Deodorant Discussion and Recipe

I used to use Dove anti-perspirant every day of my life.  Some days multiple times.  

No more.

Sarah, at The Healthy Home Economist sums it up wonderfully.  Read her post here.  We HAVE to start reading labels!!!  Have to!  

I used Tom's and thought it was time to try a homemade recipe.  I owe all the thanks for this recipe to my cousin Lisa (love you and thank you!).  I LOVE this recipe and I use it daily!!

So, before you make this, I want to make sure you get this.  Sweating is good.  Stinking is bad.  You want to sweat.  That is how our body rids itself of the toxins and pesticides we ingest every day.  So, you will still sweat.  You just won't stink.  Get it?  Good!!!  Now go make some good for you/safe deodorant.  It will take like a minute!!!  It is super easy!

Lisa's Homemade Deodorant
3 tsp Arrowroot powder (I use this)
1 tsp of baking soda*
Enough coconut oil to make a thick paste (I use this)
4 drops of doTERRA Melaleuca** essential oil (You can buy here.)
About 10 drops of doTERRA Lavender or Serenity (I used 8 Serenity and 3 Balance, hey why not?!)  (You can buy here.)

Yields: 1 ounce

Place ingredients in a bowl and use the back of a fork to mash everything up.  Transfer to container of choice.  I use a butter knife.

I use this glass container from Aroma Tools and love it.  I just store it under my sink in the bathroom.  I use the back of a finger nail, scrape a small amount out of the glass container, flip it around to my finger tips and rub it in my arm pits.

You can also clean out an old deodorant tube and put the deodorant in there, but that needs to be stored in the refrigerator.  It melts right on and leaves no residue.  

If any irritation occurs, slightly cut back on the baking soda next time.  I have a friend that this happens to in the summer.



*I have heard that some baking soda has unwanted ingredients in it.  And I know of people who buy Bob's Red Mill only.  I could not find anything bad about Arm and Hammer and that is what I had on hand, so that is what I used.  If you have any info regarding Arm and Hammer, please share it.  I would love to know.

**The Melaleuca is a MUST when making this recipe.  Melaleuca kills the bacteria that can cause the odor, but too much can be irritating.


~I only recommend, stand behind and use doTERRA essential oils.


Keep on striving towards Living GREEN!

Homemade "Gatorade" Recipes

Well, with all of this flu going around I thought it would be perfect to share some recipes that would help with dehydration.  And with spring sports starting up these recipes are doubly perfect.  :-)  

Let me begin by saying Gatorade is poison.  And I do not mean that jokingly.  Please do not buy it, drink it, or give it to your kids.  It is full of artificial food coloring, that has been proven to increase ADD and ADHD in our kids (and in adults too).  And has an ingredient list on it that only a scientist could explain.  Pepsi has made millions off of Gatorade.  Millions.  If in doubt of what to give your kids, give them water.  Please.  We get enough sodium in the food we eat.  They are not going to dehydrate because water doesn't have salt in it.

Read this article about kids and ADD (this article is good, but don't give soy milk to your kids or drink it yourself either) and this article on ADD is good too.  

Honestly, you don't have to believe me.  Just watch your kids behavior.  I was together with a group of teachers a few months ago and they referenced the "Fruit Punch test," I asked what they were referring to?  They told me that when there are class parties, parents will send in the big plastic containers of Hawaiian Fruit punch for the kids to drink.  And they said like clockwork, after the kids drink it they become out of control.  The combination of sugar, red food coloring and the other harmful ingredients in the Fruit Punch create out of control kids.  (Do your teacher a favor, don't send in anything with artificial food coloring in it (even those cute little colored cupcakes), go with white icing on mini cupcakes.  They kids will love them just as much.  And for a kid drink buy Honest Kids from Meijer.  It comes in pouches or large plastic containers.  (It isn't perfect, but is a lot better than red fruit punch.)

And you know the rule:  IF there are more than 12 ingredients in a "food" and/or you can't pronounce or understand what they are.....then you should not be drinking or eating it.  Very simple.  And if there is food coloring, especially Red 40...DO NOT drink or eat it!!

Why would you want to put poison in your or your kids body when you can make your own healthy version of Gatorade??  I just don't understand.

