Category: Home

Charcoal Face Mask DIY

Activated charcoal has different uses and can provide benefits to the body in many ways. This charcoal face mask DIY is great for cleansing the skin, unclogging pores, and making your skin feel smooth. Most charcoal face mask DIY recipes include bentonite clay however that might not be something you typically have on hand. I created this recipe with simple ingredients I already had in my home, making it easy for everyone to make on their own. 

this mask is made with:

Benefits of Activated Charcoal on Skin:

A great benefit to using activated charcoal on your skin, like in this charcoal face mask DIY, is that it is an exfoliating ingredient however, it does not strip the face of its natural oils.

Charcoal is well known for being deeply cleansing and removing blackheads, this is great for anyone who deals with acne on their face.

You might notice your skin feeling a little tight after using this mask, that is because activated charcoal, when used on the skin, can have detoxifying and purifying effects, causing the skin to tighten.

Benefits of Aloe Vera for the Face:

Aloe Vera is packed full of vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial to our skin including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. This combination of vitamins is great for fighting skin aging.

Anti-inflammatory is another great benefit of aloe vera, this is especially helpful to those who deal with acne. Red and inflamed pimples are common when you have acne, the anti-inflammatory properties present with the aloe vera in this charcoal face mask can help reduce that redness and inflammation. 

Benefits of Honey for Skin:

Honey is commonly consumed in meals and not typically associated with skincare products however, honey is extremely beneficial to the skin. According to this article, “honey contains antioxidants, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties, along with moisturizing properties, it helps to deeply penetrate the skin, soften the skin layers and work to remove impurities from pores including dirt that causes blackheads.” 

Soft Skin Essential Oil:

For this charcoal face mask DIY, I used an essential oil blend from the brand Plant Therapy, called “soft skin”. I’m sure you can guess by the name why I used this blend because it is filled with essential oils that help create soft skin! You can purchase that particular blend right here. Although, If you do not want to use that specific blend, here is a list of some essential oils known to make skin soft:

Essential Oils for Soft Skin:

  • Frankincense 
  • Lavender
  • Copaiba
  • Tea Tree
  • Geranium
  • Sweet Orange
  • Rose
  • Ylang Ylang 

Using essential oils in this recipe is optional, if you do use essential oils, be sure to follow the recipe exactly to ensure the oils are diluted properly. 

Benefits of Vitamin E Oil for Skin:

Vitamin E oil is very moisturizing for the skin, if you deal with dry flaky skin, adding vitamin E oil to skincare products can be of tremendous help in moisturizing the dry skin. 

How to use a Charcoal Face Mask

Start by washing your face with water and drying the skin completely. Apply the face mask using a clean makeup brush or your fingers. Once applied, keep it on for 15-20 minutes.

The skin on your face might start to feel tight, this is totally normal and means the mask is working! 

The charcoal face mask might seem a bit runny, but that’s okay. It should firm up once applied to the skin, just be sure not to wear any nice clothes while using this mask as it may drip at first.

IMPORTANT! Rinse off the charcoal face mask with whatever facial soap you use. Charcoal is black and can stick if not rinsed off with soap.  

Store this in an airtight container, keeping it in the fridge. This should last for approximately 2 uses. Disregard the mask after a week in the fridge and make a new one if you want to use it again, with fresh ingredients like honey and aloe vera it is best to not keep it for longer than a week to avoid bacteria growth. 

Charcoal Face Mask DIY with Essential Oils

What you need:

How to make a Charcoal Face Mask 

  • Mix all of the ingredients until the mixture is smooth. 
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes:

  • If you have an aloe vera plant in your home, you could simply open up a leaf, scoop out the aloe vera gel and use that. If it is too sticky just blend the gel until its a smooth consistency.
  • The honey does not have to be raw however, raw honey has much more micronutrients and antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin.
Print

Charcoal Face Mask DIY

Equipment

  • 1 Glass Jar with Lid
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Mix all of the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth. 
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • IMPORTANT! Rinse off the charcoal face mask with whatever facial soap you use. Charcoal is black and can stick if not rinsed off with soap
  • If you have an aloe vera plant in your home, you could simply open up a leaf, scoop out the aloe vera gel and use that. If it is too sticky just blend the gel until it’s a smooth consistency.
  • The honey does not have to be raw however, raw honey has much more micronutrients and antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin.
Checkout this video tutorial on how to make the charcoal face mask DIY
https://naturalrootedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/blog-charcoal-face-mask-1.mp4
DIY Tutorial Charcoal Face Mask
Want more skincare and beauty recipes? Check these out!

