Bath Soak - Tea Type Bags

Tea Bag Bath Soaks

Ingredients:

Empty Tea type bags (or muslin linen bags)- found at any craft or health food store
Epsom Salt
Dried Lavender
Lavender Oil
Oatmeal (NOT the quick cook kind)
Dry Powder Milk (I like to use dry powder goat's milk for this)


Directions:

To make your tea, you will also need a large mixing bowl.

First, measure out two cups of Epsom salt and add it into the bowl.

Next, add 4 tablespoons of lavender.

Then, add 25 drops of pure lavender oil into the bowl.

After that, add one cup of oatmeal. You can leave the oatmeal whole, or give it a few spins in the food processor. I chose to keep mine whole.

Last, add  1  1/2 cups of dry milk.

Stir your ingredients up until they are well combined.

Gather your tea bags, and fill 3/4 of the way full.

Sew the open tops of your tea bags closed. You can either do this by hand or by machine. I choose to do mine by hand to keep with the handcrafted feel. When you stitch to the end, string an identification tag onto the remaining thread and tie into place. I also left a loop of thread at the end so that the tea bag could be hung from a faucet head.


* To give as a gift of your tub tea, an oblong or rectangle box works best. I found a paper recipe holder at my local craft shop for $2 and it worked perfectly! I was able to fit in 8 tea bags.


Tie up your display box with a pretty piece of ribbon, or you can do as I did and use the same embroidery floss that I used to close the bag.


* I included the directions for using the tub tea on the back of a tag. (see below) 


"Drop two tea bags into a hot bath. Let steep. Ease yourself into your tub and relax. For a stronger scent, use three bags".


The best thing about making tub tea is it’s customizable! You can make any mix that you would like. Or even better, mix two scents and create something new! Simply change up the dried flower buds and the oil- everything else remains the same. For example: use dried rose buds and rose oil.


Tip!


As an alternative to using tea type bags- try using small muslin/linen type bags that have a cotton draw string. Simply add the above ingredient and tie closed. After use; empty contents and discard, rinse bags that were used and allow to dry completely. You can then refill each bag- and use again and again - using this same method.

Basic Home Remedies

Basic Home Remedies:
Using Baking Soda for HEALTH: 

1. Natural Deodorant- Sprinkle or pat on pure baking soda on your armpits for a natural deodorant. This is most useful for those summer months when one tends to chaff.

2. Stinky Shoe Remedy- Sprinkle generous amount into sneakers or other shoes to help absorb odors.

3. Remove Splinters- Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to the bottom of a bandage, and apply that overnight. In the morning, the splinter should be much easier to remove.

4. Antacid Use- about a 1/4 teaspoon in a small cup of water and drink to help reduce acid.

5. Mosquito Bites- Heres something I tried out this summer that worked really well. We had been outside alot and I had gotten a lot of misquito bites on my legs that were itching reallly badly. Mix a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to the bites (helps if you haven't scratched them yet. In about 1 minute the itching stops and in about one hour the redness and swelling have gone away!! It was wonderful, and I used this remedy the rest of the summer with great results.

6. Cold Sore Remedy- Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to cold sores at least two times a day.

7. Treats Burns- On your list of baking soda tips, put that it is good for burns.
 
For example:

I had a neighbour come over with a bad deep frying grease burn to her whole hand. I told her to put her hand over the sink. I had made up a liquid paste of baking soda and water, fairly thick and poured it over the hand. I said this will hurt just for the initial time I put it on, then will be ok. I then wrapped it in gauze to protect it and to keep the soda from going all over. She simply just needed to regauzed it daily.
The beauty of it is that there was no blistering and no scar later.

Lemons and Life

Lovely, Lovely Lemons!

What a bright, fresh scent that just sings "wake up, feel refreshed!" This attribute must be why I often think of lemon's scent on hot sticky days. I expect it goes along with the appeal of a cold glass of lemonade. Besides adding lemons to drinks there are a number of ways to use lemons in the home.

Like vinegar, much of lemon's gift is that it is an acid. It smells much fresher than vinegar, which is fermented. As an acid, lemon juice provides the benefits of vinegar, such as being a very good antiseptic killer of mold, germs, and bacteria.

What better time to learn some of these household hints during the heat of the summer when you and your family can receive a bright aromatherapy boost from the scent? Here are tips for using lemons for hair spray, cleaning metal, freshening the air, cleansing your skin, lightening your hair, and more.

HOUSEHOLD USES


Lubricant

Lemon oil is renowned as being very lubricating, which is why it is so often used on furniture.

Aromatherapy

Known to calm fears and lift depression, adding a few drops of pure lemon oil to a diffuser is considered to be a good tip for when someone is experiencing these symptoms.

Antiseptic/Deodorizer

Lemon juice is a great choice for deodorizing counters, cutting boards, and more. The acid in lemon juice kills mold, bacteria, and germs. While not a 100 percent kill rate, you can't sterilize your house anyway, so if you look at lemon juice as a solidly good deodorizer you will turn to it when you aren't needing a hospital-level disinfectant job.

Using leftover lemon and lime rinds in the garbage disposal is a great way to deodorize this apparatus, which so often can give off an odor.

Glass and China Cleaner

The acid in lemon juice will break down the alkaline minerals found in hard water. It will also work on stains. Make a solution of ½ water and ½ lemon juice and place in the glass, letting the solution set there for a few hours before washing as usual.

Air Freshener

Simmer sliced lemons in water. I like to use 2-3 lemons to about 4 cups of water. Simmer for a few hours, replacing water as needed.

Microwave Cleaner

Just put a slice or two of lemon in a cup of water and put in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Use a cloth to clean dry. You can substitute a tablespoon or so of lemon juice with water.

Metal Cleaner

An acid like lemon juice works wonders for cleaning metals such as chrome, copper, and brass. There are myriad ways to get the lemon juice onto the metal, from simply rubbing the metal with a cut lemon (use the majority of the juice for a salad dressing), to mixing lemon juice with salt for a bit of an abrasive.

Whitener

Lemon juice and the sun combined proves to whiten clothes, hair, and more. I like to soak grey clothes in some water and lemon juice (add ½ a cup of lemon juice to a small load of laundry and let it soak, agitating occasionally, before rinsing and hanging on the line on sunny days).

Soap Scum/Shower Stalls

Soap is very alkaline and when it combines with hard water minerals it tends to form soap scum that can then coat shower stalls, bathtubs, and sinks. Acids cut through this soap scum. I'd suggest using lemon juice straight on a sponge and wash it onto the soap scum, let set for a few hours, and then rinse.

Mineral Buildup/Scale

Minerals are very alkaline and the acid of lemon juice cuts through and dissolves the minerals. Known as scale, mineral buildup frequently gets hard and in particular resides around faucets. Pour straight lemon juice on a washcloth or clean cloth. Lay the cloth over the scale and let set for a few hours before rinsing and cleaning the area.

PERSONAL CARE


Alpha Hydroxy Acid

Freshly squeezed lemon juice on my face is one of the best facials I have ever given myself. Lemon is a natural alpha hydroxyl acid and works like a charm to remove dead skin cells. Add some carrot juice for some vitamin A and you have something as good as found in any spa!

Hairspray

The solvents in most commercial hairspray could light your hair on fire if you were ever near an open flame, so I recommend you make this lemon-based natural hair spray at home, instead!

Hair Lightener

How many Saturdays I spent on the front lawn in the summer, my hair rinsed full of lemon juice, lying in the sun for a few hours, hoping to lighten my brown tresses. Squeeze ½ cup of lemon juice into a container with a spout, pour on your hair, work it through, and set in the sun until it is fully dry and then wash as usual. Make sure not to get the lemon juice in your eyes!

Skin Lightener

Dab freshly squeezed, straight lemon juice on dark spots like "liver spots" that you want to remove. Let it fully dry and then rinse.

Manners and Customs of Bible Part II.

~ Manners & Customs Part II.  ~



Food
A look at the food of Bible times (mainly bread!)

Without an understanding of Middle-Eastern cuisine it is almost impossible to understand the significance of the Lord calling Himself the 'Bread of Life'. It is estimated that three quarters of the Middle Eastern population live entirely upon bread or other grain derivatives. This is clearly different from the highly omnivorous American diet; particularly with our inclination to eat carbohydrate as a main food source. I will attempt to give an overview of the food of Palestine and its' preparation; particularly noting how this should alter our thinking when reading Biblical passages mentioning food.

The preeminence of Bread in the East is so strong that the term 'bread' is often used to include all food stuff. As early as Genesis 3:19 the production of 'bread' is seen as one of the principle activities of man. Part of the reason for the centrality of bread within Eastern thought is that even when other articles are combined with the bread they are usually placed within the bread; either to eat or to carry. Thus when the Lord told us to pray for our daily bread; or called Himself the 'Bread of Life' he was describing all food not just a single item.

