Home Made Calamine Lotion

I found this recipe at Nourishing Joy and had to share it with you. This would be perfect for storing in our medical supplies.  You can mix up the powdered ingredients and store them in a bottle and then when you need some just pour s little into a bowl and add water, glycerin (optional) and essential oils (optional). That way your only using what you need. 

 

Recipe #1

1/4 cup zinc oxide
1/2 teaspoon iron oxide
4 teaspoons bentonite clay
4 teaspoons baking soda or 2 teaspoons calcium hydroxide (“cal” can be found in Latino groceries)
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon glycerin (optional)
3-4 drops lavender essential oil or other antibacterial essential oil (optional)

Recipe #2

1/4 cup zinc oxide
4 teaspoons pink Kaolin clay
4 teaspoons baking soda or 2 teaspoons calcium hydroxide
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon glycerin (optional)
3-4 drops lavender, peppermint, camphor, tea tree, or other antibacterial/antipuretic essential oil (optional)

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

An Easy Way to Bake Your Home Grown Potatoes

An Easy Way to Bake Your Home Grown Potatoes

I discovered this method of baking potatoes a few years ago and fell in love!  We love potatoes at our house and on a regular basis I am begged to cook Mom's Famous Twice Baked Potatoes.

Its really very simple.  Prick the potato with a fork (I use the little corn cob holder thing.) Then spray the potato with cooking oil such as Pam.

On a paper plate, grind up some sea salt and then roll the potato in it.  For areas not covered simple rub some salt on there.  It looks like a lot of salt but its really not. A portion of it will fall off when baking, but the stuff that stays on makes the potato perfect for eating.

Now the fun part! Instead of placing them on a cookie sheet or in a pan, use a muffin tin instead and stand them up!  This helps them to cook faster and you don't have to worry about turning them so they cook evenly.  So simple yet a genius idea lol.

I usually put them in the oven at 300°F for about an hour.  You can tell they are done if a fork or knife slides in and out with out a problem.

Once your potato is done cooking you can either eat it as a baked potato or make them twice baked.  To do this you will slice off the tops. (Don't through these away) and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Be careful it will be hot!!

Next, if you so choose, take the tops you sliced off, top with cheese and bacon bits and place them back in the oven for some yummy potato skins. They should only take about 5 minutes for the cheese to melt. You be the judge!! Some people like them crispier, we prefer them soft.

While the potato skins cook, place the insides of the potato in a bowl and add your favorite ingredients such as salt, pepper, minced garlic/onions, ranch dressing, crisp bacon, cheese, *Jalapeño's* etc... Flavor it according to your taste or find a recipe online that your family likes. Once it is all mixed up and smooth, spoon it back into the potato shell, top with cheese and bacon bits and bake for:

45 minutes at 400 degrees F.
60 minutes at 350 degrees F.
90 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Voila!!! Now you have magnificent, but more importantly, SUPER EASY, delicious baked potatoes for your family to eat.  I hope you have fun and enjoy.  If you have any recipes you love with potatoes please feel free to add them to the comment section below. We love to try new things!!

Keepin it Spicy,
Jalapeño Gal

Wild Game Recipe: High Speed Venison

Guest post By Leon Pantenburg -via APN

It was a perfect setting for a tailgate party:  We were parked next to the Lochsa River in Idaho's Clearwater National Forest.  My brother Michael Pantenburg, hunting buddy Phil Walker, and I had just emerged from a several-day backpack elk hunt in the back-country, and everybody was hungry.

We were somewhere between the "Food is Fuel" and "Use the Dutch Oven to Cook Something Wonderful" philosophies of wilderness campfire cooking.

Cooking Salmon With Herbs From Your Garden

Cooking Salmon With Herbs From Your Garden

I have had this wonderful Salmon Fillet in my freezer for some time now that my friends gave me a while back. (Thanks guys!) I have been putting off cooking it because I wasn't sure how I wanted to cook it until I came across this fabulous recipe using herbs from the garden. Many of us enjoy growing herbs and those who do typically have the basic herbs used to cook with on hand.  If you do not, then you can always go to the market and purchase fresh herbs.

