Category Archives: Go Natural

Recipe: Homemade Lavender Bath Salts

23 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Recipes

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There are not many things I like better in life than taking a bath. It might sound corny, but I’ve always been a fan of baths, and once the jetted tub I bought is installed, life will be even better. One thing to keep in mind with these types of recipes is to know whether or not they pose a danger to your tub if it does have jets. Consult your owner’s manual.

If you can use these, though. Do it. Totally simple to make, and lavender is one of the best essential oils for relaxation. There is no downside that I can see beyond checking your manual if you have a whirlpool tub. On with the recipe!

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Materials:

Directions: 
1. Fill each container about halfway full of Epsom salts.
2. Add 10-15 drops of essential oil, replace lid, and shake.
3. Remove the lid again, add 1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers, replace lid and shake (again).
4. Add more Epsom salts to full the jar then (you guessed it) replace the lid and shake shake shake.
5. Optional: download and print these freebie canning labels to dress up the jars.
*** This recipe is originally from Garden Therapy. It’s a great website with tons of information for chronic illness warriors and others too!
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Recipe: Homemade Vitamin Water

16 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Recipes

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I drank Vitamin Water all through my pregnancy. It’s delicious. Then I figured out how much sugar I was consuming and stopped. Now I drink Bai 5, which is sweetened with Stevia. I get bored, though, so I’m always looking for other things to drink. (I drink more than Bai 5, but I think you get my meaning.)

When I ran across this recipe, I was thrilled. Another drink that tastes yummy and is still healthy!

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VITAMIN WATER

PREP TIME
15 mins
TOTAL TIME
15 mins
Prepare the day before for best results.
Author: SoupAddict
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups watermelon, sliced into 1″ cubes
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1/2 red grapefruit, sliced and quartered
  • 1 medium cucumber, sliced
  • 12 mint leaves
  • 2 quarts water
  • ice
  • sparkling water (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Combine the fruit, cucumber, mint leaves and water in a large pitcher.
  2. Place in the fridge and let infuse overnight.
  3. To serve, pour infused water into glasses filled halfway with ice. Spoon in a piece or two of fruit for show, and top with a splash of sparkling water (optional).

 

This recipe can be altered to your own family’s tastes. I’d call this more of a guideline than an absolute list of ingredients.

Have you made this or a similar homemade vitamin water? Did you use different ingredients? Tell me in the comments!

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Recipe: Homemade Chicken Stock (or broth)

09 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, My life

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A lot of people think making things like stock from scratch is really difficult and/or time-consuming. As long as you have a few hours at home – even if you’re doing other things – you can make your own broth. Why bother? Here’s why.

If you’re trying to concentrate on clean eating, you obviously want to know what’s in your food. Making it yourself is one way to keep an eye on ingredients. Doing it yourself also saves money.

The first step is to make a roasted chicken (or buy one of those rotisserie chickens from the supermarket, but note it’s difficult to know all the ingredients in the chicken if you choose this method). After serving the chicken to your family, pull the remaining meat off the bones and use them to make dinners later in the week or freeze. Then throw the carcass – well, don’t throw it, that could make a mess. Gently set the carcass in a large pot.

Add any veggie scraps you have lying around. Even carrot peels and unpeeled onions will add flavor to the broth. Just don’t forget to strain these things out of the final product!

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Salt and pepper to taste, and then cover with water to just over the contents of the pot.

Cook for 3-5 hours on the stove top or crock pot. If you use a crock pot you’d want to cook it on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Strain the cooked stock through a fine-mesh strainer or colander set over a large bowl. Discard the solids and let the stock cool.

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Chill until the fat rises and solidifies on the surface. Skim it off with a spoon and discard. Don’t be surprised if your stock has a thicker consistency than store bought varieties. That body comes from the collagen which has been extracted from the chicken bones. This will enhance the flavor and feel of the stock, giving it a richer, more filling quality than canned broth.

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Use the broth immediately or transfer it to freezer bags or containers. Label, freeze, and use as needed. A regular-size can of broth is 1 3/4 cups, so freeze in that size if you are just transitioning from canned to homemade.

Here’s the recipe in written form.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Yield: 12-14 cups

Ingredients

chicken bones/carcass
1 large onions, quartered
2 carrots, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
10 whole peppercorns
salt, to taste
14-16 c. water

fresh parsley sprigs, 1 leek, 1 tomato (all optional, whatever you have on hand!)

