Grapefruit Lotion from Scratch

My first lotion experiment went well, but I wanted to make a slightly thicker product. I modified the original recipe by adding shea butter to thicken and replacing half of the almond oil with apricot oil just to mix it up.

My second lotion recipe:
5 cups of Water1/4 cup Sweet Almond Oil1/4 cup Apricot Oil
1/2 cup Emulsifying Wax1/4 cup Stearic Acid
1 Tbsp Raw Shea Butter1 Tbsp Citric Acid1 Tbsp Potassium Sorbate1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil1 teaspoon Grapefruit Essential OilRed Cosmetic Grade Colorant(yields 48 oz of lotion)

Pot one: emulsifying wax, almond oil, apricot oil, stearic acid and shea butter

Pot two: water and potassium sorbate

Both pots are heated. Pot one removed from heat as soon as wax has melted completely. Pot two is removed from heat right before boiling and citric acid is added. Pot two is slowly added to pot one while stirring. 

I stirred for 5 minutes and then let my lotion cool, stirring again every 20 minutes. After an hour had passed, I added vitamin E oil, grapefruit essential oil and red colorant to achieve the color and scent I desired. The lotion had to cool for another 2-3 hours before I could bottle it. 

While I waited for my lotion to cool, I created an ingredient label and a picture label for my lotion bottles:

Grapefruit Lotion
Handmade with Love by Audrey
Use within a year

Ingredients:

Water, Emulsifying Wax, Almond Oil, Apricot Oil, Stearic Acid, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Vitamin E Oil, Grapefruit Essential Oil and Cosmetic Grade Red Colorant

Homemade Lavender Lotion

I became interested in making my own lotion from scratch after making it in a lab for the organic chemistry course I was taking. We used lanolin (sheep fat) which is pretty common in commercial lotions. In the lab, we experimented with different ingredients to see how they impacted the final lotion product.

  

        I enjoyed the lab but wanted to make a vegan lotion, using plant based fats. I wanted to add scent and possibly color. I started googling recipes for diy lotion and quickly became frustrated. Many diy recipes for products like lotion and soap are just wrong. Lotions are emulsions, meaning there is a liquid portion blending with a fat/oil/wax portion. In order for this to occur, an emulsifying agent must be used. Far too many of the diy recipes I found were just blending fats together (won't moisturize skin and dosent really qualify as lotion) or missing the emulsifying agent (meaning the final product will separate when left standing)! I lost some faith in the internet diy community that day.
        I started by looking at ingredient labels of lotions from my favorite natural body care brands, including Lush, Honest Co and the Body Shop. I looked at what ingredients overlapped, what was found in all the lotions. I researched the ingredients that stood out and started developing a recipe with them, following the model we used in the chemistry lab. While the chemicals in lotion making are fairly harmless, I strongly believe that a background knowledge of some chemistry basics is necessary to make a proper lotion from scratch.

        The first recipe I concocted was:
5 cups of Water
1/2 cup Sweet Almond Oil
1/2 cup Emulsifying Wax
1/4 cup Stearic Acid
1 Tbsp Citric Acid
1 Tbsp Potassium Sorbate
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
1 teaspoon Lavender Essential Oil
Blue & Red Cosmetic Grade Colorant
(yields 48 oz of lotion)

Pot one: emulsifying wax, almond oil and stearic acid

Pot two: water, potassium sorbate

Both pots are heated. Pot one is removed from heat as soon as wax has melted.

Pot two is removed from heat right before boiling and citric acid is added. At this point, I took the temperature of both pots to make sure they were close to each other.

Pot two is slowly added to pot one while stirring.

Stirring really helps the emulsifying agent do its job and keeps the oils and liquids from separating. I stirred for a solid 5 minutes and then let it sit, stirring every 20-30 minutes for the next 3 hours.

After the lotion had cooled for one hour, I added the lavender essential oil, vitamin E oil and cosmetic grade colorants. I didn't really measure these, just slowly added and stirred until I got the color and smell I was looking for. (I went for a light purple which was hard to capture in pictures)

Once the lotion had almost cooled completely (about 3 hours) I used a funnel to bottle my lotions. I'm really happy with the way the lotion turned out. I had fun labeling the containers too.

I used 8oz and 4oz containers for my lotion. This recipe yielded 48 oz of lotion. The consistency was somewhat liquidy making it ideal for a pump style container. It has a nice lavender scent and moisturizes the skin without leaving any greasy residue.

