I love hummus! I could eat it by the bowl full but sometimes it can be a bit spendy and more often than not, I cook from scratch in order to avoid the salt that Karen shouldn’t have or the nightshades I need to stay away from. I have also had allergic reactions to that lovely ingredient “Natural Flavors” and “Spices” which is really code for naturally occurring chemicals that are created by mixing other chemicals that were never part of the original food I was trying to enjoy in the first place…
AKA Pelagronium GraveolensBlends well with: All oils
Geranium scent: Sweet, green, citrus-rosy, fresh
Topically: Can be applied neat (with no dilution) when used topically. Apply directly to areas of concern or to reflex points.
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AKA Menthe PiperitaPeppermint Essential Oil has an invigorating scent and can be used so many ways. Put a drop behind your ears to relieve symptoms of seasonal threats. Apply a drop to your hand, cup and breath in the fragrance to lift your mood and feel refreshed.
Therapeutic-Grade Peppermint Essential Oil is a “Hot oil” so make sure to cut it with Fractionated Coconut Oil 1:1 before using on those with sensitive skin (for very small children ratio can be up to 4:1).
AKA Citrus LimonLemon Essential Oil has a refreshing and invigorating scent. Using this oil to clean is a great way to disinfect the air in a diffuser or on surfaces. I love to put a few drops of Therapeutic-Grade Lemon, Rosemary and Peppermint Essential Oils in the diffuser to help lift my mood and get me going!
I have used Lemon Essential Oil to dust and mixed a few drops with a tsp of baking powder to scrub the grout in the bathroom and a similar mixture with water to soak items that need to be disinfected.
Therapeutic-Grade Lemon Essential Oil can be used for aromatic, topical and dietary use.
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Sometimes when we are caring for our skin with Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils we need to cut them so they are not as potent. “Hot oils” like Oregano or Thyme Essential Oils may cause sensitive skin to be affected negatively if they are used without a carrier oil. Carrier oils (aka vegetable, fixed or base oils) are also helpful if you have applied an Essential Oil to skin and are experiencing a negative effect. Applying a carrier oil to a sensitive area will help calm your skin. Soap and water will actually push a “Hot oil” further into pores.
Fractionated Coconut Oil is a distilled vegetable oil that is highly stable; it is odorless, affordable and has an indefinite shelf-life. Fractionated Coconut Oil is non-greasy, clear and penetrates the skin well. It is pH balanced for all skin types and can improve the appearance of your skin.
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Have you enjoyed a slice of amazing lemon loaf with your tea? Done right, it can really make a memorable moment. Above is a picture of my wife enjoying hers with a beer…I forgot to take a picture of the cake…I was really interested in trying out a new recipe that was lower in sugar and had fresh ingredients in it so that I could offer it to more my health conscious friends. The first time I made this was for my wife’s 50th birthday and we loved it.
Since that day I decided I need to perfect a Gluten Free Lemon Loaf that would make anyone happy so that my friend Jamie Holloway, and anyone else that is gluten intolerant, can also indulge and not worry about repercussions….here’s the fun part…if you bake it in a cake pan…it doesn’t look like a loaf anymore…
In a 16 oz jar add 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp Almond Milk and 4 Drops Therapeutic Grade Lemon Essential Oil. Shake well. Pour over cooled Lemon Loaf.
Want to learn more about Coconut Flour? Read Baking with Coconut Flour
For years I have used the Jiffy Brand cornbread mix because when I had tried a couple different recipes I wasn’t happy with making it from scratch, but cornbread is the perfect combination for soup…which we eat a lot of in our house since it is so easy to pile in the veggies in one meal and not have to cool for the week…so in my heart I knew that someday I would create my own.
I knew this lady that loved to cook and she had asked me over for lunch. When I got there she told me that she had been out of milk when she made her cornbread so she used yogurt. Yogurt?!
You know what? I LOVED IT!
When I was ready to create my own recipe I started comparing recipes to see what was similar and what I liked best and, as you know, if you have looked for recipes, they commonly have regular flour in it. The first batch was ok…but I was still tweaking. Then I found out that my friend Jamie Holloway had learned she was gluten intolerant so I added that to my list of ideas…a few batches later it was perfect!
I hope you enjoy this easy and healthy version of Cornbread…even if you don’t have a problem digesting gluten!
My favorite Essential Oil is Lavender!AKA Lavandula Augustifolia
Lavender smells so nice and can be used in making soaps and candles and freshening stagnant air. You can add it to vinegar when cleaning to lighten the smell. Lavender oil can be used to polish your wood floors.
Therapeutic-Grade Lavender Essential Oil is also tasty in cooking; Mix a drop with White Chocolate in your coffee for a special treat.
