Chicken Experiment

I know the title sounds odd, but in reality this experiment turned out really well.  So, what kind of experiment was it you ask?  A new recipe experiment.  You know how it goes, don't you?  You're sick of eating the same old things so you try something new with what you have on hand..

I really hope I'm not the only one who does this!

So, I'll tell you what I did and how the experiment went, and then I'll give you a few tips to make your first experience with this recipe a little bit better.  All in all, the food was edible, filling, and even pretty good.  Even my room mate's three year old daughter liked it.

Supplies:
2-3 large chicken breasts, cut in half
2 eggs
1/4 C. coconut flour
1/4 C. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 C. coconut oil

First things first, thaw the chicken. Check!
Scramble the eggs in a small bowl. Check!
Combine the coconut flour and shredded coconut in a different medium sized bowl. Check!
Put the coconut oil in a frying pan. Check!
Coat the chicken in egg, then coconut mixture. Check!
Turn pan on low heat until coconut oil melts, then add chicken and turn to medium. Cook on medium heat until done. 

Those last two steps are where I messed up a little bit.  Coconut burns really easily so you have to watch it very carefully.  That was fine.  The problem was that I just kept flipping it.  Well, when you pan fry anything, you should only flip it once.  Therefore, a lot of my breading just kept falling off and burning.  Another thing that I should have done differently is when dipping the chicken in the breading, I should have dipped it in the flour mixture, then egg, then the flour again.  This allows the egg to adhere to the breading and the breading won't fall off as easily when being fried. 

I also would have loved to have a food thermometer in order to really know how hot the chicken was getting, but that would just be way too easy.  Another time maybe. 

Overall, this chicken was really good.  I also made some onion rings in a little bit of coconut oil as well.  Andrew really liked it and so did my room mate and his daughter so I will definitely be making this meal again, just with some of the later added tips.

Enjoy!
~Jessica

Repair Your Hair

I have always had the luxury of having really thick hair and haven't always noticed that others don't, until recently.

Hair is something that everyone has, on their head or otherwise.  However, those whose hair isn't in great condition often spend a ton of money on conditioning products.  I have seen the many products out there and am often discouraged when ever trying something new.  Therefore, not only for myself, but also for friends, I researched a solution for just one problem - how to repair the hair. 

There are many ways that hair can be damaged - straightening, blow-drying, coloring, and the list goes on and on.  For some others though, hair has never been soft or nice looking.  The recipe that will follow not only softens and repairs, but may have some thickening strength as well.

Supplies:
Large mason jar (I think I use a quart size)
Apple cider vinegar
Epsom Salt
Coconut Oil (cold-pressed)
Honey
Water (filtered if possible)
Rosemary Essential Oil (100% pure with no fillers, doTERRA brand)
Lavender Essential Oil

Directions:
Pour 2 cups water into mason jar, add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons Epsom salt.  Stir until salt dissolves.
Add in 1 tablespoon honey and 3 tablespoons coconut oil.  Mix thoroughly.  You may have to heat for a few seconds in order for the coconut oil and honey to incorporate.
Add 10 drops rosemary and 10 drops lavender. 
Apply to hair from roots to tips and let sit for 20 minutes. 
Wash hair as normal with warm, not hot, water.

If the hair is very damaged or thin, you can add everything but the coconut oil and honey to a spray bottle and lightly mist the hair after showering morning or night. 

Enjoy
~Jessica

Oh boy...

I haven't written in a while.  So what have I been doing you may ask... well, this last few weeks have been insane.  Not only has it been my 3 year anniversary with my fiance, but his birthday is coming up the day after Halloween so we have been getting ready for that party as well. 

I am also working on finishing up some clinical hours for one of my classes - going great by the way! I am in a preschool classroom and I learn so much from those kids :) More on that later. 

I have also been trying my hand at re-hydrating a kombucha scoby.  Tonight is when it is supposed to be completely re-hydrated and ready to move over to brew some real tea.  I guess we will see if we like it or not in the next few weeks. 