Homemade Sushi

I am by no means an expert at making sushi. My first experience was in Experimental Food Science at Queens College. It turned out great in class so I decided to try it at home.

Ingredients: (make 4 rolls)

- 2 cups raw Short Grain White Rice*

- 4 sheets Roasted Nori (Seaweed)

-1/4 Avocado 

-1/2 Cucumber 

-1/2 Large Carrot 

-Roasted Sesame Seeds

*When making sushi, short grain rice is necessary because the short grains have a higher concentration of the starch amylopectin which allows for a sticky consistency. Long grain rices have higher concentration of the starch amylose which allows the grain to separate for a fluffier, drier consistency.

Tools:

-Sushi rolling mat

-Plastic wrap

-Wooden spoon (rice paddle)

Directions:

1. Cut your vegetables (carrots, avocado and cucumber) into long slices.

2. Lay out the mat and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap to keep rice out of the mat.

3. Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on top of the plastic wrap

4. Spread a thin layer of rice over the sheet of nori. Use water to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. 

5. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice and cover with another layer of plastic wrap.

6. Flip the sushi over, rice side down and remove the layer of plastic wrap on the nori.

7. Add 4-6 slices of the avocado, cucumber, and carrots.

 8. Carefully roll the sushi, pulling back on the plastic wrap to remove it. Press firmly to shape the roll.

To serve just slice the roll. Soy sauce or wasabi go well on the side.

Nutrient Facts: 

Sushi The portion size in this chart represents one roll (cuts up to 8-10 pieces)
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	406 Calories
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	10 g
Carbohydrate	81 g
Dietary Fiber	3 g
Total Sugars	1 g
Total Fat	4 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	54 mg
Potassium	259 mg
Sodium	32 mg
Copper	417 µg
Iron	5 mg
Magnesium	73 mg
Phosphorus	167 mg
Selenium	22 µg
Zinc	2 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	66 µg RAE
Vitamin C	2 mg
Vitamin K	6 µg
Folate	289 µg DFE
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Making Healthier Recipes

This weekend I took a recipe I knew I liked and tweaked it to make it healthier.

My Great Grandmothers Banana Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cups Butter
3 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2  teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cup Sugar
4 Eggs
4 over-ripe Bananas
3/4 cup Walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Mix butter, eggs and sugar
Mash bananas and add salt, baking soda and vanilla
Mix everything together
Bake for 1 hour
Makes 2 loaves

Nutrient Facts:

Grandma Helen's Banana Bread Portions: 20 (2 loaves)
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	232 Calories
Empty Calories*	99 Calories
Added Sugars	57 Calories
*Calories from food components such as added sugars and solid fats that provide little nutritional value.
Empty Calories are part of Total Calories.
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	4 g
Carbohydrate	35 g
Dietary Fiber	1 g
Total Sugars	18 g
Added Sugars	14 g
Total Fat	9 g
Saturated Fat	3 g
Monounsaturated Fat	2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	3 g
Cholesterol	55 mg
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	15 mg
Potassium	140 mg
Sodium	288 mg
Copper	129 µg
Phosphorus	61 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	53 µg RAE
Vitamin C	2 mg
Vitamin K	1 µg
Folate	67 µg DFE
Choline	27 mg

My Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Unflavored Almond Milk
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2  teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1  cup Brown Sugar (1/4 cup to sprinkle for crust)
6 Brown, over-ripe Bananas
1 cup Peanut Butter

Directions:
Mix everything together

Bake for 1 hour at 350
Makes 2 loaves

Nutrient Facts:

Vegan PB Banana Bread Portions: 20 (2 Loaves)
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	213 Calories
Empty Calories*	39 Calories
Added Sugars	36 Calories
*Calories from food components such as added sugars and solid fats that provide little nutritional value.
Empty Calories are part of Total Calories.
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	6 g
Carbohydrate	34 g
Dietary Fiber	2 g
Total Sugars	15 g
Added Sugars	9 g
Total Fat	7 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	2 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	28 mg
Potassium	260 mg
Sodium	296 mg
Copper	290 µg
Iron	3 mg
Magnesium	63 mg
Phosphorus	71 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	156 µg RAE
Vitamin C	3 mg
Vitamin E	6 mg AT
Vitamin K	0 µg
Folate	122 µg DFE
Niacin	3 mg
Choline	14 mg
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

Analysis: By switching the butter and eggs in the original recipe for almond milk and extra bananas, my vegan version is much healthier. With fewer calories, less saturated fat and no cholesterol, my version also contains more protein, calcium and vitamin A than my great grandmothers recipe.

