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

Coconut water mango smoothie

It's nice to be back to blogging after a fun filled vacation. We had a fabulous week enjoying the sunshine, and lots of time together as a family. The fourth was kind of a wash, (literally) since it poured the entire day and night canceling all of our planned activities for the day. We made the most of it with a family movie night, and than a forth of July redo the next day. :) How was your fourth? Any cancellations in your area?

This coconut water mango smoothie is delicious. Lately I have been mixing coconut water with just about everything trying to mask the taste so I will drink it. Don't get me wrong, I want to like it, I just don't. :) I have really been making the effort lately because of all the goodness coconut water has to offer. It is my new superfood.

You will need:
1 c. pure unsweetened coconut water
1 c. mango (fresh or frozen)

Thanks for visiting, Kayla