Day: August 5, 2016

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In Season, in February

It’s February!! <3 <3 <3 For me, the first day of February means January is over. Woot! I’m not a fan of January. 1.) It’s winter. 2.) It’s cold. 3.) It’s dark really early. 4.) It’s winter. 🙂

With the start of February in Northern California, comes cherry blossoms. I also love seeing trees, plants, and bushes in my garden with little flower buds. Just this morning, I saw blossoms on my blueberry bushes! This fills me with happiness because homegrown blueberries = happiness in my world. 

Well, even though blueberries aren’t on the list, here is what is in season in February. What seasonal produce are you looking forward to? I’m enjoying mandarins and arugula.

Health & Hugs <3,

Katie

 

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Detoxing Armpits! Say what?!

I first switched to Tom’s of Maine deodorant when I was about 21 years old. It worked well for a few days and then I broke out in a crazy rash. I had avoid wearing deodorant or shaving for about a week. Boy, did I stink!! [I’m normally kind of a stinky person, or at least I was…]

Fast forward about ten years. I had given up the natural deodorant quest during my 20’s. But as we began eating healthier and being more mindful of the toxins under our control, I went back on my quest for a more natural deodorant. I tried basically every brand that Whole Foods sells, including Jason and Nourish. I also tried Primal Pit Paste. None of them worked for me and most of them gave me a rash. I finally settled on a few days of my Dove deodorant and then a few days of my natural deodorant.

Then a friend gave me a recipe for a homemade deodorant. It used essential oils, shea butter, and cocoa butter. It didn’t give me a rash like the others, but I didn’t like the way it smelled (ylang ylang, yuck!) nor did I feel “fresh”.

I kept using my rotational method, toxic deodorant for a few days, natural deodorant for a few days. Then came L-Day [lump discovery day]. On April 30th, 2014, I found a lump in my right breast. After I picked my crying self up off the bathroom floor and after calling my husband sobbing, I did two things. 1) I threw my conventional [aka toxic] deodorant in the trash and 2) I recycled any plastic food containers we had [we never heated food in the plastic containers, but I didn’t even want them near my salads anymore]. My reasoning behind this logic: if it’s not Cancer, this is a wake up call for you. You might get a second chance, don’t blow it. Well, it turned out that it was Cancer [more about that can be found here].

I resolved to use only “hippie” deodorant [as my husband calls it] from there on out. Stink or no stink.

About 10 months later, after I got my Young Living Essential Oil Starter Kit, one of the first things I decided to make was deodorant. I really liked the blend that I made and was quite happy with it. Until I went back to work. I went back to teaching after Cancer treatment [chemo, surgery, and radiation] and I noticed very quickly that I was really stinky. BY 10AM!!! I really hadn’t even done much by 10 am, but it didn’t matter. I stunk.

I remembered having seen a pin on Pinterest floating around about detoxing armpits. So I found the long since buried pin and decided to give it a try. I had nothing left to lose.

Often times, when switching from conventional deodorant to natural deodorant, people often complain that natural deodorants don’t work for them. That was me every time I tried to make the switch. Our sweat glands can get clogged with toxins, especially when using conventional deodorants with chemicals in them. When the sweat glands get blocked, the armpit is more odorous. Using a bentonite clay mixture can hel
p to clear the glands of the blockages and can prevent your armpits from stinking. Here is a link to the bentonite clay. Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing, 1 Pound. Here is the Pin from Wellness Mama.

Detox Recipe

1 T Bentonite Clay

1 T Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, 32 Ounce – 1 Pack

water, as needed for consistency

Mix all three ingredients together in a glass bowl with a non-metal spoon. It should be the consistency of a smooth paste. Apply to armpits and leave on for 5-20 minutes. Wash off with warm water and a washcloth.

This is a bit messy, FYI. I did this for 5 days in a row before bed. I would mix it up, apply to my armpits, put a towel on the couch, and watch TV while it dried. It did not irritate my skin, but I would suggest doing a test run on a small area of the skin first.