This post may contain affiliate links, I may receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

Homemade Diaper Rash Cream

Making your own homemade diaper rash cream is easy and just as effective, if not more, than the conventional products. Diaper rash is something most moms have had to deal with, and it is not fun for anyone. Seeing your sweet baby so uncomfortable from the rash on their bum can break a mama’s heart. Most of the pre-made products sold marketing a fix for diaper rash are full of chemicals, and often not cloth diaper safe. 

Natural Homemade Diaper Rash Cream Recipe

Every new mom researches everything safety-related for her baby, but what about the chemicals we put on their skin? This is often something not thought about because there are so many baby products out there, we almost assume they are all safe for our kids because that’s what the marketing says, right? Unfortunately, it is hard to find a truly natural diaper rash cream that you can easily go to the store and buy. 

After researching what was in diaper rash cream and which ones were cloth diaper safe, I decided to make it easier on myself and create my recipe. This recipe is something I have been using on my kids for a while now and it works wonders. The shea butter and vitamin E oil are great for soothing the discomfort babies feel when dealing with diaper rash and the coconut oil is helpful with moisturizing the rash, allowing it to go away quicker. 

What is Diaper Rash?

According to this website, “Diaper rash is a common form of inflamed skin (dermatitis) that appears as a patchwork of bright red skin on your baby’s bottom. Diaper rash is often related to wet or infrequently changed diapers, skin sensitivity, and chafing.”

Homemade Diaper Rash Cream

How to Make Homemade Diaper Rash Cream:

Coconut Oil

Shea Butter

Vitamin E oil

Arrowroot Powder 

(Optional) Essential Oils

Benefits of Coconut Oil on Skin:

Coconut oil is well known for reducing inflammation on the skin, which is why it is so commonly used in skincare products. When it comes to diaper rash, the baby’s skin is red and inflamed due to the irritation on their skin. The use of coconut oil in the homemade diaper rash cream is great at treating the diaper rash and providing relief.

Antibacterial is a word commonly associated with coconut oil. Diaper rash can sometimes turn into a yeast infection if it is not cared for immediately. Luckily, keeping this diaper rash cream on hand can help prevent that if used right away due to the antibacterial properties of coconut oil.

Benefits of Vitamin E Oil on Skin:

  • The moisturizing properties of vitamin E oil aid in healing the diaper rash quicker.
  • Temporary relief from itching that is caused by having dry skin is another benefit to using vitamin E oil topically. Since the oil is so moisturizing, it helps to moisturize any dry skin therefore taking away the itching that dry skin can cause.

What is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is the fat content that comes from the nuts of a shea tree. According to this article, “Its high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids — combined with its easy-to-spread consistency — make it a great product for smoothing, soothing, and conditioning your skin.”

Benefits of Shea Butter on Skin:

Just like with most of the other ingredients in this recipe for homemade diaper rash cream, shea butter has moisturizing properties. 

Shea butter is anti-inflammatory which can be very beneficial when dealing with diaper rash. Visually looking at a diaper rash you will see it is red and slightly inflamed. The shea butter allows relief that the rash causes.

Once again, shea butter, just like coconut oil, is anti-bacterial. If you keep this diaper rash cream on hand and use it at the first sight of diaper rash, you should hopefully be able to avoid a yeast infection thanks to the antibacterial properties of coconut oil and shea butter in the recipe. 

Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Cream

What You Need:

How to Make Natural Diaper Rash Cream

  • Start by creating a double broiler with a glass bowl. You can do this by putting approximately 2 cups of water into a saucepan and letting it come to a boil on the stove. 
  • While the water is coming to a boil, measure out your ingredients. The shea butter typically comes in blocks so it will need to be cut to fit (doesn’t have to be perfect) a 1/4 cup measure. You can purchase the exact shea butter I used here.
  • Once the water is boiling, use a glass bowl (or anything that can tolerate heat), setting it on top of the saucepan.
  • Add the coconut oil and shea butter to the glass bowl that is on the double boiler. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix the two as they start to melt. Be sure to keep your eye on this because it melts fast and needs to be stirred often. 
  • When the coconut oil and shea butter have melted, add in the 1/4 Tsp vitamin E oil and lavender essential oil if you choose to use that. Mix.
  • Take the glass bowl off the heat, setting it on a stable surface. Slowly whisk in the arrowroot powder. This may take a few minutes to ensure there are no clumps.
  • The mixture should be smooth at this point, quickly pour it into whatever container you will be using for this diaper rash cream and set it in the fridge to set. You can also leave this at room temperature on the counter to set however it will take much longer.
  • My homemade diaper rash cream takes about 2-3 hours to set in the fridge. Once set, pull it out and let it come to room temperature. If the cream is smooth and silky, it’s ready to use! 
https://naturalrootedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/blog-video-diaper-rash-cream.mov
How to make homemade diaper rash cream

