HOMEMADE SKINCARE

had a lil bit of a self care sunday so i thought i’d share some simple things i’m loving!

2 of my favorite things right now that are incredibly easy to make yourself—

first:

dev & i call this “botox in a bottle”. i’ve never had botox, but i imagine this is better! i can tell the second dev puts it on because his skin is GLOWING and smooth!

•pu’er green tea packet + water. that’s it. mix it up and spray on your (clean) face a couple times a day to tighten, brighten, tame inflammation, balance your skin’s delicate microbiome, and protect against sun damage.

it’s refreshing, polyphenol-rich, and probiotic!

second:

a scrub/mask to cleanse, heal, hydrate, protect, purify, brighten, and nourish—

•1/2 t organic pure castor oil + 1/2 t organic matcha powder + 1/2 t sea salt

•stir & massage into your face, neck, body (don't forget the eyebrows! it will help them grow!). let it sit as long as possible to allow your skin to absorb the nutrients, then wipe off.

**remember, the quality of your ingredients matters. organic castor oil only bottled in dark glass, & my favorite place to buy the pu’er & matcha: pique tea.

FIRE CIDER

a little something to save you this winter.

this powerful brew is a simple & effective way to stay healthy during these critical months!

a few spoonfuls a day will clear the sinuses, boost digestion, balance the overactive sweet tooth we tend to get in the cold months, and can help kick cravings for caffeine as well! it’s antibacterial, immune boosting, and energizing—just what we need right now!

to make, add the following ingredients in desired portions to a mason jar (try to source everything organic):

chopped ginger root

chopped turmeric root

chopped horseradish root

crushed garlic cloves

chopped onion

organic orange peel (i used dried)

black peppercorns

raw local honey (to taste)

-place a fermenting weight on top and fill jar with raw apple cider vinegar until everything is submerged. seal with a lid and set in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks, then strain.

-you can add more raw honey at the end to make it as palatable as you need. i like to store mine in the fridge once i strain it & take 1 T in the mornings with food. i also frequently use it as a simple salad dressing mixed with a little evooo! 

grass fed burger + carrot fries

ate out tonight (outside, that is)

local grass fed beef & mushroom patties with the yummiest carrot fries, guac, fermented veg, homemade ketchup, & of course some smoked flaked sea salt to top.

for the fries:

slice a bunch of large organic carrots & lay out on a baking tray. drizzle with evo avocado oil, sprinkle with sea salt, hing, smoked paprika, & black pepper. bake at 400°F for 45 minutes until crispy.

SEED BREAD

this stuff is hearty, dense, and full of healthy fats + resistant starch to keep your hormones and brain happy and your body fueled for hours.

you’ll need:

1 c organic sprouted pumpkin seeds
1 c organic sprouted sunflower seeds
1/2 c organic green banana flour
1/2 c organic ground flax seeds
1/2 c organic chia seeds
1/2 c whole organic psyllium husks
1 t high quality sea salt
3 drops of liquid stevia
3 T evo avocado oil
1 1/2 c warm water

•preheat oven to 350°F. line a loaf pan with parchment and set aside. in a large bowl, combine all but the water and oil and mix well. add water and oil and stir until the batter is well combined and thick. press into the pan evenly and bake for 45 minutes. remove from oven, flip over onto a baking sheet and remove bread pan. bake top down another 15 minutes. cool completely, slice & eat!

•served here toasted with avocado, fermented cabbage, fermented ginger carrots, watermelon radish & a little black pepper + smoked flaked sea salt.