Lavender can also help your body stay healthy by:
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I am so glad that I am a child of God. Because He is my Father He is always teaching me something. Some lessons are harder than others. We have been working on forgiveness for a long time….we still are…
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25
I have been working to make this recipe perfect for over 10 years and now I would like to share it with you. I love this recipe because it is gluten free, high in omega 3’s and tastes delicious! I was inspired to start working on this because my niece, Allie needed some more fiber in her diet, as a toddler, and her brother, Casey LOVES banana bread…The recipe recently became gluten free, as I learned that my bosom-friend, Jamie Holloway, is gluten intolerant and I wanted to have a few recipes in my arsenal that she could just enjoy without worry or feeling deprived.
Another plus is that you can easily substitute shredded zucchini or pureed pumpkin and even switch out or omit the walnuts, chocolate chips and cranberries.
I want to encourage you to not purchase ground flax seed, but actually buy whole flax seed and use your food processor to grind it fresh. The reason you want to do this is that the minute the seeds are ground, the oils that are so good for you and the reason you would bother eating flax, begin to evaporate. Also flax is one seed that your stomach can’t break down…meaning if it is not well-ground it will enter and exit whole…another way you miss out on those amazing omega 3’s! If you don’t have a food processor or Cuisinart, you can use anything with a flat blade for grinding. I used to have coffee grinder used only for seasonings (that idea came from my great-grandpa Drummond); I usually use my Bullet for grinding now…
Note: Coconut oil to grease the pans and butter for the top (butter is optional)
Note: This bread is always better on day 2!
We live such busy lives and to make mornings easier I tend to make sure we have a loaf of the bread in the fridge (No preservatives means you should keep it in the refrigerator) along with a bowl of hard boiled eggs. Voila! Quick breakfasts for both my wife and I that are healthy and filling…
I have decided that there is no magic pill…that was always the answer I just didn’t want to think that. I was taking 2 different meds to help me with living with anxiety disorder and the one meant to help me sleep didn’t always work. I had decided it didn’t work and planned to talk to the dr about it on my next appointment. Meanwhile I have been going to a Living Well with Chronic Illness class and have finally made peace that I must choose to live on a schedule so I can accomplish my personal goals and as I was beginning to see success…it was time to go to the appointment. (more…)
Part of my journey of learning how to eat healthier has been learning that better ingredients make better food. When I am baking I have a few items that I never let run out and I wanted to share them with you. Although there are other brands that are just as good…this is what is my cupboard today…and most days because this is what I can find where I live…
We hear so much about salt and which one is better. Hello! Sodium is sodium and the trace amounts of minerals may not matter to everyone, in the scheme of things. In a perfect world we would all have Himalayan Sea Salt ready for use…but my grinder is getting tired and so is my arm.
So for baking I use sea salt. It too has lots of trace minerals, but mainly I think it has a cleaner taste than table salt so you can sometimes use less and I love that this container is easy to pour when measuring.
I make this myself and I must tell you, it is super easy and so worth a few minutes of effort. I have bought kits online and seen them at the health food store. You can also just purchase the beans in the same manner. You can use rum, vodka or bourbon. We don’t drink very often in our house…so even with a few toddies or spiked hot chocolate I only have to buy a pint each year.
Put your beans in the bottle, fill the bottle with your preferred liquor (this bottle is made with rum) and then set it in a dark cool place for at least a month. Shake it once per week. Once you start using it you can just refill the bottle with the liquor.
I was raised by a mother who didn’t enjoy cooking and probably just bought the cheapest cinnamon she could find whenever she felt the need to make something with it. As I got older and learned that I could make food that made my taste buds dance I started using other types of ingredients and learned that the ingredients you use matter…a lot! I love Simply Organic Cinnamon. If you aren’t going to fresh grind your cinnamon…don’t scrimp on the cinnamon!
I was wandering through the natural baking section on a day that I needed to buy baking powder and noticed that they had one that said Aluminum Free on the label. Mom had always used Clabber Girl…but that day I bought Rumford…and soon I promised to stay away from the aluminum.
Aluminum is not necessary for our bodies and some people are nervous about what they fear eating it could cause. I use it because my baking is lighter and fluffier…definitely use Aluminum Free Baking Powder…
You are so much bigger than myself
Drowning in communication
Caught in the chords that we’ve confused
I am straining to hear You
but the addresses are new while the links look unchanged
—
Critics have had their say
The constant wailing and lamenting
has captured thousands of hits
But only You know what I am mourning
—
The information I have depended on
cannot be found
You see my creation and documented the keywords
I have worked hard to maintain a user-friendly site
but the pop-ups have led me astray
Will You tell me where I am going?
