Lauren is the wife of one of my old co-workers who I became fast friends with (mainly virtually since they now live in St. Louis).  I’m happy to say that since she and Andrew moved away over a year ago, our blogs and common interests (including natural child birth, healthy eating/cooking, and many more) have kept us in regular contact.

If you read her blog, you will quickly see what an incredibly energetic, loving, fun, creative and thoughtful mom she is to her three ridiculously cute boys (see the little Crumb Bums below). Lauren, you truly make me look forward to being a mom one day. Thank you so much for sharing a piece of your life and bread with us this morning!

Healthy Snacks for Kids

With 3 boys under the age of 5, we go through our share of snacks around here. And though we occasionally indulge in some not-so-healthy munchies, there are so many healthy options that are just as easy that we can feel good about giving our boys. Not only are we nourishing little growing bodies, we are also responsible for culturing a taste for healthy, nourishing foods for when our kids are adults.

This past weekend, be made a super-healthy banana bread with chia powder (if you’re not familiar with the health benefits of chia, check out Annie’s past post about it!) and whole wheat flour. It’s texture is dense and sweet, perfect for an afternoon snack!
My four-year-old Milo helped me with this one!

Banana Bread with Chia Powder (Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, Flaxseed Banana Bread)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (you can use any flavor- this time we used banana mango)
3 ripe bananas (if you like yours less dense, omit one banana)
1/2 cup rolled oats, ground into flour
1/4 cup chia seeds, ground into flour (we used chia powder, but you can also use ground flaxseeds)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (bread flour works great too)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

How to:

• Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 5×9-inch bread pan

• In a mixing bowl, mash bananas.

• Add oil and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat well.

• Mix in yogurt.

• Grind rolled oats and chia seeds (or flaxseeds, if using)

• Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir with a whisk until combined.

• Add dry mixture to banana mixture and stir until just combined.

• Pour batter into bread pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

If you don’t have an hour or more to spare, here are some good quick snacks to whip up in no time for the youngins!

Avocado on whole wheat toast with sea salt
Sesame tahini on a honey rice cake
“Ants on a log” (celery filled with natural peanut butter, with raisins)
Apple slices to dip into almond butter mixed with honey and wheat germ
A cheese plate with grapes and crackers
Veggie sticks and hummus

Enjoy your snacking! ~Lauren

Here’s a glimpse of a few of my favorite gifts — my friends and family know me oh too well.

{Terra Essential’s Aroma Roll On in Pink Lotus}

{Coconut Shampoo by Desert Essence}

{Rich Shampoo with Hibiscus and Honey by LOVE & TOAST}

{birthday card made by my 8 year old nephew :)}

Happy weekend everyone!

CARROT + GRAPEFRUIT + GINGER

It is SO delicious! Even more delicious than I expected. And of course it’s super healthy — this combo is loaded with vitamin C and vitamin A. Perfect for the cold/flu season.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• 6 chopped carrots
• 2 chopped grapefruits (peeled of course)
• 1-2 inches fresh ginger (amount depends on how spicy you like it. I opt for 2 inches)

Photo Credit: Dylan T Price

1.  Avoid processed  sugar – I do this on a daily basis, but I REALLY do this when I feel a cold coming on since sugar weakens the immune system.

2.  Soak your feet – Another thing I pretty much do daily. It’s such a relaxing and detoxifying habit. I add some of my herb soak salts to very warm water and let my feet soak for about 10 minutes.

3.  Moisturize your feet – After a foot bath is the perfect time to put a therapeutic balm on your feet and some nice comfy socks.  Some of my favorite balms to use include Buddha Nose’s  I Booster Salve and Waxelene (“The Petroleum Jelly Alternative” with SO many uses). I notice I always sleep especially well when I do this before bed.

4.  Sleep well  – There’s nothing like high quality sleep to help you overcome a battle with a bug. I think the advise of 7-9 hours seems about right, but everyone is different.

5.  Consume lots of hot liquids – Green tea, plain hot water with fresh lemon juice and homemade chicken soup are my favorites.

6.  Eat garlic – I always love to eat garlic, but I definitely up the ante if I’m not feeling well. Garlic is nature’s antibiotic.

