Back To The Gym

Hey folks ~

My good news today is that I'm BACK IN THE GYM, Slowly but surely!

I've been taking a 'healing hiatus' for about the last 10 mos. I've got 2 bulging discs in my back that I've been healing. With that comes other issues so now I'm dealing with more Sciatic pain, like a constant charlie horse in my right glute.. seems to be Piriformis syndrome, which is due to a tightening of the piriformis muscle that attaches from your hip to your pelvis across the sciatic nerve. So when it's inflamed and tight it can irritate the sciatic and make you miserable. I literally woke up about 4 mos ago with this pain and it hasn't really left. Here's a link to more about Piriformis syndrome.

All the info I've read on sciatic and PS has said that the one thing I need to be doing is a lot of stretching and YOGA!! Which I already knew because when I'm really good about stretching and doing yoga it feels SO MUCH BETTER!!

So I feel like getting back to the gym is going to be a good idea. I vowed to myself to take it slow and easy.. I have a problem with going balls to the wall crazy and I I know I'm still healing and DON'T want to injury myself further.

I was in the need for a new gym because the Gold's I was going to closed and the only other one is to far for me to drive so I looked around and choose a locally owned gym in my area that had everything I was wanting, including a pool, which is a great low impact exercise.. it's low impact for me right now.

The Fitness Center has 2 locations... one right by my mom's place and the other is in the valley. I have access to both. I really like it. The North side gym, I will be using that one mostly, has a nice area for functional fitness training. So I'm excited about that.

On Sunday I made a workout that seemed pretty easy for my sister and I and we hit the gym

OH.MY.GOODNESS......
 It felt SO good to be back working out! I felt awesome..... until the next day and the day after that.. I hate DOMS.. even though I stretched and foam rolled my legs were Killing me.. with a Capital K!!! So Today is Weds and I'm finally feeling better...

I know getting back in the saddle will be a hard, slow process but I'm glad I've taken the first step!

So you know what this means right?! I will posting my workouts and progress.
I will be getting the Iphone 5 soon.. my 4 is crapping out and I'm due for an upgrade soon. As of now though I have NO memory on my iphone 4 so I have only been filming little vlogs on my macbook at home. But as soon as I get my new phone I will be filming more stuff.. So if you don't know or haven't checked out my youtube channel here it is foodieluvsfitness. Go and subscribe please and show some love by sharing with your friends :)


Till next time :)
Sherice oxox

All Hail Kale Chips

Hey Hey... 

I've been meaning to get this recipe posted for a while now, so here it is!

Cheezy BBQ Kale chips

1/2 bag of kale or 1 bunch of kale with the stems removed, wash and drain your Kale.. if it's not fully dry it's totally fine. Rip into bite size pieces.
Any kind of Kale would work I imagine. I used curly Kale or the bag of kale at Trader Joe's

in blender or magic bullet add...

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 handfuls of cashews
a good pinch of sea salt
a couple tsp of extra virgin olive oil
pinch red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
3-4 turns of African Smoke seasoning or other BBQ flavored seasoning of choice
2 Tbls of apple cider vinegar 
Vegan Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top before putting in the oven
 
process till creamy, if to thick add a bit more water until you reach desired consistency. Remember to taste test along the way.. need more of something? Add it.
Keep in mind you want it to be on the thicker side so that it will stick in all the curly crevices of the kale  

I have this great blender attachment for my magic bullet that works awesome for bigger batches of sauce making so I made a dbl batch of cheezy sauce, It lasts for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
      
add your kale to a bowl and drizzle some sauce on top, use tongs to evenly disperse the sauce. add more sauce if needed.

make a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle vegan parmesan on top of the kale chips and pop them into the oven. bake between 325-350 until crispy and golden brown. 

It could take between 15- 20 mins.. give them a toss or turn about half way. You may even have to take them out and remove the done ones as they cook.. it's a process but so worth it.

You will need to keep a close eye on these as they are baking.. they go from not done to perfect to burnt in no time!! 

This recipe makes about 2 cookie sheets, give or take..

if you want to dbl the recipe use 1 whole bag of kale, stems removed or 2 bunches of kale, stems removed 

These are my new favorite snack. I can't get enough!! 
Enjoy!!

Sherice OX

Vegan Lasagne

My Daughter....

