NATURAL SKIN CARE FROM YOUR KITCHEN

11/05/2011

Hi all I have come across some natural skin care products  that you can make for your self that work and are a lot cheaper then getting products from stores and of course a lot healthier.

First off Honey you can do so much with honey.  You can smother it on your face and leave it there for about 15 minutes then rinse off with  a warm  wash cloth and you have given yourself a great facial  and moisturizer.

You can use it for a hair conditioner by putting a generous amount on your  hair waiting  about twenty minutes and rinsing  off then shampoo to get all the honey out of your hair

My personal favorite for honey is to put about two tablespoons of honey maybe more if you have longer hair and fill the rest of a 16  oz cup with warm water.   Stir it until the honey and water are well dissolved  .  Let it sit there for about an hour or two .  This is now a hair lightener.  You can have it on wet or dry hair just pour the mixture over your hair.  You can let it sit there for as long as you can stand it then rinse off and shampoo or some people just leave it in until the next shampoo  to lighten and moisturize the hair.  This will not be a drastic change but it will lighten  little by little and you  will see a change.  I had used henna on my hair and it did not turn out well.  I was waiting for it to grow out.  I decided to cut my hair short to get most of it off.  It was half in that in between stage and I did not know what I was going to do.   Then I heard about this idea from a henna website and they said that this can be done on any type of hair henna, chemical treated colored hair or just natural that you want a change.  They say that it will give subtle results.  I tried it and it did work for me and best of all I am not damaging my hair.  Honey evidently has naturally in it hydrogen peroxide.  it is very low levels that is why it does it in a way that it is not dramatic.  I have done this now for about a week and my hair  is almost back to my natural color. I would recommend  not to use the leave in method that I told you about.  I  tried this one today and  after about 4 hours I had to wash it out,  my hair felt  in a word crunchy.  It did lighten it a little bit more.  You just have to have time and patience for this .  It is said that you leave the honey , water mixture on your head for as long as you can stand it.  They say for best results 4 - 8 hours.  They also say that it does better with  doing distilled water with the honey..Also one more tidbit once  you have the mixture on your head place either a conditioning cap or a shower cap on your head to keep your hair moist while you are lightening your hair.  If yu would like more information about Henna and how to do it correctly you can call the Henna Page at 1 330 673 0600 and you can look at their website at www.hennapage.com  this is the website that helped me out so much with the idea of the honey and water.  

My next great find is Coconut oil.  I love love coconut oil I use it as a moisturizer just taking some out of the jar I have and smothering it on.  I use it has a hair conditioner  and my personal favorite as a solid perfume.  You just get a small tin leave it a side then get a microwave safe cup and place a small amount of coconut oil in it microwave it on high for about 20 to 40 seconds then take it out and carefully fill your tin with it  then place about 40 drops of your favorite essential oil more if you like a very strong scent and you can mix a few scents to form your very own scent.  I used Jasmine grapefruit  and orange oil and a touch of lemon oil and it smells great.  Just wait until it hardens then put your lid on and you have a solid perfume that you have made right out of your kitchen.  Just make sure that you leave your solid perfume in a cool dry place so that it does not melt but if it does just let it harden again. 

My next favorite kitchen item is an Aloe  plant.  You can use this as a moisturizer as a healing agent for burns and my personal favorite as a great helper for someone like me who is 50  and is beginning to have those pesty lines on your face.  This plant acts like a line eraser and also it sucks up any puffiness in your face.  My sister lives in California I see her about every two to four months.  She was in town last week and when we met for coffee  she said to me you  look great your face looks fantastic what are you using and have you lost weight.   I thought at the time no I just do my usual things then that night I thought about it and realized it was the aloe plant

I wanted to put onto this skin care blog some of my older natural skin care tips so that they are there in one page  for you.

