The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty by Sunny Subramanian & Chrystle Fiedler

Photographer: Michelle Cehn, Image provided by Robert Rose Inc.

             I was looking for something different to write about.  In the past I had seen ads for gluten-free make-up, so I thought I would give that a try.  Of course, now that I was looking for gluten-free make-up, I had a hard time finding it.  So I took a look at the library to see if there were any books on how to make some.  What I found was The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty: 125 Recipes for Vegan, Gluten-Free, Cruelty-Free Makeup, Skin & Hair Products.  Full of recipes for personal care products you can make at home, I must say this is one of the best books I have found on the subject.  As I went through the pages, all of the recipes seemed really easy to do.  Most of the ingredients lists are short and easy to find.  If you do, however, struggle to find an ingredient, there is a resource list in the back.         

                Not only does this book have recipes, but it also has great information throughout.  The beginning chapters discuss how and why to get started with making your own products, as well as the differences between the ingredients in store-bought personal care products and those in the recipes.  In the recipe sections, little facts about the ingredients used are scattered amongst the pages, making the reader really know and understand what they are putting on their body.  Also included is the shelf life of each recipe (the recipes that don’t have one, it is explained, are one-time use) and how to care for it.  This may not seem like an exciting item to include, but there have been many times where I have come across recipes where the shelf life is not included, making me wonder how long I would actually be able to use what I made before it goes bad.  In this book I don’t have to guess, making it easier for me to decide which recipes to try, as I frequently base that on shelf life and the care that is necessary.

                One concern I did have as I went through this book was the frequent use of lavender essential oil.  There is a family allergy to it, so the use of lavender is not something I am able to do.  Since lavender is used so prevalently in this book, especially in the cosmetics section, I reached out to the author, Sunny Subramanian.  I asked her if the use of lavender could be substituted or eliminated all together.  After hearing back from Ms. Subramanian, I am happy to say the answer to both questions is yes.  The essential oils in these recipes can either be eliminated or substituted.  Some substitutions Ms. Subramanian gave me were tea tree, geranium, frankincense, and neroli.  There is a list in the book of the most popular essential oils and their benefits to help you choose.       

                The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty is a really exciting book if you like to make your own beauty products or want to avoid the chemicals and other ingredients that are frequently in store-bought products.  All the recipes are vegan and gluten-free, however, Ms. Subramanian does warn that to make sure these recipes stay gluten-free, read all the packages of what you are purchasing.  Verify that they are gluten-free as well as made in gluten-free facilities. 

If you want to try this book out before purchasing, check it out from the library.  When you’re ready to purchase, you can order this book from Boswell Book Company, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.     

Fiber One Fruit Flavored Snacks

                  For some reason I have always like fruit snacks.  Unfortunately, because of my food allergy, I am not able to eat all those that are on the market.  That’s why I was so excited when I found I could eat Fiber One Fruit Flavored Snacks.  They are just the right amount of sweetness, making them a great snack or even dessert.

                Coming in two flavors, Mixed Berry and Assorted Fruit, these fruit shaped and flavored fruit snacks are also gluten-free.  This, however, is not obviously labeled on the box.  Instead, the words “gluten free” are in very small letters under the ingredients list.  Why this is, I don’t know, but I’m glad I found it.

                Fiber One Fruit Flavored Snacks can be purchased at most major grocery stores.  I purchase them from Woodman’s.     

Special K Protein Shakes

               For many days I wracked my brain as I tried to figure out what to write about for this month.  Somehow nothing felt right.  Then one day, I looked down at the Special K Protein Shake in my hand and saw the words “Gluten Free”.  The words popped right out at me, which is funny, because I have been drinking these shakes for years.  I’m sure I have seen those words on the label before, but for some reason that day they really struck me.  Once I saw the words “Gluten Free” on my Special K Protein Shake, I knew what I was going to write about.

                With 15 grams of protein each, Special K Protein Shakes are great to have along with a snack or on their own.  They are quick shots of protein that are great to have around when you’re not quite sure when your next meal will be.  Currently there are six flavors available: French Vanilla, Strawberry, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Mocha, Vanilla Cappuccino, and Rich Chocolate.  My favorites are Rich Chocolate and Milk Chocolate.  To give myself a break from chocolate, I drink the French Vanilla as well.

                Special K Protein shakes can be found at most major grocery stores.  I have purchased them at Woodman’s and Pick ‘n Save, but I have also seen them at Sam’s Club. 

                 www.specialk.com

The Naked Baker Cookies

           Cookies are the next thing that gluten sensitive people want after the three Ps (pizza, pasta, and pop tarts).  Recently, during Outpost Natural Foods’ Kale Fest, we sampled some wonderful gluten free cookies made by the company The Naked Baker.  Specializing in gourmet cookies, The Naked Baker emphasizes on their business card that their products are made of “Only Clean Ingredients” and are “Naked of All the Bad Stuff”.

Currently there are five gluten free flavors available regularly: Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Bomb, Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookie, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Oatmeal Cranberry.  Then there are the occasionally available seasonal flavors such as the Valentine’s Day cookie Chocolate Cherry Kiss.

                These cookies can be purchased at all four outlets of Outpost Natural Foods.  They can also be found at Good Harvest Market in Pewaukee, Sendik’s Fine Foods in Brookfield on Capitol Drive, and at Metcalfe’s Market in Wauwatosa.  Cookies can also be ordered and purchased directly from The Naked Baker bakery in Brookfield.  The Naked Baker requests that if you choose to do this, please place your order ahead of time so they can accommodate your wishes.  For more information, visit The Naked Baker website at thenakedbakercookies.com.

                I suggest you give these cookies a try.  Once you do, I hope you find you enjoy them as much as I do.

Baking with Gluten Free Flours

               I have heard that many people who are gluten intolerant have given up trying to make their old favorite baked goods.  They want to have the same taste they remember, but stay within their gluten restrictions.  Based upon my own experiences, I can tell you, this can be tough.  I have experimented with many different flours, and I have come up with some very mixed results.  Some of the flours have such strong tastes that the baked good ends up only tasting like the flour, nothing more.

              This last holiday season I found three flours that worked really well.  They gave me a good finished product without the gritty texture that you get from some gluten free flours.  The three flours I used were oat, coconut, and almond.  The oat and almond flours were used for the body of the baked good as with regular flour, while the coconut was used for both body and flavor.

                These flours can be found in bulk bins and in packages.  The bulk bins of these flours are at Outpost Natural Foods and Whole Foods.  I, personally, started with the bulk bins, getting only the amount needed for a recipe.  Doing it this way, I was able to find out how the flours worked for a given recipe without having a lot left over.  Now I have the confidence to buy these flours in larger prepackaged amounts.  These prepacked flours can be found at Woodman’s, along with many others, as Woodman’s has a great assortment of gluten free flours.

                One thing I do have to say about using these flours, is that if I weighed the flour instead of using measuring cups, I came out with a better outcome.  To help me with this, I found a great cup to weight conversion chart on the King Arthur Flour website.  Visit www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html if you have a scale, otherwise keep using your cup measures.

                I hope that with these gluten-free flours you will try baking again.