Saturday, January 8, 2011

Almond Mild Recipe

This is the second time I've written this post. The first one got deleted just as I was ready to publish it! I DO NOT like it when that happens!

This is the recipe I have come to use after about 4 years of making it. I have tried lots of different variations and this is the easiest and tastiest for me.

Step 1:  soak the almonds for 12 to 24 hours. 

I try to soak all of my nuts, grains, and seeds before using them. Not only does it predigest them so they are easier on the body but it is also said that the nutrition content rises by 300 percent! There are even some vitamins present after sprouting that were not there before hand.

Step 2:  freeze the almonds you are not using right away.

They will be good covered with water in the fridge for 2 or 3 days but I like to freeze them so they are for sure not gone bad by the time I want to use them again.

Step 3: blend 1 cup of almonds and 1 cup of water for 30 seconds on the highest setting.

This will depend on your blender. I use a Blendtec - it is the best blender I have found.

Step 4: Add 2 packets of Stevia, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 cups of water.

Step 5: Blend on the Wholefoods setting in a Blendtec or just until very blended.

Step 6: Add cold water until at an 8 or 9 cup volume.

Step 7: Strain. ( I guess you could strain this at Step 5 and then add water to dilute)

I have a tube sock that is set aside for this purpose. It works really good for me!

Voila! You have almond milk! Yum.

I use it for everything that calls for regular milk. It does not have animal hormones,antibiotics or any of the other bad stuff that is in cow milk these days.
Almond milk is full of vitamins and healthy fats and plus -it is also a very economical way to go.

Try your hand at making Almond milk and let us know what you think!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Homemade Daily Facewash

I have been pondering face wash for about a month. I make a face scrub that is awesome but it is not something I want to use every day - just when I need to exfoliate.  For my son I have wanted to make something that will help his occasional acne breakouts and for me I wanted something that will tighten, rejuvenate, moisturize, and clean really well. (Am I asking too much? :) Well, I came up with something great!

The base of my new wash is either going to be Castille soap for its simplicity and cost effectiveness, or the soap from ForeverGreen called Silk.  I like the fuller texture of the Silk but having tried this new face wash with the Castille Soap, I am thinking it might be the way to go.  It is natural and good for the skin and has been around for ages.

The second ingredient in my new concoction is Jojoba oil.  It is the closest thing to the oils in a human body so it works really well for skin care.  In Europe people use plain olive oil to wash their faces (oil dissolves oil). I have tried that, and it is an ingredient in my face scrub for that reason, but I really like the lightness of the Jojoba oil and the benefits of how closely it resembles my own skins oils.

The third ingredient that I am really excited about is PURE from ForeverGreen.  It has vitamins and minerals from Marine Phytoplankton that has 400 times the energy of any plant on earth.  It is so complete that it fills every need the body has for vitamins and minerals.  Normally this PURE is meant for being taken internally but I know a woman who has been putting it on her face and she has had worrisome spots go away!  After I heard her say that, I have been thinking of how beneficial it would be to have vitamins and minerals being absorbed through the skin.  It would be the complete opposite of absorbing the chemicals in many other facial products. I think I'll also have an after-wash  that can stay on the skin with this PURE in it.
So, I added Pure to the face wash and I am excited about it. Here is a link to the brochure about it.
https://www.poweredbyforevergreen.org/content/library/PureBrochure.pdf

The last ingredients I added are Frankincense and Lavender essential oils.  These will aid the Jojoba oil in making the texture of my skin soft.  They will rejuvenate my skin and keep wrinkles at bay.  I have read that the ancient Egyptians used Frankincense in their rejuvenating masks. They knew about it even then!
The lavender is not only for the awesome calming smell, but it is used on burns and scars and will definitely be great for my face and the rest of my body.  It is restorative and a great combination with the Frankincense. Also, most oils are antimicrobial so it will help with acne.

For my son, I am substituting the Frankincense and Lavender with Tea Tree oil.  He doesn't need to worry about skin that is getting older but he does need the anti-acne effects of the Tea Tree.  He could also go for a liver cleanse that would do his skin lots of good.

I made some of this face wash and have tried it a couple of times. I like how it cleans but does not dry out my skin.  A friend of mine is also trying it (Hi!). She texted me the day after I gave it to her and told me she likes it and wants more!  Yay! Success. I found something that will be great for me and it will help others too.

Anyone reading this can feel free to make their own face wash.  The ingredients can all be found here  www.5900975.myforevergreen.org  or I will be making it available on my website   www.isntitdivine.com  .  If you just can't wait and need some now :)  - email me at info@isntitdivine.com or call me at 307-749-4024 and I'll make some for you!

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa

Horrible Hearburn to Heavenly Hope :)

My husband has enough faith in essential oils to come to me when he is starting to feel sick.  The other day was very stressful and he had a bad case of heartburn. As soon as he told me, I put 2 drops of Ease essential oil in a glass of water and had him drink it.  A few minutes later he told me that his heartburn was going away, and within 10 minutes he said it was GONE! (and it didn't come back!)
  The next day I heard him telling his friend about how cool that was. :)
  An even faster way of taking care of heartburn is to put 3-5 drops of Ease essential oil under the tongue. I have heard that it works instantly.
  Ease essential oil is only $25.95 wholesale at www.5900975.myforevergreen.org. It has 200 drops in it, so it's going to last for a long time and it also helps with belly aches and digestion issues. I think that's a pretty good deal!
Here's to no more heartburn in 2011!
Happy Healthy,
~Elisa