Category: Health

Tattoo After Care Lotion and ….

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Tattoo After care lotion

TATTOO After Care Lotion Recipe and a small lesson on how to whip Shea butter.

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Most of my recipes come from life and what my family is experiencing. I’ve been working lately on perfecting lotion – for the face and the body. I have found that any time you use heat to melt down ingredients they don’t perform the way you want them to once cooled. I like using the same method of creaming butter in baking. This uses the heat created by mixer to lightly soften the ingredient and also add air to make it fluffy.

Here’s what you need to get your lotions and creams light, fluffy, yummy.

1. Kitchen Tools: I have two kitchen gadgets that I like to use for this process. The first is of course my 15 year old Kitchen Aid mixer. I also prefer the paddle attachment for creaming. The other tool is a Kitchen Aid handheld immersion blender (mine has three different attachment heads).

2. Ice packs. Yep, I said ice packs. With larger batches of body butter, you need to actually keep the temperature of the Shea butter and other oils from melting too much. I have one that I bought with Velcro and straps -pretty sure it was originally purchased for my broken elbow. It wraps around my Kitchen Aid bowl perfectly. Comes off easy too.

3. Patience. Lots of patience. I love to bake. Baking takes patience as well. I remember the first time I tried to cream butter. That dessert did not come out well because I stopped the creaming process too early. So be prepared to whip, cream, and mix your concoction for at least 10 minutes if not more.

4. Order of ingredients matters. A Lot! Cream and beat the base butter (usually Shea) until it looks like frosting. Then slowly add your other base oils, like grape seed or jojoba. If you do this too soon, you will have lumpy lotions.

5. Lotions. These require a different mix of ingredients and proportions of liquids. Think of lotions as salad dressing that we put on our bodies- you don’t want the dressing that has the oils and vinegars separated, believe me. You have to emulsify the ingredients in order for the oils bases to not separate from the water based ingredients. So whipping the ingredients is very important. All the ingredients also need to be the same temperature.

 

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Things I Love…

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Things I Love Title2

Being happy is so very important for your health — mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is an essential element in making a difference around you. 

So, I have decided to document the “Things I Love”. I am certain that once these are identified your happiness will literally fall into your lap, soul and heart.

I started by observing those things in my home which make me smile. I share these with you now in hopes that they will inspire you to also find those “Things You Love.”

Things I love collage

My striped cat, Maximus. Peace hearts. Cacti from Arizona to remind me of my family living there. Starfish! Glass door knobs. And, beautiful indoor nature.

Things I love 4

Simple glass jars catching the sunlight. My kids, especially the Middle Green Boy’s smile. Coffee and all forms of said caffeine. Seahorses and shades of blue.

Things I love 3

Hobbes, a fluffy furball that loves to sing the song of his people at 4am. My new front door wreath made of coffee filters. Me! It has taken me years to find a true love for myself. I can honestly say that I am happy with who I am and what my future holds. Family photos on the wall in DIY frames. Seashells collected on each and every beach we visit. Chester, our old man pug.

Take time to embrace those around you and find the “Things You Love”. I did and it is amazing.

Please comment below on the “Things You Love”. Feel free to post links to your own blog as you take time to document “Things I Love”.

Kefir Water… Kefir, What?

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Kefir water

I am officially on the Kefir Water bandwagon. It’s not a bad wagon to be on…actually quite beneficial. It took me about a year to jump on. This delay mostly stemmed from a bad experience with sea monkeys as a kid. I was not very good a raising sea monkeys and thought that this may transfer over to the Kefir grains. Plus, I was also worried about the time involved in culturing Kefir.

To date <about 3 months in>, I am happy with the lack of time it takes to make Kefir Water and that I haven’t lost a single Kefir grain yet. Plus, my boys love it and I can personally attest to it helping me post stomach flu.

I used Cultures for Health for most of my information and followed their steps to fermenting the Kefir grains and suggestions for juice additions. Their FAQ on Kefir Water was super helpful for me to determine if this was right for my family and my time. I also used Pinterest to gather recipes and informational sites to research on Kefir Water. Click here for my Kefir-Licious Pinterest Board.

So, here is my list of Do’s, Don’ts, and Why’s of Kefir Water.

DO’s

1. Find a friend, or friend of a friend, to get your Kefir Grains. Much easier. Less costly. And, you may meet a new person.

Kefir Grains.

Kefir Grains.

2. Spend the extra money on good organic juice for the Kefir Water. The grains will appreciate it. Your taste buds will too.

