Coconut Oil

Hey all,
Sorry I have been MIA this past week. My little one hasn't been feeling too great so she has been taking up most of my time. I wanted to write a little something since its been a while since my last post. I still need to post about the homemade rice and oat infant cereal, so Rachel if you are reading this, please know that I haven't forgotten!
Ok, so something that I use almost every day is coconut oil. I use the Better Body Foods Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Here is a photo of the coconut oil I use

One thing that I love about coconut oil is that it is SO versatile. I am still fairly new to using it, but I like to look up new things to use it for. Here are a few things I've used it for so far:

• Homemade toothpaste
• Diaper Cream
• Deodorant
• Shaving cream
• Carrier oil for essential oils
• Oil pulling
• Butter substitute in baking 
• Use in place of olive oil
• Face moisturizer
• Condition ends of hair
• Add to smoothies to get in healthy fats

 If you would like instructions on how to use coconut oil for any of these uses, I would be happy to post a blog about it. Just let me know what interests you and I will give you the information.

Here is a list of different uses for coconut oil that I have not yet tried, but plan on trying soon.

• Fat burning aid
• Hand cream
• Stretch mark remover
• Thyroid function support and immunity booster
• Add to dogs water to freshen breath
• Sunscreen

Like I mentioned before, if you are interested in anything from the top list, don't hesitate to let me know. I am always needing new ideas for a blog post, since after all, I am doing this for you all. Thanks for reading. :)

Peppermint Oil for Headaches and Allergies

Did you know that you can help relieve headaches and allergy symptoms with pure essential oils? I don't suffer from headaches very often, but when I do get them, I am not one to reach for the tylenol or advil. I used to just wait it out and bare the pain, but then I got into using essential oils and found that peppermint oil is an awesome home remedy for headaches.

Simply take a few drops of peppermint oil, and blend it with a small amount of a carrier oil such as, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, etc, and rub on your entire forehead, temples, behind the ears and behind the neck. The coolness of the peppermint will take the edge off of your headache. Reapply as needed until the headache is gone.

Peppermint oil is also good for allergies. Simply take a few drops with your carrier oil, and rub along the bridge of your nose. You will notice almost immediately that your sinuses open up. I also like to take a few drops of peppermint oil, lemon oil, and lavender oil mixed with a carrier oil and rub the mixture on the soles of my feet and all over my chest and neck for added allergy relief.

Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs

Tonight I tried a new recipe. I have been hearing a lot about Spaghetti Squash and how healthy it is and how good it tastes. Since I am trying to minimize my intake of refined carbs I decided that Spaghetti Squash would be a good way to have a nice "pasta" dinner without the guilt.

Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs

- One 3 pound Spaghetti Squash

-1 pound of ground turkey

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley

-1/2 cup of finely shredded parmesan cheese

-1 1/4 teaspoons of Italian seasoning

-1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

-1/2 teaspoon of salt 

-1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper

-4 large cloves of garlic, minced

-One 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Cut spaghetti squash in half, length wise and remove seeds.

Place face down in a pyrex dish and put in oven for about 45 minutes.

While waiting for spaghetti squash to soften, combine half of the parmesan cheese, half of the parsley, half of the italian seasoning, all of the onion powder, and all of the pepper into a bowl. 

 

Here I chopped 1/2 cup of fresh parsley

Seasonings and cheese, ready to mix with ground turkey

Mix in the ground turkey just until combined. Do not over mix. Roll out the meat mixture into 12 meatballs and set aside. 

Once the spaghetti squash has softened, removed from the oven and turn it over.  Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and scrape the flesh of the spaghetti squash into the skillet. Stir occasionally until the moisture evaporates and the squash begins to brown. This will take about 5-10 minutes. Add in the other half of the parsley. Stir, then remove from heat and set aside. 

Scrape the flesh out with a fork

In another skillet, add the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, and cook meatballs, turning until brown on all sides, about 4-6 minutes.

  Move the meatballs to the side, add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. 

 

 Add tomatoes, remaining italian seasonings, crushed red pepper and salt. Stir to cover meatballs, cover with lid and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally until meatballs are fully cooked. About 10-12 minutes. 

To serve, put the sauce and meatballs over the squash and top with remainder of parmesan cheese. Enjoy! It is delicious!

This cutie agrees, Spaghetti Squash is Delicious!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Here is a recipe by Rachel Ray that I have been making at least once a week lately. I am not really a big fan of fish, but I do like Tilapia because it isn't as fishy tasting as a lot of other varieties of fish. This is a delicious and easy recipe to make.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

3/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

4 Tilapia fillets 

1 lemon cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a shallow dish combine parmesan cheese, paprika, parsley, and a dash of salt and pepper. Drizzle the tilapia with olive oil, then coat each side of the fillets with the parmesan mixture. Place fillets on a foil lined baking sheet and bake until they are opaque in the thickets part. About 10 - 12 mintues.  

I like to serve this dish with organic brown rice and fresh steamed broccoli. 

Clean Eating Meatloaf

    This recipe is from a friend of a friend. I have made it several times in the last few weeks because I just like it that much. Its healthy, high in protein, but you don't have a ton of carbs and sugars in it like you would with usual meatloaf recipes.

Clean Eating Meatloaf

1 lb of ground turkey

1/2 cup of fresh salsa

1/2 teaspoon of crushed garlic

1/2 cup of ground oatmeal (you can ground in a blender)

2 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until fully combined. Transfer mixture to a well-greased loaf pan and bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until no longer pink the the center.

Serve with fresh steamed green beans and a baked sweet potato. Delish. 

    I dont have any pictures of this currently, but I make it at least once a week, so stay tuned for pictures coming up sometime this week.

DIY Stainless Steel Cleaner

    To make this Stainless Steel Cleaner, you more than likely have all of the ingredients hidden in your kitchen somewhere. This is a very easy cleaner to make, and it cleans wonderfully. There are only three ingredients needed, and of course a spray bottle to store this cleaner in.

Stainless Steel Cleaner

1/4 cup Distilled White Vinegar

2-3 drops of dish soap

2 cups of warm water

    Combine all ingredients into a plastic spray bottle and mix well. Spray into a soft cloth and apply to stainless steel appliances, being sure to rub with the grain of the appliance. Cleans amazing! I am going to try to make this recipe next time with a little bit of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Below are the before and after photos of my refrigerator.

Refrigerator Before Using Cleaner

Refrigerator After Using Cleaner

                                                            

         

Join Me on My Journey

    If you are reading this right now, I am honored to have you joining me on my journey to a cleaner, healthier life-style. When I was pregnant with my daughter Bryelle, (now 16 months old) my husband and I watched a documentary called "Chemiracle". The documentary talked about all of the common household products that we use each and every day, and how toxic they can be.  It really touched us in a way that made us want to change the way we do things. So, I started out by making my own laundry detergent. When my daughter was born, I started thinking about all of the cleaning products that I use on a weekly basis and how many toxins I was letting out into the air each and every time I cleaned my house. That is when I decided that I was going to make my own safer products, and not only save money, but save myself and my family from breathing in all of these harmful chemicals. On top of making my own cleaning products, I made almost all of my daughters baby food when she was an infant.  I now started making my own beauty/personal care products as well. We eat mainly organic foods, and prefer to take the natural route in curing different health ailments before we take any other route. Essential oils are a godsend. Anyways, thank you for taking time to read, and I look forward to helping each and every one of you on your road to healthy.

My beautiful little family back in June 2013