DIY Wool Dryer Balls

Materials Needed:

-100% wool (I found mine at the local thrift store for <$1 for a HUGE ball - win!)

-tapestry needle

-old panty hose (cut off one of the legs)

-washer & dryer

How to:

1. Wind the wool into tight balls roughly the size of tennis balls - I made three.

2. Knot and weave the end into each of the balls using a tapestry needle.

3. Put each ball into the old panty hose, tying a knot between each ball.

4. Wash on HOT HOT HOT. Dry thoroughly in the dryer. Repeat to ensure wool felts.

5. Remove from panty hose (you might need to cut them out).

I use these in the dryer every time I dry our clothes, linens, etc. I add 10-15 drops of essential oils if I am looking for a specific scent (i.e. lavender for our bed linens), but otherwise just use them plain. I have used them several times a week for almost a year now, with very little wear (other than the attempted "pruning" my two-year-old did TO them with some misplaced scissors - but I just weaved those ends back in!) These replaced my Norwex balls which had cracked outside of their warranty period, and prior to that, replaced dryer sheets!  They were SO easy to make!

Homemade Fish Crackers

Tomato soup just isn't the same to a three-year-old without fish crackers. 

On a whim, and after seeing them on Pinterest, I thought why not give homemade fish crackers a shot? 

I used this recipe as the basis for my experiment. 

But then I had to tweak it. 

Originally, we began with eliminating GLUTEN and DAIRY from my daughter's diet, so we started with shredded SOY cheese, margarine, and GF Flour (we LOVE President's Choice GF flour!).

The result was amazing! My daughter was thrilled with her crackers...

...unfortunately soy ended up being a trigger for an upset tummy, so we had to change our cheese... but it was a start for making "normal food" for her. 

Low FODMAP/GF Homemade Fish Crackers:

8oz shredded cheese (we use Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds)**

4 T. margarine, cubed

1 cup President's Choice GF Flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 T. cold water

Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor until the dough resembles coarse sand.
Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes.
Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. 

Makes approximately 7 dozen crackers. 

**While cheddar cheese is allowed in the Low FODMAP diet, we haven't introduced it back yet because of her history of dairy intolerance. 

Restricted diets & Crunchy/Granola moms

I have to admit, I used to laugh (and possibly roll my eyes a little) when I would overhear conversations about homemade (fill-in-the-blank).

Whether it was homemade detergent, homemade clothes, homemade granola ... Or ... You get the picture. (The irony is not lost on me - I make my own bread and buns and pizza dough. But I think it tastes better;)) 

Enter my firstborn. Until recently we've let her eat anything. While nursing, she was dairy intolerant, but she seemed to grow out of it around 6 months (she no longer screamed bloody murder when I consumed dairy, much to my sweet relief!) She didn't exhibit the normal signs of food intolerance when she was beginning solids - no rashes or hives, and all that I can remember was her throwing up some oatmeal cereal, but I attributed it to her eating too much (she kept asking, so I kept giving!)

But recently, we've noticed more tummy issues (I'd rather not get into them on the blog, but you can ask me), and we decided, with her Doctor's blessing, to attempt some "elimination diets" - specifically Gluten and Dairy.  The signs of improvement we've seen keep spurring me on!

Although we live in a small town, our choices aren't too limited in the gluten and dairy-free department. There are several options for crackers, breads, etc.  As you can imagine, I am so very thankful!

But, a certain three-year-old who has enjoyed an unlimited diet to this point, is having some struggles with not being allowed to eat what her sister can. And so we've been working on some replacements for her!

I can now chuckle at myself ... I'm becoming one of those crunchy mommas who even has homemade FISH CRACKERS to keep the little miss happy!