Notes:

  • Store this in an airtight container and use it as needed. When using more than once during a single diaper change, be sure to wash your hands before dipping back into the jar to not create cross-contamination between the rash and the cream.
  • I use this on my cloth diapers and have had no issues.
  • If you are dealing with a yeast rash, I highly recommend using this product.
Print

Homemade Diaper Rash Cream

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Glass Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Airtight Container with Lid

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Start by creating a double broiler with a glass bowl. You can do this by putting approximately 2 cups of water into a saucepan and letting it come to a boil on the stove. 
  • While the water is coming to a boil, measure out your ingredients. The shea butter typically comes in blocks so it will need to be cut to fit (doesn’t have to be perfect) a 1/4 cup measure. You can purchase the exact shea butter I used here.
  • Once the water is boiling, use a glass bowl (or anything that can tolerate heat), setting it on top of the saucepan.
  • Add the coconut oil and shea butter to the glass bowl that is on the double boiler. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix the two together as they start to melt. Be sure to keep your eye on this because it melts fast and needs to be stirred often. 
  • When the coconut oil and shea butter have melted, add in the 1/4 Tsp vitamin E oil and lavender essential oil if you choose to use that. Mix.
  • Take the glass bowl off the heat, setting it on a stable surface. Slowly whisk in the arrowroot powder. This may take a few minutes to ensure there are no clumps.
  • The mixture should be totally smooth at this point, quickly pour it into whatever container you will be using for this diaper rash cream and set it in the fridge to set. You can also leave this at room temperature on the counter to set however it will take much longer.
  • My homemade diaper rash cream takes about 2-3 hours to set in the fridge. Once set, pull it out and let it come to room temperature. If the cream is smooth and silky, it's ready to use! 

Notes

  • If you are dealing with a yeast rash, I highly recommend using this product.
  • Store this in an airtight container and use it as needed. When using more than once during a single diaper change, be sure to wash your hands before dipping back into the jar in order to not create cross-contamination between the rash and the cream.
  • I use this on my cloth diapers and have had no issues.
Lavender Essential Oil Diaper Rash Cream

Check Out This Post on 8 Natural Sleep Remedies for Kids!

This post may contain affiliate links, I may receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

Blossoms Preserved: Crafting Beauty with Dried Flower Ornaments

Welcome to a world where nature meets artistry, and timeless beauty is captured in delicate petals. Dried flower ornaments have emerged as a captivating trend, offering a unique and sustainable way to bring the enchantment of blooms into your life. In this blog post, we’ll explore the art of crafting with dried flowers, discovering the charm, versatility, and eco-friendly appeal of these botanical treasures.

dried flower ornament
  1. The Beauty in Preservation:
    Dried flowers unlock a world of possibilities by preserving the beauty of blossoms in their natural state. Whether it’s the vibrant hues of summer or the muted tones of autumn, dried flowers allow you to enjoy the elegance of nature’s palette throughout the year. Discover the magic of preserving flowers at their peak and creating ornaments that encapsulate the essence of each season.
  1. Crafting with Nature’s Palette:
    Dried flower ornaments provide a canvas for creativity, allowing you to express your artistic flair with the rich hues and textures of preserved blooms. From wreaths and garlands to framed art and hanging ornaments, explore various crafting ideas that showcase the diverse ways dried flowers can adorn your living spaces.
  2. Sustainability in Bloom:
    Embrace eco-friendly living by choosing dried flowers over fresh blooms. Drying flowers not only extends the lifespan of floral arrangements but also reduces waste and environmental impact. Learn about sustainable practices and how incorporating dried flower ornaments into your décor can contribute to a more planet-friendly lifestyle.
  3. DIY Delight:
    Unleash your inner artisan with step-by-step DIY tutorials on creating stunning dried flower ornaments. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or a beginner, these projects are designed to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Gather your favorite blooms, follow the instructions, and revel in the satisfaction of crafting your own botanical masterpieces.
  4. Meaningful Gifts:
    Dried flower ornaments make for heartfelt and personalized gifts. Explore the sentiment behind gifting a piece of nature that has been carefully preserved. From weddings and birthdays to housewarmings and holidays, discover how dried flower ornaments can convey emotions and create lasting memories.
dried flower ornament

As we journey through the world of dried flower ornaments, we find a harmonious blend of nature’s beauty and human creativity. These timeless creations not only bring joy to our homes but also contribute to a sustainable and mindful way of living. So, why not embark on your own floral adventure, and let the beauty of dried flowers blossom in your life?

