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

Count your Blessings

Count your Blessings

Blessings Jar printable label

Steps:

Print it. Attach to a jar / can / box

Put it somewhere you will see every day.

Every day at dinner or before bed write a note with one or more of these: things that went well, blessings, something that you are grateful for, something that made you smile,..

Pick a date to open all the notes and read them. Thanksgiving Day, New Years Eve. Or any day that you are feeling blah, or every day.

There are 2 labels on purpose, make one for you and give one away.

Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder)Recipe

Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder)Recipe

8-10 lbs. pork shoulder (Pernil)

12 garlic cloves

1 tsp. ground black pepper

3 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP vinegar

1 Tbsp crushed orégano

1 tsp salt for EACH pound of meat

Start by pre-heating your oven to 350º. Wash the pernil in cold water. Make stabs (about 1 inch wide) so you can put the paste like mixture in them. Sprinkle adobo to your taste and set aside. (For a better flavor, season the night before.) Peel all the garlic, dust off your pilón and mash the garlic to make a paste. Add the orégano and pepper, After the garlic, orégano and pepper are well mixed, add the olive oil and stir with a spoon to make a paste like mixture. Place 1 teaspoon of the paste mixture into each hole of the pernil. Cover the bottom of the baking pan with aluminum foil and place the pernil on top.

Cover the pernil well with aluminum foil so it will come out juicy, not dry. Bake for 4 to 5 hours at 350º, depending on your oven. Uncover for the last 15-20 minutes on a high setting for some crunchy "chicharrón" skin.

OR put in the crockpot for 8 hours :) and foggetaboutit

http://www.elcolmadito.com/USRecetasDetaile.asp?Numero=515

Egg-free, Dairy-Free Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog) with Essential Oils

Egg-free, Dairy-Free Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog) with Essential Oils

Makes about 3 cups

2 cups coconut milk

1 can cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez or Thai

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

1-2 drops cinnamon essential oil

1-2 drops clove essential oil

Sugar or sweetener to taste

Splash vanilla extract

White rum, such as Bacardi (optional)

1. Combine coconut milk, cream of coconut, sweetener, cinnamon oil, nutmeg, and clove oil in a blender and blend for about 2 minutes. 

Separate out the non-alcoholic servings and add rum to the rest; blend for another 30 seconds. Serve over ice. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. gets thinker the longer it sits in the fridge.

Adapted from: http://onehungrymama.com/2013/12/coquito-dairy-free-and-totally-delicious/#sthash.Uf5QfYa2.dpuf

Guineitos en escabeche

Guineitos en escabeche

Green Bananas in Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 cups milk (or milk substitute)

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

4 pounds unpeeled unripe (green) bananas,

halved crosswise (do not peel)

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1-2/3 cups light olive oil

1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

4 bay leaves

optional 1 onion diced
4 garlic cloves chopped

In a soup kettle or large pot,bring the milk and water to a boil.Add the salt and bananas Bring to a boil again,then reduce the heat and simmer until the bananas are cooked but firm,20 to 25 minutes.

Drain and peel the bananas, and cut them into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

In a large nonreactive bowl,mix the vinegar with the black pepper.Wisk in oil. Add the olives, bay leaves, garlic, onions and bananas and toss well. Let stand at room temperature

for at least 1 hour before serving.

This dish can be refrigerated.

http://www.elcolmadito.com/USRecetasDetaile.asp?Numero=374
http://sazonboricua.com/guineitos-en-escabeche/

Arroz con Dulce with powerful Essential Oils

Arroz con Dulce with powerful Essential Oils

Sweet Rice Pudding

4 cups water

1 teaspoonful salt

2 drops of Clove essential oil (or 1 teaspoonful cloves)

2 drops of Ginger essential oil (or 1 tablespoonful crushed fresh ginger)
1-2 drops of Cinnamon essential oil (or ground cinnamon to taste)

1 14-oz can coconut cream

1 cup regular, uncooked, short-grain rice

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoonful coconut oil

1/2 cup raisins

For best results, soak rice in water for about two hours prior to cooking. then drain.

Add the salt, coconut cream, sugar and oil to three cups of water in a deep sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, Cook covered over medium-low heat for about twenty minutes. Add the oils and optional raisins and blend in. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the rice has absorbed all the water (about fifteen more minutes).

Cooking times vary depending on your climate and elevation from sea level. Don't worry: this recipe is very forgiving of cooking lapses. Just don't overcook!

