Fall Inspired Sheperds Pie (Dairy and Gluten Free!)

Fall Inspired Sheperds Pie

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
l lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbs butter or coconut oil
3 Tbs white rice flour
2c chicken broth
1/2c pumpkin puree
1c frozen corn
1c frozen peas & carrots
1 recipe Sweet Potato Pumpkin Mash * (see below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onions in olive oil over medium high heat for one minute, then add in ground turkey. Season with ground sage, nutmeg, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cook until brown then drain fat. Return the meat to the pan.

Add butter (or coconut oil) and frozen vegetables to the browned turkey. Sprinkle with rice flour and stir to disperse the flour through the mixture.

Add broth and allow to simmer on medium low for 5-10 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree. Allow to reduce and thicken before adjusting seasoning to your taste preference.

Grease up your baking pan, pour in the vegetable, meat and gravy mixture and spoon on (or pipe if you're feeling fancy) the sweet potato pumpkin mash. Top with shredded parmesan cheese if desired

Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!

* Sweet Potato Pumpkin Mash

• 2 Large sweet potatoes
• 1/2c Pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• 2 Tbs coconut or almond milk

Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender. Drain.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash until desired consistency.

Quick & Delicious Sweet Potato Apple Hash

It may not feel much like Fall outside (72 degrees outside on the last day of September... in upstate New York?! Seriously.) but gosh darnit my kitchen is going to smell and taste like Fall! I started this morning by rounding up sweet potatoes, apples and cinnamon to make one of my favorites - potato hash.

Potato hash is one of those simple dishes that took me forever to perfect. If you just fry the potatoes in oil, they seem to get too crispy (*cough* burnt *cough*) on the outside before they're finally cooked through. Plus, that method seems to take forever. Seeing as I'm not exactly nice or patient when I'm hungry, that's a problem for me. I've also seen recipes where you add liquid to steam the potatoes but then they seem ... mushy. I'm not in to mushy. After a lot of trial and error, I figured out that if you fry the potatoes until crisp on the outside then simply place a lid on the pan and lower the cooking temperature for a few minutes the insides steam perfectly without loosing that delicious crispy outer shell.

I used the fry and steam method this morning and the result was pretty dang delicious. Of course, between my two thieving children, I ended up with more of a taste than a true breakfast. My kids are seriously lucky I love them so much.

Anyway, here's the recipe for my sweet potato hash. It takes around 15 minutes to prepare and makes 2 servings.

Sweet Potato Apple Hash

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato
1 large tart apple
1 tbs coconut oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash, peel and chop the sweet potato and apple into bite sized pieces. Try to keep all of the bites about the same size so they cook evenly.

Place a skillet over medium high heat and add coconut oil.

Once the pan is heated and the coconut oil is melted, place the sweet potato into the skillet. Sprinkle the cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes and saute for 7 minutes or until the potatoes start to become crispy.

Add the apple chunks to the sweet potatoes, reduce the heat to medium low and place a lid over the pan.

3 minutes later your hash is ready to eat!

At my house, we like a mound of this hash by itself, topped with a fried egg or two for breakfast, as a side to pork chops for dinner or served on a bed of spinach and topped with walnuts for an easy vegan lunch. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! :)

Crockpot Applesauce

My husband loves homemade applesauce. His mom always made it for him growing up and forever ruined him for the store bought version. Being such a good wife, I try to make the foods he loves every so often but after a few times of making applesauce on the stove top and with a food mill, I basically threw my hands in the air and gave up. Then, about a year ago, someone mentioned trying to make applesauce in a crockpot. Now that sounded like my kind of applesauce making - no mashing, no slaving and minimal clean up?! Yes, please. So, I looked up recipes and have spent the last year trying a bunch and creating the version that's perfect for my family. This one is our favorite. It's not too sweet, is slightly thick but not chunky and has just enough cinnamon mellowed with smooth tones of vanilla. Mmmmm, yum!

