Olive Oil especially Extra Virgin
variety, now commonly known as EVOO, can
now be found in most family’s pantries today. When I was growing up it was not
the case unless you were Italian or Greek.
Our grandparents were immigrants
from Sicily.
Olive oil was always in the kitchen, on hand, ready to fry meatballs or
cutlets, drizzle on salad; vegetable oil was not in the pantry. My grandmother
often used olive oil for other purposes. If we had earaches she got out the
olive oil. Stomach ache? Nothing a couple of teaspoons of olive oil couldn’t
fix! I am embarrassed to say as children it sounded crazy!
After doing a little research I
learned my Grandmother was correct! Olive Oil is more than food staple it is
tremendously useful and has many applications. Seems olive oil does it all.
Olive Oil as a Moisturizer
It was stated, beautiful Sophia
Loren baths in olive oil once a week! I imagine Sophia knows olive contains 4
different antioxidants which minimizes wrinkles going deep into the skin and
reverses skin damage. She is still
fabulous today! So if it worked for her who am I to say otherwise.
Use it as bath oil or moisturizer. Here is a recipe to make it a little more special… infuse the olive oil with flowers from
your garden. Fill a glass jar with fresh flower petals or buds, pierce 6
Vitamin E Capsules and squeeze the oil into the jar. Heat 1 ¾ cups of EVOO in
micro wave and then pour over petals. Seal and shake jar gently to mix. Place
jar in sunny location and turn it over daily for 2 weeks. Then strain to remove
all petals and pour in a sterilized container. Lavender, Marigolds, Rose Petals
are good choices however do not use flowers that have been sprayed with
chemical.
Olive Oil for Hair – Warm a few tablespoons of olive oil in micro wave
for 30 seconds and then rub into your scalp and hair. Wrap in a towel for 30
minutes and then shampoo as normal to reveal a beautiful mane of hair.
Olive Oil for Earache – I know…Grandma! Some folks swear by this
natural remedy. Very carefully use a cotton swab to apply the olive oil to the
outside of the ear cavity to help earaches and excess wax.
Olive Oil for Diaper Rash – Gently wipe olive oil on your baby’s
bottom to relieve diaper rash.
Olive Oil for Polishing Furniture – It helps remove dust and gives
a nice shine. Add a teaspoon to a quarter cup of lemon juice, and you have a
non-toxic, petroleum free polish to gently clean wood surfaces.
Olive Oil for Polishing Hardwood Floors – You can bring hardwood
floors to a shine with a little bit of olive oil and lemon. Use a ¼ cup of olive oil 2 TBS cider vinegar and 3 TBS of vodka. Or 1 TBS of olive oil mixed with 1 TSP
of lemon juice. Apply to clean dry mop and wipe on floors.
Polishing Stainless Steel and Brass – Simply pour a
small amount on a soft cloth and wipe in a circular motion to restore a shine
to stainless steel or brass.
Oil For Cakes - Baking with olive oil has been done for
centuries. It gives cakes and cookies a light texture and can be used in lieu
of butter. 1 Cup of butter converts to ¾ cup of EVOO. It does not convert if
the recipe calls for a solid form like icing.
Olive Oil for Lanterns – Don’t
you love these little lanterns? I can just see them in the backyard on a summer’s evening.
The list goes on to include
polishing shoes, fixing squeaky door hinges, removing paint from hands, personal
lubricant, treatment for head lice, cleaning up garden tools and exfoliating
your skin with a mixture of olive oil and sea salt. With all the uses I
have covered in this blog, I will let you in on a little secret… I have 2 favorites.
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Party Favors
Olive Oil as Party Favors - Absolutely love this idea! Plan to use at my next dinner party. Print your own labels to personalize.
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Olive Oil Soap
Olive Oil Soap – This is a splurge item for me. I have used the soap and body lotion for the past two winters and at times I am surprised at how soft my skin feels. But I should not be because my grandmother skin was so soft to touch. Again…she knew something about olive oil.
Sources
and inspiration from Huffington Post, The Daily Green, The Tip Nut, Olive
Source, Pinterest and Google Images
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