I ALWAYS recommend glass or stainless steel water bottles.  Plastic is not good.

So, here are a few recipes to pick from......


Homemade "Gatorade" Concentrate
1 cup lemon juice (about 6-8 organic lemons)
1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup (Farmers market)
1 teaspoon Redmond Real sea salt (Meijer or WalMart)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place in a pint mason jar and shake to combine.  Store concentrate in the refrigerator.  You can either add this entire recipe to 1 gallon of water or add 1-2 tablespoons to 8 ounces (2 cups) of water as you need it.  


Homemade Energy Drink
2 cups water or coconut water
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 organic lemon
Juice of 1/2 organic lime
Pinch of Redmonds Read sea salt
Stir, add ice and enjoy.


Homemade Sports Drink (ginger is great for the flu)
3-4 slices fresh organic ginger (or 2-4 drops "do"Ginger essential oil)
1 cup r.o. water + extra
Juice of 1/2 organic lemon
1/4 tsp Redmond Real sea salt
1-2 tablespoons raw honey

Slice the ginger and put it in a small stainless steel saucepan with 1 cup water.  If your ginger is very large only use 2 slices.  Place on stove and boil for 5 minutes.  Turn stove off.  Let ginger steep in hot water, on hot burner, for an additional 5 minutes.

Meanwhile juice your 1/2 lemon.  Please use fresh lemons.  Most bottled lemon juice contains preservatives.

Pour the hot ginger water into a glass jar.  A quart mason jar works great.  Anything glass.  Then add your honey, lemon juice and sea salt. Put lid on and shake until honey and sea salt are dissolved or stir with a spoon.

Then add enough water and ice to make 3 cups.  Some who are sick with the flu prefer this warm or room temperature.  Do what you like.  


Homemade Orange Sports Drink
1/2 cup fresh organic orange juice
2 tablespoons organic lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Redmond Real Sea Salt
7 cups r.o. water
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c raw honey or 1/4 tsp clear liquid stevia or 1/8 tsp. powdered stevia

Mix the salt, baking soda and water until dissolved.  Some people put this in a small stainless steel saucepan and warm until all if perfectly dissolved.  But stirring should be good enough if you don't have time.

Add the orange and lemon juice and sweetener and shake or stir well until combined.  If the honey is too difficult to mix in, add it to your bullet  and blend.  Drink as desired.  Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.  


**Tips:  Freeze lemon, oranges and limes (individually) and free in ice cube trays in 1 tbsp servings.  Pop out and store in a glass pyrex bowl or ziploc bag in the freezer.  Pull out as you need.

For more recipes Google "Homemade Sports Drinks."  Or click here or here or here for a very indepth article. (One of my favorite blogs is at www.kitchenstewardship.com/ ).

Let me know which is your favorite!!

Happy and healthy drinking!!

Living Beyond Organic with Jordan Rubin

I have recently stumbled upon a show on TBN called Living Beyond Organic by Jordan Rubin.  And WOW am I in love.  He teaches all of the eating principles I live by and has taught me many new things.  Watch his first episode here and his second episode here.  Go to YouTube and type in Living Beyond Organic to watch more of his videos and tv shows.  His story is amazing.

Fortunately, I recorded 4 of the Living Beyond Organic tv series and I just keep watching them over and over.  He gives a website for their recipes, but when I go there I can't find many of the recipes.  So, over the course of a few days I have re watched the cooking portion of the tv series and have written down the recipes and ingredients.  They are not perfect but they are close.  So, when you see a recipe below and there are no measurements, that is why....just go with your gut.  :-)  

Later I may go back in and create a Living Beyond Organic button and singly file these recipes under that button, for today you are getting all the recipes in one place.  :-)

Below I am posting Jordan's recipes (and The Juice Lady).  They are not only juicing recipes but main course recipes too.  All things that I want to try.

Hope you enjoy them.  I am getting ready to go juice right now.  :-)

I did contact the website asking for them to give the recipes, if they do I will come back in here and update these.  

