Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe

win an essential oil travel pouch bundle...

2018-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

To say I was excited to collaborate with Got Oil Supplies on this post is an understatement!

I have got so much goodness coming at your eyeballs today that I can hardly contain myself and as I'm writing this I literally want to hit "publish right MEOW!!" From 3 (3!!!) DIY Non-toxic household cleaning recipes you can make so, so easily at home to a FRIGGIN AMAZING GIVEAWAY! You guys are going to want to hang tight to your hats and enjoy the ride.

Guys, if you haven't heard of Got Oil Supplies, let me be the first to properly introduce you. Their description is in their name- they are a great one stop shop for all things essential oil supplies. They've got business tools for your essential oil team, they've got glass containers like rollers and sample vials, they've got diffusers and more! If you've been looking for a company besides Amazon to get your goodies, you might want to give these guys a looksie.

One thing that I love the most about this site is that THEY SELL LABELS! You guys are always asking me where to find cute, decorative labels that aren't boring, on my Instagram! And while there are a lot of places you can find them, Got Oil Supplies' vinyl labels are great! You can choose from Gold or Silver and they come in a pack of 12! I personally swoon over the gold color (which I personally use most) as it looks best on most colored rollers, including their 10mL amber glass rollers! That's what you see above and below. So classy!

As any avid essential oiler will attest to, having your oils wherever you go is a must. I have my collection at home as well as a separate collection of premade rollers I carry with me EVERYWHERE in a little travel pouch. This purple travel pouch holds 10 rollers both 10mL and 5mL in size, has a zipper for easy opening and closing, and fits right into my diaper bag! Fill it with a combo of #momlife and #toddlerlife oils (like my Boss Mom blend and my Owie blend) and you're good to go!

And friends, this next thing I'm about to show you is my second favorite thing they sell. I've found 5mL-10mL spray bottles before, but always made out of plastic! I love having those on hand to make samples for clients or gift sanitizer blends to friends and family (or even for making my favorite non-toxic mouth freshener spray)! But we all know essential oils and plastic don't go well together when ingesting, which is why when I saw Got Oil Supplies' 5mL spray bottles WERE GLASS, I about had a heart attack. I've been looking for this type of thing for so long!

I literally can't even right now. Whether you fill it with owie spray, perfume, mouth freshener, car freshener, or whatever else your mind can dream up, you've GOT to get on these stat. Sold as singles (for $.60/ea) or in packs of 12 with a much better deal!

Want my Mouth Freshener recipe? You can find that here. I would add a few drops less oil to these smaller glass bottles shown above 😬

Ok, now for those recipes I promised. You guys ready to get your DIYing on?

Here's another thing I've found that set these guys apart from some of the other essential oil companies I've found in the past: those mini 4oz glass spray bottles! Many of the shops I've seen only carry 16oz and 8oz, but sometimes you need something a little smaller! These 4oz'ers are perfect for my first DIY: TOILET BOWL SPRAY! Toilet bowls are small, so a few spritzes of this and you're good to go. I don't need to take up excess room in my under sink cabinet with all these huge bottles of my non-toxic essential oil powered cleaners! I love the super fine mist of these spray bottles, especially with the Glass and Window cleaner! No drips!

You're really going to want to try out their Green Cleaning with Essential Oils DIY Kit, makes this process so much easier. It comes with all the recipes shown below plus so many more! Good ones! Plus all the labels you'll need to make each one as well.

TOILET BOWL CLEANING SPRAY

Recipe from the Green Cleaning with Essential Oils Recipe Sheet

What you'll need:

4oz glass spray bottle
Green Cleaning with Essential Oils Label Sheet
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops lemongrass essential oil
2 drops melaleuca essential oil
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 cup white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in your spray bottle and shake well. Spray inside and outside of toilet bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Then, scrub, flush and wipe clean. Shake well before each use.

Next is a recipe I've been meaning to make for a while! Windex was one of the last things on my list to get rid of and find a non-toxic replacement. And guys, this stuff works! I've used it twice now (once just this morning!)

GLASS + WINDOW SPRAY

Recipe from the Green Cleaning with Essential Oils Recipe Sheet

What you'll need:

8oz glass spray bottle
Green Cleaning with Essential Oils Label Sheet
4 drops lemon essential oil (all I had was lemon at the time, so I used 8 drops total)
4 drops lime essential oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
*1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol to help prevent streaks* optional

Combine all ingredients into the spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Spray on glass surface and wipe clean.

TUB + SHOWER CLEANING SPRAY

Recipe from the Green Cleaning with Essential Oils Recipe Sheet

What you'll need:

16oz glass spray bottle
Green Cleaning with Essential Oils Label Sheet
12 drops lavender essential oil
12 drops lemon essential oil
12 drops peppermint essential oil
2 teaspoons castile soap
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in the spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Spray, scrub, rinse and wipe dry.

Great recipes right? I can't wait for you guys to try them and see the powers non toxic cleaning has with essential oils!

The last thing I want to share with you all is an essential oil purse like no other. I've sort of saved the best for last. Well, the best is the giveaway, WHICH IS last, but you know what I mean!

You guys, there are a whole slew of cute purses on this site, but the Polly Bag has my heart. ITS SO ROOMY and perfect for holding ALL THE OILS and my laptop, iPad and paper materials for classes or one on ones I've been going to.

With 16 (16!!!) elasticized pouches for holding bottles of oils or rollers, you know you can now carry your top oily needs with you wherever you go. Bundle this bag with that purple travel bag and woah nelly. There's also a zippered pouch in the middle, and two cargo pockets for things like your phone and keys. I love this bag so much! I've been taking it with me to all the meetings.

But Christina, didnt you say there was a giveaway? YES GIRL I DID!

Friends, Got Oil Supplies has generously offered to give one lucky reader this amazing Essential Oil Travel Kit! Included is a sheet of their Mood Collection Vinyl Labels, in gold, 12 gold and amber 10mL rollers, and that purple travel pouch!

To enter, just follow the instructions below! Contest will run for one week and winner will be emailed by me personally at the end of the contest. Winner has 24 hours to email me back and claim their prize. All entries will be checked, so please no lying! Contest is for US residents only. Got Oil Supplies will then mail the prize to the winner. Entrants must be 18 years old or older.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post contains some affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me continue to bring new and lovely content to you! This is also a sponsored post. I was given all of the above products to try in return for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions and photography are my own. I was in no way paid for a positive review. The trust of my readers is of upmost importance to me and I would never suggest a product to you that I wouldn't use myself.

essential oil supplies | round 2...

2018-05-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! As I continue to meet and talk with you guys, my most commonly asked question is STILL where I got a particular essential oil supply! As you know, I already covered some of my favorites in this blog post, but I am so happy to support small businesses in their essential oil supply endeavors as well. I want to share with you all some of my recent faves! Maybe you already know them, maybe not. Either way, you're bound to find something you love and that inspires you!

Wood and Oils

I first found this amazing little Etsy shop a few months back and man do I love them! What caught my eye the first time was their amazing wooden wall display cases! I mean, just look at that beaut! Not only that but their roller bottles and accessories are amazing, unique, and so boho-chic. If that's something you're in to (like me!), then this is a shop you'll love!

All photos courtesy of Wood and Oils' Etsy page

wooden case | facial tools | elegant rollers

Urban Idaho

Image courtesy of Urban Idaho's Instagram page

Next, and at the top of my list are these amazing vinyl roller labels from this little Etsy shop, Urban Idaho. Now if you haven't heard of them, now you do and you're going to LOVE them! They're my most used roller bottle labeling service, as I've used them for both 10 and 5mL rollers without a hitch! They're sweet and offer great customer service and their BOGO deals are the best! Make sure you follow them on Instagram to find out when that happens!

ShareOils

Image courtesy of ShareOils' Instagram

Probably my MOST used resource though is ShareOils. I mean, I can't get enough of this mama led company. I love the company, I love their products, I love their aesthetic, I love everything! Most of all I love that they are a pretty one-stop shop for all things essential oil needed!

If you scroll through my Instagram, you'll find that I showcase pretty much ShareOils (and Urban Idaho) the most. That's because I just love love love them. In the above picture you'll see how I used their 15mL spray top as well as their labels! Crisp, clean and minimal. Love it.

Again, you'll see me repurposing my old 15mL used up dōTERRA bottles and making them into sprays and mists!

Here I used another cute label of theirs and made one of my favorite sea salt hair texturizing sprays. The bottles can be found here.

And lastly, using this gold roller bottle with yet another label of theirs, I was able to create the best relaxing blend ever! Need the recipe? Head over here.

You can also find 5mL rollers, droppers, 8mL misting bottles (just got some of these too!), as well as so much more. Seriously head on over to ShareOils and tell me you dont instantly fall in love.

Looking for Amazon Only Essential Oil Supplies??? I've got a whole store devoted to them!

Anyway friends, thats it for me right now. I'll for sure be back to share another round up of essential oils supplies though! SO be on the lookout!

diy reusable swiffer wet cloths...

2018-04-17T14:24:00.001-07:00

We have been using this same recipe for diy swiffer mopping pads (or whatever the heck you call them! Hold on, let me google their real name.... Swiffer Disposable Wet Cloths! There you go!) for a good solid year now. And we LOVE it! Not only is it cost effective (hello, you're only paying for drops of essential oils, a few tablespoons of cleaner and white vinegar!) but it is also 100% natural! It makes making the switch from toxic to non-toxic living in our home a heck of a lot easier.

And this "recipe" couldn't be simpler either. You literally mix a super simple solution up (took me 2 minutes), drop in some old rags (or nice new ones!) and you're good to go. Just make sure you measure the rags before adding. You want them to be big enough to wrap around your Swiffer and stick in the holding holes (haha), but not so big that the rag is dragging and hanging off. Then, after you've used a rag to mop your floor, instead of throwing them away and adding to the abundance of trash in our country already, you ring out, and toss in the wash. I mean. Win central.

DIY REUSABLE SWIFFER WET CLOTHS

What you'll need:

An old Swiffer Disposable Wet Cloth container
4 cups good old fashioned water. You can use distilled, but I just use sink water.
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
3 tablespoons dōTERRA On Guard Cleaner Concentrate
15 drops dōTERRA Lemon Essential Oil
Clean rags (I bought this pack and love them because they fit my Swiffer mop perfectly!) But these are also pretty cute!

1. Basically, clean out your old Swiffer cloth container well so that you don't have any of the toxic cleaning solution residue remaining. Alternatively, you can find a heavy duty container that is around the same size (with lid) and use that as well!

2. Then, empty the water, vinegar, cleaner concentrate, and lemon oil into the container and mix well to combine. I chose to use lemon oil for it's purifying and degreasing properties, but you could also use peppermint, lemon, rosemary, melaleuca, or any other "cleansing" oil!

3. Next, fold your cloths in half and carefully add to the cleaner solution. Add as many or as little cloths as you'd like. I got about 8 in my container.

4. Add the lid and store for future use! When you're ready to mop just take one out, and if need be, gently wring out a little solution so it's not sopping. Then add to your Swiffer Sweeper mop and mop away! Add more clean cloths as needed until the solution is gone!

Hope this totally inspires you guys and encourages any of you who might think making the big switch from toxic to non-toxic is too hard, to give it a shot. It's all about taking it "one thing at a time"!

cold protocol for littles...

2018-03-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Friends, this cold and flu season has been pretty brutal for us. What about you guys? Since the beginning of December we have had sickness after sickness! If not my husband, my son. If not him, me. And so on. Sometimes the illnesses even overlapped. That was fun.

So here we are, just ending our third round of my son having yet another head cold. The last two (one in December and one just last month) resulted in ear infections, so honestly, I was pretty worried. I felt like I was pretty prepared each time the cold and congestion hit, but those two other rounds actually left myself feeling like I just didn't quite catch it. So here, during round three in 3 months, I think I've got this figured out. Wouldn't you know, after instilling this new and improved little guy protocol, this bout lasted WAY less and didn't end up in an ear infection like the other two!