•best toasted before eating. store in fridge up to a week or freeze.

portobello steaks with avocado salsa

how to:

in a glass baking dish, i mixed 2 T primal kitchen’s sugar free bbq sauce, 2 T organic coconut aminos, 1/2 t cumin, & a dash of evo avocado oil. mix well. add 2 organic portobello shrooms (washed well), and saturate with the mixture. let them marinade a bit (5-15ish min), then place in the oven at 450°F until soft, yet toasty, browned, and delicious.

top each shroom with avo salsa:

1 large organic avocado, cubed
10 organic cherry tomatoes, halved
handful of fresh organic parsley
handful of fresh organic cilantro
dash of fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt + black pepper

-mix well.

then i made it look a mess with some raw organic hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, homemade fermented veg (i always have ferments at every meal!), and organic calendulas from my garden.

TOASTED

slice of coco bakes organic, GF, sprouted, vegan sourdough bread (do yourself a favor and order asap)
organic homegrown sprouts
organic yellow mustard
organic avocado
homemade organic fermented kraut
local organic watermelon radish
organic calendula flowers from my garden
smoked flaked sea salt + black pepper

get to it. 

sweet potato candy bowl

let me teach you...

wrap a medium (washed) sweet potato (any kind or color, just make sure it’s organic!) in foil (don’t poke holes!) and set in oven at 425°F for an hour.. or two... doesn’t really matter. the longer it goes the more it tastes like candy! take it out, let it cool a bit, cut it open and lather with an unhealthy amount of raw organic almond butter, cacao paste, dried mulberries, fresh berries, sea salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. maybe some organic coconut yogurt or cream as well. eat it allllll.

no shame here.

spring nourish bowl

treated myself to this nice little bowl of heaven today:

•sautéed dandelion greens (the perfect spring green!) in evo coconut oil, sea salt + black pepper + cumin + fennel
•fresh parsley + cilantro
•steamed carrots
•creamy sprouted buckwheat & flax (simmered in homemade coconut milk until creamy & soft. added nutmeg, sea salt, cinnamon)
•raw watermelon radish
•unsweetened, tart young coconut yogurt
•dried golden berries
•fermented kraut
•finished with a drizzle of the creamiest raw homemade brazil nut butter (selenium!! plays a key role in metabolism & acts as a powerful antioxidant + important for thyroid health.)

*all organic*, of course.

eaten with breath and gratitude.

consuming fresh, seasonal, spring foods, incorporating lightly cooked as well as raw foods, sprouted light grains/nuts/seeds, plenty of healthy fats + fiber + ferments & fresh herbs.
these are key to thriving all summer long! 

PRESERVED LEMONS

aka sunshine in a jar.

these tasty & tart babies bring bright notes of citrus, vibrant saltiness and muted, complex tartness to your cooking.

the process is long, slow fermentation that breaks down the lemons’s rind, removes its bitterness and gives you a marvelously complex, bright flavor that pairs beautifully with any number of dishes!

once they’re properly fermented, preserved lemons will last six months to a year in the refrigerator.

thin-skinned lemons like Meyer lemons work best since they require less time for the rind to soften and release its bitterness, so they are done and ready to use faster than if you use thick-skinned lemons. since you’ll also be eating the rind, look for organically grown, unwaxed lemons, if possible.

you’ll need:

5 organic lemons

2 tablespoons high quality sea salt

how to:

•trim the tips from the lemons without exposing the flesh. slice the lemon lengthwise into quarters without slicing completely through and keeping the quarters connected at the base. sprinkle the inside of the lemons with a generous pinch of salt, and then pack them tightly into a glass jar and sprinkle each layer of lemons with additional salt.

•press the lemons tightly in the jar so that they release their juices, and so that the lemon juice and salt combines into a brine that completely submerges the lemons. place a weight over the lemons, and seal the jar.  allow the lemons to ferment at least one month before trying them. they should ferment long enough so that the pith loses its bitterness.

you can also add cinnamon sticks, hot chilis, bay leaf and black pepper to your lemons as they ferment.

a truly magic pink drink: beet kvass

it has been too long since i’ve made this stuff and i forgot about the WONDERS it does for me.

just in KVASS HEAVEN.

i’ve posted the recipe + how to for this magical & beautiful gut healing, energizing drink before but since it’s been a while and it’s that time of year we all desperately need some GUT LOVE, i thought i'd post it again.