Jordan is part of a Direct Marketing program with Living Beyond Organic which I think is very cool.  We can buy top of the line foods from him and sign up if that is something you are interested in.  I love how, he doesn't only point out the best foods to eat, but he has taken the steps, has his own farms and creates the healthy foods for us to buy (top of the line from what I can see).  I may buy Amaise in the future if I can't find it at EarthFare or WholeFoods.  But for now I am shopping and making due with local products.

Amasie is a new cultured dairy beverage, easier to digest and packed full of probiotics and tons of other good for us vitamins and minerals. If you can't find it use organic kefir or yogurt.  I will be receiving Milk Kefir grains in 2 weeks and I will be making my own Raw Milk Kefir.  I can't wait!!!! 

RECIPES:

Jordan's Raw Smoothie

2 cups Amaise Cultured Beverage(Organic Kefir or Organic Yogurt)of Goat or Sheep milk

½ c Organic Strawberries

½ c Organic Blackberries

2-3 tbsp Coconut Cream

1 tbsp Flax seed oil

1 tsp-1 tbsp Raw honey

Raw Protein Powder (organic, sprouted beans)

Can make Popsicles or ice cream with this too.

Juice Blend (The Juice Lady. Cherie Cabom, MS.  Wrote The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution)

1 Organic Cucumber Peeled

Organic Kale (1 stalk)

Organic Collard Green

Organic Swiss Chard (1 stalk)

3 whole organic carrots

1 organic lemon, peeled but leave white pith

Chunk of organic ginger root

Green powder (super food)

Place this juice in the blender.

Then add 2 organic avocados, peeled and sliced and blend.

Curb Your Cravings (The Juice Lady)

First juice to get….

½ cup Organic Spinach and celery juice

½ cup Organic apple juice

½ cup organic spinach

1-2 tbsp Tahini

¼ c-1/2 cup frozen banana

Ice cubes

Blend.

Probiotic Pancakes

3 cups Amaise (honey flavored), Yogurt or Kefir

2 Eggs (beaten)

1 cup Whole Grain Flour (grind if you can yourself)

1-2 tbsp Honey (if you do not use honey flavored Amaise)

1-2 tsp Vanilla

½-1 tsp Cinnamon

Coconut oil on the griddle

Topping: blueberries (wild are the best for higher antioxidants), yogurt (Greek) and real maple syrup, honey butter.

Chocolate Fondue

1 cup Italian organic, chocolate unsweetened dark chocolate (it has flax seed in it and probiotics)

1-2 tbsp raw honey

½ cup Amaise

½ cup raw cream

Serve with dates, strawberries, apricots, walnuts, blackberries, dried cherries, pineapples and pecans.

Eggs Benedict

Get water boiling.  Gently pour from a small bowl/dish raw egg into 3 inches of boiling water.  Cook for a few minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  And lay on an English muffin (sprouted preferred).

Hollandaise sauce

3 room temperature egg yolks

Lemon juice

Cayenne

Dribble in hot hot boiling butter while blender is running.

Salmon Burgers

Onions

2 eggs

Lemon juice

¼ c Parsley fresh

½ tsp-1 tsp Cayenne pepper

Basil

Mush it up.

2 cups Wild Caught Salmon (Sockeye is the best)

(Snapper, Sea bass, Flounder, Sole)

Sauce for Burgers

Organic Mayo (no canola oil!!)

Lemon juice

Ginger juice (small amount)

Basil

Rainbow slaw serve/salmon burgers

¼ c Mayo

2 tbsp Raw honey

Apple cider vinegar

Celery Seed

Purple and Green Cabbage

Purple Onion

Shredded Carrots

Apples

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Onion (sauté in wok)

Coconut oil, olive (do not go beyond the smoke point)

2 cups Precooked pastured organic chicken (dark meat)

Minced Garlic

Water chestnuts

Green onion

Red pepper flakes

Sauce

Rice wine vinegar

Light soy sauce or Tamari (namashoyu) (miso is good) (nato) Fermented ONLY

Ginger

-Dressing

Miso paste red or yellow (comes from fermented soy)

Sesame oil

Ginger, fresh

Tamari

-Salad

Snow Pears

Grated Carrots

Radicchio lettuce

Bib lettuce to hold the chicken, roll the bib lettuce.

