It's Time to GREEN!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Don't have time to cook? Now you do...

This post is looong over due. I have found a new love. An appliance love (yes....again. :-) )

My steamer was starting to give out so I went online months ago looking for a new steamer. Everywhere I looked this thing called an Instant Pot popped up. I ignored it.

Then I decided to find a new pressure cooker to use on the stove. I have one but it is aluminum and I am NOT cooking in aluminium anymore. Guess what kept popping up in my search for a new pressure cooker? Yep, you guessed it, this weird little appliance called an Instant Pot. Still, I ignored it.

Then a friend sent me a link to this appliance that she knew I would love. Can you guess what the link was too? Yep. An instant pot.

Hilarious, right?!

So, I started researching and asked for an Instant Pot for Christmas. My giving husband delivered. :-)

Then for about what feels like 2 weeks, I sat there staring at the Instant Pot. The manual was overwhelming and my past fear of pressure cookers was resurfacing. Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and just try something...anything.

So, I boiled water (this is a test they want you to perform before using) I thought I could handle that.

Then I was ready to cook a meal. And it turned out beautifully.

Here are a few reasons why I am in love with my IP:
-Chuck roast in IP-45 minutes....crock pot 8 hours
-Beef bone broth in IP 1 hour 50 minutes and delicious....stove top 1 day.
-Refried beans in IP-30 minutes....crock pot 24 hours.
-Ribs-actually tender
-Best cheesecake ever
-Best soft boiled eggs ever
-Best hard boiled eggs ever
-Dinner time is no longer stressful and I enjoy meal planning

So, for those of you who have told me you can't cook traditional, that there aren't enough hours in the day....well.......guess what? Now you have no excuse. Start saving for the appliance that will change your life forever and allow you to cook healthy, home cooked meals in a fraction of the time. And I can't even imagine how much this is cutting down on our electricity bill. Click here to see the one we bought. A 6qt Duo. There is a new one with blue tooth, but I didn't want that one.

You can see in the picture the 3 cookbooks I bought. I love them all but Bob Warden's is my favorite.

Also make sure you are part of the Instant Pot community on Facebook. It's amazing.

Happy instant potting!!! Your life will never be the same.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Seasonal Issues (sneezing, coughing, runny nose and drainage...oh my!)

Sooooo, is anyone out there silly like me?

I have been suffering (well not really...how about tolerating) being sick for over 2 weeks now. 2 weeks! Me?! The one who rarely gets sick.

So, I was doing an essential oil class Saturday and the topic of seasonal sneezes, coughs, drainage and runny noses came up.

AND IT DAWNED on me...it's that time again......it's early this year. I usually do it once a year, every April or May. Well....with the way the weather has been this year I guess it's here early.

This is what I do...I base it on body weight, so I take 2 drops each of lemon, lavender and peppermint. A larger man, I would suggest 3-4 drops of each. 2 times every day for 2 weeks. For my kids I do 1 drop of each in a shot glass. When they were under the age of 5, I put the oils along their spine.

Seasonal Issues Protocol
2-4 drops of each Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint (base on body weight)
Small amount of water
Shot glass
Water to drink

I put a small mouthful of water in my adorable essential oil shot glass I bought from AromaTools and then add 2 drops of lemon, 2 drops of lavender and 2 drops of peppermint. And swig it back without letting it touch my lips. Then I rinse the shot glass 2-3 times and swig it back so that I get all of the oils out of the shot glass. Then grab my water bottle and drink water. Do this 2 times per day for 2 weeks.

No joke, on day 2 I was already feeling better!

Love my essential oils!!!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Pumpkin Pie

From "The oils I use" International post

One drop each: cassia, clove, ginger and orange

2 cups of steamed or baked, mashed pumpkin (rinds to the chickens)

1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger (or 1 drop of ginger oil)

1 cup of organic heavy whipping cream,

1 cup of organic sugar (or honey)

6-8 egg yolks (local, pastured)

Springform Pie crust, see below.

Blend and pour into a springform pan with a pecan-coconut crust, bake 75-90 minutes at 350, cool, refrigerate overnight to cure, and you have one gorgeous custard. Hubbard squash also makes a great pie.

Springform Pie Crust is the pressed form of a crumbled bottom:

Combine 1/2 stick of melted butter (KerryGold)

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup organic sugar

Pumpkin pie spice to taste (Trader Joe's contains cardamom A+).

Let infuse/cool after stirring, press on glass/metal bottom of springform, pre-bake 15 minutes, cool, and add the pumpkin mixture prior baking.

Do not remove the "wall" of the springform until the pie has cooled 12+ hours; use a knife along the interior wall to aid separation sans damage, and the result is a gorgeous "tall" presentation of a true custard.

Enjoy!!

Homemade Canned Pumpkin

Well, it's that time! Time to think about all things pumpkin! I used my last jar of canned pumpkin this past week to make gluten free muffins, so it's time to restock the freezer. You can also can pumpkin, if you want.

I had some volunteer pumpkins grow this year below our bedroom window (so cool) and now it is time for them to take their 2nd step in the adventure of their lives. 1st step was decorating our front porch. :-)

Making canned pumpkin is so easy, you will not believe it!

The recipe I use calls for a pie pumpkin, but I have used both and loved both for baking and eating. Pie pumpkins tend to be smaller, sweeter and less grainy.

Ingredients:
1 pumpkin (Any size really. Pie pumpkins are generally 8 inches in diameter.)

