Spring is HERE! ~ March 23, 2011

When having the corn allergy it is a good idea to start growing your own food.
My 11 chickens and 2 roosters are 5 weeks old.  My garden is coming along.  Since moving into a new house with virgin soil the garden is going to be a challenge.  My husband was able to purchase a used Craftsmen riding mower that came with the plow and discs, and a wagon.  He plowed a new garden section in the fall.  I was able to get 2 loads of leaves from my neighbor to plow in as well.  He picked them up in his yard with his riding mower.  I planted kale, broccoli, and cabbage.  It CA it would grow all winter.  TN is a new experience.

We put a plastic row cover on it.  We were told that we had an exceptional snowy cold winter this year.   I pulled the row cover off in February.  I had lost the broccoli.  I had 4 cabbage and 6 kale plants left.  I got quite a bit off the kale in the last month.  Now we had some pretty warm weather causing my kale to go to seed, which means the plant is done.  I had to researched and discovered the cause was the warm weather, and they call it "bolting".  Then wouldn't you known it 2 of the 4 cabbages also bolted.  I figure the other 2 will also bolt.  My research also said that the leaves left on the plant will get bitter because the plant is more concerned with making seed than foliage.  It thinks its dying.  Dang it!  Its only March!  I have 4 other kale plants started that I should be able to put out in another week or so.  I might just go buy more cabbage plants today.  I haven't seen kale plants for sale.  It’s supposed to be cooler for a couple weeks maybe I can get something yet.  I also discovered at a glance that at least half of my 8 broccoli plants are developing small heads too, which I am thinking that is also bolting.  I didn't look to close because I am disgusted.

Other plants in the garden are lettuce.  Its an inch tall and will probably bolt too!  Dang it!  :-)  I have 8 brussel sprouts, 4 cauliflower, 4 strawberries, 4 romaine lettuce, 1 regular tomato, 1 cherry tomato, swiss chard, 1 bag of seed potatoes about 8.  Don't know how many that will grow.  1 row of peas (a whole seed pack), some spinach/mustard, spinach, beets, turnips, variegated swiss chard.  I am planning for okra, green peppers, cayenne peppers, banana peppers, zucchini, green beans, 1 package of bush and 1 package of Kentucky Blue pole beans.  I never grew pole beans.  I also have winter squash seeds I saved from the organic ones I have been eating.   

I purchased 4 blueberry bushes, a bartlet pear, and bing cherry.  We need to figure out where to put those.  We are building a chicken coop; perhaps it would be good to put the trees on the west side of the chicken coop for shade.  We are also talking about putting in some grapes too. 

My front flower bed is bare.  It has 6 juniper type yellow bushes.  I covered the whole thing with flower seeds.  I have been keeping them moist for the last week and a half.  I started seeing the cosmos in front of the porch in the back popping up yesterday.  I alternated yellow and orange marigold seeds across the front.  In spots across the back in front of the junipers I placed seed I had saved from the red holly hocks I grew in TX.  I tested the seed because it was at least 4 years old by putting it on a damp paper towel in a zip lock bag.  1 in 4 grew, so I put at least 4 seeds in every spot.  I am crossing my fingers that they will grew.  In the middle I put a row of snap dragons and a few other wild flowers.  I am hoping I will have the prettiest yard on the street.  I do know that I will be pulling weeds.  :-)  I see them coming in already.

I am really excited to have food.  I am planning on filling my freezer and canning.  I figure I need at least around 200 vegetables to get me through the year.  I also hope I will have some to share.  Depending on how this goes perhaps I too can sell at the farmers market one day.

Gluten-Free Savonnerie Shampoo and Conditioner

Since several of the Avoiding Corn forum are using this shampoo, conditioner, and soap I wrote to the company with my olive oil, and coconut oil avoidance.  Below is the letter I received from them.  I ordered the Savonnerie shampoo and conditioner from http://www.gfsoap.com/ and the Dakota Free Babassu Soap from http://www.dakotafree.com/  As they stated in their letter I added a comment to please combine my orders from the other site and they combined the shipping charges. 

Hello Michelle,

We appreciate the interest in our products and realize how difficult it is to cope with allergies as we have several individuals here coping with diverse allergies and sensitivities.