Pour into a square or rectangular dish about one inch high and allow to cool. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on the pudding and cut in two-inch squares for your diners.

It is equally enjoyable after refrigeration. It will keep for several days, well covered in the refrigerator.

Serves 4 (I quadrupled the recipe for Christmas Eve)

adapted from:

http://www.elcolmadito.com/USRecetasDetaile.asp?Numero=182

The antidote to anxiety is adoration

"Anxiety can wear anger's mask. Fear of failing, of falling, of falling behind, it can make us fierce." "The answer to anxiety is the adoration of Christ." -Ann Voskamp

Everyone Poops

After watching a hilarious commercial for an actual product and hearing the words "essential oils" I decided I had everything I needed and could try my hand at making something similar. It's kinda food related, and all natural, so why not?

Ingredients:

2 oz water

5 drops clove oil

5 drops geranium

5 drops lemon oil

1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Put it all in a 2 oz. travel sized spray bottle. (Or double or quadruple the recipe and make it family sized, or maybe you need to use it a lot. I won't tell anyone)

Keep one in the bathroom and one in your purse - to go (get it? to go!)

Use:

• Shake the spray bottle to distribute the oils in the water

• spray the toilet bowl/water surface  - 4 spritzes should do

• the oils float on the surface of the water coating anything that drops in

• sit and do your business

• flush

• pretend nothing ever happened!

for airborne smells (farts), spray sparingly in the air, not too much so the oil doesnt accumulate on the floor making it slippery.

In the words of one of my favorite t-shirts... 

Everyone Poops

You can change the oils to whatever you want. Next one I will make with Tea Tree, Rosemary and Lavender

Let me know if it works for you :)

Back to school mom's lunch

I had a last minute lunch with a few of my favorite ladies on the first day of THEIR kids going back to school!

Back to school day brings back bittersweet memories for me.  For a while it was exciting, but stressful when they were little.  Sticking to the school's schedule and demands for my kids' and my time was painful, 2nd grade homework and drama drove me insane, and the almost immediate labeling of kids as learning or behaviorally challenged rubbed me the wrong way. But then we home schooled for quite a few years.  It was stressful in a different way, but so much more relaxed and low key and playful and freeing, So then back to school day was awesome, we started when we wanted, stayed in our PJ's most of the time, went to the library, to the park, played, read, read, and read some more. The later high school years came and it was stressful again sticking to someone else's schedule for their days but in the end it was all for good because they made awesome friendships and had experiences that to this day we are all grateful for.
So, even though my kids are not going back to school on this day, lots of people that I care for are going through all these emotions and experiences in their own ways so I decided to just have a little lunch and I raided the garden and came up with all kinds of yummyness.

Cucumber cups with Tzatziki sauce and a friend brought pickled blackberries (yum!)
Bruschetta
Grrilled eggplants and tomatoes
raw zucchini noodles
chicken with dairy free faux pesto sauce (with a secreted ingredient instead of parmesan)
garden fresh watermelon
gluten free bread cut in cubes and broiled with olive oil, garlic & basil

I work on getting the recipes up soon.

9 FREE Kindle books today 8-13-13

9 FREE books today only 8-13-13

**Make sure they are still FREE before you click buy**

If you see a free Kindle book that you want then get it as soon as you can.

Prices often change and it's difficult to tell how long the book will remain free.

When downloading a free Kindle book on Amazon

verify that the book is still free by making sure the price is $0.00.

If it lists a price or says "read for free" or has a price for prime members

the book is not free anymore.

Easy Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Recipes (Gluttony of Gluten-Free)

The Gluten-Free Dessert Bible (Gluttony of Gluten-Free)

Boxed Set 1 Carrier Oils Guide

The Homemade Medicine Book

Confessions of a Raging Perfectionist: Learning to Be Free

The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work

What's It Like to Be Married to Me?: And Other Dangerous Questions

25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles

PUPPY LOVE BUNDLE (New Dog Series)

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.

**ask me how to save 25% or more on the best essential oils available**

Fancy Tostones

Sorry about the lack of posts in the last two weeks. I got that new "phablet" I wanted and it's been fun setting it up just right and playing with it. Between working, having out of state family visiting for a week, and... somehow I've taken on a different little project. Helping the local animal shelter get into the 21st century with some social media exposure. You can check them out on Facebook and www.petfinders.com
I got all OCD on that project and knocked it out, but I'm sure there's more to do, and I'll be like... "ooooh shiny!" and I'll disappear again.

Anyway, I still gotta eat so I still gotta cook. So here is one of last week's experiment.