As one might expect Biblical 'Bread' came in a number of different forms:

The 'loaves' that Jesus fed to the 5,000 are similar to an American biscuit. Described as similar to a flat stone a hand's span across and a fingers breadth in depth. Or to better give you a visual they are about seven inches in diameter and half an inch thick. The 'wafers' of Exodus 16:31, 29:23 are also this form of bread. Luke 11:5 shows that three loaves was considered a good meal. The thinness of this bread tended to make it crisp and prone to dryness and not very edible after a 24 hour period; thus leading to the requirement for 'daily bread'.

The thinner form of this bread is and often used for scooping sauces and stews (not unlike a taco today). Often the was glazed with oil and perhaps sprinkled with spices to provide a treat for festive occasions.

Also a larger form of bread was made. Similar to a Western loaf but rounded. Describes an eight inch disc that is about one inch in thickness.

The method of preparation of the bread: first the flour, water and milk are mixed, then it is kneaded with the hands (or feet in Egypt!) in a kneading trough until it became dough. Then, if there was time, leaven was added and the dough left for a period prior to baking - if no time was available then the dough was baked without adding leaven. Exodus 12:34 shows in one verse how important the kneading trough was, that leaven was added late in the process, and also that the kneading trough was highly portable:

Exo 12:34 "So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, with their kneading troughs bound up in their clothing on their shoulders."

The final step in bread preparation was the baking and again we see a great variety of methods reflecting the 'needs driven' nature of the situation. Here are some examples of what is described:

Simply laying the dough upon hot stones - the method used by Elijah in 1 Kings 19:6. In addition to being laid upon the fire-stones ashes were laid on top of the dough to 'cook both sides'; or the bread was flipped halfway through the cooking process.

1. Creating a fire-pit five foot deep and three foot in diameter. One the pit is very hot bread will bake almost instantly when attached to the sides of the pit.

2. A great stone pitcher had flint placed within it and a fire kindled within it. Once the fire had abated cakes of fine flour could be baked inside the pitcher and loaves baked on the outside. The outside baking method was sometimes achieved using an earthenware jar rather than a stone pitcher.

3. Some towns had a public oven; an earthenware tube some three feet in diameter and five feet in length sunk into the ground. Often this is situated inside a hut. The tube is then filled with fuel to create a fire and once hot enough the women can bake their bread on the sides of the tube. Malachi was thinking of this scene when he described: 'the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven'

4. An alternate public oven was a half-cylinder of stone laid horizontally with a fire kindled within the cylinder. This had the advantage of making the cleaning (or taking!) of the embers much easier.

* The Bible mentions that there were public bakers (Hos 7:4) and that Jerusalem had an entire street devoted to the profession (Jer 37:21). Even post-exile the 'Tower of the Ovens' was a notable landmark (Neh 3:11,12:38)

5. The 'bowl-oven' - a set of stones are placed upon the ground and the dough placed upon the stones. A large bowl is then placed over the stones and dried dung is placed upon the bowl which is then ignited to provide heat.

6. Layers of dung were built one upon another and between the layers the dough was placed. The dung was then ignited and when it had finished burning the bread was cooked.

Once cooked the bread remained to be eaten. A guest arriving at a house would not be greeted if bread was being broken at the time. The habit of breaking bread arose because it was viewed that taking a knife to bread would be 'absolutely wicked'. And of course 'breaking' suited the texture and shape of the food.

While bread is the commonest and probably preferred method of consuming grain in the East it is certainly not the only method. By far the simplest was simply to consume the grain raw. There was specific provision in the Law for someone walking through a field of grain to eat as they went and we read of the disciples doing the same thing. Grain which was still unripe could be rendered palatable by parching; the process involved roasting the grain in a skillet. It was food of this type that David took to his brothers and that Abigail later gave to David.

The type of grain used would again be needs driven. Those with the resources would use wheat and the poorer, (which were the majority) would use barley. When time permitted this would be ground into meal; for special occasions 'fine flour' could be rendered. At the other end of the scale  'beaten corn' was the result of having ground the grain using pestle and mortar.

Having devoted much space to the Palestinian view of Bread it is perhaps useful to remember that whilst Bread was the most important and prevalent form of food it was not necessarily the most palatable or the most popular. We know that during the wilderness years the Jews ate bread made from manna; but this did not stop them fondly remembering leeks, onions and garlic. It is also noteworthy that the 'Promised Land' was described as a land flowing with milk and honey; not one that was particularly good for growing grain!

Naturally, as one would expect, the Israelites would supplement their diet as they were able. Lentils are used to form a wholesome stew; it was such a dish that Esau sold his birthright for. Isaiah mentions a garden of cucumbers (Isa 1:8) and we know of at least two occasions when Gourds are mentioned (Jonah 4:6-10 & 2 Kings 4:39). Palestine is also famous for certain fruit including Olives and Olive oil, figs, grapes and pomegranates.

It is probably in the use of animal products that the Israelites differed most markedly from American practice. For instance the domestic fowl was not introduced until after the time of Elijah; so egg based products and white-meat would not have been common.

Milk from sheep, goats and cows is drunk; but rather than our pre-occupation with freshness they rather prefer to warm the milk with yeast to create 'curds' which are then referred to as 'leben'. Left even longer suspended in a sack and regularly beaten it forms a thicker, oil substance similar to our butter. The diary product we are most likely to recognized and appreciate is cheese which is very similar to our own.

Beyond the preceding it is almost certainly the absence of meat which would strike the westerner as odd. Between poverty, the severe problems of keeping meat fresh and the strict code of the Law of Moses it is entirely impractical to eat meat on anything other than special festive occasions. Even then slaughtering an entire ox would be deemed highly wasteful. Rather it was the 'kid of the goats' that was generally turned to; the sheep being reserved to display the highest possible levels of hospitality.

To a Westerner, the forgoing presented as an overview of Palestinian food may be viewed as unbalanced. As someone used to entering a supermarket with over two dozen isles every one of which presents at least a hundred items from a different food-group it seems strange to me too. This is, however, the effect I was aiming to achieve. Middle Eastern food means bread and 'bread' in the Bible very often means 'food'. Other additions were welcome and sought after but essentially the Jews were the 'bread they ate'.

Thus when Jesus declared Himself the Bread of Life he was not asking to be treated as a 'wrapping' to layer over the 'meat' of everyday life. Rather He was asking to be the root and basis of our existence; may we not be like the Jews hankering after the leeks and onions of Egypt.







Meal Customs
Middle Eastern behavior at meal times

Many of the meals we see narrated in Scripture took place at religious events or in the presence of royalty; as such they are probably not representative of the eating practices of the general populace on a normal working day. Let's attempt to glean some information regarding the general meal-time habits of Biblical times.

The reality was, then as now, that the luxury available at a given meal varied as much with the era and means of the eater as it did with the nature of the occasion. This is seen most clearly in the setting in which the meal took place.

The common eating position in the Middle East prevalent to modern times was sitting or crouching on the floor surrounding a table that was at most slightly raised from the ground. There is some disagreement as to the exact nature of the table but that probably reflects that fact the means and fashions change. In some maunscripts mentions a round low table. Others state that the 'Shool-khawn' generally translated 'table' really means a mat spread upon the ground. This would explain king David's wish that 'their table should become a snare for them'; envisaging someone with the foot caught in the cloth.

A step up from sitting upon the ground would be having a chair; this innovation would be seen with the more settled lifestyle possible once the Jews were living in Canaan citing 1 Sa 20:25. It should be noted though that it was a king seated at that point and even by the time of Solomon having servants seated at a table was considered unsurpassable luxury (1 Ki 10:5). It is interesting to note however that shortly thereafter (1 Ki 13:20) an elderly prophet had chairs and was eating from a table.

By the time of Amos the fashion had become that one should lay on a couch to eat; and the more sumptuous the couch the better!

Amo 6:4  "Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall"

The tenor of Amos' message suggests however that the innovation was still fairly recent and the words of Amos scarcely hide the contempt he had for those indulging in such luxury. It is perhaps all the more poignant therefore that by the time our Lord walked upon the earth reclining had become the almost universal custom. The shape of the couches and the arrangement of the occupants thereof is also of interest and we'll get to that in a little bit.