Soap nuts for a natural laundry soap  .  You can go to the website www.laundrytree.com  I love doing this , these  are from a plant in India that is how natural they are.  This is so economical too  You pay l9.95 which sounds a lot for a natural detergent but it is not really.  .  When you get your detergent you take out of it between 5 to 8 soapnuts and put them in the little cotton draw string bag that come in with it.  The Soap nuts look like acorns to me.  After you put them in the draw string bag you draw it close and knot it then place it in the washer with your clothes.  This its it , it is non scented so if you want scent you can get your favorite natural essential oils and place about twenty drops on a wash cloth and place it in the laundry then you will have scent.  You then can use the pouch of soapnuts up to 5 times.  Then you just make up a new set up soapnuts for your next laundry.  The laundry detergent that you bought will last you for half of a year.  There is a natural fabric softener in it by nature.  After yu have used the detergent up to 5 times you can make a liquid soap after it.  I love doing this I take the cotton bag that has the used soapnuts in it and place it in a pot of water and let it simmer for about a half an hour or you can just let it sit in a pot with out any heat over night.  Take it out and squeeze it out the soapnuts and this is now your liquid soap.  I put in mine a few table spoons of melted coconut oil a few table spoons of avocado oil and a few tablespoons of honey then I go to town working with different essential oils to form my favorite scent.  My skin is so soft and so smooth from doing this and their is a shimmer on my skin. I almost forgot I do put into it a few tablespoons of unscented Castile soap.  this acts as a preservative and makes it stay a little longer since this is so natural.

The next natural item I use is Baking Soda I use this as a shampoo.  I just put in about 2 to three table spoons  of baking soda in a 16 oz cup and fill the rest with warm water and stir this is it just either pour it straight on your hair  or you can do it with wetting your hair it really does not matter which way to do it then rinse off and that is it.  It might take a little bit of tiem for your hair to get used to it but it will be better then it was before after it doesg et used to it. 

if your hair is a little bit dry at any time just put some coconut oil in your hand about a very small amount rub it in your hands then put it on your hair and it will hav eso much shine to it. 



I guess this is all my natural tricks so far for natural skin care in your kitchen

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net       .

WHOLE FOODS STORES THAT ARE NOW CARRYING MY DADS COOKIES

10/27/2011



WHOLE FOODS MARKET
PITSSBURGH PA  15206
5880 cENTRE AVENUE
PITTSBURGH PA  15206
412 441 7960  GROCERY DEPARTMENT

PLYMOUTH MEETING PA  19462
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
500 GERMANTOWN PIKE
PLYMOUTH MEETING PA  19462
610 832 0010  GROCERY DEPARTMENT

WHOLE FOODS MARKET
CINCINATI
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
2693 EDMONDSON ROAD
CINCINATI OH  45209
1513 531 8015  GROCERY DEPARTMENT

COLUMBUS
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
3670 WEST DUBLIN GRANVILLE RD
COLUMBUS OH  43235
614 760 5556  GROCERY DEPARTMENT

WHOLE FOODS MARKET
1797 HYDROLIC ROAD
CHARLOTTESVILLE VA  22901
432 973 4900  GROCERY DEPARTMENT

WHOLE FOODS MARKET
4501MARKET COMMONS DRIVE
FAIRFAX VA  22033
1703 222 2058

FALLS CURCH
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
7511 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH VA  22043
703 448 1600  GROCERY DEPT

MASON
WHOLE FOODS MARKET
5805 DEERFIELD DRIVE
MASON OH  45040
513 398 9358  GROCERY DEPARTMENT

WHOLE FOODS MARKET
27249 CHARGRIN BLVD
WOODMERE OH  44122
216 364 9403 GROCERY DEPARTMENT

WHOLE FOODS MARKET
1330 SMITH AVENUE
BALTIMOREMD  21209
410 532 6700  GROCERY DEPT

WHOLE FOODS MARKET
3495 US ROUTE 1 SOUTH
PRINCETON NJ  08540
609 799 2919

Thank you very much these gluten free cookies are fantstic you can see them on their website www.mydadscookies.com  these cookies are more then gluten free cookies they taste like a really good bakery cookie.  The owner Elan Malina from My Dads  Cookies really strives to make his cookies special and unique. .  He has many flavors to choose from and he is working on more flavors in the near future. 
If your  Whole Foods Market is not carrying these right now put a request in for them and you  can always write on my blog with the informaiton of the address of the store and I can try to get them in your region for you

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

EXCITING NEWS THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS FOR US CELIACS

10/22/2011

Greetings:

I have about 5 or 6 businesses that I am presently working on from home which I love.
I do things the traditional way of promoting these businesses and the not so traditional ways,
The things that I found out just this week were mind blowing i think