—
The polls are in and the adware has been effective
My arms are exhausted from constant hacking
You are the one that connects the parts of me You made
while the marketing continues to mix
—
The slideshow is entertainment while I wait
for the entire page to upload
A glitch in the database
stops my head from speaking to my feet
while technicians install Your latest update
There are 3 empty chairs at this station even though You never leave
—
The fine print clarifies that You are always refining
My code is always being updated
I look forward to being newer and better when You are done
as silver purified in a furnace on earth 7 times
In the warmth that fills me
You claim Your place inside
Like a child I behold Your face ablaze
Giggles escape in adoration
as I reach up to look better at Your eyes
as I run my fingers through Your hair
—
As long as I stay here
You are my breath
You empower my opportunities
and even while I look to You
You leak out of my pores
—
The voices singing Hallelujah
erupt and fill the room
We sway in Your arms
but only use words that seem too small
In You we find our likeness
while you manage the production in Your Word
—
Desire to move on my own
takes me out of Your light
So I will stand on Your feet
and let You lead
I fail when I try my hand at choreography
—
There is a whisper in my soul
that answers every question
Like a child I behold Your face ablaze
Giggles escape in adoration
Who I am is in Your gaze
and You are the song and the dance
On Thursday October 9, 2014 I decided to put into action a change. I have always been fat. I was a fat child. I was a fat adolescent. I have been a fat woman for as long as I have been a woman. Don’t get me wrong, I know that people that are overweight can be fit. But I am not. I get winded on the stairs. I have pains in my hips and back when I walk too far, which isn’t that far. I can’t get on my knees to even consider sitting on the floor. My belly gets in the way of things I want to do. My weight stops me from living the life I want to live.
I have had times in my life when I felt the need to buy workout DVDs and hand weights and for a short time I would would work out. There were times I walked almost every day. Always something happened and exercise got set aside. (more…)
Sock Drive & FundraiserOur favorite nonprofit is at again! We are excited to EXCLAIM the 2nd Annual Survival Drive, facilitated by Living Ministries.
Survival Drive 2014 will run from October 13th to October 31st. Living Ministries will collect socks and money to give to Love Overwhelming.
Love Overwhelming is a local nonprofit that serves Cowlitz County as the facilitator of Coordinated Entry. People requiring assistance from a number of socio-economic needs should go through their resource case managers for referral. Love Overwhelming also manages an urban rest stop, or Daily Living Essential Cafe, where anyone experiencing homelessness or in danger of experiencing homelessness can come and be safe, have access to restrooms, showers, laundry services and basic living essential items.
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Recently Karen and I were loaned a copy of The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement DVD by a friend, who has watched lots of times and felt that we really needed to see it. So that is what we did on our day off, actually it played twice through because Karen had fallen asleep at the end and I was inspired to pray and search the bible for a few words about themes that I saw throughout the production. The editing team that created it made sure that it looped and so, in the end it was at least listened to twice in our house.
The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement DVD was written by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn to accompany his books The Harbinger and The Harbinger Companion.
On ChristianBook.com the Publisher’s Description for The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement states:
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This morning I woke to sunshine streaming in the window and a song on my heart. The voice sounded like me but it was deep within me. I am used to this and I think I take it for granted sometimes.
“*Draw Me Close to You. Never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear You say that I’m Your friend…”.
Back in October of 2011 I surprised my oldest friend with a blog. For years she had been talking about writing more and one day I was inspired to build her a blog where she could write whatever her heart desired. In the last 3 years Jamie Holloway has been able to use words to describe her path as she learned to deal and heal with Vasculitis. Although Jamie was forced to live with a trach for many years in order to be able to breath, miraculously she was always able to speak, which is not very common, but most importantly, her readers were also able to experience her finding her inner voice and learn to communicate better and advocate for herself.
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The buzz on the street is that people are afraid to buy websites because they don’t think they can edit them or that I can update them fast enough. I am super excited to get feedback, even when it tells me that I haven’t spoken enough on this topic. It is kind of like a report card…and I just gave myself a D…that is not good enough.
At Exclaim Media Video and Marketing we love to help people have thoughtful, clear marketing. That should be based on an easy-to-use website that can work for you when you are playing, eating and sleeping. Owning it ensures that it is yours and you don’t have to worry about whether you are following the compliance rules that you might be stuck with on some social media sites.
When I set up your new site, I build sites with WordPress because WordPress is easy enough to use that I don’t have to be a gatekeeper between you and your site. Anyone that can type can be trained to edit your site. Since you don’t usually have big changes everyday this is something that your receptionist can do between calls, the mail sorter can do when they want to take a break from paper cuts, even your CEO can make updates while they eat lunch. Part of the cost of your site includes training to edit it. Beyond that build, if I can answer your question in an email or phone call…you won’t have to look forward to an invoice.
The Monticello Hotel opened for business on July 23, 1923 and was the centerpiece that the City of Longview was built around. The “fire-proof” 200-room hotel housed prospective residents and visiting business people who had come in search of property. Originally named “Hotel Monticello,” it was the first building to be completed in the planned city. The name was chosen in honor of the first pioneer community on the Cowlitz River, which was named after Thomas Jefferson’s plantation.
No one pays me for what I do here.
If you would like to buy me a cup of coffee please do.
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