Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Diffuser Patchouli

Patchouli diffuser recipes because I love Patchouli and got tired of search of them.

Mountain Air

2 bergamot
2 cypress
2 patchouli

Happy Day
2 bergamot
2 grapefruit
2 patchouli

Peace
2 bergamot
2 patchouli

Summer Fresh

1 eucalyptus
1 lemongrass
1 patchouli

Citrus and Oriental
2 geranium
1 grapefruit
1 patchouli

Desert Ridge

3 grapefruit
4 lime
2 patchouli

Awaken

4 grapefruit
2 patchouli
2 rosemary

Heaven Scent

2 grapefruit
3 patchouli
1 ylang ylang

Carefree
3 eucalyptus
1 juniper berry
4 patchouli

Sprigtime and Sunshine

2 lavender
2 lemon
2 lime
2 patchouli

Afternoon Wind Down

3 lavender
3 patchouli

Citrus with a Twist

3 lemon
3 lime
2 orange
2 Patchouli

Tingle

3 lemon
2 patchouli
2 tea tree

Belong

3 lemongrass
3 patchouli

Bug Spray

I found this by looking at a lot of websites and combining the things I wanted and liked.  I mainly wanted something for mosquitoes, fleas and ticks.

In a 4oz bottle
10 cedarwood
10 Eucalyptus (mosquitoes and ticks)
20 Lavendar (mosquitoes, flies, and ticks)
15 Lemongrass (mosquitoes and ticks)
10 rosemary (mosquitoes, flies, and ticks)
I should add cedarwood also based on the bottom chart

I really liked this chart and want to save it here.  It is from https://oneessentialcommunity.com/diy-bug-spray-works-kid-safe-options/
The stars meant to call out oils that seem particularly good at repelling that bug.
DIY kid-safe bug spray that really works! great for mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and ticks. Homemade, natural, and made with essential oils.

This is a another good chart but I don't know why it doesn't include rosemary.  I found it at https://blog.aromatics.com/natural-bug-repellent-with-essential-oils/


Diffuser Energy/Focus

Some found on https://www.rebootedmom.com/essential-oil-diffuser-blends-for-focus-energy/


1 basil
2 grapefruit

Improve focus and boost energy-combat fatigue
2 basil
4 grapefruit
1 peppermint
2 rosemary

Get Pumped
2 basil
3 lemon
1 rosemary

Yawn Be Gone
2 basil
4 lemon
1 spearmint (or peppermint)

2 drop bergamot
2 drop cedarwood
1 drop frankincense
*1 drop orange

Improve focus and boost energy-combat fatigue
2 bergamot
2 grapefruit
2 lemongrass

Fatigue Fighter
3 bergamot
2 grapefruit
1 peppermint

Wake Up
1 bergamot
1 grapefruit
2 orange
1 rosemary

1 cedarwood
2 orange
2 spearmint
2 ylang ylang

Chipper
3 eucalyptus
2 grapefruit
2 rosemary

Recharge
2 eucalyptus
2 lemon

Energizing https://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/energizing-diffuser-blend-recipes/
1 eucalyptus
1 lemongrass
1 rosemary

3 eucalyptus
3 rosemary

Morning Energy
1 frankincense
2 lemon
2 peppermint

2 frankincense
2 peppermint
2 orange

2 grapefruit
2 lavender
2 lemon
2 peppermint
1 rosemary

2 grapefruit
2 lavender
2 orange
2 peppermint

Mojito
2 grapefruit
2 lime
2 orange
2 spearmint

1 grapefruit
2 peppermint
2 rosemary

Fatigue Fighting https://www.lovingessentialoils.com/blogs/essential-oil-tips/fatigue-fighting-diffuser-recipes-for-energy
3 geranium
4 peppermint

1 lavender
1 lemon

2 peppermint

2 lemon
3 orange
1 peppermint

Energy Booster
2 lemon
2 peppermint
*1 orange

Improve focus and boost energy-combat fatigue
2 lemongrass
2 orange
3 peppermint

Pep-Lime Burst
3 lime
3 peppermint

Early Morning Study https://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/8-get-go-morning-diffuser-recipes/
1 marjoram
1 peppermint
1 rosemary

Energizing
2 orange
2 peppermint
2 ylang ylang

Pack a Punch
2 orange
3 peppermint
3 rosemary

Friday, January 17, 2020

Ham from Frozen

I found this on https://www.thespruceeats.com/can-you-cook-a-frozen-ham-1388002
I am putting this info on my blog so I can find it again.