Every Gluten Free Savonnerie is free of corn.  For extensive information on Coconut in IPH products, you can open and read the PDF attached to this email.

We offer full disclosure of all our ingredients to anyone who asks, and offer three different products lines with many different products that are free of coconut oil or coconut derivatives; these three product lines are Gluten Free Savonnerie, Dakota Free and Millennial Essential products.

If your concern is with the fragrance oil called coconut oil, then you can use any of our products.  We do not use the fragrance oil that smells like coconut in any of our product lines. 

The premium bar soap will not work for your allergen profile.  If your allergy is to coconuts or the solid white oil pressed from coconuts, all of the Gluten Free Savonnerie bar soaps and liquid soaps contain coconut oil.  We do have a coconut-free, corn-free and olive oil-free bar soap and household cleaners in the Dakota Free product line (see paragraph 10 for details)

The Gluten-Free Savonnerie line was developed specifically for those with allergies to plant materials, sensitive skin and for people with Celiac disease/gluten intolerance.  The formulas are simple, using only the necessary ingredients, only a few different plant oils and no essential oils or fragrant herbal extracts.  They are hypoallergenic, biodegradable and have little to no smell.

http://GFSoap.com

You’ll find the full ingredient list for the Gluten-Free Savonnerie products pasted below this message for your reference.  I’ve marked the products that are coconut free with yellow highlighter.

Even though it has been listed on many forums as such, we do not make the claim that our lotion, shampoo & conditioner are coconut free.

The Gluten Free Savonnerie Shampoo works for many of our customers with coconut allergies, it depends on the individual. It is technically a synthetic (manmade) product, however one of the ingredients in the shampoo – the disodium cocoamphodiacetate, is sourced from either highly refined palm kernel oil or highly refined coconut oil.  The diligent refining process purportedly removes the proteins that typically produce an allergy response.

It is the same with the Gluten Free Savonnerie Conditioner and Moisturizing Lotion.  The cetearyl alcohol is originally sourced from either highly refined palm kernel oil or highly refined coconut oil. 

People with an allergy to coconut have reported to us that they are using the shampoo, conditioner and lotion successfully, however we offer full disclosure of all we know about the product ingredients and believe that you have the right to know the source of the ingredients to better chose products for your needs.

Customers also report using the shampoo as a shower gel or as hand soap for liquid soap dispensers. Regardless of these customer reports, only you know how sensitive you are to coconut and so we can’t tell you if the products will work well for you or not.

We make a Coconut-Free bar soap called Babassu Soap & a coconut-free moisturizer that works on skin and hair in the Dakota Free Product line.  You can see the soap and read more at this link (ingredients on the Dakota Free products are listed at the bottom of each products individual information page):

https://dakotafree.com/product.asp?Category_Id=2&Product_Id=145

The Dakota Free Coconut Free Moisturizer is found here:

https://dakotafree.com/Category.asp?Category_Id=3

The Dakota Free product line was developed as an allergen specific, natural skincare line for those who need products without synthetic chemicals, pesticides or perfumes.  The line contains a wider selection of coconut-free bath, baby, skincare and home spa products, with many multiple use products to help you simplify your life.  The formulas are kept as simple as possible, every ingredient is there for a practical purpose, without the use of fillers or trendy herbal ingredients.  The products without essential oils have little to no smell.

The product lines are offered on different websites due to their different focus. 

You may also be interested in the coconut-free laundry and cleaning products on the DakotaFree.com site, the vegetable based cleansers in them are sourced from soy rather than coconut. You can see them online at:

https://dakotafree.com/Category.asp?Category_Id=1

The products include a laundry detergent, stain remover, a liquid dish soap that also works for general cleaning, a dishwasher detergent and an oxygen bleach substitute – also with other cleaning applications.

Millennial Essential products are a luxury skincare line of paraben-free, gluten-free, perfume-free products delivering the many skin loving benefits of pure essential oils and bio-nutrients from nature.  The formulas pamper skin with only the best, most luscious, natural ingredients available. The Millennial Essentials line can be found on the DakotaFree.com website.

Since all three product lines ship from the same facility, you may order them together and only pay one shipping charge.  There are several ways to do this.

1) Order on line and request the products you wish to order from the other line in the comment section of the order process.