Amongst all of that, I haven't been keeping up Wii Fit like I should be or on writing as I should be.  I truly apologize about that, to both you and myself ;)

SO, if there is anything you guys would like to know about, send me a comment and I will try to answer questions the best that I can.  If I don't know the answer, I will try to find someone who does.

Thanks for stopping!
~Jessica

Healing Lip Balm

Do you spend tons on lip products to try to get rid of chapped, cracked lips? Do you have a different product for cold sores, everyday, and dry weather?  Stop spending those dollars and make an all purpose healing lip balm.  The following recipe will heal your chapped lips, help to fight cold sores, and provide a barrier against the harsh wind that we face here in Nebraska.

I found 2 recipes that I really liked so I combined them into my own type of recipe.  I am really happy with the results.  You can see the original recipes here and here.

Now, onto the recipe!

*Please remember to use only 100% pure essential oils when making skin products or other recipes.

Supplies Needed:
3 Tbs. Beeswax Pastilles
2 Tbs. Coconut Oil
1 1/2 Tbs. Shea Butter
1/2 teas. Vitamin E Oil
10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
10 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Lip balm pots or tubes (about 20 total)

 Combine all ingredients except essential oil in a glass jar (a glass measuring cup with spout works well for this).  Place in a pan of water over low heat.  Do not let the water come to a boil.  Stir the mixture frequently with a knife.
While the mixture is melting set up your pots or tubes on a piece of wax paper.  (I used it only for cleaning purposes.)
Once all the the ingredients have melted, turn off the heat.  Leave the jar in the warm water and add the essential oils.  Mix thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into your tubes or pots leaving a little bit of space at the top.  If you make a mess, as I did, use a knife to scrape the hardened mixture into one of your pots.  This stuff is to good to waste.  Let the tubes and pots sit to harden, about 10 minutes.  Put the lids on and enjoy.

The lip balm lasts on the lips for quite a while and has a slight lemon taste.  If you are more sensitive to one of the essential oils, you can simply omit it.  Lemon is known for it's disinfectant qualities, lavender for it's calming qualities, and peppermint for cooling.

Enjoy!
~Jessica

Lotion that Heals

Dry, chapped skin is never fun and I deal with it on a day to day basis.  I suffer from eczema and I have never really found any lotions that rid me of the itching that is associated with this and other skin conditions.  That is, until Rebecca at campwander.blogspot.com made an All-Purpose Healing Salve that works wonders! 
I changed the recipe a little to meet my skin needs and because she is always changing the recipe herself.  After realizing how well it worked, I looked into why store brand lotions never work for me.  The main answer I came up with: they all have Petrolatum.  More commonly known as petroleum jelly.  http://www.livestrong.com/article/226763-side-effects-of-petrolatum/ is an article that I read when researching a little bit about petrolatum.  Not only is it bad for the skin, but it is in almost every lotion that I own. 
So, onto the recipe!

You will need:
    4 or 5 jars.  (I use 4oz glass Ball quilted canning jars.)
    1 Cup of Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
    1 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (To get a white color of lotion, use Extra Light Tasting)
    5 Tablespoons of Beeswax Pastilles (They melt faster)
   10 Drops of Pure Lavender Essential Oil per jar (I use DoTerra for all my essential oils)
    8 Drops of Pure Lemon Essential Oil per jar
    6 Drops of Pure Melaleuca Essential Oil per jar
    3 Drops of Pure Frankincense Essential Oil per jar (Optional)
    Vitamin E Oil (Optional)
    Pot for boiling water
    Glass Bowl or Jar (I use a quart canning jar)

Procedure:
-Fill your pot half full with water, set on low to medium heat. The water should never come to a boil.
-Set your class jars on a nearby counter.
-In your large glass bowl or jar: add coconut oil, olive oil, and beeswax pastilles.
-Place into pot, stir occasionally with a knife.
-Prepare your small jars: add the drops of each essential oil directly into each small jar.
-Add a few drops of Vitamin E oil if desired.
-When all the ingredients in the large jar are melted together (10 minutes) put the contents into each small jar leaving about 1/2 inch from the top.
-Cover small jars with a paper towel and allow to cool.
-To speed up cooling process, you may put them in the refrigerator. 
-Top with lid once completely cool.

