Keepers Coop

This past week we went to Keepers Coop again! This time we went early because some friends whom we had not seen in several years were going to be there, and we had been invited to share a lunch before our usual meeting occurred.

We enjoyed a delicious potluck of chili, veggies with dip, Clementines, grapes, cornbread, crackers, tortilla chips, blueberry muffins, and Trail bars. It was all very delicious and filling!

Once the meeting started, we covered a lot of topics in a short time. We discussed herbal delivery methods, Stevia and its benefits, essential oils and their usages and warnings, and oral care including toothpastes, mouthwash, and natural remedies for canker sores and toothaches. It was a lot, but we learned so much!

Then it was time to get busy! First we sampled several baked goods with Stevia in them and enjoyed other snacks. Then we had two stations. At one station, we played a game where we smelled essential oils and tried to guess what they were. Some were quite easy to distinguish (think lavender and vanilla) while others were more difficult (tea tree and pine.)

While we were doing that, the Moms fixed two kinds of hot chocolate for us to test. One was made with unsweetened almond milk and the other with slightly sweetened rice milk. Both were sweetened with Stevia. My personal opinion was that if I was going to have a hot chocolate, I will enjoy it and make it with milk, sugar, and heavy cream! J

The other group practiced using a capsule machine to make chickweed capsules. It was a lot of fun albeit a little messy. J After some time of fellowship following the meeting we had to leave. Sadly we won’t be returning to Keepers until spring, for a number of reasons including the unpredictable Michigan weather. But we look forward to returning then!