The Simple Home - Using Coconut Oil and Other Natural Stuff

Every now and then, I'll take a red-cup coffee break and go visit Lindsay's Simple Home over at Passionate Homemaking. I always find great ideas from this savvy, green, waffle-making, frugal mom!

On tonight's coffee break visit, I thoroughly loved learning from reading Linday's new post on natural body products.

She highly recommends using Coconut Oil and after reading the benefits, I say a big YES!

She wrote that coconut oil:

Promotes weight loss

Provides an immediate source of energy

Supplies fewer calories than other fats

Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health

Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life)

Is heat resistant (the healthiest oil for cooking)

Coconut oil has been called the “healthiest dietary oil on earth.” She says, "This is the item that I have just started incorporating into our diet. I have been cooking with it, adding it to smoothies, and now I am realizing the benefits to using it as a natural body product."

Lindsay tells you how use coconut oil as a hair conditioner and deodorant. For the rest of her advice, read here. I think I'll go take a tablespoon of coconut.

The Simple Home - Using Coconut Oil and Other Natural Stuff

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/01/simple-home-using-coconut-oil-and-other.html

The Simple Home - The Well Equipped Kitchen

It's been said that the kitchen is the hub of the home and I think it's the first place that spring cleaning should take place.

Since the kitchen is the hub of the home and family life flows into and out of the kitchen, it's important for a woman (or whoever is responsible for the cooking- some guys are) to have the right equipment. Good equipment helps prepare meals and good equipment saves time.

Some of the necessary equipment is (obviously) what we cook with. In the past, homemakers cooked with stainless steel and cast iron. A shift happened to aid the homemaker with Teflon (made by Dupont) cookware. Teflon is a product that claims a "no-stick" substance so that clean up is faster. Teflon has been touted to "making baking easier." Of late, though, there is research that shows that certain cookware, such as those coated with Teflon, actually carry toxins.

I use mostly stainless steel cookware with a few cast iron pieces and one or two teflon pieces that are a back up. I still use my Revere Ware, which is stainless steel, that I used in my early home making days of 1973.

As time has gone by and I've added to my collection, I have made most of my purchases from TJ Max or Target. I bought my blue cast iron pot and my other small sauce pans from TJ Max. One of my large cast iron pans I remember purchasing from the Good Will. It makes the best beans (cooked real slow).

I use a 2 qt. Tramontina, a 3 qt. Bialetti (professional quality), a Cuisinart, and a Well-Equipped Kitchen (the big blue one), a Circulon (the big red pot). The Circulon is one pot I intend to replace. It's coated with something. I also use a 10" Wolfgang Puck frying pan and a 12" Well Equipped Kitchen frying pan. I still have Teflon coated muffin tins and baking sheets which I am working on replacing. I also use a stainless steel tea pot.

What's in your kitchen?

Related Posts
1. Step One - To Organize Your Pantry
2. Get Organized

The Simple Home - The Well Equipped Kitchen

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/01/simple-home-well-equipped-kitchen.html

The Simple Home - Organizing Linens

Starting off the new year with a sense of home front organization feels really wonderful. It's like getting a jump start - everything having a place and everything in it's place. My ultimate goal in getting organized is to maintain the Simple Home at the Ledner home.

If you've read my other posts you'll know that my motto is: Simple, (go green) Eliminate, Minimize, Concentrate.

The first place I started this years organization drive was in my kitchen. Then I moved into our Master Bedroom closets, addressed other issues in our Master Bedroom to create sanctuary there and yesterday, I focused on my linens. Because we open the doors of our home to serve others, I have to make this area of linens and dishes a periodic focus point.

How are you doing in your pursuit to make your home the Simple Home? More ideas here.

The Simple Home - Organizing Linens

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/01/simple-home-organizing-linens.html

The Ledner New Year's Eve Bash with the Nations

Michael and I love opening the doors of our home to serve and feed others. Last night was especially fun because we were blessed with 27 people - from the Nations.

We welcomed into our home our new friends from China, Sudan and Saudi Arabia. Our friends from India and Pakistan weren't able to come (sniff...sniff). We ate and ate and hung out and played a few games of Guesstures.

It was a great night to celebrate and welcome in another year and I can't wait to have another party for the Nations. I've already have dinner plan thoughts in the works for the Nations. The winning team of the guys - it was The Good Men against The Better Men. My husband says his team, The Better Men won!

Zeeshwen helping his wife Caixia figure out the card. John oversees the game.

Andy, Mitch and Melissa - helping set up more food.

Linda, me and Caixia trying to guess what Melissa is acting out. Our team, The Caixia Girls, lost.

Maria and Jen ( The Chica Girl Team)
You should have seen Maria...I don't know what her word was, but she acted as if she threw a football, then turned to John and "tackled" him. I've never seen John laugh so hard!

When was the last time, you as an American, had the Nations to your home? For most of our Indian friends - we were the first home to be invited to. For most of our Chinese friends - we were the first home to be invited to. See pictures of our other Chinese friends - Richard, Park and the other guys. These were taken in August (posted recently).

Many times the Nations (students or business) come to the states, and no one reaches out to them to make them feel welcomed. Many times they finish school or business here in the states and return home - not ever having been in an American's home. Would you please help me build a bridge of love?

The Ledner New Year's Eve Bash with the Nations

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/01/ledner-new-years-eve-bash-with-nations.html