Clean it Green

Whether you're doing it for the environment or to save a little cash or both. The hype is to go GREEN and here's one way you can join the crowd. I try to make cleaning as fun as I possibly can that way, I don't dread it when it needs to be done. The essential oils help to boost my mood with the added bonus of keeping all the chemical garbage out of our home. They not only smell so yummy but have wonderful antibacterial/anti fungal/disinfectant properties as well. Steer clear of toxic products they can lead to all kinds of allergies and health conditions. When all is said and done, I must say "A Clean house is a Happy house." Its really as simple as it sounds too!



Floor Cleaner: I love Dr. Bronner's Castile liquid soap.(Now available at Target in the beauty section with other wonderful natural and organic products) I usually buy the unscented and use in my baby wipes but it also comes in great scents with pure essential oils. You can even brush your teeth with this stuff. I mix about 1tbsp with some water in a bucket and then add 1/2 cup of vinegar and whichever *essential oil I'm in the mood for. Then I cut up two cloth rags from old shirts. After I sweep the floors, I put on some tunes and kick off my socks and skate around on the rags until the floor is sparkly clean.
* I use "heart song" or "sunburst" from butterflyexpress.org

Carpet Cleaner: Choose any size container and mix 2 cups of Baking Soda with 8-10 drops of essential oil of choice. (I love peppermint, mostly because I am terrified of spiders(also works for ants) and this is a great one for repelling them.) Then sprinkle onto carpet and vacuum up. It leaves the whole house smelling wonderful and deodorizes the carpet.
* Also try putting a few drops of essential oil on a small cloth and placing inside your bagless vacuum cleaner compartment, this will also make the house smell fresh as you vacuum.

Windows/Mirrors Spray: Mix equal parts of water and vinegar. Then spray and wipe clean with newspaper for a streak free view.

Room Freshener Spray: Fill a spray bottle with water and add 10-12 drops of *essential oil. It freshens/deodorizes the room or (bathroom at our home, we keep this one under the sink) It can also disinfect the air(depending on the essential oil you choose) if someones been sick so we don't spread any sick bugs to anyone else.
* I use an essential oil blend form butterflyexpress.org called "holiday spirit" or "deliverance"
or "purify"

Fabric Sheet: I love to freshen my clothes with my own concontion of essential oils. I use a natural cotton cloth with a few drops of what smeels good and toss it in the dryer with my laundry.
*Lavender is my favorite!!

Toliet bowls: Sprinkle with baking soda and scrub with toliet brush.

Showers & tubs: Mix baking soda and liquid laundry detergent(I use earth friendly products brand lavender scent) until you have paste consistency(similar to soft scrub at the store) then srub-a-dub that dirty bathroom tub!

( I order my soaps from Vitacost it's a great online store for earth friendly products at a great price with only $4.99 shipping rate on any size order)

You're my Sugar Girl

Thinking about a night of treating yourself to some pampering.... go on, you deserve it! Slip into your robe and slippers and enjoy this sweet treat. Its so good you may feel somewhat guilty.

Brown Sugar Almond Face Scrub

2 tbsp Ground Almonds
(Grind in blender or food processor)
2 tsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Aloe Vera Gel
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until you have a thick paste. Add more almonds to thicken or try adding ground rolled oats. Gently massage in a circular motion. Leave on for 2-4 minutes and rinse with warm water.
*Ground nuts polish and smooth the complexion helping to nourish dry skin with the added bonus of helping to eliminate blemishes.
*Brown Sugar gently exfoliates and helps to remove the dead skin. This will make your skin feel smooth and rejuvenated.
*Aloe Vera is very soothing and hydrates the skin(fresh is best, look for least amount of added ingredients when buying)
*Lemon Juice has antibacterial properties and will help keep those wrinkles at bay.
(Squeeze it from a fresh organic lemon)

Eat it or scrub it......

Didn't finish breakfast? Try this super dooper face scrub to start the day. Oatmeal is soothing and has anti-inflammatory properties for the skin. Yogurt cools and is hydrating.
Your face will thank you!

OATMEAL & YOGURT FACE SCRUB

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp ground, uncooked rolled oats (grind in blender or food processor for fine powder consistency, if you don't grind it can irritate and scratch the skin)

1/4 cup plain yogurt (organic would be best)

Mix together all ingredients in small mixing bowl. Apply to face and neck for 1-2 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Mmmm...Blueberry Almond Muffins

When Adam and I decided to make some major changes and implement a "Vegan" diet, I felt like I stepped into an unknown world of ...what do I eat? I came across some really great cookbooks "How it all Vegan" and "The Garden of Vegan" by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer. (Caution:It's a bit edgy, but extremely simple to understand) They were really helpful in making the transition into the "Veganism"(I think that's a word!!) Anyway, to make a long story short.... We love trying new recipes from our cookbooks. We love the Blueberry Muffin Recipe and we've given it our own touch -- almonds. Haven's super helpful when mommy cooks she loves to put the muffin papers in the pan and she gets to lick the bowl!! (No eggs, so no worries:) Eat 'em up, yum yum!!

