Removing Tarnish with Pantry Ingredients

The other day, I had a real itch to go thrifting. I love finding wood items I can repurpose, or "shabby chic them up." That's not a real term, but in actuality, how I talk.

So anyway, I ended up at my local Goodwill, and my most favorite pieces were metal, not wood at all! I found a lovely little tray and cup/goblet. They both had clear signs of tarnish, so I knew I had a project!

I heard I could remove this yucky tarnish from silver with aluminum foil and baking soda. The cup is brass, or something like that, so I didn't know if it would work the same.

I did forget to take a picture of the cup "before" but it did work some on this metal.

First I lined the bottom of our kitchen sink with aluminum foil. Next, I boiled several pots of water and poured it over the aluminum foil. You need enough water to cover your items, so if you're only doing silverware, less water is fine.

I placed my items in the water, and shook baking soda over the top. They immediately began fizzing. I noticed a stinky rotten egg smell also. Yay, Science!

Now I would recommend turning on an exhaust fan instead of opening a window. The fan helps with the stench, and doesn't cool down the water in the process (you need it HOT).

When you've added more baking soda, and it just doesn't fizz, you're done. Let your items cool a bit, gently wash off the excess baking soda, and rub them dry.

If you've tried this method, I'd love to hear your tips or thoughts!

Regrowing Celery

Today I want to talk about regrowing veggies. It's not the same as starting from seed. You use the parts you may normally toss out, and go from there. This way is also significantly quicker.

So here you'll see how absolutely easy it is to regrow celery. I simply took a large bunch, chopped off what we were going to use, and placed the bottom portion in water.

I used water that I leave out overnight (our tap is disgusting, and this lets the chlorine evaporate before use), and only used a small amount in a shallow dish.

If the water starts to get funky, I toss it, and refresh. Then I just spritz water from the top when it looks a little dry. When there's fresh growth above the original cutting, I transplant to dirt.

Take a look at the pictures to get an idea of how easy this is.

Growing Garlic Indoors

I don't know about you, but I always thought you had to be a very skilled individual to successfully garden.

Maybe it's because I battled birds and rodents outdoors, and my cats indoors. Maybe I had bad soil or seeds. Who knows?

Well, this particular blog will be about my journey growing garlic indoors. I've read this can't be done. Well, yes, actually it can. I currently have 4 garlic plants thriving in my kitchen. The 4th plant I planted just for the sake of this blog.

Some say your garlic will not produce a bulb without a cold spell. Others say you only need the cold spell for larger bulbs.

So in respect to both, I have placed some cloves directly into dirt, and I have another clove patiently waiting in the refrigerator. The cloves I have placed directly in the dirt, I have already collected multiple scapes from. Except for the youngest clove, that is.

So for our subject clove, all I've done is planted him right into some dirt. Not deep, but certainly enough for the roots to make their way downward, and enough dirt on top to cover the pointy tip of the clove.

Garlic actually sprouts and roots very quickly. It's the process of developing the bulb that is the time consuming portion. However, keep in mind that while you patiently await your bulb, you'll be able to collect the scapes relatively quickly.

The picture below is after only 3 days. I used organic potting soil and coffee grounds. Stay tuned!

The above picture was taken March 13th. The two pictures that I'm about to post were taken yesterday and today (March 15th and 16th).

If you have never seen for yourself how fast plants can truly grow, prepare to be amazed! I can't even keep track of how many times I've walked past a plant, and said, "Omgosh! Where did you come from?!?" 

In the pictures below, you'll see some green sprouts. These sprouts are called scapes, and are absolutely delicious! Since I'm growing indoors, I try not to let my scapes get too long before I trim them. This encourages the plant to focus more growth on the bulb, rather than tall scapes. I do allow some length, though, so I have something to work with when it comes time to hang and dry the mature (and delicate) bulbs. 

This is also a great time for me to point out the bend in the sprout. This is from the plant reaching for the sun. So be sure to keep turning your pot so your young garlic gets sun all around. More soon!

Only two days after the picture above was taken, I already started trimming down my sprouts/scapes, and had deliciousness to nibble on.

A lot of people like to cook these scapes, but I prefer to eat them raw. I believe they have much more flavor this way, and probably nutrients, too.

As my plant continues to sprout, I'll continue to collect these little scapes, and tell our bulb to focus more on growing.

