Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Beachy Diffuser Blend - Using Oils from your Premium Starter Kit

I LOve, loVE, LOVE this blend.  


Not only do I like it, but EVERYONE in the house does, too! That is saying something, because we tend to each respond in different ways when trying new oils.

I found this particular blend while scrolling through Pinterest one day and found an info-graphic on diffuser blends to mix from your Premium Starter Kit.  (*see footnote)
I automatically tried this one first because my 19 year old son responds well to Stress Away, and my 9 yr old daughter can't get enough of the Lemon Oil.
To the diffuser of your choice, add 3 drops of Stress Away and 2 drops of Lemon.
This has a light scent that reminded me of digging my toes into the warm sand on a beachy vacation.
The combination of relaxing Stress Away with energizing Lemon made for a very pleasant focus of energy.
We diffused this during school-time last week with good results as well as during the normally hectic morning rush.

I definitely recommend this trying this blend!
*based on infographic posted on Facebook by Oilways Essential on Mar 25. It included a total of 15 diffuser blends based off the YL Premium Starter Kit.  I encourage you to refer to @OilwaysEssential for more blends.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Easy Corn Salsa - A Flexible, Addition to a Diet Sensitive Taco Bar

I'm going to start right off with the Salsa
This was a quick throw-together recipe born of the fact that I accidentally broke off a vine loaded with green tomatoes.  Hmmm... how to use those up? See below for ways to substitute various items.

Easy Corn Salsa
4 Green Tomatoes
4 Red Tomatoes
1/2 red onion -optional
1 lb bag Frozen Corn
1 lime
1 bunch cilantro -optional
salt & pepper to taste

Ready?     Dump the corn into a large bowl.  (Bigger than the one I have pictured here.) Chop the tomatoes into small bites and add to corn. Mince the onion and add. Mince the cilantro and add. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the bowl.  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir, and let sit a few minutes to let flavors blend and let corn thaw. !(This is when you can make some rice or something to go with the salsa.) Stir once more before serving, and Enjoy!


The best thing about this recipe is that it is totally flexible depending on what you have on hand. 
Don't have green tomatoes? Use an equal amount of tomatillo.
Out of red onion? No worries, substitute a couple cloves of minced garlic or a tsp of garlic power. Forgot to pick up cilantro? Leave it out!

The first time I made this, I didn't have cilantro. It was still delicious. The second time, no onion. Still awesome!  I was going mostly for a even color mix of yellow, green and red.  Didn't it look pretty?

Now, what to do with this yummy blend?  

!!!Taco Bar!!!

We have a few different dietary issues here. It seems like that is becoming more and more common in families.  I have often found that presenting a mix that individuals can pick and choose from is easier than trying to make a single casserole or dish that encompasses everyone's needs.
Above I have (clockwise) tortillas, lettuce, sprouts, rice, Easy Corn Salsa, cheese, Hamburger filling, and TVP vegan filling.
The gluten sensitive ones could choose rice. The vegan could choose TVP. And someone trying to avoid carbs could make a salad bowl base dressed up with all the fixings. And a Raw Vegan could combine a balanced plate.
Very flexible!
Cooking the two fillings was not much more difficult than making one. I chopped onion and garlic and split them between two pans. One received the re-hydrated TVP, the other the burger.  Both were seasoned with taco seasonings, but I added a couple Tbs of Bragg's Liquid Aminos to the TVP for depth of flavor.  They were both finished at about the same time.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and how I tried to prepare one meal that would meet the needs of several people with restricted diets.

Up Next?  A favorite diffuser blend using oils from the Young Living Premium Starter Kit.  (It's really mellow and relaxing.)