Uses:
-Cuts/Scrapes (instead of neosporin)
-Burns
-Dry skin/Eczema
-Warts
-Acne

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.There are other blends to try as well, but this is the most healing of them. 

~Jessica
   

doTerra

I have talked a little bit before about how I use essential oils everyday.  Today I just want to share a little bit about the oils that I use and how I use them.
DoTerra is the name of the company that I get my oils through because they are 100% pure.  They are safe to put on your skin, and your child's skin.  They are safe to diffuse in the air (they change the composition of air particles to actually make the odor go away).  They are even safe to ingest. 
One of the main reasons that I love using essential oils is because I know that they have no harmful side effects.  I have learned so much the past few months about different chemicals that are in a lot of lotions and soaps and it scares me to think what so many people are doing/putting on their bodies. 
Some of the easiest ways to use essential oils are:
     -Putting a drop on your skin (warts, dry skin, fungus, etc.)
     -Diffusing a drop in the air (air purity, disinfectant, etc.)
     -Putting a drop in water and drinking (use a glass or stainless steel bottle)
     -Brushing your teeth
     -Mouthwash
     -Perfume
There are so many other ways, these are just ways that I use every day.  I will try to put up some very specific blends that I use and how I use them.  After all flu season is coming and I don't even have a sniffle.

~Jessica

Celebrate

The other day in one of my classes we discussed in depth how important it is to celebrate student's achievements rather than focus on their failures.  This has been nagging at me for a few days now and I have thought a lot about the way that teachers use their words to either build up or break down a child.
Do you know what I am talking about?
Mrs. Dorman talked specifically about a kindergarten child who was trying to spell the word because.  The child wrote her first assignment with the spelling bkz.  Mrs. Dorman celebrated the fact that the child had a beginning sound, a middle sound, and an end sound.  After all, the child is only in kindergarten.  However, Mrs. Dorman did put a sticky note next to bkz and wrote because on it.  She also explained to the child that the bossy E on the end made the S sound like a Z.
A few weeks later, the child brought another writing assignment forward.  This time, she had because spelled beks.  The child had learned the sight word be, and used her knowledge to write a new word.  Again Mrs. Dorman celebrated the beginning, middle, and end sounds.  She also congratulated the child on using her prior knowledge and remembering that the E was bossy and made an S sound.  Again she put a sticky note on the child's paper with the proper spelling of because.
The next time the child brought her paper forward, the word because was spelled correctly.  WOO HOO!!! All the encouragement she had been getting had paid off.  "This child is a word expert.  She is an expert on the word because" said Mrs. Dorman to her class.  "If anyone needs to know how to spell because, they should come to her." 
Not only did Mrs. Dorman celebrate this child's accomplishment at spelling the word because, but she also built up the child to try to spell other words.  This child's writing is not held in place by what she knows how to spell.  She feels free to write whatever she is feeling, not just whatever she knows.
So why do so many teachers point out what children do wrong?  My hope is that someday every child is being celebrated for what they know, not what they don't.  I hope that I can be strong enough to give every child encouragement, to find the good that is always mixed in with the not so good.
I challenge all of you to do the same.

~Jessica

Friends

Friends are the best ever!  I think I've said that I live with my fiance and a roommate.  Well today, my fiance bought me a wii and wii fit! I am so excited! What makes this gesture even nicer is that he also bought my roommate a new guitar.

I think that the best thing in this world is for people to do nice things for each other.  If more people did nice things and didn't expect anything in return, then the world would be a much happier place to live in. 

I know that I haven't been writing as much the last few days, but school has been wiping me out.