Halibut Dijon with Quinoa Pilaf and Veggies

Cover the top of the halibut with Amaise (substitute with whole milk, yogurt or kefir) mixed with Dijon

Sauté already cooked quinoa, red pepper, chopped green onions and she added something else…looked like some sort of nuts.

Roast broccoli, zucchini, peppers, carrots and asparagus in a stainless steel pan with coconut oil or butter or water.

Healthy Raw Ketchup

Studies involving the tomato have cropped up all over the world. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and antioxidants. This ketchup makes for a healthy addition to your Green Fed burgers or hot dogs. 

Ingredients:
1 cup organic tomato, chopped
1 cup organic sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 30 minutes, drained, and chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh organic garlic, minced
10 fresh organic basil leaves
3 organic dates, pitted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1- 2 Tablespoons Bragg’s raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together until it forms a paste.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
From The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution by Cherie Calbom

Ranch Dinner

Ranch Dinner Menu: Green Fed Steak with Delicious Garlic-Herb Rub, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Roasted Veggies.

Ingredients:
Green Fed steak – 1-2 pounds
3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes
Mixed veggies of your choice

Garlic-Herb Rub:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Use about 1 teaspoon of the rub for each side of the meat. Let the meat marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature before cooking.
Grill the steak to the desired temperature, along with the vegetables. Peal sweet potatoes, cut into small pieces and boil until tender. You can add butter, coconut oil or even plain Amasie or yogurt. Honey is a great option to sweeten up the mashed potatoes even more.

Posted by Beyond Organic at 8:05 AM 

Healthy Power Burgers

We love this recipe because it “sneaks” vegetables into your burger, which makes it great for your little ones. Feel free to substitute in different veggies—Portobello mushrooms and eggplant make for a hearty burger!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup organic veggies such as yellow onion, green onion, zucchini and yellow squash
chopped 3/4 pound Beyond Organic Green Fed ground beef
2 Tablespoons organic parsley, chopped

Directions: 
Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the sautéed vegetables with the ground beef and parsley. Work the mixture with your hands until well combined. Form into four patties and grill until done—when no pink remains and the juices are clear.
Serve on sprouted whole grain buns, as an open-face burger on lettuce leaves or between two lettuce leaves Serves 4 Adapted from The Coconut Diet by Cherie Calbom.

Posted by Beyond Organic at 7:19 AM 

Ranch Breakfast

Eggs sunny-side up with Turkey Sausage, AMASAI parfait, and Fresh Orange-Carrot juice with greens. 

Ingredients:
Organic or pastured eggs
Turkey sausage
Fresh fruit
Amasai (or another cultured dairy like Kefir or Greek Yogurt)
6 oranges
4 carrots

Directions: 
Cook the eggs sunny side up in a pan, with coconut oil or a healthy butter from a local farm. Be sure not to break the yolk if possible. You can season with sea salt or organic seasoning of your choice.
For the turkey sausage you can cook in a pan or a grille machine that drains the fat. Place fresh fruit on top of a bowl of Amasai. Combine carrots and oranges in a juicer for a refreshing ranch breakfast morning drink.

Cherry Grape Kale Beverage Blend

(A lot of these ingredients you can buy from Beyond Organic Living or sub your own.
The concept behind this sweet blend is to help people prepare and break a period of cleansing/fasting. This will help minimize the symptoms of a detox reaction and provide a gentle way to reintroduce solid foods to the digestive track. From the kitchen of Chef Mandy.

Ingredients:
NuVino Super Soda Grape, 1/2 cup
Plain Amasai, 1/3 cup
Gold SueroViv, 1/4 cup
Frozen Cherries, 1.5 cups
Frozen Banana, 1 chopped
Lacinato Kale, 2 medium leaves chopped
Celery, 1/2 stalk, chopped
Cucumber, 1/4 cup chopped with skins
Lime, 1 slice with rind
Raw Honey, 1- 2 tablespoons - optional
EA Live™ Sprouted Seven Blend, 1 tablespoon

Method:
Mix all ingredients into a high speed blender until smooth. Yields 3 cups.

