School Lunch

Happy Tuesday.  Wow, it has been a few weeks since my last blog. Sorry for the long break, I have been dealing with some personal stuff. :)

I snapped this school lunch picture weeks ago, as you can probably tell by the leaf. B ate it all up.  have to say, since we started using this lunch container a few days a week, his backpack is less heavy. I am no in love with it, so I am constantly searching for another alternative.

In this lunch:
Ham, cheese, spinach wrap
Organic Late July Cheese Crackers
Mango and Strawberries
Cucumbers with ranch


Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Black Bean Brownies, Gf and Ef

Since I had to omit eggs from my diet I have not found a brownie recipe I like. It seems that they either don't taste right, or the texture is off, or they just do not even bake up at all. My dear friend Missy gave me this recipe for black bean brownies and I love them. I know, it sounds strange right? I was skeptical too, but honestly since I made this batch I ate eight brownies over a 12 hour time period. Hehe. They really are that good.

You will need:
1 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained. (1 15oz can)
2 Tbs. Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Gluten Free Oats
1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 C. Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 C. Coconut Oil
2 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips (NOT OPTIONAL) plus more for topping

Method:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor. Pulse until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, then pour into greased 8x8 glass pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over top. Bake for 15 minutes or so. Cool 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Lavender Skin Salve

As much as I don't want to admit it, Winter is right around the corner. Having actually admitted that I thought it would be smart to prepare myself a little bit for the long months ahead, and one way to do that is making sure I have something for my dry skin. I tend to wash my hands a lot during cold season, (who doesn't) so my hands get really dry. Lavender essential oil is great for dry itchy skin, so I mixed up a little salve this morning. With only a few ingredients it was super easy, and fun to make with my little helper. It turned out so silky, and smells amazing. This would make a great Christmas gift for friends and family who have eczema, dry skin, or just because.

You will need:
2 Tbs. Beeswax pellets
4 Tbs. Jojoba Oil
15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
4 Drops Vitamin E Oil

Method:
 Heat water in a saucepan. Place glass jar in the water and combine beeswax and jojoba oil. Stir until melted. Add essential oil and vitamin e oil. Pour into storage container. Use on dry skin, burns, bug bites, or just about anything. :) Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

As you will notice this lunch is not in our usual planetbox. :( Lately B has come home with his backpack so stuffed full and heavy I am concerned for his little 6 year old back. The weight of the planetbox and his stainless steel water bottle along with library books, his folder, sneakers, and random fundraiser papers that always seem to come home, we end up with a heavy load. I decided to try a lighter lunch container a few days a week. This once is from http://www.easylunchboxes.com/, and is made from bpa and phalphate free plastic. So far it has worked well for us, although I will always prefer the non-plastic planetbox. (I feel like I can't say that enough.)

In this lunch:
Pinwheels, cream cheese mixed with carrots, olives and spinach
Ham, Cheese and tomato kabobs
Kiwi
Herbal Popcorn

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Mixed Berry Muffins, egg free

I made these muffins for B's last soccer game this past weekend. I had snack duty, so I thought it would be fun to add a touch of Halloween for the kids. They loved it! I had these muffin cups and ghost picks, so I added a couple blueberries to the top for a cute display.

You will need:
2 c. all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. raw sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 c. organic mixed berries, extra for topping if desired
1/4 c. applesauce
3/4 c. milk
1 tbs. ground flax mixed with 3 tbs warm water. Let sit until clump forms.

Method:
Mix all ingredients and bake at 400 for about 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Halloween Mummy Cookie Pop's

Halloween is huge in my house. The boys absolutely love Halloween, and have declared it their favorite day of the year. I am always combing the internet for fun Halloween craft ideas, so when I saw these mummy pop's I instantly added them to the list. I saw they at howdoesshe.com You can view the post here. I used glutino chocolate sandwich cookies instead of Oreos, but use what suits you best. I made these with my 4 year old, so things got a little messy. We had fun though. :)

You will need:
Newmanos, glutinous, or oreo cookies
Lolly pop sticks
Melting White Chocolate
Mini Chocolate Chips
Parchment paper

Method:
Melt chocolate in double boiler, or microwave.
 Dip the tip of a lolly stick into the melted chocolate. Open the cookie and place the stick into the cookie frosting. Put the cookie back together and dip the cookie into the melted chocolate. Place on parchment paper to cool. Add mini chocolate chips for eyes.  Once cooled, spoon the extra melted chocolate into a plastic bag and cut the corner to allow a thin line of chocolate to squeeze out. Make your mummy lines as desired.

bjjThanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

Happy Monday! We had such a busy birthday weekend, with R turning 4. Can you believe it? It is so crazy to me that I now have a four and six year olds. They really do grow way too fast. :)

Life has been very busy lately. I am averaging about one blog post per week, which is going to have to do for now however, I am looking into some exciting blog development options, stay tuned.

