Homemade Hippie Nutbutter

I visited a farmer's market in Portland a few weeks back and got some great cashew butter. We tore through it super fast. The ingredients were cashews, flax seed, sunflower seed, canola oil & agave. I was inspired to give it a go myself. How hard could it be?

It turns out homemade nutbutter was fun and dead simple. I scoured my bulk section at the health food store and got a good mix of nuts. I threw them in the food processor with a little honey for sweetness and some coconut oil for texture (canola oil is not that healthy). Here's what I put together (and for less than $5 !!) :

Homemade Hippie Nutbutter:

1 cup each unsalted:

-cashews

-almonds

-flax seed

-peanuts

-sunflower seeds

2 T coconut oil

To taste: sea salt, raw honey

Put in food processor and blend until desired texture is reached. You may want to stir batch every so often while processing. Store in the fridge and use somewhat quickly. It's fresh - no funky preservatives. Enjoy!!

Easiest Homemade Laundry Soap Ever

I am Pinterest / DIY junkie so I have tried just about every laundry soap recipe ever. I even broke my favorite food processor trying to shred soap for a powdered laundry soap version. I have boiled soapy gloop on the stove. I have shaved bars of soap. I have put it in the microwave. I, my friends, have done it all. Many of the recipes work wonderfully but are quite a bit of work. I have finally got a super easy and cheap solution that takes 2 minutes to make and works great!

I am not so cutesy as to have a chalkboard labeled mason jar of laundry soap. That is for people with way more time on their hands. This is a part liquid and part powder recipe, so it won't go in one fancy package. However, if you are willing to have a bottle and container both in your laundry room, then this will work great for you.

Recipe:

box of Borax

box of Washing Soda

bottle of blue Dawn dish liquid

In one container blend 1 part borax and one part washing soda. I use a big Tupperware container. When you are ready to do a load of laundry simply scoop one Tablespoon and add to the wash on top of your clothes. If it is a particularly dirty load I will add 2 Tablespoons. Then I simply squeeze a thin stream of Dawn in a circle around the inside of the washer, also directly on top of the clothes. Yep, that's it. Couldn't be easier.

As an FYI I have a top loader, so I can't make comment on how this would or wouldn't work in a front loading machine. Also, this is something you are doing at your own risk. I have had no problems with washing clothes this way and have been doing it for months now. However, I don't have anything delicate or fancy so keep that in mind.

Happy Washing!!!!

Ice Feathers

I just loved the "ice feathers" all over my windshield this morning. Here in the Pacific Northwest we usually have thick ice on the windows in the morning. It has been under 20 degrees and dry so this is what we get. So beautiful !!!

DIY Hanging Ornament Christmas Branch

Ah yes, after taking November off here I am. I did a few projects which I will be putting up over the coming weeks, but mostly I have been focusing on my business and having some family time with our out of town guests.

This tree branch project is something I have had in my mind's eye since my poor fruit tree failed and died last Spring. I am so please that it turned out exactly like I pictured!

I started by making a mixture of basic white glue, water and light green glitter. I painted it only in areas on the branch that had naturally occurring green moss. I wanted to keep the feel natural with just a little sparkle to tie in with the ornaments. 

For the ornaments, I got two sizes of clear plastic ornaments and used the super popular pledge floor cleaner and glitter method that has been all over Pinterest this season. For the glitter I used 3 colors (silver, pale blue and pale green) all old Martha Stewart colors.

Then it was just a mix of cursing and begging Mr Bucket & Co to help me with the fishing line and ladder. And there you are!

PS: Let me give some credit too for the painting. It is by the amazingly talented Jenna Colby (soopajdelux.com)

Ornament tutorial: http://theornamentgirl.com/blog/being-crafty/how-to-make-glitter-christmas-ornaments-diy/

Spicy Kale Salad...Oh wow was this yummy

UPDATE: I got the recipe! We have made it a couple of times now, once for a family function and it is very well received.

Central Market Kale Salad

I snagged this yesterday on the cold bar at my local high end grocery. I wish I had taken some pics but it was too good and I ate it too fast.I am not much of a kale fan but this was amazing. Yeah, I know what your'e going to say. It's so tasty and healthy and blah blah blah. I do have to admit that raw, like this, it's the bomb.

My next mission is to figure out how to recreate it so I don't have to stalk the salad bar hoping that I manage to go in on a day that they have made it (Murphy's Law says nope).

Dia de los Muertos Pillow In Progress

Just a little work in progress...Happy Tuesday!

My Toothbrush Plays Black Eyed Peas !

OK so if this was full price I would never have gotten it. However listening to I Gotta Feeling at 5:45am every morning (I am so not a morning person) may be a bit of a Rocky theme/get my ass up in the morning/ pump me up moment. I tried it as soon as I got home from the fabulous Grocery Outlet. When you hear it outside of your mouth it's kind of weird and barely audible. Inside your mouth it gets louder and clearer. I thought maybe I was imagining it but I dug the packaging out of the trash and fancy that - it's supposed to sound better in your mouth! Since I am in sales and need to be on my A game first thing in the morning, maybe my new Black Eyed Peas toothbrush will work some magic!