I stand with no one.

Before we start in on this, a little background on me. I am a Christian. I am a woman. I am a Republican. I am a conservative. I support my constitutional right to carry a gun and to own as many as I want. I love Hobby Lobby and what they stand for. Everything else that I want to say about what I believe...will have to wait for another time :-)

Here we go. God help me with the backlash I am going to receive from my liberal friends...

If you're a news watcher, well ok...right now, if you're a human in our world, you've heard/seen/talked about the Israel and Palestine/Gaza "conflict". Let's call a spade a spade and talk about what this really is. It's a war. Every day, innocent civilians, women, and children are being wounded and killed...on BOTH sides. And my heart aches.

From the time I was a child and my parents taught me the "kid" prayer. Come on, you know it, it goes, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep"...and my parents, from the time I was young enough to pray this prayer, taught me to pray for "peace in the Middle East". I never knew what that meant, and I never really explored it much, until now. Shame on me for never knowing. Or researching. I can try and excuse it and say that it was happening on the other side of the world, why would I care or think to explore? But I can't even say that excuse because of the constant conflict I saw and experienced with the fighting that happened at my VERY diverse high school between different groups of people. The same groups of people that are shooting 100+ rockets a day back and forth at each other today.

As I hug my babies in my cool house while we have our AC running (a luxury I always take for granted), I hear my kids show playing downstairs as I clean up lunch stuff, and hear a sound from the music of their show ending that resembles some of the rocket siren warnings that I've heard on different videos played out on the media. I can't imagine my 5 year old knowing the drill for what that awful "warning siren" means. It means finding some kind of shelter, laying down and cradling your knees, and if you can't find shelter, it means curling up into a fetal position and protecting your head and neck from a possible explosion from a rocket fired from people who hate you...simply because of who your ancestors are. And because of what you believe. Knowing that you have to stay there for at least 10 minutes, just in case they sent over one of those trick rockets that will explode 5 min after it lands, with the hope of injuring unsuspecting people that are leaving their shelter spots. You guys, I can't. I just can't.

The title of my post is "I stand with no one" and that's exactly how I feel. I stand with no one. But, I will tell you WHAT i stand FOR. I stand for the rights of the Jewish people. To live in their free state without constant threat from nations around them. I stand for the rights of the people of Gaza, who are under a terrorist organization who are hiding behind the mask of "government". I stand for the rights of the children being hung on fences by Hamas (said terrorist organization mentioned above) to prevent the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) from shooting rockets at the target. I stand for every single child who is growing up around the terror and disgusting environment that is war and hatred. I stand for peace in the Middle East. I stand for tolerance of people that are different than ourselves. Whether it's looks, beliefs or who they pray to, I stand for peace.

Let's explore some of what I said above. How might Hamas know where the IDF is planning on sending their rockets? Because Israel has given them warnings about where they will be targeting. So, naturally an organization that liberal media keeps defending, an organization that I will call out as a TERRORIST organization, is hanging children on fences in front of said target. You know, because that's how a government that "loves it's people" acts. I don't think so.

The candid thoughts and words are about to start flowing...so if you're pissed off at my views already, I encourage you to stop reading...

Ive heard the reference, Zionism=Terrorism. Let me tell you what equals terrorism. Hanging children in front of KNOWN targets and using them as human shields. I mean, WHO DOES THAT?  Storing and hiding rockets and bomb supplies in schools and hospitals. A government (Hamas) who executed 20 people who protested against them. Terrorism is 'the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims'. Controlling your people by keeping them hungry, sick, in a constant state of war. Using kids as human shields. Firing thousands of rockets into densely populated areas of Israel.

I've been asked by my liberal friends, "what two sides do I see with this conflict? Because there is only one side", and I'll tell you exactly what I see. I see the people of Gaza hurting, wounded, hungry, scared, alone, many orphaned, dead, abandoned by their own government and terrorized. I see our liberal media defending the actions of Hamas/Palestinian government in the name of #freepalestine. Gazans need to be freed from the clutches of Hamas so the fighting will stop. I feel for the Gazan people as much as I do for the Israeli people. But, I have to be honest, I am so sick of people blaming Israel for what's happening. Gazans are trapped under Hamas, children and innocent civilians are being killed every day because they don't value anyone's lives, not even their own. They [Hamas] have initiated, continued and WILL CONTINUE to fuel this conflict...all in the name of destroying Israel. I believe Israel has the right to protect itself, as well as I believe the people of Gaza have the right to live prosperous and happy lives. Until Hamas is stopped and dismantled, this will never happen and the fighting will continue. They will destroy anyone and anything in their path. They consider dying for their ideology, a way of worship. Unfortunately, others are being affected and will continue to be affected as long as people keep spewing this anti-Semitism crap.

One of the best quotes I've heard so far is this, "If Hamas were to lay down their weapons, there would be peace. If Israel were to lay down her weapons, she would cease to exist."