Ingredients:

• 10-12 apples (I used gala apples)
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1/3c water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• Non-stick spray

Directions:

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Peel, core and cut the apples into chunks before putting into the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. No mashing is necessary as the apples break down on their own. Serve warm or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

All Natural 2 Ingredient Teething Cream

Let's talk about teething. It kinda sucks, right? Yeah, it totally does.

When my daughter was a baby and teething I remember giving her Tylenol every few hours around the clock for days. I don't even want to contemplate how many bottles of Infant Tylenol we went through before her first birthday. Then, when she was about 1, I started to see information on studies about a possible link between Acetaminophen and childhood asthma. All you have to do is hop on Google or Bing to do a search and in an instant you will find a bunch of articles like this one outlining the possible risks of this "safe" OTC drug.

It's scary to me to think of the possible risks and side effects of meds pediatricians recommend we give our children on a sometimes daily basis. I understand that all medicine, natural or otherwise, may pose a risk and must be taken appropriately and wisely. And make no mistake, if my child needed an OTC or prescription medicine I would certainly give it to them. Personally though, I've decided I'm not okay constantly dumping chemicals in my kid's bodies when there is a natural remedy that works just as well, or in some cases, even better. 

That's why, when my son started teething at 4 months*, I got busy experimenting and came up with my own recipe for all natural, homemade teething cream.

With just 2 ingredients this recipe is ridiculously easy and only takes a few minutes to make:

• In a small container combine 2 tsp softened Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil and 4 drops Thieves Essential Oil. Mix well.
• Store in refrigerator and apply as needed to gums for teething pain.

Added bonus, going all natural and chemical free is actually cheaper in this case. As for the cost break down, Thieves oil is $33.75 (wholesale cost) for a 15ml bottle that contains approximately 250 drops, so 4 drops is about $0.54. The cost of coconut oil will vary depending on where you buy and what brand, but on average a tsp will cost around $0.10. With those prices, the recipes only costs $0.74 and lasts me 2 months on average. I call that winning! :)

*Please note that Young Living does not recommend using Essential Oils on children under 6 months. Using them earlier was a personal decision. 

Olive Garden Healthy Copycat of Zuppa Toscana

Once upon a time I worked at Olive Garden and unsurprisingly their Zuppa Toscana is a pretty popular item. There is just something about a creamy bowl of steaming potato, kale and sausage that invites people to sit down and enjoy. I wanted that taste, that feeling, but without all the heaviness, which is how this recipe was born. Made in the crockpot so you can throw it together before work and enjoy at dinner time, here is my take on a healthier (and dairy free) Zuppa Toscana.

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb Turkey Italian sausage (mild or hot, it's up to you)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 3 medium russet potatoes, skin on and cut into rounds then like a pie so you end up with triangles
• 3 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 carrots, diced (optional - carrots are not in the original soup, but I like the color so I add them)
• 3 cups fresh kale, veins removed and cut into ribbons
• 32 oz organic chicken broth
• 2c water
• 1 can Coconut milk 

Directions:

1. Heat a pan with the olive oil on the stove top. Remove casings from sausage and brown.
2. To your crockpot add browned sausage, onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, chicken broth and water.
3. Turn crock pot to low and allow to cook for 6-8 hours.
4. 20 minutes before serving stir in coconut milk and kale. 

Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Monday the kids and I made the trek to my husband's grandparent's house to celebrate Grandpa B's 85th birthday. We had a great time celebrating a wonderful man, eating way too much and hanging out with family in the back yard.

Towards the end of the party some of the cousins and Aunt Ruth started to raid Grandpa's elderberry bush. Aunt Ruth and I got to talking about the immune boosting powers of the elderberry and my recipe for homemade elderberry syrup and the next thing I know I'm heading home with all of the berries - not that I'm complaining! ;)

Aren't these babies gorgeous?!

