Healthy, Easy Green Pesto

Greens are in abundance now. In past summers, I purchased too many greens and ultimately they went to waste.

This summer I've gotten in to the habit of creating large batches of pesto that I freeze right away. Here's a healthy, easy way to enjoy your greens...

What You Need:

• Any greens: Spinach, Swiss chard, Kale, Basil
• 1 whole organic lemon (yes, the whole lemon!)
• 3 - 4 garlic cloves or 1 - 2 TSP garlic powder
• olive oil
• 1/2 - 1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano (goat) or Parmigiano-Reggiano (cow) cheese
  

Clean and rinse the greens in a salad spinner. Fill a food processor with your greens, turn it on and gradually add enough olive oil till the greens turn a thick paste, slice your lemon in half and drop it down the chute, then add enough garlic and cheese to taste. Delicious!

Make extra batches for friends - or freeze and enjoy during winter months!What to do with It:

• Spread it on whole grain bread with kalamata olives, artichokes or sundried tomatoes and broil in the oven
• Serve with whole grain pasta, garnish with pine nuts or walnuts

If you're still buying greens this time of year from a big supermarket, shame on you. There are tons of local farmers and markets to support. Find one near you at Local Harvest.

Victoria Boutenko wrote a great book called Green for Life. This book shares how greens play a vital role in making unhealthy individuals healthy again. It's filled with great recipes for blender drinks using greens. Borrow a copy from your local library.

Please include a comment if you have a healthy recipe for greens. I'd love to hear from you. Thank you.

Essential Oil Blending Workshops

During these fun and hands-on workshops, I will teach you how to blend essential oils safely for use with infants, children, during pregnancy and for acute situations, infection and pain.

Outline - Essential Oil Blending Workshop

I. What are essential oils 

II. What are carrier oils

III. Essential oil history

IV. How do essential oils work

V. Quality 

VI. Storage 

VII. Safety 

VIII. Essential oil drop-by-drop blending guidelines

IX. Resources

We will also discover which essential oils are beneficial for a variety of health needs:

• Colds & Flu
• Pain & Inflammation 
• Skin Care
• Emotional Support

Recent Feedback

"Thank you Amy for coming.  I LOVED your class.  Using oils is great, but you’re missing out if you’re not buying the proper oils and mixing them correctly.  Great instruction, very, very knowledgeable.  Thank you for sharing your passion." 

"I love the way Amy engaged everyone during our oils blending workshop; she’s so knowledgeable and patient. The information and materials she provided about essential oils was super and it helped everyone in the class create their own perfect wellness blend."

"I had a wonderful time at your workshop, and it was quite informative! I appreciated all the handouts, and it really peaked more interest for me in aromatherapy. I tried my potion on my son, rubbing his feet, and he loved it, he didn't want me to stop.  Thanks again for a lovely time."

"I thought that it was a great class. Very informative and a great overview of different uses of oils and applications. I would happily take another class from you."

To schedule an Essential Oil Blending Workshop, please email me at organicaj@yahoo.com or call 585-261-2648.  

Thank you.

Essential Oil Safety

Truly pure Essential Oils are very concentrated and therapeutic substances so they should be handled with care and used with respect.

Here are some safety guidelines to understand before using Essential Oils.

General Safety:

1. In the event of eye contact, flush with a carrier oil, i.e., olive oil rather than water.
2. People with allergies can test sensitivity to Essential Oils by patch testing a small amount of Essential Oil inside the arm.
3. Keep Essential Oils, Diffusers and Burners out of reach of Children and Pets.
4. Citrus Essential Oils are photosensitive, which means they may cause a rash or dark pigmentation on skin exposed to DIRECT SUNLIGHT or UV rays within 12 hours after application. Citrus Essential Oils: Tangerine, Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Mandarin, Bergamot.
5. Avoid direct eye contact when using Essential Oils. Do not handle contact lenses or rub eyes unless you have thoroughly washed your hands with soapy water.
6. Never drop Essential Oils directly into the ear.
7. Vary Essential Oils that are used and diffused.

Storage:
Store Essential Oils in a cool, dark place, away from heat and light.

Pregnancy:
Pregnant women should avoid using Essential Oils during the 1st trimester and dilute Essential Oils at 1% (5 drops for every ounce of carrier oil) for all following semesters.

Bath:Since Essential Oils are not completely water soluble, they must be first blended with an all-natural bath gel base, i.e, Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap.

Children: Avoid placing the following Essential Oils (or Essential Oil blends containing these Essential Oils) on or around the nose or mouth of Children 5 years and younger.

