Homemade Fruit Tea Recipes

I love fruit tea, preferring to create my own homemade fruit tea recipes, over those who you can find in most grocery stores, simply because most of them have either green or black tea. I am a purist when it comes to fruit teas. I like the recipes simple and easy, and adjustable. With small changes, like adding some spices like cinnamon or coconut flakes to the mix, you can create interesting flavor combinations without all of the unnecessary additives and fillers many commercial tea blends and mixes have.

Here is a great base recipe you can work from

250 grams of strawberries
Organic pears, apples and peaches – five each
10  organic oranges
10 organic lemons
2 sticks of lemon grass

Remove stems and seeds from the pears, apples, and peaches, cut all fruit and lemon grass in same size, small pieces
and place into a dehydrator. Dehydrate according to the manufacturers instructions.

Mix well and place into an sealed container, storing it for up to 6 months in a dry and cool place.

To prepare:

Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the tea mix into an infuser, reusable tea bag, or your favorite tea ball. Steep until desired
strength is reached, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the infuser, tea bag or tea ball, or strain. Sweeten with your favorite
sweetener.

Variations:

Add a half of cup of dried coconut flakes and a half of cup of dried pineapple to the mix for a Hawaiian flavor.

You can also add extra flavor like cinnamon, or ginger.

Add a handful each of your favorite dried berries to the mix, for a berry blend.

You can also skip the citrus and add a cup of dried hibiscus leaves to the mix instead.

 

Available on Amazon now!

I highly recommend this beautiful tea cup with enclosed infuser/strainer from Teaveli decorated with ancient Chinese symbols this pretty cup makes a perfect tea. I love the fact that it has a lid, which keeps the warmth of the water, while the tea is brewing. This cup is perfect for homemade fruit tea blends, or any green or black tea. It is dishwasher safe, microwavable, and comes with a saucer. Makes a great gift for birthdays, or just any day! Buy it on Amazon today!

Disclaimer: I have received this cup for free in return for an honest review.

Vegan Coconut-Curry Rice with Snap Peas

Curry, rice, and coconut are a inseparable stable in my kitchen, and especially when I am cooking vegan meals. With these simple ingredients, anyone can create a flavorful plant-based dish, that is healthy, filling and will satisfy even the
meat-eaters. I do not like bland food, and there is nothing bland about this quick, and cheap meal.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of rice (choose your favorite – for this dish I make it either with brown rice, or Basmati, depending on
what I have in the house)
3 cups of water
1/4 cup of raisins (optional)
1/2 cup of raw unsalted nuts (you can use walnuts, cashews or Almonds for this dish)
1 can of coconut milk
1 package (which is about two large handfuls of snap peas, trimmed)
curry powder, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare rice according to the direction on the package. Add the coconut milk, the snap peas, the raisins, nuts and
spices to a large pan, allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until the snappeas are tender. You can add as much curry powder
as you like, we like it a little bit more spicy, so we add more. It also depends on what curry you use.

Serve immediatly.

Enjoy!

As I mentioned on my facebook page, and previous blog posts, Creative Live is conducting a free 30 Day Genius interview series, It began today, with Mark Cuban, the owner of the Mavericks, Multi-Billionaire, and a member of the Shark Tank television show. Today, he spoke about passion, hustle, out-working and out-learning others. If you have not signed up for this free series, that you can watch anytime, you should do so now. The list of the upcoming geniuses, artists and creatives is extensive and includes the most prominent in their  field. And best of all – it is totally free!

This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:

Making Monday’s Marvelous

Amaze Me Mondays

Family Fun Blog Hop

Farm Girl Friday

No Rules Blog Hop

Inspire Me Wednesday

Let’s Talk Mommy Blog Hop

A to Z Challenge: Tea Leaf Reading Symbols – Letter K

—  The following post may contain affiliate links —

Do you know the origin of iced tea?  According to legend, Richard Blechynden, an enterprising English merchant, was put in charge of the tea pavilion during the St. Louis Fair, in 1904 . Unfortunately, in planning for the Fair, he never considered the potential impact of weather. When Mother Nature produced a blistering summer day, cups of hot tea were not a popular item with the fairgoers. Exhausted and desperate to showcase his product, Blechynden tried serving the tea cold in glasses filled with ice. The scheme was an instant success, and iced tea was born.

If you are a fan of iced tea, you should try this variation of the classic iced drink. Enjoy!

Refreshing Citrus Green Iced Tea

2 cups of prepared green tea 

3 tablespoons of honey or your favorite sweetener

500 ml (2 cups) of fresh squeezed Grapefruit juice 

A sprig of fresh lemon balm to garnish – if desired 

Ice cubes 

 

Sweeten the prepared green tea with honey, and allow to cool completely. Add the grapefruit juice to the tea in a large pitcher. Add ice cubes to 4 tall glasses, and fill with tea. Top with a little piece of lemon balm if desired. Serve immediately. A variation of this that works well is using orange juice instead of grapefruit. 

