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Lea's RAW Apple Crisp
Raw Apple Crisp
One of the perks of living in New England is apple-picking time. It’s my favorite time of year.
Here is one of my favorite recipes…
Lea’s Raw Apple Crisp
1. Peel and dice 6-8 apples, and place in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix together 1/3 cup orange juice (from fresh oranges) and 2 TBSP raw honey. Add to bowl with the apples.
3. Toss until apples are well coated, then place in 9×9 baking dish. Set aside.
4. Food process 1 1/2 cups nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.) well. Add 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, apricots, etc.), 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and process until chopped.
5. Dump the nut mixture on top of the apples and serve immediately
DIY Body Sprays-Another great gift idea!
All natural body spray recipe: Aromatherapy at its best.
Welcome! Did you know that there's a natural approach to chronic pain that will also improve your posture, coordination, and make you feel better about your body? Check out my ebook Pain Free to learn more.
I remember telling my older brother years ago that shopping for girls was easy. No matter what clothes they liked, music they preferred, or size shoes they wore all girls loved smelly lotions and potions. Like so many teenage girls, I loved spending my times in those “body” shops with hundreds of different scents lofting about the air.
My, how things change.
The truth is that now when I walk through any store’s “body” section I get really uncomfortable. The fragrances that come from every single product attack my senses and I sometimes think I’m going to pass out or throw up. (Thankfully, I haven’t done either. Although I try to avoid these stores now days.)From laundry detergent to shampoo, there is fragrance in just about every commercial product these days. Artificial fragrances are often made from petroleum or coal which degrade in the environment and cause skin irritations. Cosmetic fragrance is made with cheap synthetic chemicals which replicate the natural aroma of products which already exist in nature. Companies use them because it is cheaper than using the natural scent.
Behold the power of essential oils.
Unlike synthetic fragrances, essential oils are all natural. Not only do they smell nice, but they offer a powerful punch for your body as well. Consider the following facts:- Essential oils are highly concentrated plant constituents that posses potent medicinal and cosmetic qualities.
- Most essential oils are high in antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. This is why you see them added to homemade cleaning products.
- Essential oils are absorbed well by the skin – making them perfect ingredients in personal care items intended to heal, soften, and nourish. Better yet: they do not accumulate in the body over time. They do their thing and then pass on through.
More than just an all natural body spray recipe…
This body spray recipe will make you smell good AND has the added benefit of some subtle aromatherapy. That’s right, you can tailor your body spray to help lift your mood, energize your brain, or relax your body. What synthetic, chemically-laden, overly-priced commercial body spray can do that!?Isn’t this do-it-yourself stuff, cool?
Basic body spray recipe
You’ll need:8 oz. distilled water
1 Tbs witch hazel (found in most grocery or drug stores)
20 – 30 drops of essential oils (more on this in a bit)
a spray container (at least 8 oz. …like this)
Directions:
1. Pour water, witch hazel, and your chosen essential oils in a container. Seal tightly and shake well. That’s it! Just be sure to shake it well before each use.
The best part about this all natural body spray recipe is that the possibilities for your scent are endless. This is your chance to be creative and create a signature smell. Or, consider some of the benefits of certain essential oils and create a body spray recipe that suits your personal needs.
Some suggestions
Not sure where to start? Here are three recipes to get you started. Or, check out this awesome essential oil reference guide to help you choose.
Body spray recipe #1: Energizing
To make this use the basic body spray recipe with these essential oils:15 drops of grapefruit
5 drops of lavendar
This is my favorite scent during the summer, although I still like it during Winter. It’s so happy. Grapefruit oil is emotionally uplifting (and often used as an antidepressant). Lavendar is soothing and relaxing.
Body spray recipe #2: Comforting
To make this use the basic body spray recipe with these essential oils:10 drops of cinnamon leaf
15 drops of sweet orange
This is my favorite scent for the colder months. It’s a subtle, romantic smell that leaves you feeling super cozy. Cinnamon leaf is warming and considered to have aphrodisiac properties. Sweet orange is uplifting.
Body spray recipe #3: Brain Power
To make this use the basic body spray recipe with these essential oils:5 drops of rosemary
10 drops of peppermint
10 drops of patchouli
This isn’t so much a “smell how pretty I am” spray. (Not that is smells awful.) But this spray is awesome because it really helps your brain. Scientific studies have shown that rosemary helps helps memory recall and performance on tests. Peppermint is good for headaches, nausea, and jet lag. Patchouli is good for relaxation and concentration. This is perfect to use before a test, while studying, or if you feel super foggy from too many sleepless baby nights.
And because I love you
I’ve included the .pdf files with my labels I’ve used for my three recipes. I’ve even kept them generic enough that you could use them for your own creative concoctions. You’re welcome. Just trying to make this homemade gift thing as easy as possible. I used these labels to print on and then simply cut the excess off.Energizing Label
Comforting Label
Brain Power Label
An important note:
Keep in mind that essential oils are potent. Essential oils should not be used on babies or toddlers. Some oils should be avoided while pregnant or breastfeeding. Please check out this handy guide to get your started if you are new to essential oils.
What’s your favorite essential oil? What is your signature smell?
This post is part of Motivational Monday, Sweet Sharing Monday, Natural Living Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Fat Tuesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, and Monday Mania.