In this lunch:
Ham and Cheese Pitas
Herbal Popcorn
Fruit kabobs
Cukes with Ranch dressing

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

A super easy school lunch is one that includes leftovers. We had pasta salad leftover in the fridge so using it in B's lunch was a great idea. I rolled up some ham and cheese, added crackers, and kiwi too. The little chocolate things you see in the center are power bites. View my recipe here.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Homemade Vanilla Latte

A warm latte on a fall day is one of my little loves, but they tend to come with a high price tag. Rather than paying the on the go price I decided to mess around with a homemade version. Seriously, it came out great. I love to make a vanilla latte, put it in a to go cup, and enjoy it during my B's early morning soccer games. If you cringe every time you spend money on a latte you might want to make your own too.

You will need:
1 c. milk
1 1/2 c. coffee, brewed strong
1 tbs. pure vanilla extract
sugar

Method:
Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat until you see small bubbles.
Add vanilla, and pour into blender. Blend until you see the milk begin to foam. Make sure you use a regular blender and not a small bullet blender. I had a burn incident doing this. :(
Pour coffee into mug with desired amount of sugar. Add hot milk to coffee. I use a spoon to scoop the foam onto the top. Delicious!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

Happy Monday! We had such a great weekend here in Maine. B scored his first goal ever in his soccer game, and then another 4 goals after that. Talk about one proud mom. :) He was so excited, it was priceless. The weather was unseasonably warm on Saturday so we ended up at the beach. No surprise here. I am determined to pack in as many beach trips s I can before colder weather hits the northeast. Fall decorating is in full swing in our house, which makes me want to bake yummy fall foods. What did you do this weekend?

In this lunch:
Turkey, cheese, spinach wrap
Mango
Watermelon
Orange Slices
Bunny Snack Mix

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

 

School Lunch Penguins

Wow are we busy. I feel like the days and weeks are flying by a little too quickly. I can't believe it is Friday again. Sorry about the lack of posting lately, hopefully I will develop a better system and get back to posting regularly. This is a school lunch I made last week for B. As you can see this one really didn't involve much effort, and the lunchbox come home empty.

In this lunch:
Penguin sandwich
Mango and Kiwi Chunks
Watermelon
Popcorn
Havarti cheese animal


Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Breakfast for Lunch

Do you ever have breakfast for dinner? How about for lunch? B loves breakfast type foods. I had some leftover banana bread and hard boiled eggs, so I threw together a breakfast lunch for school the other day. He loved it. Sometimes it is fun to think outside the lunchbox. :) I try to be funny, but it rarely happens. ;) hehe. 

In this lunch:
Dry Cereal
Strawberries
Banana Bread
Hard Boiled Egg with Ketchup
Yogurt Tube
Havarti Animal Cheese

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Banana Bread

For some reason I have had an over abundance of bananas on my counter lately. Usually bananas do not last too long in my house, so this was a bit unusual, and the perfect opportunity to make some banana bread. Since I have not perfected an egg free or gluten free recipe yet, this one is your basic banana bread using all purpose four and eggs. My family loves it.

You will need:
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 c. half and half
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Method:
Mix dry ingredients, and set aside. Cream softened butter with the sugar in electric mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, vanilla, eggs, and half and half. Add dry to banana mixture and pour into two small bread pans. Bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch Puzzle Pieces

Over the summer I ordered these fun sandwich cutters made by munchkin. They are made from plastic, and do not cut as well as I would like them too, but they are easy to work with. I usually end up cutting threw the bread all the way with a knife. B was really excited to try out the puzzle piece sandwich so here it is. I should also mention that B's lunches are coming home completely empty so far. Yay!!

