Winter Citrus Salad

When I was building our Green Grocer box this week, I discovered that they offer a collection of citrus fruits.  I am not sure how I missed this before.  Ah!  I added it to our delivery and it did not disappoint.  It was over fifteen pounds of various beautiful, fresh citrus fruits and I am already obsessed.  It'll be a weekly add on for us for sure especially during the winter months.  I am always looking for easy ways to sneak in more Vitamin C this time of year.

I whipped up this salad quickly to have along side sourdough paninis for dinner last night.  It was light and delicious!  Plus, the added health benefits of the bee pollen and Ginger Vitality oil made our bellies super happy.

WINTER CITRUS SALAD

2 Oranges
1 Lemon
1 Grapefruit
2 tablespoons Local Bee Pollen
1 drop Young Living Ginger Vitality Oil (or 1 teaspoon grated, fresh ginger)

Peel the fruit and cut out the sections over a bowl so the juice falls inside the bowl.  Sprinkle with the bee pollen and add the Ginger Vitality Oil.  Stir well to combine and let sit in the refrigerator to chill and marinate for about ten minutes.  Enjoy!

Present Time & Lemon Chicken Marinade

I made a nice, healthy dinner for our family tonight and was really looking forward to sitting down to enjoy it together.  But when I called them in to eat, I was having trouble focusing on what we were doing... being present.  I was thinking about cleaning up the dishes and everything else I had to do tonight.  Determined to relax and be in the moment with them, I put a drop of this in my hand, rubbed my hands together and cupped them over my mouth and nose to breathe deeply.  I took a minute to pray that I would value them over my to-do list.  And it worked!  I felt so peaceful and was able to let go and make the most of the little bit of time the four of us have together on a Monday night.

Also... I made a marinade for the chicken and ended up using it as a dressing on the salad, too.  OH MY WORD. So good.  Enjoy!

LEMON CHICKEN MARINADE

1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
4 drops YL Lemon Vitality Oil
1 teaspoon Coconut Sugar
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Ground Tumeric
1/2 teaspoon Salt (more to season chicken)
1/4 teaspoon Pepper (more to season chicken)
Dash Smoked Paprika

I poured all but a few tablespoons of the marinade into an oven safe pan and let the chicken thighs and breasts cook in that on the stove so the chicken would brown a bit,  Then, I threw it in the oven to finish.  I tossed the rest of the marinade in a simple salad and served both with a scoop of herbed whole-wheat couscous with toasted almonds.  It was a huge hit!  Easy, affordable, wholesome and super yummy!

Thieves Soaked Apples

Do you want to enjoy a healthy snack that also provides you with immune system support and maintenance of healthy teeth and gums?  YES.  Thieves Soaked Apples are your answer!  I make a big batch of these each week to keep on hand for easy, affordable additions to our lunches.

THIEVES SOAKED APPLES

3 Large Apples
1 T Maple Syrup
1 T Water
3 drops YL Thieves Vitality Oil Blend
2 drops YL Lemon Vitality Oil
2 drops YL Cinnamon Bark Vitality Oil

Cut the apples into thin slices.  Mix the syrup, water and oils in a small bowl and pour over the apples.  Stir to coat the apples well.  Store in a sealed glass container in your fridge.

Einkorn Granola Parfait

This Einkorn Granola makes a fast breakfast super yummy and nutritious! I made a little yogurt parfait with it this morning and it filled me up until lunch!

EINKORN GRANOLA PARFAIT

1/3 cup Einkorn Granola

1/2 cup Grass Fed Plain Yogurt

1 teaspoon Maple Syrup

1 drop YL Cinnamon Bark Vitality Oil

Mix the yogurt, maple syrup and cinnamon oil together in a small glass. Top with the granola and enjoy!

Iced Slique Tea

I love making this and keeping it cold in the fridge to drink when I am tempted to stress (or boredom) eat or am craving sugar in the afternoons.  It's so refreshing and tasty.  PLUS... it helps to support my weight management goals!  