How to Cook a Frozen Ham Without Thawing It



illustration that depicts how to cook a frozen ham

Frozen Ham Cooking Instructions and Temps

Preheat your oven to 325 F. Place your ham in a roasting pan. Don't have a roasting pan? No problem. There are some things you can use if you don't have a roasting pan. Add an inch of water to the bottom of the pan. The rack that came with your roasting pan should hold the ham above the water, so be careful not to overfill the pan. No rack? Just add some onions and carrots to the bottom of the pan to prop your ham up. As the vegetables cook, they'll release water, and combine with the drippings off the ham, so you don't have to worry that the drippings will burn on the bottom of the pan, and create a bunch of smoke. Wrap the top of the pan tightly with aluminum foil. This will help to lock the moisture in, so your ham doesn't dry out while it thaws and cooks. It'll also keep the outside of the ham from burning.
Pop your foil-wrapped ham in the oven, and cook it until its internal temperature meets or exceeds the following:
  • Cooked Ham (vacuum-packed at the plant) — 140 F
  • Cooked Ham (repackaged by you or someone else) — 165 F
  • Uncooked Ham (labeled fresh, cook-before-eating or uncured) — 145 F
Refer to the package that your ham came in to see which type of ham you bought, so you get the temperature right.

Frozen Ham Cooking Times

Trying to gauge how much longer it'll take to cook your frozen ham, so you know how soon you need to get it in the oven? Use this chart to look up the estimated cooking time.

Type of HamWeight (lbs)Thawed: Min/lb
Frozen: Min/lb
Smoked Ham, cook-before eating
Whole, bone-in10-1418-2027-30
Half, bone-in5-722-2533-38
Smoked Ham, cooked
Whole, bone-in10-1415-1823-27
Half, bone-in5-718-2427-36
Vacuum-packed, boneless6-1210-1515-23
Spiral cut, whole or half7-910-1815-27
Fresh, uncooked
Whole leg, bone-in12-1622-2633-39
Whole leg, boneless10-1424-2836-42
Half, bone-in5-835-4053-60


Note: As mentioned, these cooking times are just estimates. Check the internal temperature of your ham with a meat thermometer to determine when your ham is done. 
*All recommendations are based ocurrent USDA guidelines.

Save the Pan Drippings

Since your frozen ham will be in the oven for a while, all those pan dripping will have probably turned into ham broth by the time your ham is done. Just de-fat the drippings, and you have the perfect base for a tasty pot of soup.

How to Cook Smaller Portions of Frozen Ham

Have frozen bacon, or a slice of frozen ham, that you'd like to serve for dinner? Just use these tips to thaw your meat quickly, or pop it straight in the oven to thaw and cook. As with larger cuts of pork, you can expect it to take 50 percent longer for your meat to reach a safe temperature. Keep a close eye on your dinner, while it cooks, so you pull it out when it's done (but not overdone).

What to Do With Your Leftover Ham

When you get finally tired of eating ham sandwiches, pop your ham back in the freezer to enjoy later. It's perfectly fine to refreeze meat. Here's the scoop on how long ham stays safe to eat in the freezer. 
Be sure to hang on to the ham bone, too. It can be used to make soup, broth, and many other tasty recipes. If you're not up for making any of those things now, you can always freeze the ham bone for later. It can go right into the stockpot without thawing it first.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Diffuser Happy


