Category: Recipes

  • Strawberry Basil Shrub Recipe

    Strawberry Basil Shrub Recipe

    Warmer weather is coming. We are shifting from the heavy comforting flavors and textures of winter staples. The arrival of spring flowers makes us crave all things fresh, crisp and sweet. A Shrub is Colonial-era drink thats easy to make and even easier to fall in love with.

    The term “shrub” is comes from the Arabic word sharāb meaning “to drink”. The drink has been around for centuries to refresh and quench the thirst of warmer days. It’s simple to make. Mash fruit and sugar, then preserve in vinegar as a syrup. Add to sparkling water or use it instead of simple syrup in your favorite cocktail.

    Vinegar is a known preservative, but also as a cooling drink when diluted. Raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar is rich in enzymes and helps balance pH.

    Our version features honey instead of sugar. We used Strawberries and one of our favorite herbs which is, of course, basil.

    Ingredients:

    1 cup organic strawberries

    1 bunch of basil chopped

    1/2 cup honey

    3/4 cup cider vinegar

    1/2 cup water

    In a glass or plastic container with a lid, combine berries and honey. Add vinegar and water and stir gently until honey is dissolved and berries have begun to release juices, being careful not to mash berries. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week.

     

     

     

  • Natural Scar Treatments

    Natural Scar Treatments

    We all end up with scars. And while we like to honor life’s journey in these bodies, most of us would prefer to minimize their appearance.

    There are some simple and luxurious ways to treat scras without chemicals. The first recipe is for scars from cuts and scrapes, strecth marks, and incisions.

    All-purpose scar oil

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup of your favorite carrier oil (tamanu oil, oilve oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, etc.)
    • 20 drops lavendar essential oil
    • 10 drops rosemary essential oil

    Mix all ingredients and keep in a glass jar (preferably dark glass) and store in a cool, dark place.

    All-natural remedies for scars

    Lavendar is a great go-to oil for any skin issue. Inanition to helping heal scars, it treats acne, burns of all kinds, and bug bites. Rosemary can help skin cells regenerate, which will shrink scar tissue. Helichrysum fights inflammation, heals wounds, and soothes skin.

    Tamanu oil is excellent for healing scars. It has been used traditionally by indigenous people in Polynesia for its tremendous healing properties. It increases healthy cell growth and acts as an anti-inflammatory.

    Easy face mask for acne scars

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons honey
    • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 3 teaspoons plain yogurt
    • 1 egg white

    Combine with whisk or fork in a small bowl. This mixture will be liquid, so soak a soft wash cloth in the fluid
    and lay it over your face for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water afterwards.

  • Recipe: Date ‘Caramel’ Dip

    Recipe: Date ‘Caramel’ Dip

    This might sound weird, but this stuff tastes like the real deal. It doesn’t keep for long, but once you taste it, it won’t last! You will not miss sugary caramel once you try this.

    Makes about 1 cup

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 cup almond milk, plus extra for desired texture
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

    Directions

    Soak the dates in filtered water 2 to 3 hours, until soft.

    Combine all of the ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy, adding extra almond milk if necessary to facilitate blending.

    Taste as you go. Adjust with salt and lemon if needed. Chill before serving.

    Serve with sliced fruit, or thin with water to drizzle over baked goods, oatmeal, cereal, etc.

  • Recipe: Cranberry Almond Biscotti

    Recipe: Cranberry Almond Biscotti

    This recipe is simple to throw togetherm and you likely have lost of the ingredients on hand already. Experiment with different types of flour. We use organic all-purpose or Jovial Einkorn flour, but this recipe works well with others.

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 3/4cup raw cane sugar
    • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 2 free-range eggs
    • 1 3/4cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 1 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
    • 1 1/2 cup raw almonds

    Step 1: Preheat oven to 300°

    Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs.

    Step 3: Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture

    Step 4: Roughly chop the nuts, then add by hand with the cranberries.

    Step 5: Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12×2 inches) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

    Step 6: Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.

    Step 7: Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275°.

    Step 8: Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until dry. Cool.

    Dunk in coffee, or gift to only the most special friends!

  • Recipe: Slow Cooker Bone Broth

    Recipe: Slow Cooker Bone Broth

    Bone broth is a mineral-rich infusion made by boiling bones with vegetables, herbs, and species. Every good chef knows that a good stock is the basis of great recipes, but it is also a powerful health tonic that you can easily add to your family’s diet. Don’t stress about measurements. Just chop and load your slow cooker, and let it do the work for you!

    Ingredients

    • 2 Whole Chicken Carcasses
    • 1 tbsp. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (per pound of bones)
    • Onions
    • Garlic
    • Carrots (unpeeled)
    • Celery (including leafy tops)
    • Whole Peppercorns
    • Fresh Parsley
    • Fresh Thyme
    • Bay Leaf

    Step 1: Roughly chop the celery and carrots into 1–2 inch pieces. Leave the nutritious peels on the carrots and leafy ends on the celery.

    Step 2: Roughly cut the onion. Leave the skin on. It has valuable nutrients. Plus, the skin adds rich color to the broth.

    Step 3: Cut the entire garlic head in half crosswise. As with the onion, leave the peel on, because it has health-boosting nutrients.

    Step 4: Add all the ingredients to th slow cooker. A full batch of this recipe requires a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Add enough water to immerse everything – approximately 2–2.5 quarts of water for a full batch.

    Step 5: Cover and cook on low overnight or up to 24 hours.

    Step 6: Strain into storage container, skim fat off top once cooled.