homemade nail oil

i am ditching nail polish.
i have come up with something better.

my nails have always been weak.

prone to splitting, peeling, and breaking.

a {toxic} strengthening polish

wasn't really making my nails more resilient,

just coating them in a strong layer of synthetics.

i am no longer willing to absorb those toxins

through my nail beds.

after some research & experimenting,

i'm ready to share

my homemade nourishing oil blend

that is actually making my nails stronger.

= nail oil recipe =

in an empty 5mL roller bottle,
combine these pure essential oils:

10 drops myrrh

5 drops frankincense

5 drops lemon

5 drops lavender

3 drops vetiver

top with these nutritious carrier oils:

jojoba

avocado

apricot kernel

almond

calendula

neem

pop the roller top in the bottle 
& shake to combine.

use a buffing block

to gently smooth out the surface,

then apply the oil 

and massage into nails & cuticles

throughout the day & at bedtime.

.................................................

results?

after a few weeks,

my nails are growing without breaking,

and the peeling is non-existent.

i'm ditching polish & not looking back.

♥

p.s. the essential oils i use can be found here.

bulk carrier oils can be found at the boise co-op.

summer favorite: asian slaw

such a delicious thing, asian slaw.

we welcome it back every summer.

it's as easy as one, two, three.

......................
◄one: brassicas►
......................

finely chopped chinese cabbage

+

finely chopped kale

+

grated kohlrabi

you could also use

broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts.

......................
◄two: asian dressing►
......................

2 cups canola oil

+

1 cup rice vinegar

+

1 cup tamari {soy sauce}

plus 

a little sesame oil

fresh garlic

dry mustard

salt & pepper

....................
◄three: extras►
......................

toasted sliced almonds

grated carrots

chopped sugar snap & snow peas

other ideas:

broken dry ramen noodles

toasted sesame seeds

fried tofu

chilled, raw, vegan deliciousness.

perfect for this heat.

♥

asian slaw posts of yore:
2010, 2012, 2014

all credit for this recipe & variations
goes to casey o'leary of earthly delights farm.
along with our weekly farm share,
her csa newsletter is full of great recipes.
love your farmer!

homemade tamari vinaigrette

{originally posted in 2010 here}

our very favorite salad dressing.

this is the recipe that dean,

missy's husband, taught me eons ago.

{dean is an organic farmer & grows lots of lettuce,

so naturally he makes incredible salad dressing}

the base:

2 cups organic canola oil

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup low-sodium tamari

add, more or less, to taste:

minced garlic {about 4 cloves}

dry mustard {about 1 Tablespoon}

salt & pepper {about ½ teaspoon each}

-----------------------------------------

perfect for csa salad season

 {csa week 2 via instagram}

learn more about earthly delights csa here.

♥

'the works' sauce {it's vegan!}

we're going vegan.

and this is my new vegan sauce.

i'm calling it 'the works'

after emily's favorite vegan wrap

at her local grocery in santa cruz.
emily has been vegan for almost a year,
so this recipe is dedicated to her.

'the works' sauce

makes 2 cups

combine all ingredients and blend until smooth:

1 cup cooked beans {save broth}

{cannellini beans, chickpeas, soybeans}

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini

1/8 cup tamari

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1 - 2 cloves garlic

1 tsp spike {seasoning blend}

note:
you can adjust the thickness of the sauce
by how much bean broth [bean juice?] you add.

this sauce is delicious on rice & beans.

make it 'the works' by adding

fresh spinach, purple cabbage, avocado,

salsa & cilantro.

serve in a bowl or in a tortilla.

yum!

it also makes a great creamy salad dressing.

tip:

to make this sauce regularly,

cook batches of chickpeas & soybeans,

combine them & freeze in 1 cup containers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

interested in why we're going vegan?

watch this documentary:

{also here}

{it's on netflix right now}

♥

zucchini crust pizza {gluten free!}

we have lots of zucchini this time of year.

such a blessing.

and thanks to abby,

i just learned how to turn it into pizza crust.

this is a game changer.

the crust is grated zucchini

with most of the water wrung out

with an egg and a 'flour' and spices.

i consider this less of a new recipe

and more of a new skill,

but here's the recipe abby found:

{keep in mind i didn't measure anything & it turned out great}

zucchini crust pizza

2 cups grated zucchini

1 egg

1 T oil

garlic

3/4 - 1 cup almond flour 

{↑ you could use any flour}

oregano

salt & pepper

---------------------------------------

preheat oven to 400°

put the grated zucchini in a colander.

salt it & allow to 'sweat' for a bit.

then gather it into a clean towel

and literally wring the water out.

in a large bowl,

combine zucchini, egg, oil, garlic,

almond flour, oregano, s&p.

mix until a 'dough ball' forms.

on a baking sheet lined with parchment,

use your hands

to flatten out the dough ball,

pressing it into the shape you want.

i pressed mine quite thin.

bake it for about 20 minutes,

or until the edges & bottom are golden.

at this point, i flipped mine over

and baked for about 5 more minutes

to get it nice & toasty on both sides.

note: a nice step,

but leave it out if you're pressed for time.

remove it from the oven

and add your toppings.

we used homemade tomato sauce

fresh basil & grated parmesan.