Elderberries are packed full of good stuff, but most notably the elderberry contains flavanoids, which are thought to reduce swelling and inflammation, as well as vitamins A, B and C. Given these immune boosting components elderberries are often made into a syrup or tonic that is taken as a preventative to illness as well as to reduce and ease the symptoms of a cold or the flu.

Most health food stores carry elderberry syrup and you can certainly buy it ready made for around $16 per 7.5 oz bottle. Orrrrrr, you can use my super easy recipe to make your own 8 oz bottle of elderberry syrup for around $5. Yeah, that's right, you can make your own elderberry syrup for about a third of the cost of store bought brands. If you're lucky and manage to snag fresh elderberries for free the cost comes down even lower to about $2.50 per bottle. Aside from cost savings, making your own elderberry syrup allows you to use local honey for added health benefits as well as avoid any nasty sweeteners and additives that may be in ready made syrups.

No brainer, right? Right. So, let's get started!

DIY Elderberry Syrup

What You Will Need:

• 1c fresh or 2/3c dried elderberries (like these)
• 3c water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 3/4c honey - raw and local if possible
• 1 8 or 9 oz container for storage
• potato masher
• saucepan
• fine sieve, coffee filter or cheese cloth

 Combine elderberries, water, cinnamon stick and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid reduces by half - approximately 1 hour.

Remove pan from heat and use a potato masher to mash the berries to release the berry juice.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, discard the pulp. Allow liquid to cool until barely warm to the touch before stirring in the honey. The syrup will still be fairly liquidy, but don't worry, it will thicken some as it cools. 

Pour the syrup into an air tight container and refrigerate. Keeps for 2-3 months and can be taken once daily as an immune booster or up to 4x a day at the first sign of cold or flu. The general suggested dosage is 1/2-1 tsp for children and 1/2-1 tbs for adults.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

There's something you should know about my family. We love Mexican food. Like, a lot. It's generally quick and easy to make as well as inexpensive. And did I mention it's fracking delicious?! Yeah. It is. So, I wasn't really surprised when my sister started talking about how she's been craving enchiladas. Being the awesome sister I am, I came home and rooted around in my pantry and fridge for enchilada ingredients.

How exactly did sweet potato enter the picture, you may ask. Well, sweet potato made an appearance for a few reasons. First, sweet potatoes are vegetables and vegetables are good for us. Second, I don't eat dairy and I needed a binder in place of cheese. The texture of mashed sweet potato works perfectly to hold the enchilada innards together and the background of sweetness to the sharp spicy notes in the enchilada sauce are perfect together. Lastly, the sweet potato is cheaper than the organic grass fed meat I buy and it works excellently to stretch the more expensive ingredient into a few more servings. 

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 6 tortillas
• 1 large sweet potato, baked until soft
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/2 small green pepper, diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 lb ground meat of your choice
• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• 12 oz enchilada sauce (I used Wildtree brand sauce, but you can use whatever you have on hand.)

1. Brown ground meat in a large pan. Drain.

2. Return the same pan to medium heat. Add in chopped shallot and green pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes before adding the drained ground meat back into the pan. Mix all that up and remove from heat.

3. Peel and mash the baked sweet potato. Throw that in with the ground meat mixture and mix well. 

4. If you want cheese in your enchiladas, add 1/2c. Otherwise, skip to step #5.

5. Lay your tortilla on a flat surface, scoop about 1/3c of the meat and sweet potato mixture onto the tortilla and roll. Lay seam side down in a greased pan. Repeat until all your tortillas are in the pan. 

6. Pour all of the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, making sure to cover each one. If you're using cheese, top the enchiladas with the remaining 1/2c of cheese. 

I was nice and made a special pan of enchiladas with cheese for my sister.