Deodorant Recipe

10 drops Young Living Lavender essential oil

10 drops Young Living Purification essential oil

10 drops Young Living Tea Tree essential oil

10 drops Young Living RC essential oil

5 drops Young Living Joy essential oil

5 drops Young Living Eucalyptus essential oil

Add all essential oils to a roller ball and fill with fractionated coconut oil (or your favorite carrier oil). Enjoy!

Hugs and Health <3,

Katie

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The 52 New Foods Challenge – Leeks

The 52 New Foods Challenge Food of the Week: Leeks

I’ve used leeks before in Potato Leek Soup (YUM!!) and instead of onions in a recipe, but I’ve never cooked them on their own before. Jennifer Tyler Lee has a recipe for “roasted leeks” and I made them and they were delish! I did use bacon grease instead of EVOO, which might have helped with the YUM factor.

Food Facts:

  • Good source of manganese, and vitamins k and c.
  • Leeks lose most of their nutritional value within a few days, so they should be cooked as soon as possible
  • The greenest part of the leek is often discarded, even though it has the most health benefits – save the tops to put in your home made broth!
  • Leeks are a member of the allium (lily) family and are related to garlic & onions
  • Alliums are known to have a cholesterol reducing effect
  • They have a milder and sweeter flavor than onions
  • Known for their ability to help fight off cold and flu viruses

From Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson, The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes by Jennifer Tyler Lee, and Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet
by Tonia Reinhard

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Breakfast Casserole

While visiting my Aunt Regina and Uncle John in Austin for our trip to South by Southwest in 2010, she made us a delicious breakfast casserole. Ever since then I’ve played with the recipe and made it my own.

First, I added MORE veggies to the original recipe, because, well, VEGGIES. Next, I began omitting the potatoes when we went Paleo. I’ve made it with several different meat options; just bacon, bacon and sausage, just sausage, or some leftover ham during the holidays. My latest version has no cheese since I’m avoiding most dairy. No matter which version you make, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. This is my current go-to version.

This is the perfect recipe for Sunday brunch, Christmas breakfast (our tradition), or to make ahead for quick-and-easy breakfasts for the week. While on The 21-Day Sugar Detox, this has been a great option for my husband and I. Let me know what you think!

This picture doesn’t do it justice. I’ll be updating the photo soon.

Breakfast Casserole

cleaneatingwithkatie
If you have a pot-luck or are entertaining some guests this breakfast casserole is perfect. You can use what veggies you have on hand or use your favorites instead. To make it more kid-friendly, reduce or omit the amount of green chilies and/or red pepper flakes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, casserole
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 12 eggs pasture-raised
  • 8 slices pasture-raised bacon cooked and chopped
  • 1 can diced green chilies
  • 2 bell peppers diced
  • 1 med onion diced
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients (add any or all of these to tweak the recipe)

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 large russet potato grated
  • ½ lb ground pork sausage cooked
  • 1 cup ham cooked and coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a 13″ x 9″ pan with oil of your choosing (I would use bacon fat reserved from cooking the bacon).
  • Sauté the bell peppers and onions in a skillet with the butter.
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble. Season with sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
  • Optional items: If using the optional items, layer the potatoes first and the cheese last, so it is on top. If using the ham and or sausage, layer them with the bacon.
  • In the baking dish, layer the bell peppers, onions, chili peppers, bacon, and then pour the egg scramble on top.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. 
Keyword breakfast casserole, casserole

Eggs are a good source of protein and healthy fat; often considered a “perfect food”. They are a good source of vitamins B12, B6, and D, riboflavin, choline, phosphorous, selenium, folic acid, pantothenic acid, iron, and omega-3s. It is important to choose pasture-raised, organic eggs because they are rich in the above nutrients, while factory-farmed eggs generally are not.

Green Bell Peppers are one of the most nutrient dense foods and are a great source of fiber. They are rich in vitamins C, K, B6, thiamin, folic acid, and also beta-carotene. They are great sources of phytonutrients. Green bell peppers help prevent against cataracts, prevent blood clots, which reduces risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Onions are a good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, and manganese. They are also rich in antioxidants, particularly quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, which all play a role in cancer prevention. Onions also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.