I've heard comparisons of Nelson Mandela and MLK Jr to Hamas. Because many didn't' support them either but in the end they are celebrated....or some ridiculousness like that.  Let's all laugh at that comparison and move along and not muddy the waters with comparisons that are NOT the same thing. I've heard it SCREAMED all over the media that Israel is the oppressor. Israel isn't oppressing anyone, they are simply defending themselves against a group that is radical and out to destroy them. In speeches to the Palestinian people, Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal said, "Palestine, from the river to the sea, belongs to us and no one else." and "Before Israel dies, it must be humiliated and degraded." Umm alright...but you're not a terrorist organization? You don't hate Israel? Ok...pardon me for quoting your own ridiculousness. Hamas refuses to live in peace with Israel. I think we all know who the oppressors are.

As far as the comparisons to people like NM and MLK Jr...I can't. Not. The. Same. Maybe if MLK or NM had a laundry list of war crimes, bomb making supplies and rockets hidden in schools and hospitals, and pictures leaked of them using children as human shields...? Maybe then you could try comparing them....oh wait, no. ALL OF WHICH apply to Hamas. Please. For those of you who "don't know" what Hamas is, look at what they are doing to the Gazan people!!

All in all, my thoughts come down to this....

The oppression of the Gazan people needs to end. TODAY. Unfortunately, there are enough people who refuse to see at who's hand this war is being fueled and provoked...people who refuse to see who is actually oppressing those poor, innocent civilians and children. Instead of acknowledging that it is at the hand of the terrorist organization, known as Hamas, people would much rather pin this on Israel because she defended herself when provoked and attacked.

I stand for the freedom of all people. For the freedom to be able to live in your home and not fear a rocket destroying your house. Whether you live in the Gaza strip, Tel Aviv or Grand Rapids.

To the people of Israel and the Jewish community, please be comforted and encouraged by these words...

'Israel, The Lord who created you says,
     "Do not be afraid, I will save you. I have called you by name - you are mine. (2) When you pass through waters deep, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. (3) For I am The LORD your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you. (4) I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me, and because I love you and give you honor.....(7) for they are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory."

- Isaiah 43: 1-4, 7

I think that pretty much sums it up!

I apologize for my candid rant. But I am SICK of little children dying at the hands of adults who can't and won't resolve this and live in peace. I've HAD it!

Dirty Birds...

Hello lovelies!! I am SUPER excited about this post! It's been a long time coming to share this recipe. I had to perfect a few things before putting it out there and it's ready :-)

Why even try a new homemade laundry soap/detergent? Well, my husband works at a restaurant and the stains on his work clothes are awful. I'm talking grease, spices, dirt, grime etc. And the clothes smeeelllllllll....something fierce. It's gross. And honestly, I had gotten out of the habit of pre-treating stains because, well...quite frankly, ain't nobody got time fo dat! Even when I had pre-treated stains, and washed things multiple times, a lot of the stains were still there with regular detergent...the smell was always kind of still hanging around too. Hot mess.

My second reasoning for trying to make a homemade soap work was that we had switched to a free and clear detergent rule for our family because my kiddos have super sensitive skin. And they are SUCH dirty birds its unbelievable. Dirt from playing out in nature...sick. Germs...from playing out in nature...and with actual birds. Gross. Rabbit trail sorry. And when you look at the ingredients list of free n clear laundry detergent, it's not so free n clear. I know Free N Clear usually means "Free from perfumes and scents" but full of chemicals? No dice. So, a homemade laundry whipped soap offered me an option of having a TRUE free n clear soap that cleaned REALLY well. And so was born, this whipped laundry soap.

You guys, there are TONS of homemade laundry soap recipes out there. Some are ok, some are terrible, some are decent and a few are good. Not many are pre-cooked and hardly any are ground/whipped up like mine. It's definitely something different, and honestly, it looks like mayo (so PLEASE clearly label so no one ingests this, it will not feel good), but after multiple tries with different things, this is what worked and works best for me. It leaves NO residue on clothes, NO greasy feeling, gets the laundry incredibly fresh smelling, gets out almost EVERY stain I've tried it on and costs SO LITTLE!!! And we all know I'm all about a great dealio!

*** DISCLAIMER ***

For the love and the sake of your sanity, follow the directions as given. Adding ingredients at the wrong time or adding too much or too little WILL result in a crappy outcome. And no one wants to wash their clothes with crap. Right? Right! And...don't ignore this disclaimer like I know you probably did. :-) 

Ready? Here is what you'll need. Prepare for your mind to be blown by this amazeballs whipped soap recipe!

What You Will Need:
- 1 box of Borax (20 Mule Borax. Detergent Booster) Found in laundry detergent aisle. 1 cup.
- 1 box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda people) Found by the Borax. 1 cup.
- 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap (Usually found in the hand soap OR laundry aisle)
- Large Pot
- 4 Cups water
- Wooden spoon
- Blender
- 2x 1 Quart glass jars
- 1 Tbsp measuring spoon


Step 1: Take your large pot/saucepan and heat the 4 cups of water over high heat until it comes to a roaring boil. While the water is coming to a boil mix the designated amounts of Borax and Washing Soda into a bowl, mix well, and set to the side to be added later in the recipe.