7. Pop in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and enjoy warm.

The best part of this recipe is its versatility. Everything from the ingredients right on down to the toppings can be played with to cater to your tastes and needs. For example, my husband is gluten free. No problem, I'll just use corn tortillas. Dairy free? Skip the cheese. (I did!) As for the meat component in the recipe, I've used 50/50 mix of ground beef and venison, all ground beef or all ground turkey and they all worked well. Or, if you're going for a vegetarian dish, just forego the meat all together. You could eat the enchiladas plain or top with avocado, sliced black olives or sour cream. Like I said, super versatile. 

Added bonus, this recipe can be made ahead and kept in the fridge. Just follow the recipe until you have the filled and rolled tortillas in a pan then put in the fridge. 30 minutes before you're ready to eat remove the pan from the fridge, pour on the enchilada sauce and pop in the oven. Or, you can make extra and freeze in single portions for a quick lunch. The possibilities are deliciously endless!

Sweet & Spicy Summer Relish with Zucchini, Corn and Peaches

This week our CSA brought an abundance of zucchini, corn and peaches. I always try to cook with the fresh fruits and vegetables I have on hand, even if I don't exactly have a recipe. Sometimes what ends up on the plate is a hit ... and sometimes not so much. Luckily, this relish turned out awesome.

Sweet & Spicy Summer Relish

Ingredients:

• 2-3 ears of corn, kernels removed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, diced 
• 2 almost ripe but still firm peaches, skin removed and diced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Wildtree Spicy Carne Asada Seasoning
  OR 1/2-1 tsp of your favorite bought or homemade taco seasoning
• Salt to taste (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat in a cast iron or other heavy skillet. 

Add chopped onion and saute until translucent. Crank the heat up to medium high and add zucchini, loose corn and spicy seasoning. When zucchini is heated through and starting to soften add in diced peaches. Continue stirring for one minute then remove from heat. Salt to taste and serve. 

This relish would also be pretty dang awesome if you grilled the corn, zucchini and onion to get a little char on it. If you do that, just chop vegetables to the appropriate size after grilling. Then combine veggies,  peaches, olive oil, spicy seasoning and salt to a bowl and mix.

Serve alone for an easy, light (and vegan) lunch, as a side dish, or on top of grilled chicken or fish.

For real ... YUM!

DIY Baby Wipes (Cloth or Disposable)

I have already admitted I am not crunchy enough to cloth diaper. I'm just not that brave. (Bravo to you mamas who do cloth diaper!) But, I have been trying to avoid chemical and alcohol filled wipes and this recipe makes that goal super easy. 

What You'll Need:

1 Roll of paper towels, cut in half

   OR flannel squares for reusable cloth wipes

1 1/2C Distilled Water

1 TBS Coconut oil

1 TBS Castile soap

10 drops essential oil (I recommend Gentle Baby or Lavender)

1 gallon size resealable bag or large container for storage

OR 1 spray bottle for cloth wipes

1. Cut your paper towel roll in half. I used a serrated knife. A little messy, but it works.
*Cut your flannel to wipe size.

2. Place ONE half roll of paper towels in a gallon sized resealable bag or storage container of your choice. (Put the second half of the roll away to use another time.)
*If making cloth wipes, skip this step.

3. Combine distilled water and coconut oil. Heat on the stove top or in the microwave just until mixture is warm enough to melt the coconut oil.

4. Add 1 TBS Castile soap and 10 drops essential oil to the luke-warm water and oil.

5. Pour all of the liquid mixture onto your paper towels.
*Pour mixture into spray bottle. 

6. Let sit for a minute, then remove the cardboard tube in the center of the paper towels. The tube should slip right out and pull up your first wipe so it is ready to use.

 
7. Seal the reusable bag and use as needed.
*Spray, wipe, wash and reuse. 

* denotes cloth wipe instructions.

Simple enough, right?

Cost Comparison:

• The local grocery store has a 64 pack of conventional disposable wipes for $1.97 which breaks down to about $0.03 per wipe.
• My recipe made 88 wipes (I used the select-a-size paper towels and my roll had 88 sheets.) for $3.17. If I had used Lavender essential oil (which is slightly cheaper than Gentle Baby) the cost would have been $2.37. That means you can make homemade, chemical-free wipes for even less than the store bought price of $0.03 per wipe.