While the setting of the Jewish meal varied greatly over time the daily timing of it remained fairly consistent. Around nine or ten in the morning a morsel would be eaten alongside some dainty such as olives. This was considered enough the 'break the fast' but was not considered a meal; eating a full meal that early was considered reprehensible. The first of two full meals would occur around noon; examples are Joseph's feast with his brothers in Egypt (Gen 43:16), Ruth's rest from her labors in the field (Ruth 2:14) and Peter's interrupted meal in Joppa (Acts 10:9). The main meal of the day occurred around sunset. This pattern was possibly created during the wilderness wanderings my God's provision of bread in the morning and meat in the evening (Ex 16:8).

It is probable that the serving and consumption of the food also remained fairly consistent over time. As discussed; bread is the major food stuff of Biblical times and a meal consisted principally of that; anything extra provided was usually set in a shared pot in the center of the table. If a meat was provided with sauce (or grease) then the sauce would be in a pot separate from the meat. The bread was dipped into this sauce to soften it; this is the derivation of the 'sop' of Scripture. Indeed the bread was the only utensil provided at a table other than the human hand. An Arab proverb: 'why does man want a spoon when God has given him so many fingers'.

Given the shared pot and the use of the hand as a utensil it is good to note that hand hygiene is an essential part of the Biblical dining practice. The need for hygiene extends to the point where they will not wash their hands in static water; rather they expect someone to pour water whilst they wash their hands in the running stream. This task was often delegated to a servant; thus Elisha is noted as 'one who poured water on the hands of Elijah' (2 Kings 3:11). The washing process is usually repeated at the end of the meal to remove any foodstuffs which may have accrued. By the time of the Lord this reasonable physical cleansing had become an elaborate religious ritual which the Lord's disciples where attacked by the Pharisee's for not following (Mark 7:1-5). Still it should be clearly understood that it was the elaborate ritual that the Lord rejected - not the need for hygiene.

Much as in a Christian household today a grace is said before meals. In the absence of anyone of particular religious status the host says a grace at the start of the meal; this would often be simple and formulaic such as 'In the name of God'. This would either be fully or partially repeated by each individual in turn. At the time of Christ the blessing said was: 'Blessed art Thou, Jehovah our God, King of the world, who causes to come forth bread from the earth.' If a prophet or teacher was present it would be normal to defer the blessing of the food to them. 1 Sa 9:13 gives an early example of this; the blessing that Christ pronounced upon the bread before the feeding of the five thousand is a more famous instance.

In distinction to modern practice it was also customary to give thanks at the end of a meal. Interestingly this behavior has at least as much Biblical mandate as praying before the meal. Deu 8:10 specifically instructs that when you have eaten and are full you should give thanks for the food that has been provided for you. Once again a participant in the meal would give thanks out loud and then the remainder would either say an 'Amen' or recite some fragment of the prayer.

As we have seen the setting of the Biblical meal changed over time from a simple seated circle around a mat to sumptuous couches that people could lounge upon. The timing of the meal was more consistent; essentially corresponding to a noon lunch and an early evening main meal. The food itself was served without utensils in a shared bowl or bowls; individuals would eat by dipping their bread or hand into the food. Such communal eating required hand hygiene before and after meals although not the elaboration that sometimes occurred. Thankfulness to God for provision was expected before and after eating.







Banquets
The grand feast of the Middle East

While a simple meal of bread was the centerpiece for the average person's day it was the special supper or banquet which is the centerpiece in many Biblical narratives. This is perhaps because, almost by definition, an occasion worthy of being recorded in scripture is a special occasion. Certainly one can easily justify that any meal at which the Lord was a guest should be deemed a banquet. Therefore the purpose of this is to discuss some of the custom and behavior that surrounded a Biblical Banquet.

We will start, as would the banquet, with the invitation. The custom in the East was to double the invitation. The first invitation would announce the future event and the second would be sent when the food was ready. Examples of this in scripture include Esther's invitation to Ahasuerus and Haman (Est 5:8, 6:14) and perhaps more importantly the parable of the Wedding of the King's Son (Mat 22:2,3) and the parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:16,17). ISBE suggests that the double invitation was of practical necessity given the scarcity of time pieces.

The banquet was a sufficiently important part of Eastern life that an invitation to it, or exclusion from it, was an important hallmark of someone's status. This is manifested in a number of ways.

First the invitation is given, it is then rejected and then the invitation is given again to compel the subject to attend. Examples are Luke 14:23 and Lydia's invitation to Paul in Acts 16:15

It was the host of the feast that himself shut the door on the gathering; to define those that could attend and those that couldn't. Luke 13:25 is an example where it is the Lord Jesus closing the door

The Parable of the Guests in Luke 14:12-15; the parable suggests both a tendency towards cliques and attempts at social climbing; the invitation of the 'in' crowd and those you wish to influence. Christ councils rather the invitation of the weaker in society.

Part of the pain of exclusion from a feast rest upon the fact that feasts were brilliantly lit and that to be un-invited thus corresponded to being 'cast into outer darkness'.

The status derived from attending a feast did not, however, stop when the door was shut; if anything it became more visible and focused. The coveted status symbol became the seating position. Gen 43:33 shows that initially this would have been a fairly simple line with the most senior closest to the head of the table. The seating arrangements become more elaborate over time: some guests might be seated in a lower part of the house and those with greater status in a higher part. The ultimate seating position was at the right hand of the host with the left as a close second. Greater honor could be implied by serving the guest an extra portion (Gen 43:34) or filling their cup until in overflow (Psa 23:5). Closeness to the host and extra portions were combined into the honor of the sop. The sop was a particularly choice morsel of food which was fed by the hand of the host to some particularly honored guest. It is thus particularly poignant that the Lord should have given such a sop to Judas.

The 'extra elaboration' was set around the triclinium. The triclinium consisted of three couches set into the shape of a U; the fourth side was left open allowing those serving to get to each of the guests. The triclinium was not a Hebrew invention and we see the prophet Amos railing contemptuously against those that lay on couches to eat (Amos 6:4); nonetheless this had clearly become standard practice by New Testament times. The three couches would hold three people able to lie down comfortably as they desired; the host being the one at the base of the U shape. This latter arrangement would explain the expression of John having his head upon Jesus' bosom (John 13:23).

Naturally the banquet would be set with better or more plentiful food than a normal meal; it was also common for a banquet to have lavish amounts of wine. It is for this reason that starting a banquet early in the day, when there was still work to be done, was considered a sign of excess (Isa 5:11). Meat, often scarce in normal life, would usually be provided at a banquet and if it were possible to find the most tender and juicy stall-fed calf then so much the better. The revelry could include garlands upon the head (Isa 28:1), music (Isa 5:12) and dancing (Luke 15:25).

It is perhaps fair to conclude that while everyday meals reflected the necessities of a harsh reality the banquet was an attempt to escape, at least for a moment, from that reality. Food and entertainment was plentiful and a dose of alcohol often further distanced the real world from experience. Viewed more positively it was an occasion where people could be together in extremely close quarters to socialize and where relationships could be forged and cemented. For better or worse this was all wrapped in an elaborate and well understood ritualistic ranking system which allowed the host to express in very clear terms the favor or otherwise he felt towards everyone that he knew.

Manners and Customs of Bible Part I.

~ Manners and Customs ~

This week I have been reading on the  Manners and Customs of Bible Times and thought I would share a few of the ones that I thought were quite interesting- especially the one about the broken tile.


"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men".
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 

Removing the Shoes

Exodus 3:5. When one entered a house it was the usual practice to take off one's shoes, because otherwise the dirt from the unpaved streets and pathways would defile the house. If the floors were carpeted by canvas, the canves would be ruined. Removal of shoes was therefore a mark of consideration and respect, and since God can be given no less respect, the removal of shoes is a mark of respect toward God. This practice continues in contemporary society- or at least in my house it does. If your shoes are dirty then take them off please before entering!


This custom of removing your footwear before entering a home has many benefits. Let's look at a few:

First, it makes for a much quieter environment, one without all kinds of footgear clanging around.

Second, it makes for a much cleaner home because you leave the dirt of the outside world where it belongs - outside.

Third, it puts everybody at their real height and does away with all this three-inch-heel intimidation.

Fourth, it provides a sensuality in walking about that the hard soles of a shoe deny you. There is something that is just so completely awesome about digging your toes in a rich thick carpet.

Fifth, it lets your feet breathe. Some may not really appreciate this if your feet smell really horrid but there is a simple solution that everyone can live with. Simply wash your feet. Know what I mean?

Sixth, it gives you a chance to show off your socks, a part of our dresswear that seldom gets seen otherwise. Not to mention that over priced nail polish you sprang for that looks completely divine on your toenails.

Seventh, you can tell who is already in the house by giving the shoes outside a quick once-over, thereby avoiding contact with a person(s) you may want to avoid. I could continue, but I think you get the point.