~Jessica

Day Off

Sometimes it's so nice to have a day off.  Today was that day.  I took the day off of work and had no classes to attend because of Labor Day so I did absolutely nothing.  Don't get me wrong, I definitely should have done quite a few things....
     Laundry (I did do 2 loads)
     Baking (I made some link sausage)
     Homework (Not a thing)
     Unpacking (From the move to this house about 3 weeks ago)
     Cleaning (HA!)
     Taking the dogs for a walk (I was too lazy)
     Etc, etc....

So what did I do for a whole day?  Obviously not very much.  I caught up on some Netflix t.v., looked at Pinterest for some good recipes and teaching ideas, and surfed around the web for a few things.  I researched a little more about brewing Kombucha because I ordered a starter culture (so excited!) I want to get some grolsch style bottles for the brewing, but they are pretty expensive.

However, amongst all the things that didn't get done today, I did accomplish one very important thing.  I spent time with my fiance.  Sometimes we both get so caught up in everything and we forget to take a time out.  I love when we just have a day to veg out together.  It always hits me hard when we don't have that time. 

Maybe I'll get more done some other day, but for today I am in a state of great mental happiness!

What do you do on your days off?

~Jessica

People of the World

Today I have a short, but funny post.  I work at a convenience store and we always meet some pretty interesting people while working the cash register.  I am sure there will be many stories to come about this because a lot of the people make me think about how I want my children (eventually) to be raised and how I would expect the students in my classroom to treat people.
So, on with my story. 
Every time a customer walks in we are to greet that customer.  Well, today a man walked in and my co-worker greeted him.  Like most people, he looked up, smiled, and said hello.  Shortly after this exchange, his son walked in holding a D.S. (handheld video game) I said hello to the child and he just kept muttering at his game.  It is not uncommon for children to not greet us back, but it is uncommon for a child to be so wrapped up in a video game that they cannot even articulate anything to another person.  The child did not even tell his dad he wanted a drink.  He simply pointed and the father picked it up for him. 
So, I am thinking to myself: What makes that video game so interesting that a child could not put it down to walk into the store, get his own drink, and return playing it in the car?  I still don't have an answer.  What I do have is a few funny noises in my head from the child trying to beat whatever quest he was on.  Yes, I said funny noises.  This child was making noises at his video game, in a convenience store, in front of people he didn't even say hello to.
I hope to instill a respect in my students that will surpass the importance of a video game.  I hope that parents will teach their children about respect.  I have a higher hope in humanity.

~Jessica

Essential Oils and My Health

If you haven't heard of essential oils yet, where have you been?  I am so excited to use them in my classroom.  I started using doTerra essential oils because they are 100% pure.  I began my quest for better health after I had an ovarian cyst burst and send me to the emergency room (too much information, i know).  I am still working on paying off that hospital bill.  However, to keep myself from having to go to a bunch of appointments and pay other bills, I started searching for a more natural way to care for myself.
My search brought me to essential oils.  They are used for so many different things!  Not only do they smell amazing, they work at a cellular level to bring you better health.  One drop of a pure essential oil can help heal you in so many different ways. 
I have researched them over the past few months and found many other blogs that have helped me on my journey, and I hope to help you on yours.  The best three oils to start with, in my opinion, are Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint.  If you are unsure about all the uses, check out the doTerra blog.  I will have many more posts about recipes that I have used that work wonders or blends that I have created also.  The most important thing to remember is that you should always use 100% pure essential oils.

~Jessica

Introduction

I decided on the title for this blog based on my every day life.  I work hard, study harder, and love spending time with my friends.  I believe that everyone has a strength that comes from within, but everyone also pulls strength from what they know.  I want to share with you what I know and what I am passionate about.  I hope to learn from you and be inspired by you.

I am studying to be a teacher and I hope that someday I can inspire my students the same way that so many children have inspired me.  I hope to share some of those stories through this blog and I hope that I will hear some stories as well.  I am always willing to learn about new things and trying new things is a favorite of mine.

I love to try new recipes, crafts, and even cleaning agents.  I hope to share with you what so many others have shared with me.  Welcome to Strength in Knowing!

~Jessica