Reusable Bread Bag Tutorial

Materials needed:

• Nylon thread
• thin sewing machine needle
• 20 inches ripstop nylon (this is enough nylon for 3 reusable bread bags)

Cut list for each bag:

• 20 x 17" ripstop nylon
• 20 x 2" ripstop nylon

Homemade Bread

After nearly 20 failed loaves, I finally came up with the PERFECT bread recipe to replace store-bought bread. It is spongey, light, and flexible. It is easy to slice thin, it freezes well, costs only 68 cents a loaf, and best of all, it is DELICIOUS! A huge added bonus is that it is only 65 calories a slice when cut into 16 slices (entire loaf contains 1040 calories, 10 grams fiber, 35 grams protein).

I like to make multiple loaves at a time. Be sure to let it cool completely before slicing and use a good bread knife to do so.

• 100 grams water
• 40 grams 6-grain dry oatmeal
• 7 grams (1/2 tbsp) butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 100 grams warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 2 tsp rapid rise yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 200 grams + 40 grams bread flour
• cooking spray (oil in an oil mister bottle)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine 100 grams water, oatmeal, butter, and salt. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine 100 grams warm water, yeast, and sugar. Whisk together and allow to sit until frothy (about 10 minutes). Stir in cooled oatmeal mixture and 200 grams bread flour. 

In a small bowl, measure out 40 grams bread flour. Dump that flour on a clean work space and place dough on top. Knead dough for 15 minutes, spraying with a little cooking spray if it becomes sticky. Return dough to mixing bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Use cooking spray to grease a small area of your work surface. Transfer dough to that area and knead for an additional 3 minutes. Form into a loaf-shape and place into a greased 9" loaf pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. 

After 35 minutes, start preheating oven to 400. Once dough has risen 1-2 inches above the top of the pan, put it in the oven immediately and bake for 25 minutes. It is VERY important not to let it over-rise and to get it in the hot oven the moment it's ready! Failure to do this will result in a loaf that collapses mid-baking.

Allow to cool completely before slicing (at least 4 hours). Sliced bread freezes beautifully in an old bread bag! Store fresh bread in an air-tight container or bag. 

For hamburger buns, after kneading the dough a second time, tear dough into 8 balls, each weighing 65 grams. Place buns on a cookie sheet and let rise for 30 minutes before preheating the oven to 400. Bake for 20 minutes. Each hamburger bun contains 130 calories.

Homemade Oat Milk

This milk is not only cheap to make but it is also incredibly easy. It took me under 3 minutes to make a batch including clean up. Be sure to purchase your oats from the bulk section of your grocery store so you aren't purchasing unnecessary packaging that'll just end up in the garbage. Give yourself bonus points if you use a reusable bag intended for bulk foods (I made mine out of lightweight ripstop nylon).

Now, onto the cost breakdown. Steel-cut oats are 99 cents a pound in the bulk section of my favorite store, making this dairy-free, plant-based, milk alternative come in at 29 cents a quart (although I recently saw steel cut oats on sale for 69 cents a pound, making a quart of milk a mere 20 cents)! Even if you use a pricier variety of dry oatmeal such as 6-grain oats ($1.49 per pound), it still figures out to be only 43 cents per quart! A HUGE difference considering I used to pay $2 per quart for my favorite plant milk (almond milk to be specific) and the brand Pacific's variety of oat milk comes in at $3.49 per quart!

• 133 grams steel cut oats (or 6-grain oats from Sprouts' bulk section)
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of coarse salt
• nut bag, cheesecloth, or fine strainer
• optional: honey, maple syrup, or cocoa powder

Rinse oats in a nut bag, fine sieve, or cheesecloth then transfer into your blender. Blend oats with two cups of water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend once more. Strain milk using the same nut bag/sieve/cheesecloth you did for the oats. Leftover pulp can be used in cookie and bread recipes, dehydrated then ground into oat flour, or froze for future use. Flavor the milk any way you'd like (or not at all) and store in an air tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Remember to shake before use.

Lotion Bar

These lotion bars are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite things to make. The shea butter and coconut oil moisturizes while the beeswax protects the skin and seals in the moisture. They work so well that you'll be able to moisturize less often even if you typically have dry skin. If you don't have a food scale, just measure out equal amounts of each ingredient, such as a quarter cup.

• 20 grams beeswax pellets
• 25 grams shea butter
• 25 grams coconut oil

Melt together in a small saucepan over low heat then pour into mould of your choice (cupcake pan, dixie cups, silicone muffin liners... etc)

Homemade Sunscreen

With more people becoming health-conscious, natural options of just about everything seem to be increasing in popularity. The downside to this is that these healthier alternatives tend to cost up to ten times as much as their chemical-ridden relatives. For example, the popular Badger brand of sunscreen costs $15 for a small tube containing less than 3 ounces of sunscreen. That's a whopping $5 per ounce! This expensive sunscreen contains all the same ingredients as my homemade version (beeswax, natural oils, and zinc oxide) and for the cost of about 3 tubes, you can purchase all the ingredients and make it yourself for a measily 66 cents per ounce.

A single batch ends up costing $3.62, makes about 5 1/2 ounces, and takes about 5 minutes to make. You should be able to find shea butter and coconut oil at a natural health store. Beeswax pellets can sometimes be hard to find so you're probably better off ordering that along with the zinc oxide powder from an online store such as Amazon.

Here's a breakdown of the costs of ingredients. Please keep in mind that while prices can vary quite dramatically, you shouldn't have any issue finding the ingredients at the following price points.

beeswax: $12 per pound (37 cents per batch)
shea butter: $10 per 16 oz ($1.25 per batch)
coconut oil: $10 per 16 oz ($1.25 per batch)
zinc oxide powder: $12 per pound (75 cents per batch)

This sunscreen is waterproof, protects against the entire spectrum of UVA and UVB rays, and has an SPF of 30 (SPF can be increased by adding more zinc oxide). It is natural, safe, and a great choice for kids and adults alike. Like all sunscreens, it should be reapplied every hour, especially after swimming or sweating.

• 1/2 oz (1/8 cup) beeswax pellets
• 2 oz (1/4 cup) shea butter
• 2 oz (1/4 cup) coconut oil
• 1 oz (2 tablespoons) zinc oxide powder

In a small saucepan, melt beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil over low heat. Pour liquid into a bowl along with the zinc oxide and whisk until combined and lump-free. Pour into a small, wide-mouthed jar and allow to cool until using.

rubs in easily!