• Basil (1,8 cineole)
• Eucalyptus dives (1,8 cineole)
• Eucalyptus globulus (1,8 cineole)
• Eucalyptus radiata (1,8 cineole)
• Laurel Leaf (1,8 cineole)
• Myrtle (1,8 cineole)
• Peppermint (menthol)
• Ravintsara (1,8 cineole)
• Rosemary ct camphor (1,8 cineole, camphor)
• Tea Tree (1,8 cineole)

Caution:
Use extra caution with the following Essential Oils as they can be irritating to mucous membranes and can cause skin irritations.

• Black Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Clove
• Lemongrass
• Melissa
• Oregano
• Peppermint
• Thyme ct carvacrol
• Thyme ct thymol
• Wintergreen

DIY Scour Power

Popular scouring powders contain ingredients known to cause cancer, respiratory distress, lymphoma, lung cancer, lung tumors, allergies and skin irritations.

We can create our own scouring powder at home with affordable and simple yet very effective ingredients.

What you will need:

• Essential Oils
• Baking soda (alum-free preferred)
• Glass sugar shaker (available at local dollar stores)

How to:
Fill the glass sugar shaker with baking soda, then add 25 total drops of Essential Oils. 

I recently used 20 drops of Lemon and 5 drops of Eucalyptus globulus, which are antiseptic and anti-infectious. This combination smells fresh and light, too!

Suggested Essential Oils:

• Pine
• Lime
• Lemon
• Orange
• Thieves*
• Tea Tree
• Peppermint
• Citrus Fresh*
• Christmas Spirit*
• Eucalyptus globulus or radiata

Suggested Use:
Shake well before using. Simply sprinkle on surface (linoleum floors, sink, tub, shower, toilet) and clean using a scrub sponge, then rinse with warm water. For deodorizing carpets, simply sprinkle on carpet, wait 1 hour, then vacuum.

Safety & Storage:
Avoid direct eye contact. Store in cool, dark cupboard out of reach of children and pets.

Share:
Make 1 for a friend.

Learn more at Prevent Cancer Coalition

* = Young Living Essential Oils blend

Yes and No Moisturizers

* Truly Moisturize and Nourish our Skin
* Save Money. Buy in Bulk

* Use Natural Products on your skin; it's natural

* Support Your Health, Healing

* Relieve Dry/Cracked Skin* Reduce Appearance of Wrinkles* Avoid Waste of Product Containers

YES (these all-natural moisturizers are perfect for using on their own, blended with each other or with Essential Oils):

• Aloe Vera Gel: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=Aloe+Vera+Gel
• Argan Oil: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=argan&x=0&y=0
• Castor Oil: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=Castor+oil
• Cocoa Butter: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/butter/butter.php#but_but_c
• Coconut Oil: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=Coconut+oil+unrefined+organic
• Grape Seed Oil: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=grape+seed+oil&x=0&y=0
• Jojoba: http://www.jojobacompany.com/shop/Products.aspx
• Olive Oil: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=Olive+oil+organic+extra+virgin
• Shea Butter: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/butter/shea.php
• Sweet Almond Oil: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_al_og
• Vitamin E: http://www.jason-natural.com/products/pure_and_natural.php

Another resource for Butters and Oils is: Aromatics International

NO (these brands of lotions and moisturizers are filled with synthetic chemicals, FD&C dyes, parabens, alcohol, fragrances and other unhealthy and very unnecessary ingredients):

• Aveeno
• Bath and Body works
• CeraVe
• Cetaphil
• Eucerin
• Jergens
• Johnson and Johnson
• Lubriderm
• Mary Kay
• Oil of Olay
• Neutrogena
• Victoria Secret

photo source: flickr.com

Ugh! We just want soap.

I thought using soap was supposed to be a positive thing. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), many popular brands of soap are considered serious hazards to our health. Ugh!
One truly healthy and cost effective soap, which I have come to love and trust is Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap. A soap with ingredients that we can pronounce, it may be used safely in our water ways and has oodles of uses. Here are some ways I love to use Dr. Bronner's castile soap:

• in the bath tub with essential oils
• as a body wash alone or blended with favorite essential oils
• in the laundry
• dish washing
• a travel necessity
• cleaning soap scum, floors, cars, counter tops

Click HERE to learn other ways Dr. Bronner's suggest using their castile soap.

Dr. Bronner castile soap and other related products are available at local health food stores, in the Nature's Market at Wegmans or directly from Dr. Bronner's website.

Discover the ingredients and health concerns related to Dial's liquid soap - and other popular soaps at EWG's website