Main laundry ingredients! 

Step 2: You're going to have to grate up the Fels-Naptha soap. Some people have suggested using a food processor for this. Lets be clear...do. not. do. that. From experience, just don't. It gums up the entire works, gets all clumpy and gross and doesn't dissolve well at all. The best way that I've found to grate this, is with a hand grater. Even though it sucks, and takes a little bit, it's SO worth it. The fine dust chips of the soap dissolve SO much easier in the boiling water and gives you a creamier laundry soap to work with. No grit here!

See that finely grated soap? Perfection! And you'll have a super clean grater afterwards! :-)
I also use an extra bar of Fels-Naptha soap for any pre-treating stains that needs to happen.

Step 3: Your water should be boiling now. I suggest using a wooden spoon for this step. It's easiest on so many levels. Doesn't get too hot etc.

Add your freshly grated bar of soap to the boiling water. After adding, turn your heat to medium/medium high and start stirring immediately and keep on stirring constantly. It usually takes about 12-14 minutes for the entire amount to break down and melt completely. It'll clump together the first 5-10 min and slowly start to break down and the liquid will turn more and more of a pale yellow color.  ** Make sure to keep checking the melting status. If it seems to not be breaking down the soap, then you need to increase your heat. Make sure to keep the foam at a minimum. The wooden spoon helps to not make too many suds. Trust me...speaking from experience...you don't want this thing overflowing in your kitchen. :-)

Perfectionists: This step is going to drive you NUTS! Because, it's almost impossible to melt the bar completely. I drove myself crazy the first couple times trying to make sure there were NO lumps whatsoever, and peeps, it's not worth the hassle. Any extra that wasn't melted will get whipped into shape in the next couple steps. 

Keep on stirring until it's mostly smooth and liquid. Should be a pale yellow color. When this is done, remove from heat immediately. 

Just keep stirring...

Step 4: After removing from heat, add the bowl of the washing soda and Borax that you previously combined together. Add it all at once and stir it continually until it's all dissolved. The key with every step in this recipe is to stir, stir, stir. It helps make a creamy soap and helps it to not get gritty and melt completely when you use it in your laundry. 

At the very end, I like to take a wisk and give everything another good stir before adding to the jars. 

Step 5: Add the soap mixture equally into 2 quart mason jars. Once you've divided the laundry soap equally into the jars, fill them with water to the shoulder of the jar (where it starts to curve up to the top), cap them and flip them upside down. Basically, leave about 1 1/2-2 inches of space from the top of the jar. Let the jars sit like that for about an hour or so. Any soap that is still not dissolved will crystalize and separate from the rest of it. Then we will whip it all together in the next step. It won't separate much, but enough. This step is critical. Do NOT skip. 

Scoop. Fill. Cover. Set.

Step 6:  Here's the cool thing about the regular mouth sized quart mason jars...THE BOTTOM OF MOST BLENDERS (with the grinder/blade thingy on it), FITS ON THE TOP OF A MASON JAR!!!!!!!! It's incredible!!! Not only can that be helpful with this recipe situation, but you can do smoothies right. in. the. jar. Or homemade peanut butter! Or your pesto! Or...anything else!!! Your mind is blown right?!?! It's SO great!!

Yes, I am fully aware I am way too excited about this new found bit of information...

Anyway, uncap one of the mason jars. Screw the blade attachment onto the top of the mason jar. Flip upside down, fit onto the blender and blend on "blend" speed until it looks well incorporated. At this point, it still won't be whipped or fluffed but well mixed. Now, go ahead and hit the "liquify" tab and this will turn into the most amazing, fluffy, whipped laundry soap you ever did see. Takes about a minute of whipping total. 

If you have a super cool blender like a Ninja or VitaMix or something, you can't participate in this amazingness. But, you can add the mixture from the separated jars into the blender, blend it up and then scoop back into the jars. 

It'll be close to the top of the jar. Wipe off any excess and cover again with the regular Mason jar covers.

My mind is still blown from this. Love. 

Step 7: I guess there technically shouldn't be a step 7, but it seemed like it needed a lucky number 7. Cap your jars and admire your work. These can be kept for months just like they are in the jar. It's wonderful. These two jars will do 132 loads of laundry because all you need is 1 Tbsp of soap PER LOAD OF LAUNDRY. Listen when I say, do NOT add more. ONLY add 1 Tbsp of soap per laundry. I will put instructions for different machines below so everyone is covered and knows how to work theirs.