Green Tea Body Scrub Recipe

A body scrub, like this Green Tea Body Scrub, can be a great addition to anyone’s shower. Dead skin can leave you feeling dry, cracked, and the opposite of moisturized. Using a moisturizing sugar scrub in your weekly shower routine can make a difference in rejuvenating your skin naturally. This simple DIY shower scrub is easy to make and offers many benefits to your skin.

How to use a Body Scrub

Using a body scrub is simple and something you can add to your shower routine once or twice a week. The basics are: wash your body, use this DIY green tea body scrub recipe, rinse it off, feel rejuvenated. 

Exfoliating is great, taking off dead skin and feeling moisturized again is amazing. However, it can be a little harsh if you’re doing that every day which is why I recommend only exfoliating once or twice a week, this allows your skin to absorb the moisture, I recommend using a body oil or lotion after your shower, before exfoliating again. 

This recipe is specifically a green tea body scrub for the body. Although this scrub is fine to be used on the body and face, the skin on our face is a lot more sensitive, and using an exfoliator can be harsh.

Benefits of Matcha for Skin

The green tea body scrub recipe can be made using matcha green tea, or regular green tea. I use matcha green tea when making this exfoliator because I love the benefits of matcha for skin!

Matcha can be great for helping the body absorb oil, you can try this after-shower body oil recipe from my blog here, which allows for the skin to stay moisturized. 

Matcha is also known for protecting the skin from UV damage. Although most of us love spending a lot of time out in the sun, that can be damaging to our skin if we spend TOO much time in the sun (no one likes a sunburn, right?). Using this matcha green tea body scrub recipe can help protect your skin from UV damage caused by long sun exposure. 

Benefits of Essential Oils for Skin

This DIY body scrub recipe uses an essential oil blend called Soft Skin, which is curated for doing just that. Soft Skin uses oils such as lemon, lavender, frankincense, and more. 

According to the Plant Therapy description of this essential oil, “Soft Skin Essential Oil Blend was created to give your thirsty skin some extra help! The essential oils in this blend were specially chosen to help counteract dry skin and to prevent the look of fine lines while supporting and rejuvenating the look of mature skin.” 

Many essential oils are packed with vitamin C since they are derived directly from plants. The use of vitamin C on your skin, like with a body scrub, helps reduce signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles and improves the elasticity of our skin which is how we get that ‘glowing’ look.

Essential Oil Combinations

There are many different essential oil blends you can make to use in this recipe if you don’t have the soft skin essential oil I used.

The most similar blend to the one I used would be:

Another great blend of essential oils is:

You can find a video tutorial for this recipe on my YouTube channel HERE!

Green Tea Scrub for Body

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Measuring Cups

Materials

Instructions

  • Cut open green tea packets and put the contents of the packet into the bowl
  • Combine the sugar, green tea, dried jasmine, and 10 drops of soft skin essential oil in the bowl
  • Add in the sweet almond oil
  • Using your spoon, mix until well combined. The mixture should be coated completely with the sweet almond oil, leaving no dry sugar
  • Store in an airtight container that can get wet in the shower

Notes

I used matcha green tea packets that are meant for making a cup of tea, you could also use matcha green tea powder (use 3 teaspoons) if you have any on hand. If you don’t have matcha green tea, using normal green tea packets or loose tea would work just the same. Using tea packets or a tea powder works better than loose leaf tea because it has already been ground down to dust. If using a loose leaf tea that has larger pieces, you might want to grind it down first to ensure it will not get stuck in your shower drain. 

You can purchase the exact essential oil, soft skin by plant therapy, at this link here. If you do not want to buy this specific oil you can create a blend of rose, lavender, frankincense, and lemon. Although, This oil has a few more unique oils in the blend however the ones I just listed are more common oils that you might already have on hand. 

When using dried jasmine be sure to break the flowers apart in your hand before adding them to the bowl so once again, they will not get stuck in your shower drain. Using dried flowers is optional however I do love the added scent with this particular recipe. 