In this lunch:
Puzzle Piece Ham Sandwich
Little Lads Herb Popcorn
Kiwi
Watermelon
Cucumbers with Balsamic
Purple Carrot Cracker from Annie's

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Back To School

School is back in full swing, and we are transitioning from summer break quite nicely. Our beach days are dwindling, I still squeeze in some beach nights, soccer has begun, and so has the homework. If you are like me you will crave a schedule and routine right from the start. I have found a few helpful tips that help make our mornings, and evenings a little smoother.

• Lay out school clothes the night before. Bam! If B knows hat as soon as he wakes up he gets dressed in these certain clothes, it takes the struggle out of the morning routine. There is no scramble of what to wear, since it was decided 12 hours before hand.
• Set an alarm for your child.  I learned that my son responds well to having his own alarm clock. He feels a little more grown up, and it is a fun way to make sure he wakes in time to complete all of his morning responsibilities. I feel like he was less apt to listen to me when I go into his room and wake him over and over again.
• Let your child help make his/her own lunch. If your child is involved in choosing his own foods for the day, he is much more likely to eat them. Plus, this is a fun way to spend time with them before you send them off for the whole day. (I miss mine.)
• Allow for mishaps. This is a big one for us. I have learned to allow 10 extra minutes to our morning in case something unexpected happens. Usually the unexpected, (or annoyingly expected) is a last minute #2 bathroom break. My boys take forever in there. :) We also have the occasional spilled milk on clothes, or shoes that just don't feel quite right.
• Play before homework. This may sound backwards to you, but for us this method works the best. I feel like kids need some down time away from the structure of school before they jump right into homework. Let them run around outside for 30 minutes, have a healthy snack and then tackle the homework.
• Bedtime before 8pm. We actually aim for 7pm, but I know many parents who push bedtime later and later. If we want our kids to be their best in the morning, they need to have adequate sleep each night.

 

I am hoping for a fantastic 2014/15 school year. Do you have any other helpful tips to share? Please leave them in a comment below.

 

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

 

*Image from tvnewscheck.com

First Day of School Lunch

Yesterday was B's first day of 1st grade. He came home happy, and had a great day. He is so excited to be back in school with his friends and teachers. At this age, they love school and learning. :) I wanted to make a fun lunch for the first day so he had a little piece of home to bring with him. This year I have cookie cutter letters to play with so expect some fun lunches to come. Here's to a fabulous 2014/15 school year.

In this lunch:
Star shaped chicken salad sandwich with ABC cheese letters
Strawberries and blueberries
Cucumbers and Carrots with Ranch to dip
Horizon Cow Crackers
Mini watermelon hearts

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, GF

I love pumpkin! I seriously do not want summer to end, but I do love making Fallish foods. I was making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies the other day, which I cannot enjoy since they are not gluten free, so I decided to make something using pumpkin that I would eat. They turned out delicious. I did use sugar so I would consider these more of a dessert than a snack.

You will need:
3 1/4 C. Gluten Free Oats
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Applesauce
1/4 C. Raw Honey
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 C. Mini Chocolate Chips

Method:

Mix All ingredients together and spread into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so. Cool and cut into bars or squares. Store in fridge.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Essential Oils

I took a class earlier this summer about essential oils, and ever since I have been obsessed. There are different companies out there that sell essential oils, but with a price tag. I have slowly been buying oils from amazon, so I have a pretty good little collection now. I have been mixing the oils and making different blends using fractionated coconut oil as my carrier oil.

Since fall is right around the corner, and germs tend to come out of no where, I wanted to mix some oils that will help fight off some unwanted cold germs. If you have the extra money to spend on Doterra or Young Living Oils, this blend is basically the same as their On Guard, and Thieves oils.
I think! I ordered these little glass roller top bottles from amazon, and fill them 3/4 full with fractionated coconut oil. I then add the essential oils. Most of mine come from Plant Therapy, which are 100%pure. I mixed 4 drops of cinnamon oil, 4 drops of wild orange oil, 4 drops of rosemary oil, 4 drops of eucalyptus oil, and 4 drops of clove bud oil. Just roll this blend onto the bottoms of your feet. I actually felt a cold coming on the other day, sneezing, headache, all the regular cold symptoms, I used this blend before bed, and woke up feeling fine. I can't wait to beat the colds this winter. Have you experimented with essential oils at all? I am having so much fun with this, I'm sure I will have something else for you soon.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Summer Comes To An End

I can honestly say that we spent the majority of our summer at the beach. I snapped this photo the other day during our last daily beach trip. I'm sure we will have evening trips to the beach to enjoy and picnic dinner, or search for shells, but as far as a day long swimming beach rip, those are done for this year. :(

