Soft Serve Ice Cream

People in my family keep coming up with allergies to one thing or another.  One of the latest is lactose intolerance.  Here's a recipe that satisfies the pickiest ice cream eater and also has no milk!

Milk-free Chocolate Soft Serve Ice Cream

Toss the ingredients into a high powered blender, blend, and serve.  Makes 2 servings of soft, smooth soft serve.

One banana broken into pieces and frozen
1/2 avocado
1 cup coconut milk
2 pitted dates

Chinese Chicken Ginger Soup

 

Had some fun with my iMovie today on my iPhone.  Totally made the video above and uploaded it to YouTube on my iPhone!  Amazing day overall.  One of my daughters was under the weather so I made her some of our favorite "cure-all" soup.  It's great for people with upset tummies because of the rice (easy to digest) and the ginger (soothing to the digestive system).  It's also great because it's chicken soup (age-old soothing food for a cold).  It takes about an hour to make and freezes well.  I freeze it in my soup bowls, then transfer the frozen soup to gallon freezer bags, label, then pull out the soup as needed.  Makes a great lunch to take to work!  I got this recipe (given in a conversation, now written recipe) from a friend of mine who is Chinese.  She brought this soup to me at work one day when I was sick and it was magical.  She told me how to make it and this is my version of the soup.  If anyone has the name in Chinese, I'd love for you to share.  

Basic recipe for Chicken Ginger soup

(remember you choose what is best to put in for each batch so it's different every time, but always FABULOUS)

Saute in oil (your choice):

1/2 (or more) finely chopped onion

1-3 cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)

Add and bring to simmering:

about a gallon of liquid (I use home made chicken broth whenever I can, but will substitute or add purchased broth as needed)

Add and simmer for 45-is minutes until the rice has flowered (I show this in the video)

3/4 cup rice (I like Jasmine rice)

Add to the rice/broth mixture:

1-4 cups chopped vegetables of your choice (such as carrots, mushrooms, green onions, summer squash, spinach, Chinese cabbage, pea pods, you get the picture - more for a thicker soup, less for a thinner soup)

Add at the end:

1-2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (or 1-2 drops ginger essential oil, making sure you are using a product that is safe to eat.  https://sites.google.com/site/goodforlife1/home

DIY Eye Make-up Remover

I use a re-purposed bottle to store my DIY make up remover.  I usually don't have the big paper stuck on the front but out of respect for the manufacturer (who makes terrific products and made the eye make up remover product that was originally in the bottle), I covered the label.  

I just put the ingredients into the bottle and shake before using (because the oil and water separate when it sits).  You can use any of your favorite carrier oils for the 2 Tablespoons oil (apricot, jojoba, almond, fractionated coconut oil, etc.).

This mixture works great and I know exactly what I'm putting on my face.  I don't use any essential oils in this product because I often wash my face after removing make up.  I save using essential oils for products that I will leave on my skin so I can soak in their goodness and enjoy the delicious aroma!  Check me out at https://sites.google.com/site/goodforlife1/home

Dance Like No One Is Watching!

One day you will know that things in your past are to be treasured.  Enjoy each day as it comes to you (I'm third from the right end) and dance like no one is watching!

DIY Fabulous Hair Products!

I keep working toward including more natural, simple products in my home.  I like to cook, so it is just natural that I would start concocting fun stuff for personal care.  Here is what I've been doing for my hair.  Pictured at left is a hair mask that I whipped up in the kitchen. I created a recipe page that is a "live" Google Doc.  If you visit this doc from time to time, you may find new additions to the recipes as I discover new ideas!  Feel free to share your ideas with me!  I am also a small business owner and you can support my by purchasing products from my web page (link is included on the recipe page).

Click here to view the recipes and complete directions

Happy Birthday Bear

This sweet, softly stuffed little bear was a birthday present in response to my granddaughter's request.   She loves the story Corduroy by Donn Freeman (an American classic).  I decided to make a little girl bear for her.  Click here for the pattern that I found online.  I decided to make her a little dress.  I created the little dress for her and included the pattern to download if you'd like to make it too.  I included some basic instructions with the pattern.  The bear pattern says that it's "easy" but I wouldn't venture this little bear unless you have some sewing experience.  I used 35 mm plastic joints and only stuffed her with poly fill.  I also sewed a wind up music box into the back of the bear (my "grandma trademark" for stuffed animals).

Basil Magic!

Basil grows fast and furious during hot weather so in Arizona, I get a lot of basil.  I hang it to dry (looks nice on the kitchen wall), I eat it like lettuce, wrap it around slices of cheese, make pizza, pesto, and whatever else takes basil and still have leftovers. Below, you can see one of 3 pickings that I brought in from my herb garden over the last several days.