Print

Green Tea Body Scrub Recipe

Exfoliating and Rejuvenating Body Scrub

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Measuring Cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut open green tea packets and put the contents of the packet into the bowl
  • Combine the sugar, green tea, dried jasmine, and 10 drops of soft skin essential oil in the bowl
  • Add in the sweet almond oil
  • Using your spoon, mix until well combined. You want the mixture to be coated completely with the sweet almond oil, leaving no dry sugar
  • Store in an airtight container that can get wet in the shower

Notes

I used matcha green tea packets that are meant for making a cup of tea, you could also use matcha green tea powder (use 3 teaspoons) if you have any on hand. If you don’t have matcha green tea, using normal green tea packets or loose tea would work just the same. Using tea packets or a tea powder works better than loose leaf tea because it has already been ground down to dust. If using a loose leaf tea that has larger pieces, you might want to grind it down first to ensure it will not get stuck in your shower drain. 
You can purchase the exact essential oil, soft skin by plant therapy, at this link here. If you do not want to buy this specific oil you can create a blend of rose, lavender, frankincense, and lemon. This oil has a few more unique oils in the blend however the ones I just listed are more common oils that you might already have on hand. 
When using dried jasmine be sure to break the flowers apart in your hand before adding them to the bowl so once again, they will not get stuck in your shower drain. Using dried flowers is optional however I do love the added scent with this particular recipe. 
Matcha Green Tea Body Scrub

A quick video tutorial on how I made this

https://naturalrootedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/green-tea-scrub-blog-video.mp4
Green Tea Body Scrub

You can find similar posts on my blog here:

This post may contain affiliate links, I may receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe with Rosemary and Garlic

No-Knead Artisan bread has been around for a long time, which is why it is fun to put different twists on the traditional recipe like with this rosemary garlic no-knead artisan bread recipe. Roasting the garlic allows a strong garlic flavor to shine throughout the entire loaf. As for the rosemary, that is one of my favorite herbs. The flavor is not too strong and it pairs very well with the roasted garlic. 

Making the perfect no-knead artisan bread

For this rosemary garlic no-knead artisan bread recipe I prefer to use a dutch oven because it holds the bread round shape while baking and it gets very hot when pre-heated, giving the bread a crispy crust. If you don’t have a dutch oven, no problem! You could simply bake this on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The true key to a crusty loaf is putting a pan with water on the bottom rack while the bread is baking in whatever vessel you have used. The steam from the water helps create that brown crust you see on most loaves. 

Another great thing about a no-knead artisan bread recipe, also known as artisan bread, are you simply put all of the ingredients together at once, allow the roasted garlic artisan bread to rise for a few hours, and bake it and enjoy! It is a great alternative to a sourdough, although it does not provide the same fermentation benefits you get from a sourdough, it is much easier to make and has the same crusty outside with a soft inside. 

Tips for Success:

If you want a brown crust that makes a ‘crack’ when you cut into it, I suggest doing the steaming method. I have tested this no-knead artisan bread recipe without steaming water on the bottom rack and my loaf was only slightly brown when done baking, nowhere near the amazing crust I got using the steaming method.

Using rapid rise yeast or active dry yeast does not matter in this recipe, you want to allow the bread 3-4 hours to rise no matter which type of yeast you used. If you bake this too early, before allowing its full rise, it will come out small and dense.

Keep your eye on the roasted garlic while it is under the broiler, it roasts fast and I have forgotten about it many times while recipe testing! The garlic should be brown, but not too dark. You can pick out the crunchy pieces of garlic so that’s not an issue when eating the bread.

You could just sauté the garlic on the stove in a pan if that is easier but I enjoy the roasted flavor it gets under the broiler.

Using fresh rosemary gives off a stronger rosemary flavor in the finished product however if dried rosemary is all you have, you can still do 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary, just know the rosemary flavor might be more subtle. 

No-Knead Artisan Bread

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ Cup All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
  • 1 ½ Cup Lukewarm Water
  • 1 Packet Rapid Rise or Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Rosemary
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter or Coconut Oil

Instructions

For the Roasted Garlic + Rosemary:

  • Preheat a small cast-iron skillet with the butter or coconut oil in it, about 5 minutes under the broiler.
  • Cut your large cloves of garlic into smaller pieces, this does not have to be perfect as it is just going into the dough, however, make them small enough to eat without getting a huge chunk of garlic.
  • Add garlic pieces into the preheated cast iron skillet with the melted butter or coconut oil, put back under the broiler for 5 minutes. Keep your eye on this because it burns quickly! You want a nice brown on the garlic but NOT burnt or too dark.
  • Once the garlic has turned brown, take it out of the oven and allow the skillet to cool for a few minutes. 
  • When the garlic has cooled enough to touch it, pick out the burnt or very crispy pieces, put the rest on a cutting board, and smash it down. I used a potato masher but you could use a fork if that is easier. 
  • Using fresh rosemary, chop into smaller pieces yielding 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary.

