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Showing posts with the label antioxidant

DIY Witch Hazel Pore Minimizing Toner

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Making your own beauty products can be healthier, less expensive and often, satisfying to make. Toner's and masks are a simple way to change over to DIY and more natural products. I started making my own lotions, moisturizers, toners and masks quite some time ago. Believe me, there were some failed attempts before I had the techniques and recipes right. This toner is great for all skin types, inexpensive and easy to make and can have a few variations to suit your skin's needs. Clicking on the highlights will open a new window with more information or where to buy. Basic Witch Hazel Toner 1/3 cup Witch Hazel (find in most drug/grocery stores. Check in first aid section) 1/2 cup water 2 Tbs lemon juice  Options to customize the basic Toner: Oily or Acne Prone skin: 2 Tbs Rubbing Alcohol  5-10 drops Tea Tree Oil The rubbing alcohol will have a drying effect on the skin and can be omitted or reduced if  it is leaving your skin too dry. Tea Tree oil ...

Blueberry Chia Oatmeal, and a Moment of Brilliance

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I'm assuming you've heard Chia seeds, it's nearly impossible not to. My first experience with Chia was as a pet. As long as I can remember as soon as the holidays roll around the commercials start (Ch, Ch, Ch, Chia is echoing in my head right now). The drug stores and mega marts stock their shelves with the latest offering of magically growing friends. I can't help but to think of the awkward looking sheep like Chia Pet I got one year. Smearing the tiny slimy seeds then waiting for it to sprout and grow and turn into a bright green coat for that little naked sheep. Now we eat them? Who knew all those years we should have been eating instead of sculpting them in to pop culture topiary! High in Omega-3, flavorless and high on the food trend radar, these little buggers are everywhere. I've taken to sprinkling them in my morning oatmeal. The flavor is largely unchanged, the little slimy balls are nearly unnoticeable and an easy addition to my routine; however I ofte...

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Eat What You Grow, Kale Chop Salad

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Kale is the hot new super food. Not only is it super easy to grow, but it's very versatile too. Recipes are all over the web for green smoothies, salads, sautes and soups. In our house the favorite way to add some extra vitamin punch from Kale is in salads. Our favorite Kale salad has most of the ingredients growing in our back yard; kale, romaine, carrot, tomato and cabbage. A few posts back,  I talked about growing kale as an easy winter crop . Living in the desert we can grow a few things year round that others can't. By staggering plantings I can keep a fresh supply of salad greens all year. By changing up the ingredients to match what's on hand or to suit your taste, will keep the super food on your plate! Mixed Green, Blue Cheese and Bacon Chop Salad Use any combination: Kale ( find organic and Non-GMO seeds ) Romaine Nappa Cabbage Green cabbage Radicchio Red Cabbage Spinach Shredded Carrot Blue Cheese Dressing Blue Cheese crumbles Bacon, cooked a...

Get Your Greens! Kale for the Winter

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Photo from seedsnow.com Now is the time to start planing and planting a winter garden. Kale has become one of the super foods that everyone is interested in at the moment. Kale is a great container crop. Kale is full of antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein and  rich in calcium. SeedsNow.com  has sample packs of Blue Curled Scotch and three other varieties for only $.99 for approximately 50 seeds, larger packs for $4.99. The small packs are great for a patio garden, or a backyard garden like mine. Plant Kale in pots or in flower beds of summer's fading flowers now. Refresh beds with some fresh compost or manure, greens like this love high nitrogen! Kale is frost tolerant and most people think the frost or a snow fall improves the taste, making it sweeter. In warmer climates like mine in Arizona, plant Kale in a partly shady spot that wont get the hot afternoon sun. Shop the  entire selection of Non-GMO seeds at SeedsNow.com