Has been bugging me to make Lasagne... So I obliged her a couple of weekends ago. I made theirs.. Theirs being my husband, son and daughter.. 1/2 meat for the hubs and 1/2 cheese and spinach for my kiddos. But what was I to do being a new Vegan eater.. well I will tell ya..

I decided to make my own veggie lasagne. Unfortunately I only have 1 photo of a bite of this delicious creamy lasagne.

 I often times make things then think, "why didn't I take photos for the blog?" this was one of those times folks.. so sorry.. but I will totally share the recipe with you!

I know is doesn't look like much in this picture but YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT A TRY!!!

Vegan Veggie Lasagne

You'll need..
sauce of your choice ( I'd get 2 jars. you want to use the sauce liberally because you won't be cooking the lasagne noodles before layering them. The sauce will absorb and help them cook in the oven. Trust me.. I have never cooked my noodles before layering and baking any lasagne I've made. This is always how my mom did it)
1-2 Small Zucchini Shredded and squeezed
6-7 Sliced mushrooms
1/2 a brick of crumbled organic extra firm tofu.. if you get the stuff in water make sure that it has been  pressed between paper towels and is very dry.
Fresh baby spinach
lasagne noodles.. reg or whole wheat, your choice and like I said.. I've been vegan for about 2 mos. I do check ingredients and don't think the lasagne noodles had any animal products.. if I'm wrong kindly let me know what brand doesn't :)
Daiya Mozzarella shreds this makes the lasagne so creamy I couldn't believe it.
a little bit of Italian seasoning

This is how you assemble the lasagne....

I peeled and cut the ends of 1 small eggplant, then sliced it lengthwise in about 1/2 in slices then cut them in 1/2 to make for easier layering.. then I let them set between a couple paper towels to absorb the moisture, while I prepped the rest of my ingredients. 

I sauteed the mushrooms just a little to soften them and added in the crumbled tofu and a couple pinches of Italian seasoning and mixed it well, remove the mixture from the pan and add the eggplant into the pan just to brown a bit on each side. 

spray your baking dish with what ever spray you use.. then spread a layer of sauce, place your uncooked noodles in the pan, then layer the mushroom tofu mixture, some shredded and drain zucchini, a layer of eggplant, a layer of a couple handfuls of the fresh baby spinach and then a lite layer of Daiya Mozzarella. That's your first layer..

Next your gonna add another layer of uncooked noodles directly on top of the spinach layer then add a liberal layer of sauce. Then layer the rest of the ingredients as you did in the first layer.

Continue your layers like this until you've reached the top of your pan.. the last layer is going to be a layer of Mozzarella.

Cover with foil and cook in a preheated 350 degree oven. After about 30 mins check it.. when your fork goes in easily, with out any resistance from the noodles it's done.  You want to take off the foil when you've got about 15 mins of cooking time left to brown up the top or you can broil it for a few mins when it's done.

I had my sister and niece over for dinner that night who are non vegan and gave them a piece of my lasagne for leftovers the next day. They both said it was great. This is the text my niece sent me.

I hope that you will give this recipe a try.. it's so good. I shoveled it in like I was never going to eat again.. not gonna lie!! I will be making it again soon :)

So for now 

Sherice OXOXOX

Stuffed Eggplant

I don't know about you but I LOVE Eggplant!

On my recent trip to Trader Joe's a picked one up thinking I could make something yummy with it.. Something yummy? Yes indeed!!

I've been enjoying reading through this cookbook and I found a delicious looking recipe for an Braciole-inspired Stuffed Eggplant. In true Sherice fashion I changed a few things and had a delicious dinner!

Stuffed Eggplant

Start by cutting off the top and bottom of your eggplant. Then peel it or if you don't mind the peeling you can leave it on. I peel mine. Then cut the eggplant in 1/2 lengthwise.
scoop out the inside of the eggplant making a "boat" or shell like this..

First I sauteed...
1 onion chopped
1/2 Sm Zucchini cubed
1/2 Portabella Mushroom or 4-5 Sm Mushrooms
2 garlic cloves minced..
the inside of the eggplant cubed
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning.  I just eyeballed it.

Then add in..

a handful of chopped fresh Spinach
a handful of chopped fresh Basil
a handful of chopped fresh Italian Parsley
let that saute a few mins and then remove pan from heat add in
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 cup Panko flakes

Now time to stuff your eggplant boats...
I sprayed my baking dish with a little pam then set my boats in and filled them. As you can see I had a bit of the mixture left over so I just added it around the eggplant boats.

