Recent discoveries.

I've made some random discoveries lately...

First of all, did you know extra virgin olive oil is not only a healthy cooking oil but also an amazing hair and face moisturizer?  Yes, it's true!  My hair has been brittle and frizzy with all this record-breaking heat in Dallas, so on a whim one evening, I poured a quarter-sized dollop of EVOO in my palm and slathered it all over my cracking, dry locks.  Any oil that was left on my hands I smeared on my face, massaging it into my dry skin, especially around the eyes.  So, I went to bed looking like a total greaseball, but you wouldn't believe how things looked come morning.  My hair was super soft, and my skin was actually glowing!  It's best to do the hair treatment the evening before you're going to shower the next day, because then you can immediately rinse it out and then shampoo/condition as usual.  My curls were bouncy and defined again, without a hint of greasiness.

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Next?  I learned of a new way to cook oatmeal.  Not sure about you, but sometimes when I eat oatmeal or brown rice, it feels like a brick is sitting in my stomach for the rest of the day.  That's because grains can be hard for many people to digest.  In the past, I've soaked my grains in water overnight before cooking them, but then I saw this post on The Nourished Kitchen with a super-easy recipe for "Oat Porridge."  So I tried it using steel-cut oats, water, and apple cider vinegar.  I soaked the mixture for 48 hours in a bowl on the counter top, covered with a towel.  Cooked the oats a few mornings later, and not only did it take way less cooking time, but my stomach felt fine afterwards!  Doesn't this look yummy?

I tried it again this morning after soaking the oats in lemon juice and water, and I think I liked the result even better.  We made the Oatcakes recipe for breakfast, drizzled a little honey on top, and they were absolutely delish.

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Finally, I was reminded once again how much I love baking soda.  A close friend recently blogged about the many amazing uses of baking soda.  We already use it for everything from cleaning toilets to deodorant, but  I recently discovered it's also the perfect facial exfoliant!  I put a bit of cleanser in my palm {I love Skin by Anne Webb}, sprinkled baking soda on top, massaged it into my face, and rinsed.  It felt incredible, and my skin was gleaming afterwards.  Try it!  What are some of your favorite uses for baking soda?

Have you made any fun, random discoveries lately?