7 Foods You Should NEVER Eat
7 Foods You Should Never Eat
| Written by Lacy Boggs Renner |
 Sometimes, even foods that seem healthy can harbor hidden problems that can affect our health and our planet. Here are seven foods you should never eat—and easy swaps to help eliminate them from your kitchen. Conventional ApplesRight at the top of the "dirty dozen" list, conventional apples are sprayed with the most pesticides of almost any fruit because their growing method means they don't develop natural pest resistance. Farm workers exposed to these pesticides have documented higher incidents of cancer, and more and more studies are linking pesticides in the body to Parkinson's disease.Make the switch: Buy organic apples! If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel apples before eating (although that won't rid the fruit of all pesticides). Conventionally Grown PotatoesThink about it: A potato is a root vegetable, and plants absorb nutrients—and other junk—from the soil through their roots. That means that potatoes take up and store more of the chemical fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides that conventional farmers spray on their crops. Plus, after they are harvested, conventional potatoes are treated with another chemical to prevent them from sprouting on the shelf. Because the potato stores these toxins in its flesh, just scrubbing (or even peeling) won't remove the pesticides and other chemicals.Make the swap: Buy organic potatoes—even frozen ones. Corn-Fed BeefThe biggest problems with corn-fed beef start with the corn, because cows evolved to eat grasses, not grains. Eating corn actually makes the cattle sick, requiring that farmers dose them with high levels of antibiotics. But feeding corn to cows isn't just bad for the cows; it's bad for the environment, too, as conventionally grown corn requires tons of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute the environment.Make the swap: Buy grass-fed beef instead of corn-fed and enjoy higher levels of good nutrients like omega-3s and vitamin E, and lower levels of bad stuff like inflammatory omega-6s and saturated fat. Look for cheaper cuts on the bone to help offset the premium price for grass-fed beef. Canned TomatoesTomatoes are a great source of lycopene, which can help guard against agressive cancers like prostate cancer. But the resin used to line tin cans to protect from corrosion by the acid in tomatoes contains bisphenol-A, or BPA, which acts as a synthetic estrogen in the body. It can disrupt the endocrine system and cause a variety of problems, like chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the acidity of tomatoes helps break down the BPA which leaches into the food, making canned tomatoes one of the biggest culprits when it comes to ingesting BPA. Scientists with the National Institutes of Health have concluded that pregnant women, infants and children are at highest risk from exposure to BPA.Make the swap: The best solution is to look for brands sold in glass jars or Tetra Pak boxes. Microwave PopcornDid you hear about the guy who got popcorn lung from eating more than two bags of microwave popcorn a day? It turns out that even if your popcorn habit isn't quite as extreme, chemicals like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) found in the lining of the bag and diacetyl, which is used in the butter flavoring, could cause major health problems. Microwaving these chemicals causes them to vaporize, and then the miniature particles can make their way into your popcorn and your lungs if you inhale the steam from the bag.Make the swap: Pop your own kernels the old fashioned way. You'll be able to add your own natural seasonings, and as a bonus, unpopped popcorn kernels are dirt cheap. Milk With rBGHrBGH stands for recombinant bovine growth hormone, and it's given to dairy cows to boost their milk production. But, it's been shown to increase udder infections and even lead to pus in the milk! It also increases a hormone called insulin-like growth factor, which is thought to be linked to an increased risk for breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and early puberty.Make the switch: Look for milk that says rBGH-free or rBST-free, or buy organic milk. You can also make the switch to a non-dairy milk. Farmed SalmonWhen we think of factory farming, cows or maybe chickens tend to come to mind. But, it turns out farmed salmon live in similarly horrible conditions. In addition to overcrowding, farm salmon are fed a diet of soy, poultry litter (which means chicken poop) and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. They also have been found to be contaminated with all kinds of chemicals—which probably are run off into the pools where they are farmed. Plus, waste from the salmon pens is released directly into the open ocean. The Environmental Defense Fund lists farmed salmon as an eco-worst choice.Make the swap: Look for wild-caught Alaskan salmon. The brand Wild Catch is almost the only brand which sells canned wild salmon. Image: noii's |
Broccoli Soup with Parmesan-Lemon Frico
| Broccoli Soup with Parmesan-Lemon Frico |  |  |  |
| Written by Administrator |
 This recipe uses all of the broccoli: the florets (where most of the nutrition is) and the stems (filled with fiber). Make extra frico and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The frico makes a delicious appetizer on its own. serves 4–6 Ingredients 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 small yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large bunch broccoli, cut into small florets, stems peeled and coarsely chopped 3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml) chicken broth 1⁄2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) heavy cream Salt and freshly ground pepper FOR THE PARMESAN-LEMON FRICO 1⁄2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmesan cheese 2 tsp grated lemon zest MethodIn a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, stir, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) of the broth, cover, and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor with the remaining 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) broth. Return to the pot and stir in the cream. Return the soup to a gentle boil and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat. To make the Parmesan-lemon frico, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan and lemon zest. Transfer a heaping teaspoonful of the cheese mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and use your fingers to flatten the mound. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture, placing the mounds 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake the frico until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet, then carefully lift using a spatula. Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 frico, and serve. Appears with permission from Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day: 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year. Recipes by Kate McMillan; photographs by Erin Kunkel. Copyright 2011 by Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma Inc. |