 Next I added about 1 1/2 cups Marinara sauce on top of the stuffing and sprinkled a little leftover Mozzarella Daiya cheese and some Vegan Parmesan on top..

Cover with foil and put into a preheated 350 degree oven.. let cook about 1/2 an hr and remove foil. continue cooking until the top browns up

In my haste to scarf down this incredibly delicious meal I forgot to take a photo of the finished product before I dished it up.. Sorry!

But as you can see the top is melted and the middle is cooked and delish..

I paired my eggplant with steamed french green beans and made some garlic bread using Earth balance original spread

This dish is entirely Vegan.. Hooray!!

If you make this dish let me know what you think!

Sherice oxoxo

Bring it on down to Veganville

Hi There ~ 

So glad you stopped by. I hope there is something in all my rambles that appeals to you. 

I wanted to talk a bit today about becoming a Vegan.. Or almost Vegan. I'm finding that Vegan goes way beyond eating and can be a bit overwhelming at times. I just take it a day at a time and try to educate myself as much as possible. 

 DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ ARE STRICTLY MINE AND MINE ALONE.

I'm sure there are those die hard Nazi Vegans, as I call them.. that would beg to differ that I am not actually a vegan because I use active yeast and honey. But that's ok. I don't mind. I can only do MY best. 

I'm really loving this new healthier way of eating and living. It's such a comfort for me to know that I will never have to worry about what I'm eating. I think everything is a process and the further down the road you go the more you learn and things make sense. 

I'm not going to go into all that I've learned but I will post This. A ton of podcasts by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. She has tons of info and will most likely have a podcast to answer some of your questions. Also the documentaries Forks over Knives and Vegucated are great starting points for anyone looking to learn more about why someone would start a vegan or plant based diet.

When I first started cutting out meat and dairy, I thought "well if I want a burger or cheese than I will have it" but I've gotten to a point now that I DON'T want those things. But I'm not going to stress about eating out places. most places have salad and olive oil right?!! 

A few Vegan things I'm really excited about are...

This Cheese is delicious.. you have to be open minded enough to realize that NO it's not dairy cheese but it's an awesome substitute! The texture of this reminds me of Laughing Cow cheese wedges. 

also these...

one might ask.. "well if you don't eat dairy why would you want to eat vegan cheese substitutes?" Ummm.. because it's not that I don't like dairy cheeses but vegan options are so much healthier and just as good with out any animal products being used.

This...

I can't wait to try the Chedder and the Pepperjack shreds next! I have tried this kind of mozzarella

and I must say that the Daiya is superior.. it melts, stretches and contains NO SOY!!! it's creamy and even my non vegan sister and niece liked it.

It made my vegan lasagne so creamy and delicious that my niece texted me this....

So if you are lactose intolerant or have any other dairy issues give the Daiya cheese a try.. :)

I will have some new recipes for you soon :) 

a little teaser...
 vegan lasagne
cheesy kale chips
delicious pancakes 
and perhaps something sweet 

I have yet to try vegan baking but am very intrigued by the idea of it. 

for now that's all I've got for ya.. have a fantastic day :)

oxox Sherice
 

Red Lentil Dahl

Hey ~

Today's recipe is a warm, comforting, delicious vegan meal!

Red Lentil Dahl.. which is an Indian dish that my son and I love!

Red Lentil Dahl
This recipe makes enough for 4 people plus leftovers. You can always half the recipe or double it. What ever works for you and your family!

1 cup carrots diced however big or small you want them
1 large onion diced sm to med dice
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp salt or to taste
4 Tbls tomato paste
2 cups red lentils rinsed and picked over
8 cups vegetable broth
2 cups coconut milk
If you like cinnamon and cardamom you can add 1/2 tsp of those ea.  We don't like them in this dish so I omit them

saute onions, carrots in a little olive oil or coconut oil until onions are translucent. Add in garlic and saute for 1-2 mins. add in broth, lentils and seasonings. cover and simmer 20 mins or until lentils are tender. then add in the coconut milk.

If your vegan you can garnish with some soy sour cream or soy yogurt or coconut yogurt. If not Greek yogurt is good too.

I also made homemade Pitas to go with this and let me tell you, they were so easy and delicious to make I will NEVER again buy store bought pitas. It seems like every time I buy pitas I cut them in half and then try to fill them and they end up cracking and breaking all over the place.. WTH???

These didn't do that AT ALL!! I'm sold on homemade Pitas!!

