Homemade Toothpaste

I'm sure many of you have heard that fluoride isn't that great for you. As a matter of fact, too much of it can actually be bad for your teeth. If you ever have some extra time, I'd suggest doing some research on the pros AND cons of fluoride. (This way I don't have to be the bad guy who starts a debate team. ;) haha) There is many recipes for making your own toothpaste but here is my most basic recipe. Continue reading after the recipe so you can learn the great benefits to this homemade toothpaste.

What you'll need:

• Organic Coconut Oil
• Baking soda
• Peppermint Essential oil (optional)

 

Directions:

Mix equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda. The amount you use just depends on how much you'd like to make. So lets just say, 3 tbsp of coconut oil and 3 tbsp of baking soda. Then add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to add some flavor.

When you let it sit out at room temperature, it should turn into a paste. Then scoop up the normal amount of toothpaste you would use and brush away!

 

 

 

 

Why Coconut Oil?

Organic Coconut oil has many health benefits. Literally too many to name. That would also be something great to do some research on. The reasons it is great for your teeth is it kills bacteria that causes gum diseases and cavities. It also protects your teeth and helps prevent tooth decay. The best part about using coconut oil for your teeth you ask? It whitens your teeth drastically!

 

Why Baking Soda?

Baking soda has been an old trick in the book to brush teeth for many many years. It's known to remove stains from your teeth if you're a coffee or tea drinker. It also removes plaque build up, helps prevent tooth decay, and best of all, freshens your breath.

 

 

So you're not interested in fully switching to homemade toothpaste? That's fine. But I'd highly recommend still using this mixture at least once a day in addition to your normal routine so that you can whiten your smile and give your teeth some extra protection! Please let me know if you tried this and what you thought about it.

 

Happy brushing! :D

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes W/ Peanut Butter Icing!

These cupcakes are only about 90% organic but I'm putting them on my blog because they are vegan and super yummy. These also aren't on the healthy side but it's about time I post something for those craving something chocolate flavored! :)

What you'll need:

(Cupcakes)

• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 Cup soy yogurt
• 3/4 Cup sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2/3 Almond Milk
• 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  1 Cup Flour
•  

(Icing)

• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 1/4 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

 

Directions:

With an electric blender beat oil, sugar, and yogurt on low speed until smooth. Then blend in vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Then add almond milk, cocoa powder, and flour and beat on low speed. Once it's mixed together mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Put 12 cupcake liners in the pan and give a little spray with cooking oil. Fill each cup about 1/2 full. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes.

 

 

 

While your cupcakes are cooling (allow about 20 minutes) make your yummy icing!

Mix wet ingredients with an electric blender. Then slowly add in powdered sugar. You can add more almond milk or powdered sugar to make the texture of your choice!

 

 

Spread on cupcakes and enjoy!

 

-For the peanut butter I use 1/2 crunchy and 1/2 smooth to give it some crunch but keep it smooth!

-If you're wanting more flavor, add mint extract to the batter instead of vanilla extract.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Organic Popsicles aka Coothies!

While browsing the Family Dollar Store I found a popsicle tray for a $1 that I had to have! Today my daughter and I decided to make fun yummy treats! I was thinking these would be AWESOME for an older baby who is teething. There is no added sugar or pointless ingredients, so I'd count this as a healthy treat. :) By the way, I said "aka Coothies" because that's what my daughter renamed them. She told me they were cold smoothies.. paused for a minute, and then shouted "COOTHIES!" haha <3

What you'll need: (all organic)

1. Popsicle tray
2. 5 large Strawberries
3. Hand full of Blueberries
4. 1 Banana
5. 4oz Yogurt (any flavor)
6. 1/2C water

Directions:

Blend everything together in a blender!

Poor mixture into tray.

Freeze for 4 hours.

Ta-Dah!

Tip: If they are stuck in the tray or the handle comes out but the popsicle doesn't, run it under luke warm water for a couple seconds. :)

Share and enjoy!



SHH! What they don't know won't hurt them. (smoothie recipe)

I made a post a while back about my daughter's favorite smoothie recipe. I got a lot of good feed back from it so I would like to post another one. The reason behind the title is because this smoothie has fruits AND veggies in it. My daughter is not a fan of veggies but when I hide them in a smoothie, she has NO idea. Mom- 1point. Toddler- 0point. haha
Sorry I didn't take a picture. It goes straight from the blender into my daughters cup and drank within 5 minutes. :p

Ingredients: (all organic)

1. 5 baby Carrots
2. 4 chunks of Broccoli
3. 5 med Strawberries
4. Hand full of Blueberries
5. 4oz yogurt
6. 1tbsp Peanut butter
7. splash of almond milk

Directions:

Do a rough chop on the carrots and broccoli,. -toss in blender.

Cut off tops of strawberries and cut the strawberries in half. -toss in blender.