  1. Place the chicken bones, vegetables, peppercorns, and salt into a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the contents by 1 inch.
  2. Bring to a gentle boil and decrease the heat to a low simmer. Cook for 3-5 hours.
  3. Carefully remove and discard any large pieces of vegetables or bones from the pot. Set a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth-covered colander over a large bowl. Pour the stock through the strainer. Add salt, if desired.
  4. Chill the stock bowl in an ice bath, cover, and refrigerate until the fat has risen and solidified on the surface. Skim off the fat with a spoon; discard. Use or store in the freezer.

***This recipe is originally from Frugal Living NW.

Do you have any tips for making your own broth? Tell me in the comments!

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Product Review: Matcha Powder

31 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Product Reviews

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There are many different brands of matcha powder out there, but I like this one made by MAEDA-EN. The basic benefit with matcha powder is the energy boost, though it also provides the same good-for-you stuff that green tea does, as matcha is a specific type of green tea which is then ground into a powder. You only use a teeny tiny bit in a smoothie, though you can (of course) make tea out of it, green tea ice cream, add it to baking, etc.

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A kazillion things can be put in smoothies, and some taste great. Then again, some don’t. Matcha powder is not exactly delicious, even with the tiny amount required for a smoothie, so be sure to put in something to counteract the taste. The nutrition in matcha powder makes it worth it, though, so don’t pass this product by!

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Recipe: Hydrating Electrolyte Drink

26 Thursday May 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Recipes

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DIY Hydrating Electrolyte Drink recipe. This homemade electrolyte drink is deeply hydrating during times of physical exertion, sickness, Pedialyte replacement, or regular water, when you need an extra boost of hydration!

So many of the hydrating drinks on the market include a bunch of unsavory ingredients, which, if you have been reading this blog, you know I’m not a fan of. This is natural and not full of gross stuff. A+ in my book!

Ingredients

Condiments

  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Lime juice

Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 tsp Salt, real

Liquids

  • 4 cups Water

Other

  • ½ – 1 teaspoon magnesium powder

Mix ingredients and drink! This can be made in bulk and kept in the fridge in a week or so.

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Food not made by huge corporations! Count me in!

Recipe:

20 Friday May 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Recipes

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Facial scrubs are way easier to make than you might think. Many of us would drop twenty dollars on a scrub, which lines the pockets of the companies that make them, but ends up costing you a fortune. So, let’s get into the homemade version. Or several homemade versions.

Baking & Spices

  • 2 drops food coloring depending on which batch you make, yellow or red
  • 10 drops lemon essential oil or 10-15 drops raspberry or vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, or if you don’t have that, white sugar, granulated

Oils & Vinegars

  • 1/4 cup Coconut oil (see below for instructions on using other oils)

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Take your favorite oil (coconut, almond, jojoba, olive, etc.) and put a little bit of powdered sugar in it (also known as icing sugar). If you don’t happen to have any all you need to do is put some granulated table sugar into a food processor for a minute or two. Add a touch of your favorite flavored extract or essential oil if you’d like (completely optional, but some of them carry some pretty incredible benefits. For more about them, check out my Essential Oil Pinterest board.

300x250_MinBoHave you ever tried one of these scrubs? Any tips to make sure it comes out great!

 

Product Review: Quest Protein Bars

17 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Product Reviews

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Protein is crucial for someone with chronic illness. One of the easiest and most convenient ways to get as much protein as possible is to eat things like Quest Bars. There are many, many brands of protein bars, but I prefer the Quest brand for several reasons.

One is the texture of the other brands. To me, they seem mealy. I don’t know how else to describe it. Another is flavor. I only eat two or three flavors of Quest Bars, and some of the flavors I see in the store from other brands make me wince.

But on to the review…

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Quest Bars are made by Quest Nutrition. My favorite flavor is chocolate brownie, since it satisfies that craving for chocolate most of us have, without eating a ton of high fructose corn syrup. This particular box is a variety pack, but they do come in single-flavor boxes too.

As someone with chronic illness, I try to automate everything in my life, and one of the ways I do that is to use Subscribe and Save from Amazon. Every month, I get a box of consumer products of all types delivered to my door. I have the option of receiving each product anywhere from every month to every six months. My credit card is charged automatically, so I don’t have to do anything once I set up the service. If I want to, I can add, change, or delete products at any time. I can also skip a month or change the frequency any of the products are delivered.

So I guess this turned into a review of both the Quest Bars and Subscribe and Save services. A two for one!

What brand and flavor of protein bars do you use? Tell me in the comments!

308x211_dscm_logo20% off for new customers!