Here is the recipe I used...Awesome homemade Pitas

I can't wait to make some Shwarma Tempeh to fill these Pitas.

Next time I make these I will try to add in some Whole Wheat flour. I will probably do half white half wheat to please my kids along with myself!

Let me know what you think of this Delicious vegan meal.

OX Sherice

Coconut Butter

Hey Hey ~ 

How's everyone? Good I hope. 

There have been a few changes around Potter Palace..

Potter Palace.. is my home, domain, kingdom, castle, safe haven.. well you get the point!!  

For about a year now I've been thinking about a vegan diet. When I began doing research about getting fit and healthy, I started watching documentaries and reading books. Everything from Food Matters to The Gerson Miracle. And reading books like Organic Manifesto and You Are Your Own Gym.

The more I started reading and absorbing the information I was finding, the more it got me thinking. 

I'm not going to go into why you should become vegan or change your diet. It's a personal choice But I think that if you start doing some research, you can figure it out! 

 I cut out meat and dairy from my diet 3 days ago, I'm not vegan as I still eat eggs and use honey. I can see myself giving up eggs in the future but honey is just to good and I don't think that the local raw organic honey I'm getting is hurting the bees. I did choose to cut out meat and dairy for health reasons. But of course I am a compassionate animal lover too! 

I do have a background in a vegetarian diet. My family being most my aunts, uncles and grandparents are Seventh Day Adventist and growing up did not eat any kind of meat. I've always been very picky about the meat I ate and would often times choose a vegetarian dish over a meat dish. At a young age I was introduced to Textured vegetable protein (soy) and gluten steaks and all kinds of different "fake" meats by Loma Linda, Morning Star and Worthington. 

Some of my favorite meals are meals made with TVP or "fake" meats.. Shamburgers, Steaks deluxe, I love the scallops made by Worthington, dipped in Nutritonal yeast and fryed in a little EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil),red pepper flakes and sea salt. The veggie links have a soft spot in my heart.. roasted like a wiener or mashed in a sandwich like my Grandma used to make. And the only sausage I will eat or my kids for that matter are morning star links. 

I know that Soy is a huge GMO crop in the U.S. I really try to get Non GMO and Organic when possible and I don't eat a lot of soy. It can mess with your thyriod and estrogen levels. I plan on eating a lot of plants, fruits, legumes, Quinoa, Tempeh, Tofu, and some "fake"meats.

I'm looking forward to experimenting and feeling good about what I'm eating. So that's a little bit about the changes going on in my kitchen. I'm sure I will continue to have wonderful delicious healthy recipes for you! 

On to the recipe I have for you today!

*****************************************************************************************************************

Recently I began hearing about Coconut Butter. So I did some research and thought "I wonder if I can make it?"

We have a great Co-op organic market Called Main Market. You can read more about it here. They have a wonderful Bulk section so I got some unsweetened organic shredded coconut and today I made some Coconut Butter. 

Because I used unsweetened coconut I added in some agave and vanilla.. it turned out yummy.
Definitely is different but good. Since I have never bought any from the store I don't have anything to compare mine to so it's fine for me. I am curious about what the store bought kind tastes like and it's texture. I imagine I will buy some eventually.

Coconut Butter...

What you will need
Food Processor
2 cups unsweetened organic coconut
1 Tbls melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
a couple squirts agave

I put the coconut into my food processor and turned it on. I let it process for about 5 mins stopping once to scrape down the sides. Then I added in 1 Tbls melted coconut oil, 1/2 tsp vanilla and a couple squirts Agave. Started it back up and let it go for about 7-10 more mins stopping periodically to scrape the sides. 

 This is what it looked like at the end.. 

it still has a little texture, so it's not smooth like regular butter. but it's oh so yummy!! and instead of costing me almost 10 bucks, the coconut cost me about $5 for a lb. I had all the other stuff in my cupboard!

2 cups made 1 pint of butter.

I made a dip of Chocolate PB2 and Coconut butter to dip my banana in and OH. MY. HOLY. GOODNESS!!! 

But that's a post for another day! 

OX Sherice

Hummus Tuna on Ezekiel

Sometimes I really amaze myself.....

I've had some veggies in my fridge for a while now and they've been on my mind.. like I need to cut and eat those dang veggies before they turn gelatinous and stink up my fridge!

While I was at Trader Joe's last week I found some Roasted Garlic Hummus that screamed at me....BUY ME AND EAT ME!! I'm a lover of anything garlic and roasted garlic is even better!

