Month: February 2017

Gluten Free Recipes

Homemade Gluten Free Garlic Parmesan Croutons

Soup and salad is one of my favorite meals, so much so that I wrote a book! My second book (actually published today=) is full of soups and salads with so much flavor, you’ll forget it’s healthy!

These croutons are a great salad topper and especially delicious on my caesar salad or as a topping for my tomato basil soup. Watch for my book reveal and in the mean time, bake a quick batch of these and enjoy!

Homemade Gluten Free Garlic Parmesan Croutonsimg_20170227_183531

  • 4 pieces of gluten free bread, cut into squares
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • dash of salt and pepper

On a baking sheet, add all the ingredients and mix to incorporate. Bake at 375 about 20 minutes or until the croutons are brown and crispy.

Like this recipe? Check out my other books, and watch for more to come!

Want a paperback copy? Reply in the comments and I’ll send you one!

 

 

 

The Life I Live

My 5 Favorite Essential Oil Blends

Essential oils get used in my everyday and I love them. Creating my own blends is fun and healthful. Below are my favorites- enjoy!

No Sick Blend

50% Oregano and 50% Thieves. This blend smells amazing. I always keep it in a roller bottle in my purse, especially during travel. I try to use it everyday when I remember and every two hours if I’m feeling off. Love it.

Allergy Blend

15 drops Peppermint, 15 drops Lavender and 15 drops Lemon. This blend smells great too lemonsand as a former daily allergy pill consumer, I love that I don’t have to use anything over the counter anymore! This blend is the other roller bottle I always keep in my purse and it works great.

Face Blend (for me)

If you know me, the thought that I would even consider trying oil on my face is crazy. Even more so now that I use it everyday and don’t ever want to turn back. I’ve tried many different things along the way but keep it simple with Organic Almond Oil and Frankincense. You can use a roller bottle or an old oil bottle. I use about 20 drops of Frankincense and fill the rest with almond oil.

Face Blend (for Husband)

I hate all the ingredients in conventional lotions so I just had to come up with a blend for my husband to use on his face. I filled his mix with things that mirror what a lotion does (like an “after shave”) and mixed with his pheromones, this blend smells amazing! 5 drops Copaiba, 3 drops Peppermint, 3 drops Valor (Valor II) and 2 drops Frankincense. His face isn’t sensitive like mine so I use any carrier oil I have on hand (usually Almond or Jojoba) and always keep his blend in a roller bottle.

china-cast-iron-bathtub-yt88-china-cast-iron-bathtub-cast-iron-xdjych-clipartBath Blend

Using essential oils in the bath is one of my favorite indulgences! My blend depends on the day (and reason for taking a bath) but they are a great extra. I used about 2 cups Epsom salt and drip the oils into the salts before adding them to the bath. 5 drops Tea Tree Oil, 5 drops Stress Away, 10 drops Lavender and 5 drops Copaiba go into almost every bath. Using oils in the tub smells great and feels great too. (I also like to add apple cider vinegar to my bath.)

Carrier Oils

  • coconut oil
  • almond oil
  • jojoba oil

You can (and should) add a carried to help thicken your blends. Everyone is different so test out what you use and find what works best for you. These carrier oils are my favorite but there are others out there to try as well.

Try some of these or let me know your favorites!

 

Disclaimer: I use Young Living Essential Oils and based on my research, I believe these are the best, safest and most pure oils on the market. PLEASE do your own research and determine which oils are best for you and your family. 

Gluten Free Recipes

Emmy’s Guacamole Dip

Everyone loves avocados, right? Well, maybe everyone but me. Packed with protein and “healthy” fats, these fruits are a perfect part of a healthy diet but I just never loved them.

This dip is filled with Greek yogurt, taco seasoning and avocados, so I get in avocado while enjoying it too. Perfect for a snack or in a meal, this dip is yummy! img_20170211_161746

Emmy’s Guacamole Dip

  • 3 avocados
  • 5 tablespoons taco seasoning (or 1 store packet, I make my seasoning homemade)
  • 1 container plain Greek Yogurt

Scoop out three avocados and smash them with a fork. Add in the yogurt and taco seasoning and mix.

Enjoy with tortilla chops or raw vegetables or on tacos or wraps!

Like this recipe? Check out my other books, and watch for more to come!

Want a paperback copy? Reply in the comments and I’ll send you one!

Dairy Free Gluten Free Meats Paleo Recipes

Creamy Tuna Mushroom Skillet

Even working from home, there are some days it gets to be 4 or 5 pm and I realize I haven’t even thought about making dinner nor is there any meat thawed or things prepped.

This was made on one of those nights. I needed to throw together dinner and canned tuna was what was ready.

With some vegetables and a “creamy” sauce, these flavors were great together and made for a delicious for dinner.

Enjoy!

Creamy Tuna Mushroom Skilletimg_20170202_192916

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 5 mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cans tuna
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cream (Almond milk for Paleo option)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese (omit for Paleo)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley

In a medium sized sauce pan on medium heat, add one tablespoon olive oil and the sliced onion. Cook for about a minute. Add sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook about 5 minutes. The tuna gets added next followed by the cream and water (I didn’t have any milk but this mixture is creamier to me anyhow.) Lastly add cheese and parsley.

Use this as a topping for a vegetable or starch of your choice. Good on top of:

  • rice
  • spaghetti squash
  • pasta
  • potatoes

Like this recipe? Check out my other books, and watch for more to come!

Want a paperback copy? Reply in the comments and I’ll send you one!

The Life I Live

Naturals: One Of The Best Brands Around

Quality natural products are really important to me. Companies veer towards organic, natural and plant based options more and more these days. This trend is awesome and gives us more choices.

One brand consistently measures up to the quality I want and expect. Have you ever tried method-2Method Brand? Because you should.

I have been using Method products for a couple years now. Love them. Their moto? People against dirty.

They don’t use phosphates or bleach like more conventional cleaners do. In fact, they don’t use any of the things on this list. This is their “Dirty Ingredients List.” They include an email at the bottom for anyone that wants more information. This company is so clairvoyant, it’s easy trust them.

chemical typically found in environmental + health summary
chlorine bleach surface cleaners, bathroom cleaners, laundry detergent very toxic, irritant/harmful
triclosan hand wash, body wash very toxic, corrosive, dangerous for the environment
EDTA hand wash, body wash dangerous for the environment
phosphates dishwasher detergent dangerous for the environment
2-butoxyethanol floor cleaners very toxic
phthalates fragrance in cleaning + body products very toxic
paraben hand wash, body wash very toxic
ammonia glass cleaners, surface cleaners very toxic, irritant/harmful, dangerous for the environment
MEA (ethanolamine) laundry detergent very toxic, irritant/harmful
want to learn more about the ingredients we do and don’t use in our products? email us at info@methodhome.com

Their scents are naturally derived and biodegradable. They also have a “dirty” list of ingredients that they DO NOT use in fragrances because those are typically very toxic chemicals used by other companies, but not Method.

Favorite Products:

I use their laundry soap and love it. The Coconut Lime is my current favorite.

Also their foaming hand soap has an orange ginger scent that is a new love of mine, especially in the kitchen!

They have different different antibacterial mixtures and all purpose sprays too. My husband uses the body wash and they are coming out with more products all the time.

You can order their products online as well as find them in lots of different stores. The price point is reasonable as well and they have sales often.

Try Method and you’ll love it as much as I do!