Entering Women's Quarters

Judges 4:17-22. The story is normally told as an example of Joel's treachery, for when a person was at rest in a tent, he/she was supposed to be completely safe. But there may be more to the story than meets the eye. A guest in a tent slept in the porch area- kind of a entrance area of the tent that had a canvas floor and a small piece of canvas suspended overhead to keep the sun or rain off of you but! it was Not actually part of the tent itself. The actual tent was sheltered by a heavy hanging canvas door. A man was never allowed behind the canvas door, which were the women's quarters. Invasion of women's quarters was punishable by immediate death or at the very least the eyes were gouged out of the one unwise enough to peek behind the canvas door- rather he actually ever entered inside or not.

The Drink of Water

Mark 9:41. One of the first things done for a guest was to give him a drink of cool water. It was a pledge of friendship (Abraham's servant Eliezer looked for a welcome by waiting for a drink of water. (Genesis 24:17-18). When Jesus said, "Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ" he was saying that if we pledge a person our friendship for Christ's sake we shall not lose our reward- give him/her a glass of water!

The Broken Tile

Revelation 2:17. Christ tells the angel of the church at Pergamum that to him who overcomes.. I will give... a white stone, and a new name written the stone which no one knows but him who receives it." 

A tile was taken and broken in half. One friend wrote his name on one of the halves, and the other friend wrote his name on the other.  The two halves were then exchanged. Often the pieces were handed down from generation to generation. To be able to produce the counterpart of a piece of tile, was to guarantee friendship and hospitality for life between the two parties.

Tent Dwelling
A look inside the Tents of the ancient Israelites


From the very earliest of Bible times up to the present day the tent has been a major feature of the Palestinian landscape. Today it is the Bedouin Arabs that dwell in the black goat's hair tents that dot the barren desert; yet the Bible shows us that for hundreds of years tent dwelling was a regular part of Hebrew life. Thus if one wishes to visualize and comprehend the living conditions in which much of the Old Testament it set it is wise to understand the extent to which tent-dwelling pervaded Hebrew life.

There can be no doubt that tent dwelling was prevalent during the earliest stages of the Bible. In Genesis 4:20 Jabal is described as the father of those that live in tents. Post flood we read of Noah retiring to his tent (Gen 9:21) and then of Japheth dwelling in the tents of Shem (Gen 9:27). We are told repeatedly of Abraham pitching his tent (Gen 12:8, 13:18, 18:1) and that Lot had one too (Gen 13:5).

A rather more interesting question is: when did Israel stop dwelling in tents?

The stay of Israel in Egypt weaned them from tent life and trained them for their fixed home in Canaan. Tent dwelling diminished steadily as the Israelites took up residence in Canaan although it remained a part of life when viewing the society as a whole. For example tents were a feature of all the recorded Israelite wars. The last reference he gives is 1 Kings 16:15-16 which documents the reign of Zimri: showing tents used during war well into the divided kingdom. Tents were still used East of Gilead during Saul's reign (1 Chr 5:10) and that in the time of Isaiah shepherds' tents were still a common site (Isa 38:12).

It is the reign of David however that gives us the keenest insight into the tipping point between tent and house dwelling. David was a shepherd and a soldier and thus he would have been a tent dweller on many occasions. It was David though that felt that as he was now dwelling in a building it was time for God to move out of a tent too (2 Sa 7:1-10).

It was also during David's reign that Uriah made the statement:

2 Sa 11:11  "And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing".

It would appear that by the reign of David camping in tents, or even under the stars, was still a common condition amongst the Jewish population. In contrast the rich and elite had largely transitioned to buildings and this was considered the preferable alternative for those that could do it.

Most of the information we have regarding the construction of tents comes from observation of the ones that are being used today. The Arab bait shaer (house of hair) is made from black goat's hair which has been woven into strips about twenty seven inches across which are then sewn together and laid parallel to the length of the tent. This goats hair roof is then suspended from a number of poles which may be as few as one but which generally number nine clustered into three groups of three.

When first woven these roofs are not waterproof, but once sodden and shrunk they offer good protection against the elements. The sides of the tents, used mainly in winter, are made either from 'old' pieces of roofing material or from woven rushes. The partitions within the tent are also made from matting material. The tent is secured to the ground by ropes which are attached to pins which are driven into the ground using a mallet. It is probably just such a fastening that Jael used in Judges 4:21 to kill Sisera.

Tents were not generally 'made new' and then 'replaced'. Rather a new strip is made from a year's worth of goat clippings; this strip then replaces the oldest and most worn strip of the existing tent. Thus at any given time a given tent will be from one to about seven years old. For this reason expansion is achieved not by buying a bigger tent but by adding strips to the existing one. This is almost certainly the process alluded to in Isa 54:2. These tents are essentially a family heirloom: in Gen 24:67 we a see a tent passing from Sarah to her daughter-in-law.

For a small family a single tent could provide accommodation for the whole family unit. In such a situation the tent would be divided into three sections. The outer section nearest the door contained the men's quarters. This would also double as the reception area for sharing hospitality with guests. The second compartment, screened from the first, is the women's quarters. The third compartment, if it existed, contained the servants or livestock and sometimes both. This arrangement explains how Sarah was able to overhear the conversation between Abraham and the Lord even though she was not a part of it (Gen 18:10-17).

As a family grew in size, wealth or stature it was possible that one family would own multiple tents. As we have already seen Rebecca took the tent of Sarah. By the time of Jacob his two wives each had their own tents and the two maidservants had a tent too (Gen 31:33).

Second Chronicles 14:15 even details a case where livestock were allocated a tent to themselves. Today when multiple tents form an encampment they are generally encircled to construct a safe enclosure for livestock. It is possible the patriarchs followed a similar pattern. In contrast we know that the Israelite encampment in the wilderness was aligned in orderly rows and is compared to lines of trees in a formal garden. (Num 24:5-6)

As any hiker will attest it is vital to keep weight to a minimum; for this reason the furnishings inside a tent are typically Spartan. The ground may be covered with rugs or matting during the day with softer matting brought out at night. The clothes worn during the day typically function as the bed-spread during the night. Foodstuffs are stored near the center of the tent with a few cooking utensils and pots and pans available to cook food and some leather skins for storage of liquid. Light is provided by an oil lamp and potentially by the light of the fire. There would generally be two of the latter: one inside the men's quarters and the other outside close to the women's area. The closest one might approach luxury would be having a camel saddle to double as a chair; a situation Rachel found herself in in Genesis 31:34.

As can be seen tent life was a hard life with much work and few luxuries. It was the norm for the patriarchs and for the Israelites that left Egypt. It was probably the norm for most people right up until the time of David. From then it appears that those that could forsook the nomadic tent for a more permanent lifestyle. However the simplicity and pilgrim mentality that allowed man to move from place to place at a moment's notice held a charm and honor in Israeli thought that kept tent imagery prominent even amongst the later prophets (Zec 12:7).

One Room Houses
The peasant dwelling of the Israelites


For the poorer people, moving from tents to houses did not significantly increase the degree of comfort available from their living quarters - it did however raise the feeling of permanence and the sense of community. By modern standards it would almost be incorrect to describe these dwellings as houses; they were closer to what we would today term a 'hut'.

Nonetheless they were significant within Jewish society and the Bible is filled with references to them.

The opinions regarding the 'standard' floor plan of a peasant dwelling during early Biblical times are as diverse as the authorities consulted. Though most agree that the lowest classes had houses of one room with the living quarters raised within that room and that the livestock would sleep in the lower areas.

Additions were made as well as could be arranged on the cramped site, and in consequence, plans often became such a meaningless jumble that it was nearly impossible to identify the bounderies of adjoining houses.

In other words people probably started with a single bare room and then partitioned for privacy or extended to provide more space as and when the situation required and resources permitted. Ultimately; the result was just a mess of oddly shaped houses.

The commonest building material was mud which explains Job's comment that men live in houses made of clay. There were two principle ways for this mud to be used: either it was turned into a sun-burned brick or it was used as a form of mortar to bind together walls of irregular stones. Some had the resources to plaster their walls those that didn't faced the prospect of serpents inhabiting them! All faced the reality that mud walls could be dug through by robbers and that without constant maintenance they dissolve into heaps. Indeed Ezekiel 13:10-16 shows that a building might dissolve into heaps even with constant attention if the mud does not have the correct composition and has not been adequately tempered.

Given the potentially hazardous condition of the walls it was vitally important to build upon a strong foundation. As our Lord tells us the wisest built their houses upon rock. While not recorded in scripture the more industrious would dig down until they did reach rock and then build stone arches so that their walls could be built upon rock. A slightly easier and very common practice was to lay a great stone at the corner of the house that was at the lowest part of an incline. This 'corner-stone' was responsible for much of the stability of the structure and received great reverence. The floor of the building was rather less vital and compacted soil was generally deemed to suffice.