Here's our new cold/cough/fever/head congestion protocol for littles (toddlers)!

Each time another cold hit us, I used less and less of the medicines you'd find at your local pharmacy and created a new holistic/natural remedy to replace. Instead of Tylenol/Motrin, I created an essential oil roller bottle. Instead of cough syrup or cold medicine, a decongestant essential oil roller. Et cetera. I focused on also healing his whole body and building his immune system as a whole instead of just treating the specific symptoms. Although I also attacked those pesky symptoms as well! We also focused on detox baths, supporting his gut health, and overall immune system health!

Nights of no sleep because we were up consoling him also allowed a lot of time to research and implement new natural approaches. So, I'm happy to say this last bought, we didn't use a single pharmacy bought medication. Unless you count the epsom salt ;)

Here's what we do now whenever our little guy gets a cold!

1. Garlic Salve

This was the last thing we found and tried (and loved)! I swear to you that this is not only the weirdest thing yet, BUT also worked the best. His first day sick this last round escalated quickly. By nighttime he spiked a pretty high fever and looked miserable. Just like the last two times. I ran to the kitchen while my husband was in the bathroom with him, taking a lukewarm bath, whipped this concoction up, rubbed it on his feet, put socks on and HE WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING 90% BETTER! Shocked me!
Simply blend 1/3 cup organic coconut oil with 8 organic fresh garlic cloves and 10 drops therapeutic grade lavender essential oil until its a smooth consistency. Place into a glass jar and rub a little bit on the bottoms of their feet 1-3 x a day. Place socks on right away. We just do this before bed and after his bath where he won't be walking around and his pores are opened up from the warm bath water! Store in the fridge for 7-10 days! Or share with friends!
This is amazing for congestion and respiratory support!

2. Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential oils diffused throughout the house is a GREAT way to not only affect everyone in your house easily, but its an amazing way to get the benefits of essential oils into little ones' immune systems! PLUS when they've got a cold, this is a great way to help them breathe better and break up congestion! The humid air mixed with the therapeutic grade essential oils is our number one go to for beating colds in our home. We have one going in our living room and his bedroom almost 24/7 whenever he's got a cold (or is sick in general). Here is the diffuser we have AND LOVE.
For colds and congestion as well as general immunity boosting, we alternately diffuse a combination of dōTERRA Breathe and Cardamom and then dōTERRA On Guard. Breathe mixed with Cardamom is going to support his airways, respiratory system and beat congestion and On Guard is going to support a healthy immune system! For a full diffuser (400-500mL) we do 2 drops TOTAL of essential oils for his bedroom and 8-10 drops TOTAL for our living room.

3. Detox Bath

Every night we give Lukey a lukewarm to warm detox bath when he's sick or has a cold. The essential oils change depending on what he's fighting, but the epsom salt stays the same. Epsom salt is such a great and natural way to help aid his body in eliminating those toxins circulating around his system, soothes sore muscles, and is a great calming agent.
For colds we like to mix 1/4 cup of epsom salt with 2 drops On Guard and 2 drops Lavender. Or we'll mix 2 drops On Guard and 2 drops Arborvitae. Or even 2 drops Lavender and 2 drops Melaleuca. I just sprinkle in a few tablespoons into his bath water, swoosh it around and allow him to soak (and play) in it. Store in a glass container or jar. I do this every night until the epsom salt mix is gone.

4. Elderberry Syrup

I'm sure this one is no surprise to you. But it's a must for any illness you or your little is going through. We have this in both kids version and adult, but you could just buy the adult version and give according to the instructions on the box. We picked ours up from our local health food store.
Elderberry syrup is known for its immune support and Gaia Herbs' version is made from certified organic back elderberries and added acacia honey. It's amazing in supporting little ones' immune systems and the honey is tasty and soothing to the upper respiratory system. Their formula contains no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, and no high-fructose corn syrup. We adore it.

5. Probiotics

Probiotics should be taken every day by adults and kids alike in general for gut and digestive health, but definitely when someone is trying to fit off an illness. Did you know the heart of the body and immune system stems from the gut? It's true. A healthy digestive system and gut gives someone a much better chance at fighting things off than someone with a leaky/unhealthy gut or unhealthy digestive tract. So we all take this particular brand daily, but DEFINITELY when an illness is roaming around! We just get it at our local health food store.

6. Hand Sanitizer

I'm sure no one is surprised by this one either but it's worth putting out here. We have a bottle of this with us almost everywhere we go. Blow Luke's nose? Spray this. Help him go potty, get a drink, get dressed, etc while he's sick? Spray spray spray. Him. Me. My husband. We spray everything!
I love this dōTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Mist because not only does it kill germs naturally but because it has actual On Guard essential oil inside, it's also boosting all of our immune systems every time we use it! Plus because everything inside is safe and natural, I'm not afraid of it being on my little guy!

7. Essential Oil Roller Bottles

I have a million of these made. It's been my mission over the last year to slowly take an over the counter or prescription medication out of our medicine cabinet and replace it with a roller bottle made from therapeutic grade essential oils. Rollers are a great, easy, and convenient way to support and address medical conditions naturally! Just as easily as one might go in to get some Tylenol or allergy medicine, one can go and grab their "headache" or "allergy" roller bottle.
For little guy colds I have and use a Cough, Ear, Immunity, and Fever roller bottle blend.

Cough- in a 10mL roller bottle add 2 drops each of cardamom, lime, frankincense, marjoram and breathe dōTERRA essential oils. Top with fractionated coconut oil. I roll this on his chest and upper back every 2-3 hours.
Ear- in a 10mL roller bottle add 2 drops lavender, 2 drops melaleuca, 1 drop frankincense and 1 drop basil dōTERRA essential oil. Top with fractionated coconut oil. I apply this as a preventative because he's susceptible to these, as soon as I notice he's got a cold. I roll this around the outside of his ear every 2-3 hours.
Immunity- in a 10mL roller bottle add 2 drops frankincense and 2 drops on guard and 1 drop each of melaleuca, oregano and lemon dōTERRA essential oil. Top with fractionated coconut oil. I roll this up his spine, and bottoms of feet every 2-3 hours.
Fever- in a 10mL roller bottle add 4 drops each frankincense, lavender and peppermint dōTERRA essential oils. Top with fractionated coconut oil. I roll this up his spine, across his forehead, on the back of his neck, bottoms of feet and around his belly button every 2-3 hours.

8. Breathe Balm

We use this as a natural vapor rub to help him breathe easily and remove any congestion. Simply rubbed on his chest, back and bottoms of feet as needed. I love the Zoe Organics brand because they use all natural and clean ingredients!

9. Thermometer

We check his temperature at least 3 times a day to keep monitoring his fever progress. Still hot? We rub on more fever blend roller bottle, undress him more, and/or lukewarm bath, etc.

10. Not Shown: Lots of Fluids!!!!

We hydrate like crazy to not only keep him peeing and detoxifying but also to help decongest him! We love plain water, coconut water (100% coconut water like Zico brand), and 100% organic juices like orange, pineapple and mango, diluted with water or coconut water!

11. Not Shown: Smoothies!

These are the best way to get Luke to continue eating healthy. Not a smoothie fan? Make these into homemade popsicles! We pack ours with greens (like spinach or kale), and antioxidant rich fruits like berries! Also a must? Collagen Hydrolysate! It helps the gut and is a great protein source!

I so hope this blesses someone out there and give you hard working mamas and daddy's peace of mind! Believe me, I know what it's like to WHAM out of nowhere have a little guy sick as a dog and you feeling totally ill prepared! I hope our experience allows you out there to fight your next cold with confidence!

*I am in no way claiming to be a medical professional. I trust you as a mama and dad will trust your gut and do what's right for your family. This is not meant to replace medical intervention by any means. Please consult your doctor! This is simply what we use in our family and what works for us. This blog post is intended to be an inspiration for families across the globe!

diy essential oil face serum...

2018-03-14T13:57:00.003-07:00

Facial serums are so personal and really something I never paid very much attention to, until just recently. Call me naive, but I have pretty much had the same skin care routine since I was like...16. Ok, no, maybe more like mid twenties. But still! Your skin changes so much once you reach your 30's- especially your face!

I'm going to blame it on being a brand new mom when I hit 30- then the next few years being a big fat blur because I've been trying to keep up with that role, #toddlers. I rarely, if at all, had time to stop and think, "how is my skin looking?" Just wasn't ever something that crossed my mind.

Until a few months ago (maybe the summer of last year?) I had taken a few pictures of myself and Luke and went "OH MYLANTA MY FACE LOOKS SO DULL AND TIRED!" I mean. It was. I WAS! Always tired over here! Hahaha. But it was then that I started researching skin care health, and even more so- the face, and started playing around with a natural, essential oil heavy after shower body oils and face oils.

Fast forward to now- I've found my favorite. At least for now, a.k.a: being in my almost mid 30's, with normal to oily skin, and having only 0.5 seconds to do much of anything in the lines of self care. This works. And it smells amazing. I look forward to taking a shower at night, and using this on my face afterwards. My own little "you did good today!!! (or maybe I didn't do so good, so here's a treat anyway) reward. It's made to brighten, tighten, and lessen the look of spots or scarring.

Why these things?

Avocado oil- decreases dryness, improves dry skin, great oil for skin issues like psoriasis.
Argan oil- great nighttime moisturizer, natural skin toner, great for acne prone skin (hi. me), conditioning.
Vitamin E- repairs damaged skin, brightens skin, natural anti-aging component.
Wild Orange- cancer fighting, increases circulation, decreases wrinkles, improves complexion.
Frankincense- antiseptic and disinfectant, strengthens skin and improves its tone, elasticity, defense mechanisms against bacteria or blemishes, and appearance as someone ages, lifts skin, reduces appearance of scars and acne, and heals wounds.
Geranium- wrinkle reducer, prevents skin from sagging, antibacterial, increases blood circulation right below the surface of the skin, heals spots caused by acne, cuts or wounds, surgical incisions or skin irritations.
Lavender- calming, antioxidant, heals face scars/imperfections, toner.

DIY ESSENTIAL OIL FACE SERUM

Makes 1, 2oz glass amber bottle

1 tablespoon chosen foods organic avocado oil
1 tablespoon plant therapy argan oil
2 tablespoons jason Vitamin E 5000UI oil
10 drops doterra wild orange essential oil
10 drops doterra frankincense essential oil
5 drops doterra geranium essential oil
5 drops doterra lavender essential oil

1. Add everything to a glass measuring cup with spout and mix to combine. Slowly pour through a funnel into your glass jar and top with a dropper lid.

2. When ready to use, give a gently shake and drop 4-6 drops into your hand. Apply all over a clean and dry face!

Yes it's THAT easy!

Interested in saving 25% the retail price with a dōTERRA year membership? Feel free to email me or head on over here to sign up!

essential oil supplies...

2018-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since I started selling dōTERRA (and even before that, now that I think of it), the most common questions I get regarding essential oils is, where to find certain supplies and resources!

I get asked these questions so frequently as a matter of fact, that I decided to make a one stop shop for all your essential oil supply needs. Now, there are as many resources and places to buy things as there are people on this beautiful earth. But, these are what I have personally used or currently use, and love and can vouch for their quality.

And, if you're wondering, they are all found on Amazon which, lets be honest, is one of the greatest places to buy things in all the land. I can't quit Amazon. I literally order something from that dang place almost every. single. day. So if you have an Amazon Prime membership and have recently started with essential oils, you guys- these are for you!