Toss in the rest of the ingredients.

Blend on low for 10 seconds and then blend on high until well blended.

Add more almond milk if it's too thick.

ENJOY! And share with others. :)

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Another "healthy" treat?! Oh yes! I love coming up with easy, quick recipes. I also love sharing my creations with others. So please enjoy!

What you'll need: (all organic)

1. Apples
2. Honey
3. Rolled Oats
4. Cinnamon

Directions:

This recipe is so simple that there is no specific amount or measurements for any of the ingrediants! You can make as little or as much as you want. But I'll show you pictures step by step so you get a good idea on how much of everything I use.

I used 2 red apples. Washed, Cored, and sliced into medium slices.

Spray a little cooking spray on the bottom of your baking dish and lay the apple slices flat.
Drizzle the honey over the apples. I did 3 lines of honey per row of apples.

Then sprinkle on the oats and cinnamon. Be generous on the cinnamon!

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Allow to cool (just enough not to burn your mouth. You want to eat them warm!)

And this is what you'll get:

Enjoy and share with others!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

COOKIES! -People automatically assume because I feed my daughter 100% organic that she doesn't get any treats. Organic doesn't necessarily mean healthy foods. Although she does eat very healthy. Anyways, here is my spin on a "healthy" organic cookie.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Oven temp: 350 degrees

What you'll need: (all organic)

1. 2cups rolled oats.
2. 1/2cup peanut butter
3. 1/2cup honey
4. 1/4cup sunflower seeds
5. 1/4cup flax seeds
6. 2 eggs
7. 1tsp cinnamon
8. 1tsp oil
9. 1tsp vanilla extract

(You can substitute the seeds for other nuts or raisins, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix together oil, vanilla, and honey until well blended. Then add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add oats, peanut butter, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Then mix in sunflower seeds and flax seeds.

Grease baking pan. Spoon mixture onto pan and flatten and shape them into circles. They will not rise so you want to make them the size of a normal cookie. Bake for 6 minutes, flip them, and bake them for an additional 6 minutes. Allow to cool.

ENJOY! and share this with others. :)

Natural way to Clean/ Deodorize Garbage Disposal

I'll keep this sweet and simple. :)

Peel an orange. Take a hand full of small pieces of the skin and throw (or gently place) them in your sink drain containing a garbage disposal. Turn on your HOT water. Turn on your garbage disposal. Let it go for about 5 seconds and then turn GD and water off.

You will instantly smell the orange scent. It works amazing and it's natural/organic!

Don't forget to eat the orange!

Share and enjoy.

Homemade hair treatment!

I dye my hair often. And lets not even talk about when I was younger.. Needless to say, my hair wasn't too healthy. Store bought and salon treatments are too expensive and full of ingredients I can't even pronounce. Some are "all natural" but even then it's questionable. So I make my own! It might gross you out a little to play with eggs, but I promise you, your hair will look and feel so amazing. Not to mention, it will be healthy from natural vitamins and fats.

What you need:

1. 2 Egg Yolks
2. 1 tbs Olive Oil
3. 1 tsp Honey

Directions:

Seperate yolk from white. (read tips at bottom) Then beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the oil and honey and mix well. Comb dry hair. Massage into hair. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then wash your hair with your normal shampoo. Allow to air dry.

What the mixture looks like without water:

What it looks like in hair: (I had to add water)

Tips:

• To separate yolk from white, crack open the egg and open it just enough to let the whites fall out. Jumbling the egg back and forth between shells will help any extra whites loosen up and fall out.
• If your hair is longer than jaw length and/or super thick, you'll have to add hot water. The more water you add, it will get a bit harder to apply because the mixture will be runny. But as long as you don't mind making a little mess, it still does the same magic. :)

Benefits to this treatment:

Egg yolk adds protein to your hair, preventing breakage. It also makes your hair silky and soft.

 Olive oil nourishes, conditions, and improves the strength and elasticity of your hair.

Honey helps your hair hold in moister, therefore it helps your hair stay healthy and grow.

By the way, your hair doesn't have to be damaged in order to do this treatment. The health of my hair has been back on track for a few years now but I still love doing this treatment to give my hair a boost of love. haha

Also, as I mention and I'm sure you can see in the picture, my hair is dyed. This treatment does not fade or affect hair dye at all.

Enjoy and share with others!

Basic "All Purpose" Homemade Cleaner

I use absolutely no cleaners with chemicals in them. Some people think homemade cleaners don't get the job done. Did I mention I clean houses? No complaints from any of my clients! :) If you have baking soda and white vinegar, you can tackle some of the the hardest messes that some chemical cleaners can't even handle! I'll save some of the cleaning powers behind the baking soda and vinegar cleaner for other posts but for this one, I'll explain it as an all purpose cleaner.

