headache remedy

You will need

-15-20 drops of peppermint oil
-10 drops of lavender oil
-2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil
-1/4 cup Shea nut oil
-1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
-2 tablespoons beeswax pastilles/grated beeswax

Directions

Making your roots balm is easy, and takes around 20 minutes from start to finish. In a double boiler over medium heat melt ¼ cup of Shea nut oil, 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil, and 2 tablespoons of beeswax pastilles or grated beeswax together.

Turn off the heat when thoroughly blended, and add 20 drops of peppermint oil, 10 drops of lavender oil, and 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil. Pour into a small container with a tightly fitting lid, and let cool and solidify.

Massage a bit onto your temples, back of neck, the pressure point between the thumb and forefinger, or anywhere that needs some soothing when you feel tense or a headache coming on. Breathe deeply.

http://everydayroots.com/soothing-roots-balm

You should only use essential oils that are are guaranteed to be 100% pure and natural and free of synthetic compounds or contaminates. That are subjected to rigorous mass spectrometry and gas chromatography testing to ensure extract composition and activity. 

If you are interested in purchasing oils or learning about essential oils and how to incorporate them into your quest for a healthy life let me know, I'll be glad to share.

jamietaina@gmail.com

**ask me how to save 20% or more on the best essential oils available**

Tostones - two ways

Tostones - two ways

Baked:
2 large green plantains
cooking spray/oil
kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking sheet with oil.

Trim the ends off the plantains. Score each plantain along two sides deep enough to cut through the skins.
Microwave the plantains until they become soft in the center. For 2 plantains this will take about 6 to 6 1/2 minutes. For 1 plantain, about 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, depending on your microwave. The skins will become black.
Peel the plantains and cut them into 3/4 inch thick slices while hot. You should get about 12 per plantain.  Smash the hot plantains (this needs to be done while hot)
Place them on the prepared baking sheet and generously spray with oil, season with salt and bake until golden on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn and bake on the other side until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Season with more salt and eat right away, while hot.

Fast refried beans in the pressure cooker

1 lb dry pinto beans or 1/2 lb dry pinto beans and 1/2 lb black beans
8 cups water (or substitute a can of chicken broth for the same amount of water for extra flavor)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2  tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1/4 tsp black pepper or 1 drop Black Pepper Essential Oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin or 1 drop Cumin Essential Oil
4 1/2 tsp oil (2 tsp of oil per cup of beans)

Rinse and sort through beans and pick out any broken, shriveled beans or rocks/ pieces of dirt. You can soak them overnight if you want. It will reduce the amount of cooking time to 25 min instead of 35. But this is the beauty of the pressure cooker. You don't have to soak the beans!

Heat oil in your pressure cooker. If you have an electric one, put it to the Saute option. If not, just heat it on the stove top. You need 4 1/2 tsp of oil. Oil is a necessary ingredient in pressure cooking beans because it helps prevent them from foaming and blocking your vent.

If you want your beans really authentic you should use lard for your oil. That is what real refried beans are made with. I happened to have some lard from some tortillas I made so I used half lard and half...

Saute your onions and garlic in the pressure cooker until the onions are translucent

Add spices. Did you notice there is no salt? You do not want to add salt when you are pressure cooking,  you add it after.

Add beans- it's best to only cook 1 lb at a time or depending on the size of your pressure cooker to never fill it more than 1/3 full.

Add water and chicken broth. I just dump my can of chicken broth into a 2 cup measurer and add water to fill since there isn't enough broth to make 2 cups.

Select High Pressure and 35 minutes and hit start. The machine will bring it to pressure then start the cooking time by itself. You don't need to do anything. Isn't technology amazing?

When the time is up, the pressure cooker will beep at you. You have 2 options when you pressure cook. A quick release method- you release all the pressure manually or natural pressure release- you wait for the temperature to drop normally and thereby dropping the pressure too. The type of food dictates which method you use. Beans call for the natural pressure release. Just wait until the pressure indicator drops. That usually takes 20-30 minutes. 

Drain your beans and use a potato masher to mash your beans up. You may want to reserve some of the liquid to add back it if you want them a little runnier. 

This is when you add in your salt. You'll want to do it to taste and probably more than you think. I used almost 1/2 Tbls. Refried beans are supposed to be salty, it's one of the things that make them taste good.

Sunscreen Bar

Sunscreen & Bug repellant Bar with Essential Oils (makes 12 bars)

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup shea butter
• 1 cup beeswax (add more for thicker consistency)
• 2 TBSP (or more) of pure Zinc Oxide
• Optional: 1 tsp Vitamin E oil to preserve.
• 20 drops Bug Repellant blend essential oil

Combine all ingredients (except zinc oxide) in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of water in it. 

Turn the burner on and bring water to a boil. 

Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth

Remove from heat and add the zinc oxide powder and  essential oils.

Gently stir by hand until essential oils are incorporated.

Pour into silicon baking cups. 

Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds.

(could be made in a baking pan & then cut into bars)

Store at room temperature or in the fridge or freezer for longer term storage.

Keep below 80 degrees or they will melt! 

Adjust coverage to your needs and be careful not to burn while determining how long you can spend in the sun.

To make just 3 bars:

2oz coconut oil

2oz shea butter

2oz beeswax

1.5 tsp zinc

5 drops Bug Repellant blend essential oil