Roller Bottles

This is BY FAR, my most asked about resource. So friends, these are my favorite roller bottles you can find on Amazon! It comes in a pack of 24 (24!!!) and they've lasted me a long time ;)

Extra Bottle Labels

Another question I get asked a lot it, where can I find or buy extra bottle labels! Sure, when you first get a dōTERRA membership, they send you a booklet which includes labels. But when you run out, or if you're labeling those roller bottles with these, you're going to need more. I found them here and love them! Plus, they're waterproof!

Fractionated Coconut Oil

Once you take a step further into essential oils, you'll realize diffusing is great, but roller bottles are better. Not only are they easy to grab and take with you (i.e. vacations, work trips, day trips, car rides, at work, etc) but they're a pretty powerful way to get the amazing health benefits of essential oils. Tummy ache? Make a tummy blend of essential oils in a roller bottle, label it "Tummy" and roll all over your belly when there is discomfort. You get my drift.

Heres the thing- you need to dilute MOST essential oils with a carrier oil in order to apply topically. This protects your skin from any sort of irritation that might occur and helps the oils to go on smoothly and evenly. You'd never want to apply peppermint oil directly to your skin! Ouch! So fractionated coconut oil (coconut oil that stays liquid and able to be rolled on, no matter what the temperature) is a great carrier to have in your home, use to dilute those roller bottles, and make essential oils safe for the whole family.

I've used a few brands, and am just pretty in love with this one.

Diffuser

And lastly, I get asked ALL the time what my favorite diffuser is. You guys, its this one. Hands down. I've used maybe 3 or 4 so far and I just love the stability (won't knock over) of this one! I also love how powerful it is- you can change the setting to a soft mist or a more powerful one. I love that its minimal and white (but you can get one with a wooden base too). It's got LED lights that change colors if thats your thing, can run for 60 mins, 120 mins, 180 mins or 10 hours if pushed to the "ON" position (great for allowing to go overnight). It's quiet, it's convenient. AND BEST OF ALL, it's easy to clean! All you do is pull the top off and you can wipe down the water compartment so easily, refill with water so easily and add oils so easily. It's the best.

The price isn't too shabby either.

Oh and also, it automatically shuts off when it's run out of water and THERE ARE OVER 9,000 REVIEWS with 5 STARS. k? K.

I hope that helped you all in your essential oil journey! If you have any questions you can always comment on here or email me- I'd love to be of service! And if you're looking to view my store and see what products I recommend, you can find that here.

new business venture...

2018-01-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

You guys! I have such exciting news!

No, we're not pregnant. 😜 I made the mistake of starting something off like that before and someone got sooooo excited that we were going to have another baby. Alas, no. No baby.

So what is it?

Well after a lot of prayer, my husband and I decided that I would start my own oil business! dōTERRA oil to be more exact! And now that it's finally happening and going, I'm so so so excited and happy we did it! I had been on the fence for a long while- not because of the oils, because with those I was SO obsessed. You probably knew that already though- especially if you are a follower of my Facebook or Instagram. But more so because we've been down the path with owning our own businesses for so long. We've been there, done that. Then we stopped after Luke was born and I swore I would never ever ever do it again.

But you guys, I can't stop talking about and sharing my passion for essential oils! I find myself talking to friends, family, neighbors, STRANGERS about them! Making sample bottles. Roller bottles as gift! You name it, I'm doing it. So I guess it was just a matter of time.

I first really discovered, experimented with, and understood the power behind essential oils about two years ago, after my diagnosis of the autoimmune disease Hashimotos. Sure I dabbled here and there years before, mostly diffusing. But, desperate to find relief from my daily symptoms, I quickly and abruptly changed my diet to a natural simple one (Paleo), got rid of ALL our conventionally bought products and was determined to do as much research as I could to heal myself the natural way (and better support my family’s health as well along the way)!

Enter dōTERRA essential oils. I was such a skeptic. My thoughts about them were, they smell great! And, make a really lovely natural perfume. I really couldn’t understand what they did or why. But again being desperate to feel better, I gave them a shot. And you know what? They helped me in so many ways throughout that next year. I was hooked. I saw first hand how certain oils relieved my depression and anxiety, helped me sleep deeper and better, calmed my restless toddler, helped my husband's daily neck tension, allergies, acid reflux AND MORE.

And that was that. We were a dōTERRA family and weren’t ever going to stop.

Like I mentioned before, in the last year I’ve found myself educating others around me, making blends and roller bottles and sprays for family and friends, and getting more and more passionate about wanting everyone I know to feel their absolute best, and achieving that through the amazing power of these natural oils. I want people to feel great, sleep better, breathe deeply, and just live life to it’s fullest. And as cheesy as it sounds, essential oils have helped us do just that tremendously.

So friends, if this is something you are interested in, or already love, I am here to educate you as best I can so that you are empowered to use your oils as best as one can! I’m here to answer ANY questions you might have. ❤️ You can follow my journey along on my NEW Instagram and of course, you can find my website here :)

Hope to find you guys there!

how to brew your own kombucha...

2017-12-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Guys!

Ok stay with me here. This is going to be a looooong post PACKED full of information. I'm doing this for two reasons:

My heart in this is that you guys get the most in-depth "how to" that I can possibly muster up in hopes that this will hopefully lead to...
Full awareness and understanding with what's needed so you can make your own kombucha without a doubt in your mind!

Because you guys, once you get started, this stuff is SO easy to make AND SO FRIGGIN ECONOMICAL. I mean let's break it down for a second: one bottle of a well known kombucha can run you anywhere from like $3-5 (PER BOTTLE!!!) unless it's on sale. If on sale, I've found certain brands go for like $2-3. But still, that adds up! And if you're like me (and my husband), you drink a bottle a day! Which means at least 2 bottles a day. Multiply by 7 days in a week and we're at around 14 bottles! 14 multiplied by $3 is $42 JUST IN KOMBUCHA. #nope

So naturally, we needed to make our own! Ha! Which I'm assuming is your same predicament as well, which is why you're here! Yay! This recipe and post is going to teach you how to brew ONE GALLON of your own, probiotic filled, unprocessed, kombucha which is the price of a cup of sugar, filtered water and tea bags. Boom done. Now if you're just starting you will also need to find a friend that brews and get them to give you some of their SCOBY (more on that later) and some of their starter OR buy some online. We'll get to sources where to buy and stuff later. But after that initial start up cost, you're back to just sugar and tea. AND YES PLEASE USE REAL SUGAR. Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself.

You're going to love this, I promise. But let me say upfront, first and foremost- read through this whole post first. Then read it again. And maybe even read through it a third time and start to envision yourself doing each step so that you are fully understanding what's required. We are dealing with a living thing and want to make sure we're doing it right. Now like I said before, it's EASY stuff, but it does take some doing, some patience, and a little practice.

Just to give you guys a little background; I've been brewing my own kombucha for almost 2 years. Every week. So that's a lot of time to experience troubleshooting, learn from mistakes, and get into a really good routine for what works easily. And it needs to be easy for me! I brew this solely on my own and I have to do it while being a stay at home mama to a toddler and also homeschooling him and doing house stuff too! If I can do this, so can you.

THAT all being said; read through the whole post, get a feel for what it is you're doing and if you have ANY questions, please contact me!

HOMEMADE CONTINUOUS BREWING KOMBUCHA HOW TO (STEP BY STEP WITH PICTURES)

Makes 1 gallon (or about 8-16oz bottles, 16 cups, 128 fluid ounces)
For printable "how to" click here

Terms:
You'll hear me using these two terms through the post. Here is their definition so there is no confusion!

Scoby:

""Scoby" is actually an acronym: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. And that's exactly what it is! A scoby is the living home for the bacteria and yeast that transform sweet tea into tangy, fizzy kombucha — think of the scoby as the coral reef of the bacteria and yeast world. It a rubbery raft that floats on the surface of the kombucha. Aside from being a home for yeast and good bacteria, the scoby seals off the fermenting kombucha from the air and protects it from outside, undesirable bacterias while it's fermenting. P.S. You'll also sometimes hear scobys referred to as "kombucha mothers" or "kombcha mushrooms." If you read or hear references to these things, know that it's all the same thing." (source: The Kitchn)

Starter:

Simply put, this is just finished kombucha.

Ingredients:

15 green or black 100% tea, bags

I brew solely with green tea bags and make sure they are plain green tea. Organic is preferred, but I know that's not always doable. You can do black if you'd like as well. Just make sure your tea is unflavored- just the black or green tea leaves. I love and have used Trader Joe's Organic (and non organic) Green Tea, Sprouts Brand Organic Green Tea (your best choice!) and Trader Joe's Original Irish Breakfast Tea.

AVOID: Flavored teas and herbal infusions.

1 cup pure organic cane sugar

YES! It has to be REAL sugar. Like when baking bread with yeast, the sugar acts as food for the kombucha's yeast (which is what creates that fermentation, probiotic/living/gut health goodness!) If you are Paleo or Whole 30, you can rest assured that both are accepted on the diet as the end result of the brewed kombucha contains trace amounts of residual sugar. We're not adding any at the end and so the yeast has consumed most of it to do what it needs to do.

6 cups of almost simmering filtered water
8 cups of room temperature or cool filtered water
1 cup of starter kombucha
1 scoby

I've linked to what I find to be the most reputable for starter and scobys. Not all are created equal and Kombucha Kamp is well known! The good news is they sell a starter/scoby combo. So for under $30 you've got yourself both! Now I received mine from a friend (aka FREE) so if you know a friend who has been brewing for a while, I'm sure they'd be happy to give you a cup of their kombucha and some of their scoby, as the scoby does need to be peeled away from time to time.

1 cup (ish) white distilled vinegar- solely used for sanitizing purposes (see below)

Materials Needed:

1 gallon sized glass jar (avoid metal)
5 quart mixing bowl (for brewing tea. Also avoid using metal)
clean dish towel/cheesecloth
large rubber band
wooden spoon (avoid using anything metal)
measuring cups (avoid using metal)
glass plate (to hold scoby)

When Ready to do 2nd Fermentation you will additionally need:

glass bottles with lids (or if you already have some at home, recycle those! I love and solely use leftover GT's kombucha bottles and reused Chameleon Cold Brew Jars! Yay for recycling! Just wash well, and remove the label! If using GT's 16oz bottles, you will need 7-8!)
glass or plastic funnel

How to do the first fermentation:

Ok! So you've got your reputable scoby, starter, materials and you're ready to get started! Awesome! First things first:

1. Fill your clean kitchen sink with cool water half way and add a cup or two of white distilled vinegar. Rinse your hands in that sanitizing water, then your gallon sized glass jar, your 5 quart mixing bowl, wooden spoon, measuring cups and glass plate. One thing we want to avoid is soap or anything along those lines. Make sure your hands are free from oils, lotions, soaps, and make sure to sterilize everything in that vinegar water that is going to come in contact with your tea or kombucha, before you brew each time. This will inhibit the growth of mold. Allow everything to fully dry. You can see above that I am rinsing out my sterilization liquid from my glass kombucha jar and about to dry.

2. Add 15 tea bags into your 5 quart mixing bowl. Next, add 1 cup of organic cane sugar to that and set aside.

3. In a large pot (metal is ok here!), bring 6 cups of filtered water to an almost simmer. Once there, remove from heat and carefully pour water into your mixing bowl with tea and sugar. With your WOODEN spoon (no metal here guys! Kombucha hates metal!) stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved and then allow to sit and steep for 4 minutes.

4. Once steeped, carefully remove tea bags with wooden spoon, give a gentle squeeze to get out any extra tea, and discard those used tea bags.

5. Next, add 8 cups more of cooled or room temperature filtered water. Give a good stir and cover with a clean tea towel. Set aside on kitchen counter and allow to cool completely. Heat is another no no for brewing kombucha. I typically make my tea first thing in the morning and then by dinner time it's room temperature and ready to go to the next step. Alternatively you can do this step the night before and then come morning you'll be ready to go.

