CAN I EAT THIS? EGGS.

Ever wonder if those eggs you bought last month are still good? I know I do. It happens when we are in an egg phase and I buy 3 or 4 cartons. However when I do that, we seem to suddenly be out of the egg phase. Instead of cracking open egg to smell it or see if it's discolored, there is a much easier method.

The water method:

All you need is some cold water in a dish deep enough to cover an egg. Fill you dish with the cold water and then drop your egg in. If it floats it's bad. If it sinks it's good to go. View the image below for some in between info.

Photo Via: http://greatist.com/ 

I honestly didn't know about this method until a couple of years ago. I would just toss out eggs which is a shame because I bet many times I could have still used them to baking. You can still go further by cracking the egg open. Obviously if there is any rancid or odd odor the egg isn't safe to eat. I mean this is truly a sure fire way. However the water test can at least help weed out eggs that clearly aren't any good. I have tested this, but I am no expert. I am only giving you my experience. Every time I have cracked open an egg that floated to the top it smelled horrible when I cooked it. Not as soon as I cracked it, but that could be because it isn't old enough. I've never had an egg make me feel ill or come out smelling funny when cooking when it stood up on one end. Please trust your own judgment however.

There are many ways to prolong the life of your egg. I have seen people coat their eggs in oil and put them in the fridge. I really don't know if that works but do not put them in the egg tray in the door. The door is not the cool enough for things like eggs or milk. Maybe the fancy schmany new fridges do but most run of the mill fridges do not. I wouldn't suggest putting them all the way in the back either. I notice the chances of them freezing increases. Unfortunately I have learned them the hard way. I tend to keep min in the middle shelf that doesn't get much action and is not as big. The temp doesn't seem to change as much there. I keep them in their carton, I don't swap them out. I do not know about fresh out the chicken eggs. Unfortunately living where I live you don't get fresh eggs like that. This has worked for me so feel free to give it a go if you don't already do these things.

What methods do you use for store bought eggs or fresh eggs? Share with me below!

*Post photo via: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/

PRODUCT REVIEW – NATURE SOAP by CANUS

I never thought I'd be doing a review for soap. I needed to because you see I am allergic to coconut. I have been for many years and as time progresses I find it more and more irritating. With the rise of the going natural movement as of late, I was excited. I thought finally I can get some natural products from my regular store. How wrong I was. You see coconut is all things holy to the natural & organic communities. When you read the products it's always coconut oil. I was really heart broken and started looking into diy projects for beauty and for food. I'll talk more about my facial care routine in another post. What I learned in my search for coconut free soaps is all those soaps on the market. Just your everyday soaps that aren't marketed as natural or organic. Still have coconut.

You see Sodium Cocoate is a component of coconut oil. I spent several minuets in a Target isle looking at every single soap they had, bar and liquid. Guess what they all had. Sodium Cocoate. Well! That explains why my skin always, and I mean always feels itchy and irritated after a shower. I really couldn't understand why if I was using moisturizing wash, why was my skin so dry. Why was it itching for hours after? Now I know. Now I guess you can say I am cheap but really I don't like spending money if I can do it myself. I did the research on making your own soaps and for right I can't house or purchase the supplies needed. So I went digging on etsy and other places for folks who already do this. Again so much use of coconut. I did however find one woman who informed me she uses no coconut or nuts of any kind in her products! Woohoo. However price wise, I was a bit hesitant. So I decided to head over to Vitamin Shoppe and just see what they have. That is where I came across Canus.

I've always wanted to try goat's milk soap but they can be a bit pricey. Canus makes a vegetable oil base soap with goats milk. No coconut of any kind. YES! Around $4 per bar. Not too bad. My concern was how long will it last more than anything. Well here we are a month later and still doing well with that 1 bar of soap. My mother has been using it as well so I'll give you her opinion of the soap as well.

For me:

• The smell is wonderful. No over-bearing perfume smell, not overly sweet. Just a soft lovely scent that fades.
• It rinses clean off. I was worried this would dry my skin out because you get squeaky clean. There is no film left because which is very nice.
• Moisturizing. As I said above, I was worried it would dry my skin out but I didn't one bit. I didn't have to coat myself in lotion afterwards, just a little bit of lotion went a long way because my skin was crying out for moisture.
• Long lasting. I have had this bar for a month or so now and I don't even think I am half way done. It is a nice hard bar that lathers nicely. You don't need that much which is also nice. I feel like I end up using more liquid soap than needed it just doesn't last. This is truly holding it's own. I keep it out of water of course on a soap holder so it can dry out after each use.
• I've used it on my face and my skin loves it. No breakouts, no dried skin, no excess oiliness.