7.  Have some honey – Another superb natural germ fighter. Add a teaspoon to tea for a sore throat or a tablespoon to the juice of one lemon for a natural cough remedy (see previous post).

8.  Oil your nostrils – It sounds weird, but it’s an excellent way to keep germs out of your nose. To prevent your nasal passages from getting dry just put a little olive oil or sesame oil on a Q-tip/clean finger and coat the inside of your nostrils. This is an especially good practice before traveling on a plane.

9.  Keep the heat down – I am very big on not putting the heat too high during the winter because I hate how it makes my sinuses feel dry/stuffy.  I prefer putting on another layer of clothing before cranking the heat up to anything above the low 70s.

 I really hope these recommendations help you during cold season and throughout the year. Be well! :) ~Annie

So this morning I finally remembered to put a little cayenne pepper in my socks because of course, I had to see if it actually worked and how messy it was (it’s SO messy), etc before I recommended it to you. Well, I would definitely NOT recommend this. My feet are not even feeling a little bit warmer 1.5 hours after spicing up my socks, BUT the sole of my right foot is currently on fire.  And not in a warm, pleasant way. It feels like my foot just ate a way too spicy hot pepper.

{via}

Bottom line: I would keep the cayenne pepper out of your socks, but I would put it in your next stir fry or soup because it will help to get the circulation going and warm you up internally.

Ok, I gotta go, my right foot needs a glass of milk. This is bad news. Have a great weekend!

The list includes natural remedies like:

1. Ginger for muscle pain
2. Cloves for a toothache
3. Apple cider vinegar for heartburn (such a great one!)
4. Garlic for earaches
5. Cherries for joint pain and headaches
6. Fish for stomach troubles
7. Yogurt for PMS
8. Turmeric for chronic pain
9. Tomato juice for leg cramps

I can attest to trying most of these natural remedies and they really do work!

Some ingredients that are 100% on the NOT GOOD FOR YOU AT ALL list include artificial preservatives (like BHT & BHA), artificial colors (FD&C Red No. 40 or anything that looks similar to that) and artificial sweeteners (like acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose). These are all considered foreign invaders by the body and the liver in particular gets taxed the most when any of these artificial ingredients are consumed. Since the liver is typically busy doing normal detoxification of your system, which includes processing hormones and fat and more, you really don’t want to be giving this key organ any distracting and unnecessary work.

If you don’t already avoid these artificial offenders then getting them out of your diet is a fast and extremely beneficial change you can make today!

• a Body Scrub – add a spoonful of crushed Epsom salts to a palm full of body wash and exfoliate damp skin.

• to create Wavy Hair – mix a teaspoon of salts + a few drops of olive (or jojoba) oil + 1/4 cup H20 in a spritzer bottle and mist on damp hair.{via}

• Winter Decor – put a candle and “snow” (Epsom salt) in a pretty glass jar like this one below. {Photo Credit: The Inspired Room}

Cared for feet will carry you far:
Soaking the feet in warm salt water draws out toxins that build up in your feet.  These toxins are present not only because of gravity, but also because every nerve that touches every organ and passes through the body ends in the feet.  7,200 nerves per foot, to be precise.  Add reflexology, herbs and aromatic essential oils and the result will heal not only the overused feet, but also the total mind and body.

If you’re looking for a good foot soak, you can try one of these from the House of Steep line: Herb Soak Salts (made by me!)

Photo Credit: House of Steep

So to avoid a faded, animal-fat-laden shirt or pillow case (that’s where it really hits home  for me) you can opt for plant derived softeners like the Squeaky Green Dryer Cloths ($5.49) by Method. They use water-based technology (yes, these sheets are actually on the moist side) to infuse the dryer cloths with renewable, plant-based softeners.  Result: Clothes are soft and static free minus the fat and heavy scents.

I would especially recommend this swap for anyone with sensitive skin. Also, if you haven’t already, opt for a detergent that is fragrance free or at the least, naturally scented. I’ve spoken to many people who can’t pinpoint the source of their skin ailments and these switches can often provide a lot of relief.  Easily irritated by strong odors? You’re another great candidate for making these switches. But of course, everyone can benefit from these more natural options!