6. Once brewed sweet tea is cooled you're ready to really get started! In the above picture you can see the difference in color between the brewed tea and what happens after you've allowed it to ferment and turn into kombucha! Pretty neat right?

Anyway, refill your sink and add distilled white vinegar to create another sterilization station! Then to your cleaned/sterilized glass gallon-sized jar, add that brewed and cooled tea.

Next, with your clean and sterilized hands, carefully remove scoby from starter liquid and place on your sterilized dinner plate. You can see my scoby in the picture below.

Measure and pour 1 cup of the starter to the brewed tea and give a stir with your sterilized wooden spoon.

7. Finally, carefully pick up the scoby and check. If your scoby starts to develop brown strands or gunk on it, just simply rinse under cool sink water and gently rub away.

Next, gently place your scoby into your gallon sized jar filled with sweet tea and starter. The scoby may sink, it may float, or it may turn to it's side. That's ok. As everything settles, the scoby will eventually raise to the top and start doing it's thing. Cover with your clean tea towel or cheesecloth and secure with a large rubber band.

8. Set kombucha to the side of a cool, non direct sunlit, relatively left alone place in your kitchen or pantry and leave undisturbed for 7-10 days.

**Now here's where it's up to you. After 7 days, stick a CLEAN plastic or glass straw into your kombucha, being careful not to hurt your scoby and siphon out a bit, and taste! If you're happy with how it tastes, move on to the second fermentation instructions. Or else, leave for another day or two, tasting each day until it's reached your desired tartness. We like ours at around 9 days.

It helps to write on your calendar when you've started your batch and when to check. Believe me, sometimes I forget! Or you can put a piece of painters tape with the starting date right on your jar.

How to do the second fermentation:

Once you're happy with your kombucha's flavor, you're ready to do it's second fermentation AND start brewing your next batch! This is where the continuous brewing comes along. First things first:

1. Follow steps 1-5 in the first fermentation instructions (basically how to make that sweet tea mix).

2. Once your new brewed tea is cooled and ready to go, sterilize all of your glass jars (GT's, Chameleon Cold Brew, or bought), your glass plate, wooden spoon, funnel and your measuring cups. Allow to dry completely.

3. Remove scoby with your sterilized hands and place on the plate. Set aside.

4. With cleaned wooden spoon, carefully stir kombucha making sure to get all the settled yeast that fell to the bottom. THIS is what helps your kombucha get fizzy and effervescent! Pour 1 cup of kombucha/starter into a glass or plastic measuring cup and set aside.

5. Place funnel into the top of your bottle and carefully pour kombucha into your bottle leaving about 1 1/2 inches of space on the top. Continue doing this until all your kombucha is used up and bottled!

This is also the place to play around with flavorings! If flavoring, allow space for the food or liquid and so leaving 2+ inches of space at the top.

Combos we love:

Raspberry

We love dropping in 6 frozen organic raspberries in each 16oz bottle! Secure with lid and allow it to complete it's second fermentation! Then strain out those raspberries. Turns the best color red and so good!

Lemon Ginger

About 1/8 teaspoon fresh grated ginger and 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice (or even just the ginger) into each 16oz bottle. For some reason the ginger makes the most carbonated kombucha ever! Yum!

Black Cherry

3-4 Organic frozen black cherries into each 16oz bottle. Secure with lid and allow it to complete it's second fermentation! Then strain out those cherries. Turns the best color purple and so good!

Blueberry

10-12 organic frozen blueberries into each 16oz bottle. Follow same instructions as above.

Mint

Chopped fresh mint! About 2-3 fresh leaves per 16oz bottle. Follow same instructions as above.

Passionfruit

1/2 fresh passionfruit's pulp and juice into each 16oz bottle! This is my personal favorite! Follow same instructions as above. Just make sure to strain before drinking. Makes it so tart and refreshing!

Play around and have fun!

Once bottled, secure with lid and set aside on counter (away from direct sun and heat. Keep where it's cool) for another 24 hours (or up to 48 if you like it really tart!) Some people have said their bottles have exploded from too much carbonation. I have NEVER had this happen but if it's something you're afraid of, simply undo the lid and then re-secure every 24 hours. This is called "burping" and will allow any excess carbonation to be released. I've never had to burp with my GT's bottles.

When the second fermentation has ended and you're happy with the flavor, store in the fridge and drink away! If there are brown strands or if you've flavored with a fruit/herb, strain before drinking.

6. Finally, begin steps 6-8 once again in first fermentation instructions (basically starting your new batch of kombucha).

And so on and so forth! You'll keep going round and round with these instructions as you continuously brew! If you do this correctly, you should have 6-8 bottles of freshly brewed homemade kombucha every week and a half! As you continue to do this it will become second nature and you'll have the steps and ingredients/their amount memorized. I promise!

I hope that makes sense!

Kombucha should never:

Have mold. If so (dry patches/hairy patches) you have to unfortunately start completely from scratch.
Stink! It should smell like kombucha or with a slight vinegar smell. Anything rancid and yours has gone bad. Start again from scratch.

Always avoid:

Heat (when heating water to brew tea, heat is obviously fine. But otherwise, everything should be room temperature). If brewing where it gets really warm in the summertime, be aware of your indoor temp and move kombucha that is brewing to a cooler part of the house.
Soaps/Oils. It's ok to wash everything with soap and water. Just make sure to sterilize well with our white vinegar/water in sink before its going to touch anything having to do with the kombucha.
Metal. It's ok to heat your water in metal. But once you're going to touch your kombucha with something, it needs to be glass (preferably) or plastic. Kombucha hates metal.
Flavored teas and herbal infusions

And lastly, as you continue brewing your own kombucha you will notice that your scoby will grow and develop new layers/thickness. This is good news and means you're doing it right! If it gets bumps or air pockets, totally fine! Even if it grows thinner in some areas, still fine. After your scoby has grown over 3 or so inches in thickness, you might want to look for someone to give some to! Remember that the top of your scoby is always the newest/freshest/most powerful/best so you need to keep that. Give away or toss the bottom layers (take an inch or so off at a time). Then always place your scoby with the top facing up and that bottom facing down. This will eliminate you giving away your best/strongest new scoby! By shedding some of that old scoby, you're making your scoby super healthy and strong. Some people even eat the scoby!

Ya'll I had so much fun writing this pot! Phew! Did you stick around long enough to read the whole thing? If so, you friend, get all the gold stars. I hope this was thorough enough and brings you to a real understanding of how to brew your own kombucha! And again, if you have ANY questions, please don't hesitate to email, or find me on social media and ask!

This post contains some affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me continue to bring new and lovely content to you!

hearty overnight chia pudding...

2017-12-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

The days are just getting busier and busier as we get closer to Christmas, it seems. I find myself so wrapped up with getting us all where we need to go, and making sure Luke's still eating appropriately, that my own diet is falling by the wayside. Sometimes breakfast or lunch is a cold leftover half a chicken breast and a tangerine. It's ludicrous!

Then I remembered we used to LOVE eating overnight oats when I was into doing things like planning ahead 😆 It really helped my husband and I out so much in those super busy mornings! You know, like Sundays when we're all rushing around and I'm trying to get us all fed, dressed, teeth brushed and out of the house an hour after Luke has gotten up, and at church on time! Such a struggle! Having a breakfast that I prepare the night before and let do it's thing in the fridge? GOLD. MAMA GOLD. That morning, it's one less thing I have to worry or even think about. Simply pop open the jar, throw a spoon in and boom- breakfast is served.

Phew.

Since going Paleo, I do try and remain as grain free as possible so I've switched out our overnight oats for an almost overnight chia pudding! It's hearty, fills you up thanks to all those healthy fats and proteins from the coconut milk, nuts and seeds, and best part is it's so easy. It definitely needs to be done the night before so that it's got the time it needs to set up properly. But by doing so, you've cleared off one more thing on the morning list and breakfast will be waiting and ready as soon as you're up! (Also great as an on-the-go food!)

HEARTY CHIA PUDDING

Makes 3, 8oz servings

For printable recipe, click here

1 1/2 cups canned full fat coconut milk (see note at bottom for recommended brands)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries (try and find ones fruit sweetened)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs
*optional* a heaping spoonful of sunflower seed butter to top the morning of

1. Into a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup and chia seeds. Mix until well combined.

2. Into another small bowl, mix together the cranberries, pumpkin seeds and cocoa nibs.

3. Into 3, 8oz glass mason jars, divide out the cranberry mixture and add to the bottom.

4. Carefully pour the chia pudding mix evenly into the three jars.

5. Place a tight fitting lid on each, give it a good shake, and allow to sit in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

6. Once set, enjoy as is, or top with a heaping tablespoon of sunflower seed butter (or peanut butter if you can tolerate that)!

**Note**

Make sure to look for a canned coconut milk that is creamy. I can’t guarantee good results unless you use the brands I recommend. I believe Whole Foods 365 brand works well and Thai Kitchens Organic Full Fat Coconut Milk. They do contain guar gum (I know, I know), which may be why it helps create a smooth texture. Brands that do not contain guar gum are more likely to have some separation and/or become grainy, which will result in a separated or grainy chia pudding.

This post contains some affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me continue to bring new and lovely content to you!

vegan + paleo easy "eggnog"...

2017-11-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I love the idea and flavor of eggnog...but have always had a hard time drinking it unless it was diluted because of how thick and rich it was. Sign me up for all the eggnog flavored specialty drinks and candies, but man- it's hard to drink too much of the real thing.

Just me?

Don't get me wrong- the moment someone pulls out eggnog and asks if anyone would like some, my hand is the first to fly up. But then 4 or 5 sips in and I find myself really struggling with finishing it because it is just so much! I end up having to dilute it with milk or something along those lines to be able to fully enjoy. I'm thinking I'm just an eggnog whimp.

Then, having to go paleo a few years back sort of stopped any eggnog drinking anyway. Sad face. Although, just recently I've found a few homemade paleo friendly eggnog recipes out there using real eggs and coconut milk and boy- that sounds really good! But also sounds pretty rich again. I'm afraid I'll find myself in the same dilemma...still needing to dilute it a bit with some more almond or coconut milk. 🤷 (Also, why am I not allowed to make her dark haired like on my iPhone?!)

I digress...

Well the holidays are upon us and as soon as Thanksgiving was over, I found myself naturally craving all things pepperminty and eggnoggy! Happens every year. Pumpkin spice everrrrrrrrrything until the day Thanksgiving is over. Then it's WHAM!- EGGNOG AND PEPPERMINT ARE LIFE.

Having to make my own non dairy milk about 2 times a week, I have a lot of time to play around with flavorings and such. I usually stick to the usual vanilla flavoring, but I found myself adding little Christmas spices here and there until low and behold, a batch tasted just like eggnog! And the perfect eggnog! Not too sweet, but still sweet. Not too thick, but still creamy. AND SO EGGNOGGY I WANTED TO CRY. Plus, there's no egg in it whatsoever so those with vegan restrictions can enjoy as well! PLUS PLUS its so easy! Just soak your nuts the night before and that next day you'll have a fresh batch of homemade "eggnog" in minutes. Also plus- with ingredients you can pronounce and feel good about!

Boom.

Now where's my eggnog?

VEGAN + PALEO EASY "EGGNOG"

Makes 4 cups

For printable recipe, click here

1/2 cup raw almonds (skin on is fine)
1/2 cup raw cashews
pinch of sea salt
4 cups filtered water
2 large medjool dates, pitted (or 3 small ones)
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a medium sized bowl, add your almonds, cashews and salt. Fill with cool water so that it is covering the nuts by a few inches and allow to soak on your kitchen counter overnight.

2. Next, drain the nuts into a fine mesh sieve and rinse well. Add the nuts to a high speed blender and add 4 cups of cool filtered water, dates, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3. Secure the lid and blend on high for 1-2 minutes, or until everything is well ground up, creamy and frothy.

