Holistic Instincts

This cake is so yummy!  The original recipe came out of an ancient Mexican cookbook that called for lots of sugar, butter and of course, the always dreaded all-purpose flour.  And since I normally try to avoid foods that make me look pregnant, I knew I had to recreate the recipe so it can be a well-deserved treat next week. I replaced the all-purpose flour here with blanched almond flour.  Typically, almond flour cannot replace flour in recipes 1:1, so I included small amounts of tapioca starch and coconut flour to round things out a bit. The best part (for me) is the maple glaze - it is so easy, it may also be easy to walk away and forget about it until the house is filled with smoke and what is left in the saucepan is nothing but charred sugar.  Not that this ever happened to me, I swear. Maple Glazed Holiday Cake 4 organic eggs, separated 1/2 cup palm shortening (or ghee), melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra...

The holidays should be a time of peace, contentment and reflection and a time spent with family and friends.  I am all about keeping things simple, especially around this time of year.  And I love making and receiving homemade gifts, so I put together a list of 20 easy, and very budget-friendly, gifts to make for friends and family - or to keep for yourself!!  Most of the food recipes are paleo, gluten and/or vegetarian-friendly (but if not, substitutions may be made). DIY gifts for the foodies in your life: 3-Ingredient Nutella  from The Foodie Teen Herbal Sweet Treats from Mountain Rose Herbs Homemade Honey Coconut Ghee from Honey, Ghee & Me Homemade Vanilla Extract from Wellness Mama Paleo Banana Bread in a Jar from Civilized Caveman Gluten-Free Cookie Mix in a Jar from The Detoxinista Cookie Mix in a Jar from Elana's Pantry Paleo Cookies in a Jar from A Girl ...

There is no question that most commercially prepared seasoning blends, and mixtures, contain a lot of weird ingredients.  Popular seasoning blends usually contain added sugars, starches, anti-caking agents, MSG and more.  And though many clean-conscience companies are producing items with simple ingredients, such items may sometimes be hard to find locally or are much pricier than their scary counterparts. A homemade blend is great because you control the quality and freshness of the ingredients.  I came up with this garlic seasoning blend to replace one that I once ordered online.  The original seasoning blend was great but just not within my regular budget.  This seasoning is versatile and can be sprinkled onto eggs, veggies before roasting, breakfast potatoes, poultry or fish.  The recipe can easily be double, or tripled, before bottling.  And when put into cute spice jars, this blend would make a great budget-friendly holiday gift. This reci...

Just in time for National Cookie Day, right?! I wanted to a cookie that met all of my usual requirements:  cookies that are grain, dairy and refined sugar-free.  And it needed to be simple, because folks, I am all about simple!  This recipe is all of that and delicious.  I would say, maybe even decadent. Traditional 3-ingredient cookie recipes call for peanut butter, which is often loaded with refined sugars, rancid oils and other crazy things (to give it its plastic-y appearance and shelf-stable life), plus additional sugar. Peanuts, along with other legumes, can cause all sorts of issues in the body.  Legumes contain a high concentration of saponin , normally found in the seeds of the legume plant.  Saponin is a detergent-like compound that normally deters animals from eating the plant and when consumed by humans, can cause leaky gut and contribute to inflammation in the body.  Really not delicious.  Or decadent, at all. And you and...

Over the last two years, I have reached a point where I make most of my family's personal care and household products at home.  The skin is the largest organ of the body and considering it can absorb more than 50% of what it comes in contact with, knowing exactly what you are putting on your skin just makes sense. Most commercial lotions contain ingredients that are drying to the skin (and make you use more product), are made with potentially harmful ingredients and can come with warnings to call Poison Control in case it is swallowed. I have become pretty diligent when it comes to reading all labels, whether they are on food or makeup or personal care products.  And as a general rule, if I do not know what something is, I do not want it in, on or around our bodies. Lotion marketed for babies sounds like it would be your best bet for a soothing skin care product.  I mean, it is marketed specifically for babies with new skin, so it should at least be safe to use, ...