For the Dough:

  • Add the flour, water, yeast, salt, roasted garlic, and rosemary into a stand mixer, I use this small kitchen-Aid one, with a dough hook attachment on it. Turn the mixer on low and allow all of the ingredients to come together. This won’t be for a ball but you will notice everything has mixed together into a sticky dough. 
  • Turn the mixer off, use your hand to wipe down the dough hook, making sure you get all of the dough back into the mixer bowl.
  • Gently form the dough into a ball while in the mixing bowl, this does not have to be perfect, just a general round shape is fine.
  • Put a tea towel over the mixing bowl and place it in a warm spot to rise, I like putting it in my oven with the oven off but light on.
  • Allow the dough to rise for 3-4 hours, 4 hours yields the fluffiest dough.

Baking the Bread:

  • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place an empty, seasoned, cast iron dutch oven in there to warm up. 
  • Once the dough has doubled in size over the 4 hours it was resting, flour a clean flat surface and gently pull the ball of dough out onto the floured surface.
  • Do not knead! 
  • Simply use your hands to help the dough come together in a round shape, this is very light and not necessary if your dough held its round shape while rising.
  • Once your dutch oven has preheated, pick up your dough and place it in the dutch oven. Leave the lid OFF while baking. If using a cookie sheet or other baking vessel, be sure to use parchment paper unless it is preheated cast iron. 
  • Take a separate oven-safe dish and fill it with water.
  • Place the water-filled dish on the bottom rack of the oven, this will create steam for the crust. 
  • Place the cast iron dutch oven into the oven and close the door.
  • Allow this to bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • Once done, turn the oven off, pull the bread out and leave it in the dutch oven to cool for 10 minutes. Once cool, slice and enjoy! 
No-Knead Artisan Bread
Print

Roasted Garlic Rosemary No-Knead Bread

No-Knead bread has been around for a long time, which is why it is fun to put different twists on the traditional recipe like with my roasted garlic rosemary no-knead bread recipe. Roasting the garlic allows a strong garlic flavor to shine throughout the entire loaf. As for the rosemary, that is one of my favorite herbs. The flavor is not too strong and it pairs very well with the roasted garlic. 
Keyword Artisan Bread, Bread, No-Knead Bread, Roasted Garlic Bread, Rosemary Bread
Prep Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 Loaf

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven
  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ Cup All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
  • 1 ½ Cup Lukewarm Water
  • 1 Packet Rapid Rise or Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Rosemary
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter or Coconut Oil

Instructions

For the Roasted Garlic + Rosemary:

  • Preheat a small cast-iron skillet with the butter or coconut oil in it, about 5 minutes under the broiler.
  • Cut your large cloves of garlic into smaller pieces, this does not have to be perfect as it is just going into the dough, however, make them small enough to eat without getting a huge chunk of garlic.
  • Add garlic pieces into the preheated cast iron skillet with the melted butter or coconut oil, put back under the broiler for 5 minutes. Keep your eye on this because it burns quickly! You want a nice brown on the garlic but NOT burnt or too dark.
  • Once the garlic has turned brown, take it out of the oven and allow the skillet to cool for a few minutes. 
  • When the garlic has cooled enough to touch it, pick out the burnt or very crispy pieces, put the rest on a cutting board, and smash it down. I used a potato masher but you could use a fork if that is easier. 
  • Using fresh rosemary, chop into smaller pieces yielding 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary.

For the Dough:

  • Add the flour, water, yeast, salt, roasted garlic, and rosemary into a stand mixer, I use this small kitchen-Aid one, with a dough hook attachment on it. Turn the mixer on low and allow all of the ingredients to come together. This won’t be for a ball but you will notice everything has mixed together into a sticky dough. 
  • Turn the mixer off, use your hand to wipe down the dough hook, making sure you get all of the dough back into the mixer bowl.
  • Gently form the dough into a ball while in the mixing bowl, this does not have to be perfect, just a general round shape is fine.
  • Put a tea towel over the mixing bowl and place it in a warm spot to rise, I like putting it in my oven with the oven off but light on.
  • Allow the dough to rise for 3-4 hours, 4 hours yields the fluffiest dough.