4. While that is blending, place a nut milk bag over a large measuring cup with a lip (this will help with pouring your eggnog into a container at the end). Once eggnog is well blended, carefully pour into your nut milk bag, secure, and squeeze well until all of the liquid has come out into your measuring cup.

5. Finally, carefully pour dairy free eggnog into a quart sized glass jar, fitted with an air tight lid (like this or this), and store in the fridge for 5 days. Make sure to shake before consuming.

Save the nut pulp and add to oatmeal or this amazing recipe!

Feel free to spike "eggnog" with some bourbon or rum (not so paleo) or drink as is with a dash more of fresh ground nutmeg! As for me, I've literally been drinking this by the glassful and adding to my matcha lattes for AN OH MY GOSH TASTE EXPLOSION. Cheers!

thanksgiving recipe roundup...

2017-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!

Thanksgiving is sneaking up on us fast. Real fast! So I wanted to take a second to round up our favorite Thanksgiving inspired dishes, desserts, drinks, and leftovers(!!!) for you all in case you were looking for a little inspiration still. I know I am!

Some of them are Paleo, some are Gluten free, and some are good ol fashioned butter, sugar, flour babies. I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone. So, if you're needing some help, I hope these ideas will come to your rescue and get your Thanksgiving spirits going!

I also thought of titling this, "Let's take a walk down memory lane of the progression of Christina's photography skills" hahaha. Oh well.

sweet potato, zucchini + crimini mushroom gratin // paleo simple roasted brussels sprouts // paleo braised red cabbage with bacon // gluten free buttermilk chive biscuits // acorn squash, roasted with garlic // paleo kale salad with citrus vinaigrette // homemade butter // paleo mashed faux-tatoes

paleo ginger, star anise + orange tea // paleo honey spiced almond milk // paleo chai tea concentrate // paleo super quick + creamy cashew milk/creamer for coffee or tea // paleo cinnamon tea // whipped coconut cream //

whipped coconut cream // salted chocolate pecan pie // pumpkin tiramisu // homemade pumpkin puree // pumpkin cheesecake with a ginger browned butter crust // what to do with extra pie crust // paleo mixed berry crumble // extremely easy chocolate peanut butter pumpkin bars // brown sugar pumpkin pie

gluten free blueberry crumb pie // gluten free pumpkin muffins // pear and almond cream pie // cinnamon + apple galette with vanilla sugar // pear upside down cake // basic pie dough

thanksgiving turkey thai crunch salad using leftover roasted turkey // homemade turkey stock using those leftover turkey carcasses //pumpkin pie smoothie using any left over pumpkin puree // roasted harvest soup using any leftover roasted veggies

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

one pan roasted chicken + veggies with thyme + lemon...

2017-11-07T13:53:00.001-08:00

Now that the weather has finally turned into autumnal coolness here in Southern California, we can start using our oven again. You guys- we had a HOT, LATE summer, with one of the hotter heat waves I can remember hitting us right up until the end of October. It was brutal! Most of us here have old homes (walking distance from the beach) with no air conditioning. We never needed it. Sure there were a few days here and there you wished you had one, but a few fans and the windows open, and you survived. Now though, you need one to feel like you can live. Its HOT! Luckily we invested in a portable window guy a few years back when it first started reaching 100+ temps, and man is it a lifesaver.

That being said, when it gets that hot, stoves and ovens just aren't turning on. AT ALL.

But now the ocean breeze is back, the air is cool and sometimes even crisp, and we're feeling all the fall vibes. That feeling trickles into dinner as well. Soups, stews, hearty rich dishes, and lots of one-pan baked meals are all our jam now.

This one- this roasted chicken and veggie dish with lemon and thyme: ranks right up there on the top of my list. It's comforting and so easy to make, and using just one pan for everything- boom, easy clean up.

Feel free to switch up citruses and/or herbs to suit your mood. But I promise you that the thyme and lemon combo is a good one!

ONE PAN ROASTED CHICKEN + VEGGIES WITH THYME + LEMON
Serves 4
For printable recipe, click here

3 1/2-4 pound organic chicken; washed, dried, and cut up into breasts, drumsticks, and thighs (save wings for bone broth)
1 pound organic sweet potatoes; washed, dried and cut into wedges
2 small (or 1 large) sweet yellow onion; peeled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
zest of 2 small organic lemons (about 1 tablespoon); save lemon(s) for the end
4 cups lightly packed clean, organic baby arugula

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Place sweet potato wedges and onion into a large bowl, set aside.

3. To a smaller bowl, make a paste out of the olive oil, salt, thyme and lemon zest.

4. Pour 1/2 of the paste onto the vegetables and toss/mix well with hands. Place vegetables around a sheet pan so that everything is in one even layer.

5. Cut each breast in half (so that you have 4 breast pieces total) and add all your raw chicken pieces to that same large bowl used for the veggies.

6. Pour the remaining 1/2 of herb paste over the chicken and massage into all the pieces with your hands.

7. Once fully coated, spread chicken pieces around your sheet pan, nestling in-between veggie pieces. Allow chicken to touch the bottom of the pan (this will get the bottoms some color too). You are wanting (as much as possible) everything to be one single layer, so that the chicken and veggies roast and not steam. Which could happen if things were on top of each other.

8. Roast in preheated oven until chicken and veggies are cooked through (chicken needs to be about 160°F internally)- about 50 minutes.

9. Once cooked, take pan out of oven and immediately toss with arugula and the lemon juice from the lemon(s) we zested earlier.

Serve on pan with more salt as needed!

hope for the hopeless...

2017-10-21T14:41:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year I was talking to a friend and she encouraged me (in more ways than one) to find what makes me unique and showcase that when it comes to blogging and my social media.

I’ve been pondering that conversation ever since and have been pushing myself to open up, be humbled, be raw, be honest, and most importantly be someone who is an encouragement to this here online community. Not. Easy.

Life has been pretty hard lately. My husband and I feel like we’re in the trenches of this super crazy hard season. This spiritual super battle. So I fell away. It got harder to blog. Harder to do my beloved Instagram cooking demo stories, hard to really do much other than self protect, damage control and live off of auto pilot.

Then the other day I was reminded of that same encouragement my sweet friend laid upon me, with another friend on Instagram. Basically reminding us that everyone is trying to do everything here (on the internet). It’s this constant battle of “who did it better”, “who is more creative”, “who has the more farmhousie house”? Etc. And it’s exhausting. And unrealistic. So we need to find ourselves, remember what makes us special, what gifts and talents He has blessed us with, and focus on that. That’s enough and usually when we shine that light, it encourages and influences others around us in ways we never thought possible. I lost track of that and am glad to have remembered to do it again. I don’t want to cook all the things everyone else is or make things everyone else is making (macrame plant holders anyone?) and say mine is better. I want to cook things, do things, story things, photograph things and write things people will love AND showcase it in a way that is special and true to me; in hopes that someone somewhere smiles at it and finds encouragement. I want to be real and authentic in a world where we’re all afraid to do so. And do it because my heart wants nothing more for that one discouraged follower to see it and be able to breathe again. To go, “hey! I’m there too!” And to know that THAT is ok. And I want to do ALL of this through the power of Jesus. Because through Him all things are possible.

SO! That being said, THIS is my real life right now. My family of three living in a TINY, one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles because we are financially unable to afford much else at this time. Its having a 2.5 year old toddler who is feisty, and grumpy, and headstrong and more recently, refusing any and mostly all sleep. It's being up for 1-2 hours a night most nights cursing and fighting in a whisper with my husband in the dark because our son is in our room screaming his head off (and yes, after being consoled and checked to make sure everything is ok). It’s us recently out of desperation, taking down our beloved bed frame and dragging our mattress to our tiny living room so that our son can have the room to himself and we can all possibly start to get some much needed sleep. Its me hoping to get my sleep deprived Hashimotos self back into remission after the last 8 weeks of total toddler chaos. It’s me folding up all the blankets and pillows each morning and putting them in our dresser in his room. It’s lifting and pushing that big heavy mattress by myself while the cats and toddler try and play with it, back into his room, upright against our closet doors. (So that he can run and play and use his trampoline in our living room during the day.) It’s my husband cleaning up the living room each night of any toys, dragging that mattress back out and re-making our bed. It’s doing homeschool 4 days a week on our dining table which is right next to our office desk (because they share a room). It’s not having shiplap anything and not having a porch or yard for Luke to play in, so we have to take him to a park to get muddy or sandy or dirty. It’s not having chickens or affording farmers markets and more often than not having to forego the pasture raised or organic because we just can’t afford it this time. It’s continuing to trust He will provide each week and He will continue to give wisdom to us with how to heal my Hashimotos and my husband’s ailments through food and natural health. It’s trusting in the ways He shows us we can do and having to not get those things He’s shown us aren’t for right now (like all the essential oils and supplements and powders and vital proteins things!!!) It’s doing the best we can with what we have and preaching to our heart when it starts to resent or become envious. Because what we have IS enough and it’s what He’s deemed appropriate for now. It is right and perfect. It’s looking around our house, our “tiny home” and seeing all the things we DO have and being content. It's hands-on raising of a strong-willed little guy everyday and not getting the break or "me time"...but still not giving up; not running away. It’s remembering that “even if not, He still is good”.

So friends, if any of you are out there scrolling through your feed and going, “Man. I can’t keep up! I can’t compare! My house doesn’t look like that! I don’t own those suede ankle booties! Those ripped skinny jeans. I can’t afford those barre classes! Those pasture raised eggs.” This is for you. You are enough. Your home is enough. Your body is enough. What you have is enough and if you change your perspective and trust in The One who gave it to you, you'll see all the amazing blessings in your life.

backyard vow renewal...

2017-10-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I had the immense pleasure of photographing one of my favorite couples ever, for their 10th wedding anniversary vow renewal.

It was SUCH a sweet gathering, very intimate, of just a few friends and family in the backyard of their new home they purchased (and redid!!!) last year. My friend, Tiffany, has such an eye for decor and all things farmhouse chic, so it's no surprise that this celebration was done in that very style.

Whites, light hues of greens and pinks, wood accents and lots of natural elements made up the simple, yet extremely sweet and beautiful decor. And yes, she did it all herself.

Anyone wondering if they can throw a little backyard wedding in farmhouse style, look no further. It can be done and can be done beautifully.

Hey look! It's my handsome husband (right) and our adorable son!

braised red cabbage with bacon...

2017-09-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Fall is here guys. (Who's cheering big cheers alongside me on this one??)

I can't think of a better autumnal side dish than our favorite side dish ever- braised red cabbage with like the biggest ratio of bacon ever. Because honestly, it's all about starting that fall sweater weather body.

Who am I kidding? We eat this sucker year round and I sport my sweater weather body all 12 glorious months of the year.

I first made braised cabbage in culinary school and immediately became hooked. Before that, I had only ever eaten cabbage as sauerkraut or coleslaw. But to cook it, and cook it slowly with really deep, rich and robust flavors? Man, that was like "whole other level" good. I've since made my own version and tweaked it little by little over the years, until I've reached what I consider our favorite way to enjoy this dish.

Braised cabbage is a comfort food in our household now. I'm not joking when I say I make it all year round. It's hearty, complex in flavor (yet simple in ingredients), a little sweet, a little smoky, a little tart and a little salty. It's the perfect side to roasted chicken or pork, or along side our favorite veggie filled paleo meatballs.

It takes about 30 minutes to make, but I assure you those 30 minutes make the tastiest braised cabbage around.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH BACON

Serves 4-6
For printable recipe, click here

6 ounces bacon, small dice (make sure your bacon is free of nitrates/nitrites and made without any sweetener for Whole 30)
1 medium sweet yellow onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium apple, cored and medium diced
18 ounces shredded red cabbage (or 2, 9-ounce bags of Trader Joe's Shredded Organic Red and Green Cabbage with Carrots, which is what I use)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock or even better, bone broth

1. In a large sauce pan/pot, over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown and crispy. Once crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

2. Pour bacon grease through a strainer, into a glass jar and then pour back into the pot, 2 tablespoons. Add your onion and cook on medium heat until translucent. Then add your garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Next, add the apple chunks and cabbage, turn heat down to medium low, and stir and flip with tongs until everything is evenly coated in the bacon fat. Allow to cook for a minute or two until cabbage starts to wilt.