Tools:
Knife
Spoon
9x13 glass pyrex
Water
Oven
Bowl
Submersion blender/mixer/blender
Glass pint Jars (washed) (buy at garage sales or your local store)(I prefer wide mouth)
Lids (I love the plastic white ones)

1. Cut pumpkin in half.

2. Scrape out seeds and stringy stuff (you can wash and roast the seeds in the oven for a yummy snack, wash and dry them and plant them in your garden next summer or throw everything in your garden for volunteer pumpkins next year now).

3. Place both halves cut side down in a 9x13 glass pan.

4. Fill 9x13 glass pyrex pan with 1/4 inch reverse osmosis water.

5. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350. At 30 minutes prick the pumpkin halves with a fork to see if it is soft. If it isn't soft, bake for 15 minutes more.

6. Let pumpkin halves cool a bit. Then scrape out pumpkin and place in a bowl.

7. Blend it up! (I have always used my submersion blender here, but a mixer or blender should work too.)

8. Place pumpkin in pint jar, allow 1 inch space at top. Put in freezer!

9. Thaw as needed. And use just as you would a can of pumpkin.

Note:
1 pint = 2 cups = 16 oz
1 small can of store bought pumpkin=15 oz

That's it!!

*If you prefer to pressure can your pumpkin follow these steps:
Follow steps 1-6.
7. Prep pressure can for 11-12 pounds.
8. Cut pumpkin into squares.
9. Place into heated pint glass jars.
10. Fill with boiling water, leaving 1 inch headspace.
12. Add lids and rings.
12. Let pressure canner steam vent for 10 minutes.
13. Put weight on and once gauge hits 11 pounds, start timer for 65 minutes.
14. Maintain 10 pounds pressure.

Share your homemade pumpkin recipes!

Here's a recipe using "The oils I use" essential oils!!
Pumpkin Pie

Enjoy!!

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

I use this recipe when I make cubed steak. It is delicious!!!!!

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

2 tablespoons KerryGold butter
2-4 ounces of fresh organic mushrooms
2 tablespoons of fresh organic onion, chopped or 4-5 dashes of organic dried minced onion
1-2 organic garlic cloves, minced (or the already diced up organic garlic from Meijer)
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons organic King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 cups of homemade chicken broth or stock
1 cup heavy cream (raw preferred, if not organic at least)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp organic pepper
1/4 tsp organic nutmeg

1. Heat butter in a cast iron skillet.
2. Cut the mushrooms into slices.
3. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to butter. Saute until onions are soft.
4. Stir 1/4 c + 1 Tbsp flour into the butter, mushroom, garlic and onion.
5. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Heat until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
6. Stir in cream plus 5 Tbsp flour and your seasonings.
7. Stirring constantly, heat till soup reaches consistency you are looking for.
8. Use a submersion blender, and CAREFULLY blend soup to a smooth consistency while still in cast iron skillet.
9. Spread over browned cubed steaks and bake at 350, covered with a baking stone for 1 1/2 hours.
10. Enjoy!

Recipe: From food.com

Monday, January 19, 2015

The Best Diaper Cream

The Best Diaper Cream (clay)

2 oz cup shea butter (I buy this one. But is not white. It is yellow.)

2 oz cup coconut oil (I buy this one.)

1/4 cup bentonite clay (I buy this one.)

7 drops lavender essential oil (I only use the company that begins with do)

7 drops melaleuca (I only use the company that begins with do)

Almond oil (I would recommend this one.) or jojoba or avocado. If needed.

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to mash all ingredients together. If the cream is too dry, add 5-10 drops of Almond oil at a time and continue mashing until the consistency is that of a very thick paste. This will take a few minutes but the end result is worth it.

2. I then transfer cream to this container.

3. Apply with clean hands as needed.

Lasts 6 months, approximately.

Keep Oiling!

Cooking with Essential Oils

This is "The oils I use" company blog. It is packed with wonderful information and recipes.

This link has a ton of cooking recipes. You will love it!!

http://doterrablog.com/category/recipes/

Cooking with Essential Oils

This is "The oils I use" company blog. It is packed with wonderful information and recipes.

This link has a ton of cooking recipes. You will love it!!

http://doterrablog.com/category/recipes/

Lemon Cleansing Spray

Why Buying Essential Oils from Amazon or eBay ISN'T a Good Idea.

See this little thing? This little thing is a brand new cap for an essential oil bottle. This little

thing SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!!!! Do you want to know why?

Because dishonest people could buy these caps, buy bottles of essential oils....dump out

half of the bottle of essential oil and refill that bottle with fractionated coconut oil, synthetic

chemicals or who know's what else, put this new cap back on and sell it on Amazon or

eBay and you would never know.

DO NOT buy oils from Amazon or eBay. Buy your oils directly from the company that begins with "do" or a

Wellness Advocate for that company that begins with "do".

SHARE this with EVERYONE you know.

Diffuser Comparasion

I own all 4 of these diffusers and I love all of them but I do have my favorites.

#1 Favorite: Aroma Lite (I love that it goes for 8 hours.)
#2 Favorite: Petal (Only goes up to 4 hours, but I still love everything about it. Especially the price.)
#3 Favorite: Lotus. I have the old one, not the new one.
#4 Favorite: Aroma Ace (Love but can't use in bedroom. Too noisy. And DO NOT use fractionated coconut oil in this one. Oils only.)