Natural Cleaners

I am extremely sensitive to synthetic fragrances. We used to use Windex as our all purpose cleaner, as soon as I smell it though, I get an instant headache; which usually takes most of the day and a lot of fresh air and water to recover from. I tried making some natural all-purpose cleaners and all of them were complete failures. We ended up buying a few natural all-purpose cleaners from the grocery store and I am so pleased with them. I wanted to share them with you today. 

The first one is by Seventh Generation

I really love this one, it is completely free of fragrances and my favorite part is on the back, it says, " If swallowed, drink plenty of water." It doesn't say anything about calling poison control! :D

It leaves our bathroom sparkling clean and I am so happy with it.

The second one is by Earth Friendly Products

This cleaner contains orange oil, which is really great for cleaning. The ingredients are plant based and I am really pleased with the performance of this cleaner. 

If you are looking for a natural, all-purpose cleaner, I highly recommend both of these. I found them at the grocery store, but Amazon carries them as well. 

What are your favorite natural cleaners?

God Bless! 
Megan

Our Plant Starts for 2015

Hello! 

Because of our really short growing season here, over the last month or two we've been starting all of our seeds inside to get a jump start on the growing season. Hopefully we'll have everything big and healthy by the time the ground is warm enough to begin planting. I wanted to share with you a few of the plants, herbs and flowers we've started from seed... ;)


Here are some pictures of some wild flowers that'll go in some baskets outside my bedroom window. Last year I had pansies in the baskets and I absolutely loved them. Waking up to a bunch of happy flowers outside my bedroom window just made my day. ;)

Okay, now we got a little carried away with the dahlias and didn't need to plant them this early... We have at least another month before we can plant them outside. ;)

Artichokes are in the front. Honestly, you don't get much off of them and they take up a bit of space, but they are a lot of fun to eat and I enjoy growing them. 

Garlic... I love garlic and its health benefits are incredible! It will stay inside all year. I am planning on doing a post on how to grow garlic indoors all year around. 

...and asparagus, one little, lonely asparagus. We originally planted at least a dozen different  asparagus plants in the pot and so far, only one has made it...

Beets... honestly, beets taste like dirt, however, beet-greens cooked in butter and fresh garlic is really delicious! 

Lavender, I love lavender, especially tea, which I'll also be doing a post on. ;)

Here are our peppers. Red bell peppers, cayenne and habanero...

A whole bunch of herbs and spices. ;) 

And of course, hanging baskets! 

Tomatoes and corn, heirloom of course! 

Lemon cucumbers...

We have sunflowers, zucchini, ginger, kale and turnips started in the house as well. We still need to get some organic non-GMO potato starts. Sugar snap peas, green beans, carrots and parsnips, we'll start in may probably... other than that, that is pretty much what we're growing this summer...  

Our flowers aren't organic, well some of them are, all of our herbs, spices and vegetables are either organic heirloom seeds or non-GMO... 

So, can anyone say green thumb? Every window in our home that gets sunlight is filled with plants. :D

So far we've started everything from seed or bulbs, which I think is pretty neat. 

I'll update you soon with more pictures. 

God Bless! 

Megan

 

Whiten Your Teeth With Turmeric

Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory and is very beneficial for gum health.  If you're familiar with this root, you'll know it stains almost everything, except... teeth! It actually helps whiten them and remove stains! It also helped heal some sores I had in my mouth. Yea! So, whiter teeth, healthier gums, sounds good to me!

My favorite way to use this natural remedy is to simply mix some organic turmeric powder with a little water and make a paste. Then, simply brush your teeth for a 3-4 minutes. It works wonders for me. I use this natural remedy daily and love it. I have pretty sensitive teeth and have absolutely no trouble with turmeric, it is safe, natural and very gentle. 

What are your favorite ways to naturally whiten your teeth?