That, to me, is a no brainer. This family will be sticking to the homemade version. ;)

Thieves Kettle Corn

My family loves popcorn of all varieties - buttered popcorn, sweet popcorn, basil parmesan popcorn ... you get the idea. My husband and daughter love to eat it and I love that popcorn is easy to make (thanks to our Whirley Pop) and it can be fairly healthy depending on how you prepare it. Currently our favorite recipe includes a few drops of Thieves essential oil. It's sweet, salty, cinnaminy (That's a word, right?!) and delicious!

Thieves Kettle Corn:

3 TBS Coconut oil

2 TBS White Sugar

1/2 Cup Popcorn 

4 drops Young Living Thieves Essential Oil

Salt to taste

Place your Whirley Pop* over medium heat and place first four ingredients in the pot. Twirl handle slowly but continually while the oil heats and the popcorn pops. To avoid burning the sugar and scorching your popcorn, make sure you remove the pot from heat promptly when the popcorn is finished popping. Pour popcorn into a large bowl and salt to taste.

*If you don't have a Whirley Pop you can cook your popcorn in a cast iron pot with a lid or another popcorn machine. Melt coconut oil, add sugar and Thieves oil, and pour over popcorn before salting. 

It's that easy. And, did I mention it's DELICIOUS?! Yeah, okay ... I'm going to go make some now. (Seriously.)

Lemony Thyme Zoodles

My birthday is next week, and this year my husband got me a Spirelli Slicer. My joy at the prospect of trying Zoodles was maybe a little bit ridiculous, but I'm happy to report that they lived up to my expectations.

Gorgeous, right?! Here's my recipe.


Lemony Thyme Zoodles:

2 Zucchini
1 small Tomato, diced
Drizzle EVOO

Juice from half a Lemon

Leaves from 2 sprigs of Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

Using a spiral slicer, make Zucchini noodles aka Zoodles.(If you don't have a spiral slicer you can use any vegetable peeler to make thin slices of zucchini.)

Toss zoodles, EVOO, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper together. Split the noodles into 2 portions and plate. Top zoodles with diced tomato. 

Super quick, easy and delicious! This recipe is completely vegan and was perfect for a light lunch, but for a more hearty meal you could add grilled chicken breast on top.

My husband said it was, "better than he expected" and my kids were begging for my "special" noodles. Total win in my book!

Easy Homemade Chocolate (Soy & Dairy Free)

I love chocolate. For me, a bit of chocolate a day keeps the crazy at bay. Most store bought chocolate is full of junk and/or dairy, though. The junk I might be willing to overlook, but due to my nursing son's dairy sensitivity, I can't ignore the dairy. So, what's a girl to do? Why, come up with her own homemade chocolate, of course!

Easy Homemade Chocolate:

1/4c Honey (raw)
1/4c Melted Coconut Oil
1/4c Cocoa Powder
1/4tsp Vanilla (the real stuff, not imitation)

Combine all ingredients and mix.

That's it. Easy is almost an understatement, right? And this chocolate recipe isn't just easy, it's super versatile, too.

- Add a dash of cinnamon to the chocolate, dip banana slices in the mix and freeze for a cold treat.

- Try this Peppermint Pattie recipe from Meaningful Eats but replace the melted chocolate chip coating with my easy chocolate recipe.

- Keep the chocolate warm for "fondue." Serve with angel food cake chunks, strawberries, bananas, pretzel sticks, etc.

- Dip a crispy piece of bacon in the chocolate, let harden and enjoy. (If this is wrong, I don't want to be right.)

- Pour on ice cream for a healthier chocolate "shell" option.

- Make chocolate bars. Add in:

• Shredded coconut and sliced almonds for a mock Almond Joy.
• Pistachios and dried cherries or cranraisins.
• Toasted walnuts or pecans.