Want to know how I keep my basil fresh? Click here for a printable "how to" with pictures.

Wheat Berry and Roasted Vegetable Salad

http://www.goodforlife1.com/

This is something I've been playing with.  If you store wheat, it's a great way to add the whole wheat berries right into your diet.  It's a chewy salad so it feels satisfying to eat.  You can add some legumes or nuts to create a meal with a complete protein.  I put about 9 cups of prepared raw veggies into the roasting pan for this batch.  I'm thinking they were so yummy, that next time, I'll put in 10-12 cups of the veggies or maybe reduce the wheat berries.  This makes enough to serve a crowd.  About 10-12 cups after you're done cooking.  Rule of thumb in my kitchen:  Do what you want and if it alters the recipe, then good for you!  Let me know how it turns out for you!  Also, feel free to follow me on Pinterest.  :)  Click on the photo for complete directions.

Grandma "Bessie" Shaw's Yellow Tomato Preserves

I got this recipe from Curly Grandma.  She told me that great grandma “Bessie” Shaw (Baldy Grandpa’s mother), would make this to brighten up a winter meal.  I make a batch of this up every year in memory of grandma Bessie.   I never knew her, but this recipe gives me a connection to her.  She was a small, but sturdy farmer’s wife in the harsh climate of Eastern Colorado.  They lived outside of Hugo, near the ranch where my mother grew up.
Click here for directions with pictures

Dryer Balls - a chemical free solution!

http://www.goodforlife1.com/ 

I've seen these around and finally decided to give them a try and here they are!  They look great on the dryer, reduce my drying time, reduce static cling, and I can add essential oils to make my laundry smell great.  I've been amazed at how much these little balls help.  They cost a bit to make but will last a long time while stylishly hanging out in your laundry room between loads!  
I also hang clothes on the line to reduce my electric bill.  I'll post a pattern for my clothes pin apron soon!  Click here to view the "how to" document with pictures.  Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Delicious Home-made whole wheat tortillas!  I had to mess around a bit to re-create the recipe I used before I moved to my new house.  These are easy to make, store well in the freezer or fridge.  I made them with fresh ground whole wheat, but you can use the flour that you have on hand.  If you have a wheat allergy, try something else and let me know how it works!  

I'm also experimenting with natural (home-made yeast).  I'll re-post when I have that recipe ready. Click here for the printable recipe with pictures included.

No-bake Cookies...Reinvented

We love these cookies!  The great thing is that the recipe can be played with, adding your own favorite seeds, nuts, or fruits.  It only takes 5 minutes to make from start to finish, which is great for summer "cooking".  I rested the cookies in the photo at left on a sprig of chocolate mint from my garden and they took on some of the mint flavor.  Very delicious!

Visit me at http://www.mydoterra.com/karensue/#/ to contact me or learn more about essential oils to enhance healthy living.

Stir together the following ingredients in a thick-bottomed pan.  Bring it to boiling and boil fro 2 minutes (not less or your cookies will be a bit runny).

3/4 cup organic coconut oil (I buy mine at the grocery store)
1 1/2 cups turbinado or "raw" sugar of your choice
2-3 tablespoons powdered cocoa
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons milk or milk alternative

Remove the pan from heat and mix in the following.

2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup of your favorite nuts, seeds, coconut or dried fruit
1 Tablespoon vanilla (or so...optional)
3-5 drops wild orange or other favorite citrus essential oil.

Drop mixture by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet (brushed with coconut oil).  Refrigerate to solidify cookies.  Keep refrigerated until they are all eaten (not long at my house but they will keep over a week and be fine).  I know that the sugar (even raw) is "bad" for us, but this recipe lessens the sting of traditional no bake cookies a bit.  Always remember that when eating desserts, moderation is a good thing.

Summer Quiche - one of my fresh garden favorites!

This is one of my favorite summer foods.  I make it once and it lasts several days.  Great cold or re-warmed.  It's a good food to bring to work for lunch too!

Click here for the recipe.

Count my blessings plaque. It's a "home run" gift that's easy to make!

This is an awesome idea for a grandmother gift!  My daughter made this from a purchased board.  She sanded the wood and used acrylic paint from our local craft store.  Small wire brads nailed on the labels then drilled small holes in small pieces of wood for the numbers.  She hung the wood numbers on partially hammered in brads so I could easily change out as the numbers of grand children change.  She gave me a small drawstring bag with additional numbers.  Easy to make and wonderful to hang on the wall!

Money-wise Laundry Room Makeover. Yay!

This was my first project in my new home.  Click here to view pictures of the project with helpful hints and tricks that I used to make this happen.  I'm no master of wood working, so this is something even the average amazing sista' can do!  If you find inspiration here, then please pin and share your work with me.  I always love to see what people are creating.  ~  Karen