Vegan Sloppy Joes

This recipe was shared with me by a family member when they heard I had adopted a vegan diet. I have tweaked the original recipe from the Imus Ranch Cookbook for kids and cowboys, which includes a bunch of delicious vegan recipes and helps raise money for kids with cancer.

Vegan Cowboy Sloppy Joes:

Ingredients:

    2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
    1 medium Onion, diced
    1 green Pepper, diced
    4 cloves Garlic, peeled and sliced
    2 teaspoons dried Oregano
    3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
    32 oz Tomato Juice
    14.5 oz Fire-roasted diced Tomatoes
    1/2 teaspoon Salt
    1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
    2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce**
    1 teaspoon spicy mustard (optional)
    4 Cups Textured Vegetable Protein
    8 Hamburger Buns
    Optional: 2 cups shredded soy mozzarella cheese
   **If you don't happen to have Worcestershire sauce, for this recipe you can substitute:
   1 Tablespoon Chili Powder  
   1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce 
   1/2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar 
   1/2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar 
   1 teaspoon Lime Juice
   add 1/2 clove Garlic to the original amount

How To: 
-Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 
-When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, garlic and oregano & sauté until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. 
-Add the balsamic vinegar and boil to reduce by half, about 3 minutes. 
-Transfer everything to a larger pot and add vegetable cocktail, tomatoes, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce**, and mustard and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, 

-Add the textured veggie protein and stir until it is softened and the liquid is absorbed.
    

Nutrition Facts: Vegan Cowboy Sloppy Joes Portions: 8
Total Calories	159 Calories
Empty Calories*	2 Calories
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	14 g
Carbohydrate	19 g
Dietary Fiber	6 g
Total Sugars	11 g
Added Sugars	0 g
Total Fat	4 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	3 g
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	50 mg
Potassium	475 mg
Sodium	585 mg
Copper	135 µg
Iron	3 mg
Magnesium	28 mg
Phosphorus	50 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	41 µg RAE
Vitamin C	43 mg
Vitamin E	1 mg AT
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

Green Smoothies & Vegan Banana Ice Cream

We all know that fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but many of us struggle to get the recommended amounts each day. Smoothies are a great way for people who don't want a vegetable flavor to still get the nutrients from consuming them. Recently in NYC I have noticed more and more smoothie carts that blend fresh fruit at your request. I love it. I myself have been blending with my Ninja blender for almost four years now. Through trial and error I've learned a few tricks and come up with a few recipes I love.

Tips:

- You need a good blender. I have never had a problem with my ninja. I have struggled trying to use other blenders that only had blades at the bottom.

- Pineapple and Banana are sweet enough to over power any vegetable flavor. Banana can also be frozen for a creamier smoothie.

Recipes:

-Banana Ice Cream (Vegan)
1.Cut up bananas into slices or small chunks
2. Freeze (3-4 hours)
3. Blend until smooth
Optional: Add frozen berries or small pieces of chocolate to the blender to add extra flavor

Nutrition Facts for Banana:

1. Calories 105 (Per Banana)

2. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 0.4 g	0%
   Potassium 422 mg	12%
   Total Carbohydrate 27 g	9%
   Dietary fiber 3.1 g	12%
   Sugar 14 g
   Protein 1.3 g	2%

   Vitamin A	1%	Vitamin C	17%
   Calcium	0%	Iron	1%
   Vitamin D	0%	Vitamin B-6	20%
   Vitamin B-12	0%	Magnesium	8%

-Green Smoothie (serves 2 adults)
   2 cups greens (kale or spinach)
   1 cup pineapple or banana
   3/4 cup berries, peaches or other fruit
   1/2-1 cup almond milk (you could also use regular milk or ice)
Blend fruits and vegetables, adding almond milk gradually until desired texture is reached.

   Mint, Pineapple & Kale                                           Orange, Pineapple & Kale















Strawberry, Banana & Spinach

NYC locations, places to grab a delicious smoothie on the go:

 Liquiteria has multiple locations in NYC

 

                                 E11th st

Juice Generation is another great place with multiple locations in Manhattan