      Mix in the add-ons, place in the fridge to harden, then cut into bars. Due to the coconut oil base these bars will melt at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, so they are best stored in the fridge.

Mmmmm, mmmmm, delicious! I would share a picture of the chocolatey goodness, but I already ate all of the last batch I made. Maybe next time I make this I can restrain myself long enough for a picture or two ... Maybe. ;)

"You use WHAT to clean your face?!"

I have struggled with acne since I was 11. That's 16 years, y'all. 16 years of "gentle" cleansers, harsh chemicals, prescription creams and pills. I even took the "miracle" acne pill Accutane (an Rx that has a list of side effects as long as my arm and requires monthly blood tests) three times in 5 years. Accutane is usually only given to a person once and I was told three times is the absolute max. Even after all that, I was still dealing with acne on my face, neck, chest and back. Note the past tense, "was." I was dealing with acne. Now, for the first time in my life I have people telling me how great my skin looks. In fact, I went to get a facial yesterday and the aesthetician raved about my even skin tone, small pores and clear skin. (Uh, this is kind of a miracle in my world.) Instead of trying to sell me the spas products, she actually ended up asking me about my skin care regimen.

"You use what to clean your face?!" Yeah. This is generally the response I get when I explain to people that I use the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). Here's the idea behind the OCM: When you use traditional soaps and face washes they can strip your skin of its natural oils, causing your body to produce even more oils which can in turn lead to break outs. With OCM you use non-comedogenic (aka non-pore clogging) oils to gently cleanse your face while maintaining and balancing the natural oils of your face. I wasn't getting the results I wanted just using the OCM, so I took things one step further and incorporated my Young Living essential oils into the mix.

Cleanse:

I pre-mix equal parts organic extra-virgin olive oil and organic castor oil. (You can use any oil or combination of oils of your choice, as long as they rate a 2 or below on the comedogenic scale.) Before bed I take about a nickle size amount of the oil mix and spread it over my face and neck starting around my eyes. (Oh and don't worry about make-up removal, this process takes care of that too!) If I am breaking out I rub the evoo/castor oil mix in around my eyes before adding 1-2 drops of Melaleuca Alfornia (aka tea tree) oil to the remaining evoo mix in my hand and continue working the oils over the rest of my face/neck. Massage for 1-2 minutes.

To remove the oils - along with all the dirt, gunk and make-up that was on your face - take a clean (this is important! get a new wash cloth every night) warm wet wash cloth and place it on your face. Allow it to steam for at least 30 seconds before wiping off the oils. Repeat a second time if necessary.

Spot Treatment:

If needed, I spot treat blemishes with Purification, which is a Young Living essential oil blend. I use this on my face, neck, chest and back.

Moisturize:

Like my cleansing oil, I pre-make my moisturizer. To make the moisturizer, combine 1 ounce organic jojoba oil and 10 drops each of Young Living Lavender and Frankincense essential oils. Lavender and Frankincense both have healing properties and may also help improve the appearance of scars.

Keep in mind a little goes a long way when using this "moisturizer." To use just dip a clean fingertip or two in the oil and spread over your face and neck.

*Note: for day time wear you may choose to use organic argan oil as it is lighter and absorbs into the skin more quickly.

Exfoliation:

I personally only exfoliate 3x a week, usually in the morning. I make a paste with baking soda and water or baking soda and milk and use it as a gentle scrub. Pat dry and follow with moisturizing oils mix.

There are several other natural ways to exfoliate including a raw honey mask, honey and baking soda, brown sugar and oil, etc. I use baking soda and water most of the time because I can keep the baking soda in my bathroom, mix and apply before hopping in the shower to rinse.

Commonly Asked Questions:

Doesn't using all these oils make you ... oily? No. That's really the beauty of the OCM. Your skin finds natural balance when it isn't constantly being dried out by chemicals and soaps.

