Here’s an idea for a great party snack for the Super Bowl, or anytime! This recipe combines two previous recipes I’ve given in recent blog entries. The first thing you’ll want to make is the Herb Bread dough. Make as the recipe calls for, but when it’s ready to bake, spread out as pizza dough on pizza pan or stone. This won’t take quite as long to bake as the bread, Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. It may take less time depending on your oven. When it’s finished, let it cool. When I baked mine, my crust got really thick and I was afraid it wouldn’t hold all the toppings I wanted to put on, so I sliced the whole top of my crust off. This is a judgment call, so if you think yours is too thick, slice away! There would probably be enough dough to divide and make two pizzas if you wish. If you slice, just lay the top aside for now.

On top of the crust I spread an 8 ounce package of cream cheese that I beat with the mixer, adding a little of my own Italian dressing to make it creamy and easy to spread.  Next you will want to chop up your toppings. I used broccoli, onions, tomatoes and my own  Homemade Cheese .

  You could use any number of toppings with this, so get creative! Whatever you choose, just sprinkle your chopped toppings over the cream cheese. That’s it, ready to cut and eat! This was a very big hit with everyone that tried it!

Wait … what about that top I cut off? I buttered mine on both sides and pulled it apart into pieces. I seasoned them, and put under the broiler for 5 minutes, stirred them, then put them back under for another five minutes, and … homemade croutons! They didn’t last long either!

In today’s world, people are becoming more aware of just how important it is to know where their food supply comes from. From heirloom seeds to organically grown fruits and vegetables that we can grow and preserve ourselves, it is very comforting to know that we can be self sufficient, and safe knowing exactly what we’re eating because we grew it! 

  So then, what about the other products that we use daily? It was a rather natural question for me to ask of myself. If I can grow and preserve my own food, why can’t I make the other products that I use? What about soap, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, and body spray? After all, our skin is living tissue that absorbs the things it comes in contact with. Reading the ingredients list for these products is quite the task.  I can’t even pronounce half of them, and even then, I don’t know what they are! This put me on a mission to find recipes to make all these products myself! Now, I am happy to report, that I do indeed make all these things myself, and more! 

  I want to share a very simple recipe to make your own body spray or cologne. It only takes 2 simple ingredients! That’s it! So easy to do! 

Recipe: 

1/3 cup 100 proof vodka 
Fragrance oil 

You will need a measuring cup for the vodka, an eye dropper for the fragrance oil, and a colored glass container with a lid to put your body spray into. 

   You can buy colored glass containers online from various places. I am a thrifter, so I got mine from local thrift stores or yard sales. I found some really cool, old Avon bottles for just a couple dollars. I brought them home and washed them up. They work beautifully! 

   Measure your vodka into measuring cup. Now add at least 3 droppers full of fragrance oil of your choice to vodka. You can add a bit more than this if you like, but any less than 3 is a little on the weak side for scent, in my opinion. The more you add, the stronger it will be. Use your own nose and judgment!  When you’re satisfied with the scent, pour into colored glass container and put on lid. Now, give it a good shake! You will need to let this set in a dark place for 30 days, shaking it once daily. Don’t worry, if you miss a day, it won’t be ruined! After 30 days, it’s ready! 

  I like to put it into a small spray bottle for ease of use when it's finished. I have a used bottle from another body spray that I had purchased. I just washed it out and re-used.   

  A few words about fragrance oils, they aren’t all the same. You want to make sure that your oils are safe for cosmetic and body products. I wouldn’t go to Wal-Mart and buy the cheap scented oils you would find there. They might be fine for making your home smell good, but not necessarily safe for contact with your skin. I buy all my soap making and body product supplies from this site online, Wholesale Soap Making Supplies and Candle Making Supplies - WholesaleSuppliesPlus 

  They have a huge selection and there prices are very good. They also have free shipping to the U.S. and Canada with a $30 minimum order. 

  Another great place is Mountain Rose Herbs | Bulk organic herbs, spices & essential oils 

  You could also use essential oils instead of fragrance oils in your body spray if you choose. Just remember, some essential oils are stronger than others, so you will need to adjust for scent accordingly.  Also, some people can have slight skin irritation from certain essential oils if they are too strong. I’m sure some people may have an argument as to why essential oils are better, so if you want to, by all means use them! I do use essential oils in other applications; I just prefer fragrance oils in this instance. 

  Once you try this body spray, I predict you will be hooked! My first trial was with a single fragrance, and I loved how it turned out! Now, I’ve been experimenting with mixing multiple scents! Oh what fun!  You can invent your own FABULOUS fragrance! When someone comments,” ooohhhh, you smell wonderful, what is that you’re wearing,” you can reply, “well, DARLING, that’s my own fragrance! I call it_________!” Fill in the blank with your own famous name! 

