Oatmeal of Olay

So, we have clubs every Friday afternoon to build relationships with our students while doing "fun" things.  Last year, we did Craft club ( by "we" I mean me and Cheryl, the other FACS teacher in our Dept.) and it totally stunk.  We did projects a project that took literally all year and not a single kiddo finished.  It was horrible.  We only saw students once a month, so we had to reteach the skill every. single. month.  A lot of teachers worked really hard to arrange the clubs, so I don't want you to think I'm complaining.  I couldn't have done any better.  The system sounded great, but with all of our snow days, testing, etc... it just didn't work.  We also just chose a bad project for the club.  We should have done projects that were started and finished each session, but we goofed.  Oh well!  Sometimes it's really hard to anticipate how long it will take middle schoolers to pick something up.
I'll clue you in right now:
They cannot cross stitch, do plastic canvas, or successfully needle punch.
Boo.

This year, we decided to do something that didn't "require a lot of prep".  Shhhhya, right.  Everything requires planning!  How silly of me to think other wise!
Nonetheless, Spa club looks like it's going to be 10 bijilion times better than Crafts.  I ordered every girl (yes, we only have girls and we listen to Enya all hour.  Hahah!) a hair feather from Pick Your Plum on Thursday for only $1 each.  They are all wearing them and pay $10 each at the salon to have them put in (most of them have 3 in their hair at once!).  I am so excited!  We. are. so. cool!

This week, we "made" soap and it was a lot of fun. I bought cheap soap for school (budget, people!), but for my own session at home, I bought Olay (ideal would be Dove, but I didn't want to pay $3.50 for 2 bars.  I am cheap, I tell you!  This was $1 at the Dollar Store!).  I don't believe they make an oatmeal soap-I could be wrong-but this is an awesome way to take your favorite soap and make it into an oatmeal soap.  This is Howie Do it!

 Ingredients:

1 Bar of your Favorite Soap

1/4 Cup oatmeal

1/4 Cup water

First, Grind up 1/4 cup oatmeal in a blender or food processor (I did this at school- no picture!).  Make sure you have whole oats left- not oatmeal flour!
Second, grate your soap (I must be the last FACS teacher on Earth to not that a cheese grater in my kitchen!) or chop it up and then grind in the food processor.  Whatever method you use, get that soap into tiny pieces!

Pour into a bowl and add 1/4 cup water.

Looks like cotta-hey cheese!

Microwave for 2 minutes or until soap is melted and bubbling.

Add in oatmeal

Pour into cute molds (you can get some really cute ones at Michaels, but I just put some in mini muffin tins) or pour onto a baking sheet.

Let cool and remove or use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the baking sheet.

Do not let husband or kids mistake for white chocolate treats!

Awesome!

Benefits of oatmeal soap:

• Natural Exfoliate
• Relieves skin itching and irritation
• Absorbs oil

Benefits to Eating Oatmeal:

• Keeps you full.  Long time.
• Lots of fiber!!
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces risk of diabetes
• Removes your bad cholesterol- back to the whole fiber issue.  Think of fiber as a big broom that sweeps out the cholesterol in your arteries.  No joke.
• Antioxidants
• Boosts immune system
  
  Lots of others... which is why I fed my husband this this morning:
  
  Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cinnamon Waffles!
  Seriously, this kept me full through all of church- which hardly ever happens!

  Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
  
   Mix together all dry ingredients.  In separate bowl, beat eggs and milk, add butter.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.  Pour in liquid, slowly mix together.  It will look like this:
  
  Put in waffle iron and yum!  Done.  So good!  Top with peanut butter for added protein or syrup.
  
  
  I am notoriously awful at making Chinese food, but I made sesame chicken last night and it was bomb.  I will post later this week!