Do you use the OCM morning and night? No. Personally I only do the OCM at night. In the morning I either exfoliate or just wash my face with warm water. Pat dry, spot treat if needed and apply my moisturizer. If wearing make-up wait 5 minutes after applying moisturizer before starting make-up application.

Does this mean you never get pimples anymore? I wish. The truth is that if I get lazy and am not consistent with using the OCM and my essential oils I break out. Even if I am consistent,  sometimes life happens and between hormones and stress I do end up breaking out. However, my break outs have noticeably decreased and, with my essential oil, my break outs heal significantly faster.

Why don't you use coconut oil to cleanse or moisturize? Here is the DL on coconut oil. It is an amazing oil. I go through a big ol' 54 oz container about every other month. I use it in my body lotions, my family eats it, we use it for cooking, oil pulling, etc. But, coconut oil is comedogenic. It's actually a 5 on the comedogenic scale, which is the highest rating. What does that mean? It's pore clogging and therefore, I keep it far away from any part of my body that is prone to break outs.

How do I get the oils you use? You can find olive oil, castor oil, and jojoba oil either at a health food store or online. Look for organic, cold pressed oils. To order Young Living essential oils check out this post. 

Dairy Free Chocolate Cherry Sorbet

You know what is delicious on a hot day? A big scoop of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Garcia ice cream. You know what I can't have? Ice cream. My son is severely lactose intolerant, which means that while I am breast feeding this mama can't have dairy. Luckily, I have a husband who loves me mucho and decided to create a dairy free replica just for me.

Chocolate Cherry Sorbet

1 Can Organic Coconut Milk (Full fat recommended)
1/2 Jar Maraschino Cherries with Syrup*, roughly chopped
1/4c Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
1/3c Water

Blend all ingredients together, pour into ice cream maker, churn for approximately 15 minutes. Enjoy immediately or freeze for 45 minutes for a more firm texture.
* You can use more or less syrup based on your preference for sweetness.

So Delicious! My container is about half empty already and hubby just made this today. :)

Ditch the Sand, Play in the Dirt

Freaking out because your baby just ate a handful of sand at the playground? I've often heard that "a little sand never hurt anyone" but that may actually not be true.

Here's an eye opener for you, the sand typically found in kid's sand boxes is made from quartz rock and contains little particles known as micro-crystalline silica. What exactly does that mean? Every time your little one tosses a handful of powdery fun up into the air, they are most likely inhaling a carcinogen. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breathing in crystalline silica can be connected to a slew of health problems including silicosis, lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis and airway disease. Exposure to the compound may also be related to autoimmune disorders and chronic renal disease. Artificial sand, which is usually light and powdery, is no better as it may have materials containing asbestos. All of the sudden that cute turtle sand box is starting to look kind of sinister, huh?

Don't throw out the little green guy just yet, though. Instead, buy some organic soil, dump it in the sand box and let your kids have at it. And if they manage to eat a handful? All the better.  Because, while play sand may pose a danger to kids, studies show that playing in and even eating dirt could lead to them being healthier, happier and smarter. Don't believe me? Check out this article.

Now that we know we know the benefits, here are a few ways the whole family can enjoy getting dirty:

• Join the kids in the sand ... er, soil box.
• Get out in the yard and teach your kids the ancient art of making mud pies.
• Garden as a family.
• Dig for worms.
• Enjoy a bit of mud soccer after (or during) a rain storm.

You get the idea. Be creative, get dirty and stay healthy!

Let's Talk Detox Baths

Every Tuesday and Thursday I take a weight lifting class. Specifically, I take a Les Mills Body Pump class and it's something I look forward to. I like to challenge my body and today I decided to up my weight for every track. Who knew that 5 extra pounds could hurt so much?! And I don't just mean in class. I huffed and I puffed and I made it through the work for each set of muscles. But now, 10 hours later my body is screaming at me. I've experienced this before, and I know that tomorrow even the thought of having to hike up and down the stairs of my 2 story house is going to make me want to curl up in a ball and admit defeat. (You're not allowed to laugh at my dramatics unless you have also done squats for 5 minutes straight with 40 lbs - or 1/3 of your body weight - on your back.) So, what's a girl to do? A detox bath, of course! Detox baths aren't just relaxing, they are also great for gently removing toxins from the body, alleviating muscle soreness and improving tissue health.