So while I was cutting up my veggies today I suddenly had this AH. MAZE. ING. thought!!

What if I used the hummus as the binder for my tuna fish??  I've heard of Greek yogurt or Avocado but never Hummus..

That's how my Hummus Tuna open face sandwich was born....

Hummus Tuna

1 can white albacore tuna.. I was reading that you shouldn't eat white albacore tuna b/c it's high in mercury?? I will have to do more research on that and if it's true, well my heart will be broken.

a little chopped onion
a little chopped red pepper........ just eyeball the veggies, what ever you think is good, is GREAT!
a little chopped celery

6-7 shakes of Dill or whatever you like.. next time I might try lemon pepper (not that many shakes of course)

3-4 spoonfuls of Roasted Garlic Hummus.. or whatever hummus you like. I used 3 and it needed 1 more spoonful.

spread on your choice of bread, cracker, pita, or even lettuce..

I chose Ezekiel bread

and topped it with some homegrown clover sprouts..

The only thing that could have made this sandwich better was a ripe red tomato sliced on top!

DELICIOUS!!

Am I a genius or what??


When I sit at my table on the computer, this is what happens.....

I always get company. Say Hello Marley!
 

What was your last great recipe invention? 

Do you like sprouts or lettuce? 

Do you have any pets? 

Sherice OXOX

Oatmeal Lavender Face Scrub

It seems that I'm a bit obsessed this week with homemade beauty products!

I made this face scrub and gave it to my sister. I haven't used any yet but she said her face felt wonderful after and the calming scent of lavender is exactly what she needed after a long hard day! 

 Lavender Oatmeal face scrub

What you'll need:
1 cup Oatmeal
1/3 or more Coconut oil melted
15-20 drops Lavender Essential oil   


First I put 1 cup oats in my magic bullet so they would be a finer texture. 

Then I added in the melted Coconut oil, and lavender 

mix well and put into glass jar 

 This Face scrub is very gentle... 

Benefits of oatmeal ~ 

• Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and is perfect for most skin types, even the most sensitive skin
• Oatmeal contains saponins, a cleansing agent, and can therefore be used as a mild soap
• Oatmeal is moisturizing and helps remove dead skin cells.
• Oatmeal can help treat acne, eczema, rosacea and rashes
• Oatmeal can helps relieve symptoms of aging skin 

Info from here  

 Benefits of Lavender ~ 

~ Headaches and migraines - Lavender essential oil has a calming aroma which makes it an excellent nerve tonic. It aids in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. 
~ Insomnia – Lavender essential oil is ideal for those who have trouble falling or staying asleep as it improves the length and quality of sleep.
~ Scrapes and wounds – Due to its powerful antiseptic properties, Lavender essential oil can increase cell growth and aid in the formation of scar tissue. It has been used to heal wounds, cuts, burns and sunburns rapidly. 
~ Anxiety and depression - It is an excellent tonic for the nervous system. It’s known to remove nervous exhaustion and restlessness while increasing mental activity and relaxation. 
~ Skin care – Just like it can be used for scrapes and wounds, lavender essential oil can also be used to treat skin disorders such as acne, burns, dry skin, eczema, itchy skin, sunburn, seborrhea and skin inflammation. 
~ Pain relief – A regular massage with Lavender essential oil provides relief from pain in the joints as well as pains caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago

info from here

In this post you will learn all about the benefits of coconut oil on your skin

I hope you give this face scrub a try. I can't wait to make some for myself! 

Sherice oxox

Whipped Body Butter

Hi There ~

I don't know about you but where I live it's cold and snowy! My skin is dry, itchy and looking for some thirst quenching lotion!

Did you know that your biggest organ is your skin? And when you use products with chemicals and perfumes those are absorbing into your body and then into your blood stream. I always find it interesting that people are so careful about what they eat aka put into their bodies but a lot of people don't even think about what they are using for sunscreen, lotion, face creams, eye creams, perfumes.. These products affect your Endocrine system.. aka your hormones!

As I was trolling around pinterest I found some amazingly easy options for beauty and skin care.. like so easy I couldn't believe it could be so easy!! But in usual Sherice fashion I thought how can I do this and make it my own?

well I got my brain working and ideas just started coming... like a flood, if you will :)

I want to share these with you because I'm a firm believer in sharing is caring and I care for all of you! I hope that you will enjoy these as much as my sister and I do!!

