All Posts By

Angel

Using Kawakawa for cancer

Posted on 3 August 2024

Is there space for Natural treatments along with conventional treatments to teat cancer? In my opinion yes on all levels. I would never proclaim one treatment is a cure all, but using the two together can work in harmony.

As I work my way through my various treatments for my uterine cancer I am using Kawakawa for a multitude of uses. I love my Kawakawa, I have seven plants so thankfully am not short. But if you wish to source Kawakawa in bulk I do recommend the listings of Fresh leaves from paora14 on trademe https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/search?member_listing=1009753&bof=Mb0B2FcC and a dehydrator, be it a $60 number from Kmart or whatever.

I have created an infusion of Kawakawa oils, and this I use on my radiated skin. Due to having very sensitive skin I chose to use the Kawakawa infused oils only on my skin instead of the cream offered, this has proved very efficient. Many offer salves and balms for this purpose – after speaking to my radiotherapy team it is ill advised as the waxes and butters can build up on the skin, making it harder for the radiation beams to penetrate the skin, so defeating it’s purpose. Oils are a different story as they wear and wash off with ease. I will share my formulation in the coming weeks. I still have one week of radiotherapy down here in Dunedin, and then I will be having another type over four days in Christchurch.

My radiotherapy concentrates over the pelvis and lower half of the stomach, there are a few common side effects due to this type of treatment, Nausea, Diarrhoea, Constipation, and Urinary burning. But I am experiencing none. I was offered a medication for nausea, but after experiencing every side effect I made the decision to not use it. I had already decided that I would use Kawakawa tea to manage the side effects. Before each treatment I have to consume over one litre of liquid, so 500mls of that liquid is Kawakawa tea. I have had no nausea, no bladder problems, nothing apart from the usual fatigue associated with radiotherapy. I do make my tea on the stronger side.

Please advise your treatment team if you do wish to use Kawakawa or any complimentary treatment, as some may interfere with the conventional treatment you are receiving.

Kawakawa Tea

5 leaves, dried
500mls of water

The leaves are torn up, placed in an enamel teapot or pot and placed on the burner, bring it to boil then. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. I drink it cold the next day.

DIY Naturals Articles

Soap making equipment

Posted on 30 March 2024

Safety First!
Caution, lye is a strong, caustic chemical, please ensure safety gear is always worn when making soap! Everything that you use in making soap must be kept as such, and never be used for any other purposes.

This is all we use, apart from the stick blender, we started off with a Kmart one then purchased a Kenwood Triblade (which I absolutely love).

Kmart
Stainless Steel Milk Jug – used for measuring lye
Slimline Kitchen Scale
3.5L Enamel Bowl (optional) – instead of a saucepan for melting solid oils
Stick Mixer
Set of 3 Plastic Mixing Bowls – for mixing soap batters

Briscoes – (purchase when on sale)
Wiltshire Baking Mat x 2 – protects surfaces
Wiltshire Silicone Corner Scraper x 2 – mixing lye and water and the second for mixing oils
O Cuisine Borosilicate Measuring Jug 1L – to measure liquid oils into

Save barn
Stainless Steel Measuring Jug 1L – used for mixing lye mix in
AVANTI Silicone Ice Cube Tray with Carrier 32 Cup

Boowan Nicole – free shipping to New Zealand
Rectangular Silicone Loaf Soap Mold with Wood Box – all soap recipes bar the household soap is formulated to fit this mold $26.00
or
42oz Silicone Soap Loaf Mold with Stainless Steel Straight Cutter Combo Set $72.00 NZD

Safety goggles – local hardware store

Chux Disposable Gloves Extra Grip – from most supermarkets

Mini Measuring Glass – measuring essential oils into

Bamboo chopstick – assists pouring essential oils – see our Tricks of the trade page

1 litre Preserving Jar – macerating oils (used for Kawakawa soap etc)

DIY Naturals Articles

Oils used in Soap Making

Posted on 29 March 2024

How to Pick the best oils for you and your skin?