Cost Breakdown:    

- Fels-Naptha Bar Soap - $.98/bar

- Borax Detergent Booster - $3.59/box  

- Arm&Hammer Washing Soda - $2.98/box

Fels-Naptha Bar - 1 bar =      $ .98

Borax - 76oz box - 9 cups =  $ .39/cup

Soda - 55oz box - 6 cups =    $ .49/cup

                                               _______

                                      **** $1.86/batch ****

*I got a few ingredients on sale this last time, so my final cost this last time was only $1.67/batch. The REGULAR cost breakdown listed above is what you'll normally pay. :-) And still...it's stellar. I mean, $1.86 for 132 loads of laundry?? That's a win people!!!

Rules & Regs...Tricks & Treats

- NO fading with this soap!

- NO residue since you're pre-dissolved the soap into the recipe

- You can double, or triple this recipe. However you like to have it on hand always. 

- You can store this if you make a double or triple batch. Indefinitely. It'll harden a bit but will dissolve immediately in the washing machine. 

- Do NOT use Oxyclean or baking soda or any other "additive" with your laundry soap recipe. Also, don't add it into the recipe either. Your jar will explode. Your washer will overflow. :-) 

- This is AMAZING for people with sensitive skin

- You MUST whip your soap within 2 hours or risk it having an extremely grainy texture. Again, just follow the directions exactly and you'll be fine. 

You can use this soap in these different washers listed below:

- Front Loading

- Top Loading

- High Capacity

- High Efficiency (HE)

- Conventional

Front Loading Machine Directions

- Fill the machine with all your dirty birds clothes

- Take a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon (yes I actually measure it out) and measure out 1 Tbsp and put it on TOP of the pile of dirty clothes that you've put in. 

- Close the machine, start it on your wash setting (hot, cold, medium water...doesn't matter) and let it do it's thang!

Top Loading/Conventional Directions

- Fill the machine with your family's laundry

- Choose the cycle you want (hot, cold, medium...doesn't matter)

- Let the water run for a few and measure out (in your trusty 1 Tbsp measuring spoon) and let it drop in with the dirty clothes. 

- Close the lid and let it work!

It's literally THAT simple people. 

Thanks for reading friends!! I would love to hear your feedback, success stories, and comments!! 

XOXO,

Anna 

Basil Junkie

Those of you who know me know that I have a love affair with basil. Maybe it's because it's so aromatic? Or maybe it's because it tastes so fresh? I don't know why, but it's my favorite herb...with rosemary in a close second.

So...Imagine my shock and awe when I first tried and discovered pesto. What is pesto? Let's break it down. Basically, it's cups and cups of basil leaves with some of my other favorite ingredients...such as garlic, walnuts/almonds (for those of you who are weirdos, pine nuts), olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. It's blended and whipped into this heavenly green paste and you can (and should!!!!!) put it on everything.

Today, I am sharing my recipe for my pesto. I debated for awhile if I wanted to, but so many people out there need pesto in their lives. You guys, it makes life so much simpler....and frankly, way more delicious. Chicken is no longer boring and gross chicken "on the grill" or "in the oven" with no flavoring or seasoning...it's now dressed in all it's basil pesto glory sitting proudly on the plate ready to be devoured by your family, as they look at you with amazement in their eyes at the incredible meal that you just prepared using your trusty green friend. Ok...a little bit of a stretch, but for us moms, it's nice to think about...or dream about rather. :-)

First, let me do a shout out to all my cheapskate friends. Whether you're Dutch or just a cheapskate, listen up. Basil, unfortunately, can be quite expensive...especially in the winter months. Ok, who are we kidding?? It's CRAZY expensive in the winter time. $3.99 for a tiny sprig?? No thanks Meijer!! Rip off much?! But yet, I'm so addicted that I buy it anyway. Ha! So, I've learned to buy it in season, when I can get it for $1/bunch from my most favorite local farmers market vendor evahhhhh, and get 2-3 cups of leaves from each bunch. I make huge batches of pesto at a time so that I can freeze it and support my habit year round. :-) Not sharing who she is though...other people have discovered her as well....and it's ruining my life. How you might ask? I now have to leave my house at 7am to get to the market and buy most of it before all these other crazies do. And again, for those of you who know me...you know that mornings and I aren't in a good place.

Alright, first step. Get your pesto. Please buy local if you can. You support your local economy by doing so, save yourself some money and get a superior product. Win. Win. Win. For my large batch of pesto recipe I am sharing today (large being 2-3 pint jars/small Tupperware containers) you will need the following:

- 6 cups pesto leaves
- 6 garlic cloves (I like to use unbleached kind)
- 2/3 C of almonds, walnuts or pine nuts (if you're gross and like those)
- 1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (you can substitute Parmesan Reggiano too.)
- 1 C good quality extra virgin olive oil (you don't use all of it usually, so relax)
- food processor
- saucepan
- patience
- containers for storing pesto

Step 1: Wash pesto and separate leaves from the stalk. When I say wash, I don't mean under some water quickly or in a strainer. You need to separate the 6 cups (packed cups by the way) of leaves and then have a large bowl filled with water and soak them in there. The dirt will be washed off and settle at the bottom of the bowl because it's heavier then the water. 6 cups may seem like a lot, but it's not once it's all ground together.

