mint box mini oils

start with a cute, little box 

of trader joe's green tea mints.

{save them in another container.}

you'll need three 1/4 dram sample bottles,
and three 5/8 dram sample bottles.

fill with your favorite essential oils.
put them cap-to-cap for the best fit.

this would make a great holiday survival kit.

which six essential oils would you pick?

do you need to make one of these?
i can help you do it!

_________________________________________

i love helping people find solutions

using these pure botanicals

for things like:

better sleep,

pain relief,

emotional well-being,

digestive support,

preventing illness,

basic first-aid,

non-toxic cleaning,

and holiday survival.

they are amazing tools for wellness.

are you curious? let me know.

find more info here.

♥

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.

homemade beard oil

last month,

when my bearded brother jon was here,

we made beard oil.

what's that, you say?

what the heck is beard oil, and how does it work?

well...  here's a little huffpost article titled

what the heck is beard oil, and how does it work?

that might help.

here are the two recipes we created

for their aroma & therapeutic properties:

we used these labels.

'that smells nice' & 'that smells better'

on one side of each bottle {since we made two},

and 'beard oil' on the other.

here's a little how-to video

keep those beards {and the skin beneath them} conditioned & smelling nice.

check out the oils i use here.

♥

green smoothie

i am not a fan of new year's resolutions.

however, they'll be here in three short weeks.

dodge a few by starting some good habits today.

green smoothies are a great first step.

a green smoothie is not only good for you,

it actually crowds out things

that are not so good for you.

give that some thought...

my formula follows this one,

but i've simplified the whole thing

to look like this:

below are the details...

step one:

coconut water - 12 oz

greens - loosely fill the blender

step two:

celery - 2 stalks

cucumber - 1 whole, peeled

pear - 1 whole, cored

step three:

lemon juice - of 1 lemon

banana - 1 very ripe, peeled

avocado - 1 peeled, seeded

optional:

cilantro

{love you, shawn}

add the ingredients for each step,

then blend.

add the ingredients for the next step,

then blend.

when i pour mine into a glass,

i add a couple drops of lemon essential oil

if you've never tried a green smoothie,

now is your chance.

the taste will surprise you ~ it's sweet & mild.

and if you already love green smoothies,

let this be a reminder to break out your blender.

drink, be well, & be merry.

♥

rosemary cashews

make a batch of rosemary cashews
for your next holiday party
...they are perfect with cocktails...

make extra to share with your friends.

{teachers love them!}

~simple & delicious~

how to:

preheat oven to 350°

spread 1 lb. roasted, salted cashews 

on a baking sheet & heat for 8 - 10 minutes.

pour hot cashews into a large bowl.

stir to add:

a drizzle of olive oil

2 drops rosemary essential oil

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

a little cayenne {¼ to 1 tsp}

1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary

salt to taste

these are irresistible right out of the oven,

but you can let them cool 

& package in mason jars for giving.

♥

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.

♥