Choosing oils and butters is a balance of personal preference and what your skin needs.
Do you like a hard bar? Do you want lots of lather?
Is your skin dry? Is it important to you to have a vegan recipe?
Some butters and oils, like coconut, are solid at room temperature.

Properties of commonly used soapmaking oils

Oil / Butter	Highlights	Max % Usage
Almond Oil, Sweet	Lightweight, conditioning, easily absorbed	Up to 20%
Apricot Kernel Oil	Lightweight, conditioning, easily absorbed	Up to 15%
Argan Oil	Silky, moisturising, vitamin rich	Up to 10%
Avocado Oil	Rich in vitamins A, B, D, E, high levels of fatty acids	Up to 20%
Beeswax	Hardens bar	Up to 8%
Babassu Oil	Firm, cleansing	Up to 33%
Castor Oil	Amazing lather	Up to 10%
Canola Oil	Balanced bar with creamy lather (substitute for olive oil)	Up to 33%
Cocoa Butter	luxurious and moisturising	Up to 15%
Coconut Oil	Very cleansing, great lather	Up to 33%
Grapeseed Oil	Lightweight, skin softening	Up to 15%
Hemp Seed Oil	Very hydrating, great lather	Up to 15%
Jojoba Oil	Firms bar	Up to 10%
Kokum Butter	Llightweight and moisturising	Up to 10%
Mango Butter	Firming, moisturising	Up to 15%
Meadowfoam Oil	Moisturizing	Up to 15%
Neem Oil	Moisturising and full of antioxidants	3-6%
Olive Oil	Moisturising	Up to 100%
Palm Oil	Hardens bar, good lather	Up to 33%
Rice Bran Oil	Rich in vitamin E and antioxidants	Up to 20%
Shea butter	Feels luxurious and moisturizing	Up tp 15%
Sunflower Oil	Rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E	Up tp 100%

How do you turn this into a workable recipe?

It’s easy! (Sort of.).

First, you need to convert percentages to weights. This will require little thinking, to know how much your mold holds simply use Soapees lye calculator to work this out for you. So let’s say you have a mold that holds 1 kilogram. So you have approximately 680 grams of oils to work with (depending on your water discount). If 25% of your recipe needs to be olive oil, enter this, keep going down your recipe converting into weights of the oils you want to use, and it will let you know how much lye and water is needed for your recipe.

Try a bar that’s 30% each coconut, olive, and light oils, following the percentages as guides to make up the remaining.

Main dishes

Smoked fish pie

Posted on 5 August 2023

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
50g Butter, plus extra for buttering dish
1 Onion, finely sliced
5 Tbsp Flour
2 cups Milk, full cream
310g tinned Smoked fish

Preheat the oven to 190ºC lightly butter an ovenproof baking dish.
Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water until tender. Drain and mash with ¼ cup milk and 1 Tbsp butter. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and add the onion. Sauté until the onion is soft and clear, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the flour and stir well. Slowly work in the milk.
Place back over a medium heat, stirring continuously and cook until the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Place the tinned fish in a bowl and break up until fine, add to the sauce. Return to heat fora few minutes.
Spoon mixture into a shallow 8-cup ovenproof dish. Spread with mashed potato, fluffing surface with a fork for a crust. Dot potato with remaining butter and bake 200C for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Serve.

Cakes

Coffee sponge

Posted on 4 July 2023

(serves 8-10)

4 eggs at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp milk

2 Tbsp butter

2 tsp coffee powder or granules

Heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Grease or spray 2 x 21cm tins then line with baking paper.

Separate eggs and beat whites until stiff. Add the yolks and beat thoroughly.

Slowly add the sugar, beating well after each addition.

Sift flour and baking powder over the mixture in two lots.

Fold into mixture after each addition.

Heat milk, butter and coffee powder together in a saucepan.

Stir until combined and fold into mixture.

Divide mixture between prepared tins. Cook centre oven for 17 minutes.