 

Recipe: Canning Extra Tomatoes for Sauce – It’s Not that Hard

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Recipes

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Simply Canning is an excellent resource for all things preserving, fermenting, and canning. As a chronic illness patient, you might not know eating fermented (pickled) food can actually help your gut and keep your inflammation levels down. While these tomatoes are not strictly considered a fermented food, I wanted to make sure you all knew this important fact.

On to the tomatoes!

I assume you know how to can food, so what I’m going to give you is tips to make your preserved tomatoes better. Also, there are surprising uses for things many will feel are waste. Read on to see how to make your tomatoes really sing!

This is taken from a page on Simply Canning, and it’s great (and labor-saving!) advice:

Squeeze the tomatoes by hand or, as I do it, put them in my blender or Ninja to crush them. I then drain them really well through my strainer, saving the juice and canning the juice separately. I usually get 3 or more quarts juice to 1 quart sauce…adding two tablespoons lemon juice works great per quart. Heat the juice to boiling before canning.

It’s delicious and so good for you. If you like tomato soup, add a bit of salt and finely ground black pepper to the juice and boil it down a bit. I just can it with the same head space and time as tomatoes in a water bath.

I have a huge Pinterest board for Canning/Preserving/Freezing, and there are lots of Pins related to canning tomatoes, since they’re probably the most popular item to can. Take a peek at the board. I’ll pull out some info and tips for you, though.

Dehydrated Tomato Powder: this one is vegan and gluten-free, for all of you out there with special diets.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647382655/

How to Make Sundried Tomatoes: this is a YouTube video, but it’s well worth the couple of minutes to watch it.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647185626/

Chow Chow Relish Recipe: No, this isn’t for your beloved pooches. Green garden tomatoes are the base for this spicy relish, and it goes great with chicken!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647044426/

Garlic Basil Pasta Sauce: This sauce, besides being great to can, it also lends itself to freezing.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647042072/

Homemade Canned V-8 Juice: The juice will separate once it settles, but that’s fine. Don’t let it scare you!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647041828/

Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce: This one doesn’t look like a canning/preserving recipe at first, but be patient. It’s worth the wait.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647041826/

Green Tomato Salsa Verde: Have a bunch of green tomatoes? Make this yummy green tomato salsa verde! This recipe includes instructions on canning too!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647027773/

Dried Tomatoes: You’re dehydrating your tomatoes all wrong — Here’s how to optimize your flavor with three bonus soup recipes.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647027688/

Step-by-step Canned Diced Tomatoes: This easy step-by-step photo tutorial will have you saving money and canning your own diced tomatoes in no time! Who knew it could be so simple?
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647017966/

Five Ways to Can Small Tomatoes: I froze enough to fill two small cookie sheets. This is the easiest method I know. There’s no prep, you just fill the sheet, pop them into the freezer and leave until solid. Once they turn into tomato marbles, funnel them into jars or zip-top bags and return them to the freezer. You can also dehydrate or roast these delicious little treats!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186647017334/

Roasted Tomato Sauce: Can you believe you can pump out this sauce in an hour?
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186646953196/

Six Tips for Drying Tomatoes: Who can’t use more ideas to make sure we don’t waste our bountiful harvest?
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186646931904/

Simple Pizza Sauce: Forty-five minutes for enough for two pizzas? I don’t know about you, but I’d double this recipe so next time I could just pour it on my favorite dough, garlic naan, and be off to the races. Did I mention this recipe is freezer friendly, just in case you want to go nuts and quadruple the ingredients.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186646926234/

How to Freeze Ripe Tomatoes: Easy freezing excess ripe tomatoes. I did not know you could do this – this is a huge help! Optional- blanch to remove peels before freezing.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312226186646703977/

Do you have other tips or recipes? Bring ’em on!

Tomatoes

Don’t have your own garden? Get organic tomatoes and tons of other great food here! There’s a coupon, but it expires at the end of April, so don’t delay!

Organic Vegetable Gardening: 5 Reasons You Should Do It

14 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Go Natural

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If you’re a chronic illness warrior, you already know you should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables. But you’ve also heard about all the pesticides, hormones, and other gross-sounding stuff being added to our food, and that probably makes you leery. Understandable. You can control what you and your family eat, though. Grow your own, and do it organically!