{fresh mozzarella would be incredible}

pop it back in the oven for a few minutes

but keep a close eye so it doesn't burn.

this was so good that

i immediately made a second one.

the 'crust' alone is so delicious:

soft & 'doughy' but with crispy edges.

it is the best gluten-free 'bread' i've eaten.

it could be used as flatbread in any recipe

or served alongside hummus.

next, i'm going to try a sage butter version.

♥

homemade granola

today, i made a big batch

of really delicious granola.

it's so easy,

and so much more affordable

than even granola from the bulk bins.

i read through these granola recipes:

the kitchn

3191

analog beauty

smitten kitchen

lucid food

then adapted the batch to our tastes

and what we had on hand.

my ingredients
dry:

4 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 cups chopped pecans

2 cups sliced almonds

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

couple pinches of salt

-----------------------------------------

wet:

3/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons vanilla

--------------------------------------------------

add about halfway through baking:

1/2 cup shredded coconut {sweetened}

1/2 cup shredded coconut {unsweetened}

--------------------------------------------------

add at the end of baking

{bake just a few minutes}:

2 cups golden raisins

my method

preheat oven to 250°

in a big roasting pan,

mix dry ingredients,

then add wet ingredients.

bake for 30 minutes to an hour

stirring often {every 10 minutes},

watching for browning,

& testing as you go.

my 'test' is to scoop out a small spoonful,

then allow to cool.

once the granola is crunchy when cool,

it's done.

store in an airtight container.

♥

frozen chocolate peanut butter pie

marian requested this pie

for her birthday last month.

it's the same one i made for her 2 years ago.

super easy & super delicious.

frozen chocolate peanut butter pie

ingredients:

graham cracker crust

6 ounces dark chocolate {plus more for garnish}

2 cups whipping cream

one 8 oz package cream cheese

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

chopped peanuts

chocolate sauce for garnish

directions:

in a small pot, melt together the 6 ounces dark chocolate and 1/2 cup whipping cream.  stir until just melted and no lumps remain, remove from heat.  pour into your crust shell and allow to cool as you make the next layer.

in a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup whipping cream, softened cream cheese, peanut butter and brown sugar.  mix until light and fluffy.  add in vanilla and the remaining 1 1/4 cup whipping cream and beat until peaks form.  spoon over the chocolate layer.  cover and freeze for several hours.  

allow your pie to slightly soften before serving.  sprinkle on more chocolate, chopped peanuts and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

♥

pretending zucchini is pasta

got a giant zucchini?  try this:

1. slice thin

i used a cheese plane.

note: this zucchini was huge - these slices were 1/3 the width.

2. boil in salted water

until just tender - 4 or 5 min.

3. spread with filling & roll 

homemade pesto - yum!

they were delicious!

we took them to the river & shared with friends.

perfect picnic food - no fork needed.

not all of the slices were roll-able.

for the bits & pieces that fell apart,

i just treated them like noodles

& mixed the pesto right in.

not quite as pretty, but still delicious.

these zucchini noodles - zoodles?

would be so good with chunky tomato sauce.

i want to use them to make lasagna.

such a great alternative

to dense, doughy noodles.

♥

blueberry lemon skillet cake

original recipe is here.

below is my adapted version.

2 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of sugar
zest and juice from 1 lemon {or 2}
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk
3/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups berries

put cast iron skillet in oven.  preheat oven to 400°

in large bowl combine: 
flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, lemon zest.

in smaller bowl combine: 
eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon juice. 

remove cast iron from oven.
melt coconut oil in hot skillet, swirl to coat. 

pour wet ingredients (including melted coconut oil)
into dry ingredients and gently fold.

when almost combined, fold in berries. 

pour batter into skillet and place in oven. 

bake for 30-40 minutes
or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. 

remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes. 

♥

earthly delights csa week 9

our share

magic garlic*

*makes your dreams come true!

green beans*

*yay!  green bean tacos: find the recipe ◄HERE►

kale

beets

summer squash

cucumbers

basil

weeds: amaranth &  lamb's quarters

chocolate mint

walla walla onion

♥

broccoli with cashews

i saved this recipe from simply organic,

a cookbook i checked out from the library years ago.

goes great with black bean burgers

& good barbecue potato chips.

broccoli with cashews

1 large bunch broccoli

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup raisins

salt & pepper

directions

cut broccoli into florets.

blanch in boiling water 3 - 5 minutes.

then plunge into ice water to stop cooking.

mix mayo, vinegar, sugar, onion.

add broccoli , cashews, raisins.

mix well & season with salt & pepper.

notes:

i didn't measure & it still turned out great.

also, i didn't have red wine vinegar,

so i used balsamic & apple cider vinegars.

♥