Baking the Bread:

  • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place an empty, seasoned, cast iron dutch oven in there to warm up. 
  • Once the dough has doubled in size over the 4 hours it was resting, flour a clean flat surface and gently pull the ball of dough out onto the floured surface.
  • Do not knead! 
  • Simply use your hands to help the dough come together in a round shape, this is very light and not necessary if your dough held its round shape while rising.
  • Once your dutch oven has preheated, pick up your dough and place it in the dutch oven. Leave the lid OFF while baking. If using a cookie sheet or other baking vessel, be sure to use parchment paper unless it is preheated cast iron. 
  • Take a separate oven-safe dish and fill it with water.
  • Place the water-filled dish on the bottom rack of the oven, this will create steam for the crust. 
  • Place the cast iron dutch oven into the oven and close the door.
  • Allow this to bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • Once done, turn the oven off, pull the bread out and leave it in the dutch oven to cool for 10 minutes. Once cool, slice and enjoy! 
No-Knead Artisan Bread

There are so many no-knead bread recipes made in the dutch oven but this is truly my favorite, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

This recipe would be delicious with my naturally sweetened cranberry jam spread on top, find that recipe here!

This post may contain affiliate links, I may receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

Floral Roll-On Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Essential oil perfume is the best option when looking for a non-toxic perfume due to its purity, creating no need for added fragrance.

I love a floral-scented perfume, which is exactly why I created this floral roll-on essential oil perfume recipe! The aroma from this perfume is a sweet floral scent, but not overwhelming. It is also so easy to make your own DIY essential oil perfume recipes, just follow the simple steps I’ve provided!

Using pure essential oils that have been tested for purity is so important, that is why I always use Plant Therapy oils (not sponsored, I just really love them!). They have gone through extensive quality testing to prove how pure their oils are, you can check that out here. The essential oils bought at local stores are usually not pure and can even be toxic depending on what is added to them. Plant Therapy is typically affordable when it comes to essential oils which is a huge bonus.

This floral roll-on essential oil perfume recipe is easy and inexpensive to make, and so versatile! If you don’t love a floral-scented perfume, you could simply follow the same recipe that I have provided (the oils have been diluted properly in a carrier oil, which is very important), but put your twist on it with YOUR favorite oils! 

There are so many different essential oil blends or even single oils on the market that when combined would make a beautiful smelling perfume. As long as the oils are pure, this recipe can be diversified in any way to fit each need however, I do LOVE the scent of this exact recipe. 

What Essential Oil Combinations are Good for Perfume?

If you have thought about making your own perfume, you might be wondering what essential oil combinations are good for perfume. The beauty of making your own roll-on essential oil perfume recipe is you get to choose the fragrance you want. There are many essential oil blends that make a great smelling perfume or you can take a simpler route and choose an essential oil single.

Essential Oil Blends for Perfume

Fresh Meadow (Floral Scent)

Sun Kissed (Citrus and Floral Scent)

Citrus Blossom (Citrus Scent)

Coastal Sunset (Tropical and Sweet Scent)

Bouquet (Floral Scent)

Essential Oil Singles for Perfume

Vanilla (Sweet Scent)

Clary Sage (Floral Scent)

Lavender (Floral Scent)

Sweet Orange (Citrus Scent)

How to Make Floral Roll-On Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Materials

Instructions

  • Put your dried flowers into the roller bottle, you might have to push them in with a little force depending on the size of your dried flowers.
  • Fill your roller bottle 3/4 of the way full with sweet almond oil, this is the carrier oil.
  • Add your essential oil drops
  • If there is any room left at the top, add sweet almond oil to the top of the roller bottle (leaving room to add the roller top)
  • Add your roller top and twist the lid on (Provided with the kit I linked in the ‘What You Will Need’ list).
  • Shake your perfume vigorously to allow all of the oils to blend, with the ‘Autumn Breeze’ blend I used, it took a few minutes of shaking before it was completely blended into everything. 
  • Roll on your wrist, behind your ears, or anywhere you apply perfume. I do NOT suggest using this on clothing as the oils could leave stains. 

Notes:

  • If you buy the roller bottles I linked, they come with a small funnel which makes this process much easier.
floral roll-on essential oil perfume recipe

Want to watch a video tutorial on how to complete this process? Check it out here!

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Floral Roll-On Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Essential oils are the best non-toxic natural perfume ingredient because they are extracted from plants with no chemicals added. When diluted properly in a carrier oil, they can make the best essential oil perfume.
Keyword Best Essential Oil Perfume, Essential Oil Perfume, Perfume, Roll-On Essential Oil Perfume
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 Perfume

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put your dried flowers into the roller bottle, you might have to push them in with a little force depending on the size of your dried flowers.
  • Fill your roller bottle 3/4 of the way full with sweet almond oil, this is the carrier oil.
  • Add your essential oil drops
  • If there is any room left at the top, add sweet almond oil to the top of the roller bottle (leaving room to add the roller top)
  • Add your roller top and twist the lid on (Provided with the kit I linked in the ‘What You Will Need’ list).
  • Shake your perfume vigorously to allow all of the oils to blend, with the ‘Autumn Breeze’ blend I used, it took a few minutes of shaking before it was completely blended into everything. 
  • Roll on your wrist, behind your ears, or anywhere you apply perfume. I do NOT suggest using this on clothing as the oils could leave stains. 