BlueBerry Almond Muffins

1 Cup Soymilk (milk substitute)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup Flour (I use whole wheat)
*1/4 Cup Wheat Germ
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt (I use Sea Salt)
Egg Replacer, equal to 1 egg
( I use 1/4 cup applesauce or 1/2 banana mashed)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Dry Sweetner (I use pure cane sugar)
1 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries
*1/2 tsp Almond Extract
*chopped sliced almonds as much as desired

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy milk and rolled oats and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and wheat germ. Stir in the egg replacer, oil,sweetner and add the oat mixture. Then I add the almond extract and sliced almonds. Gently stir in the blueberries (do not overmix) and spoon into muffin pan (lightly oiled if not using muffin papers) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 regualr sized muffins.

*Check out vegweb.com to find other great vegan/vegetarian recipes, link on the right

Clean Sweep

"Spring" is a time to clean out the dusty corners of life and let the sun shine in. What about a bit of detoxifying on the inside too? Over time waste accumulates in those corners of the body. I've had lots of questions about cleansing and detoxing. Here's some answers and guidelines to follow.

Is your body becoming toxic? Signs your body might be telling you it's had enough:

Headaches/Back and joint aches
Respiratory problems
Food and environmental sensitivities
Poor digestion
Brittle hair and nails
Weight gain (unexplained over 10lbs)

**Please use caution before doing any kind of a detox. If you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have any serious health conditions, consult your physician first.

THREE DAY JUICE FAST

What you will need:

* 2 Quarts Prune Juice ( I like the California Sweet brand you can find
it at Smith's or just any brand that doesn't have added ingredients)
* 9 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 3 Gallons Juice of Choice only choose one and use that for the entire
three days (Apple, Grape, Carrot, Tomato))
(I use R.W. Knudsen organic apple, but you could make your own
in a juicer or vita mix, whatever is easier)
* 3 Gallons Water (Distilled is best or Reverse Osmosis)

Steps:

-- Each morning drink 16 oz Prune Juice (Drink more throughout the
day if you feel constipated)

-- Following the Prune Juice (1/2 hr after), drink 8 oz. Juice of
Choice (apple, carrot,grape,tomato, remember only choose one)

-- Following Juice (1/2 hr after), drink 8 oz Water

-- Take 1-2 TBSP Olive Oil three times a day (I usually do this at meal
times I consider it my food) (If a TBSP is too hard, just take as much as you can)

You will be rotating the juice and water every 1/2 hr for the entire
day and follow this for each day.

Depending on what juice you choose you can eat a fruit/veggie that
corresponds, around the evening time.....i.e. apple juice eat 1
apple, carrot juice eat 1 carrot

You'll be in the bathroom quite a bite the first day so keep that in
mind.... If you keep up on the juice and water each 1/2 hr. you
really shouldn't feel hungry but at night you'll be
feeling tired. The second day is usually the hardest because you'll
start to feel weak, but if you can just stay focused and get through
it, then the last day you'll know you can do it! The fourth day be sure
and keep the food light and still drink plenty of fluids. Food will
taste so good!! I really noticed a difference in how I felt after and
it was worth it.

This cleanse should flush 3 gallons of toxins from your system!!!

Eating lots of fresh fruits/veggies are a great way to
keep the body cleansing. Let me know how it goes.

Good Luck and Happy Fasting!!!

Benefits to expect:
- Energy level is increased
- Less cravings for sweets and fats
- Improved digestion
- Weight loss ( a few pounds)
- A fresh start to change bad habits

*Info gathered from Linda Page's "Healthy Living" and Dr Christopher's Three Day Juice Fast

No gobble

I really wanted to post this recipe even though it's now too late for serving at your Thanksgiving feast. It's a great recipe and maybe you can try it for Christmas or save it for next year. It turns out more like a tofurkey loaf (meat loaf) but it still takes the place of the turkey on my plate. If you're still wondering what on earth is a tofurkey --- its when tofu is used to create a substitute turkey. Maybe you've seen them in the stores and they do resemble more of a turkey but hey its always better homemade anyway, right? Try it and let me know what you think. 

TOFURKEY  

3 c onion (diced)

1 1/2 c celery (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2  15 oz Firm Tofu

2 c Cashews

1 c water

2 Tbsp Arrowroot powder or potato/corn starch

1 tsp Celery seed

1/2 tsp dried Sage, Thyme, Marjoram

2-3 Tbsp Soy sauce (I use Bragg's liquid aminos)

Sea salt and Poultry Seasoning to taste

Saute onions,celery and garlic in olive oil. Crumble tofu in med mixing bowl . Grind cashews in blender or food processor. Add cashew powder to tofu. In separate bowl mix starch and water, then add to tofu. Combine the rest of ingredients and mix everything together. Pour into a greased loaf pan or 9x13 dish. Cook at 350 for 1 hr or until light brown on top. 

* Freeze tofu the night before. Place tofu cube in freezer bag . To thaw; place bag in a bowl of hot water. Squeeze out any excess water before crumbling. 

Serve with gravy!! Makes great leftovers for sandwiches.

Do You do it To?

Haven's reached that age where she wants what mommy has...even though I try to distract her attention with some of her favorite things, she doesn't go for it and is still very determined to have her way. I've done my best at not giving in but every once in awhile I do.

My sister told me about an episode of Oprah where Dr Oz talked about the dangers of cell phones being used by children. There is just not enough info and we really don't know what effects they might be having us....so watch the video and educate yourself then do what you feel is best.