Posted by Beyond Organic at 12:50 PM No comments: 

Chef Mandy's Beyond Organic Ranch Dressing to complete your Ranch Flatbread sandwiches!
Ingredients:
Healthy mayo, 1 cup (I prefer soy-free Vegannaise)
Plain Amasai, 1/2 cup
Dried chives, 1/2 teaspoon
Dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon
Dried dill weed, 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon
Onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon
Pink Crystal Salt, 1/8 teaspoon
Black Pepper, fresh ground, 1/8 teaspoon

Method:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Yields 1 cup.

Enjoy!

Find most of these recipes click this link http://beyondorganicnetwork.blogspot.com/search/label/recipes

Happy GREEN Eating!!!!

What the heck do I do with that LIVER in the deep freeze??

Answer:
Make healthy dog treats.


Here's how....
Thaw liver
Cut into small pieces.
Dehydrate for 4-6 hours at 155 degrees* (longer time creates a more crispy treat)

Pictures below are of raw meat.  FYI my tender tummy friends.  :-)

Have you ever read the ingredient list on a bag of dog treats??  Toxic.  I do have a friend that has found some healthy ones though.

I have had beef liver in my deep freeze for a few years now.  Tried to give it away.....no one wanted it.  Then one day when I was reading the ingredients our dogs treat bag, the idea occurred to me...dehydrate the liver in the deep freeze.

It was very easy.  And our Snow is a very happy girl when it is treat time.

*You can use your oven to dehydrate.  If your oven does not go down to 150 degrees, set the oven on the lowest temperature (most ovens that is 170 degrees) and use a wooden spoon to prop the oven door open, which will create an environment close to 150 degrees.

And of course we only buy our beef from Becker's Farms.

Keep living GREEN!

Sprouting Grains

Ever since my hubby spoiled me with a The Sausage Maker stainless steel food dehydrator and NurtriMill L`Equip grain mill, my life hasn't been the same.  

One of the staples in our home is sprouted grains which creates sprouted flour which creates a lot of yummy foods.

I have no desire to go gluten free.  Or grain free.  Do I have a gluten sensitivity?  Yes, a small one.  Stomach bloat after I eat to much white flour products...check.  But I am also a believer that we need a TON more fruits and vegetables in our diets, which create those little enzymes that help break down gluten and allows our bodies to process and digest food like they should.  And that from the years of crap that we have all eaten our bodies are simply tired.  Tired of trying to process crap.  So, inturn we have damaged our bodies, thus creating gluten intolerances and sensitivities.

Now, ask me why kids are having gluten sensitivities and intolerances at such YOUNG ages.  And I do not have a scientific answer for you......yet.  I have my own opinion about this.  But is not post worthy yet, without some hours of research and interviews invested first .  ;-)  

So, I have chosen a middle ground for myself and my family.  And here it is.....

When I eat out I use doTERRA's TerraZyme.  TerraZyme is digestive enzyme complex, click here to learn more about TerraZyme.  And I sprout my grains and grind my own flour, the majority of the time I am cooking and baking.  I do buy Organic King Arthur All-purpose flour to keep on hand, (which of course I soak before using it to bake.  and I highly recommend the ebook Is You Flour Wet?,  it is FREE now!).  And I am currently using their flour to make sourdough starter.  And of course I am always attempting new recipes with coconut flour and almond flour, just because it is a fun challenge to make dishes with these ingredients that taste good.  And I am thrilled that I am finding more and more dishes that we consider good.

I do believe that I need to make our grains the healthiest possible.  Thus, I sprout.

Sprouting is like a science project in your kitchen.  It is so easy.  Anyone can do this.  And if you don't have a food dehydrator, you can use your oven at it's lowest temperature to dry your sprouted grains.

Personally speaking, everyone needs a grain mill (who eat grains, that it.  if you can go 100% grain free, my hat is off to you).  They make great Christmas or birthday presents. ;-)  Even the good, unbleached, organic flour that we buy in the stores, has most likely been sitting in that bag forever.  Which means by the time we buy it and take it home most of the vitamins and nutrients are gone.  Which is utterly depressing.  Once again, we are eating more dead food.  I believe that if companies started to store this flour in freezers, some of the vitamins and nutrients would be preserved.  But....that hasn't happened yet.

So, on to sprouting.  Here are the basics to getting started.

