Saturday, June 28, 2014

Summer Round-Up: 20+ Simple Recipes Using Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes

Summer Round-Up: 20+ Simple Recipes Using Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes

If there's one summer vegetable I think you should be gorging on right this second, it's heirloom tomatoes. And if possible, hoarding them like crazy. 

You see, heirloom tomatoes are one of those rare veggies (I know, I know, they're actually fruits--whatever) that are NOT available year-round everywhere. In today's 24/7 world of international shipping, that's uncommon.

And they're nothing like the blemish-free, standard red tomatoes you see in the supermarket all year. Those tomatoes are lackluster and flavorless. They're hybridized to look perfect and ship well across long distances.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

What You Should Ask Before Using Essential Oils & Why I Now Use Young Living Oils Instead of Buying Retail

What You Should Ask Before Using Essential Oils | therisingspoon.com

When I first started using essential oils for my DIY projects it was primarily for scent purposes and I figured all essential oils were pretty much the same. 

I'd grab a bottle from my local health food store for $5-8 and didn't give it a second thought. I mean, it said "100% pure essential oil" on the front label so it had to be legit, right? 

Nope. Turns out that what's required on the label all comes down to regulation and like the popular phrase "all natural" in the food industry, "pure" doesn't mean much. 

The label can say "100% pure essential oil" and still be diluted with synthetic ingredients. You know, things that aren't good for your skin, but help keep costs down for companies.

Friday, June 13, 2014

How to Make Lip Balm

How to Make Lip Balm | therisingspoon.com

I made homemade lip balm for the first time last week. 

I'm kind of a big deal

Seriously, though...I felt a bursting sense of accomplishment after filling my last lip balm tube. To hold something as simple as lip balm, a thing I'd had on my person nearly every day for the last 20 years, and know that I had crafted it myself...well, that felt amazing. (All you seasoned DIY-ers can go ahead and laugh at me!)

The ability to make your own beauty essentials, even if you're reliant on sourcing the ingredients, is a powerful form of self-sufficiency. And the best part is you control exactly what goes into your products, and thus your body. 

If you're the type of person who is working toward consuming more unprocessed foods and natural products, making homemade beauty products is a no-brainer. And it's nowhere as intimidating as it seems.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

How to Make Blueberry Vodka at Home in As Little As Two Weeks

How to Make Blueberry Vodka at Home in As Little As Two Weeks

It's the start of berry season here in Texas, and one of my favorites is blueberries. I love them in my sour cream muffins, yogurt, overnight oatmeal, jam, piesyou name it. 

Unfortunately, many of the berry farms in a two-hour radius from me suffered a late spring freeze and little rainfall. I was jazzed to visit a pick-your-own farm and fill a gallon-sized bucket for about $1.25 a pound. No such luck. 
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