, clean, and more manageable without using chemicals that no one can pronounce.

First up, Vino:

I’ve continued my routine of BS, about twice a week.   I love it.

What little shampoo I have on hand will be used only if I have a major build-up of gunk in my hair.

Or after a night of mud wrestling, maybe……

For the most part, just a thorough rinsing every other day seems to be enough for me.

 

I use the ACV rinse only when I use the BS.  

I’ve been doing sulfate free conditioners when needed, as I still battle the frizzies.

Olive oil and coconut oils are my friends.  A little dab’ll do ya!!    I use them as needed as well.

 

In summary, I’m a fan.

I’ll be a no-pooer from now on.   Me likey.

 

One less thing to purchase.  

***********************************************************************************
Up next is JayBee, who details more of her No-Poo experiment on her own blog: www.thageekymomma.blogspot.com

So nothing much has changed for me since the last update. I did make the decision to go back to conditioner. I was never able to replicate the correct ACV:water ratio for me. I loved what the BC rinse was doing for my scalp and hair and I wanted to continue with that, but the ACV rinse was driving me batty.

Then I realized… It’s not all or nothing.

So I found a mild natural conditioner for a reasonable price.

I’ve been in love with my hair ever since.

I still use ACV when doing my weekly dandruff rinse and I have seen a great improvement in my scalp –I’m not sure if it’s only the ACV or the use of that and the BC rinse. Either way I love it.

I don’t know if I mentioned it here or on my blog, but I spoke with my mom about considering going ‘poo-free. She has had a very severe case of psoriasis for years now. It is so bad that she’s opted to keep a shaved head because the heat her hair kept was causing severe discomfort to her. Well she is making progress in that area and is trying to keep her hair, the only thing is that her skin is so delicate that traditional shampoos are too harsh on her and the special shampoos cost a more than she can afford on a regular basis and still offer little help.

So far she is a fan. She is able to keep her hair clean –which helps minimize the reaction and discomfort.

So the verdict for my mom and I: thumbs way up.

*****************************************************************************

And finally, Me:

I've been doing this for over 3 weeks now. I am to the point where I can go 3-4 days without out "washing" my hair. This is a major feat, because my scalp was so overproducing oils (called sebum) from shampooing that I had to wash every day in order not to look greasy, scratch my scalp until I bleed (yes, that happened), and have my hair hold it's style.

My scalp is WAAAAAAAAY less itchy, and the only time I've seen dandruff is when I missed a spot when rinsing the baking soda out of my hair.

I've also switched from using a brush to using combs, and see far less breakage, and the new hair growing out at my root line I can tell is stronger. The reason I mention this is because my hair used to be so "knotty" I hated using combs and only used brushes. Now, I haven't touched a brush for almost a month, and I don't get knots anymore.

My only "complaints" (if you can call them that), are that the ends appear to be fizzy, but I'm sure that if I ever get my behind to the salon for a trim regularly, that problem will cease to exist.

I am also still using hair spray to get my hair styled. But I have to use far less spray that I used to, so that's another savings right there. But I need to find a better hair spray, because sometimes when I rinse in hot water, the ends of my hair feel "gummy" and I'm sure that's just residual hairspray, not anything connected to the No-Poo.

All in all, I am happy with No-Poo, and so is DaHubster. He uses BS instead of shampoo now, too, and loves it.

I might need to buy stock in Arm & Hammer.
***********************************************************************************

There you have it folks, 3 more satisfied No-Poo customers.  Actually, make that 5, counting my hubby, and JayBee's Mom.

I think it says a lot that so many of us, with different ages, backgrounds, and hair types can try something that's not mainstream, and be happy with the results.

Don't you?

Junque Food - "Stock"-ing up in more ways that one

Yesterday DaHubster casually mentioned that it might be time to make stock.  See, I take our leftover food bones, chicken, beef, pork, and freeze them in bags until I get enough to make stock with. In the summer time, I do the same with all my garden veggie peels and ends.

