Simply Live- Not a dirty Hippie

I saw an idea on someone else's blog about getting together to make some homemade body care products so that you can share the cost, getting more bang for your buck. Anyway they suggested you call it a "I'm not a dirty Hippie" party. This really made me laugh!

I am working on a creamy deodorant blend of corn starch (for some wetness protection), baking soda (for smell protection) and olive oil (for soothing and easier application). I will let you know how it works. For now the "shampoo" is still making a decent deodorant.

I have changed the toothpaste a bit. This time I used 2 tablespoons of baking soda, one tablespoon of rubbed sage, and a splash of peppermint oil. I love the peppermint addition.

For all of you who will be processing tomatoes this summer (tomato soup, salsa, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, catchup, canning tomatoes....), here is a super easy way to peel them. I was able to peel 40 of them this morning in about 20 minutes. Heat a large kettle full of water until boiling. Prepare a large bowl with ice and water. Drop tomatoes into the boiling water, as many as you can at a time, let them boil for about 30 seconds and them drop them into the cold water. After they have cooled for about 30 seconds cut the stem end out and then pull off the skin.

You can play with the timing on the boiling water. If you want the skins to come off easier and in bigger chunks, leave them a tad longer. If you don't want the tomatoes to be quite as soft, shorten your time. Remember to keep the ice bath very cold so that all cooking stops immediately after you take the tomatoes out of the boiling water.

Happy Home to you all!