Fast and Easy Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw

Fast and Easy Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw

You can either use a half a head of cabbage and three carrots shredded or a bag of coleslaw mix from the produce section. 

1 red onion sliced thinly

In a bowl: 

3/4 c mayo

3 T coconut oil (melted)

½ c sugar

1½ T vinegar
4 T half and half, cream or milk

¼ tsp salt

whisk

Mix, add in cabbage, carrot and onion and  3 T poppyseeds and toss.

Refrigerate 2 hours or more. 

Body Brushing for healthy skin

My favorite body brush has knobbies for foot massages.

I posted awhile back,  about healthy skin and using a washrag in the shower to keep the skin free from cellulite and psoriasis etc. by scrubbing really hard with a washrag and hot water. It works.and I do this daily and I  started to follow it up with...body brushing.  I love the way it makes my skin feel and look.

It only takes a few minutes after a shower, or before if that works for you. I prefer after. It promotes tighter skin, cell renewal and blood flow. It also helps the lymphatic system release toxins and aids in digestion and kidney function

Start at your feet, and brush toward your heart.   I use a brush that has a long handle so that I can get my back. They are inexpensive. I also have a facial brush, I use it on my boobs and tender spots. I like the knobby and brush in one, because after I brush, I like to massage my feet with the knobby side, as foot massaging is highly recommended in Ayurveda, which is my newest obsession right now.

facial brush, good for boobs and delicate areas

 Body Brushing only takes a few minutes and I find it more important that moisturizing, so if you are strapped for time,do this and moisturize later.  I moisturize with just plain old coconut oil.  Try it out, I promise you, it will make your skin feel amazing!  

If you can't find any body brushes in your local health food stores, I have put them on my Amazon Store page under favorite things.

Caprese Pasta Salad & an Easy Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

So Simple, Clean Eating

There really isn't much to this recipe, you add what you like and omit what you don't like. 

Fresh tomatoes

Fresh basil

Fresh mozzerella

cooked pasta, we like penne in our house

fresh parsley, and rosemary chopped

dried basil to supplement

crushed red pepper to your liking

salt and pepper 

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss with the balsamic vinaigrette, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, gets better with age

Who knows what is in those bottled dressings..so here is a simple, whole foods recipe 

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 large cloves garlic (pressed or chopped)
• 1 tbsp fresh finely chopped parsley
• salt/pepper
• fresh and dried herbs of your choice, depends what you are dressing

Just a little hair product tip that works well for me

Here is a tip for not only making your shampoo and conditioner go farther, but it is also gentler on your hair.  I can't use straight conditioner, it makes my hair greasy looking, no matter how much I try to wash it out and no matter what brand I use.  When I do this dilution process, I don't have a problem because, diluted, its just enough product.

Also, for men facing hair loss, the essential oils can help bring blood to your head, and if you suffer from itchy scalp, this will alleviate that also.

I do not care what kind of shampoo and conditioner you use...I switch constantly because, the aren't the miracle products they claim to be and really, 30 dollar shampoo and 3 dollar shampoo are really no different.  Your hairdresser may tell you otherwise..but as someone who has tried everything..this works for me better than any 30.00 product ever could and I pay less than 3.00 for my products now.

These are in my bathroom at all times, I keep the empty bottle in the shower and only make up a single use batch at a time so I can use it for both the shampoo and conditioner. The bottle has a pointy type tip, like the old fashioned ketsup and mustard tips...feel free to recycle one of those bottles if you can find one that is still shaped that way. 

Put a dime size dollop of shampoo into the bottle.  Add four drops of tea tree oil or rosemary oil to the bottle and then put a small amount of water into it..maybe a little more than the amount of shampoo you used. Shake and apply to the scalp and hair. I like the pointy bottle for just this purpose, they sell them at restaurant stores. 

Repeat the same way with the conditioner, the water helps so its not heavy..and it distributes it more evenly when its diluted. ...you won't believe how much longer your shampoo and conditioner last, and if you can get your whole family on board, even better.  

You can skip the oil if you want, or use another oil...geranium keeps away bugs if you tolerate the smell, for those gnat infested picnics in the heat. The oils that give you a tingly sensation are the oils you want to use for helping prevent hair loss and/or preventing dandruff and itchy scalp. 

JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET IT IN YOUR EYES....I did and it sort of hurts!

Re-purposing..crazy, genius and wth?

Just some ideas for re-purposing some everyday things..

Did you break the foot off of one of your favorite stemware glasses?  Stick it in a plant and put a candle in it. Great idea for a porch or patio. 

I tore the mini blinds out of my house a few years back..I hate them...so I cute the strings off of them and cut the slats up to use as garden markers..you can get a gazillion from one mini blind. I still have more of them in my garden shed. 

Is your cooler looking abused, maybe the hinges are broken? 

The Renaissance Faire has an herb garden and they burn herbs on logs in it, in a neat cast iron pot that makes it smell so nice..I want to do that in my herb garden but have not been able to locate a cast iron pot cheap enough...this would work..I have seen these scratched up out for trash..I could paint it up and change it up a bit. 

Great idea for the music fan

If you cycle a lot...you may have some extra rims laying around.

Trellis

OMG...hey, its not going in the trash...fun

Cute garden marker from an old wooden spoon

old window greenhouse 

Who doesn't have toilet paper rolls...tame the chargers..we save our chargers and believe it or not, they have come in handy on many occasions. 

seedlings..

One of my older posts..a cereal box with fabric hot glued on it to tame the mail.

There are millions of uses for canning jars. this is cute. 

Recipe book holder..would work for those magazines

This is a head board turned into a swing...awesome! 

I love this...a mini greenhouse 

How about some old knobs for hanging a towel in the bathroom? 

Handwashing station for your campsite. 

bubble refill station

How about keeping this in the car or truck or boat for trash bags.

If you travel a lot, and have a lot of travel shirts.. or a good idea to reuse your child's baby clothes..make a quilt.

Mini greenhouse/terrarium

I could go on for days.

Homemade Wholesome Chocolate Syrup (no high fructose corn syrup)

This is delicious, IMHO, better than any commercial brands you can buy in a store, takes minutes to make and is more wholesome than the stuff they have in the stores...can you replicate that ingredient list on the commercial brand syrups?  It smells divine when you are cooking it..so quick, yet your kitchen has a fudge shop smell.

We use raw milk and I could not justify putting those ingredients into the raw milk...sugar I can tolerate.  Corn syrup I would rather avoid.

Homemade Wholesome Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (raw cacao if you have it)
1 cup granulated sugar 
1 cup cold water
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
In a medium saucepan, whisk cocoa and sugar until all the lumps of cocoa are gone. Add water and salt and mix well with whisk. Cook over medium heat, bringing it to a boil. Keep boiling until thick, stirring to keep from scalding.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool, add vanilla. Pour into an airtight glass container or a squeeze bottle and keep refrigerated.

To make chocolate milk, use at least 1 tablespoon of syrup for every 8 ounces of milk, adding more to taste.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups. 

My best advice to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight

Click the image to make it large enough to read. 

Sorry, most of my posts are for yummy food, but I see a lot of people posting on fb about their weight right now. Sure, I am no expert, but who would you rather listen to for advice on being thin? Someone thin or someone who is trying to lose weight? Its a lifestyle. Its not a diet.  If you are happy in your frame, read no further, but if deep down, you are struggling with your changing body...I have a little advice. Portion size!

I read tons of nutrition books, and well..I am "skinny" as people like to say..I say fit...I mean...there are a lot of complaints made by not so thin people about thin people, but they are all trying to achieve a smaller size.  Media doesn't lie...sex sells and lets face it..most magazines have thin built models, 90 percent of actors and actresses in movies and on tv are thin...news people are thin.  No one said rail thin...I am talking about normal thin.  Lets not exaggerate it and claim that you are either fat or anorexic for crying out loud.  There is a healthy build for every frame and you know deep down if you are there or not.  So don't cut down the ones who are by claiming they are TOO skinny...we fit people don't call you thick people, fat..so don't call us too skinny.