Simple Sprouting Techniques and Recipes For Beginners

By Jalapeno Gal77 - via APN

Have you ever wondered why people grow sprouts or what they could possibly find good about them?  I know I have!  Who would of thought something that often looks like grass would taste good!  However, you would be surprised at the nutritional value that sprouts have!   After all, isn’t being healthy one of our main goals?  There are many different types of sprouts one can grow.  In this article, I will not be referring to any particular sprout seed because they are basically sprouted the same way.  Some will take longer to sprout than others.  Most fall into one of three classifications: Seeds, Grains, and Legumes.

Alternative Cooking: Cooking (and Recipes) Without Gas or Electric

By Jalapeno Gal77 via APN

For some, not having a gas or electric stove to cook on can be scary.  For others, it is a fun adventure and should be looked as such.  There is nothing wrong with learning new ways to cook.  Many people in today’s economy do not have the money to pay their bills and will, if they haven’t already, lose one or more of their utilities.  So not only can this be fun, it can mean the difference between hunger and your next meal.

Preserving Jalapeños

Preserving Jalapeños ~ Recipes included

By Jalapeno Gal77 -via APN

As you all guessed by my name, I LOVE jalapenos.  So it stands to reason I know a lot about preserving them.   If you have ever grown jalapenos, then you know just how many one or two plants will produce for you.  Often time, WAY more than one person can use.  Here we will discuss multiple ways to save those fiery peppers that adds so much flavor to our delightful dishes.  We will learn about canning, roasting, pickling, drying and freezing your jalapeno peppers.  At the end of the article I will even give you a wonderful recipe on making jalapeno jelly!!

Survival Spices – What to Store and How to Use

By Jalapeno Gal77 -via APN

With all the blubber about what to pack in your BOB, or what to store in your food storage pantry, have you ever thought about what spices would be smart to have?  Should we store spices that have a lot of smell or should we store spices that don’t have any smells to them such as salt and pepper?  My answer….BOTH!

Blackberry Jalapeno Jam

By Jalapeno Gal77 -via APN

This is an amazing recipe for Jalapeno Blackberry Jam!  We use it on English muffins, bagels, crackers and much more.  It is fabulous on top of cream cheese as well as a sweet and spicy marinade for fish, chicken and other meats.  It’s super easy to make if you are familiar with making jams and jellies and has a very unique flavor.  Its not too spicy, but if you want to make it spicier, then just add a few more jalapeno’s.  If you only want Blackberry Jam just omit the jalapenos.  Hope you enjoy!

Mom’s Jalapeno Jelly

By Jalapeno Gal77 -via APN

The girls and I made this delicious Jalapeno Jelly this weekend and it turned out fabulous.  I love making this because it is so easy to make and it’s my favorite color.  Green!!!  If you know people who enjoy a little bit of spice, this also makes wonderful Christmas presents.  Take a piece of holiday fabric and cut a square out of it, then place it between the seal and the ring. Take a piece of ribbon and tie it around the ring, perhaps with a little note card, with its uses on it or the recipe.  Our absolute favorite way to use this jelly is on a cracker of our choice with some cream cheese on top, then top it off with a small spoon of jelly.  Delicious!!  You could also mix some in with some cream cheese and make a wonderful dip for chips or crackers. We have also put some in a bowl and smashed it with a spoon and used it as a marinade for chicken and for chicken fajitas. It can really be used for anything!!

Preserving Corn; Canning, Freezing and Recipes

By Jalapeno Gal77 - via APN

Not having corn in our food storage is just NOT an option.  Our family loves sweet corn and there is so much you can do with corn in recipes it is worth the time and effort it takes to freeze or can corn.  Freezing fresh corn is a lot easier than I thought it would be and had I known how easy, I would of done a lot more a lot sooner.  I will discuss freezing corn and canning corn in this article and I will add a few recipes at the end for things like corn relish and corn salsa.

Patriotic or Rainbow Jello Jars

By Jalapeno Gal77 -via APN

I found this fantabulous idea for the holidays.  I did not come up with this idea, Christy Jordon did, but I just HAD to share it with you all!  I thought, what a perfect idea for the upcoming holiday to entertain guest at a BBQ this Fourth of July holiday, and it also makes a great low fat desert!!  (If entertaining a lot of guests, I would use the little throw away clear Dixie cups).  It is also something you could do year round for the kids in any of the great colors and flavors Jello offers.  Now I can’t wait until Christmas!!