Holistic Instincts

Countless articles have been written about the numerous benefits of raw ACV, or apple cider vinegar. Raw ACV is different from regular commercial apple cider vinegar because it has not been filtered or heat pasteurized, therefore it retains more of its beneficial nutritional integrity.  And most raw apple cider vinegars on the market contain the mother - the culture that turns regular apple cider into vinegar. Diluted apple cider vinegar is great in personal care products, such as facial toner and a inexpensive skin treatment for acne , mosquito bites, to soothe sunburn, and some skin rashes. Apple cider vinegar has long been used in natural hair treatments.  It may helpful as a conditioner substitute, to clarify the hair without stripping it of natural oils, and reduce frizz.  It can be beneficial in balancing the pH of hair as well. Some studies indicate that consuming raw apple cider vinegar may be beneficial in improving blood sugar sensitivity, choleste...

I have always loved to read books.  And cookbooks?  It is like an obsession and I used to hoard every cookbook I could get my budget conscious hands on.  I saved recipes from can labels, the back of boxes, and scoured the book section of thrift stores for interesting cook books.  Maybe I was even the person that quietly ripped recipes out of magazines in a doctor's office.  Maybe.  And those little paperback cookbooks by the checkout counter at the grocery store?  I wanted them all. Over the years, our tastebuds and dietary needs have changed.  And my culinary skills have improved  a bit so I have donated most of my old books, and recycled most clippings and recipe labels I saved over the years. I never really learned to cook growing up and I remember being newly married and trying to cook out of an old McCalls cookbook I permanently borrowed from my mom.  Sometimes I was happy with what I made.  I was disappointed more often...

I tend to rely on canned coconut milk for most culinary applications  but depending on how much I use on a regular basis, quality coconut milk can become pricey very quickly. On days when I am the only one having a smoothie, opening up a can of coconut milk is not the best choice since I will most likely get stuck with part of a can of milk to use up - and I usually forget! I like making my own dairy free milk for various reasons: 1.  I can make only what I need - no forgotten can or box of something at the back of the fridge. 2.  I can vary the type of milk depending on how I plan to use it. 3.  I can make dairy free milk with what I have on hand - whether it be nuts, seeds, or even unsweetened shredded coconut, 4.  It is super easy.  Most of my food, beverages, personal and household products, natural remedies, and even some clothes are handmade.  But it is all handmade BECAUSE it is easy. Hemp, though related to marijuana, is not consi...

Is it hot where you live?  Too hot to cook?  So hot, you want to stay in your air-conditioned bedroom all day?  Or is it just me? I may have mentioned it before, but summers in Vegas are hot.  And hot weather is just not my favorite thing to deal with.  Neither is a hot kitchen.  But having a family that eats three meals a day, meals made with real food - sometimes a hot kitchen feels inevitable. I picked up some fresh tuna steaks last weekend with the vague lunch idea of grilled tuna over salad.   And then it happened. I was hit with a sudden craving for ceviche.  If you are not familiar with ceviche , it is a very popular seafood dish in Latin America, usually made with very fresh and very raw fish or shrimp (but usually served with cooked seafood in a restaurant) and it is one of my favorite foods. I consider my dad to be the king of ceviche.  A few years back, on a quick trip to Baja California with him, he bought a whole fish f...