Smoothie Sunday : Orange Almond Swirl

What a beautiful day for smoothie sunday! 75 degrees in the middle of April? I'll take it! Here is today's recipe, trust me, it is amazing.

Orange Almond Swirl Smoothie

1 cup almond milk (I use vanilla)

2 peaches cut into chunks

1/2 cups kale (don't judge, just try it)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

6 ice cubes (or cut the peaches the day before and toss them in the freezer overnight to eliminate the need for ice)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and BLEND baby BLEND. Of course if you are afraid of adding greens to your smoothie, you can always eliminate the kale. Please try it! Let me know what you think!

Detox Water

Drink one or two glasses of this water a day for a great detox

Detox Water Recipe
1 lemon sliced
1/2 cucumber sliced
10 fresh mint leaves
About 12 cups water

Allow the lemon, cucumber and mint to sit in the water for 24 hours.

Lemon water makes for a powerful detox drink; lemon juice helps to cleanse and alkalize the body. Add one thinly sliced lemon to a large pitcher, or squeeze fresh lemon juice into your glass. Lemon also aides in digestion and boosts your immune system.

Mint adds a touch of sweetness without the sugar, and it also helps settle your stomach and aids in digestion.

Adding a few slices of cucumber to your water makes for excellent re-hydration, and cucumber contains anti-inflammatory properties.

All Natural Face Primer

By Casey's request, here is an all natural recipe that wont clog pores.

Face Primer Recipe
1 Tablespoon aloe vera gel
1/4 teaspoon kaolin clay
1/4 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Mix the clay and the arrowroot powder together in a small bowl. Next, add the aloe vera and mix thoroughly. Apply a thin layer to your face and allow it to set for a few minutes before applying makeup. You could add a tiny bit of mineral makeup if you want your primer to have a tint.

Keep mixture in a jar in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life of the aloe vera. (Can be used up to 2-3 weeks) If you do not want to have to refrigerate it, then you can use lotion instead of aloe vera gel.

Kaolin clay is used in this recipe for its healing mineral content and its anti inflammatory properties. Both the clay and the arrowroot powder absorb excess oil and therefor produce a matte finish.

Please try it out and let me know what you think!

Household Cleaners

As requested by my friend Tori, here are some recipes for chemical free household cleaners.

*Notice the use of essential oils in each recipe, that is because essential oils not only smell great while they disinfect, they also heal while they disinfect! I am a Young Living Essential Oils distributor, so if you are interested in getting your hands on some, please feel free to email me or leave your email address in a comment!

Disinfectant:
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon Borax
10 drops Eucalyptus, Lemon, or Lavender essential oil
Combine in spray bottle and fill with hot, distilled water. Shake vigorously until borax is dissolved completely

Floor Cleaner:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 bucket of hot, distilled water
5-10 drops of Lemon, Melaleuca (aka tea tree), or Purification essential oil
Combine in bucket and mop away!

Air Freshener:
12 drops Lavender, Lemon, or Eucalyptus (or a combination)
1 quart distilled water
Put in spray bottle and shake well before using.

Window Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
3 cups distilled water
10-15 drops Lemon essential oil
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and clean!

And just in time for spring! Happy cleaning!!!

Fictionista

Hello all! The time has come for the 24 hour Read-a-Thon! This wonderful event will take place on April 26th. My mother and I will join hundreds of other people all around the world to set aside EVERYTHING, pick a stack of books and a pile of snacks, wear comfy clothes, find a good spot on the couch and hunker down for a 24 hour stretch of reading! Sounds like fun doesn't it? Please check out my book blog, Fictionista, and my mom's book blog, Wall to Wall Books, to show some support and cheer us on as we read! If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, click the picture below to sign up! You can be a reader or a cheerleader, but don't forget to stop by my book blog to show some love!

Cucumber Eye Cream

Didn't get enough sleep last night? Eyes all puffy with dark bags underneath? Tired of using store bought creams that promise fresh looking eyes, yet never deliver results? (I'm not even going to get into the fact that the last one is probably due to chemicals instead of using the beautiful earth God gave us!! Okay, I will step down from my soap box now)

Have I got the recipe for you!!! It works and it feels great, especially first thing in the morning when your eyes are all crusty and hot from sleep!

Cucumber Eye Cream
1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel
1 teaspoon Cucumber juice (best when fresh, if you have a juicer)
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 Tablespoon witch hazel

Directions: 

1. In a double boiler (I do not have a double boiler so I just used a pan on very super low heat... no "very super low" is not a heat setting on my stove, but you get the idea) combine the aloe gel, cucumber juice, and cornstarch and warm carefully. Do not overheat or bring to a boil. 

2. When ingredients are mixed together (it should be a light pastel greenish color) remove from stove, transfer to a bowl and mix in the witch hazel (the recipe in the book called for 1 tablespoon but I found that to be to watery so I cut it back to 1/2 tablespoon). 

3. Allow to cool completely before transferring the mixture to a sterile container, and store in the fridge. This gel will last about a week. 

To Use:

Apply under the eye in an upward, dotting motion, be careful not to pull on the skin.

The Home Apothecary 1

I think this is my favorite recipe so far. It smells great, was fairly simple to make, and the coolness of the refrigerated gel feels great under the eyes!

Don't be intimidated by the use of a stove, this really is easy. Please give it a try and let me know what you think!

Aloe Face Toner

If you tried my recipe for the Aloe Face Cream and found that it was too oily... I have a solution for you:

Aloe Face Toner Recipe
1/2 cup distilled water
1/4 cup witch hazel
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel*
10 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil

 or 

* I have an Aloe Vera plant so sometimes I will choose to use fresh leaves (click here for a how to), however I don't want to kill my plant by taking too much from it at once, so I bought 99% pure Aloe Vera Gel from the a whole food store.

Directions are simple:

1. Mix all the ingredients together. 

2. Pour the mixture into a sterile container.

To Use: 

After cleansing your face, moisten a cotton facial pad with toner. Wipe face gently, avoiding eyes. Follow with moisturizer.

I got this recipe from The Home Apothecary 1 but added my own variations. 

First: The recipe called for 3/4 teaspoon aloe vera gel. I used 1 teaspoon simply because I have a problem with acne and wanted more healing agents in my toner.

Second: the recipe called for 5 drops black willow essential oil and 5 drops thyme essential oil, I used 10 drops Frankincense essential oil because I have had great experience using frankincense as a healing agent, specifically for acne.