Basil is an extremely dirty plant. Not gross, just full of dirt, because it grows in the ground :-) Please don't wash the basil your own way, you'll end up bruising it and having gross dirt and worms in your pesto. And that's nasty. But, to each their own. Soak the basil leaves for a few min, stir them around to get any excess dirt off and then remove from water onto a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry (gently as basil bruises very easily) with a kitchen towel and then with a paper towel.

See how dirty that one leaf is? Soak in the water. Stir. This works so well because the dirt is heavier than the leaves. The dirt will settle at the bottom of the bowl and the clean, beautiful leaves will be on top! 

Step 2: Grab whichever choice of nut you decide on, and measure out the appropriate amount. I personally like to roast mine to bring out all the flavors and oils that it has to offer. Roasting nuts is the best way to maximize their flavor and that way, you don't need to use as many. Frugality first people! You can roast in the oven or on the stove top. For the sake of time and convenience, I always roast this small amount in a shallow saucepan on the cook top. Basically, all you do is set them on medium heat and stir them around so they don't burn, and wait for the moment...the moment is that special moment when you smell them roasting. It's heavenly. You'll know it when you smell it. After that, they're ready to be poured into the food processor along with your 6 cups of basil leaves.

I used roasted walnuts in this recipe. But feel free to use any kind!

Step 3: Repeat all the steps, but with the garlic cloves. Do NOT chop garlic or use a garlic press. Remove the skin from the garlic clove and repeat the roasting process with them. Takes about 2 min on medium heat. Add to food processor (or blender if need be) once roasting is complete.

Simply smash and peel. 

*To remove the skin easily and without saying a choice word or two, grab your knife, lay it flat against the garlic clove with skin still on and make a fist and smash the garlic clove by hitting the knife. This separates the clove from the skin for easy removal.

Roast following the directions above. Then add to your food processor. 

Step 4: Add your Parmesan cheese. I'm not super picky as long as it's a hard, fresh light cheese. It HAS to be some kind of Parmesan family cheese. And no, not the kind in the shaker. This kind comes in a block. I paid only a little over $5 for mine at Whole Foods. You can find it at your local grocery store. You're going to want to have 1 cup of this grated (you can also purchase it pre-grated) and throw that into the food processor as well.

Any hard cheese will do. I used my hand grater. 

Step 5: Add 1/2 C of the EV olive oil to something that's easy to pour from. You will slowly be incorporating the olive oil into the pesto as we are blending the ingredients from steps 1-4. This is why I keep talking about using a food processor instead of something like a blender. A blender WOULD work, but it's a bit harder to use with slowly incorporating the olive oil...trust me...I'm speaking from experience...and having it look like the Hulk exploded in my kitchen from trying to use a blender :-) But if you wanna try, be my guest!

Good quality olive oil. I added my 1 Cup to a spouted glass measuring cup for easy pouring. 

Step 6: Blend all the ingredients together. Slowly and steadily add a stream of olive oil while you are blending this together. The olive oil helps to keep the mix moist, easy to blend and incorporates it all together for a perfect pesto consistency. You might need more olive oil, you may need less. That's one thing you are going to have to decide on yourself...how much oil you will need. You don't want this to be a soupy consistency, but it also shouldn't be dry. I like mine the consistency of a thicker ice cream. Not as thick as peanut butter, but not as thin as yogurt. Make sense? Great!

Blend together slowly and steadily. Add in that steady stream of olive oil and it'll start coming together. Keep checking consistency and check for a good flavor at the end. 

**Taste test it!!! Make sure you like it!! Does it need anything? Is it lacking something? Need more oil? Cheese? Basil? Sometimes, I will add red pepper flakes for a batch with a kick. Sometimes I'll add a splash of lemon. I don't season with salt and pepper because I do that when I use it in/on things. I'm giving you my basic pesto recipe and am giving you creative control to dress it up or down however you would like. Experimenting with flavors is THE BEST thing you can do for your cooking life. You'll have some major fails...I have. Orange cake was my biggest fail ever. But that's a story for another time :-) I would just like to challenge you to use this recipe, but make it your own. Branch out and try some new things.

Step 7: Add it slowly to your containers. IF YOU ARE FREEZING IT, you MUST add a thin layer of olive oil to the top so the top of the pesto is completely covered. Pesto is kind of like avocado, once it's exposed to oxygen it turns brown. It's not rotten or gross and it doesn't taste bad, but doesn't look so great. :-) I keep mine in the fridge for a week or two, never longer, but that's only because it doesn't last that long. And I freeze mine and use them all winter long. Look at you with your new pesto! Go on with your bad self!!

Jars or Tupperware containers work best!

