Snow Cream Ice Cream!

Snow Cream is very popular if you have little ones. My 10-year-old recently asked for it as we are expecting 4-9 inches over the weekend. ❄️  We hope you enjoy!
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Luxe Beauty Serum

I've been using essential oils for several years now and have never made myself, at home, a truly "luxe" beauty serum. I've used frankincense + lavender before (these come in the popular starter kit), and I've added drops of frankincense to my existing moisturizer. I've also acquired a pre-made rose essential oils serum which is totally divine! If you have only ONE oil to choose from for a serum, use rose!

I'm forty so of course beauty regimens take a greater priority these days. The easier the routine, the better!

I did a little research in my essential oils reference guide and came up with this list of oils I have on hand that are very beneficial for helping reduce the appearance of fine lines and for brightening the skin. This is not an exhaustive list but gives you an excellent starting point.

Also, don't worry if you don't have all of these on hand. Feel free to experiment on your own and make adjustments. Remember, if you want to keep it simple and use one oil, go for rose! I wanted my recipe to be able to be used morning and night, so I left out any oils that could cause a sensitivity in the sun (citrus oils especially will have this affect).

Beauty Serum with Essential Oils

  • Frankincense
  • Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood
  • Lavender
  • Patchouli
  • Manuka
  • Blue Cypress
  • Geranium
  • Carrot Seed
  • Rose
I had several extra essential oil bottles I had cleaned, so I used a 15-ml bottle for my serum. The top is a metal roller ball fitment from Young Living which makes application to my face a breeze!


Recipe

To a 15-ml bottle, add the following ingredients:
  1. Frankincense (55 drops)
  2. Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood (40 drops)
  3. Lavender (30 drops) 
  4. Patchouli (25 drops)
  5. Manuka (20 drops)
  6. Blue Cypress (15 drops)
  7. Geranium (15 drops)
  8. Carrot Seed (15 drops)
  9. Rose (2 drops)
  10. V-6, jojoba, or avocado carrier oil (3-4 pumps of V-6)

How to Use

Wash and tone. Roll the serum on your face after toning. If you skip toning (which should come after cleansing), do it after cleansing. It might be just a night-time routine, or you may find your face needs the nourishment in the morning, too. Add moisturizer after the serum, or you may find that this is moisture enough! ENJOY this pampering. You deserve it!

Have you tried a serum like this? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!
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essential oil perfume,

Elderberry Syrup for Immune Function Support

Elderberry Syrup for Immune Function Support
Elderberry syrup can help the immune system halt enzymes that spread viruses in our body's cells! It can even decrease the severity of symptoms. I use 1 tablespoon a few times a week for "maintenance" and daily, several times a day if I have a cold or flu. Our children use 1 teaspoon.

I researched a few recipes and determined that you can't go too wrong; it's pretty hard to mess it up! ;)

You can prepare it on the stove or in a pressure cooker. I used an InstantPot so feel free to modify your process as necessary.


Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup dried black elderberries (about 3 ounces)
  • 3 1/2 cups of water
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh or dried ginger root
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves or clove powder
  • Orange Vitality essential oil
  • Thieves Vitality essential oil
  • 1 cup raw honey (we get from our local bee farmer; leave out for children under age 1)

Instructions

  1. Add elderberries, water, and all other ingredients except essential oils and honey to the pressure cooker pot and stir. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. When cooking is complete, use a natural release.
  2. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the pot’s contents into the strainer. Press on the elderberries to remove all of the juice. Discard the elderberries.
  3. Allow the juice to cool completely then whisk in 5 drops Orange essential oil ad ¾ cup honey. Add more honey to taste. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in mason jars with a pourable lid. Can also be frozen if longer storage is needed.
When you serve it, use 1 drop Thieves Vitality essential oil for family members who don't mind the additional "spicy" flavor. One friend uses about 20 drops in her cooled recipe when she is making a large batch (about 1 gallon). 


Orange and Thieves Vitality essential oils also many be beneficial for our immune systems. *

Orange Vitality essential oil includes the naturally occurring constituent limonene; Thieves Vitality essential oil is a blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils. It has a warm, spicy flavor that you'll love. Plus, the Eucalyptus Radiata essential oil in Thieves Vitality may help support respiratory health when taken internally.

Resources

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Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information that is provided is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Zucchini-Einkorn Wheat Breakfast Cookies

Zucchini-Einkorn Wheat Breakfast Cookies
These cookies are so delicious and nutrition-packed that you can get by with having them for a quick breakfast bite!

Fun variation: Substitute 1-2 drops each Cinnamon and Nutmeg Vitality essential oils for the powder. Use the essential oils in the wet mixture instead of the dry. Experiment with recipes until you find the right number of drops for your taste!

Ingredients

  • 1 heaping cup zucchini, finely grated
  • ⅓ c. oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ⅓ c. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1½ c. quick oats, divided
  • 1 cup Einkorn wheat flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ c. semi sweet chocolate chips (can substitute 1/2 c. dried wolfberries)
  • ½ c. chopped walnuts, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. If desired, blend one cup of oats and make oat flour.Mix together egg, oil and vanilla. Add brown sugar and mix again.
  3. Add blended and non blended quick oats, flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a mixing bowl. Mix together.
  4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Mix together until combined.
  5. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix.
  6. Add zucchini and gently mix together.
  7. Drop 1½ inch cookie balls on parchment lined baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 13-14 minutes.
Enjoy this deliciousness!

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Squash Puppies Recipe

I was thrilled to find this recipe! If you're anything like I am, you have loads of squash coming from your CSA, farmer market, or your own garden! These were a hit with they hubby who rarely touches a squash, and even my kids ate them without a big "ewwww, it's disgusting!" :)

The recipe is based on the one by Spicy Southern Kitchen. We ended up removing the cayenne and jalapeño, but only because we didn't have it on hand. Those would be yummy, too! I'll list below our modification.

Ingredients

  • 5 medium-sized yellow squash
  • ¾ cup self-rising yellow cornmeal— We found gluten free cornmeal and added a bit of baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour to make a "self-rising" version. This recipe does not need to be "exact" to succeed. :) 
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (You can easily substitute gluten-free flours if necessary.)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (we omitted and used 1 tablespoon chili powder)
  • ½ a medium sweet onion, minced (be sure to chop finely)
  • ½ a jalapeno, finely minced
  • 1-2 drops Black Pepper Vitality™ essential oil (Another option is to use black pepper but this happens to be a spice we don't keep in our house, and we love using essential oils in cooking, anyway.)
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Cooking oil (I used avocado)

Instructions

  1. Chop off ends of squash, cut in half lengthwise and then into 2-inch pieces. Place in a steamer basket and place basket in a pot over simmering water. Place a lid on the pot, turn heat to low and steam squash for 12-15 minutes or until squash is very tender.
  2. Place squash in a medium bowl and mash well with a fork. This ended up not working for me so I added water to my Vitamix and shredded it. This required additional draining time for the squash.
  3. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper essential oil, and chili powder.
  4. Mix together to bowl with squash, add onion, jalapeño, buttermilk, and egg. Mix together well.
  5. Add squash mixture to cornmeal mixture and stir just until blended.
  6. Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch in a deep cast iron skillet or a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into oil and fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt while still hot.
  7. It's quite possible you'll need to add 1/2 or so additional cornmeal if you ended up with excess squash or if the mixture is too wet. You want the batter slightly more liquid-y than pancake batter.
  8. Enjoy!
What about you? What are your favorite ways to use summer squash? Let me know in the comments! I'd love some more ideas!
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