3. Invest in cool bottles. Makes it more fun. They are also pleasing to the eye, since they will be on your counter.

4. Burp your bottles during the second fermentation. Seriously, about three times a day.

5. Get into a routine about when you make your Kefir Water. I spend about 10-15 minutes every other day.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t forget to burp your bottles. They will explode. You will keep finding glass shards months later in the most unusual places. Trust me.

2. Don’t tell your kids too much about the Kefir Water. They will look at you like you have two heads and are seriously crazy. Just make them drink it.

3. Rush it. Fermentation takes time.

fermenting kefir grains

WHY’s

1. Probiotics.

“Bacteria

Species Lactobacillus
L. brevis
L. casei
L. hilgardii
L. hordei
L. nagelii

Species Leuconostoc
L. citreum
L. mesenteroides

Species Acetobacter
A. fabarum
A. orientalis

Species Streptococcus
S. lactis

Yeasts

Hanseniaospora valbyensis
Lachancea fermentati
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Zygotorulaspora florentina

(Source: http://biologiageral.com.sapo.pt/Ficheiros/Gulitz.pdf (referenced May 2013))”

2. Healthier gut.

3. Less food allergies.

4. Improved immune system.

5. Gluten Free and Dairy Free.

6. Kefir grains are good for dog and cat digestion, too. My pug gets my extra Kefir grains. His old gut needs the boost and help. Definitely less stinky gas from him and that is a very good thing. The cats could really care less, but sometimes they surprise me by eating them.

Top Left: Some of my Kefir equipment. Top Right: Ingredients and equipment. Bottom Left: Dissolving raw sugar in heated water. Bottom Right: Straining the Kefir water to remove the Kefir grains.

Top Left: Some of my Kefir equipment. Top Right: Ingredients and equipment. Bottom Left: Dissolving raw sugar in heated water. Bottom Right: Straining the Kefir water to remove the Kefir grains.

Here is my method and favorite juice additions.

1. Heat dechlorinated water to just under boiling. Add 1/2 cup hot water and 1/4 cup raw, organic sugar to a 1 quart Mason jar. Dissolve sugar.

2. Add dechlorinated water to Mason jar. Fill it to just under the threaded top part of the jar.

3. Add 3 tablespoons active, hydrated Kefir grains.

4. Cover with an unbleached paper coffee filter and screw on just the lid portion of the Mason jar.

5. Leave on counter for 24-30 hours for first fermentation.

After first fermentation,

6. Strain Kefir grains from water. Save grains to start next batch of Kefir water.

7. Add 1/2 cup of organic juice to bottle.

8. Pour in strained Kefir water.

9. Close bottle and let mixture ferment for a second time at least 24 hours on the counter top.

After second fermentation,

10. Enjoy your flavored Kefir water.

or, 11. Place in fridge for enjoyment another time.

Favorite Additions:

Pomegranate Juice (This is the clear favorite right now. Very bubbly. Great tart taste.)

Fresh Orange Juice

Lemon Juice

Grape Juice

Tart Cherry Juice

*I found that strong juice flavors work best for my kids and family.

 

 

Go To Breakfast: Egg Muffins

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Mornings are not the best time of day in my house. Getting three boys up and out of bed by 6:20 a.m. is no easy feat. And, it’s not just them. I can be grumpy and am known to hit snooze too many times.

See. This is what I have to deal with Monday through Friday. Cuteness. But, waking up the youngest Green boy is like poking a bear during hibernation. He should come with a warning sign.

See. This is what I have to deal with Monday through Friday. Cuteness. But, waking up the youngest Green boy is like poking a bear during hibernation. He should come with a warning sign.

But, mostly it is them… excuse my #mom0f3boys rant <deep breath in> They eat a ton of food. I mean lots. I have friends with girls and my grocery budget is about triple theirs. I am also certain that they have hollow legs that must be filled with food before it even begins to affect their stomachs. Don’t even get me started on 11 year old boys. Ravenous pit monsters when it comes to eating. <and, exhale>

To make the most of the rushed mornings, I have taken my favorite breakfast food — EGGS— and made them into easy to grab, three-bite, filling, protein-packed sanity. Hence, my hybrid Egg Muffin Cups recipe. 

Spinach and ham egg muffins with 1/2 an avocado. A great breakfast.

Spinach and ham egg muffins with 1/2 an avocado. A great breakfast.

This recipe is a great one because it can be altered easily depending upon leftovers and picky eaters. Treat them like mini-omelettes. Make them vegetarian. Make them a meat-lover’s dream. Then store them in the fridge for a week and grab one on rushed mornings, on the way to the box, as a midday snack, or to fill up the bellies legs of hungry boys.

egg muffins collage

Remember that protein and vegetables are what kids and adults need in the morning to jump start their brains, metabolism, and body systems. These Egg Muffin Cups are the perfect solution.