How to use your new pesto: The possibilities are ENDLESS. I like to use it on angel hair pasta. I will cook a few heaping tablespoons of pesto with some cream or milk, add some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, chicken, onion, a bit of flour to thicken it and pour it over angel hair pasta...or whatever kind of pasta you have. I like to brush it on chicken or salmon for the grill. It's AMAZING on corn on the cob. Pork tenderloin. Any kind of fish. Red skin potatoes...don't even get my started on the starch category...I mix it in with scrambled eggs. So, add a little (or a lot) to everything if you wish..and enjoy!

Angel hair pesto pasta

I hope you try this awesome recipe!! Can't wait to hear what you all use it on!! Thanks for reading!

XOXO
AJ *

Fickle Pickle

Hey kids!! I feel like I've started off every blog recently giving the  "Wow, it's been a long time...how did I wait so long again to write something..." so, I'll spare you that line again. Just busy. With life. Family. Businesses. Job. Life. Etc...I know most all of you can relate to that. Sorry for neglecting.

Guys...it's summer! Halfway through almost. Isn't it crazy?! Didn't our snow here in Michigan JUST melt? I digress. One of my favorite things about the late spring, summer through late fall is our local Fulton Street Farmers Market here in town. I LOVE visiting my favorite booths, talking to the local residents/farm owners/vendors that are supplying home grown food for all of us to purchase at the market. It soothes my soul to see how many people are finally buying more local and supporting our local farmers. It's pure Michigan baby. Nothing like it.

I have many favorite things to make during the summer months. Pickles. Strawberry jam and pies. Cherry pie. Cherry salsa. Basil Pesto. Canned peaches. Blueberry pie. And the list goes on. And on. :-)

Today, we talk pickles!! Truth be told, if you would ask my friends and family if I ever eat pickle on anything, the answer would be no. Because they're gross. And soggy. And gross. And blah. But, during the summer months, when I can get fresh mini cucumbers and make my own? Then, I am pickles biggest fan.

First rule of pickling? There ARE NO RULES!!! Now, I know that my "I-have-to-have-a-recipe-to-follow-or-I-screw-it-up" people are freaking out by this statement, but just stick with me a minute. It's always good when you're new to something to follow some sort of basic recipe, but what I'm saying is you can take creative control, free reign and add a little extra of this or a little dash of that (with NO measuring! *gasp*) and it won't ruin your entire batch. And that my friends, is freedom. To not have your creative palette controlled by a recipe. Step into the light recipe-followers...it's ok NOT to measure. :-)

What you will need :
- Mini Cucumbers (I use approx 5-7lbs per 12 quart batch)
- Quart Mason Jars (or pint depending on size of cucs)
- White Vinegar (just lots)
- Fresh Dill (1 big bunch)
- Fresh Garlic (6 whole heads)
- Red Pepper Flakes (Optional. Use for spicy version. A few tsps)
- Pickling Salt (a few tsps)
- Whole Peppercorns (half a handful total)
- Cajun Seasoning (optional. Use for spicy version)
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife

***** NOTE TO READERS*****

I know some of you cheap skates, myself included, will think you can just use regular table salt for this recipe. No dice. You NEED to use the pickling/canning salt. Because the regular table salt has extra chemicals in it, it'll turn your garlic and pickles weird shades of pink and blue. It's weird and doesn't work as well. Even this Dutch girl went to the store and spent the whopping $1.47 on that huge box of pickling/canning salt. If I can, you can. 

Step 1: Visit your local farmers market, vegetable stand or your own garden (and Meijer for those of you who won't go to these fine places) and grab a pound or two of mini cucumbers. I like the ones that are weird shaped, bumpy on the outside and all kinds of shades of green. They make THE crunchiest pickles evahh. Grab your cutting board, favorite sharp kitchen knife and wash them and gentle chop off a tiny bit on each end.

Wash and hand dry your mini cucumbers. 

Gently chop off each end with sharp knife. 

Step 1.5: Yes, there is a Step 1.5. Because it should really be done before or simultaneously as Step 1. Anyway. You're going to need mason jars. Lots of them if you plan to do lots of pickles like I always do. I usually do 12 jars of pickles at a time. I use approx 5-7 lbs of mini cucumbers and use wide-mouthed quart jars for my spears and pickle chips. When you buy them new, you MUST...I repeat, you MUST wash and sanitize them. I won't even try to describe the foul smell that these mason jars possess when they are brand new, but it's nasty and gross. Just wash them. please. I soak mine in piping hot, soapy water for about 20 min then rinse them twice in hot water and air dry. 

Step 2: Fun part! Once your jars are dried, line them up on the counter. Before you start adding any ingredients to the jars for the pickling, you need to decide if you want the spicy version of my recipe or just the regular garlic dill one. I'll walk you through both. I like to do half and half for my family, although the spicy version seems to be the favorite pretty consistently. 

- Add 3 sprigs of your fresh dill to the bottom of each jar.

- Add 3 peeled (not chopped!) cloves of garlic to the bottom of each jar.

- Add 1/2 tsp of WHOLE peppercorns to the bottom of the jar

My favorite knife.

How gorgeous!! Multi colored whole peppercorns. 

Line those babies up!

See how cute and cozy? Just waiting for their vinegar bath!