It sounds hard, doesn’t it? I will admit that the first year is the hardest, since if you’re going to make beds you’ll have to do the work to prepare it. After that, though, all you really need to do is mix in some new, rich soil each year. Here’s why you should do it:

  1. You can control exactly what you feed yourself and your family.
  2. There’s a huge variety of seeds and plants available both online and in local gardening stores. The one I just ordered from and love is SeedsNow. There are others, of course, but finding purely organic seeds isn’t as easy as stopping into your local home improvement store.
  3. It’s way cheaper. We had enough tomatoes last year that we gave some away and canned eight big Mason jars full that have since become delicious sauce.
  4. At any time during the growing season, you can wander outside, pull off a few veggies, and have a snack. Also, it’s a pretty cool to snip herbs straight from the plants and throw them directly into your pot.
  5. Even if you don’t have a lot of room, you can still garden. Tons of veggies grow well in containers. Even someone with a tiny apartment can put a couple of small pots on a windowsill for fresh herbs.  There are tons of fun and different ways to grow food even in a very small space. My Pinterest board, Vegetable Gardening, has several. While you’re there, check out the other boards. Tons of good stuff!

Allotment

I wish this was my garden…courtesy of Dollar Store Photo

As a bonus of sorts, here’s a list called the Dirty Dozen. They’re the fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticides and other bad things. If you’re going to spend money on stuff from the store, try to get these organic if possible. It’s expensive, I know, but if nothing else, maybe concentrate on the top six of the Dirty Dozen.

The Dirty Dozen

Here’s the list of The Dirty Dozen for 2015, the most updated list available. There’s also a Clean Fifteen in the same area.

Do you garden? What do you grow? Any tips on organic gardening? Tell me in the comments!

Shop here for the best of organic seeds!

Shop here for the best in organic seeds!

Product Review: DoTerra Essential Oils

12 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Go Natural, Product Reviews, Resources

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I’ve tried several different brands of essential oils, and I can say, in my experience only, that DoTerra makes consistently excellent products. I won’t name the other companies I’ve tried, many of whom were very good, some that were not so good. I’m not in the mood to get sued for libel.

My first experience with DoTerra was during one of my massages. I get them every other week, just a half-hour, concentrating on my neck, shoulders, and back. The therapist dropped some oil onto my back and immediately the room was filled with this really pleasant odor. I asked her what it is, she told me, then put one drop on a tissue and laid it over part of the legs of her table so I could breathe it in while she continued to work on me.

The first essential oil I bought was at our local health foods store. It was peppermint, and it was fine, but didn’t exactly wow me. After that, I asked my therapist what brand she used and she showed me her collection of DoTerra oils. I’m pretty sure I could smell my credit card burning a hole in my pocket!

The most unfortunate thing about DoTerra is that it’s difficult to source, especially if you only want to buy one or two at a time. Amazon was selling some of the line, but I’ve heard they’re shutting that down. You can go directly to their website, but as I said, if you’re buying one $10 oil and being charged another $5 for shipping, that makes the product less attractive, at least to me. I have Amazon Prime, so I’ve been buying things from there.

Oil Bottles

Image courtesy of DoTerra

My favorite products, with some of the more technical information taken from their website:

  • Deep Blue cream: This is a pain-relieving cream similar to Two Old Goats, etc. It does have a smell. I don’t find it overbearing or unpleasant, but you might feel differently. Features Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Osmanthus essential oils. There’s also an essential oil using the same blend.
  • Breathe: Breathe is one of DoTerra’s proprietary blends, with includes Laurel Leaf, Cardamom, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, and Ravensara. I have asthma and it does seem to help when I’m having trouble breathing or fighting a cold.
  • OnGuard: Another proprietary blend, available in a whole suite of products. I use the OnGuard foaming hand soap all over the house – replacing the antibacterial soap that’s at least partly responsible for all these “superbugs” we’re seeing these days. Antibacterial sounds like a great thing, but it’s not. YMMV
    When I feel something coming on, I start taking OnGuard beadlets, usually 3-4 a day. They’re tiny and very easy to swallow, though most of us chronic illness warriors can swallow reams of pills like a champ. Lastly, again, when I’m feeling run down or am sick, I diffuse OnGuard essential oil with whatever other oils sound good at the time.
    I’m sure there are recipes out there for “bombs” that include OnGuard, but I like to play it by ear. If my chest is bothering, I’ll add Breathe. I almost always add oregano and frankincense, which are two of the most powerful antioxidants. There are tons of “healing” essential oils. I’d suggest picking up a book or ebook with information about the oils and what they do. Just today I bought this and this. Four bucks and I have over 200 more pages of info I can scan at my leisure or when I want something specific.
  • The “heavy hitter” single oil blends: Frankincense, oregano, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oil are the most powerful essential oils in general. They do different things; some reduce inflammation, some increase immunity, and some help with energy.

DoTerra and other essential oil companies offer many, many other products. If you deal with chronic pain and inflammation, it’s definitely worth your time to check things out. If you have any oils you like, let me know in the comments!