Another Chance Ranch

An Easy Recipe for Homemade Lotion

A while back I posted that I had made my own laundry soap and fabric softener, and I linked to the recipes that I used.  I had several other people making their own laundry detergent as well.  A friend from church said that her son wrote on his college application that he makes his own laundry detergent!  How cool is that!?

After I told another friend from church about what I was doing she told me about the lotion recipe she uses, and happens to love.  So, I had to try it and I like it so I had to share it with you too.

I was spending the night with my grandparents the night I got the wild hair to make this lotion, so my Granny and I made it together.  It was fun! 

This is such an easy recipe, and you can get almost everything you need at the Dollar Store.  Doesn't that make it that much better?

Pour the lotion...

the Vitamin E cream...

and the petroleum jelly.

After combining the lotion, vitamin E cream, and the petroleum jelly get your electric mixer out and mix it up for approximately 5 minutes.

Here's when I wished Granny had a Kitchen Aid mixer. 

Now it is time to add the fragrance using essential oils.  We used Nature's Sunshine essential oils, which you can learn about at Another Chance Nutrition.

We wanted to try several different fragrances; we didn't want approximately 43.5 ounces of lotion that all smelled the same.  Some days you want something fruity and the next you might want something flowery.  That is why we split it up into several small containers. 

The essential oils that we chose were Jasmine and Rose.

We started out by using one drop of oil to these little containers, because trust me on this, less is more.

We were expecting to use Lavendar essential oil, but then my Uncle brought us some Jasmine and it was all over! 

After making this, I think the next time I might add a little more vitamin E cream just to make the lotion a little thicker.  I haven't tried it with more yet, so if you try it and you add more vitamin E cream would you please tell me how it turns out?

This is great lotion for your feet, especially with flip flop weather inching up on us. 

One Hot Mess of Jalapenos - An Inspired Recipe

We are a spicy food lovin' family!  It started when I was in my mama's womb.  She ate chips and hot sauce then, and that just might have started my love for heat. 

When I was young we used to eat at a restaurant called El Burrito in Shawnee, OK.  I loved their tamales!  Loved them!!  The only problem was that every single time I ate them I got sick.  I mean puking those wonderful tamales back up.  Eventually I quit ordering them.

This same restaurant, which is no longer there, had some really good hot sauce.  We liked it anyway.  Somehow my mom got the recipe for it.  I don't know if she made it up or what, but it tastes just like it and I make it all. the. time. 

These days our favorite place to go is another Mexican restaurant, and they serve fried jalapenos.  My dad introduced me to them.  Now, McD and I are addicted!  I will be planting lots of pepper plants in my garden this year.  We seriously need help! 

I decided to follow in my mama's footsteps and figure out this recipe, if you can even call it a recipe. I've decided that it is so good that I must share it with you.

First of all, buy lots of jalapenos.  I decided to make a small batch for this post.

If you like the heat then leave the seeds, if you prefer less heat then remove the seeds.  They taste great with or without the seeds.  Promise.

Be sure to put them in the fryer basket before setting the basket into the heated oil.

See how shiny and new that fryer looks?  That's because it is my new toy! 

Yes, I know it isn't the "in" thing to fry things, but honestly, I've never really been "in."  McD loves these, therefore, I make these.  I tend to spoil the man.

Let's talk about my new toy. 

When we got married, 20+ years ago, we were given a Fry Daddy.  Those were a big then back then.  We used it a lot, and I loved it, but the new fryers are just cooler.  I won't melt the lid on this one like I did the Fry Daddy. :)

This one is an Emeril deep fryer by TFAL.  It has an oil storage container with its own filtration system.  That was what caught my eye.

I really want to make some hush puppies. I'm thinking maybe we should have a fish fry.  I am getting hungry just thinking about everything I could fry.

Let's get back to the yummy goodness of the fried peppers.

Now, I will fill you in on a little secret.  When my dad orders these at the restaurant, he asks them to bring lime with it.  He squeezes the lime juice over the peppers, and says that it cuts some of the heat. It does, and it tastes great!

Enjoy!

Cowboy Beans - The Recipe

This recipe came from our friend, Ann.  She is the better half to the doctor I once worked for, and she has made this for us several times.  We love it so much that I just had to share it with you, especially since today is the perfect weather for some yummy comfort food.

Cowboy Beans

1 pound hamburger

1 pound bacon

1 pound sausage

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 cup barbeque sauce

2 Tablespoons mustard

2 onions, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1 can pork & beans

1 can black-eye peas

1 can butter beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can northern beans

jalapenos to taste

- Fry hamburger, bacon (chopped), and sausage.  Drain.  Combine with beans after draining juice from beans.  Add all other ingredients, and cook for 45 minutes or so.

This recipe freezes well.

Let me know if you try it!  It is delicious!!