Make Your Own Spicy Stone Ground Mustard

Mustard. An American staple. As a matter-of-fact, mustard is used in the cuisine of India, the Mediterranean, northern and southeastern Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, making it one of the most popular and widely used spices and condiments in the world.1

Made from the simplest ingredients, mustard actually is good for you. Some of the many vitamins and nutrients found in mustard seeds are selenium and omega 3 fatty acid. 2  Mustard has also been used medicinally for generations as well. This is one condiment that is good for you.  However, today's mustards have so many added ingredients that making your own can control what you put into it.  And unlike its ketchup counterpart, mustard can be made very easily, with no cooking and not much fuss.

I found this recipe while watching PBS many years ago.  It was with Mary Ann Esposito and I have loved this mustard ever since.  What can be better than making a condiment that not only tastes amazing but has health benefits as well? This recipe is hands-down the easiest gourmet mustard I've ever made and we think one of the tastiest too!

"Prepared mustard dates back thousands of years to the early Romans, who used to grind mustard seeds and mix them with wine into a paste not much different from the prepared mustards we know today."

This recipe uses two types of mustard...yellow and brown seeds.  You can use all of one or the other, but I really like the color combination of the two varieties.  The brown tends to be a little hotter but they are basically the same. 

For this recipe you'll need one cup of yellow (white) seeds and one cup of brown seeds.  Put them both in a non-corrosive container such as a handy mason jar.  

Add to the jar 2 cups of red wine vinegar. (I also use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to bump up the health benefits of mine.)  

 Now the easiest part.  Cover the jar with plastic if you're using a metal lid.  Otherwise you can top with a plastic lid and let the seeds soak for two days.  You'll be amazed at how much of the vinegar they soak up during this time.  

After two days, put your seed vinegar mix into a food processor and add 1/2 cup of raw honey, 2 tsp of fine sea salt, and 1 tsp of allspice.  Pulse until they form a coarse grainy paste.

Fill approximately six sterilized 1/2 pint jars with the mustard. Cut out wax paper circles larger than the jar opening and place over the tops of each jar before capping them.  

Unopened, the mustard will keep indefinitely, but once opened you'll want to make sure and refrigerate it. 

Need I mention that this mustard makes a great gift as well?  I gave a small bottle to friends one year and they raved about it so much that I ended up making them a quart of it!  

Hope you like this mustard and if you are looking for seeds to buy online, you can try here and
here. You may be able to find yellow mustard seeds any place selling bulk herbs and spices as well. 

Have you made mustard before?  What's your favorite additions?  Blessings!!


Linked to these amazing blog parties...Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways 

Homemade Deodorant: Does it Really Work?

Here we go; it's a deodorant throwdown.  Don't let the Speed Stick bottle fool you...it's only serving as a useful vessel to hold our natural homemade deodorant.  It's recycling and making your own product in one package.  Okay, so does this stuff work?  This is another favorite item going around Pinterest and on blogs.  I actually heard of this years ago from my niece, but I'll admit, I was highly skeptical.  

So, I came across the recipe on the blog, Homestead Revival (a great blog to check out btw), I was casually telling my husband about it.  He was even more skeptical and resistant to the idea.  I dropped the subject: totally understanding his feelings, but thought I may try it out on one of my teenagers. Well, all these years of being married must have done something, because he went ahead and made his own simple version of it, fairly certain it would be a bust. He just combined baking soda and coconut oil.   Not only was it NOT a bust, he was completely amazed!  He couldn't believe it and made up a small batch to use.  Of course this prompted our 16 year old to try it and try it he did and was in shock.  Well, maybe shock is a little strong, but you get the idea.  He was complaining only the day before how his regular deodorant wasn't strong enough and after using the natural version he was fresh smelling and his clothes were too!  

So amazed was he, that he began to tell his friends about it and THEY were interested.  As a matter of fact, all I heard for days was how great this stuff was.  That's pretty impressive folks.  I mean, to have any product work so well is something to be happy about, but one that is natural and only cost pennies?  This was too good to be true, but it really does work.  I have already been using natural store bought deodorants, so when those run out, I will make up my own batch.  But for now, this stuff is a wonder working product!

Store bought deodorant completely knocked out of the ring...!

When I would do the laundry before, their shirts would be difficult to wash. The waxes and whatevers in the store bought deodorant not coming clean in the wash.  It would actually hold in the odors in their clothes.  Now, with this all natural version, their clothes smell great and even fresh.  Incredible!