Sprouting 101
Pour your whole grains (organic hard red wheat or organic soft white wheat*) into multiple quart or 1/2 gallon wide mouth canning jars, filling them 1/3 full (trust me, don't overfill...the grains swell ALOT and they won't sprout if they don't have room for air to circulate inside the glass jar) and cover the grains with reverse osmosis water.  Make sure you use pure, clean water here (I don't know if fluoride filled water will allow the grains to sprout or not).  Cut a piece of cheesecloth and place over the top of the jar and use the ring to keep the cheesecloth in place or purchase these lids from Amazon, I love mine.  Just make sure you are buying the sprouting lids with the tiny holes.  Some of the 3 packs have holes that the grains will fall through.  Let jars sit upright overnight on your counter with the water soaking the grains.  

In the morning, leave the sprouting lid or the cheese cloth on the glass jar and turn the glass jars upside down, draining the water off of the grains, remove the spouting lids (or leave the cheesecloth on) and fill again with clean water, covering the grains and turn upside down and gently shake the jars and pour off water (use a turning motion of the jars while draining off the water, this ensures that the grains are all getting rinsed as you pour off the water).  While holding the jars at an angle,shake the jars to get the excess water out.  Place all 4 quart jars in a tub or some sort of a container at an angle so the water continues to drain off of the grains.  See picture below. 

Ok, so you have the glass jars sitting at an angle.  Now you just have some small maintenance to do.  At different times today, rinse the grains with reverse osmosis water 2-3 different times before going to bed.  I am going to be honest here.  Some days mine get rinsed twice and that is it.  And they sprout just fine.  Each time you rinse the grains, shake and turn the jar to make sure all the grains are getting wet.  The grains cannot sprout without moisture.

You are going to do this for the next 2-3 days.  Keep watching, you will see sprouts sooner than you think!  Note:  Sprouting time may take 3-4 days, depending on temperature of your home, amount of grains you put in jar and number of times you rinsed the grains. 

When you start to see the grains sprout, it is time to dry!!

This is a batch from when I tried to make ezekiel bread, thus the beans and lentils.  I have some soft white wheat spouting now, I will take new pics of it and update here. 

In my opinion, these sprouts are to long for my grain mill.  Though, they are beautiful.  I will post new pictures later showing the correct sprout length you want. 

These are soft white wheat grains.  The sprouts are still a little longer than I prefer but better than the ones above. 

(Note:  DO NOT refill the jars with water and let them soak in the water for the 3-5 days.  You are rinsing the grains and letting the jars sit upside down at an angle with NO added water in the jars for the next 2-3 days.  Sitting them at an angle allows for air flow which will allow for the sprouting process.  I just let mine sit out on the counter top during the process.)

The goal is for the sprouts on the grains to be 1/2 the length of the grain.  

Note:  After 2 days of sprouting, hard red wheat berries become very sweet.  They are very tasty just raw.

After the grains have sprouted I place them on my dehydrator trays and dry at 150 degrees for 6 hours.  Don't overfill the trays or you will need to mix the grains up periodically while they are drying to ensure all of the grains are dry.

After the 6 hours, I leave the grains in the dehydrator (unplugged) or bring the trays out and let the trays of dried grains sit on the countertop for a couple of days.  This just ensures there is no moisture left in the grains.  Then I store the grains in 1/2 gallon glass ball jars that you can buy here (this price is crazy expensive, so I would ask around at your local hardware store and see if they carry them or if they can order them for you).  And I love these lids and I buy them on Amazon.  Then I label the glass jar what grains are inside and store them in my deep freeze until it is time to grind.

When you grind grains, you want the grains to be frozen.  That ensures that less vitamins and nutrients are lost in the grinding process.  The process of grinding heats up the grains when creating flour.  Thus, if you begin with frozen grains, it takes longer for the grain to heat up and kill off vitamins and nutrients.  Make sense?

Sprouted grains do not fall down into the shoot of grain mills like ordinary, unsprouted grains do.  So, I use a Pampered Chef citrus peeler to push the grains down into the shoot to grind.  It works perfectly.  (I know an awesome Pampered Chef consultant, if you are interested too.)  :-)

So, there you have it.  There is a lot to share but after you do it a couple of times it is so easy.