What you need:

1. Baking Soda
2. Vinegar
3. Spray Bottle

Directions:

I don't measure anything when cleaning. I put the vinegar in the spray bottle. I sprinkle the baking soda on whatever I'm cleaning (counter tops, sinks, sticky mess, tubs, etc.) and then using the mist setting on the bottle, I spray only a couple sprays. The mixture will fizz and do it's magic. Allow it to sit for at least 3 minutes. Then wipe up with a clean dry rag. No need to rinse with water.

Enjoy your clean, chemical free house!

Don't forget to share with your friends!

Homemade Organic Vegan "Yogurt"

Did I really just use all those words in the same sentence? Oh yes I did! My daughter loves her some yogurt and we run out often. So I made up a homemade "yogurt" that she absolutely loves!

Ingredients: (all organic)

1. 1 Banana
2. 1-2 tbs Peanut/Almond Butter
3. Almond Milk (you can use cow milk if you want)
4. Pinch of Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Smash the banana with a spoon or fork. Add peanut or almond butter. Add cinnamon. Mix together. Slowly stir in your almond milk. You can add as much or little as you want. This will determine the amount you're making.

Tip:  If you want a larger amount, I suggest adding another banana or more peanut/almond butter so it doesn't get too runny from adding too much milk. 

And this is what you get! :

Enjoy and share with others!

Organic Baked Spinach Tater Tots

When my daughter started eating finger foods I found tater tots with spinach in them. They were organic and she absolutely loved them, but they still had more ingredients than what I prefer. So I started making my own. Super easy, very little ingredients, and it's a huge hit with the kids!

What you'll need:

1. 4 med potatoes
2. 1 C spinach
3. 1 tbsp flour
4. 1 tsp oil

Supplies: Peeler, Grater, Knife, Skillet, Baking sheet

Directions:

1.   Wash, Peal, and then shred the potatoes.

2.   Do a rough chop on the spinach. Over med heat pour 1 tsp of oil in skillet and mix in the spinach. Cook for approx. 2 minutes, until spinach is soft and dark green.

3.   In a bowl, mix together the potatoes, flour, and spinach.

4.   Form into balls (I do this over the sink so I can squeeze out some water from the potatoes) and place them on a greased baking sheet. (I used a splash of oil but cooking spray works too) and do a little oil/cooking spray on tops so they don't burn.

Cook at 385 degrees for 22-25 minutes. Flipping them half way through.

.This is how they should look. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Enjoy!

Quick & Easy Spinch Omelette

Trying to think of a quick and easy breakfast or lunch for your little one (or you)? I have the perfect recipe for you! With only a total of 3 ingredients and 5 minutes cooking time, this will be a go to meal!

Ingredients: (all organic)

1. 1 egg
2. hand full of Spinach
3. Tbsp oil
4. Cheese (optional)

Directions:

Warm up oil in skillet. Roughly chop the spinach leaves. Cook spinach leaves for about a minute so they get soft and turn dark green. Crack open the egg in the skillet and do a quick mix. Allow to cook a few minutes on one side and then flip. I added a little cheese (organic) on top as it finished cooking.

Enjoy and share with others! Thank you. :)

Homemade face scrub & mask

I absolutely love pampering myself when I get the opportunity.. And what's better than a face scrub and warm face mask?! Cheap ingredients and works better than the expensive chemical store bought stuff. :)

What you'll need for the face scrub:

1. 1 1/2 tbsp Epsom Salt
2. 2-3DROPS Warm water

Directions:

Mix 2 ingredients together and scrub your face. Rinse. That's it!

What you'll need for the face mask:

1. 1tsp Cinnamon
2. 1 1/2 tbsp Honey
3. Microwave

Directions:

Mix ingredients. Warm in microwave for 10-15 seconds. (Check the temp with your finger first. Honey gets hot fast. You don't want to burn your face!) Apply warm mixture on your face. I just use my fingers and layer it on. Allow it to cool down. (Maybe 3-5 minutes) Then rinse!

 

I promise your face will feel the smoothest you've ever felt it! Enjoy and share with others!

PS. Don't eat all the honey before it gets to your face. haha

A fun and simple DIY project

DIY projects are natural and organic to me because they come from the heart. Nothing is more exciting than making crafts from scratch. Not to mention, it's way cheaper than buying fancy decorations!

My daughter's 2nd birthday was this weekend and her theme was purple flowers. I wanted to make cute center pieces for cheap. So I headed off to the thrift store and found pretty (new) matching glasses and a bouquet of fake purple flowers. I spent a total of $2.50. I originally planned on putting some pretty river rocks in the glasses but I couldn't find many outside. So I turned to some craft grass I had laying around the house and some purple banner paper to add a little color. I snipped the flowers at different lengths and firmly pressed them down into the grass. They were a huge hit at her party and I promised to share this idea with others. Enjoy. :)