If I were growing my bulbs outdoors, there would be more room to let the scapes get longer before collecting. But with container gardening, we work with what we have.

Enjoy today's pictures of fresh scape, and the after to show where I've trimmed it.

I'm not going to add a whole heck of a lot of text today. I'm just going to keep adding pictures for everyone to get an idea of what your garlic will be doing. The first picture will be about a week after I trimmed, and the second picture about 4 days from that. 

As I mentioned before, I'm going to let these guys sprout a bit, then trim them down. Enjoy!

How to Make Coconut Oil Soap

So with all my coconut oil concoctions, I thought it was time to make soap!

I found several very simple recipes, and I went with this:

33 organic unrefined coconut oil (I use Carrington Farms)
4.83 ounces lye (NaOH)
12.54 oz water

I also used a boys shoe box (size 12) lined with parchment paper for my mold.

Please note, if you aren't exact on your measurements, you won't be pleased with your results.

I don't have step by step pictures because we just moved, so my kitchen is still pretty disorganized. I'll definitely make this batch again with a scent added, and have more pictures that time around.

So what did I do?

First I turned my 8 quart crock pot on low. I had a bottle of vinegar open and ready in case of any spills.

Then I measured out all my ingredients.

I opened my windows, and while wearing gloves, glasses, and a mask (to not breathe in fumes), I poured (slowly) the water into the lye. I gave it a few stirs with a wooden spoon, and let it sit (make sure it's not cloudy when you're ready to use it).

Then I put my coconut oil in a frying pan and warmed it on low until it reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It's very close to this temperature once all the oil has melted down.

I poured the coconut oil into my already warm crock pot. I gave it a little stir, and slowly added the lye (no splashing). I stirred it until it reached the consistency of thin pudding. This requires a lot of mixing if you don't have an immersion blender. A lot.

Then I let it sit with the lid on stirring occasionally until it sort of looked like petroleum jelly. This takes 45-90 minutes, depending on your crock pot.

A tip I learned to verify if it's ready is to dip your finger in, and rub a bit together. It should be waxy. Then (assuming you don't have pH strips), touch it to your tongue. If you get a zing like you licked a battery, stir it some more. If no zing, you're done.

Make sure your mold is on a flat surface, and start scooping. Let it cool and harden, then cut your bars and let them sit for 2-3 weeks to cure.

Lather, and love!

Carrington farms

Another Coconut Oil Use

Here's a short entry, but I wanted to share all the same.

My ears are gauged to a 9/16". For all of us with body mods, funk can be an issue.

However, knowing that coconut oil is a lubricant and an antibacterial, I realized I could use coconut oil to clean my ears and plugs. Guess what? No stinky funk!

Try for yourself and let me know how it works for you!

The Happy DIY Home Lady

Carrington farms

DIY Coconut Oil Scrub - Simple, Easy, Effective!

Hello!


I'm starting this DIY blog off with the wonders of coconut oil! First, let's talk about what coconut oil can do for your SKIN.

It has many many uses, but let's start with skin.


Here is what I have found coconut oil to be good for:

A skin moisturizer

Antibacterial

Pore Cleanser

Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Natural Sunscreen (SPF4)

Skin Soother


I have recently started using coconut oil every day on my face and body. Boy, do I love it! My skin looks great, and always feels fantastic. :) My pores are getting smaller, and the dark circles are almost gone!


But one thing sticks out in my mind : I was taught that we need to exfoliate. Well, I don't want to buy a store bought exfoliator after having such great luck with all natural coconut oil. So. I. Made. My. Own.


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I simply purchased some "jars" with a screw on lid. I opted for plastic because it saves on weight when shipping to friends and family, and less worries about it breaking in transit.

I added a few spoonfuls of coconut oil, and then added baking soda until I reached what I felt was the right consistency. That's really it. I keep it in the container in the bathroom, and slather my face and body with it at least once a week.

If you'd like to add a delicious smell, I recommend adding rose oil, as that is excellent for the skin, as well. I would stay away from the synthetics, though. You can purchase a wonderful rose oil Here.

Scroll down until you see the rose oil. You can really add any essential oil you choose, as long as you do some research that it's beneficial for your skin.

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Thanks for reading! If you've tried your own coconut oil scrub, I would LOVE to hear from you!


The Happy DIY Home Lady

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