ICED SLIQUE TEA

6 Slique Tea Bags

2 T Coconut Sugar
3 drops YL Basil
4 drops YL Lemon
Fresh Mint (Optional)

Boil the tea bags in about 4 cups of water and allow to steep for six minutes. Remove from the heat, take out the tea bags and stir in the coconut sugar Allow to cool. Pour into a half gallon GLASS container and fill with cold water. Add the essential oils and mint. Store in the fridge to keep cold for up to a week. (Remove the mint after a day or two.)

Syrups for Coffee & Tea

You're going to want to make these syrups... now!  They are so great to have on hand to make your drinks extra tasty (with wellness supporting benefits!).  I shared these with the group that came to our Summer Drink Class and they were even able to make and try each one in iced tea or coffee.  It was so fun and I hope to do it again soon.

I am enjoying a few teaspoons of Lavender Syrup in my coffee this morning.  I was inspired to do this one because my dear friend Marie​ started serving Lavender Lates at my favorite local spot, Amity Coffee Roasters & Cafe​ and I became addicted quickly.  It's SUPER yummy and will help you cope with seasonal issues!  The Cinnamon Cardamom Syrup is an immune system supporter and can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.  BOOM.  So there are some more great reasons to enjoy a cup of coffee everyday... it's for your health.

(For those interested, I purchase my coconut sugar from Trader Joe's but you can find it at pretty much any grocery store now.  I use mason jars for storage and buy the plastic lids from Amazon.)

Simple Syrup Base Recipe
1 cup Coconut Sugar
1 cup Water
Bring to a slow boil while stirring with a whisk.  Remove from heat to cool completely once sugar is dissolved into water.  Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Lavender Syrup
1 1/2 cups Simple Syrup
4 drops YL Lavender Vitality Oil
Add two or three teaspoons to a cup of coffee or iced tea.

Cinnamon Cardamom Syrup
1 1/2 cups Simple Syrup
4 drops YL Vitality Cardamom
4 drops YL Vitality Cinnamon
Add two or three teaspoons to a cup of coffee or iced tea.

Mint Syrup
1 1/2 cups Simple Syrup
1 drop YL Vitality Peppermint
3 drops YL Vitality Spearmint
Add two or three teaspoons to a cup of coffee or iced tea.
Optional - One teaspoon of Cocoa Powder or a few melted Chocolate Chips to make Mint Mocha.

Honey & Lavender Lemonade
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup Water
2 drops YL Vitality Lavender
4 drops YL Vitality Lemon
Put honey and water in a small pot and place it over low heat and stirring with a small whisk long enough for them to mix together.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Add essential oils and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Add two or three tablespoons to  a glass of ice water.

NingXia Red Popsicles

Well... the NingXia Red Popsicles were a HUGE hit this morning! smile emoticon Joshua helped me make them before he went to bed last night. When he woke up this morning, he walked straight to the freezer. He was so excited! I modified the recipe a bit to use less of the NingXia Red (because, budget) but the popsicle mold that comes with the new gift set worked SO well! And, yes. When your popsicles contain this many oils, nutrients and antioxidants, your babies (and you!) can eat them for breakfast without Mommy guilt! 

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NingXia Red Popsicles
3/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Organic Apple Juice
1/4 cup NingXia Red
4 drops Orange Vitality Oil
4 drops Lemon Vitality Oil

Mix all ingredients together in a glass bowl and pour evenly into the silicone popsicle molds. Freeze for several hours. Run under hot water for about 20 seconds to help release the popsicles from the molds. Enjoy with LOTS of smiles! grin emoticon

(This gift set is in YL's new Spring Catalog. It is Item #5676 and comes with a silicone YL branded popsicle mold and a bottle of NingXia Red!)

Granola Balls

I hosted a marriage class last night and kind of threw these together to see if it worked.  They turned out to be delicious so I wanted to share the recipe!

GRANOLA BALLS
(makes about 36 balls)

First, you will need to make a batch of GRANOLA.