2)  place an order on both the DakotaFree.com and GFSoap.com websites, write that you want the orders combined in the comment section of the order process on both sites and one of the shipping charges will be removed before your card is charged.  The only caveat to this method is that both orders need to be placed within 60 minutes of one another to insure that one order is not shipped out before the other is placed.  This method is easier for you if you intend to order a large number of products from each line.

3) order by phone.

Please call or e-mail with any questions; you can contact us directly by e-mail at support@gfsoap.com, by phone at 701-539-2256 or toll free at 1-888-643-7627

Have a good day,

The Gluten-Free Savonnerie Service Team

Dakota Free Products, Millennial Essentials & The Gluten Free Savonnerie

“Helping Families Stay Healthy and People with Troubled Skin, Celiac Disease, Chemical Sensitivities, Autism or Allergies to Cope and Live Comfortably.”

http://gfsoap.com

http://dakotafree.com

Made in the USA by:

In The Potter’s Hand Inc.

11310 89th St NW

Wildrose, ND 58795

Gluten-Free Savonnerie Ingredient Listing (coconut free products highlighted in yellow)

Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Fragrance-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Dye-Free, Peanut-Free

                                                                                                                                               

Lip Balm

Palm kernel oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, carnauba wax. (100% natural)

Massage & Body Oil

Safflower Oil and jojoba oil (100% natural)

Classic Bar Soap

Coconut oil, distilled water, palm oil, olive oil, sodium hydroxide (100% natural)

Castille Bar Soap

Olive oil, coconut oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide (100% natural)

Premium Bar Soap

Avocado oil, distilled water, shea butter, coconut oil, palm oil, sodium hydroxide, jojoba oil (100% natural)

Liquid Castille Soap & Foaming Soap

Distilled water, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, potassium hydroxide, sodium borate (100% natural)

Shea Butter

100% pure shea butter (all natural)

Shaving Foam

Distilled water, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, potassium hydroxide, sodium borate (100% natural)

“Pit Stop” Deodorant Body Powder & "Pit Stop" Refill

Kaolin Clay, Tapioca Starch Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Zinc Oxide Powder and Organic Sage Powder (100% natural)

Shampoo

Distilled water, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate and disodium cocoamphodiacetate, panthenol, PEG 150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, propylene glycol, diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate

Conditioner

Distilled water, glycerin (from palm), behentrimonium methosulfate (and) cetearyl alcohol, jojoba oil, panthenol, propylene glycol, diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate

Moisturizing Lotion

Distilled water, jojoba oil, avocado oil, emulsifying wax (Cetearyl Alcohol & Ceteareth 20), glycerin (from palm), propylene glycol, diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate ( 97.1% natural )

Made in the USA by:                  Phone #: 701-539-2256  Toll-Free: 888-643-7627

In the Potter’s Hand Inc.             e-mail: service@gfsoap.com

11310   89th St N.W.                  Fax  #:  701.539.2255

Wildrose, ND 58795                    Website: GFSoap.com & DakotaFree.com

Winter Squash

As the winter months drag on I thought I'd share my way of cooking winter squash.  I use my large (Turkey Roaster) covered porcelain roasting pan.  I found I could cook large squash easily.  I thought it was funny that I was thinking that all I could use the pan for was cooking a turkey!  :-)  Heck it can be used for all kinds of things.  I get butternut, acorn, and spagetti squash.  Slice in 1/2 scoop out the seeds.  Place in the roaster cut side up.  Put a few inches of water in the bottom, but don't cover the squash.  Put the lid on.  Place in a 350 degree over for 30 - 60 minutes until tender. 

New Allergies

Now it appears I am allgeric to olive oil.  Confirmed this last night I mixed some Bartolli Extra Virgin on some peeled sliced potatoes I was baking for my husband with my hand.  My hand iched so bad!  Badger Balm lip balm has also been bothering me too. 

A few weeks ago I confirmed a legume allergy.  I recently started making pancakes from millet flour. 
1 cup millet flour, 1 tsp tapioca flour, 1/2 tsp or less baking soda and vinegar, mixing in water to consistancy of pancakes or thinner.  I fry them in a teflon pan I bought just for me with a little palm shortening.  I am starving for starch.

Don't cook with hot tap water

Did you know you shouldn't cook with hot tap water?  Your water heater develops a storage of salts and hard water.  Always cook with cold tap water.