50 Things You Should Stop Buying & Start Making
As a society, we have become over-reliant on “ready made” products. We have lost the ability to make things from scratch. Rather than blend up some peanuts to make delicious, tasty and fresh peanut butter, we’ll spend many dollars on a jar from the store that contains artificial preservatives, unnecessary packaging and that simply lines the pockets of huge, unethical multinational corporations. Aside from foods, you can also make your own personal care products, beauty and make up products, cleaning products and home accessories that taste, work or look better than store bought, without the harmful chemicals and toxins and free from excessive, earth damaging packaging. Foods Homemade Ketchup – This ketchup won’t brake the bank, tastes better than the real deal and contains no added sugar – so it’s nutritionally good for the whole family. Peanut Butter – It is so simple to make this pantry staple it would be silly to buy it. Want to learn more about making your own foods? Next Page >>>
Homemade Vanilla Extract
I love the scent of vanilla in anything from candles to soap and the flavor of vanilla in baked goods and desserts is second to none. If a recipe calls for one teaspoon vanilla extract, I use at least two; but likely more and use a slow, heavy hand when pouring. All that pouring makes my food taste amazing but my wallet doesn’t like it. Storebought real vanilla extract is pricey and I can make extremely fast work of a two- or four-ounce bottle that sells for $8.99 to $10.99, and up. Two ounces, that’s for one batch of cookies, right? Homemade vanilla extract saves money and even if it didn’t, when it comes to taste and flavor, there is just no comparison. The only thing special that’s required when making vanilla extract is patience. To make vanilla extract you need vanilla beans. When selecting beans, they should be soft, pliable, tender, and flexible. Next, you need alcohol (at least 35% by volume) in order to extract the vanilla from the vanilla beans, thus the name, vanilla extract.
Food hacks
Homemade Energy Drink
I started out with the intention of coming up with a recipe for a homemade version of the store bought energy drinks, but after doing some research and discovering how unhealthy they are for you, I decided instead to try and design a less sugar/caffeine fueled way to help myself through the workday afternoon sleepy slump. What I landed on was a system of three drinks and some energy boosting ideas that are going a long way to helping me keep my energy up all day long! Here's the good on the drinks: The Fire Hydrant (left) - 3-4 8oz glasses throughout the day filtered water 1 slice lemon 1 pinch cayenne pepper Other than getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do to help keep your body functioning at optimum levels. *For an explanation of lemons' miraculous transition from acidic outside of the body, to alkaline once ingested, visit this link: The Heavy Lifter (right) - 1 glass in the morning
How to Make Homemade Peppermint Extract
Part of the reason that I decided to grow mint this year was so that I could try making my own peppermint extract. Jesse and I are pretty much obsessed with mint (especially mint plus chocolate) so we go through a lot of mint extract. Even though I buy my extracts through Azure Standard, they’re not exactly cheap, so making my own seemed like a great way to save some money. I finally got down to it last weekend. How to Make Peppermint Extract I did a quick Google search and found a multitude of recipes, all of which followed the same basic outline. Harvest a bunch of mint leaves from your mint plant. Harvested mint leaves Remove mint leaves from stalks (if applicable) and pack leaves into a measuring cup to determine how much mint you have. Mint leaves ready to be rinsed Rinse mint leaves with water, then squeeze leaves in your hands to bruise the leaves before placing them into a clean glass jar. Cover your jar with a lid and allow to steep for about a month in a cool, dark place.
Death By Oreo Cupcakes
They are probably the best Oreo cakes I have ever tried. A lot of cake's that I have experimented with before are like a vanilla cake with bits of Oreo in them, which didn't really give them enough Oreo flavor. But these were a lot better. Ingredients 1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size 1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional) 1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box) 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract cupcake liners Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and cream cheese. foodsnots.com
40 recipes for oranges for superfood meals
Our Superfood Recipes Series gathers up great recipes for the most amazing superfoods, inspiring you to add these healthy ingredients to any meal. Oranges are one of the most healthful fruits around -- and one of the most versatile. On the health side of things, oranges are just chock full of vitamins. Known best for their extremely high vitamin C content, oranges also contain vitamin A, which is an important antioxidant, and B6, which helps with healthy skin and fighting fatigue. While you get the most health benefits out of oranges by simply peeling them and eating them raw, that's not exactly the most inspired way to eat them. Breakfast: © Jaymi Heimbuch Vegan Orange-Cranberry Muffins with PecansRecipe: TreeHugger Vegan Banana Orange Nut LoafRecipe: eCurry Raspberry-Orange SunrisesRecipe: My Recipes Mandarin Orange Breakfast BitesRecipe: Taste of Home Date-Orange Breakfast SpreadRecipe: My Recipes Raw Orange Chia Seed Breakfast PuddingRecipe: Rawmazing Blood Orange French ToastRecipe: Babble
10 Delicious Chia Seed Pudding Recipes
Despite their minuscule appearance, chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse: They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, fiber and protein. Plus, these small ingredients are simple to make into a pudding because they absorb up to 10 times their weight in water! Not only does this make chis seeds a great starting point for breakfast, a healthy snack, or textured dessert, but it also means that they will help you stay hydrated. 10 Must-Try Chia Seed Pudding Recipes 1. RELATED: 9 Easy Overnight Oats Recipes 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. RELATED: 9 Smoothie Bowl Recipes You’ll Want to Eat Every Morning 7. 8. 9. RELATED: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies Recipe 10.
Have This Yummy Baked Egg and Cheese Toast for Breakfast
To make this scrumptious baked egg and cheese toast first you have to carefully make a square cut in a bread slice till half of its thickness. Make a recess in it by pressing with a spoon. After that put an egg in the recess and sprinkle cheese on the sides of the toast. Bake in the oven until egg is cooked and cheese is melted. Here is another spectacular idea of the same recipe where you have to cut a heart shape in a bread slice with a cookie cutter.