Make sure you save your cheesecloth squares for next time.  Use a safe and green dish soap and hand wash them and then lay them out to dry, until next use.

*These are the only 2 I have tried.  Don't try to sprout organic hulled barley, it doesn't sprout.  Trust me on this.  And pay attention to smell.  If you are starting to smell a strong, sharp odor from the grains before they have sprouted, they may not sprout.  This is what happened with the barley.  I just rinsed and rinsed them until I couldn't smell the sharp, sour odor any longer and then dried them.  I guess they could be called fermented organic hulled barley.  :-)  


Sprouting in a nutshell
-Organic red hard wheat (good for breads/pancakes)(i also make an all purpose with 1/2 hard red 1/2 hulled barley, I do not sprout the barley
-Organic soft white wheat (good for lighter pastries/baking)
-Glass Ball jars
-Reverse osmosis water
-Cheese cloth and canning rings or sprouting lids
-Dish pan
-Time

1.  Soak grains overnight, covered in water.
2.  Drain next morning.  Fill again with water to rinse.  Drain.  Place at an angle in dishpan.
3.  Rinse and drain grains 2-3 times per day.
4.  Keep looking for sprouts.
5.  When you see sprouts 1/2 the length of the grain then it is time to dehydrate.
6.  Dehydrate at 150 degrees for 6 hours.
7.  Leave grains sit in dehydrator for 2 days.
8.  Place sprouted grains in a large glass jar with lid and label.
9.  Store in freezer.
10.  Do not thaw grains before grinding.  Grind frozen.

Happy Sprouting!!

Sourdough

Sourdough.  Sourdough starter.  Sourdough bread.

For some reason sourdough mesmerizes me.  It stumps me.  It challenges me.  I am not yet obsessed.  But I would say I am close.  :-)

I tried sourdough a while back with freshly ground rye.  The starter looked and smelled wonderful, but the bread, was, well bleck.  So, I want to try this adventure again.

So......

Today is day 1 of trying this Sourdough adventure again.


Here is what I have...
1/2 cup reverse osmosis water, room temperature
1/2 cup Organic King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, room temperature
1 quart size glass jar
Mix. Let sit on counter. Cover with cheesecloth or kitchen towel.

Tomorrow, Day 2....Add to the quart glass jar
2 tbsp of reverse osmosis water
2 tbsp of Organic King Arthur All-Purpose Flour (both room temp). 
Stir. Cover.

Repeat for 4-6 days until sour, bubbly goodness appears. 

I will keep you posted. 

Why I Left Mary Kay.

This question was recently brought up by my two amazing "do" essential oil mentors, Dena and Val, and I thought the answer to be more than post worthy.

They both know that years ago I used to be an independent product consultant for Mary Kay.  I used to teach classes and most of my close friends and family used Mary Kay products from head to toe.  Dena and Val have recently asked me for info as to why I stopped using and selling Mary Kay.

Here is what I have to say about that.....

The book that changed my life is called "Green Babies, Sage Moms" written by Lynda Fassa (who believe it or not, I am friends with on FaceBook.  Crazy huh'?  She is an amazing woman.)  This is not a book just for someone who is pregnant, wants to be pregnant or even a mom.  This book is for anyone and everyone who wants an explanation of what is going on around us.  Lynda writes from her heart, sharing all that she has learned.  And it all makes sense.  From the foods we eat to the lotions and makeup we apply to our bodies every day.  This book discusses how candles and air fresheners are harming our kids and the real truth behind hair coloring and our favorite mani's and pedi's.  I highly recommend you buy and read this book.  Highly.

In Lynda's 2nd chapter, titled "Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep" I found information that rocked my world and I have never been the same.  Thank God, I have not been the same.  She referenced a 2004 British study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology that cited parabens as a "cause for concern."  As a former 7 year Pharmaceutical Representative, this, of course intrigued me.  So I headed to google to find this study and dissected it myself.  Here it is.

Basically what this study showed was 20 women, who had breast cancer, donated their surgically removed tumors to science.  And scientists found trace amounts of parabens inside all 20 tumors.  Scientists, then of course, concluded that there was a link between parabens and breast cancer.  Parabens are NOT a naturally occurring element in our body, so how did the women get the parabens inside their tumors??