God Bless! 
Megan

Coconut Oil Pre-Shampoo Conditioner

Coconut oil is hands down my favorite oil! It is a natural, completely safe, multi purpose oil. I like to use it for:

• Baking & Cooking
• Dairy free butter substitute 
• Make up remover
• Body & Face Moisturizer
• Natural Sunscreen
• Cuticle Oil
• Mix it with baking soda for toothpaste
• Oil Pulling
• Oil Cleansing
• My deodorant recipe HERE

One of my favorites uses for coconut oil, however, is to use it as a pre-shampoo conditioner. All you have to do is evenly distribute the coconut oil in your dry hair, leave it on for 1/2 hour or overnight (I would put a towel over your pillow so you don't get your pillow case all oily). Then, simply shampoo and condition your hair. My hair is always really soft, easy to brush and it just looks and feels healthier. 

If you give this a try please let me know what you think! 

What are some of your favorite uses for coconut oil? 

Curry Chicken Salad {Paleo}

So, before my family really cared about what we were eating, we would go to Fred Meyer and get Curry Chicken Salad from the deli. Once I discovered a few allergies, Fred Meyers Curry Chicken Salad was no longer an option. It is a blessing in disguise, though. It is filled with GMO's, grains, sugar, soy and MSG. So, here is our healthier, Paleo version! 

What you'll need:

• 6 Large Organic Chicken Breasts
• 3 Organic Apples
• 1 1/2 Cups dried cranberries (if you can find them without sugar :-/) or raisins
• 2 Cups Cashews or Macadamia Nuts that have been soaked and HERE is why
• Celtic Sea Salt to taste 
• Curry Spice to taste
• 1 batch of Mayonnaise HERE
• 1 batch of paleo flatbread (optional)

Directions

• 1. Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces
• 2. Cook chicken over medium heat 
• 3. Set chicken aside and let it cool
• 4. Make a batch of mayonnaise while you're waiting
• 5. Chop apples into small bite sized pieces
• 6. Coarsely chop nuts 
• 7. Add chicken, apples, cranberries, nuts, salt, spice and mayonnaise to a large bowl and mix everything together.
• 8. Make a batch of paleo flatbread (see notes below)

The flatbread from Savory Lotus works nicely as a wrap for the chicken salad, it is completely optional though. I recommend leaving out the rosemary for this particular recipe. I just make 3-4 smaller, slightly thinner flatbreads per batch instead of one large flatbread and it works great as a wrap when it is warm. Once it is refrigerated, it isn't as pliable. 

Enjoy! If you make it, please let us know what you think! ;)

God Bless! 

Megan 

Mayonnaise {Paleo, Soy free}

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard or regular mustard

Directions:

1. Warm the bowl under hot water and then dry it

2. Add the egg yolks into the bowl and beat on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and sticky, but not frothy

3. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and mustard, beat for 30 more seconds

4. For the first 1/4 cup add a teaspoon of olive oil at a time, for the remaining amount of olive oil, add about a tablespoon at a time

The mayonnaise should be thick and creamy. Lasts in the refrigerate for about a week. Enjoy! 

Note: The first few times we made it, it didn't turn out. Just keep trying, and you'll get the hang of it!! :) 

God Bless!!
~Becky~

Lemon Ginger Cayenne Tea

I love drinking this tea, especially when I'm sick. I love how it tastes, how it smells, the ingredients and the health benefits of drinking it. I am just going to tell you a little bit about why the ingredients in this tea are so great. 

Ginger

Ginger can help if you're feeling nauseous, it can help with throat and nose congestion, it is anti-inflammatory, it improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body, it helps maintain normal blood circulation, combats stomach discomfort, strengthens immunity and the list goes on. Ginger is truly an incredible root! 

Lemon

Lemon is rich in vitamin C, it helps flush toxins from our body, it helps the digestion process, it helps maintain a healthy complexion, it can help lower fevers, and can help with internal bleeding.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper can help ease an upset stomach, sore throat, cough, it aids in breaking up mucus, it has anti-fungal properties, it helps your body detox and it can help with joint pain.

So, there isn't much more to say, it is just a truly delicious tea with incredible health benefits. So, here is how to make it! 

Ingredients:

• 1 slice pealed organic ginger
• 1/2 an organic lemon
• a pinch of non-irratiated cayenne pepper
• stevia to taste

Directions: Boil water in your tea kettle. Juice your lemon and add juice to a mug along with ginger, cayenne pepper and stevia. Pour your boiling water into mug and enjoy!

God Bless! 

Megan