let me teach you a little bit about the pink magic...

what is it?

a traditional tonic that is a little sweet and a lotta salty. because it is lacto-fermented, it’s rich in minerals, B Vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics.
folk medicine values beets and beet kvass for their liver cleansing properties and beet kvass is widely used in cancer therapy in Europe. anecdotal reports indicate that beet kvass is an excellent therapy for chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivities, allergies and digestive problems. valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid.

beets are loaded with nutrients. one glass morning and night is an excellent blood tonic helping your body create healthy blood cells, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver (& in turn, the skin!), and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. it's also GREAT for women with hormone imbalances.

along with drinking it plain on an empty stomach each morning, you could also add it to soups, salad dressings, smoothies, sauces, etc., and it will give you a beautiful, bright color!

this batch i tried one with a vegetable starter and one with a kefir starter. they each contain different strains of bacteria that can aid with different bodies/guts. experiment!! the kefir is a bit sweeter and veg a bit more salty. both delicious!

bottoms up!

here’s how you do it:

•2-4 large washed organic beets (local is best!) chopped into 1-2" cubes (or enough to nearly fill jar)

•1/2 gallon glass jar with plastic lid

•1 packet of vegetable or kefir starter (depending on the strains of bacteria that work best with your body. my absolute favorite brand for starters is body ecology. best out there! you can also make kvass with no starter but you’ll need an extra tablespoon of salt & let it ferment a few extra days.)

•1 T fine high quality sea salt or himalayan salt (see photos for my absolute favorite brand + info)

•filtered water

-fill your jar up with chopped beets. add starter & salt & cover with filtered water to the top (make sure beets are submerged). put on a plastic lid tightly & shake very well to mix it up. leave out on your counter for 2-6 days to ferment, shaking the jar once or twice daily. after it is done (will smell and taste sour like pickles but not rancid & may have little bubbles-some say once you see foam starting to form on the top of the brine it is time to transfer the beet kvass to the fridge.) store in your fridge & consume daily: 

1/4-1/2 cup morning & night (on an empty stomach is best).

-when you have only about a cup left at the bottom, you can refill with 1 T sea salt & water to the top without having to use more starter. shake it well & let it sit out 2-6 days again, shaking once or twice a day and you have a new batch! you can do this once but the next time you'll want more starter + new beets.

(we made tacos with thinly sliced beets & radishes, avocado, wild baked salmon + homemade beet kvass ranch dressing! look how pretty!)

acorn squash + spinach soup with beet kraut + sprouted buckwheat & flax garnish

in a blender:
3 c organic homemade bone broth
as much raw organic spinach as you can pack in!
1 c cooked acorn squash flesh
1/2 c hemp seeds
1/4 c nutritional yeast
2 T lemon juice
2 T acv
spices to taste: hing, ginger, sea salt, & black pepper

-blend until very smooth. transfer to bowls & sprinkle with sprouted buckwheat, flax seeds, spirulina crunchies, and fermented kraut for a little more gut love!

WRAPPED

simple, fast, delicious.

1 organic coconut wrap
fresh homegrown sprouts
organic free range turkey
kraut
mustard
avocado

roll it up. eat.

instant pot steaks + roasted veg bowl

preheat instant pot on sauté function. add 1 T ghee + 2 grass fed organic (local if possible!) steaks and season with sea salt, black pepper, hing spice & any other spices you like! sear 2 min on each side, then turn pot off and add 1 c water or bone broth + 1 T acv.

put the lid on and set to pressure cook on high for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness of meat and how rare you like it). release steam before opening. easiest way to cook steak if you don’t have a grill. and cleanest! 

served up in a bowl with roasted curried butternut, beets, homegrown sprouts, fresh herbs, fermented veg, + a whole lotta sumac & lemon juice to top. also drizzled a bit of vegan homemade ranch dressing.