4. Finally, add the salt, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and broth/stock and cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is cooked and tender and juices have evaporated, about 20 minutes.

5. Remove from pot and top and toss with the bacon. Serve immediately.

our thrive market staples...

2017-09-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you've been following me for some time now, you know I love me some Thrive Market!

At first one might think it's just another run of the mill health food something or another, but I kid you not- it's been one of the bigger blessings to our kitchen (and wallets)! Put simply, Thrive Market is an online store that is sort of like if Amazon and Whole Foods had a baby. Basically it's a place where for a small yearly membership fee (like Amazon Prime or Costco) you have a crazy array of natural, clean, healthy foods and home products at your fingertips (like Whole Foods)... but with WAY CHEAPER PRICES! Like, 25-50% off the brands you love, no coupon or code needed. Forever.

There is a minimum you need to get free shipping ($49) but if you add to your cart as you run out of things (think of it like your own grocery list) after a few weeks you will totally meet that minimum. AND they are constantly giving away freebees to orders over $59! Which again, we hit every 2 or so weeks. Then you just place your order online or via their app on your phone (this is what I use and it's SO easy!!) and in a few days it is delivered right to your door step. And And And! Thrive will give you 25% off your first order (and a free 30 day trial)! Sign up here.

They have all of your favorite brands too! Like Primal Chocolate, Primal Kitchen, Artisana, Four Sigmatic and Navitas Organics amongst so many others! All at a really nice discount. And even more discounted? Their own name brand products, which we have tried and also love! It's not just food either. There are bath and body products, baby stuff (like Honest diapers!), home necessities (like sponges or Mrs Meyers cleaners) etc.

Lots to love. I thought it might be fun and informative to show you guys the absolute 'must haves' my family uses the most, so you can see not only what else they carry but reference and price check (and find out that their prices are giving other companies a run for their money)!

happy baby superfood puffs // These are a great wholesome snack whenever we're out and Luke's getting hungry.

dr. bronners baby unscented pure castile soap // We used those other "natural" baby soaps and you guys, nothing beats this stuff. Check out these ingredients! Water, Organic Coconut Oil*, Potassium Hydroxide**, Organic Palm Kernel Oil*, Organic Olive Oil*, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol *CERTIFIED FAIR TRADE INGREDIENTS! He has never broken out, and we dilute each bottle so that it goes a very long way!

badger broad spectrum baby spf 30 sunscreen // We love Badger brand sunscreens pretty much because they have the lowest EWG score. This one in particular has a score of 1. 1!

peter rabbit organics pouches // Can't beat these clean ingredients: Organic peas, organic spinach, organic apples, organic lemon juice concentrate.

pure baby toothbrushes // Ever since we started brushing Luke's teeth, we've used this brand. Soft, gentle and small enough for him to use himself!

primal pit paste natural deodorant // I've been trying to find a more natural deodorant for a while. None of them ever worked. Sad face. And now, after having a baby and my hormones being the most out of whack, I'm a sweating, stinky mess. This is the first, clean ingredient deodorant that works for me! Took a few days for my body's pH to realign (a.k.a. I was a little stinky) but now I'm good to go! Word to there wise though, hold it under your armpit for a little bit to heat it up before moving around. Or else you'll almost rip your skin off! Hahaha.

badger broad spectrum spf 30 sunscreen // Again, we use this sunscreen because its the most natural that we've found with the best EWG score (again a 1!)

dr. bronners peppermint all one toothpaste // I don't know about you, but toothpaste is tricky for me! I want my mouth to feel clean and pretty, but man, I definitely don't want all the unnatural gunk that comes with that in most toothpastes! This brand is still nice and refreshingly peppermint but with way clean ingredients (and no fluoride!)

dr. bronners lavender pure castile soap // We use this (and the peppermint scent) for everything from hand soap to body soap and dish soap! A little goes a long way so either dilute it or use a very little bit!

toms mens deodorant // The smell alone gets me. I love the way this stuff smells! But not only that, my husband swears it still works really well.

new chapter turmeric force // For anyone struggling with inflammation, like those of us with Hashimoto's, this stuff is a life saver. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory! Now you have to take the recommended dose every day in order to see a decrease in inflammatory pain, but it's worth it. Versus being used as a pain medication on the onset of inflammation- it won't work that way. This also removes harmful toxins in the body! Score!

rainbow light prenatal one // I have been taking this since like day 3 of knowing I was pregnant with Luke! Haha. I took it all through my pregnancy and am still taking it through my nursing life. It's non-constipating (I know, I know....but it's a thing that happens!) and has never ever made me feel nauseous like some mega vitamins have. Plus it's all plant based and includes probiotics.

rainbow light vitamin d3 // Once I found out I was Vitamin D deficient (which made so much sense as to why I still wasn't feeling 100% with Hashimoto's after being Paleo for a year!) I looked into Rainbow Light again, since I was already loving their prenatal. It DOES have sugar in these gummies, but the little bit doesn't bother me (and they've helped tremendously!)

natural calm // Magnesium is such an underrated vitamin/mineral, but man, it's such a thing to have! It helps ease stress, supports the thyroid, regulates muscle and nerve functions, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and supports bones. All the fruits and vegetables used in their products are organically grown and this product specifically is sweetened with organic stevia. It's a delicious fizzy drink that you mix together yourself in the form of powder (into a glass of water). You can drink it hot like a tea or cold (my fave) and it just helps me calm down, sleep better and get ready for the night.

great lakes gelatin collagen hydrolysate // Made from pasture raised, grass fed cows, this is a GREAT way to add a nice collagen and protein boost to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. It melts in both hot and cold liquids! We use it everyday and love it. You'll see it in so many of my recipes, like lattes and popsicles and smoothies on my instagram!

bees wrap // A newer love of ours, these all natural bees wax wraps are made to replace the use of plastic wrap in your home. I just tried the sample pack and am in love! Definitely going to get more of each size as we can financially do!

now essential oil diffuser // One of my favorite diffusers! It lasts up to 10 hours, is easy to use and ionizes and cleans the air which is great for those who suffer badly from allergies!

molly suds wool dryer balls // Toss out those dryer sheets (Seriously. Just google how terrible they are) and switch to these puppies. Even better- add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to each ball and make your laundry smell super fresh! And no, with the exception of large blankets, we have had 0 problems with static cling.

aunt fannie's cleaning vinegar // I received this as a free gift from Thrive with an order a few months back and have fallen deeply in love with this stuff. Let me list the ingredients for you: Lemon Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil, Orange Oil, Peppermint Oil, Spearmint Oil, Sugar Surfactant, White Distilled Vinegar. Right? That's it. BUT IT WORKS SO WELL! Even sometimes still with my beloved Mrs Meyers, I get nervous with Luke using it and "helping". This stuff though- not a doubt in my mind. Spray away, friend. Help a mama out indeed!

molly suds laundry powder // By now I'm sure you're noticing a theme- I love products that have the most natural ingredients possible. AND WORK. This stuff really works. Ingredients- sodium carbonate sourced from the Green River Basin in Wyoming, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate (heptahydrate), unrefined sea salt, and organic peppermint (mentha piperita) oil. Boom.

artisana cashew butter // Our absolute favorite cashew butter around. So creamy!!

thrive market coconut aminos // They carry other brands, but we've tried each of them and this one is super yummy for the best price.

artisana coconut butter // Hands down the sweetest, creamiest coconut butter around.

dr. bronners organic virgin coconut oil // I just can't even with coconut oil. It is LITERALLY my favorite fat out there. I use this for facial and body things (think oils, sprays, cleansers), Luke's homemade toothpaste, hair stuff and food.

primal kitchen avocado oil // You know how much we love our avocado oil, right!? One of the better "neutral" flavored oils out there! It's great for dishes where you don't want to add any extra flavor, for example- homemade mayo or even a salad dressing! You wouldn't want to use olive oil in something like homemade mayo, because it would overpower the flavoring, and coconut oil would harden in the fridge, so avocado oil to the rescue!

thrive market ghee // Yes, they carry other, more reputable brands of ghee, but we've tried them all and this one is super tasty, cheaper, and also made from pasture raised cows.

himalania fine pink salt // Salt shouldn't be a bad guy- if you're using the right kinds. There's a lot out there that can be extremely beneficial to us, but we love this one for all of the natural minerals and vitamins it contains (like iron)!

coffeesock DIY nut milk filter bag // You guys know I love making my own nut and coconut milks. I always used a clean tea towel before, but thought, "Hey, why not try a nut milk bag?" Life changer!)

eden ume plum vinegar // This one might be new to you and you might be going, "What in the world is this?!" and let me just answer you by saying it's this amazingness in a bottle! It's fermented (!!) ume plums! A little tart and VERY salty, this vinegar adds just the right little umami flavor boost to any of your favorite dishes.

thrive market sunflower seed butter // I've tried a LOT of sunflower seed butters and although I am sad they don't carry SunButter brand, this is a close second! Make sure the ingredients are just sunflower seeds!

if you care parchment baking sheets // Pre-cut little helpful friends. Just pull a sheet out with grace and never have anything stick to your pan again.

chico bag snack time reusable pouches // Still with the theme of living as green as possible, we bought these in an attempt to cut out the plastic sandwich baggy usage. We were going through a lot! Great thing about these guys is you can fold it over once and hold a sandwich or fold it over a few times and use it as a little guy snack bag.

beef stick snack mates // I'm always looking for healthy ways I can quickly throw a snack in my diaper bag for when we're out and need a pick me up. These guys are so yummy and perfect for little hands (or mama and daddy hands too)! And seriously, they're made with both grass-fed AND grass-finished beef (meaning the cows have eaten ONLY grass, not finished with grain), honey (not sugar!!!) lemon peel, sea salt, lactic acid, celery juice powder (celery powder, sea salt), garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, ginger, black pepper, and in collagen casing. I mean- what?!

jackson's honest coconut oil sweet potato chips // Check these ingredients: Sweet potatoes, organic coconut oil, sea salt. Boom.

mamma chia chia squeeze pouches // For mama and baby!

hu cashew butter and pure vanilla bean dark chocolate // Words don't do this chocolate bar justice. It is (and I say this whole heartedly) literally my favorite chocolate bar in the entire world. AGH this is so good. Order 100 at a time, you'll thank me.

simple mills vanilla cupcake and cake mix // I literally just bought more for my upcoming birthday, so my husband can make my birthday cake easily! And duh, this is PALEO!!! The ingredient are: Almond Flour, Organic Coconut Sugar, Arrowroot Powder, Organic Coconut Flour, Baking Soda, Sea Salt. Clean as a whistle.

simple mills organic chocolate frosting // Also bought 2 of these for said birthday cake! Sure, this does have sugar but the rest of the ingredients are so clean! And made with coconut oil!

enjoy life dark chocolate morsels // These guys are some of the best chocolate chips around. Yes, they have sugar, but that's it! They're free of every known allergen otherwise!

So if this sounds amazing to you, you can sign up here and Thrive Market will give you 25% off your first order (and a free 30 day trial)!

"peanut" dressing...

2017-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Man guys, ever since going Paleo a year and a half ago, there are so many things I still find myself missing. Like cheese (sad face), mashed potatoes and peanuts. Oh my goodness did I love peanuts. Well, peanut butter to be exact. I ate that stuff in and on everything. Sweet or savory- didn't matter. Love, love, love peanuts! But as you know, they're a no go for those of us on a paleo diet. Not only that, but I found out after taking a food sensitivity test (different from a food allergy) that peanuts are a pretty big trigger! Yikes!