As summer officially comes to an end it is time to start thinking about school schedules, and sports activities. B will be in 1st grade this year, and R starts preschool. Sigh* I can't believe how big my babies are getting. Below are a few pictures from our last beach day of the summer.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Room Spray

Since I have boys I always need a good room spray, particularly in the bathroom. I can't tell you how often I clean my bathroom. Yes, you read that right. Bathroom! Singular, meaning just one. :( We make do, but it isn't always easy. B and R tend to take the fire hose approach to their bathroom duties.  Needless to say, their seems to be a need for room spray quite often. I only had this small bottle to work with so I just filled it almost to the top with distilled water, added a splash of pure vanilla extract, and my essential oils. I used a few drops of wild orange, and a few drops of lavender. You can alters the amounts depending on the size of your bottle.

This combo smells fresh and clean for my bathroom. It is fun to mix different oils to cater to your individual taste.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Flourless and Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh my goodness...these are SO good. I have been wanting peanut butter cookies lately, but I have always used egg in my recipes. Since I need a gluten free and an egg free cookie I started playing around with a few basic ingredients. At first I used regular white sugar, and added baking powder, and one tablespoon of flax. They just seemed too crumbly. I made a few improvements so, here it is. Super simple with only a few ingredients, and they are so yummy.

You will need:
1 C. Organic Peanut Butter
1/2 C. Organic Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. Ground Flax Mixed with 3 Tbs. Warm Water, to form a clump
Chocolate Chips, press into the top of your formed cookie before baking

Method:
Mix ingredients together and bake at 350 for 8ish minutes. Enjoy!

Thanks For visiting, Kayla

Zucchini Carrot Gluten Free Mini Muffins

What do you do with the abundance of zucchini taking over your garden? I actually do not like zucchini enough to plant it, but we always have some given to us that I like to use up. I used most of them in stir fry's and other main dish recipes, but I still had one left over. I love carrots in my muffins anyway, so I decided to add zucchini to give myself some extra nutrients. I like to use applesauce in my recipes instead of vegetable oil, the muffin remains moist even without the oil, and using gf flours. Give these a try. Let me know what you think.

You will need:
1 1/2 C. Gluten Free Oat Flour
1/2 C. Gluten Free Honey Buckwheat Flour
1/3 C. Pure Maple Syrup
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 C. Applesauce
3/4 C. Milk
1 Tbs. Ground Flax mixed with 3 Tbs. Warm water to form a clump

Method:
Combine all ingredients and bake at 400 in mini muffin cups for about 15 minutes or so. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Muscle Salve

Every night my husband and I fight over the tube of arnica gel. We both have chronic pain, mine in my shoulders and his in his knee. The tube of arnica is almost gone again, we seem to empty them as fast as I can buy them, and they are not cheap. I decided to work on a new recipe for a pan salve to use in place of the arnica. It seems that this will go a little further, and is a lot less expensive. It works so well, I use it daily.

You will need:
1 Tbs. beeswax pellets
4 Tbs. fractionated coconut oil, or other carrier oil
15 drops lemongrass essential oil
15 drops wintergreen essential oil

Method:
Melt the beeswax into the carrier oil in a glass jar. Add essential oils and store in a small mason jar, or other container or your choosing.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Non Post

Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been whining a lot lately since I developed a nasty rash as a result from having brown tail moth hairs fall onto my neck. If you have never heard of the brown tail moth you're not alone. They happen to be over populated in my town and surrounding towns, but no where else. The little hairs on them are poisonous, and extremely itchy. So, that is my excuse.:) I even missed out on lunch with one of my closest girlfriends that cam to Maine for a visit. :( I have some blog catching up to do, but I will be back to posting on Friday. Have a great week.

Strawberry Banana Breakfast Squares, Gluten Free

I saw these on a blog the other day and thought I would try them. You can view the original blogger's post here. I only altered them a tiny bit, as the original recipe seemed good. They came out great, I love having another option for breakfast and snacks. I love not having to add sugar, as they are solely sweetened with a little bit of honey. I will develop this recipe a bit further to add some nuts and other fruits. For now this one is super simple.

You will need:
1 Tbs. Coconut Oil,melted
1 Tbs. Raw Honey
1 Medium Banana
1/2 C. Milk
1 C. Frozen Organic Strawberries, slightly thawed and diced
2 1/2 C. Gluten Free Oats

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and bake in an 8X8 pan at 300 for 15 minutes. Enjoy!


Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Homemade All Purpose Spray

For as long as I can remember I have been loyal to Seventh Generation cleaning products. I never cheat on them, in fact I've given lot's of money to their company. :)  I decided to seriously open my mind up to using a homemade cleaner in the interest of saving money. Everyone knows how useful vinegar is when it comes to cleaning, but it is hard to get past the smell of it. When I think clean I think fresh clean scents not a nasty vinegary scent, so masking the smell was important to me. I added lemon and tea tree essential oils, both are antifungal, antiseptic and bactericidal which helps to kill all of those nasty germs lurking about. So far I am happy with this recipe. I think I will make another batch using orange oil next. Do you make your own cleaners? I would love to hear what combinations you use.

You will need:
1 C. Water
1C. White Vinegar
15 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
15 Drops Tea Tree Oil

Method:
Combine all ingredients.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Deodorant Spray

 

 

 

 

A few months ago I tried my luck making homemade deodorant. See post here. I loved how it turned out, and I continue to use it daily. The only complaint I have with it is that if I wear a white shirt I notice a little staining from the beeswax. I intend to work on a new recipe without using beeswax, but for now I mixed up a deodorant spray to try in the meantime. So far so good. No staining. There is a little wetness leftover once you spray this on so I just dab it a little and give it a chance to absorb into my skin before I put my shirt on. Stay tuned for the next deodorant recipe. :)

 

You will need: 

 1/4 C. Aloe Vera gel or liquid. I used liquid

1/2 C. witch Hazel

1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

10 Drops Lemongrass Essential Oil

 

Method:

Just combine all ingredients in a jar and pour into a spray container.

 

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Crafts

 

How cute are these? I found both of these craft ideas on pinterest the other day. You can view the original site here. I love coming across kids craft ideas that include materials that I have right in the craft closet. I always see cute ideas that involve a trip to the craft store which I sometimes do not feel like dealing with. This one is pretty basic.

These caterpillars are simply clothes pins with pom poms glued to the top. Add some eye balls and you're done. I only had big eyes on hand, but smaller eyes would look better.




 The popsicles stick airplane is made with three popsicle sticks. Painting is the fun part. Cut one in thirds and use only one piece of I for the back. Glue the pieces to a clothes pin.

 

Anything involving paint in my house is a sure win. My kids LOVE to paint. :)

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Cucumber Roll Up's

I made these as part of our lunch this weekend. Cucumbers are consumed daily in our house, and even more so during the summer months. The boys love them, mostly with dressings and dips, but plain as well. I decided to make the cream cheese dip that I often put in B's pinwheels for his lunch, and roll it up in a cucumber slice. Super cute, and easy.

You will need:
1/2 C. fresh spinach
1 C. Cream Cheese
1/4 C. Carrots
6 green olives
cucumbers

Method:
Slice your cucumbers using a peeler length wise.
Pulse together all ingredients except the cucumbers. Spoon onto the cucmber slice and roll up. I cut a few carrots to garnish on top.
Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Summer Sunscreen Chap Stick

Do you remember the chapstick I made a few months ago? Well I decided to enhance my recipe to add a little sun protection. I am new to using zinc oxide so I will not attempt to label this with a sun protectant factor, (spf), rather just say that it will provide some level of protection. I decided to flavor this with orange and vanilla essential oils. It screams summer since as it tastes just like a creamsicle. What, you don't eat your chapstick? ;) Give this a try, you will love it.

You will need:
1 1/2 Tbs. beeswax pellets
2 1/2 Tbs. Jojoba Oil
5 Drops Vitamin E Oil
1/2 tsp. Zinc Oxide(non-nano, very important)
15 Drops Orange Essential Oil
15 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil

Method:
Heat water in a small pot on the stove. Place a glass cup in the heated water and melt all ingredients except oils together until you are down to a liquid. Add essential oils to the melted mixture.

 

Using a glass dropper fill whatever containers you are using and let harden.

That's it. Enjoy! 

 

Thanks for visiting, Kayla 

S'mores Pop's

My kids love s'mores. Often times during the summer we will have a fire in our fire pit, and roast marshmallows. On a rainy summer night when we would love the have a fire, but we just can't a different method comes in handy. This is super easy, and takes very little time. The kids loved them, and my hubby too.