Happy and uplifting

Sunny Day
2 basil
4 lemon

Just be Happy
1 bergamot
1 frankincense
1 orange

Uplifting
2 bergamot
1 geranium

Balancing&Uplifting
1 bergamot
2 geranium
1 grapefruit
2 lavender

Happy
3 bergamot
3 grapefruit

Uplifting
1 bergamot
2 lavender
2 ylang ylang

Chipper
2 eucalyptus
2 grapefruit
2 rosemary

Uplifting
2 grapefruit
2 lemon
2 rosemary

Blissful Mood
2 lavender
3 orange
1 ylang ylang

Happy Morning
2 lemon
2 peppermint
2 rosemary

Perfect Morning
2 lemongrass
2 orange
2 peppermint

Friday, January 10, 2020

Diffuser Focus


Calming & Focus
2 basil
2 lemongrass


Energy & Focus
2 eucalyptus
2 lemongrass
2 rosemary


Focused Energy
2 grapefruit
2 rosemary

Concentration/Happy Morning
2 lemon
1 peppermint
3 rosemary

Morning Study
1 marjoram
1 peppermint
1 rosemary

Diffuser Calming

Calming, stress, anxiety, reduce stress


Relax & Mental Clarity
3 bergamot
2 frankincense
1 geranium

Zen
1 bergamot
1 frankincense
1 lemon

ReduceStress5
1 bergamot
1 geranium
1 lavender

Chill Out
1 bergamot
3 grapefruit
2 lemon
3 orange

Too-Busy Schedule
1 bergamot
2 lavender
2 patchouli
3 ylang ylang


Calm Blend
1 bergamot
1 patchouli
*1 ylang ylang

See Ya Stress
1 cedarwood
1 frankincense
2 orange


1 cedarwood
1 frankincense
2 orange
1 rosemary

Peace & Calm
1 chamomile
1 clary sage
2 geranium
2 lavender
1 ylang ylang

Overwhelm reset
2 clary sage
2 geranium
1 patchouli
1 ylang ylang

Calming
1 clary sage
3 lavender
1 lemon
1 vetiver

Stress Relief
2 eucalyptus
2 spearmint

Inner Peace
1 frankincense
1 geranium
1 orange

Tension-Relief
2 frankincense
2 lavender
1 peppermint

ReduceStress1
1 frankincense
1 lavender
3 orange

Wind Down
1 frankincense
2 orange
3 patchouli

Peaceful Orchard
2 frankincense
3 orange
1 ylang

Calm & Focus
2 lavender
2 orange
2 rosemary
1 peppermint or spearmint

Anxiousness Helper
2 lavender
1 lemon
1 ylang ylang


Diffuser Purify Cleanse Deodorizing

1 basil
1 grapefruit
2 lemon
1 lavender

3 bergamot
2 eucalyptus
3 lavender
1 lemongrass

Air Purification
3 cypress
2 eucalyptus
1 lemongrass
4 tangerine

Breath of Fresh Air
2 eucalyptus
2 lavender
2 lemongrass

Purify the air for cold and flu
2 eucalyptus
7 lemon
2 thyme

Kitchen Oder Fighter
3 grapefruit
4 lemon
2 tea tree

Disinfect a sick room-prevent spread
1 geranium
3 lemongrass

Freshen Up
2 lemon
2 lime
2 rosemary

Air Purifier
3 lemon
3 tea tree

2 lemongrass
2 juniper berry
4 wintergreen

Air Freshener
3 lemongrass
3 lavender


Diffuser Immune Support


Antibacterial Brightening-kill bacteria in the air,
freshen stale air
2 bergamot
2 lemon
2 lemongrass

Bronchitis busting
1 bergamot
1 eucalyptus
1 tea tree

Thieves oil
3 cinnamon
5 clove
2 eucalyptus
4 lemon
1 rosemary

Immune Booster
1 cinnamon
1 clove
1 eucalyptus
1 orange
1 rosemary

Immune Boosting
1 cinnamon
1 clove
3 eucalyptus
2 rosemary

2 cinnamon
2 clove
1 ginger
2 orange

1 cinnamon
2 eucalyptus
2 lemon
1 rosemary

Just Breath-protection, boost respiratory, clear congestion
1 clove
2 eucalyptus
2 lemon
1 lime
2 peppermint
1 rosemary