So save those old deodorant bottles, let them soak overnight in soapy water and you can put your own homemade deodorant in them.  The natural product is much softer and you only need a light application for it to work. It costs literally pennies, much cheaper than any natural product out there AND this one has no chemicals...perfect.

The cons?  Well, remember it's deodorant, not anti-perspirant, so you WILL perspire, but that's a natural function of the body anyway.  We need to sweat to detox, so preventing it is actually hurting us.  It's better to layer a t-shirt under clothing to help with perspiration.

Here's a basic recipe to get you started.  We changed our formula a bit by adding less oil to make it stiffer to put in the deodorant containers.  It's all depends on you.  The tea tree oil is anti-bacterial; it will help kill the odor causing bacteria and gives it a pine-ish scent.  It's not necessary, but it does help the overall effectiveness of the deodorant.

Here it is: 

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch
4--6 Tbsp of Coconut Oil (Depending on how stiff you want the product to be)
Tea Tree Oil  (You don't need this to get started, but you'll love it.  Tea Tree oil can be found at Walmart.)

Mix together throughly and put in your container. If you're already using this, pass this review along to others, it's a great product....just ask my teenager!

What are your thoughts on homemade deodorant?  Blessings!

Linked to these blog parties: Homestead Revival , Living Green Tuesdays ,  Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways ,   Backyard Farming Connection Hop ,
The Country Homemaker Hop , Simple Lives Thursday , Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Why Making Your Own Chicken Stock is SO Healthy For You...

So many of you already do this and realize the importance of making your own stock.  This seven minute You Tube video talks a little about the science behind why making your own bone broth is so good for your body.  So, if you're already making your own broth, awesome!  If you're not, it may encourage you to think about giving it a try.

In an upcoming post, I will share how to make bone broth via the pressure cooker which makes it MUCH faster and is easier.  

So, if you have seven minutes, give this a quick look...it's a bit campy but the information is good to check out... Blessings!





Linked to these blog hops; Living Green Tuesdays

Tomato Basil Tortelloni Soup!

Time for another recipe which includes some garden greens.  I made this soup today and a few people requested the recipe.  So, thought I would just turn it into my next blog.

The greens are my Swiss Chard and Giant Red Indian Mustard.  I can't help but be so grateful that these greens are up and giving me so many leaves to cook with this Spring.  

I am a lazy Spring gardener.  My garden beds aren't turned over yet and nothing is planted except for some nice cutting lettuces and extremely small parsley plants.  Good gardeners take advantage of this weather and can be already harvesting lots of food.  But no worries, looks like these plants came to the rescue and giving me more than enough for soups and recipes.

Swiss Chard

Okay, so on with the recipe.  I would say this recipe is a mix of Minestrone and Chicken Tortelloni Soups.  I've gathered my ingredients below and promptly peeled, chopped and julienned all the corresponding vegetables. All that's missing from the picture is some great homemade or quality chicken broth and whatever meat (if using) you plan to prepare.

Tomato Basil Tortelloni Soup

1 large can of tomatoes, stewed and blended or puree

2 -3quarts of home made or quality chicken stock, low sodium

1-2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb of ground Italian sausage, (turkey, beef or skip if making a vegetarian soup) browned, crumbled and drained

1 onion, diced

1-3 cloves of garlic, diced

 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1-2 cups of greens, julienned into small ribbons or whole if using spinach (Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustard, Collards)

1 small zuchinni, sliced and diced

1 tbsp of Italian seasoning or basil

8 oz. of quality tortelloni, any flavor

1/2 tsp of freshly cracked pepper

Salt to taste

After meat is browned and crumbled, add diced onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.  Add your 2 quarts of broth and tomato sauce, or puree.  Bring to a boil and add your carrots, and diced zuchinni.  Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes until the carrots are soft. Bring back to a boil and add your julienned greens, beans, Italian seasoning, pepper and tortelloni.  Cook tortelloni according to the directions on the package.  Mine was a four cheese variety. Add your extra quart of broth if the soup is too dense.  It's all up to your own personal preference.  Once cooked, season with salt to taste!  You can also add more Basil or seasonings if you would like.  We like lots, so feel free to change the quantities to suit your own flavor profile.

I also fill in soup with any vegetables I may have on hand.  You can add chopped celery, green beans, yellow squash or whatever you have on hand if the soup is not thick enough.  

Serve this soup with your favorite grilled cheese or panini sandwich and whal-la! You're in business! The tortelloni really swell up and start to fall apart.  So, this soup is probably best the day you make it.  Hope you like it! We all did...and that's what counts!  Be blessed!

A pocket full of posies; violets found alongside the road while on my walk after lunch.