As the weather warms up, get those feet ready for their annual unveiling with this recipe for a neem-heavy lotion I can only term a “slather.” It hits the warmth of your skin and liquefies into a juicy, emollient boon for the toughest hide.
Neem and calendula are both well-regarded for their skin-healing properties. The peppermint essential oil is cooling and helps tame the assertive scent of pure neem oil. Shea butter and coconut oil are just plain good.
Peppermint Foot Slather
3 Tablespoons Shea butter
2 Tablespoons Coconut oil
1 Tablespoon plus 1 tsp. beeswax
4 Tablespoons Neem oil
1 tsp. calendula extract
1 tsp. peppermint essential oil
Melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax in a double boiler, just until melted. Remove from heat and add the neem oil, calendula extract, and peppermint eo. Stir well. Pour into container(s).
Makes approx. 4 oz.
For the most effective use, slather on feet before bed and cover with cotton socks for an overnight treatment.
I am loving this as a spa washcloth for the massaging quality of the “pebbles.” Mmm.
On a less indulgent note, the pebbles are also good for scrubbing dishes. *sigh*
Pebble Cloth
Yarn: Dishcloth cotton, e.g., Sugar ‘n Cream from Lily
Needles: Size 6 or your favorite for dishcloths
Cast on 36 sts.
Knit all for 3 rows.
Row 1: (RS) K all.
Row 2: K3, P to last 3 sts, K3.
Row 3: K4, *K2tog, rep from * to last 4 sts, K4.
Row 4: K4, *K1 in horizontal bar before next st, k1, rep from * to last 4 sts, K4.
Repeat these 4 rows until square or until you have your desired size cloth.
K all 3 rows.
Bind off.
I know, know. You’re thinking next I’ll be posting a tutorial on how to blow your nose.
But, talking to Ivory the other day about how hard it is to shell fresh, hardboiled eggs, (yes, we are exciting people, I believe it is our fourth conversation on the subject) I mentioned how I just crack ‘em and spoon ‘em like soft-boiled eggs and she wanted more info on my technique.
“Everybody knows how to do this, right?”
Apparently not so much. Thinking about it, I realized I hadn’t even taught my oldest how to do it, since he’s strictly a scrambled guy.
So, since it may be becoming a lost art in some circles, here’s how to spoon out an egg, plus a refesher on how to get the eggs boiled in the first place.
Apologies to those who are saying, “duh!”
How to Make Soft-Boiled Eggs
Put however many eggs you want in one layer in a pan deep enough so you can add water to cover at the least one inch above the top of the eggs.
Cover and bring to the boil, just.
Take off the heat and let sit, still covered, from one to four minutes until desired degree of doneness. Generally speaking, one minute for very runny, to 4 minutes for almost firm.
Here’s how to get at all that eggy goodness:
With confidence, but without malice, crack the egg on a rounded edge like the edge of a bull-nosed countertop or a well-loved wooden kitchen table.
Put both thumbs (only one shown here because I’m taking a picture with the other hand) at the point of the crack and firmly pull the egg into two.
Taking a spoon, preferably one with a tapered edge, gently insert the spoon between the shell and the egg.
Slowly ease the spoon all around the egg insides, trying to stay as close to the inside of the shell as possible without picking up any egg shell fragments, and remove the egg from the shell.
Repeat with the other side. Serve on hot, buttered toast.
Stick a fork in it. It’s done.
P.S. As alluded to earlier, this spooning method is how I get fresh eggs out of the shell after hard-boiling unless I need the eggs whole. I shell them this way for egg salad, chopped boiled eggs, etc. because it’s just too frustrating to peel very fresh eggs.