My Mother:

• Moisturizing for post-menopausal skin. If you are menopausal or post-menopausal you know how hard it is to keep your skin moisturized. This soap has made that process less difficult.
• The smell is pleasant and doesn't stick around long, so no conflicting with body sprays.
• Clean rinsing. No greasy so called moisturizing film left behind, which can make you feel dirty after you've just showered.

In short, this is my new soap. I am sure there are many out there that was are just as good or better. But I am happy. I enjoyed this soap from the first use and still enjoy it. This is my soap and it's here to stay. I visited their site and they are a lot more stuff. They are a Canadian based company that expanded into the US market with an office in Vermont. You should check them out. Get to know them and go buy their stuff. I have never done a product review but I felt the need to do this one for my fellow coconut allergy sufferers.

Have you tried their products? Are there others you enjoy using? Let me know in the comments.

I was in no way compensated for this post. The opinions are of my own and my mother's opinions hers.

ALOE, THAT BEAUTIFUL SPIKY MAGICIAN

Image Via: http://healthawarenesscommunity.com/the-amazing-powers-of-aloe-vera/

You hear people talking about Aloe all of the time, but it's not some new trend. People from all over have been using Aloe. For burns, digestive benefits, skin care, etc. Suddenly more and more people are paying attention to it's benefits. I think it's the rise of everyone wanting to go natural and be healthier. Which is great! There is no reason to go out and buy ready made Aloe products. Aloe is by far the easiest plant I have grown. I still have Big Mama as I call her. Big Mama has been around for over 10 years and is still popping out babies and as healthy as ever! After I go through some benefits of Aloe, I'll give you some simple tips on growing some as well as some great ways to use them.

As I write them I am recovering from a burn I accrued from simply not paying attention. My the fingers of my right hand were badly burned and in pain. It could have been worse but it was still pretty bad. I will have some blistering but thanks to quick thinking, my spawn and a sharp knife, my hand will heal just fine. I do not know what's it's like to live with Aloe and I don't want to! Now it's not just for burns, it just that people associate it with burns. That's what most people talk about when Aloe is somehow brought into a discussion.

But there are more benefits. Let's go over some.

Aloe may be 99% water but according to the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Aloe vera contains 75 potentially active constituents: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids.4–6

1. Vitamins: It contains vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and choline. Antioxidant neutralizes free radicals.
2. Enzymes: It contains 8 enzymes: aliiase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, and peroxidase. Bradykinase helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically, while others help in the breakdown of sugars and fats.
3. Minerals: It provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc. They are essential for the proper functioning of various enzyme systems in different metabolic pathways and few are antioxidants.
4. Sugars: It provides monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and polysaccharides: (glucomannans/polymannose). These are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant and are known as mucopolysaccharides. The most prominent monosaccharide is mannose-6-phosphate, and the most common polysaccharides are called glucomannans [beta-(1,4)-acetylated mannan]. Acemannan, a prominent glucomannan has also been found. Recently, a glycoprotein with antiallergic properties, called alprogen and novel anti-inflammatory compound, C-glucosyl chromone, has been isolated from Aloe vera gel.7,8
5. Anthraquinones: It provides 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. Aloin and emodin act as analgesics, antibacterials and antivirals.
6. Fatty acids: It provides 4 plant steroids; cholesterol, campesterol, β-sisosterol and lupeol. All these have anti-inflammatory action and lupeol also possesses antiseptic and analgesic properties.
7. Hormones: Auxins and gibberellins that help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.
8. Others: It provides 20 of the 22 human required amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids. It also contains salicylic acid that possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Lignin, an inert substance, when included in topical preparations, enhances penetrative effect of the other ingredients into the skin. Saponins that are the soapy substances form about 3% of the gel and have cleansing and antiseptic properties.

There is no denying this plant is a superfood! Now what does all this mean? Well Aloe is just perfect for every part of your body! Drink it, put it on your skin, use it on your hair, even for those suffering with vaginal dryness and/or those wanting a natural personal lubricant. Really! A company called Good Clean Love makes an aloe based lubricant.

Now let's get to the even better stuff. Ways you can incorporate Aloe into your life.

• Skin & Beauty
• Sugar Scrub
• Eat Aloe Raw
• Detox Smoothie
• Aloe Juice
• Strawberry Lemonade AloeSmoothie
• Soothing Cucumber & AloeEye Gel

There so many more ways to incorporate it into your daily life. Just search for what you want specifically and I am sure you will find it.