Cool on a rack then fill with whipped cream.

To serve, dust with icing sugar or ice with coffee icing.

COFFEE ICING

3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp coffee powder or granules

1 cup icing sugar

Heat milk, butter and coffee together, stirring until combined.

Add hot mixture to icing sugar then stir until smooth.

Extras

Creamy potato gratin

Posted on 4 July 2023

8 medium all-purpose potatoes
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup grated tasty cheese
about 30 grams butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

1. Heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Grease a 1L pie dish with butter

2. Wash and slice potatoes on to a clean tea towel, then pat the potatoes dry before arranging in layers in pie dish.

3. Dot each layer with a little butter and season with salt and pepper. The top layer should be just below the rim of the dish.

4. Heat the milk and garlic then add to cream. If using nutmeg, add at this point.

5. Stir and pour over the potatoes until the liquid comes to just below the top two layers of potato. Add more liquid if necessary.

6. Press potatoes in to liquid gently with the back of a spoon.

7. Sprinkle top with the cheese.

8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender.

Cook’s notes

Use all-cream if you like, but not all-milk as it will separate.

This dish holds its heat well and will stay warm for half an hour or while you grill meat or fish.

Leftovers reheat in the microwave but I doubt there will be any.

Biscuits

Lemon cream shortbread biscuits

Posted on 4 July 2023

(makes 18)

130g very soft butter
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup cornflour
pinch salt
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
extra icing sugar for dusting

Put butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until pale and creamy. Don’t rush this step.
Sift together flour, cornflour and salt.
With beaters running, add the dry ingredients in three lots.
Add the lemon zest and beat until fully combined.Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured board.
Form into a ball and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Halve the dough and roll out the first portion on a lightly floured surface, or between sheets of baking paper, until about 5mm thick.
Cut with 58mm cookie cutter.
Cut a small circle or shape out of every second biscuit if desired. This will give you a product as pictured.
Place biscuits on baking sheets lined with baking paper.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 180C and cool on a wire rack.
Repeat process with second portion of dough.
Re-roll any scraps and cut again.
Sandwich biscuits together with lemon curd or icing.
Dust with icing sugar.

To make lemon icing: Combine 50g of softened butter with 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar and 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest. Beat together with a few drops of boiling water to make a spreading consistency.

Biscuits

Wine Biscuits

Posted on 4 July 2023

100 g Butter
1/2 c Castor Sugar
1 Egg white, beaten
3/4 flour
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Grease a baking tray. Cream butter and caster sugar. Add egg white, a little at a time and continue to cream till all of it is used up. Add flour and mix well. Add vanilla essence and mix it in well.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe roundels of two centimetre diameter onto the greased baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for fifteen minutes or till light golden on the top. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

Biscuits

Ginger biscuits

Posted on 12 March 2023

113 g Butter (unsalted, room temperature)
½ cup (120 ml) Condensed Milk
160 g Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 tablespoon Cornflour
¼ teaspoon Salt

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cornflour – set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and condensed milk.
Next, add the flour mixture followed by the vanilla extract. Combine well. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven at 190 C / 375 F.
Take about a tablespoon amount of dough and roll it into a ball.
Place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Icing:
30g butter, 2 tsp golden syrup, melted together. Beat in 113 g icing sugar and 1 tsp ground ginger.

Squares & slices

Ginger Crunch

Posted on 12 March 2023

4oz (113 g) butter
4oz (113 g) sugar
1 1/2 c (180 g) flour
1 tsp b/pwdr
2 tsp ginger
pinch salt

Sift dry ingredients, and chop or rub in the butter. Add the sugar. Press into a flat buttered tin and bake in a moderate oven for 25-30 minutes. While still warm, ice with the following icing. Cut when cold.
Icing:
1 oz (30g) butter, 2 tsp golden syrup, melted together. Beat in 4 oz (113 g) icing sugar and 1 tsp ground ginger.

Source: GHB Cookery Book 1968

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