3 cups Oats
1 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1 cup Cashews
1/2 cup Alminds
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 drops YL Cinnamon Bark Vitality EO
3 drops YL Clove Vitality EO
2 drops YL Nutmeg Vitality EO

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine the wet ingredients well and add them to the dry.  Stir well to combine.  Spread the mixture evenly onto the parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  It will crisp as it cools.

Once the granola is cooled, you can make the GRANOLA BALLS.

3 cups Granola
10 Pitted Dates
1/2 cup YL Dried Wolfberries
1/3 cup Water
1/4 cup Vanilla Spice or Chocolate Pure Protein Complete

Add the first four ingredients to a food processor and pulse until a dough is formed.  Roll out 1" balls in the palm of your hand and toss them in the protein powder to cover.  Let them rest in the fridge for one hour before consuming.

These are quick and easy to make.  My kids loved them so it's a great, healthy snack to keep on hand for them.  Plus, you'll have lots of delicious granola leftover, too!

Enjoy!

Coffee & Pure Protein Complete Shake

Well this an awesome way to start the day!

Coffee & Pure Protein Complete Shake

2 oz. Milk of Choice
4 oz. Room Temperature Coffee
4 oz. Water
2 scoops Vanilla Spice Pure Protein Complete
Handful of Ice Cubes

Mix all ingredients in a shaker bottle and enjoy!

It's a fantastic blend of nutrients and essential oils that are formulated for optimal absorption. The 25 grams of protein keeps me full until lunchtime and it has under 200 calories. Also, HELLO ENERGY!

I would imagine the Chocolate powder would be awesome, too, if mocha is your thing. 

Bubbly Energy & Anti-Oxidant Drink

My husband left for a work trip really early this morning and won't be home until after the kids are in bed tonight. So, it's just me all day long with the babes and all the other things that need to get done! smile emoticon 

Needless to say, I needed an afternoon pick-me-up that would also elevate my mood and that wouldn't give me a crash in an hour. This was just perfect!  I was out of NingXia Zyng so I (sort of) recreated it here. Super yummy and very energizing!

Bubbly Energy & Anti-Oxidant Rich Drink

1 oz. NingXia Red
1 NingXia Nitro
2 drops YL Lime Oil
1 drop YL Black Pepper Oil
Seltzer Water

Put ice into a glass. Drop the Lime and Black Pepper essential oils on top of the ice. Add the NingXia Red and NingXia Nitro. Fill to the top with seltzer water and stir with a glass straw. Enjoy!

Black Pepper Popcorn & Orange Infused Chocolate Bark

The oil infused treats for tonight's intro class are all ready to go. It took me all of about fifteen minutes to get this together. It really doesn't have to be complicated! Here are the recipes!

BLACK PEPPER POPCORN

1/4 cup Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
2 drops YL Black Pepper Oil
1/2 cup Popcorn Kernels

Put the oil, salt and black pepper oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Add the popcorn kernels and stir again. Put the lid on the pot and allow it to cook over the heat until there are 2 to 3 seconds between pops. Remove from heat, pour the popcorn into a bowl and add extra salt if needed.

ORANGE INFUSED CHOCOLATE BARK

1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
1/4 cup Cashew Pieces
1/8 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/8 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3 drops YL Orange Oil
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup YL Dried Wolfberries

Toast the nuts in a non-stick pan over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not burn. Add the shredded coconut to the pan. This will burn quickly so be sure to keep moving it around as it toasts. Remove the pan from the heat. Put half of this nut mixture aside. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, cocoa powder, orange oil and salt to the remaining nut mixture left in the pan. Stir well to combine. Allow to cool in the fridge until it thickens enough to pour easily. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the chocolate mixture onto it and allow it to spread out. Sprinkle the reserved nut mixture and wolfberries on top of the chocolate mixture . Put in the freezer to harden for about fifteen minutes. Remove from the freezer, peel off the parchment paper and break the chocolate bark into into pieces. Keep them frozen until you are ready to serve.

ENJOY! smile emoticon