 

You will need:

 Marshmallows
Chocolate
Graham Crackers
Popsicle Sticks
Muffin Cups, or Wax Paper

Method:
Crush a few graham crackers in a small bowl. Melt the desired amount of chocolate in a double boiler or glass bowl over a saucepan with water. Insert popsicle sticks into the marshmallows and dip in the melted chocolate. Dip in the graham crackers and set on wax paper or in a muffin cup to cool.

 You have all the s'mores tastes just in a new way. They are less messy too. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

5 Anti-inflammatory Foods

*Image found here*
As many of you know, I have been battling digestion issues, and have uncovered many food sensitivities as a result of a blood test. Before I learned which foods do not agree with my body I literally looked 6 months pregnant once I ate in the morning. This was both embarrassing, and uncomfortable.  Eating an anti-inflammatory diet has been essential to repair my stomach and reduce the  inflammation. I have taken several steps to remedy this problem, and so far it's working. I figure I cannot be the only one who silently suffers with digestion issues, so maybe this post will be helpful for someone. :)


 I decided to do a little research to find certain foods that help to reduce stomach inflammation. I discovered five foods that I am likely to eat, that can help reduce my gut inflammation.

#1. Leafy Greens- Particularly the dark leafy greens which are rich in Lutein, B vitamins and calcium.  Kale is packed full of nutrition, but does not rank high on my favorite foods list. I prefer spinach and green lettuce which are both high is vitamin A and C. Salads are a major go to food for me, so this one is easy to consume.

#2. Avocados- They are so....good for us, and delicious too. Avocados are considered "good fat" so why not indulge. The fat in an avocado reduces inflammation and increases the absorption of fat soluble nutrients. I slice them up and add them to my salads and sandwiches. I have yet to make a dressing using avocado's, but this would be a good substitute since I am avoiding mayo as it has eggs in it.

#3. Flaxseed-  I've learned that there are two components in flaxseed, ALA and lignans which help to reduce inflammation. I put flax in just about everything. I use it mixed with warm water as my egg replacer too. A spoonful in greek yogurt works well, or added to oatmeal.

#4. Chia seeds- The newly discovered super food is one of the best foods for your body. These tiny seeds contain mucin  which reduces inflammation in the digestive system. Being high in protein, antioxidant's, omega 3 fatty acid and fiber it is a one stop shop for your health. I add chia seeds to my cookies, bars and oatmeal recipes.

#5. Cruciferous vegetables-Cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, brussel sprouts, kale and cauliflower.These vegetables contain phytochemicals which provide anti-inflammatory protection which can reduce gut inflammation and the risk of many chronic diseases. Broccoli is eaten daily in my house.

If you experience stomach inflammation give some of these foods a try.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

After Bite Balm

A couple weeks ago I made a fabulous batch of bug spray that works very well. See post here.  Even with the best bug sprays around those pesky bugs will bite from time to time. They just can't resist sweet blood. :) I was at my sister's house the other day and my nephew got bit by a horse fly. Nasty creatures! The bite immediately swelled, and caused  him to have an irritating itch, hence giving me the idea to make an after bite balm. So here it is. The recipe I created it similar to my chapstick recipe, but a little different. The balm soothes the bite almost immediately and shrinks it too. I chose to store the balm in a small container, and a chapstick tube for easy use. The chapstick tube conveniently fits in your purse, or pocket and easily rubs onto the bite. I keep a tube in my medicine cabinet and in my purse.

You will need:
1 1/2Tbs. Beeswax, pellets are easiest
2 Tbs. Shea Butter
2 Tbs. Jojoba Oil
1/2 tsp. Tea Tree Oil
25 Drops Pure Lavender Essential Oil

Method:
Heat a pot of water. Place all ingredients in a glass dish to slowly melt.

Fill chapstick tubes and containers with glass dropper.

Let harden. Apply directly to bug bite to relieve itching. Let me know if you try it.

*Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing on of my products.

Thanks for vising, Kayla

Create your own crayons

 

 

This little project is one that I've been wanting to do with the boys for a while now. It takes little effort, and is super fun. All you need is a handful of broken old crayons, and a silicone mould. We broke the crayons up and put the pieces in the mould, set it outside for the day to melt in the sun, or you could just use the oven, and then let it harden in it's new shape. I put them in the freezer so they pop out of the mould easier. So easy, and fun.

 

Thanks for visiting, Kayla