A year and some change into my drastic diet change (to further my Hashimoto's healing) and I have found a lot of really yummy substitutions for some of my favorite foods. I'm still working on the cheese thing, but this recipe is such a great mashed potato replacement! I've also found some things create an almost peanut butter like flavor- like sunflower seed butter! Alone, not so much, but when in certain recipes, I can almost pretend it's my beloved peanut butter.

Like this recipe. Man oh man do I love peanut dressing! I'm such a fan of asian flavors in general, but peanut sauce/dressing ranks up there. I loved it on salads and noodles and used as a dip for veggies and proteins (like chicken satay)! One day I thought I'd give it a go with sunflower seed butter and you know what? Totally worked! You've got to try this if you've got a peanut allergy or sensitivity, or can't consume peanuts for whatever reason! So yum!

"PEANUT" DRESSING

Makes about 1 cup
For printable recipe, click here

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (ingredients should be sunflower seeds only. I like Trader Joe's Sunflower Seed Spread, this brand and this brand)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
4-6 tablespoons filtered water to thin to your desired thickness
few pinches of salt to taste

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the water. Once thoroughly combined, add water a tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

2. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. Stir before using each time and add more water to thin out as needed.

2 ingredient homemade coconut milk...

2017-08-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

Boy do I have a fun money saving recipe for you today!

Ok, take a trip with me- close your eyes (well not really because you need to read this!) and imagine we're walking through our local health food store looking to buy some coconut milk. There are so many kinds out there! Canned, cartoned, full fat, low fat, some with stabilizers/gums, some without. What in the world do we do?! How do we choose!?

Well, you don't. I mean if you want to know the store bought answer, it's- full fat, canned coconut milk without anything more than coconut (and water) as the ingredient. Anything more is unnecessary and not as healthy as it could be. But hold on, because all those cans and cartons add up! Pricey stuff!

Think about it- 1 can of the cheapest coconut milk (without any stabilizers or gums) that I could find, is $1.99 for 13.5 ounces. Ok not so bad. But when you go through it like you would a quart or gallon of milk, because you're paleo or avoiding dairy for whatever reason, that adds up!

What if I told you, you could make your own coconut milk (just as good for you! without any stabilizers/gums!) just as easily?? And for a lot less money! Plus have fun?! Are you in?

This 2 ingredient (2 if you count filtered water!) coconut milk uses a bag of Trader Joe's frozen Just Coconut Chunks which will cost you about $2.69 for a 16 ounce bag. I got 2 rounds of this recipe with one bag. So thats about 7 cups of homemade, gum free, all natural, super clean coconut milk for $2.69. 7 cups of the canned version will run you around $8.25 if my math is correct.

This stuff is just as easy as making your own nut milks, but without the soaking. The soaking time is now defrosting time. But thats ok. Throw some into a bowl the night before, allow it to thaw, and in the morning you've got yourself some fresh homemade coconut milk for whatever your heart desires. I'm using this for things like smoothies, matcha lattes and homemade golden milk lattes. PLUS, we also get some finely shredded coconut out of this as well (in the form of that leftover coconut pulp). SO there's that we don't have to purchase either! Win.

2 INGREDIENT HOMEMADE COCONUT MILK

Makes about 3 1/2 cups (28 ounces)

For printable recipe, click here

2 cups frozen Trader Joe's Just Coconut Chunks, defrosted in a bowl in the fridge overnight
3 cups filtered water

1. Once your coconut chunks are fully thawed, place them and 3 cups of filtered water into a high speed blender. You can use less water if you'd like it creamier!

2. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, depending on the strength of your blender.

3. Strain milk through a nut milk bag into a bowl and make sure to really squeeze all of the coconut pulp extracting as much milk as possible! Don't have a nut milk bag? You can do this with a clean tea towel as well.

4. Pour into a pitcher and store in the fridge for up to 5 days! Stir or shake before using.

*Don't throw that coconut pulp away. Store in an air tight container in the fridge (or freezer for longer storage) and use as you would finely shredded unsweetened coconut in your recipes.

*You can also blend one pitted date and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract for extra flavor! Make sure if you add the date that you remember you now have SWEETENED finely shredded coconut.

Cheers!

our favorite mashed faux-tatoes...

2017-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Two words, friends: Faux Tatoes.

OOOooOooOoOOOOOOooooooooh myyyyyyygooooooooooooodnessssssssssssss!

When we discovered the amazingness that is, mashed cauliflower...our lives were forever changed. I'll admit, at first, it sounded quite unappealing to me. In fact, years ago my husband and I both despised the veggie! But let me assure you- it's absolutely the opposite now! We can't get enough of this mashed potato alternative.

I'm going to be honest with you- since going paleo a little over a year ago, I've missed mashed potatoes. Buttery, salty, fluffy mashed potatoes. My husband, who is 50% Norwegian (meaning about 75% of his diet consisted of white starchy potatoey yum yums) misses mashed potatoes even more! So when I saw people making the stuff I was quick to hop on that train. My poor husband...he was a tad slower to join us on the mashed cauliflower train to Delicious-Ville, but rest assured friends, he's there now! We love this side dish and make it once every week or two!

I've played around a whole bunch with this recipe, adding and subtracting this and that, and think I've finally found a version we just adore. So glad to finally have our very own version of mashed cauliflower (or what we call, faux-tatoes) for you all to enjoy!

OUR FAVORITE MASHED FAUX-TATOES

Serves 3-4

For a printable recipe, click here

7 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) organic cauliflower florets, washed and dried
1/2 of a medium onion, large chunks
2 tablespoons Artisana Raw Coconut Butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon canned full-fat coconut milk (can also use Trader Joe's brand)

1. Steam cauliflower and onion chunks over a pot of simmering water until cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 minutes. We use this steamer basket placed over a pot of about an inch or so of water. Do not submerge veggies in water, as that will make the finished product very loose and wet.

2. Once veggies are cooked, quickly add to a food processor and puree for about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down sides and puree again for about another 30 seconds.

3. Next add the coconut butter, coconut oil, salt, thyme and onion powder and puree until smooth. Finally add coconut milk (up to a tablespoon) until smooth and creamy.

Serve immediately. Tastes AMAZING served along side our easy veggie filled paleo meatballs. Veggies on veggies!

mango + spinach popsicles (toddlers love!)...

2017-08-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, in case you were wondering- that was me trying to photograph these popsicles on the hottest day we've had all summer. Insert rolling eye emoji here. What can you do?

Popsicles! Or "popsibles" as Luke calls them, are pretty much on our daily menu these days. Luke discovered all of a sudden that he loves popsicles, and literally asks me to have one for breakfast as soon as he wakes up, every day. SO instead of fighting the guy, I'd rather stock up our freezer full of yummy, homemade and nutrient dense treats and go ahead and let him have a breakfast popsicle. That's a thing right? Breakfast popsicles? I mean, it's basically (well no, totally is!) a smoothie, just frozen...so I'm thinking it's a sneaky mom win. Mom wins rock.

I do have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to popsibles for Luke though, bwahahaha. They're made with the best ingredients I can find AND with both whole fruit and veggies! Zing! The best part? Luke literally doesn't even care they're good for him because they friggin taste like ice cream.

So, I'm reading your ingredient list, Christina and why do I need full fat, grass-fed yogurt?

There's a few reasons! For one, it makes the popsicle super smooth and creamy. This is what gives it that sort of ice cream flavor. Also, little guys don't really need to worry about things like "low fat". They're moving around so much as it is, that all those extra calories are really good for their little bodies (and brains!) :) Also, grass-fed dairy includes loads of extra goodness in terms of vitamins and minerals from the way the cows are allowed to naturally graze pastures and grass AND makes sure the dairy your little guy is consuming is free from any antibiotics and unwanted stuff that may be pumped into or given to regular conventionally raised cows. Here is a great little read, if you're interested.

And I know raw dairy is so taboo right now and some are really afraid of it, but if you can get your hands on some full fat, grass-fed, RAW yogurt- even better!

Why do I need that collagen hydrolysate?

So, you don't. These popsicles will be totally fine without it BUT it will give your little ones A LOT of extra goodness in one popsicle. We love Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate because it dissolves in both hot and cold liquids and foods, but still gives us the amazing benefits of collagen: like a crazy good amount of protein as well as nutrients that improve hair and skin health, joint health, leaky gut and just gut health in general, teeth strengthening, liver health, and heart health. And this particular brand is kosher, gluten-free, paleo, grass-fed, low in fat, low in sodium, never with antibiotics/synthetic hormones, no sulfites or sulfur dioxides, pesticide free, AND preservative free. It's like drinking bone broth...but in a powder.

And why raw honey? Can't I just do regular honey?

Again, yes. You definitely can. Won't change the taste or texture of the popsicle. But again when we can add even more boosts of nutrients, why not? Now, I will say, if you are making these for a little guy under 1...don't add the RAW honey. Stick with maple syrup. Or omit altogether. But for little guys who can eat the ingredients listed, raw honey is such a great ingredient to have. According to Dr. Axe, raw honey, "contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infections, provide natural allergy relief and boost overall immunity. And a daily dose of raw honey raises levels of health-promoting antioxidants in the body." So, that's a win in my book.

Let's recap shall we? These puppies are:

1. Toddler Friendly.

2. Daddy friendly! Hahaha. My husband has been known to sneak a few of these.

3. Hides ALL the veggies! Your little one won't know what hit em.

4. A powerhouse of things that will help your little guy (or gal) grow big and strong!

#momwinsagain

MANGO + SPINACH POPSICLES (TODDLERS LOVE!)

Makes about 9 popsicles, depending on your popsicle maker
For a printable recipe, click here

1 1/2 cups full fat plain unsweetened grass-fed yogurt
1 fresh mango, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup frozen spinach
*optional, but preferred*1 tablespoon Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate
1 tablespoon raw honey

1. Add everything to a high speed blender and blend until it's all completely pureed and smooth, about 45-50 seconds on high.

2. Carefully pour mixture into your favorite popsicle maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. We love THIS one, and have used it for YEARS without a bump in the road ;)

Enjoy as a guilt free, nutrient dense, treat!

our favorite immersion blender mayonnaise...

2017-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

What in the world is an immersion blender? Well, simply put, it's this:

But to give you a more in depth explanation, it's a blender...that's in stick form. Haha. That's why it's also known as a "stick blender" hahaha! Why would you want one of these versus a stand up blender? Well, first of all, it wouldn't be instead of...you would use this along side. Because these two blenders are good for different things. For example, this mayo. This mayo could be done in a blender, but it's going to be a lot harder to make sure everything emulsifies (comes together and gets thick) when you're relying on slowing drizzling in the oil yourself, while the blender is going. This immersion/stick blender on the other hand, makes it perfectly 100% of the time.

Why else would you want one? Well an immersion blender is GREAT and most widely known for blending things in their original containers. i.e.- you've made a huge pot of soup and need to now make it pureed soup. Instead of ladling a spoon at a time of hot scorching soup into your blender and hoping it doesn't explode out of the top, you'd simply stick your immersion blender IN TO THE HOT SOUP POT and blend away. See what I'm saying? I've also warmed up a small pot of cooked black beans and then added a little chicken stock to that pot and immersion blended it up to make black "refried beans"! It's also great for making matcha lattes in the pot and frothing it up! Basically I use my blender for smoothies and I use my immersion blender for this mayo, sauces, soups and anything I don't want to go dirtying up my kitchen counter blender for.

Ok, got that... but wait, I'm reading the recipe and it calls for a raw egg!?