Let’s get back to our Tea Leaf Reading Dictionary! Today’s letter is the letter K!

Letter K:

Kettle: Health problems may be on the horizon. Also a sign of possible other trouble being on the way. Be cautious

Keyhole: You have someone untrustworthy around you. Watch your back

King on a Throne: Steadfastness, security, and overall peace. A sign that there is a potential promotion to a high value position in the works.

Knives: One knife indicates a sign of unpleasantness while multiple knives indicate deeper danger that needs to be watched out for. Not necessarily of the physical kind, this could also indicate a financial disaster or a personal one.

 

Vitamins (via Grapefruit juice)  are not only a good addition to teas, it is also a great addition to skin care. If you are looking for an effective eye gel containing Vitamin E, that is suitable for sensitive skin, check out Insta Natural Youth Express Eye Gel. While it is not an instant miracle product, it reduces puffiness around the eyes, after about 2 weeks of daily applications. It did not irritate my sensitive skin, and it is a cruelty-free product. I highly recommend Insta Natural’s Youth Express Eye Gel with Vitamin E, Plant Stem Cells and Jojoba Oils. Available on Amazon today!

Disclaimer: The Insta Natural Youth Express Eye Gel was given to me for free in return for an honest review.

 

How to Use White Cosmetic Clay

This post may contain affiliate links

If you are like me, interested in making your own skin care products, or at least know what is in those you buy, you probably have seen the ingredient white cosmetic clay, or Kaolin Clay before.

What is White Cosmetic Clay?

White Cosmetic Clay is also known as Kaolin Clay, and often found in skincare products and cosmetics. It is a very fine and light clay with a natural absorbency. Because it is the mildest clay it is perfect for those with sensitive skin, like me,
or who are prone to allergies. Because it does not dry out your skin, it can be used in DIY recipes for those with dry skin
types. This type of clay is also softer for scrubs and masks, then the much harsher bentonite clay. Kaolin Clay
should be off-white in its dry state, and brown when wet.

Look for the unrefined variety when creating your own skin care products.

What are the benefits of White Cosmetic Clay?

1. it removes impurities from your pores
2. it stimulates circulation, improves healing, and provides nourishment for your skin
3. It does not over-dry, as mentioned above.
4. It has disinfectant properties, which helps prevent acne breakouts
5. It removes dead skin cells

Is it safe to eat Kaolin Clay?

Some nutritionists believe so, but most medical professionals disagree. Never take Kaolin Clay internally, without
the proper guidance of your natural health care professional.

Valentia Skin Toxifying Clay Mask – which is a part of the Valentia skin care line – uses the power of Kaolin Clay
to assist your skin. It is my go-to mask, and I have very sensitive skin. Despite this, it has never dried out my skin
leaving me rather refreshed, with a softer and less red complexion. If you are looking for a mask, that is not only
great for your skin, but also cruelty-free, check out Valentia Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask.

Disclaimer: I have received the Valentia Clay Mask for free in return for an honest review.

5 Tips To Pamper Your Tired Feet

Chasing the kids, dogs, cat and sometimes the husband around makes my feet tired! I don’t know about you, but feet tend to be the last thing I think about, expect when it is time for a pedicure or the newest sandals. Any other time, they are
here to carry me, and that is it. And then it happens – they hurt, burn, or just feel simply miserable.

Time to take care of your feet!

Raw Honey Available On AmazonLucky for you I have five tips on how you can do just that.

1. DIY Foot Soaks Like this Honey and Cream Foot Soak
Yes, you heard me right, a foot soak that takes advantage of the powers of honey and cream. And it is simple.
Add 1 tablespoon of honey (I prefer raw honey, like this one), and 2 tablespoons of whipping cream  ( I use Organic Valley for everything I do or make with whipping cream), to the warm water you placed into your foot soaking basin or foot spa.
You can also try this wonderful DIY Lime-Mint Foot soak recipe from Tidy Mom!
You should check it out! I love it!

2. Get a foot spa
Speaking of, you really should get a foot spa. These inexpensive little machines, hold the warmth for you, and most of them, like this Conair Foot Spa (I have two of those), come with vibration and heat. My husband who spends hours in work boots every day. swears by them.
And so do I.

3. Strengthen your foot muscles by exercising your feet!
Yes, you heard me right – it is important to exercise our feet. there is not much equipment needed. Simply roll up a small towel, place it on the floor, and stand upon it, to increase your balance (caution, if you have any issues with balance, do not attempt this exercise). You can also place the same towel upon the floor, and try to pick it up with your toes. Repeat as often as you feel comfortable. Practice this daily.