Simple Detox Bath:

1c Epsom Salt

1/4c Baking Soda
5-10 drops Essential Oil

*1/2c Sea Salt (optional)

This is important: Do not just dump everything in the bath and hop in. If you dump everything in at once the oils will sit at the top, potentially causing skin irritation and discomfort. Instead, measure out your Epsom salt into a glass bowl, drop the essential oils into the Epsom salt and let them sit for several minutes. Add the baking soda and stir. Now dump the mixture into the bath.

In the picture above, you might have noticed my super classy wine bottle with screw top. (I obviously have great taste in wine.) I like to mix up a big batch of the detox bath mix and store it in wine bottles for easy use. My current bottle has Young Living Rosemary and Lavender essential oils in it. Rosemary is good for muscle aches and Lavender is a relaxant. Using essential oils to mix and match, the possibilities are endless. Aside from my current mixture, I have also used:

Panaway (for aches and pains)
Stress Away (This is one of my favorite smells - it has lime, lavender and vanilla. Yum!)
Peace & Calming
Lavender (alone or with Peppermint)
Eucalyptus Blue (goes well with Rosemary and Lavender for muscle aches)

Personally, I think the best part of a detox bath is that when you break down the cost of ingredients per bath, it is really a cost effective luxury. So cost effective, in fact, that I can afford a nice detox bath and my $6 screw on top bottle of wine - both of which are calling my name. :)

2 for 1 Recipe: Korean Beef w/Vegetables & Thai Lettuce Wraps

It's impossible for me to follow a recipe as written. I blame my mom. She had stacks of cookbooks and a box full of hand written recipes yet we rarely (if ever) ate the exact same thing twice. Mom was a big fan of improvising with food. She rarely used measuring cups and taught me to use a recipe as a base to add on to or take away from as the fancy struck me. With that in mind, it's really not a surprise that while I started off with this recipe for Korean Beef I ended up with Korean Beef w/ Vegetables and Thai Lettuce Wraps. That's right, I somehow ended up with two different dishes. One for dinner, one for lunch the next day - both cost effective, quick and delicious!

Korean Beef w/Vegetables

1 lb organic ground beef (option: Sub ground chicken or turkey)
1/4c packed brown sugar
1/3c soy sauce
1-2 tbs sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (I'll be honest, I just squeezed a blob out from my bottle of pre-minced garlic.)
1/2 tsp fresh finely grated ginger
1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2c chopped mushrooms
1-2 carrots, grated
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't feel the need to use either one)
1 bunch green onions, diced to use as garnish

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain the fat. Return skillet to the stove and on medium heat add sesame oil, garlic, chopped mushrooms and broccoli florets. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add browned ground beef and grated carrot. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low before adding brown sugar, soy sauce, and grated ginger. Add crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer on low for a few minutes so they flavors can meld. Reserve half of the mixture for the Thai Lettuce Wraps recipe below. Serve the remaining beef and vegetable mixture over rice and topped with diced green onions. Recipe serves 2-4 depending on your portion size.

*Note: I totally left out the mushrooms because they do not make my mouth happy. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your specific tastes.*

Thai Lettuce Wraps
1/2 meat mixture from the Korean Beef w/Vegetables recipe
1/2 -1 tbs natural peanut butter
Iceberg or romaine lettuce to use as "cups"

Remove several leafs from the lettuce of your choice. Combine the leftover meat and veggies with the peanut butter and heat until warm. Spoon into the lettuce "cups" or "wraps." Immediately devour while still standing at the counter. Oh, that's just me? I guess you could sit down at the table if you really want to. ;)