Recipe: Craft Activity: Honey Sugar Scrub

Craft Activity: Honey Sugar Scrub

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• craft :

  to plan and create objects from found or available items or ready-made patterns for purposes that are decorative, functional, or both.

• exfoliate :

  to rub a lightly abrasive substance, like a scrub or washcloth, on skin to remove dead skin cells.

• heat :

  to make a food warm or hot using various cooking methods.

• massage :

  to rub or knead a food to tenderize (e.g., raw beef) or one food into another to infuse flavors (e.g., mint leaves into sugar or oil and salt into kale leaves); or to rub a scrub or other substance into your skin, hair, or muscles.

• pour :

  to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

History of Natural Skin Scrubs!

• The use of natural scrubs to exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin cells from its surface, began with the Ancient Egyptians. They used pumice stones, alabaster particles, and sand as abrasive scrubs. It is rumored that Cleopatra also tried sour milk, which contains lactic acid, as a milder exfoliant. 
• Natural skin scrubs include inedible ones that occur in nature, like pumice stones, sea sponges, and loofah (the fully ripened and dried skeleton of the fruit of the luffa plant).
• Edible skin scrubs are easy to make. The ingredients determine how abrasive and hydrating a scrub is. Below are a few you could try making at home.
• Sugar scrubs are gentle, moisturizing exfoliators for dry or sensitive skin and can be used for facial scrubs. Cane or brown sugar is often combined with honey and an oil, like almond, coconut, or olive, to make the scrubs more hydrating.
• Ground oatmeal made into a paste with almond or coconut oil, honey, and sometimes yogurt or milk, is a gentle and soothing scrub for sensitive or irritated skin.
• Salt scrubs are more abrasive and good for areas of rough skin, typically on elbows, knees, and feet. A fine sea salt or Himalayan salt may be used and combined with almond, coconut, jojoba, or olive oil. Aromatherapeutic essential oils may also be added.
• Avoid using scrubs, especially more abrasive ones, on just-shaved areas and skin with open cuts or sores.
• Natural skin scrubs can refresh skin cells, smooth and moisturize skin, unclog pores, and increase circulation, adding a healthy, radiant glow to your skin.

Let's Learn About Ancient Egypt!

• Ancient Egypt was established around 3150 BCE. It was located in Northeast Africa, with most cities near the Nile River. 
• Memphis was the capital of Ancient Egypt. It was on the west bank of the Nile River, about 15 miles south of modern Cairo, the current capital city. Families can visit an open-air museum in the present-day village of Mit Rahina in Badrasheen in the Giza governorate to see some of the ruins of Memphis. A statue of the pharaoh Ramesses II, over 30 feet tall, is on display there!
• The pharaoh was the sovereign of the land and had absolute power. There were distinct social layers, with farmers at the lower end and the nobility or upper class at the top. However, they were all considered equal under the law. Women had more rights than in other cultures, and two women, Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII, became pharaohs.  
• Agriculture was one of the biggest industries. Farmers depended on the Nile River, as there was little rainfall. They had three seasons: flooding, planting, and harvesting. 
• Animals were essential to the ancient Egyptians as companions, beasts of burden, and food. Cats were sacred, and Egyptians believed having a cat in their household would bring good luck! They also worshiped gods in animal form.
• Ancient Egyptians had over 2,000 gods! Each deity had different responsibilities and required worship so that life could be kept in balance. 
• Stone quarrying and building was another major industry. The ancient Egyptians built monuments, especially to pharaohs, in the form of pyramids, temples, and obelisks (tall, narrow, and tapered with a pyramid shape on top). 
• The Ancient Egyptian language is extinct. The writing system was hieroglyphics, comprised of hieroglyphs or pictures of an object representing a word, sound, or syllable. More than 700 hieroglyphs made up the Egyptian alphabet! 
• Egyptians believed in preparing for the afterlife, and by preserving the dead person's body through mummification, their soul would live forever. They would be wrapped in about 492 feet of linen strips!
• Both Egyptian men and women wore makeup. If their eye paint was green, it was made from copper, and if it was black, it was made from lead. Egyptians thought makeup could magically provide healing! 
• The ancient Egyptians enjoyed music and dance. They also liked to play games. One popular board game, Senet, was played in Egypt for over 2,000 years! To play, they would throw sticks, like we throw dice, to move their game piece on the board.
• The ancient Egyptians invented many things we still use today, such as paper, pens, locks with keys, and, believe it or not, toothpaste!
• The cuisine of Ancient Egypt included bread, vegetables, meat, and beer. They used honey as a sweetener and would coat fruit and nuts to make confections. 

What Was It Like to Be a Kid in Ancient Egypt?

• Parents took great interest in having their kids learn and enjoy their early life with games and other entertainment. Kids learned a craft once they were educated and reached the age of maturity.
• Kids played board games and ball and stick games. They played with animal toys, dolls, and puppets. 
• The weather in ancient Egypt was hot, and for most of the year, younger children did not wear clothes!
• Kids may have eaten dates or date cakes sweetened with honey or tiger nut sweets for a treat. 
• A recipe for tiger nut sweets was found written on a broken piece of ancient Egyptian pottery from about 1600 BCE. The sweets were made with the tubers of the Cyperus esculentus plant, also known as tiger nuts (which are also used to make the drink "horchata" in Spain).