  I think this would also be a great project to do with young, teenage girls. What young girl wouldn’t love to make her own scented body spray? 

  I’ve also done a masculine, manly scent for my husband as cologne, and that turned out a keeper as well! Now go get that nose workin, and put together your own fabulous, fragrant body spray! 

You know you want some, so go ahead and try it! Oh so yummy!

The Recipe:

Measure 1½ cups luke warm water.

To this add 3 Tablespoons sugar (I use Sucanat), and stir.

Now add 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast and stir again.

Let this set for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, measure into large bowl;

4 cups flour (I like to use 3 cups of unbleached flour, and 1 cup whole wheat.)

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons dry milk or buttermilk (I like the buttermilk)

1 Tablespoon dried onion

1 Tablespoon dried dill

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

  After a few minutes, the yeast in your water should have started to work and look frothy. Add it to your flour mixture and stir until it starts to form a ball of dough. Now, ditch the spoon and dig in with your hands. Start to work the dough, kneading it with your fingers and fists till it starts to have an elastic feel. Form the dough into a ball. Give the ball of dough a coating of oil. Let it in your bowl, and cover with a dampened towel. Let it set in a warm place till it doubles in size. If you don’t have a nice warm spot, you can set it in your oven with ONLY the light on. This will keep it sufficiently warm. When it has doubled in size, you want to punch it back down, and knead it some more, just a little bit. Now you’re going to shape your loaf and place it in your bread pan, baking dish, or on your baking stone. If you are using a baking dish or bread pan, grease it first. If you want to cut a design into the top, now is the time. Cover it once more, place back into the nice cozy warm spot, and let it rise again. When it has once again doubled in size, it’s ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven, till it’s golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush top with butter.

Now let’s just see if you can wait till it’s cool before cutting!

  One small note, when I made this bread, I added about an extra ¼ cup of flour cause the dough seemed a little sticky. When you first knead it, if this is the case for you, just add the extra flour, but don’t add too much or your bread will be dry.

This is a yummy, very simple recipe to make homemade cheese. It is a crumbly cheese,  and is great in salads and stir-fry! Anyone can make this. There is no special equipment required.

Let me just say here that I strongly advocate the use of whole, raw milk, or as I prefer to call it, REAL milk, instead of "fake" milk, aka, that other stuff that most all grocery stores carry, but either one will work. ( The argument for why raw milk is better is a whole other blog entry!)  

To start, you simply pour your milk into a heavy saucepan and heat on the stove top on medium heat.

As far as amount of milk, you can use any amount from about a quart up to gallons if you want. There is no specific measurement here. The more milk you use, the more cheese you get. The ultimate goal is to separate the curds from the whey, the curds being the cheese.

Heat the milk on medium heat, stirring occasionally, till it starts to simmer. At this point you are going to add something to separate the milk. You can use a couple things to do this. Vinegar works well, but I like to use lemon juice. I use the bottled stuff, but freshly squeazed would work as well. 

Add a Tablespoon at a time and stir. Keep adding till the curds separate from the whey. You will be able to see when this happens. The curds are white and clumpy, and the whey is watery looking. It happens rather quickly. When it does, remove from heat. 

Now you want to strain the whey from the curds through a cheesecloth or muslin lined colander.  

You can set your colander inside another larger bowl or pan to catch the whey if you want to keep it, or put your colander right into the sink and strain if you don't want to keep it.

Whey still contains vitamins that are good for you. It can be used to soak dry beans in to reconstitute, or used in soup bases.  

After dumping your curds and whey into strainer, let the curd rest and drain for a few minutes. After it has cooled some, fold the ends of the cheesecloth up and twist to get out even more excess liquid. Don't be afraid to twist it hard enough to get out most of the whey. 

That's it! This is your cheese!  

Now the fun part, seasoning! Dump your cheese into a bowl. Here are some suggestions for seasoning, but don't be afraid to try your own combos! Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Add some sea salt, dill, chives, garlic, and chopped fresh, or dried onion to taste. Crumble the cheese apart with a spoon and mix. 

Cover this, and let it set for 24 hours in the refrigerator, or just go ahead and eat it if you can't wait! Enjoy! Also good would be oregano, rosemary, thyme, a small amount of liquid smoke, or better yet, smoke it yourself. The combinations are endless, and you've made it yourself!

Posted by chickadeezl at 12:53 PM