The roof itself would be made by stretching a main beam from the center of one wall to the center of an opposing wall. Rafters (smaller beams) would then be stretched at right angles across the main mean; again running from wall to wall. Upon this matrix of wood was then laid a carpet of rushes or brushwood. On top of that was spread a thick layer of dirt and straw which was then compacted down using a roller. The compaction phase was sufficiently important that many houses would have a smaller 'roller' which remained upon the roof for effecting running repairs as required.

The true nature of the Eastern roof is revealed by a Mosaic law which appears strange to Western eyes. In Deuteronomy 22:8 it states that when a new house is built a battlement (or low wall) has to be built around the end of the roof - to prevent bloodshed. The reason is that it was extremely common for people to go upon the roof of a house. For example Samuel met Saul upon the roof, David walked upon his roof and saw Bathsheba, and Peter went onto the roof to pray. The religious usage of the roof was indeed strong: Jeremiah and Zephaniah both record roofs being used to build altars. The roof was also a meeting place in time of calamity (Isa 15:3), fear (Isa 22:1) or even rejoicing. For this reason roofs were easily reached; access being granted by a staircase which ran up the outside of the house.

In many ways the 'dirt floor' which existed on the roof resembled the floor that would have existed at ground level; it could even grow a layer of grass from time to time (Psa 129:6). It is therefore not surprising that it should be a place that people would pitch booths (Neh 8:16). This probably led quite naturally to people building extra rooms or lofts onto the roof (or walls) of the house.

As stated earlier the interior of these houses would not be a significant advance, if any, upon a tent dwelling. The windows would be small and protected by wooden latticework. The door would probably be a wooden board that could be strapped to the doorway. Hinges, when they existed, would have been rudimentary and locks would almost certainly not have been available at all. The furnishings would have consisted of a series of cushions and mats. Perhaps the one 'luxury' that housing may have afforded was in the area of storage. The increased space and reduced requirement for 'lightness' allowed for storage chests, drying room for foodstuffs and a slightly wider array of pots and cooking utensils.

The Eastern house generally did not have a chimney; any smoke from inside having to vent through the small windows or through the other crooks and crevices afforded by the poor construction of the dwelling. While most houses would have had a small hearth in the center of the room cooking was done outside whenever possible. The fire would be made from kindling, sticks, dung, thorns or any other flammable material that came to hand.

I believe the general lesson of these one room homes is that the poor simply assembled what was around them to give themselves shelter and a sense of permanence as best as they could under the circumstances. Dirt was the principle ingredient in many homes; supplemented by vegetation and hard work as required. The ground floor was the 'business area' providing shelter from the elements and handling cooking, storage and even livestock. The roof was the area of relative peace and relaxation; recreating at least some of the freedom of living under the stars and yet also providing some peace and quiet from the activity going on below.

Houses of More than One Room
Larger houses and palaces


For those with the means, the house could move beyond the purely functional and could become a place of luxury and status. Rather than simply growing organically as necessity demanded and resources permitted these homes were designed to cater to the needs of the inhabitants. Of course even within this group the result would differ significantly between that of a prosperous craftsman and that of a king. For want of better classification these expanded dwellings are going to be discussed as the 'houses of more than one room'.

Quite literally the center of a grander eastern home is the courtyard. A two roomed home would be built with a room's width between the two rooms with an adjoining wall connecting the two rooms. The space left became the courtyard. A three room house would have the adjoining wall replaced with the front of the third room. Further ground-floor rooms would be added to the first and second away from the third room. The effect would thus be a U shape with the arms extending with the overall number of rooms. The very grandest houses would have 'courtyards of courtyards' each surround by their own cluster of rooms. When this was the case the women often had their own courtyard.

Across the 'open' end of the U is the door and gateway. These are essentially one and the same. The entranceway is fairly large yet blocked by an equally large and heavy gate which was opened only when need dictated. Set into the gateway was thus a smaller door which could be opened and closed rather more easily to permit the entrance of individuals. Privacy was usually enhanced further by building a small wall just in front of the door to prevent people in the street viewing the courtyard. If resources permitted then an individual would be nominated as the 'porter'; their job was to stand by the doorway and only permit entrance to those whose voice was recognized. In addition to vocal recognition it was not uncommon to have a projecting latticed window positioned above the gateway to allow for the inhabitants to see who was outside. It is quite possibly one of these from which Jezebel looked in 2 Kings 9:30.

To the inhabitant of the house the courtyard served as an idealized 'outside world' onto which the house fronted. Thus while the outside of the buildings which fronted on to the street might be of a mean and lowly appearance the decoration inside the courtyard would be as much as the occupants could achieve. In times of festivity they may even be carpeted. The courtyard could also contain trees, shrubs and flowers. This oasis naturally became the center of activity and would often be used for cooking and eating meals; in colder weather the hearth provided heat. It would have been such a hearth that Peter huddled around when denying the Lord.

One essential component of the courtyard was the cistern. These were essentially a bath set into the ground some four feet by two feet and maybe two feet in depth. Their purpose was to hold rainwater channeled from the surrounding buildings. It is probably one of these which hid David in 2 Samuel 17:18,19. The close proximity of water and fire and provision of privacy also explains why the courtyard could be used for bathing. Thus when Bathsheba bathed in her courtyard (2 Samuel 11:2) she would probably have been screened from anyone that didn't own a much taller building (but of course as we know King David did which is why he saw her).

The second and subsequent stories of the house served as a type of 'veranda' stretching out nine feet from the second and subsequent floors; the 'deck' covering a good portion of the courtyard. The upper rooms were one half of the width of the lower and that the remaining 'half' roof acted as a pathway between the higher rooms. Stone steps lead from the internal courtyard to the roof; though some had wooden ladders. Given that we know of at least two people falling from windows and we know of at least one collection of people supported on a verandah (Judges 16:27) Eutychus falling from the 'third loft' and David's ability to see Bathsheba strongly suggests that houses of three stories were not uncommon by the prosperious. Interestingly there is agreement that upper rooms had projecting windows; which may explain their somewhat lethal tendencies to fall!

It is likely that if a second story or even a third story existed then it would almost certainly be home to the 'guest chamber'. Considered the foremost chamber in the house the room would often have an open front and have a divan around the edge for people to sit. This would essentially allow the guest to 'hold court' from the center of the room with the assembled gathered around the outside. A room on the second floor may also be designated the 'summer house'; with the 'winter house' being more protected from the elements on the ground floor.

As may be expected the furnishings of a more affluent home would be plusher than those of a more modest one. We know that carpets and draperies were used widely; some even draped a shade-curtain over portions of the courtyard. Esther tells us with walls hanging with rich tapestries; in a Persian court. We know walls could be plastered and Jeremiah 22:14 tells us they could be painted; Ezekiel 8:10-12 shows that these paintings could sometimes be idolatrous. Amos 3:15 tells us the houses could be paneled with ivory. Jeremiah 22:14 again tells us that ceilings of wood were hung below the roof; presumably to improve the appearance and to prevent leakage and the droppings of dirt to lower floors. Some of the very wealthiest were actually able to switch to hewn stone as a construction material of the walls: something which would improve the appearance but also structural integrity of the building.

I think we can safe say that there was a class of buildings where the owners had the means to build for what they wanted rather than what they needed. Typically this resulted in a collection of rooms surrounding a well maintained and important courtyard. This courtyard was considered part of the house and the privacy and entrance to it were guarded. The second floor provided much of the higher quality living accommodation when weather conditions permitted it to be used. Much as today, houses tempted people to indulge in creature comforts, something that some of them did very willingly. Just as we do today.

" Uuuh ... Mom, Are you bored ? "
        ... this is so embarressing ...

Queen Esther Beauty Part III.

Gram's HomeMade Goat Milk Soap

Materials:

Protective mask and gloves
Stirring wood spoons
Candy thermometer
Electric hand blender
Spatula
Large bowl
Plastic Pitcher
Soap molds- I use an old set of bread loaf pans
Cookie racks
Wax paper
* 12 ounces partially frozen goats' milk
3 ounces lye
4 1/4 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces coconut oil (not coconut milk)
12 ounces vegetable shortening- hard Crisco- not oils

* You can use fresh goat's milk, canned goat's milk or even powdered goat's milk (mixed with water according to directions) however the fresher the goat's milk the better quality of soap. Prior to making the soap- place the goat's milk in a bowl and set in the freezer until it is partially frozen- sort of like a slushy.
 


