Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

'Tis the season for pumpkin spice!!

I made this recipe at home last weekend and it was delicious. I would highly recommend.

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup hot brewed espresso or strong coffee ( I used a 1/4 cup )
• Whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and ground nutmeg, optional for topping

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pie spice. Transfer to a blender; cover and process for 15 seconds or until foamy. ( all I did was wisk mine and it turned out just fine. )
2. Pour into two mugs; add espresso. Garnish with whipped cream and spices if desired.Yield: 2 servings.

( note: you can also microwave the milk mixture in a microwave safe bowl covered with plastic wrap with a vent hole in the top for about 1 to 2 minutes until hot. )

Warm regards and love,
Erin

All Natural Cleaning Products:

Spring is not the only time for some household cleaning tips and tricks.

Dusting Spray.

All the ingredients serve a purpose, and are non-toxic:

• Vinegar: Great all purpose cleaner
• Olive Oil: Helps prevent dust for settling
• Lemongrass Essential Oil*: Anti-bacterial, repels insects, smells awesome

*Other great oil options include: lemon, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree, and orange, among others. Anything that is anti-bacterial with a nice scent will work.

The recipe is ridiculously simple.

Ingredients:

·         1 cup water

·         ¼ cup white distilled vinegar

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         10-15 drops essential oil of your choice

Directions:

·         Mix all ingredients together in an empty spray bottle

·         Shake before use. Simply spray directly onto the surface you are dusting or a cloth and wipe the dust off. ( microfiber cloth works best )

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Produce Wash.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• ½ cup vinegar (plain ol' white vinegar)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 bottle

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Pour the ingredients into a bottle(s) using a funnel. Store the DIY produce wash in the fridge until needed (this is necessary due to the fresh lemon juice).

To Use: Spray produce with the DIY produce wash and then wash the produce under water. OR, pour ½ a cup of the DIY produce wash in a sink of water and soak produce for 5 minutes. Rinse the produce with fresh water.

Warm regards and love,

Erin

Charcoal for your skin: Who Knew??

Here is an article posted by Allure Magazine with some insightful information about activated charcoal for your skin. *

Activated charcoal is serious stuff. This highly porous form of carbon is given to patients orally in hospital E.R.s to treat poisoning because it attaches to toxins in the stomach, keeping them from being absorbed into the bloodstream. It works in a similar way, albeit with less dramatic results, on the skin.

"When dirt and oil in your pores come in contact with the carbon, it sticks to it—and then gets washed away when you rinse your face," says cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson.
But not all of charcoal products are created equal. Carbon needs to come in physical contact with impurities in order to soak them up, which is why Wilson recommends skipping charcoal cleansers -- they get washed away too quickly to do much good -- and opting instead for a mask that stays on the skin for 5-10 minutes. (We love Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask.)

"The longer it's left on the better," she says. Charcoal products are especially beneficial to people who live in cities, "they're a must for people in urban environments, because your skin is constantly being bombarded by pollution," says Wilson.
But even if you live in Shanghai, you don't need to use a charcoal product everyday. Wilson suggests using a mask or activated charcoal sponge (try the Konjac Bamboo Charcoal sponge) once a week. These "sponges" could be considered the anti-Buff Puff: super hard (after all, they're made out of carbon!), but plenty effective when you soften them with water before gently rubbing over your pre-washed face in a circular motion before rinsing clean with water.
Photo: nubonau.com"It doesn't exactly give you that 'Oh I feel so fresh and clean,' feeling," says Wilson, "but it can be a good thing to try if you've been washing your face regularly, but your skin is still acting up."

*By Ramona Emerson | Allure – Tue, Jul 23, 2013 4:06 PM EDT

Warm regards and love,

Erin

14 Foods That Cleanse the Liver

The liver is the second most important organ after the heart. It performs many important functions like detoxification, excretion, regulation of hormones, circulation and metabolism etc.... In our modern society we tend to overeat. When we do overeat those foods are sometimes fatty, over processed foods which put a strain on our liver functions.  Fatty foods along with many environmental pollutants and stress can tax the liver and then it can’t process toxins and fat in an efficient way. 

There are however many foods that can help cleanse the liver naturally by stimulating its natural ability to clean toxic waste from the body.   I would recommend adding any number of these foods into your diet weekly to help maintain liver optimal function.

1. Garlic

Just a small amount of this pungent white bulb has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins. Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that aid in liver cleansing.

2. Grapefruit

High in both vitamin C and antioxidants, grapefruit increases the natural cleansing processes of the liver. A small glass of freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice will help boost production of the liver detoxification enzymes that help flush out carcinogens and other toxins.

3. Beets and Carrots

Both are extremely high in plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene; eating beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve overall liver function.

4. Green Tea

This liver-loving beverage is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist liver function. Green tea is not only delicious, it’s also a great way to improve your overall diet. Learn more about the benefits of green tea.

5. Leafy Green Vegetables

One of our most powerful allies in cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked, or juiced. Extremely high in plant chlorophylls, greens suck up environmental toxins from the blood stream. With their distinct ability to neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, these cleansing foods offer a powerful protective mechanism for the liver.

Try incorporating leafy greens such as bitter gourd, arugula,dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory into your diet. This will help increase the creation and flow of bile, the substance that removes waste from the organs and blood.

6. Avocados

This nutrient-dense super-food helps the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the liver to cleanse harmful toxins.

7. Apples

High in pectin, apples hold the chemical constituents necessary for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. This, in turn, makes it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.

8. Olive Oil

Cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp and flax-seed are great for the liver, when used in moderation. They help the body by providing a lipid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body. In this way, it takes some of the burden off the liver in terms of the toxic overload many of us suffer from.

9. Alternative Grains

It’s not only that you need alternative grains like quinoa, millet, and buckwheat in your diet, it’s that if you’ve got wheat, flour, or other whole grains in your diet, it’s time to make changes. Your liver is your body’s filter for toxins, and grains that contain gluten are full of them. A study last year found that persons who experienced gluten sensitivities also had abnormal liver enzyme test results, and that’s just one of many. 

10. Cruciferous Vegetables

Eating broccoli and cauliflower will increase the amount of glucosinolate in your system, adding to enzyme production in the liver. These natural enzymes help flush out carcinogens, and other toxins, out of our body which may significantly lower risks associated with cancer.

11. Lemons & Limes

These citrus fruits contain very high amounts of vitamin C, which aids the body in synthesizing toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water. Drinking freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice in the morning helps stimulate the liver.

12. Walnuts

Holding high amounts of the amino acid arginine, walnuts aid the liver in detoxifying ammonia. Walnuts are also high in glutathione and  omega-3 fatty acids, which support normal liver cleansing actions. Make sure you chew the nuts well (until they are liquefied) before swallowing.

13. Cabbage

Much like broccoli and cauliflower, eating cabbage helps stimulate the activation of two crucial liver detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins. Try eating more kimchi, coleslaw, cabbage soup and sauerkraut. 

14. Turmeric

The liver’s favorite spice. Try adding some of this detoxifying goodness into your next lentil stew or veggie dish for an instant liver pick-me-up. Tumeric helps boost liver detox, by assisting enzymes that actively flush out dietary carcinogens


  Warm regards and love,

Erin