Now caring for an aloe is easy.

Aloes love sandy soil and medium dry soil. They do not like a lot of water but if you have them in sandy soil it will drain better. They grow easily in pots or in the ground. Stick some under a window to deter intruders. After all the thrones on this plant do hurt.

There will come a time you need to trim your plant down. You do not do it from the top. Dig up your Aloe and remove as many leaves as needed. Then simple cut the s talk. I know it make seem crazy. I promise you, the Aloe will be fine. It will grow roots again very quickly. When you place your Aloe back, be sure to stabilize it while it's growing it's roots again. Otherwise it will grow in a tilted position, so if you like that then don't worry! They love sun, but will deal with partial shade.

How do you use Aloe? Have some recipes you liked to share? Let me know in the comments below.

The Fantastic Aloe

I love aloe. I refuse to live anywhere without an aloe plant. There is such a wide range of uses. Aiding in weight loss, acne, burns, scars, are just some of the many uses. Aloe are very easy to grow and are long lasting. I don't even remember how old big momma is but she has produced loads of offspring that have been sold and given to friends. I do not want to focus so much on her medicinal uses, instead I will focus on the care. However I have included a couple links for more information concerning Aloe Vera.

link 1  |  link 2 | link 3


Container Aloe
Since I live in an apartment, my aloe has always been in a pot. She was purchased from a store but the toxins have long since left her system (I will go into this another time). Recently I have had her in nothing but soil and some pebbles to provide some drainage but I know she is not producing as much as she used to so I will be changing her home. Aloes do not require lots of water or nit-picking. They just need sun, room to grow and soil with great drainage. The best I have found for aloe over the years is a 50/50 mix of sand and soil.

 

I use sand that is used for kids play areas. I noticed less toxins in this and I can buy in large amounts. I make my soil moist prior to adding the sand (I keep my soil in rubbermaid containers because I found it keeps them moist, like you just bought it from the store. No dried out begging for water soil here!), I noticed that when I go to add water later I do not over water. Just mix the sand and soil, no special mixing technique. Just mix. Just drop your aloe in a hole, not too deep, they do not grow deep roots (in containers from my experience). Just make sure it is down enough to stand up on its own. If you need to you can use a stick or spike of some nature to assistant, and remove once aloe is steady in its new home.


Trimming Aloe
Sometimes the aloe gets too happy and needs to be trimmed down. I do this when the aloe reaches a certain height because balcony space in limited. Trimming an aloe is MUCH MUCH easier than you think. I suggest laying down some paper or cloth to catch the dirt and dripping from the aloe as you trim. All you need to do is remove from the pot, and lay down. Make sure you have a sharp knife near by. Bread knife works great by the way. Make sure the soil is moist when it is time to trim. If it is dry, water lightly and trim the next day.

Decide how much you want to cut. If you need to remove leaves do so by gripping tightly (wear gloves if need be. I am used to it) pull each leaf downward, it will just peel off.

Once you have the leaves peeled off you will see lovely fresh skin. Now do not freak out. Chop off the amount you need or want gone. Do not worry about the roots, it will re-root very quickly. Toss the cut piece in the compost or try planting it and see if that will sprout. Do not water until your soil is bone dry. In my experience of trimming, I noticed my plant rooted quicker when the soil was moist and I waited to water. Why I do not know. These are hardy plants so do not be fearful of causing too much damage.

That is that! Trimmed aloe ready to produce more pups. IF your aloe is not producing check your soil. If conditions are not where they'd like them to be they will go dormant until they feel their space is set up properly. Also colder climates may have some issues with aloe. Make sure you keep them in sun or a warm room. They will grow indoors. Just remember moist not wet soil with proper drainage and warmth. That is all there is to it.

Now that you have trimmed your aloe, place back into its pot (DO NOT WATER) Leave it for a couple days. When the soil is dry (stick your finger in, never gauge by the surface), then add water. It is best to use container that allow you to water underneath. Remember its the roots that like water when it comes to plants. Some like to be sprayed but having a soil surface that is too wet can cause mildew and other issues. Always check by stinking your finger into the soil.

Here are some pups ready for a home.

Food Inc.

Can I just say WOW. My view on things have changed. I will still research more because I can't just take a movie or w/e word on things. I still need to take the conscious choice to teach myself wtf is going on. But this is a MUST SEE if you haven't already.