Hand Lotion

Making your own hand lotion is simple, inexpensive and it has no chemicals or preservatives to soak into your skin. It takes three ingredients: olive oil, emulsifying wax and water. Emulsifying wax is available from mountainroseherbs.com and here is the link for the hand lotion recipe asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/how-to-make-handmade-handlotion-w-label-download/

Update: Vegetable Glycerin may be added for a more moisturizing lotion. Now that I have made several batches I like it best with 1/2 of the lowest recommend amount of glycerin. I use 1 Tablespoon glycerin to the 1/4 c oil, 1/4 c emulsifying wax and 1 1/4 cups water.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake
From Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, unsoaked (I used macadamia nuts)
Dash salt
10 pitted medjool dates, unsoaked
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until finely ground. Add the dates, cocoa powder, and optional vanilla and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the water and process briefly.

Transfer to a serving plate and form into 5 inch round cake. Cover with plastic wrap. Cake will keep for three days in the refrigerator or two weeks in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before serving.

2010 Reading

In the Heart of the Rockies
An Adventure on the Colorado River
by G.A. Henty

"The excitement of voyages to India or China and back was as nothing to that of a gold-seeker and hunter in the West, where there were bears and Indians and all sorts of adventures to be encountered."


The Good Master
by Kate Seredy

"Jancsi had never had the measles- he thought it must be something wonderful to have. And she was delicate, the letter said, too, so she was coming to the country. A delicate city cousin, who had had the measles- that was something."


Publish and Perish
by Sally S. Wright

"He lay down on top of his comforter and watched the fire, while he contemplated the twistedness of the human soul."


The White Horse King
The Life of Alfred the Great
by Benjamin Merkle

"Whether it was an innate quality in the Wessex blood or perhaps a common quality that arises in men who defend their homeland, the soldiers of Wessex regularly managed to hold their ground despite being significantly outnumbered."

"They had to despise the nearsighted purchasing of today's peace with tomorrow's freedom and see it for the cowardice that it was. They had to prefer to die a gory death in a hopeless combat than to live a craven life having betrayed the king and the people of Wessex. The pagan invaders could not have conquered a nation who understood true nobility."

"The combination of military offence and defense is nicely paralleled by Alfred's work to revive learning in the Latin Language, along with a major push for literacy in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular."

"It seemed to Alfred that oath-keeping truly was the virtue that most clearly distinguished a Christian nation from a pagan nation."

"An entire generation of English leaders, men who had been trained in the courts of Alfred to understand wisdom, justice, righteousness, and the true duties of a ruler, had been raised up..."

Almond Butter Cookies

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Clean Eating Magazine

1 cup unsalted almond butter
3/4 cup sucanat (or sugar)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 oz dark chocolate, broken into small pieces (or chocolate chips)

Mix together first five ingredients until well blended. Stir in chocolate. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 more minutes.

For an egg free version I use 1 teaspoon Chia Seed soaked in 1/4 cup water. I also add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum.

Body Scrub

Coconut and Vanilla Brown Sugar Body Buff
1 1/4 cups brown or raw sugar 6-8 tablespoons coconut oil
15-20 drops vanilla essential oil (or substitute vanilla fragrance or flavoring oil. Follow package directions for proper measurements)

No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and fragrance, please use within 6 months.

Recipe from Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles.

I used apricot oil rather than coconut and added cocoa powder.

My Nephew

My nephew wearing a hat I made.

Gift from Theresa

My friend Theresa made this lovely hat. Thanks Theresa!

Knightly and the Bunnies