Delightful Chicken Salad

As you may have read in a previous post, I love using leftover chicken to make chicken salad. Last week Lizzy decided to put a whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery store in my fridge, and I knew right away that it would make a great chicken salad. You really just need shredded up chicken and dressing, like mayonnaise, but ideally you'll want to include celery, cucumbers, maybe chopped onion, a little spicy mustard, etc. The combination I whipped up today came out really well, so I want to document the recipe.

• half a grocery store rotisserie chicken (I used the dark meat) OR grill a large chicken breast
• some finely chopped red onion (~ 1/4 C.)
• some finely chopped banana peppers (~ 1/4 C.)
• 1-2 Tablespoons of the banana pepper liquid from the jar
• half a sweet red pepper
• half a cucumber
• 1/2 Tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 Talespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C. mayonnaise 
• 2-3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together and serve on rye bread topped with cucumber slices.

Essential Oils

When I first made chap sticks last year I purchased two small bottles of essential oils -- peppermint and rosemary. Then, since I had them around, I figured I'd try the peppermint oil in candle making, to give a good, strong scent, and add therapeutic properties. This led me to order several more bottles of essential oils to use in candle making. I haven't used them to make candles yet, but just having them sitting around for a few weeks has triggered a new interest in essential oils and all their wonderful uses. I've already ordered another 6 or 7 bottles to add to the first few I got. I'll list here some of the different ways I've started using essential oils to make my home and life cleaner, fresher, more therapeutic, and less chemical.

Cotton Ball in Vacuum Cleaner Bag --  to provide a fresh scent and antiseptic properties. Try peppermint, lime, lavender...

Air Freshener -- water, vodka and various oils in a glass sprayer bottle

All Purpose Cleaner -- water, castile soap, baking soda, tea tree oil plus other oils for fragrance

Glass Spray Bottles for cleaner and air freshener -- remove the plastic spray cap from a plastic spray bottle and use it in combination with a glass bottle that has a screw top (e.g., from a bottle of soda). I started ordering sprayer nozzles and using them on green glass Perrier bottles. You can use the mineral water to make mouth wash.

Mouth Wash -- 8 ounces of water (try mineral water) with baking soda, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil. Shake and rinse.

Adding to a Hot Bath -- place several drops in water while drawing a bath; try with bath salts. Try ginger for sore muscles, eucalyptus for breathing, patchouli for skin and mind rejuvenation, lavender to soothe and calm the body and mind.

Electric Diffuser -- drop oil on pad; place pad in diffuser; plug diffuser into wall outlet. Try:

stimulating: peppermint, citrus oils

relaxing, sleeping: lavender

better breathing, sinuses: lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint

meditation, rejuvenation: patchouli, frankincense, rosemary
cleaning, clearing the air: 

Inhalation Method -- place a drop or two of oil in palms; rub together, place hands over mouth and nose and inhale deeply 6 times. Try peppermint to wake up, citrus for mood enhancing, lavender to relax!

Apply Directly with a Carrier Oil -- I've been adding a few drops of patchouli and ginger to olive oil and rubbing it all over my dry cracked Winter skin.

Face Wash -- liquid castile soap, water, vitamin E oil, almond and/or olive oils, plus tea tree and other choice of essential oils

Candles

Made some new candles last month.... The bigger (32 oz.) mason jars came out really nice. I made some with wooden wicks, some with hemp wicks, some cotton. I used mason jars, Altoid containers and other former candle jars. The ones I made with the peppermint essential oils do not have a strong enough scent. You need to use about 5ml of essential oil for a pound of wax. Let's remember that next time...