I found a couple of website that I am working on to get our products on these websites. 
The reason why I am telling all this to you is that they can  help people with Celiac disease
The first one is www.peapod.com  this is a virtual grocery store.  Right now they do not have many gluten free options but they promise me they are trying to get more in and I have given them many suggestions.  You do have to have at least a 60.00 order and you  have to call 24 hours in advance.  The shipping is free for  the first 2 months  This is only in some areas it is part of Giant Food Stores this is a delivery service that you  put your order on line.  You do put your Bonus Card savings in also so that you can get the savings of the week and they do take coupons.
Their website is www.peapod.com and their telephone number is 1 800 5 peapod

The 2nd website is www.alice.com  This is another website that is a virtual grocery store they do have much more gluten free options and they are working to get more.  I love this website because you buy 6 or more items and the shipping is free .  They use UPS and for my area which is in the suburbs of Philadelphia they told me that it would take two days.  I do have to check if you  have to have a minimum order and I will find that out on Monday.  I just found out tha tyou do have to have at least a 50.00 order but the shipping is always free.
They also have a program where you refer friends to their website you get money for it.  to find out what gluten free items they have you would just put in the search bar gluten free cereal or gluten free pasta  or whatever you are looking for. 

My third and last website that i came across is www.eatshopgive.com  This one I also love they spot lite a few products from companies and you get them at a discounted price at the end of the day what ever the company that is spot lighted for their product they pick out what charity they like and 10 % of the profits for that day go to  that charity that they chose.    It is a win win situation, you get the  products at a discounted price and someone gets help from your shopping experience.    How can you not like that idea .  I know one of the businesses that is involved with this company is putting his charity for the National Foundation For Celiac Awareness which is fantastic   Take a look at The Little Bakery in Blue Bell PA  19422   He makes gluten free bakery products  that are out of this world.  To me the owner of the Little Bakery is amazing he has put his products in some of the schools in the area and even in some colleges so that people can taste how great his products are and that kids can feel like they too can get something special. 

Some of the companies that I work for that I am trying to get on these websites are My Dads Cookies which is a gluten free organic cookie.  these cookies are fantastic they are in some Giant Food Stores and in some Whole Food Stores  Website www.mydadscookies.com.
The Laundry Tree this company I also love this is an all natural laundry detergent like you probably have not seen before.  This is soapnuts which is from India and Napal.  They look like a combination of a plum pit attached to an acorn.  This is a type of berry that is dried out to almost like a hard stone.
The website is www.laundrytree.com

My third business is Desert Wind Skin Care.  This is an all natural skin care line.  The website is www.desertwindskincare.com  It only has about 5 ingredients in it and it is for people that are hypo sensitive to products

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

PUCkETA CREEK SOAPNUTS PART 2

10/03/2011

I had told you before  about an earlier post with Pucketa Cree Soapnuts which I said before I love.  I still do.
The Pucketa  Creek Soapnuts are a fabulous all natural hypoallergenic detergent and they are unscented.  There  are many things you can use these soapnuts after you  are done using it as a detergent.  I just made a fabulous shampoo out of them
All you have to do is take the soapnuts that you  used in the laundry and boil them  for about a half of an hour.  then take out the soapnuts when cooled down.   The liquid that is left  is your shampoo.  This will not have much suds to it but it will make your hair full of volume and shine and help your hair grow.  If you like foam all you have to do is go to the website www.forsoapmakers.com there you will see foaming bottles.  You can purchase one for  3.00 which will be a 7.5 oz bottle.  When you get your bottle fill it with your soapnut liquid.  If it is still not sudsey enough for you,  you can ad a few table spoons of a liquid castile soap .  I used Dr. Bonner's Castile scent .  I used the unscented baby Castile soap.  I put in about 2 tablespoons in with the soapnuts and it is wonderful.
My hair is full of volume soft shinny and the best part itch free.
I also just purchased some essential oils when I get them I will be putting some on and making my own shampoo scent.  I always have had to use conditioner but with this I do not my hair looks and feels great.
My soapnut shampoo can be used as a shampoo, conditioner, soap,   or as a facial.
You have got to try out these soapnuts .  I am trying to get them into stores as soon as I have accomplished this I will let yu know .  In the mean time please go to the website www.natural laundrysoap.net and purchase them there and best of all you can get your  essential oils there too. I just put into my home made shampoo Sweet Orange Oil and Jasmine Oil and it smells wonderful and my skin is so soft.