Use the recipe below, but be creative when it comes to the ingredients… Our favorite additions are kale, onions, bacon/sausage, and gouda cheese.

egg muffin cups recipe

What do garlic and sunshine have in common?

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How are you preventing the flu and other common colds & viruses this season?

I know what I am doing… and it does not include any flu vaccinations. The one and only time I got the flu vaccine was my first year as a public school teacher. And guess what? Yep, I got the flu. Have I mentioned that I do not like to puke –at any cost. So, suffering through the flu after getting the vaccine was not cool.

The flu vaccine from 2012 only prevented strains from Influenza Type A & B. This only represents a small number of circulating viruses – about 10%. I am not a statistics major by any means but this low percentage doesn’t add up for me. With this low percentage, there is not a huge value to the public. It does not greatly impact the number of people hospitalized by the flu or lower the number of work days lost to the flu. Just research the adverse effects of the Tamiflu.  Dr. Mercola states, “However, some patients with influenza are at increased risk for secondary bacterial infections when on Tamiflu, which of course would defeat the plan of being able to jump out of bed a day sooner. Furthermore, adverse events reported include pediatric deaths, serious skin reactions, and neuropsychiatric events, including suicide committed while delirious…” Yikes! The most important lesson here is to do your research and carefully weight the risks and benefits from any vaccination or medication.

After weighing the risks and benefits for my family and I, clean eating and essential vitamins/minerals are the way we will avoid the flu and other colds this year.

Here are some easy things you can do at home to avoid the flu:

  1. GARLIC. Yes, garlic! Several compounds in garlic are known to kill many organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. Taking garlic daily for 3 months will seriously reduce the number of colds and shorten the duration of any colds you may end up experiencing. Check out this recipe for a garlic clove soup guaranteed to knock out any viruses or bacteria in your body
  2. Cut back on grains and sugar. Both of these will cause systemic inflammation in your body and lower your immune response. Bad bacteria feed on sugar, too. Replace these with fresh vegetables and fruits! These contain vital nutrients to have your body working at 100%.
  3. Get more sleep. 7-8 hours every night! Lack of sleep will also adversely affect your immune system. Maybe the universe is smarter than us… more hours of dark = more hours to sleep, hmmm?
  4. Get more exercise. I can personally attest to this fact. Staying active with 3 boys and CrossFitting on a regular basis keep me energized and healthy.
  5. Lessen emotional stress. This is the hardest for most with the Holiday season quickly approaching next week. But, saying “No” is freeing and allows you to lower this stress. Make it a point to surround yourself with those that truly appreciate your mind, gifts, and talents. Oh, and LOVE more. Oxytocin, the love hormone, is great for releasing emotional stress. It is also contagious, so spread the love and oxytocin.
  6. Drink more WATER! Good, pure water. Not water made into tea or coffee. Drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces every day. Sounds like a bunch, but you will notice a difference in toxin release, energy, and skin appearance.
  7. Vitamin D3. New research comes out almost daily about the value of Vitamin D in our health. As these nights grow longer and our chance to get good sun exposure disappears during Winter, it is important that we keep our levels up.  Vitamin D is an antimicrobial agent. It helps produce up to 300 antimicrobial peptides in your body that can help kill off bacteria, viruses, and fungi. If there is a sunny, cloudless day and you can expose large portions of your body, DO IT! The real stuff is the best. The real stuff comes from the sun. If this is not an option, you should seriously consider supplementing. Most adults can safely take up to 8,000 IUs per day of Vitamin D3. Children can safely take up to 35 IUs per pound of body weight per day. Supplementation of Vitamin D3 means that you need to also supplement Vitamin K2. This vitamin is necessary to help process the Vitamin D and create healthy bones and heart. For every 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D3, you should take 100 micrograms of Vitamin K2. We are all individuals and our levels will be different. If you are unsure of your Vitamin D levels, you can submit to a blood test to determine these levels. Ask your care provider or order a Vitamin D testing kit online.
  8. Get adjusted! Chiropractic care is important to the central nervous system health. Chiropractors are experts in realigning the bones in your vertebral column to reduce any spinal nerve interruption. These misalignments are called subluxations. Healthy spine equates to a healthy body. If you are local, make an appointment to see the hubby at Atlantic Coast Chiropractic. If you are not local, visit his website at http://www.vbchiro.com for articles and more information on how Chiropractic can help you and your family.

Stay Healthy this Winter!

Even old pugs know the value of Vitamin D uptake!!

Even old pugs know the value of Vitamin D uptake!!