Making Soap

1. Wearing a protective mask and gloves, place milk into large bowl and very slowly add lye a little bit at a time. Stirring as you go until the mixture is smooth and without lumps. The lye will interact with the fat molecules in the milk and should bring the mixture to between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Never just dump in the entire lye or you will end up with a volcano effect- it's going to bubble up and go everywhere. Ditto on dumping the milk on top of the entire batch of lye. Not only is it dangerous but you'll be cleaning up the mess for hours and hours.

2. Melt the olive oil, coconut oil, and shortening together in one pot and bring to about 115 degrees. Use a candy thermometer or just gage that it's nice and hot without scorching or catching fire LOL

3. Add the oil mixture to the milk/lye mixture and use a hand blender to combine everything together until the mixture demonstrates "tracing" (drips from the blender leave a noticeable path in the mixture- kind of like how honey looks when spilt on the counter top). This will take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes.

4. Using a spatula, fold the mixture to remove bubbles. Transfer to a pitcher and pour the mixture into wax paper lined soap molds. (The reason the pitcher is used is to keep air bubble out.)

* Again I use a set of old bread/loaf pans- but you can just as easily use paper milk or juice cartons- just be sure to rinse and dry well before using

5. After 24 hours, turn the soaps out of the molds onto cookie racks. Place in a dry location and allow to cure for 4- 6 weeks. (I personally use the top shelf of my linen closed to store my curing soap. It is dark, dry and I don't have to worry about something falling on it and ruining my hard work)

* If you have trouble peeling the wax paper from your soap simply put in the freezer for a few moments and it'll peel right away without problem.

* If you would like to cut the bars now you can or simply leave as is until curing process is complete and then cut. It's completely optional but I find it easier to cut into nice size square bars After it has cured- as the soap is firm to touch.

However if you would like to make soap balls or cut into shapes with a cookie cutter then it's best to do this now (before the curing process) while the soap is still somewhat pliable.

This is your basic no frills goat's milk soap!


If you would like scented soap- simply add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your choice of scent to the mixture during step #4

If you want a soap that is extra moisturizing add 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of Quaker oats to step #4

Let me say that you have to use lye if you want to make soap. There is simply no getting around it. Every single bar of soap that was ever made- rather home made or store bought has lye in it. Though it sounds scary to use it really isn't anymore so that it is scary to add bleach to your laundry. You are careful when you add bleach right? If it makes you feel any better about it then let me say that those bags of pretzels that you enjoy eating so much was fried using a lye mixture. Lye is completely harmless once it heats itself up.

This is my Grams recipe for soap making and she got it from her Mother and so forth all the way back to who knows when. Certainly back before electricity when they made soap in a kettle out in the yard over a wood fire.

Sadly, today it is getting harder and harder to find lye because freaking meth heads use lye to cook up their drugs. Most stores have pulled it from the shelves but it you tell the manager that you need a can of lye for soap making then he'll have you sign a paper of intention and sell you all you want. You have to have a photo ID by the way.

You can also order it from a company called Camden-Grey online but you have to also print out a release form and mail it in.
http://www.camdengrey.com/

If the very idea of handling lye absolutely just gives you the willies then there are companies out there that will do the mixing for you and ship it off through the mail. But, be warned- it's a little on the pricey side:

http://myworld.ebay.com/homesteaders6/
just look for "goat's milk rebatching soap base"
 

* Basically with rebatched base all you have to do is add 1-2 ounces of hot water to every pound of the base and cook on the stove until melted. Add in whatever you want for scent, pour in your mold and set to cure for three days and cut.

All in all it makes a good soap in small batches. It doesn't have a really long shelf life- like the "cook your own recipe" method I have given you above (which does have a shelf life of zillions of years) but it's good stuff.

Personally I have been making soap for so long that I don't even really think about the lye anymore. I am also a little on the lazy side. I would much rather make enough soap at one time to last all year than to make a batch every couple of months. But that's just me.

Whichever route you decide to take- it's important to have all of your soap making supplies in a special marked box that is used only for that purpose. For example I bought an old electric hand mixture, pots, wood spoons and spatulas at the flea market for mere pennies and this is what I use for soap making- over and over and over. When not in use I keep my box of soap making supplies out in the shed. That way I don't ever have to worry about someone grabbing up the soap mixer to whip up mashed potatoes. Ewww!

Let's talk about scents for a moment.


I think it probably goes without saying that everyone like a nice smell coming off a bar of soap when you are scrubbing away in the bath or shower. You can of course use any of the essential oils that are on the market which will make you soap smell lovely but I have found don't really hold up all that well over the long haul if used in a rebatched base. It's great if you are only going to be making small batches of soap and use them all within half a year. But not so much beyond that.

Essential oils tend to break down after a period of time and will actually begin to mildew in your soap. Which doesn't hurt anything and you can most certainly still use it but it really isn't very pretty to look at (all those strange black and purple flecks are kind of creepy but again do not hurt anything).

However; in the "cook your own" method that I have given you; essential oils will hold up essentially forever in the soap.

I am a great fan of "whatever I happen to have on hand" when I am soap making. I have used everything to scent my soap from the syrup left over after I ate all of the maraschino cherries out of the jar. I have used that last little sip of leftover orange juice that doesn't quite make a glass full to drink but is too much to just throw out. Pineapple juice left in the can after I made a pineapple upside down cake. Even a half a cup of cold black coffee leftover in the pot from breakfast has gone into my soap- which smelled surprisingly good and even more surprisingly turned out to be the perfect soap to use during the warmer months when your skin tends to be a little more oily that normal.

And of course (being a perfume'holic) I will always use that last little dibble left in the perfume bottle to scent my soap. Nothing nicer than having your skin already scented with your home made perfumed soap before applying the matching perfume.

What's growing in your yard?


Here in the South you don't have to wander very far to find something wonderful to add to your soap making. Magnolia trees, Gardenia, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Roses, Lavender, Rosemary are just a few. Prior to beginning my soap making ritual I wander around and see what is in bloom and then help myself to the petals. It doesn't take long before you have filled up a sack of petals to use in your soap making. Just be careful that you don't pick the blooms off of someone's prize rose bush lest you kick off the whole "hatfield & mccoy" thing all over again with your neighbor. That could be bad news.

Most people that have beautiful flowering trees or shrubs are more than willing to allow you to help yourself- especially if they end up being the recipient of a bar of your wonderful soap! Some can even be talked into saving the petals from their prize roses once the bloom is starting to go off. Don't be afraid to ask and don't be afraid to share your love of soap making. You could be starting a trend in your area! Wouldn't that be lovely?

The point is that whatever you want to try in your soap is fair game. If it smells good to your nose while it was still in the can or jar or bottle odds are that it will smell good in your soap. Don't be afraid to experiment.

So, there it is: Gram's homemade soap. Once you give it a try you'll never go back to that store bought junk.

Happy Soap Making!

Queen Esther Beauty Part II.

~ Beautiful ~ Inside and Out ~



Well; it goes without saying that long before one could just pop in their auto and travel down to the corner drug store armed with a fist full of cash to spend on ridiculously over priced products that did not work; women were rattling their pots and pans in the kitchen creating everything from home made hair spray to soap, nail repair cream to something marvelous to add to the water of that fantastic claw foot tub. Creating things that actually worked as they were intended, smelled divine and could generally be made from items you already had in the panty or growing in the yard.

Queen Esther was one of the strongest women in the Bible. Commanding armies, defeating nations and winning hearts all at the same time. She was a beauty and fearless and she didn't get her products from the drug store.

Let's use her as our example and see what other remedies have been passed down to us through the halls of time for our benefit. Shall we?

Sunburn Soothers

Sometimes, despite our best intentions and slathering ourselves with sunblock, we or someone we love gets a painful sunburn. Ouch! Not only can sunburn cause skin cancer, it can also prematurely age and damage our skin.

Here are the best natural remedies we know for healing painful, sunburned skin. Soothe your sunburn safely with these great ideas:


1.  Aloe Vera Gel

For sunburn there is nothing better than aloe vera gel; it is antibacterial and deeply healing for burns in part because of aloectin B, which stimulates the immune system. Aloe vera gel is so effective that it is used in hospitals for burn victims. It comes from the aloe vera plant, and many of us keep a plant in the kitchen and simply squeeze the gel from a freshly-cut leaf.

Just snip a leaf off an aloe vera plant (some of us keep them growing in the kitchen for just this purpose; it’s great for kitchen-accident burns, too) and spread the jellylike sap evenly over your burned areas. If you don’t have an aloe vera plant, buy the pure gel and use that instead.



2.   Sunburn Healing Bath

In a handkerchief tied with string or a muslin teabag, place the following:

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 cup whole milk powder
1 teaspoon tea leaves, green or black
3 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil

Run a tepid to cool bath and soak along with this bath bag. Use it as a compress to spread healing, cooling relief all over.