Step 3: If you want spicy pickles, DO this step. If you want regular garlicky dill, please skip ahead to step 4. 

This is where the spice comes in. It's not terribly spicy, but the spicy pickles definitely have a bit of a kick to them. I think they're amazing. So do my kiddos. 

- Add 1 tsp (or more) of dried red pepper flakes to the bottom of the jars above. Feel free to add more if you want a spicier option. 

- Add 1-2 tsp of Cajun Seasoning 

Step 4: Decide if you want to have pickle chips, pickle spears or both. I like to have both. Chop them into spears and slice into thin pickle chips. Not too thin, because you want them to be crunchy but not too thick. ok? ok!

They won't always be even or the same thickness, no worries, they all taste the same!

Then add them slowly into the quart jars. I like to tilt the jar sideways when adding them to make sure I fit as many in there as possible. This is why you want the wide mouthed jars. 

Sit them right on top of the ingredients that we added in steps 1-3. 

Step 5: Add your pickling liquids! A simple ratio for each jar of:

     - 1 cup white vinegar

- 1 cup cold water

 - 1 tsp pickling salt

As long as it's white vinegar, you're golden. 

Found in the spice aisle by regular table salt in your local grocery store. 

Fill it close to the rim

If you have added one cup of water and one cup of vinegar and have some extra space in the jar, fill the extra space with water.

Step 6: Pop on those lids, shake WELL and go on with your bad self!! Admire your awesome work!!

Spicy garlic dill pickle chips

Garlicky dill pickle spears!

That's it folks!! Now, these are refrigerator pickles, so we won't be boiling them or waiting for lids to pop and seal etc. They are fresher, crispier and way more delicious this way. Keep them in your freezer for 5-7 days and they'll be ready to devour. My pickle chips are usually ready in 5ish days, and the spears for sure need 7+ days. Just open and try them and decide if they need more time. Good luck trying to not eat them before! :-) They will stay fresh for up to a week or so after...but they never last that long.

** I go in my fridge everyday and give each jar a good shake. Just to stir up the ingredients. You definitely don't have to do this, but it helps stir things up and mix the flavors well. **

And....that's all she wrote! I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July holiday weekend. We sure did. Spent it with family and friends and it was amazing. Even brought some of these pickles :-) 

Can't wait to hear what y'all think of them! 

XOXO from Michigan,

AJ

My brown eyed girl...

Ok, so after a flood of responses from yesterday's blog about highlighting and contouring, I was reminded by a few people that I never posted about the golden smokey eye. Whoops!! So sorry! So here it is...

My brown eyed girl. I am a brown eyed girl. I remember in middle school and high school ALL I wanted to have were blue eyes. I contemplated getting contacts just so I could have these coveted blue eyes. SO ridiculous now that I look back. I've come to LOVE my brown eyes. And the gold and green specks inside of them. Which brings me to my point of a golden smokey eye. Usually brown eyes can rock ANY color/color combo of eye shadows. Just because, brown eyes are that awesome. But I was finding when I was doing a smokey eye with grey tones and black tones, it would be cute, but wouldn't exactly highlight the warmth and goldfish tones of my eyes and skin. I still think that the black and grey combination for a typical smokey eye is harsh on blue, green and hazel eyes as well. So, I wanted to share my smokey eye redo. This golden smokey eye can be used on ANY color eye and for any occasion. If you want it darker for your girls night out at the club, add some more black or dark brown in the areas that I talk about in the step by step instructions. If you want it lighter, lighten it up. It's a great everyday look and easy to accomplish! Enjoy!

Step 1: Cleanse, moisturize and use your eye cream. I ranted about this yesterday and I'm hoping that I don't have to mention again why you should do that key trio...every. single. day. Here is my naked eye that I started with!

Here it is! THE naked eye!

Step 2: Add your base shadow. I like to use something called a liquid illuminator or cream shadow. You want something with an eye primer built into it, or use eye primer separately with a neutral/light shadow if you don't have a cream shadow base to work with. The most important thing is to always have something as a base with some kind of eye shadow primer in it. Because other wise your shadows will fall onto your face and crease throughout the day. Add the cream shadow/basic light shadow from the inside of your eye all the way up to your eye brow. 

Liquid illuminator 

Ignore the creepy smile. :-) 

Step 3: Once you've applied that shadow all over your lid and all the way up to your brow line, we are going to add one more layer of highlight. Some people are saying that it's "unnecessary" to do this, or looks juvenile, but I think adding in some extra highlight only makes my eyes pop more. To each their own right?! I am adding a photo below of the two different Mary Kay shadow trios that I'm using for this look. You don't HAVE to use these specific ones, just use similar colors. I also am posting a pic of the brushes that I'm using for this look. Take the flat brush, and dust some of the white/lightest color you have in the corner of your eye and the top edge part of your eye brow. 

Mary Kay @ Play Shadow Trios

LtoR: Flat brush, rounded brush, smudging brush. 