TOSTONES! (toes-toe-ness)

What the heck is tostones you say?
Only pure natural gluten free deliciousness. Duh!

Normally I just peel and  cut up the very green plantains into 1 inch or so slanted rounds, but this time i decided to use my new spiral slicer.
I made little tangled mounds and fried them until golden for about a minute on each side in grape seed oil.

Added some salt and pepper and enjoyed their crunchy goodness with some pan fried fish and a baby spinach, cucumber, tomato salad fresh from the garden.

Did you know that you can get tostones instead of french fries at most fast food franchises in Puerto Rico? And they ARE your side of fries at most authentic restaurants on the island.
True Story.

now I'm hungry, and homesick

Early morning sendoff oatmeal (Gluten and Dairy Free)

We've had family visiting us for the last week. They are planning to leave early tomorrow morning at 5am, or so they say ;) So I'm planning to feed them a warm breakfast before they go, but that is too early to even think so out comes the trusty crockpot!
Ingredients
2 apples cored and chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar (or more to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon or 1 drop of Cinnamon Essential Oil
1dash of salt
3 cups gluten free rolled oats
3 cups coconut milk
3 cups water
Directions
Place the ingredients in your crockpot in the order listed.
Don't stir.
Set to cook on LOW for 8-9 hours.

The plan is;
Wake up.
Gobble it up.
I'll let you know how it goes.

8-11-13 update

It was way to early in the morning to remember to take a photo of the finished dish.

It was quite mushy and I personally like my oatmeal sweeter, but 6 out of 8 ate it and survived to tell the tale.

The bottom stuck and burnt a bit, but that was my fault, I should have used my other crockpot that actually has a High & Low setting, and maybe grease the bottom with either butter or coconut oil and cook it for 6-7 hours instead.

Grain free secret ingredient brownies (gluten free, dairy free, grain free)

I've been a little busy with work and with family visiting from out of state. I've made lots of (I hope) yummy food but there's been no time to blog. Today I wanted to whip up a quick dessert and remembered seeing a recipe for black bean brownies.  Here's my version.

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 ripe mashed bananas
2 tsp vanilla

optional
nuts, butterscotch chips or chocolate chips

Directions
Grease a baking dish with butter
In a high powered blender puree all of the ingredients until smooth.
Add optional chips or nuts
Pour batter into dish
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
They are done when the top is dry
and slightly cracked and the edges have pulled away from
the sides of the dish.

I didn't have any chocolate chips to mix in so after I cooked this I went to the store and got some butterscotch chips. I sprinkled about half a cup on top of the still warm brownies in the pan and stick the whole thing in the microwave for 90 seconds. I spread the butterscotch goo all over and then cut them into squares.
Yum!

Nobody could guess
the secret ingredient and they were declared delicious both at home and art work. Win!

Zucchini Pasta

A couple of weeks ago a reader suggested this strange contraption to me. "A Paderno World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable"


Here's the description: It's a "spiral vegetable slicer that cuts vegetables and fruits into curly, ribbon-like slices. By placing the vegetable or fruit on the prongs of the wheel and turning the wheel while pushing the base toward the vertical julienne blade, continuous spiral strands."

Since I am always on the lookout for grain free tasty foods, I knew I just had to have it.  Sure, I could have done something similar with a vegetable peeler or a lemon zester, but this contraption is so cool.  And since I still insist on cooking for an army, even though it's just 2 of us for dinner most of the time, oh who needs to think logically... I wanted it and I got it OK? ;)

Pretty self explanatory right out of the box. 

Prep your vegetable

stick it on the pokey prongs

push it towards the blade and the other pokey tube thingy...

crank it and keep going until your veggie runs out and you have a mountain of "noodles"

this is the final result

I sprinkled the noodles with salt and let them sit in a colander for a while to make them sweat out the extra liquid in them.  

They are delicious enough raw, cover them with your favorite sauce or seasonings and go to town. Or you can sautee them and add some fresh basil pesto like I did  here:

Heat up some olive oil and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Put your pesto on that and let it melt. Toss and devour.  Go ahead, have seconds.  I did.  I ate that whole thing, it was sooo good!

That whole large zucchini raw is about 50 calories

Sauteed in 1 TBSP olive oil makes it about 170 calories

You are welcome!

I wonder what I can shred/noodle/slice/curlyQ next?

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. www.mydoterra.com/jamiedelgado1

**ask me how to save 25% or more on the best essential oils available**