Notes

  • If you buy the roller bottles I linked, they come with a small funnel which makes this process much easier.

Looking for more essential oil recipes? You can find a ton right HERE!

This post may contain affiliate links, I may receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

Cranberry Jam

With Thanksgiving behind us, there is an abundance of cranberries left at the grocery store. If you’re like me and like to eat seasonally, or you just enjoy cranberries in general, this naturally sweetened cranberry chia seed jam is just for you!

This recipe is so simple and easy to make. I love to use it on my homemade sourdough toast or even as a topping on oatmeal. It is so versatile and perfect for anything you like to add jam to. 

Fruit Pectin or Chia Seeds?

Many people wonder ‘do you need fruit pectin for jam?’ and the answer is NO! Chia seeds are an amazing replacement for fruit pectin in jam.

I decided to use chia seeds in this recipe because they are very easy to access, I live in a small town in the south and my local Walmart carries organic chia seeds in the baking aisle. You can also purchase them online here.  

Although you might think the chia seeds would add a weird texture, you truly don’t notice they are there. The key with using chia seeds is to allow them to expand, which is why I suggest keeping this in the fridge overnight before digging in, once the chia seeds have expanded into the liquid they turn soft and barely noticeable.

With cranberries being naturally sour, I did not add lemon to this jam. In the first test batch I did, I added lemon which intensified the sour flavor and left you with that “sour” face. Omitting the lemon allowed the jam to shine through with sweetness like jam normally does. If you don’t mind a more lemony taste, (it was very delicious, just too sour for my taste), you could easily add a small squeeze of lemon. 

Natural Sweetener:

Natural sweetener means jam with no added sugar. Although this jam will still taste sweet, it is sweetened naturally without any processed sugar. 

For this recipe, I used maple syrup because frankly, that’s all I had on hand. I like to buy fresh organic raw honey from a local farm and they have been out for a few weeks which means I have had to temporarily switch to maple syrup as my natural sweetener in recipes. However, this is not a bad thing! The jam is delicious with maple syrup and maple syrup is more easily accessible to most people since it is sold at almost every grocery store. If you’re like me and love to use honey as a sweetener, you can simply substitute maple syrup for honey in this recipe. 

If you love this jam but you are afraid cranberries will begin to disappear from the grocery store, you could easily stock up on your next shopping trip and keep them in the freezer. Freezer cranberry jam is still delicious since the cranberries are cooked then blended being frozen does not change the recipe at all. You can also can this recipe if you want! I chose to not can this because it’s a bit more of a complicated process and with cranberries being abundant right now I don’t have to worry about running out of jam for a few more weeks. 

Cranberry Jam

Ingredients:

12oz bag of cranberries

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Raw Honey

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

Directions:

Pour the entire bag of cranberries into a saucepan

Mix the cranberries consistently to avoid them sticking to the bottom of the pan, if you find they are sticking you can add a splash of water however I found mixing them frequently prevented sticking. You want the cranberries to begin to “pop” and get soft, this will take about 10 minutes or so. 

Once the cranberries have softened enough to blend, transfer them to a blender. BE CAREFUL when blending hot items! Make sure your lid is on securely and release the heat from the top as needed. Blend the cranberries until they are smooth and no chunks remain. I used a high-speed blender (Vitamix) to make this easier.

Once the cranberries have been blended smooth, strain them through a fine-mesh strainer back into the saucepan. I used a rubber spatula to push the cranberries into the strainer to make the process faster.

After all the cranberries have been strained back into the pan, disregard what is in the strainer. Your mixture should be smooth at this point. 

Turning your heat to low, mix in the maple syrup, or honey, and chia seeds. Allow this to be stirred on the heat for 5 minutes until it begins to softly bubble. Turn off the heat and let your mixture cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar. 

This jam is best if it rests overnight in the fridge, or 6-8 hours in the fridge, this allows the chia seeds to expand and become soft. You might notice the jam is set up after an hour or two but the chia seeds will still be hard and unpleasant to eat until they have softened completely. 

This naturally sweetened cranberry chia seed jam will store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge. 

Cranberry Jam Recipe
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