3.   Lipton Tea Compress
Store used teabags in the fridge and apply as a cold compress to burned skin.



4.   Cucumbers Cooler

a) Thinly slice 3-5 cucumbers and place on a plate.

b) Lie face down in a comfortable position in a warm place. Have a friend place cucumber slices all over the back side of your body, so they are just touching but not overlapping. Use about half the total slices.

c) Rest quietly for 10 to 20 minutes to allow the cucumber slices and juice to penetrate your skin.

d) Remove the slices.

e). Turn over and apply the rest of the slices to your front side. Relax for 10 to 20 minutes. You may want to rinse off afterwards, but it is best not to shower for at least four hours, as the cucumber will continue to work on the skin during that time.



5.   Take a daily dose of Vitamin E

One of the antioxidants, vitamin E in the form of creams, ointments and oils can help heal sunburn damage and shorten its effects.



6.   Take a daily dose of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another powerful antioxidant, so increasing your intake while sunburned will help you heal.



7.   Black Tea Sunburn Soother

The tannins in cool black tea will help soothe a sunburn. Store used teabags in the fridge and apply as a cold compress to burned skin.


8.   Baking Soda Bath

Have a cool bath to which 1/2 a cup of baking soda has been added.


9.   Calendula Creams

Calendula is one of the most healing plants. The flowers are emollient, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiviral. They are immune system stimulants and rich in carotenoids. Look in your health food store for calendula creams and ointments.



10.   Sun Repair Formula:

If you want to repair the damage done to your skin by the sun– or help to protect it from further damage– this formula may do the trick. Sun exposure has been linked to sunburn, dry skin, flaky skin and premature aging. Any of these oil-and-botanical recipes mixed together or used seperately can nourish your skin and keep it soft, moist and young looking.

* The nutrients in each oil feed the skin externally and internally. Use equal amounts of all the ingredients, shake well and store in a cool place.

a)   Apricot Kernel Oil is nutrient rich and nourishes the skin in depth without leaving an oily feeling. It contains essential fatty acids, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and Vitamin E. The combination is very effective to keep your skin moist and supple.

b)   Carrot Seed Oil has many properties. In this particular recipe the vitamin A will help keep the skin tan and firm.

c)   Jojoba Oil has a composition very close to the sebum of the skin. It is an excellent external moisturizer, helps prevent dryness, and rejuvenates the skin through new cell growth.

d)   Calendula Flowers infused in Jojoba oil will help to prevent sunburn, and are healing while being gentle to the skin. (To infuse the flowers, add them to jojoba oil in a crock pot and heat on low heat for eight hours, then strain and use the oil)







Sea Salt Scrub:

Two simple ingredients - natural sea salt & warm olive oil - combine to create a spa-worthy beauty treat that naturally helps slough off dead skin cells. Excellent to keep a jar of this salt scrub in the shower.

1/4 c. Sea Salt
1/4 c. warmed Olive Oil

Stir both ingredients together. Massage onto body with hands or mitt using a light but firm pressure. Continue massaging, NOT RUBBING, until a rosy glow appears. Rinse with warm water. Towel dry.







Polished Feet:

There are lots of gagets out there that you can use to rub off those rough spots on your feet but I have found that fine grit sandpaper works just as good as any pumis stone. Just grab up a piece and go to work on those heels and the outside of the big toes- try not to get over zealous and rub clean down to the bone. You'll know that you've done enough when you can rub your finger over the areas and they feel smooth (though will still look cracked and in sorry shape)

Next you'll be wanting to grab one of those books you have been meaning to read coz you'll be soaking your feet for about 30 minutes in warm water and some Arm & Hammer baking soda.

If you have a foot soaker- good! you're ahead of the game... but two pots work just as well- or if you happened to save a couple of those wash basins they give you in the hospital.. if all else fails you can set on the edge of the bathtub and soak your feet (but it's hard on your back)

The water needs to rise above your ankles so let that be your guide for selecting what you will use for a foot soaker. Dump enough baking soda in the warm water to really cloud it up good. Soak for 30 minutes then rinse off with warm water.

Next you'll want to get a little of your cooking oil out of the pantry. I use Crisco but you might have a different type or even can of spray Pam. Lightly coat (you are not going to be frying a chicken here) your feet with the oil and rub in well- paying particular attention to those heels and ashy ankles; then slip on an old pair of socks that you should have already thrown away. Leave on overnight to absorb the oil.

The next morning your feet will look like you have been to the best of spas and you can go on and wear those cutesy sandals you paid way too much for.







Overnight Facial Mask:

Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Leave on your face overnight or, for a quick pick-me-up, just 15 minutes. Splash warm water on your face to rinse.
It helps to removes facial discolorations, because the lemon works as a bleaching agent.

Olive Oil

For centuries, Mediterranean beauties have relied on olive oil to help maintain good health, a fresh, dewy complexion, lustrous hair, and more. Now you can learn the secrets of olive oil that have made it such a favorite beauty aid for so many for so long.


1. Cuticles and nails:

If your cuticles are ragged and your nails brittle and dry, olive oil can help! Soak nails for 30 minutes in a small cup of olive oil.

2. Hands:

Smooth on a generous amount of olive oil before bed, put on white cotton gloves, and go to sleep. Your hands will be softer and smoother in the morning!

3. Lips:

To soothe and smoothe dry, chapped lips, dab on a little olive oil.

4. Hair treatment:

This helps repair split ends, heals dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky, and lustrous. Massage a few tablespoons of olive oil into scalp and hair. Cover hair with a plastic bathing cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more, then shampoo as usual.

5. Skin:

Massage a small amount of olive oil into skin whenever you need softening and moisturizing. Apply extra oil to rough or cracked areas.

6. Bath:

Add several tablespoons of olive oil to your bath, along with a few drops of your favorite essential oil, to soothe and nourish your skin.

Lovely Lavender


Lavender plants are sun loving and need well-drained soil. They can be planted almost any time, and even started indoors from seed. Plants may succumb to old age after ten years but are cheaply replaced.

Once I started searching, I was amazed at the different types available. One species, English lavender, has over forty named varieties. The blooms range from lavender-hued gray to a vibrant royal purple. There are also species with blooms in other colors: white, pink, and a yellow-green. The flowers themselves are small, sometimes bud-like but open and full on others, and they grow up the spiky stems. Foliage typically ranges from dusty green to silvery gray and a few species have bright chartreuse leaves.

Some lavender hugs the ground with a height of only six inches. Others become bushes more than four feet in height. There is a size to fit almost any landscaping need. If you're selecting lavender plants for a specific garden design, familiarize yourself with the many species and varieties and consult an expert if in doubt.

Lavender requires very little care unless you want a formal, sheared and shaped plant. Only my very old ones, the two that were in the front yard's meandering bed, have ever required any major clipping. The debris from the clip job went into a basket to be added to the woodstove - another way to enjoy the sweet summer smell of lavender during the dead of winter.

The lavender can be grown in a variety of North American climates. Time of bloom will depend on geographic location, type of lavender and current weather phenomena. In the mid-Atlantic region, where I live, it is possible to have plants in bloom from June until late September. They thrive in our hottest and most drought-ridden summers without watering, and live through our occasional harsh and icy winters. In a moderate Mediterranean climate such as San Francisco, it would be possible to have lavender in bloom every day of the year.

In the north, where winters are longer and more severe, lavender can be placed in pots and moved to a porch or other sheltered spot during the colder season. In the south, where summers last forever and it can be extremely hot, partial shade is recommended. Also, seek advice on specific varieties for your gardening zone.

If there is a sunny spot on the walkway to your house, that's an ideal place for a potted lavender or bush because its fragrance will surround you each time you arrive and leave. You'll get in the habit of running your fingers over its foliage to release the aroma as you pass. What could be better than a single plant that is decorative, aromatic and provides ingredients for many other projects?

                       

When I am an old lady I shall have a lavender bush
and sprinkle the blooms upon my sheets
and under my pillow;
steep it into tea
and press its spikes among the pages of my books.
~author unknown~

                       

QUICK-MAKE BATH BAG:

Use an old handkerchief or piece of thin cotton fabric, six to eight inches square. Place a fourth cup of dried lavender blooms in the center, gather the corners together and secure the bundle with a piece of twelve-inch ribbon, tie it in a knot. Tie the very ends of the ribbon together in bow or knot, to form a loop by which to hang the bag. Slip this over the bathtub faucet positioned so the water will run through it as the tub fills. It may be used for several baths, the lavender should then be replaced.

Homemade Orange Hair Spray

1 Large Orange
2 C Water
Optional: 1 oz. of Bay Rum
Quantity: 
Makes about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Orange Hair Spray.