4. Go barefoot.
Allow your feet to breathe, and go barefoot. Too often confined in tight shoes, and not so natural fibers, our feet hardly ever
get a chance to be placed bare upon the ground. Try walking across many different textures, from carpet to grass, sand, and gravel to strengthen the soles of your feet.

5. Gentle stretches
While you already have your shoes off, practice some gentle stretches. How about this one: Toe Stretch. Sit in a chair, with feet on the floor, and spread your toes apart. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat 10 times

What are your favorite ways to pamper your feet?

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See you soon!
Claudia

5 Interesting Facts About Cocoa Butter You Might Not Know

Disclaimer: The following post contains affiliate links. I have received the product mentioned for free in return for on honest review – see disclosure page for details

If you love chocolate, you are at the right place, because today, I am writing to you, about one of the key ingredients for the world’s most loved treat – cocoa butter. But, cocoa butter is much more versatile than you might think. Let me tell you a little more, with this list of 5 interesting facts you might not know about cocoa butter:

1. It is very popular in vegan cooking. Sweets treats, such as cakes, chocolates, and others do not need to be missed a part of a vegan diet when incorporating cocoa butter to your food prep. But not only sweets benefit from a cocoa treatment – because of its easy to melt consistency, it can also be used to pan-fry items such as tofu.

2. It makes a great base for DIY cosmetics. Body butters, lip balms, and facial masks are just a small example of what this wonderful butter can be used for. And if you have, like I do, problems with handling overly scented beauty products, those created with cocoa butter as a base, are a breath of fresh air (or chocolate) for our sensitive noses.

3. Cocoa butter is often used as the base of luxury bath soaps. These soaps are especially great for preventing dry or cracked skin, leaving you feeling especially soft. If you are prone to oily skin, I would rather suggest not to use it as a base for facial soaps and cleansers

4. 100 grams of cocoa butter contain up to 900 calories. This fact, in combination of the realization that it also contains 60 % saturated fat, makes it a winner when it comes to beauty products and no so much in the kitchen – no matter how good it tastes

5. It is an essential component of the “chocolate” used for massages. Ever tried chocolate massage therapy? If you have not, you have missed out on something special, not only because the combination of shea butter, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder is wonderful for your skin, but because it smells divine, and is incredibly relaxing. making it the perfect treat for anyone.

Natural Beauty Goddess was kind enough to send me a 1 lb package of their raw 100 % cocoa butter to review. This type of cocoa butter is not food grade, but rather thought for the above-mentioned beauty treatments. Rich and thick, this great raw and organic cocoa butter is Kosher certified, and comes in a beautiful screw top container, that makes dispensing it easy. I suffer from contact allergies, which, after I applied it to my arm, felt immediately better. The smooth, beautifully scented butter is one of the few things, I can put on my skin without hesitation while loving the smell, and luxurious feeling. The only downfall I found is, that due to the lack of outer packaging, my container came with a slightly broken lid. so, improved and additional packaging would prevent any breakage. That did not diminish the high quality of the product, which by the way comes with a free ebook, containing recipes and information about cocoa butter. I am planning on creating a few of the mentioned DIY cosmetics shortly

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The above post was a part of the following blog hops:

Coastal Charm 

No place like home

At Our Home

Cozy Little House

Stone Gable Blog

Bernideen’s Blog

 

Time to De-Stress! Make Your Own Facial Masks!

Business, school, and work – often leaves us stressed out, overwhelmed and in dire need of a break. Add kids and a husband to that mix and a few minutes (or a couple of hours) of alone-time are a dream come true, even if a seldom realized one. So every once in a while it is essential to allow yourself a few moments for some pampering activities!

Treating ourselves with  natural beauty treatments, which are so easy and fun,  would be wonderful for a girl’s night (or afternoon)  in.

How about some simple facial masks?

Here two examples of simple, yet effective (and most importantly) de-stressing facial mask you can create at home. Use only the best ingredients available, of course organic.

Simply Delicious Olive-oil-Sugar Peeling Mask

You will need:
3 Tablespoons of high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons of sugar (unbleached, raw vegan sugar is the best for this)
Mix and GENTLY rub into your face in circular motion, careful not to rub too hard. A gentle, all over rub is efficient, careful to avoid the eyes and the lips. Thoroughly rinse your face, to remove the peeling mask. Dry your face by padding, not rubbing the skin.

 

 

Cool-Calm Yogurt-Lemon-Honey Mask

You will need

6 Tablespoons of organic greek yogurt
the juice of a lemon (again organic)
1 teaspoon of raw honey

Apply mask leave it on 20 to 30 minutes (not longer). Rinse thoroughly with warm – not hot! – water. This mask is a  good remedy for dry skin, as the honey and yogurt are hydrating.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This post is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please be advised that you should not use this or any products or natural remedies, without consulting with your health care provider, and avoid them at all cost, if you have allergies. As tempting as these masks sound, keep them out of the reach of children. It also contained affiliate links, see disclosure page for details.