Whipped Eye Cream

2 ingredients.. that's it!!

Coconut oil, vitamin E oil... before I get into the how to's of it.. let's spend a min on why coconut oil and vitamin E...

Coconut oil ~

1. Coconut oil is nature's most abundant source of Medium-Chain Triglycerides. When applied to your skin, your natural good bacteria convert these Medium-Chain Triglycerides into Antimicrobial Fatty Acids. Antimicrobial Fatty Acids prevent viral, fungal, and bacterial infections, including yeast! Antimicrobial Fatty Acids act like nature's natural bodyguards for your skin. In other words.. it will help with blemishes and breakouts.. clearing up your skin

2. Coconut oil is vitamin enriched with vitamins A, B, C, and E, and nourishes your skin, coconut oil is a natural anti-oxidant that helps the skin repair itself. Coconut Oils protective anti-oxidant qualities protect the skin from free radicals and other environmental aging factors.

So coconut oil helps heal your skin of wrinkles and helps with younger looking skin

3. If your using pure virgin coconut oil.. which you should be, it won't clog pores

info from here and here

Vitamin E ~

1. Vitamin E is also a natural antioxidant.. in this day and age we need all the help we can get against all those free radicals roaming around, right! YES!!!

2. It helps in the healing process and prevents scarring

3. It's also moisturizing and helps healing of sunburns and cold sores.. which I'm sure to get when my lips are really dry and chapped! Did I mention that this could also be used as a lip cream.. A FLOOD I TELL YOU!!!!

4. last but not least Vitamin E will not clog pores.. so it's perfect for your skin.

info from here and here

Now lets get to the how to's, shall we?!

start with 1 cup coconut oil.. DO NOT HEAT OIL!! you want it to be solid. put into your kitchen aid. Add in 1 tsp of Vitamin E oil

I used Vitamin E capsules b/c when I went to get the oil, Walgreens was out of the stuff.. really?! popular stuff. and so I improvised.. wow that was a good thumb workout as it was about 25 capsules to get almost 1 tsp of oil.. END RANT!!!

Turn on mixer to 8 and mix with your whisk attachment for 6 mins or until light, airy, fluffy and wonderful..

once done I put it into these little pill containers I found at Walgreen's. 

This is light and fluffy. It melts into your skin on contact and leaves your fragile eye area soft, smooth and eventually wrinkle free.

Always remember when you are applying anything around your eyes and your using your fingers, always use your ring finger.. the skin around your eye is the thinnest and most fragile skin on your body and your ring finger is your weakest finger. You don't want to do damage by pulling and tugging around your eyes!

Once I was done with the Eye Cream I started on the Whipped Body Butter by adding in 20 drops of Lavender essential oil to the whipped eye cream still in my mixer bowl

make sure that if you use fragrance your using Essential Oils Not Fragrance oils. Essential oils are the real deal and ok to use on your skin. It's not the same as the oils you can buy at Bath and Body works for that cute oil burner you have.

you can learn about the benefits of Lavender essential oil here
 

 
once I added the lavender I turned back on my mixer for a few seconds to incorporate it.

when done put it into a jar and keep it where ever it's handy!!

I immediately slathered this stuff on my arms... which felt like a baby's bottom for the rest of the night! The smell of lavender is soothing, calming and my serenity!

This whole process took about 10 - 15 mins.. and if your not having to squeeze vitamin E oil out of those dang capsules it will take you less... so make some, your worth it!!

Sherice oxox

Dried Fruit Snacks

I have this wonderful contraption called a food dehydrator that I borrowed from my mom quite a while ago.. it's been sitting in the box taking up space and today I had this amazing thought..... "what if I actually used the damn thing!"

So I did!!

Dried Fruit Snacks......

What you'll need..

Tools I used...

First step: peeled and cut fruit

I didn't cut it to thick, I do think for next time I will cut it a bit on the thicker side.. I like to have a bit of  "meat" when you bite into it!

Next step: I sprinkled them with cinnamon.. I only sprinkled one side, and then loaded up the trays...

Then I let these little morsels of tasty fruit dry for about 7 hrs. Every couple of hrs I would rotate the trays.. they stack in a triple layer. At the half way mark I flipped the fruit.

When done the fruit was sweet, chewy and delicious.. Everyone in the house, dogs and humans thought it was The Bomb!!

It didn't last long.... YUM!!!

Sherice oxoxox