When I get a good sized baggie full, I dump it all in my stock pot, and throw in just enough water to cover, Bring to a quick boil, then simmer for a few hours.

then I drain the home made stock, and put the liquid into ice cube trays and freeze. Then take the frozen cubes of stock and store them in freezer bags.  Each frozen stock cube is about 2 tablespoons of liquid.

I use the stock in almost all of my cooking. there's no salt, like there is in commercial stock or broth, and a few cubes is a great way to enhance flavors in just about anything you are cooking.

And it's not really a hassle to do, since you don't have to watch the stock pot when it's simmering. You don't have to watch the cubes freeze. 

It's a great thing to do on the weekends, when you're running around cleaning or whatever. Makes for healthier eating too.It's a great way to get a little extra sumpin-sumpin out of bones that you are just gonna throw out anyway. And, best of all, it cuts down on your grocery bill if you dont have to buy broth.

Now, start saving your bones & veggie peelings, people! :)

Musings from the Junque Pile - Holy Henna Batman!

If you've been reading my blog lately, you know that in addition to giving up shampoo and condition for baking soda wash and a vinegar rince, I have also tried a couple of different things to attempt to bring more red to my head.

My first attempt was with cranberry juice, and you can read it here: Dying my Hair Naturally part 1

My second attempt was with a mixture of ground paprika, olive oil, and cranberry juice, which was post in: Dying my hair Naturally part 2

Both attempts, I'm told will work, if apply almost every day. It takes time to build up the color, but I don't have the time or the inclination to do either of those every day, and then maintain it.

So I started researching Henna.  Henna is a plant based dye that's been used probably since the dawn of time when some cave woman realized that her favorite hunter was casting his wayward eyes at some younger and more nubile female gather, who didn't have shots of gray in her rat's nest of hair.

it's totally natural, and it's totally potent.  I settled on a company that seemed to have clear, concise information about their product on their website, and fast shipping, which is always a plus.  www.hennahut.com is a company located in Spring, TX, and if I'm honest, I was sold on them by their testimonials page, in which happy customers showed before and after pics of their lovely locks.

In an effort to maintain readership, I'll keep this post short, and just show you my before and after shots after applying their color called "Red."

Before:

 After:










Yeah, I'm not showing a full face pic, because I have NEON RED hair. Which, if I were in my 20's, I would totally be IN LOVE with this color. But in my 40's? Not so much.

I'm dreading going to work on Monday.

What went wrong, you might ask? Did I pick the wrong color? No, I think I left it on too long. The directions say to leave it on anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. I rinsed it out somewhere between 30 to 45 minutes. I always had to leave commercial dyes on the fully allotted times their directions called for.

And I should have done a strand test. But really, can any of you honestly say you ever do a strand test when dyeing your hair? I didn't think so.

But all is not lost: according to the directions and the FAQs on the website, it is supposed to calm down after you wash it 18-24 hours later. I'm just about at the 24 hour mark, and I will be jumping into the shower soon to see how much it will settle down. I'm seriously considering even using shampoo, which is something I haven't used in over a month (check out the No-Poo experiment posts in this blog to find out what that's all about).

Do I recommend Henna. Surprisingly, yes, I do.l My hair feels great, the dye itself doesn't smell harsh like commercial dyes, because there is no peroxide or any chemicals in it. You can't go lighter with Henna, just darker or brighter.  My aim is for brighter, and I believe I'll be able to get a better result out of the shoot the next time I use it. It's all a learning experience, right?

Besides, Henna Hut JUST came out with a new tint called, Strawberry Blond, which, had it been available last weekend when I made my purchase, I would have snapped it up like a really hungry turtle. I've always been a strawberry blond, not a neon red.

(Boy you should have heard the bad words come out of my mouth when I saw they were advertising their new color online - as I was getting ready to mix the color I'd already purchased - Wooo Boy! Was I ever ticked off about that.

So if you  see a person with glowing red hair walking down the street, be kind to her, will you? She's just having a bad hair month...