I don't own a scale.  I judge my weight by my jeans. When they start to get snug, I am over eating. Your clothes don't lie.  No little demon is sewing them smaller.  Wearing yoga pants is so relaxing...but its also hard to tell if you are gaining weight, so do not live in yoga pants or sweats or spandex...you will not realize when you are gaining weight. I over eat when I go out on occasion...when I calculated my calories the other day after eating at chili's , I nearly died. And I only ate half of my meal. My jeans are getting snug and that is putting me back on track. I won't buy new jeans..my goal is to die in my current size (hopefully many years from now lol)

I try to eat as healthy as I can..I always say...80/20.  80 percent healthy foods, and give yourself that 20 percent favorite indulgences or you will go insane!!!  Eat what you want..but eat only a serving of it.

My best advice is...everything in moderation.  KNOW WHAT IS A SERVING!  We Americans do not know what a serving is.  I go to restaurants and can get two or three meals from one dinner entree.  I do just that. I always take half of my food home.  Always!  Use everyday items to judge your servings. Here is a nice little chart of ideas on how to determine servings.  ONE egg is a serving..how many do you eat for breakfast..be honest..I eat two...I am over eating by double!  I have been going back to eating one egg,  on a bed of produce (lettuce, parsley, basil etc) and with a serving of fruit.  I have an orange for second break at work now instead of a candy bar.  That orange is so invigorating. It satisfies my sweet craving, my thirst, and gives me a burst of energy because well, have you ever smelled an orange..its a stimulating smell.

I know some of this looks insane..but its an honest serving. When have you ever scooped yourself a billiard size ball of pasta?  Well, that is a serving.  Crazy huh?  It wouldn't be crazy if it was how you were raised, but we Americans are raised to finish our food and in restaurants..that pasta entree is 4+ servings!  Did you finish that meal?  Teach yourself that its okay to be hungry.  You won't die.  Eat one serving and be done. Let it rest and soak in...eat small meals often and two to three hours before bedtime..stop eating.  If you are still hungry and can't help but need to eat more..make it a vegetable. You might feel better eating on your salad plates. I always eat off of a salad plate..the men in my house use the large plates and I use a salad plate.

Grains: Aim for 6-11 servings each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Bread	1 ounce (1 small slice, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 bun)	Index card
Cooked Grains	1/2 cup cooked oats, rice, pasta	Billiard ball
Dry cereal	1/2 cup flakes, puffed rice, shredded wheat	Billiard ball

Fruits and Vegetables: Aim 5-9 total servings each day. Choose fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Raw fruit	1/2 cup raw, canned, frozen fruit	Billiard ball
Dried fruit	1/4 cup raisins, prunes, apricots	An egg
Juice	6 oz 100% fruit or vegetable juice	Hockey puck
Raw vegetables	1 cup leafy greens, baby carrots	Baseball
Cooked vegetables	1/2 cup cooked broccoli, potatoes	Billiard ball

Meat and Beans: Aim for 2-3 servings each day. Choose lean meats and plant proteins whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Meat & Tofu	2-3 oz cooked beef, poultry, fish, tofu	Deck of cards
Beans	1/2 cup cooked beans, split peas, legumes	Billiard ball
Nuts & Seeds	2 Tbsp nuts, seeds, or nut butters	Ping pong ball

Dairy: Aim for 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Choose low- or non-fat products whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Cheese	1 ounce or 1 thin slice of cheese	A pair of dice
Milk	1 cup milk, yogurt, soy milk	Baseball

Fats & Oils: Eat fats and oils sparingly and in small portions. Choose heart-healthy fats whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Fat & Oil	1 tsp butter, margarine, oil	One die

  If you over eat one day, detox the next with all heatlhy foods. You can't go wrong eating lots of veggies!

They were talking on tv the other day about how a happy meal is an adult serving..yes, a happy meal is an adult serving!  Something I have always ordered. Sure I love a big mac...but I split it with my dog or husband or, I if I am not with them, I throw half away...yes, I am throwing half away..is it a crime?  Why should I force that on myself. I am not eating to get bigger...I cannot eat whole big mac..which may sound crazy to you, but its my lifestyle. So get that fast food..but get a happy meal or split a meal with someone.

There is my two cents..its not rocket science...eat ONE portion  and make sure you move!  Go ahead and eat that piece of cake...but just eat one..and then...get outside and do something physical.  Walk, run, bike, kayak, play tennis, hula hoop, go to the playground and play like you did when you were a kid.

30 Benefits of Hula Hooping