And as most of you know, studies have linked products containing parabens to a variety of hormone disorders, including underdeveloped testes in infant boys, to quote Lynda Fassa.

"Over and over, parabens have been linked to cancer in lab animals."  "In lab tests on sunscreen that contained parabens, fish and frogs began to change sex, from male to female."  There are safe sunscreens to buy and make yourself.  But for the most part the sunscreens on the shelves are doing more damage than they are helping us.  Sick....I know.

To quote The Cancer Prevention Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group, "The cosmetic industry has been as reckless as the tobacco industry and the FDA has remained silent."

Common parabens to look for on your labels are...
-methylparaben
-propylparaben
-ethylparaben
-butylparaben

"About 99% of all consumer cosmetics contain one or more parabens, a group of powerful preservatives that extend a product's shelf life."

All of this makes me sick!  WHY in the heck (submit a different word there) are these chemicals still allowed in our body care and makeup products??????????????

Why are chemical ingredients banned in other countries that are allowed here in the U.S.????  WHAT IS GOING ON??????

I can't control the FDA.  Heck, I can't even control my own kids or my life, but I CAN inform YOU of what is going.  I can teach you what to LOOK for when you are at the store deciding on what product to put in your cart.  And if you can't get it at your local store, you have Amazon.

So, please start reading labels.  If you put it on you or you put it in you BE INFORMED about what is in it. Take responsibility for yourself.  No one else is going to do it for you.

It took me 3 days to muster up enough courage to go look at the ingredients in my Mary Kay products,after finding the study I referenced above.  When I did, I was shocked.  A few of the Mary Kay products had 4 different parabens in them, not just 1, but all 4 of the parabens used in 1 product!!!!!!  And all but 2 or 3 of them had at least 1 paraben in them.  So, obviously, I stopped selling Mary Kay.  I sent back what inventory I had left and was refunded at 60% of the value, if I remember correctly and, get this.....I was blacklisted.  Blacklisted=I would never be able to sign up and sell Mary Kay products again, for the rest of  my life.  To that I replied, that is fine...if you don't green your products up, why would I want to sell them anyway??  If I was selling something that could have been causing cancer in my family and friends than I was D.O.N.E.!  They Blacklist anyone who returns the products back to the company for partial reimbursement.

I then switched to Mineral Fusion for all of my makeup products, and I love them.  I buy them at Whole Foods, Earth Fare and Amazon.    

I make my own facial cleanser, my moisturizer, eye makeup remover and hair gel is organic virgin coconut oil that I buy here and I buy my shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion and hairspray from Whole Foods.  Whole Foods has a generic line called 365 and I pay $4.99 for a 32 oz fl oz bottle of their shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion.  

I buy the unscented shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion.  I put the body wash into a 16 oz glass bottle with a lotion type pump that I buy from here and then add my own "do" essential oils to make one FABULOUS concoction (click here to see that post)!!!!  If you have any questions about "do" message me or click here.  Their essential oils are the absolute best in my opinion.  And the only essentials oils I will use or recommend.

So.... that is why I quit selling Mary Kay products.

You can reference the Environmental Working Group to see how your body care products measure up.  It is a very cool website and they even have an app now.

Keep living green.  Make a step every day.  Even if it is a little one.

**Update May 2017.  I am currently using and loving LimeLight by Alcone.  Check it out here.... www.deblye.com 

I currently wrote this... What facial products do I currently use?

***Update:  A Mary Kay consultant contacted me January 2017 sharing that Mary Kay is removing parabens from quite a few of their products (see pics below for list).  That is wonderful!!!!  But please keep reading labels.  We should not be putting anything on our bodies that has aluminum in it.  Here are the pictures the Mary Kay consultant shared with me.  Thank you Sally for sharing.

******Update:  A beautiful lady by the name of Bella contacted me this week letting me know that Mary Kay has in fact created a new skin care line that doesn't use parabens!  Wonderful!  Launched in 2020!!  Thank you Bella for contacting me and letting me know.  I really appreciate it.

I am still going to leave this post up so everyone can see the lists of ingredients that we should be avoiding.  Take care everyone and God Bless!