A NutriBullet is not a food processor. The recipe said to whip coconut oil in a blender, food processor, etc. for approximately 10 minutes until whipped to a light fluff. I was making a facial moisturizing cream for my friend, Peggy, and using a simple recipe, 10-15 drops each of Lavender and Frankincense essential oils and 1 cup of coconut oil, for the first time. A NutriBullet is a blender, so I put the coconut oil in my NutriBullet and turned it on. After about 15 seconds, I noticed the consistency didn’t look quite right. I had succeeded in making a hot, runny mess.
I started to get a little panicked because I had added essential oils to the mix and didn’t want to waste them and because I was using my favorite pure coconut oil, which I get from Peggy’s shop, and didn’t want to waste that, either. Knowing that coconut oil, once melted and cooled, can solidify, I poured the hot, runny mess into a stainless bowl and put it in the refrigerator. Less than an hour later, I was able to whip the mixture into a light fluff with my handheld electric mixer. I re-purposed a jar, that previously held coconut oil, with some flowered tape and a label and gave it to her. Peggy loved the moisturizer!
In honor of Labor’s Day, I thought I’d share some makes, breaks and remakes from this summer. Obviously, I’m not Martha Stewart or Julia Child, and that’s OK. If I can make the items in this post, so can you. And if I find a way to hack a make or break, you can be sure that I’ll share the details with you.
Makes
Lavender Lemonade: There are a couple of schools of thought on the lemonade part of this recipe. If you read my post on soap making, then you know I’m not always a purist. I’ll buy organic melt-and-pour soap before I make it from scratch. I don’t want to deal with ingredients that may take my skin off (lye). I’m a bit klutzy, OK, a lot klutzy. So, similarly, I’m not going to slice up lemons to make lemonade. I might slice a finger in the process. So, I cheat on this one and make 2 quarts of lemonade from one of those store-bought mixes and add 1 drop of Lavender essential oil. I am very careful about essential oils that I ingest, so I use Young Living Essential Oils‘ Vitality, which are dietary -grade essential oils that can be added to food or used as a supplement. Trust me, 1 drop of Lavender essential oil in 2 quarts of lemonade is plenty. While I could smell a hint of lavender, I couldn’t really taste it. Lavender lemonade is the most refreshing lemonade I have ever drank. Hubs, who is a picky eater and lemonade aficionado, really likes it.
Peppermint Brownies: Yep, I use one of those store-bought fudge brownie mixes and add about 5 drops of Peppermint essential oil. Typically, one must add an egg or 2 and some vegetable oil to a store-bought fudge brownie mix. The first time making this recipe, I discovered I had no vegetable oil, an ingredient I’m sure Martha Stewart would not be without. So, I Googled substitutes for vegetable oil and found that olive oil, in equal amounts, is a good substitute. I used butter olive oil from Peggy’s shop, Epicurean Olive Oil Co. The peppermint brownies were delish, like Girl Scouts Thin Mints delish.
Lime Salsa: I meant to add 1 drop of Lime essential oil to the 8-ounce jar of salsa, but 2 drops came out. Turned out, 2 drops of Lime essential oil was perfect. Just a hint of Lime. Lime salsa paired with tortilla chips are Get In My Belly yummy!
Thieves Hand Soap: I had 2 empty Thieves Foaming Hand Soap bottles and wanted to try this recipe: 10 drops each Thieves, Lemon and Orange essential oils; 1/3 cup Castille soap; 1 teaspoon Vitamin E; and 1 tablespoon aloe vera. Top with distilled water. Love, love, love this recipe! I actually like the texture of my homemade Thieves Foaming Hand Soap better than the original. Hubs, who would only use a certain brand of antibacterial hand soap, likes it, too. Bringing this to you just after the FDA announced its ban on approving antibacterial hand soap. Along with this recipe’s all natural ingredients, we’d like to keep our hormone levels all natural, too.
Breaks:
Toothpaste: I am not a cook, and I am not a morning person. I put 1 drop of Young Living Essential Oils‘ proprietary blend, Thieves, and 1 drop of Orange essential oil on my toothpaste in the morning. The Thieves is for good, oral health, and the Orange helps to whiten teeth. I keep the Thieves and Orange in the cabinet over the sink, next to Tea Tree and Geranium essential oils. Tea Tree to banish blemishes and a drop of Geranium added to my toner to diminish “fine” lines. And so it happened that one morning, the combination in my mouth did not taste like toothpaste, Thieves and Orange. Rather than Thieves, I had put Tea Tree on my toothpaste. Aside from tasting awful, I was a little freaked out, because Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) is not recommended for ingestion. Obviously, I survived and am a bit more careful in the mornings.
Thyme: Or That Time I Smelled More Like Seasoned Chicken Than the Seasoned Chicken from Sprouts. I add Cedarwood, Lavender and Rosemary essential oils, a drop per ounce each, to my shampoo and conditioner to lengthen and strengthen my hair. I had read that Thyme essential oil was also good for hair, so I decide to add it to the mix. I was adding the oils to my shampoo tube, carefully, mixing it a little as I went, getting the air out to add more oils, when the tube of shampoo became a mini volcano, and most of what landed on me was Thyme. Even after washing my hands with my Thieves hand soap, I could still smell Thyme. The chicken from Sprouts was barely seasoned, unlike myself.
Break and Remake
Facial Moisturizing Cream: See start of post.
Mirah Shave Oil: I’ve been excited about trying Young Living Essential Oils‘ Mirah Shave Oil. I just couldn’t figure out how and ended up breaking the top piece. Rather than risk unscrewing the top and wasting the oil by having too much come out at one time, I transferred the contents into a glass dropper bottle. Being the nerd that I am, I also transferred the label. Just got to be careful with that glass bottle in the shower. I’ll get back with you on my experience with Mirah Shave Oil and other Young Living Essential Oils‘ products in future posts.
Most of the recipes mentioned in this post came from Everyday Oil Solutions’ recipe books: Essential Oil Premium Starter Kit Recipes: Love at First Drop, also available in Spanish, and Essential Oil Recipes: One Drop at a Time. All are available at Etsy, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart. Everyday Oil Solutions has arranged for a free Essential Oil Recipes: One Drop at a Time digital download weekend! Beginning Thursday, September 9, until Monday, September 12, you can go to Amazon and download a free copy. Amazon also offers a free Kindle download.
Until next time, make it ’til you break it, then remake it. I’d love for you to share your hacks and experiences in comments.
Oils & Spoils 
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