Yep. Definitely does. To be 100% honest with you, I've been eating raw egg in the form of cookie dough, cake batter, homemade mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce for YEARS and I've never had an issue. Ever. My toddler son eats this mayo almost everyday on his sandwiches and he's never had an issue. My friend Carrie even adds raw pasture raised eggs to her smoothies! Raw eggs aren't something to be afraid of! (Here's the catch...) IF THEY ARE PASTURE RAISED. I don't know about all those other eggs out there, but what I do know is pasture-raised eggs (and chickens) are just treated, watched, and cared for SO MUCH better. They're allowed to go about doing their natural chicken things, like picking at grass and dirt and stuff...they're never fed horrible antibiotics or whatever the heck else they give those other poor chickens that plumps them up and stuff. They're allowed to be happy, frolicking chickens. And that passes down to their eggs. Happy, clean, cared for chickens produce happy, cared for, clean eggs. (Not to mention how much more nutrient dense pasture raised eggs are! So many more omegas and such. I dare you to buy a carton of pasture raised eggs and crack them open next to a regular egg! Just notice the difference in yolk color. That there guys, that's proof that we should all be buying pasture raised eggs solely.)

I digress.

So yes, you need to use a raw egg. If that's a killer for you, then forego this recipe. But I promise homemade (raw pasture raised egg) mayo will be some of the tastiest and nutrient dense mayo you'll ever eat. And this mayo- our favorite recipe? It tops even that.

OUR FAVORITE IMMERSION BLENDER MAYONNAISE

Makes about 16oz (but can easily be doubled)

For printable recipe, click here

1 raw, large, pasture raised egg
1 cup avocado oil (or any other neutral flavored oil)
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well too!)

In a large measuring cup (2-4 cup glass pyrex measuring cup) or large glass mason jar (2-4 cup capacity), add your raw pasture raised egg.
Next, carefully pour the avocado oil over the egg and top that with the salt, paprika, onion powder and vinegar.
Using your immersion (stick) blender, stick the blender part all the way down so that it is touching the bottom of your jar. Turn it on and do not lift blender up. Allow to blend until it becomes VERY thick.
Once thick, slowly (and I mean slowly) drag your immersion blender straight up, while it's continuing to blend. It should start to suck down any remaining oil that is on the top.
At this point you can move the blender around more freely. Continue bringing the blender up and down until all the oil and spices have been blended up! It should be extremely thick and creamy!
Close with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for about 10 days.

super quick + creamy cashew milk/creamer...

2017-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I feel like I just life hacked guys. Like, the world didn't want us to know about this recipe, but then by some weird series of events, I found the hidden secret. And I can't wait to share it with you!

Tell me I'm not the only one- it's the morning and you're going to make your breakfast smoothie and/or cup of coffee/matcha and low and behold- you're all out of your favorite dairy free milk. No? Just me? I mean it, there are few things worse then trying to groggily make some breakfast and wake up fuel with a demanding toddler, and you're out of your milk. It's like, who can seriously adult until they've adequately woken up with their favorite caffeinated (or decaffeinated) beverage and proper breakfast? Not I.

ANYWAY, this dilemma has happened to me, MANY a time. I guess the better lesson learned should be- go grocery shopping a bit more frequently, Christina. So one day I was sitting at the dinner table eating with my husband and son, sort of drifting off into LaLa Land as they were doing their nightly, "Daddy, tell Lukey a joke!" when it hit me! Whenever I make cashew milk, I'm soaking them for hours (up to overnight) and then blending...but what if we skipped the whole soaking for hours phase and used already soaked and blended up CASHEW BUTTER? Would that work??

Right?!!??! RIGHT?!?!?! I couldn't even stand the thought of not trying it out right then and there. AND IT SO WORKED! We mamas don't always have it together and trying to remember to soak our cashews the night before we need to make more milk, well...that sort of preparation gets lost. At least it does with me.

So I am beyond thrilled to know that I can now make a small batch of cashew milk for the day (or morning) in a pinch this way! I wouldn't go making cashew milk this way solely, because raw cashew butter is a bit pricy. BUT if in a pinch, you've forgotten to soak your nuts and are out, this works wonders and is so yummy! This also makes a mean jar of homemade cashew coffee or tea creamer! Because it's so incredibly creamy and subtly sweet from the natural sweetness of the cashews, it really brings your hot beverages to the next level. I WOULD indeed make it this way solely for that purpose and always have a small jar or so in the fridge for this very thing.

If you like things a tad on the sweet side, try it with some raw honey! Want it vanilla bean flavored? Add some good quality extract. You do you friend. But as for me, I loved the amount of sweetness it gave naturally and am seriously going to keep a jar in the fridge at all times now so that I can add a creamer to all my coffees and teas!

SUPER QUICK + CREAMY CASHEW MILK/CREAMER

Makes 8oz, but can EASILY be doubled to make 16oz

For printable recipe, click here

1/4 cup Artisana Raw Cashew Butter
1 cup filtered water

Optional: 1 teaspoon raw honey or 1/4 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

1. This couldn't be easier to make guys. You're going to get a blender and add the cashew butter and water to it (and honey, vanilla if using) and blend on high speed for about 30 seconds. Boom, you're done. Shake or stir well before using.

*Note: I can only vouch for Artisana RAW Cashew Butter working. I know other stores sell toasted/roasted cashew butters and I would stray from those. Try and find a RAW butter and get Artisana if possible. The ingredients in this butter is literally: cashews. No salt, no added oils, nadda.

easy veggie filled paleo meatballs...

2017-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Guys! Oh my gosh I have been dying to share this recipe with youuuuuuuu!!!

I wanted to make sure it was just perfect though, so I made sure to cook it a few more times and then even test it on some friends the other night, when we went over for a din din date. Spoiler alert: It Passed.

I kid not when I say that we eat these hidden veggie filled paleo meatballs once a week. NO JOKE. Sometimes I switch it up and use ground chicken, pork or turkey (or a combo of one or the other), but mostly we eat these bad boys with our beloved grass fed beef, served with a side of faux-tatoes (cauliflower mashed up into a paleo friendly, mashed potato substitute) and maybe a small salad. #alltheveggies

I love love love making these because 1. THEY'RE SO EASY!!!!! 2. I can whip them up any night- which is especially great for those days we're running behind dinner-wise OR I just don't feel like cooking. And 3. IT HIDES ALL THE VEGGIES AND LUKE GOBBLES THEM UP! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Mom win to the max. Plus to be honest, the veggies give the meatballs a moistness like no other (no dry meatballs here).

Some tips! You can make these the day of for sure! But you can also make, scoop, and freeze! Then just remove however many you need and bake away (baking time will of course increase). I use a 2 1/4" cookie/ice cream scoop (2 oz scoop) to make my meatballs which makes sure they're uniform in size AND negates the need for me to use my hands! Because we all know, having raw meat hands when your toddler gets an owie or runs into the kitchen "needing you right now" is a terrible mix.

EASY VEGGIE FILLED PALEO MEATBALLS

Makes about 24 meatballs, if using the 2oz scoop

For printable recipe, click here

1.75 pounds grass fed ground beef
2 medium carrots, washed, ends trimmed, peeled and chopped into thirds
2 medium zucchini, washed, ends trimmed and chopped into thirds
1/4 large (or 1/2 of a medium) onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon paleo friendly Italian seasoning (If you don't have, just increase the dried basil to 3 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 pasture raised eggs, whisked well
3/4 cup fine almond flour (or cashew flour)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. To a large bowl, add your ground beef. Set aside.

3. To a food processor, add your carrots, zucchini and onion and pulse until everything is combined and finely grated. Pour finely grated veggies into a clean tea towel or fine mesh sieve and squeeze/press until some of the juices have come out. You don't need to go crazy here- you're wanting some of that moisture to remain so your meatballs stay moist, but you don't need all of it. Add veggie mix to the ground beef.

4. Next, add the basil, Italian seasoning, salt and eggs to the beef bowl and mix everything together with your hands.

5. Finally, add the almond (or cashew) flour and mix until combined well.

6. With the 2 oz (2 1/4") scoop, scoop meatballs and place onto sheet pan. They can be really close together as they will shrink a little while baking.

7. Bake in the center of your oven for about 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through and browned on top.

Serve and enjoy!

paleo mixed berry crumble...

2017-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Crumble? Crisp? Can someone please tell me what the difference is? #toolazytolookitup

I'm pretty sure this falls under the "crumble" category because I'm assuming it refers to the way the topping sort of crumbles onto the filling? Am I even close? Aggg let me just look it up. BRB...

. . .

AHA! "Crisps" contain oats and "crumbles" do not! So yay, this is definitely a "crumble". But woah was I way off on why. Pays to look it up and figure stuff out.

Whatever you want to call this, make sure you don't refer to it as a "cobbler", because then you're talking about a fruit filling topped with a sort of biscuit dough. Did I lose you yet? Because I'm like holding on by a thread. Sheesh, so complicated! Let's just call it "fruity goodness", shall we?

This CRUMBLE is summer in a dish and pretty perfect for your 4th of July celebration tomorrow! It can be made the day before and stored in the fridge overnight. Just gently reheat before serving. It's got a plethora of summery fruits like strawberries, blueberries and my favorite- cherries. The filling is just barely kissed with a little sweetness and then topped with the yummiest almond meal/pulp crumble topping. I love this dish because its such a great way to use up all that leftover almond pulp you've got stashed in your freezer from all the homemade almond milk you've been making!

Right????

Bueller?. . . . . . . . .

PALEO MIXED BERRY CRUMBLE

Serves 6

For printable recipe, click here

For the filling:

1 (10oz) bag frozen organic strawberries, defrosted
1 (10oz) bag frozen organic blueberries, defrosted
1 (10oz) bag frozen organic dark sweet cherries, defrosted
1/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:

1 cup almond meal (or pulp from homemade almond milk)
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup raw nuts (we like walnuts or pecans), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Open all the bags of defrosted fruit, and pour into a colander set over a large bowl. Drain all of the defrosted fruit into that bowl. Remove 1/4 cup of the liquid and add the berries back into the remaining juice in the large bowl.

3. To the bowl with fruit and juice, add the coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, arrowroot, vanilla and cinnamon. Gently stir until the arrowroot is completely dissolved.

4. Pour mixture into a 9-10" ceramic pie dish and set aside.

5. Wipe bowl and to it add all of the topping ingredients EXCEPT the coconut sugar. Mix until completely combined.

6. Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit mixture, so that it forms a nice even layer.

7. Finally, sprinkle the coconut sugar over the crumb topping.

8. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet (in case it bubbles over) and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and top is browned.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Crumble will thicken up as it cools.

Recipe adapted from Practical Paleo, 2nd Edition by Diane Sanfilippo

cherry + lime kombucha spritzer...

2017-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Guys, I think I might have struck gold with this drink. I can't even right now.

Like... CAN'T. EVEN.

This spritzer is so darn good that I literally crave it every single day! And it couldn't be simpler- take like three ingredients, blend it together and in a matter of like, 2 minutes you're taken straight to Flavor Town. Is that term trademarked by Guy Fieri yet? I sure hope not. SORRY GUY!

This is so light, so refreshing and so gooooooood I might cry. Cry happy tears of kombucha and cherry happiness. AGGGG it's literally all of my favorite things in a cup! Cherries (YUM O!!), kombucha ( I LOVE YOU KOMBUCHA. I CAN'T QUIT YOU KOMBUCHA! Oh and also- #guthealth #probiotics and #hashtagsdontworkonblogs) and limes! Because, limes are life.

Make this nowsies please. Then find me and tell me you made it so we can hug and ugly cry together. And then we'll make more of this and sit and giggle together at how wonderful life is. K? K.

CHERRY + LIME KOMBUCHA SPRITZER

Serves 1

For printable recipe, click here

1 cup homemade (or your favorite store-bought) kombucha
1/2 cup frozen dark sweet cherries
juice of 1/2 of a fresh lime

1. To a high speed blender, add all of your ingredients. Blend until smooth and enjoy!