To Make: 

Chop up the Orange in a wooden bowl so that you don't lose any of the juice.  Add the chopped Orange to the water in the top of a double boiler.  Simmer (NOT BOIL) the mixture until the liquid has been reduced by half. Strain out all rinds and pulp and pour the liquid into a bottle that will fit a pump-type sprayer. Add a few teaspoons of cool water to thin the mixture if necessary

Tip:

A washed and rinsed Windex bottle will do for your spray container. 

To Use: 

Spray your hair with this mixture whenever necessary. Since it is gentle, with not alcohol or chemical additions, it can be used on children's hair too. 

* Should be made fresh every few days and kept in the fridge between uses.

Tip: 

* Each cup of the Orange Hair Spray can be preserved for up to three months by adding 1 oz. of Bay Rum. Shake bottle well before spraying and keep in the fridge between uses.







Herbal Bath

Combine together:

4 cups of dried lemon verbena
2 cups of dried thyme
1 cup of peppermint
1/2 cup of Epson salt

Mix together ingredients. Place 1/4 cup or so in cheese cloth or muslin, tie with string or rubberband and add to your bath and allow to drift about in the warm water. This has a great energizing scent.






Remedies For Facial Blemishes (Acne):

1. Cook oatmeal and apply on face for fifteen minutes, then rinse with cool water.

2. Apply equal amount of lemon juice and rose water with a cotton ball, leave for half an hour and rinse with cool water.
 
3. Make a masque of crushed avocado mixed with water. Apply paste to face once per week.

4. Eat a medium size radish daily to prevent pimples.

5. Drink a daily cup of rosemary tea to prevent pimples.

6. Soak a cotton ball in either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and apply on face.

7. Saturate lettuce leaves in water, use water to rinse face and acne.

8. Grind bay leaves and mix with water, apply on the acne with a cotton ball.

9. Clean your face and spritz spray with white wine morning or evening.

10. Add 2-3 teaspoons of dry basil to a cup of boiling water. Wait 15 minutes, cool slightly and apply the liquid with a cotton ball.







Body Blemishes:

* Run a warm bath. Add a liberal amount of the herb Rosemary and soak 15-30 minutes to reduce body acne.







Steam Facials:

1. Boil water in a pan, add some chamomile flowers; cool, cover your head with a towel and band over the pan for 5-10 minutes.

2. Softly rub your face with salt, Boil water in a pan and band over with a towel over your head or take a warm shower.

3. Clean your face, pour hot water into a bowl, and add chamomile, 2 drops of lavender oil or lemon and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover your head with a towel and band over the bowl for 5 minuets.

4. Boil water in a pan, add 2 teaspoons of dry rosemary, put a towel over your head and band over the pan for 10-15 minutes.

* After a steam treatment:

Take a cotton ball, apply a few drops of lemon juice and apply to face to close pores and lighten facial discolorations.







Herbal Acne Remedy

2 to 3 tsp. dried basil leaves (or green tea leaves)
1 C. boiling water
Small Glass Bottle

Steep basil (or green tea) leaves in water for 10 to 20 minutes. Cool, then pour into a small glass bottle. Apply daily to face with a white cotton ball. Lasts for up tp three months if sealed properly.







Hand Smoother:

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup oatmeal

Mix lemon juice, honey and oatmeal in a bowl until they form a moist paste. Work treatment into clean hands; cover with cotton gloves for 20 minutes. Rinse and follow with moisturizer.







Home-Made Fruity Lip Gloss
1 tsp. aloe vera gel,
1 tsp. petroleum jelly,
2-3 drops of flavored oil (your choice)

Mix aloe vera gel with petroleum jelly, then add flavored oil. Transfer to a small container. Now, you have a wonderful home made lip gloss!

Miracle Whip Facial Exfoliator

Yes, I am talking about the same Miracle Whip mayo your Aunt Mable uses in her macaroni salad. Apparently, women all over the US are using this salad dressing ingredient on their faces to remove dead flaky skin.

Miracle Whip (made by Kraft) Exfoliating Facial makes an amazing treatment for normalizing over-oily skin.

Here is how you apply this "miracle cream":

Make sure all your hair is pulled back from your face. Apply a thin layer of the Miracle Whip all over your face, up to the eyelashes and make sure to also put some on your neck. The "fumes" from the vinegar that is in the Miracle Whip may bother you so walk quickly around the house to try to escape them. LOL!

Leave on for 10 minutes, then massage gently. The dead skin cells on your face will roll off in rubbery little balls. Rinse your skin with tepid water, then cleanse as usual.

* I bought a small jar of Miracle Whip. I applied a slightly thicker layer than was recommended and the vinegar smell was unpleasantly strong but something you can live with for the few minutes it takes to do this treatment.

After a minute or two, the Miracle Whip 'melted' and my face was very shiny and oily (yuck!). After 10 minutes, I washed the Whip away and I couldn't believe the results. All the flaky dry skin was gone and my skin felt tight and smooth. Very strange but cool!







Filling In Your Eyebrows

Choose a pencil and powder in the correct shade. Women with fair complexions should use a blonde shade, those with olive tones should go tawny or brown, and those with with African-American skin should use
gray.

Brush brows downward with a dry, mascara-like wand. To define the arch, use the pencil to draw a line along the upper edge of the brow. Comb the brows upward and outward.

For added fullness, dust eye shadow into the hairs of the brow with a stiff, slanted brush. Dip the brush into a tiny amount of powder and use short, gentle strokes while applying.

If brows have been severely overtweezed, brush the hairs in the direction of the growth, and fill in any visible patches with powder. Avoid adding to the top or bottom of the brows.

Comb a clear brow gel (or hair gel works too) up through the brows to set hairs in place.








Cucumber Yogurt Facial Masks for Combination Skin:

Puree 1/2 peeled, sliced cucumber in a blender or food processor (or if all else fails use a fork and mash away) and add 1 tablespoon yogurt. Apply to face and let set about 20 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp wash cloth.







Cornmeal Hand Scrub:

Mix 1/4 cup corn meal with 3 Tbsp. milk. Heat over low heat until a paste forms. Add 1 drop of cooking oil. Let cool. Spread on hands, leave on for about 10 minutes, then gently scrub. Rinse.







Cooling Body Splashes

Basic Body Splash Method

2 ounces distilled water
20 drops essential oil of choice- eucalyptus, peppermint, or lavender

1. Find a glass bottle with a misting pump spray top (you can find old perfume bottles at garage sales or thrift shops– just be sure to wash them out very well– or you can buy new bottles online.)

2. Add the oil drop by drop to the water. Shake before every use. May be stored in the fridge for extra cooling!


Peppermint Water
2 ounces distilled water
20 drops essential oil of peppermint

Sensual Body Splash
2 ounces distilled water
10 drops essential oil of sandalwood
10 drops essential oil of ylang ylang







Unnatural Body Odor:

1. Drink one cup of tomato juice everyday for 1 week.
2. The following week, Drink 1 cup of the juice, every other day.
3. Thereafter drink one cup on the first day of each month.

Baking Soda Tips
Arm & Hammer- Where would we be without it?

Using Baking Soda for BEAUTY:

1. Zit Buster! Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to any breakouts. Let it sit overnight and wash off in the morning - it really works.

2. Facial Cleanser- Sprinkle some baking soda into your hands and use a bit of water to make a paste to clean your face with. It's a gentle scrub that will leave your skin feeling fantastic! (I leave a box in the bathroom for just this reason.)

3. Hair Build-Up Remover-  After a while you have build-up from shampoo. Next time you wash your hair, Use baking soda. the baking soda strips all build-up and leaves the hair soft and "really" clean.

4. In the Bath- Great for sensitive skin - sprinkle about a half cup of baking soda into lukewarm water while your bath water is running.

5. Once a Month Plaque Remover- I also use a baking soda tooth scrub once a month. It really cleans the plaque off your teeth.

6. Toothpaste- Again, make a thick paste and apply to your toothbrush and use as you would any other toothpaste. It's a great non-fluoride option.

7. Cold Sore Remedy- Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to cold sores at least two times a day.








Bad Breath:

1. Chew on a carnation flower for better breath smell.
2. Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar daily.
3. Brush your teeth with baking soda.
4. Gargle with parsley (or thyme) and water each night before bed. 
5. Salt water gargle kills bacteria. Spit out after a few minutes.








Avocado Facial for Dry Skin:

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer.
Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture.
Massage into the face and neck.
Leave on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off.







Apple Facial Mask for Oily Skin Recipe:

1 medium size apple (grated)
5 tablespoons of honey
Mix the grated apple and mix with honey to make a mask.
Smooth over skin then let sit for 10 minutes, rinse off with cool water.