Cold relief
2 cypress
3 eucalyptus
1 lemon
3 peppermint
4 rosemary

Congestion
4 cypress
6 grapefruit

Congestion
4 eucalyptus
5 frankincense
2 peppermint

Cold Detox
4 eucalyptus
1 frankincense
1 rosemary
1 wintergreen

Cold Buster
3 eucalyptus
3 lavender
1 peppermint
2 tea tree

Blissful Breathing/Respiratory Support-open airways and support respiratory function
1 eucalyptus
1 lemon
2 peppermint
*1 rosemary

Germ Repellent
2 eucalyptus
2 lemon
2 tea tree

Congestion
4 frankincense
3 juniper berry
4 rosemary

Immunity boosting
2 geranium
5 lavender
3 rosemary

Immunity Boosting
4 grapefruit
4 lemon
2 oregano

Allergy Relief/Seasonal Support-clear breathing and healthy immune
2 lavender
2 lemon
2 peppermint

General flue blend #3
3 lavender
2 lemon
2 tea tree





Thursday, January 2, 2020

Kapani (Drop Noodle Soup)


My dad always made Kapànì when we were little.  I asked someone who was Czech the spelling on facebook.  The way my dad said it sounds like "kup-on-ey"??

In looking more online Kapànì basically means noodle batter.

Ingredients

Soup
-onions
-carrots
-celery
-cooked chicken or stew meat
-stock

Drop Noodles
2-2.5c flour
1/2t salt
2-3 eggs
1/2c water or milk??
1t oil

Soup
- Saute onions, carrots and celery in a little oil.
- Add cooked chicken or fry chicken or stew meat in same pot
- Add stock and water and/or bullion
- I normally add a little onion powder, garlic powder, Montreal steak seasoning (because I like it), sometimes a little sage or celery salt.  Kind of whatever floats my boat.

-while soup is coming to a boil make the drop noodle.

Drop Noodles.
-Mix together flour, salt, eggs, liquid and oil.  Add liquid or flour until it is kind of like a thick pancake batter.  Thicker will make bigger thicker noodles and thinner will make noodle fragments.  I don't really know the amounts other than I normal start with 2+cups of flour, 2-4 eggs, 1//2t salt and a splash of oil.  Then I add liquid to get to a good consistency to drop the noodles.

-When soup is boiling drop noodle mixture with a fork or dribble in thinly.  Let boil till noodles are done (couple of minutes).


Denim Rag Quilt

I have tons of rags to cut up.  My girls are complaining they don't have enough blankets and the dog always needs a blanket.

So internet to the rescue.  This was the preferred instructions that I found.
https://feltmagnet.com/textiles-sewing/Rag-Quilts-How-to-make-a-Denim-Rag-Quilt
I coping the instruction here so if the page dies I will still have the instructions.

Making a Denim Rag Quilt

The first thing I did was remove all seams and zippers so all I was left with was big panels of denim. It came to quite a bit of fabric so this would be enough to make the quilt I wanted to make.
I also had some red and blue patriotic fabric about four yards of each so I had plenty of that for the back of the quilt. I opted not to use batting for padding for this quilt, since denim is already pretty heavy.

Denim Rag Quilt
Denim Rag Quilt

supplies

Rolling cutter, 6"x6" acrylic block, sharp snips
Rolling cutter, 6"x6" acrylic block, sharp snips

Supplies

 Now that I had the material I had to cut all of it into blocks, I used a rolling cutter and 6" x 6" acrylic block to cut the fabric. You will also need a small pair of very sharp scissors later to snip the seam allowances.
I used just my plain old sewing machine to put the blocks together, and a 100/16 size sewing needle for heavyweight fabrics.

Cutting the Blocks

The first thing I did was cut all the blocks.  A 6"x 6" block will make a 5" block if you allow a 1/2" seam allowance so that is what I did. 
So this quilt was made 12 blocks x 14 blocks, which would be 60" wide x 70" long. This size quilt will be big enough for a twin size bed or in this case my husband has already claimed it for his sleeper in his big truck.
But using these simple measurements you could add or take away depending on how big you want your quilt to be.  This quilt used a total of 168 blocks for the front and 168 blocks for the back.