Apply white shadow to inner corner

And to the top edge part of the eye brow

Step 4: GREAT JOB!!! haha. Alright, next step. Find the color, I like the one in the earth tone palette on the edge. Combination of granite/toffee tone. But sparkly! We all know how much I like sparkles. :-) I apply that color all over the lid and up to the crease/pocket. Everyone's crease is different on their face, so saying "apply all the way to the crease" is a bit too general. Look in the mirror and find when you open your eye and look straight on, where your eye socket pocket it. That's where you want to bring this middle color to. And if you make a mistake, NO WORRIES!! Nothing is permanently tattooed onto your eye so relax. 

This is where my eye socket pocket is. Bring the shadow all the way to there. 

Ugh...sorry about the towel. I meant to crop these, But that just takes SO much time!

Step 5: Time for your accent tone. I like to use a mix of the brown and lighter granite color we just used. Just swirl them together and apply to the V on the edge of your eye. pics below show exactly where to apply. This creates some depth in the corner of your eyes. It draws the eye up and gives you a mini eye lift! Just blend in with the rounded brush, like a wind shield wiper, back and forth. Blend those babies together until there aren't any harsh lines of shadow visible. 

Mix the brown and lighter toffee color together. For a softer look. For a darker look, try just the brown. 

Top of the v in the corner of your eye. 

Bring it down to the edge of your eye and sweep across the bottom. 

Deer in headlights much?! Anyway, this kinda shows what the brown looks like once it's been blended.

Step 6: Liner. Liner. Liner. I love eye liner. It brings a sultry look to your eye. I like to use a gel or a liquid liner. The one I'm using today is a gel liner. For the love, DO NOT PULL THE EDGE OF YOUR EYE!!! You are almost guaranteeing yourself to have some wicked bad crows feet. I start at the edge of my eye and work my way in with the liner. And if it goes on too thick, or a little messy, no worries! Just use a q-tip to smudge and move along. 

Mary Kay's gel liner

Outside and work your way in

Pre-smudge. Depends how feisty I'm feeling if I smudge or not! 

Step 7: Time for another layer of awesomeness! This is where the other palette comes in! I like to add a bit of black to the edge to finish the look. Black and grey alone for smokey eyes is too harsh in my opinion, but adding some black to ANY shadow look always works great! Use the smudging brush, get it a little bit wet and swirl around in the black shadow. You're going to add it in the same place as your eye liner and the dark brown V that we talked about above. Again, less is usually more with black. If you make a mistake, you can always tone it down! 

Black, white and grey shadow trio with smudging brush. 

Sweep across the liner and then add to the v on the edge. 

Voila!

Step 8: Ok. so I always always always do my eye make up BEFORE my face make up. It just always looks better at the end. Finishes better. That way if you have any residual shadow that has fallen on the cheek below, you can scrub that off without ruining your perfectly contoured face! :-) AFTER you apply your face make up and set that with a finishing spray or powder, this next step comes in. I like to line the bottom of my lashes with shadow. I never ever line with liner...I think it's way to harsh. Especially for a fairer toned person like myself. I like to dip a liner brush in some water, and swirl it around in the brown and green shadows and line underneath. 

Dip and swirl!

Less is more peeps!

Step 9: Eyebrows! Holy smokes this post is getting long, BUT eyebrows are so so so important. It frames your eye and completes your look. I hate watching women walk around with beautiful eyes and eye make up but then they forget their eyebrows? What???? That's like purchasing a beautiful painting or getting a wonderful print of photography and just hanging it on the wall with tape instead of framing them. Make sense? I like to use a blondie liner (wood pencil liner) but you can always use a hazelnut colored shadow as well. Less is more with this too! Don't over do. 

Blondie wooden eyebrow pencil 

Compare with the pic above! Finishes the look right?

Step 10: LAST STEP!!!! Mascara. Now, not everyone likes mascara. So, that's fine. But, I really think to have your eyes stand out, you need to throw some mascara on those gorgeous lashes and go! I have a 3 step process with lashes. 1. Curl. 2. Primer. 3. Mascara. I like to use the primer because it conditions my lashes, lengthens them and helps my mascara last longer on my lashes and look cleaner. After curling your lashes add a coat or two of the clear lash primer and let set for about 10 seconds. Then...Mascara. Mascara rules are as follows...start from the lash base and shimmy your way up the lashes. This helps separate them and lengthen as you go. Add a few layers and set. 

LtoR: Curler, Ultimate black mascara, MK lash primer

with primer after curling

Finished!!

Enjoy your new look!!!! Spray your face with some finishing spray if you feel like it. Do your hair and hit the road. Enjoy your golden smokey eye!! I would LOVE to hear who tries it and please forward any suggestions to me!!! Practice makes perfect! If you use the right products, you won't need to even think about wearing falsies. Good luck! Enjoy! 

The complete look! Contouring and golden smokey!
 Seriously. Why does every pic I post look like I'm naked?! I'm not. I swear.