ThankYou

Ellen Gafffney
thegcats@comcast.net 

MY DADS COOKIES NOW AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET

09/27/2011

My Dads Cookies one of the best gluten free cookies I have tried are now at   Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting Pa at the Plymouth Meeting Mall 500 West Germantown Pike
They have 5 different flavors they have Vanilla  Graham dipped half with Chocolate
                                                               Chocolate Sandwich like an Oreo type cookie
                                                               Chocolano like a Pepperidge Farm Milano
                                                               Cranenergy  this is a Cranberry Orange Cookie
This is great for an afternoon tea or with coffee
                                                                Black & White Cookie this is a Black & White Sponge cake  like cookie.
These are all gluten free and delicious
I am working to get these in all the Whole Food Stores in PA so if you would like them in your store at Whole Foods Market just tell the grocery Manager you would like them to have them in their store and tell him that they are in the Plymouth Meeting store now he can look them up and order them in for you but in the mean time I will do my best to have them brought into a store near you.

You can take a looke to learn more about these cookies on the companies's webite at  http://www.mydadscookies.com/

Once we have them all in Pennsylvania we will be branching out to have them in all Whole Foods Market so if you  live in other states other then PA you  can have them brought in just ask your local grocery manager that you want them in.   Presently we have these cookies only at the Plymouth Meeting Whole Food Stores and in New York City but we are looking to them in your favorite store. 

My two favorites are the Cranergy and the Vanilla Graham I love love them
If you  would like you can email me and I will work to get them into your Whole Foods Market .  Just let me know what location your Whole Foods Market is and I will do my best to get them in for  you..

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

GLUTEN FREE TASTYKAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

09/20/2011

I just discovered that in the Organics Gluten Free aisle at Giant Food Stores they now have the new TastyKake Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Ho ray
These are really pretty good they have about 8 cookies in their container and they sell for $5.99
They are a fairly nice size cookie.  They taste like a buttery coconut chocolate chip cookie, of course they are not organic or anything but still very good.  They do have a home made taste to them and they are very moist, not crumbly.  The chocolate chips in them are a fairly big chunky type of chip.
I think  they are worth it in a pinch.  If you had to get a quick desert snack type item  in a pinch these could be the one to choose.  No one would know that  they are gluten free
I do think they are a little bit expensive for only eight cookies in the container but  I think they are worth it.
The serving size is 1 cookie calories are 130
There are 12 grams of carbohydrate for 1 cookie
There are 8 grams of fat
There are 3 grams of saturated fat
1 gram of dietary fiber  9 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein
The TastyKake website is www.tastykake.com and their telephone number is 1 800 24 tasty

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney

JULIAN BAKERY GLUTEN FREE PURITY BREAD

It has in it 09/15/2011

I just received this bread, it really is a very interesting bread.  when you get it it is not sliced and it is round.  It   is a little bit smaller then most gluten free breads.
I would say that it is a cross between a Rye, Sour Dough and an English Muffin type of consistency
I do like it, I think  it would be nice toasted open faced and maybe putting some cheese and pesto sauce on it.
This could be very nice for a family  gathering with a nice wine
It also has almost like a touch of a cheese taste to it.  It is a very interesting bread and best of all it is extremely good for you , especially for diabetics that have Celiac disease.
It has 8 grams of fiber to it , 7 grams of protein and best of all 0 grams of sugar.
It has 68 calories and 0 grams of fat per slice.
It has in it Grains of Buckwheat, Millet, Brown Rice Teff  Flax seed ( Sprouted Beans of Navy, Black, Red Pinto, Baby Limas Large Limas Garbanzo,  Great Northern Kidney, Blackeyed,  Yellow and Green Split Peas,  & Lentils).  It also has in it Onion guar gum and Sea Salt .
They are located in La Jolla Ca.  There are a few stores in Philadelphia that carry this bread.  You just go to their  website which is www.julianbakeery.com and you put in your zip code and they  will let you know what stores carry it.
Their telephone number is 1- 800 98 BREAD.
I am very much impressed with this bread especially how much fiber and protein are in.  When you toast this bread it will be crunchy  on the outside and moist in the inside. This bread sells for 6.99 plus shipping.  If you like to try things that are different then you will really like this bread it is different but in a good way.
Guaranteed to make you think of it again and again.  I think this bread is perfect for the upcoming winter months.  It would be good on a cold winter's night with a good bowl of a hearty gluten free soup and this bread toasted by the fire with a nice glass of Vino.  I'm ready for winter now , I am prepared , all I can say is thank you to Julian bakery for making such a unique bread.  .

Thank You

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net