Cut Quilt Blocks

Cut up denim couch cover
Cut up denim couch cover
Cut Denim squares
Cut Denim squares
cut blocks of blue and red material
cut blocks of blue and red material

Arrange the Blocks

 Once all the material is cut up into blocks, you will then want to lay out each row the way you want the material to show. In this case I wanted a completely denim quilt top, with red and blue repeated blocks on the back of the quilt. 
Lay out one row of twelve of the backing fabric, with right sides of fabric facing down. Rotating blue then red or whatever pattern you wish to accomplish.  Then you will layer a block of denim over the backing material, with wrong sides together, this means the right side of denim will be facing up.
Do this at 10 rows of 12 blocks, So looking at it you should have all blocks to be one backing fabric and one denim.
All blocks arranged into rows then turned by corners rotating out for easier sewing of rows.
All blocks arranged into rows then turned by corners rotating out for easier sewing of rows.

Sew Blocks Together

Once you have your rows all planned and organized you can start sewing the rows together.
Sew each block with backing materials facing each other and denim side facing out. Sew a least a 1/2 inch seam allowance, so you will have enough for snipping.
So you should in thin instance have at least 12 rows of denim on one side and alternating red and blue material on the bottom with all seams showing on the denim side.
Once all the rows are sewed you may want to press open all seams to make it easier to sew the rows together.
Backing sides face each other.
Backing sides face each other.
with denim sides facing out.
with denim sides facing out.
sewed rows with red and blue backing and denim showing seams.
sewed rows with red and blue backing and denim showing seams.

Sew Rows Together

Once all the rows are sewed you should have 12 rows. Now you can sew all the rows together.
Keep in mind as you sew the rows together, that you line up all the seams, and denim does have a little give in it so make sure that you watch that it doesn't stretch to much, while sewing.
This is a very forgiving quilt so if it is off a smidgen it won't matter to much but you do want to keep all the rows matching up as much as possible, so you don't have one row longer than the other.
Once all rows are sewed together you should now have a quilt that is the complete size.
Now sew along the edge of the whole quilt, with a 5/8ths inch seam allowance. So that all the edges will be able to fray as well.
All rows sewed together denim side with seams showing.
All rows sewed together denim side with seams showing.
all rows sewed together with backing alternating red and blue material.
all rows sewed together with backing alternating red and blue material.

Snipping all the Seams.

Now that you have the sewing complete you will need to snip the seams.
Snipping the seams will make it easier for them to fray out to get that ragged look you are looking for.
I snipped all the seam, through all the layers of the fabric. And make sure that you snip close to the sewed lines, but making sure you do not cut the actual sewing thread.
I snipped about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch, on every seam. This is the most time consuming of all the steps.
Snipping with very sharp scissors
Snipping with very sharp scissors
You will find that you will have to snip at different angles.
You will find that you will have to snip at different angles.

Wash the quilt

Now that all the snipping is done, you will have to wash the quilt to help the fraying process. (Take to laundry mat to wash and dry the first time)
You should be able to wash the quilt in any washing machine, just be sure to clean out the machine once it is washed because you will most likely have some lint in the machine.
But most of the lint will come out in the dryer. Once you have dried the quilt for about 10 minutes clean out the lint trap, and continue drying cleaning out the lint trap after every 10 to 15 minutes of drying because this quilt will fill up the lint trap fast.
You may also need to take the quilt out every so often, and take it outside to shake the quilt out to help loosen even more of the lint.
Once it is completely dry and shaken out, you will see a significant difference in how frayed the seams are. 
Some recommend that you take a stiff bristle brush and brush all the seams out and wash the quilt again. But it may not be necessary, and it will fray more and more with each washing.
This quilt will be very durable and should give you years of use.

Finished Quilt Pictures

Finished Denim Rag Quilt
Finished Denim Rag Quilt
Finished Denim Rag Quilt Close-Up
Finished Denim Rag Quilt Close-Up
Finished Denim Rag Quilt Close-up of backing
Finished Denim Rag Quilt Close-up of backing
Finished Denim Rag Quilt with backing showing
Finished Denim Rag Quilt with backing showing