February 2016 – Earthy Girl Living

SHHH! Avocados in my Chocolate? What?

Posted on February 29, 2016May 16, 2016 by lisawilkins15@yahoo.com

Yes you read that right!! But first how did we get here?? It’s hard to believe that this is the last weekend in February and March is only 2 days away. I hope you have been able to make a couple simple changes in your lifestyle to start transforming yourself into the New Year, New You that you want to be!

I’m still plugging along and making changes in my life too! It know it gets hard with work, schedules, and kids, but any little change for the better, does make a difference. I hope you have either tried a new food, (maybe one of my recipes), that is healthier for you, or maybe you’ve tackled some of those things you have been putting off! Yeah for you for making a change!

I’ m a big music fan and love to be turned onto new music. I will be sharing some new artists from time to time. I really like this guy’s voice and I think he has great things to say in this album. The first song is about change so I thought it appropriate with New Year, New You! Take a listen.

Ok so eating all things healthy can be really hard!! Sometimes ladies and gents you might just want something sweet, right? Maybe chocolatey? Creamy, yummy, delicious, chocolate! Well you are in luck today!! I’ve got a couple of recipes that will knock your socks off!

This first recipe is amazing! SHHH! Don’t tell anyone but there are avocados in the recipe and the best part is that no one will even know it!! I got these fabulous recipes from a class I took at Breadbeckers.

Chocolate Heaven

1 large or 2 small Avocados
1/2 – 3/4 cups Blue Agave Nectar
1/4 cup Raw Cocoa Powder
2 Tbs. Coconut Cream Concentrate
1 Tbs. Vanilla
Dash of Salt

Place everything in a high-power blender or food processor and blend (on high) until very smooth. You will need to stop and stir frequently until mixture is satin-y smooth and well blended. Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge – that is, if it lasts long enough to make it in to the fridge.

Serve as is, for a delicious pudding, or add some mix-ins, such as cacoa nibs and almonds.

Serve as a dip with strawberries, bananas, sweet cherries and/or pineapple. A sure crowd-pleaser.

Chocolate Sauce

6 Tablespoons of cocoa
4 1/2 Tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup boiling water
1 3/4 cups Honey Granules (sugar replacement)
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla

In saucepan, combine all ingredients except vanilla. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. You will need to stir constantly to dissolve granules. Reduce heat to maintain a boil. Boil covered for 2 minutes and then uncover for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

You can put sauce in jars and store in refrigerator. Use this in place of store bought chocolate syrup. You can use this for hot chocolate. Just stir into some almond milk (you hopefully made from my previous blog) and heat up.

You can put it on your ice cream as hot chocolate sauce. Oh my! Scrump-dilly-icious!!!!

Now if you want to have a yummy chocolatey smoothie in the morning or for an afternoon snack use 1 heaping scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder. I mix 1 cup of Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, (which I am trying to come up with a recipe for that so we can make our own) 1/2 frozen banana, 2-3 frozen strawberries, flax seed, Maca Root powder, and chia seeds.

I have written about this recipe before but it goes perfectly with our chocolate theme here. It is my go to, every single morning. It keeps me full until lunch time.You really should give it a try! Even kids will like this one and it has so much great stuff in it! Of course, as I have said before, recipes are just a guideline so tweak this however you like.

Now, I know you all have been waiting for the winner of the drawing from last weeks giveaway…..drum roll please…….

Congratulations Lauren Morrison, you are the winner of the portable diffuser and the 15mL Wild Orange Essential oil. Thank you all for entering and supporting me on this journey!

Stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon!

If any of you are interested in a sample of wild orange, please email and I will be happy to get one out to you. You will love the experience!

Please make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this blog and subscribe so you don’t miss one!

Follow me on Instagram @earthygirlliving!!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and I will talk with you soon!

Make someones day and be kind to someone!

Naturally, Lisa

Goobers and Giveaways!!

Posted on February 22, 2016May 16, 2016 by lisawilkins15@yahoo.com

So, last week I touched on a power house of a nut, the almond. I thought it would be perfect this week to transition to a nut that gets a bad rap, the peanut, also known as the goober! My brother actually nicknamed me Goober growing up haha! I was known as “The Goob”, probably because I acted like one!

Peanuts actually originated in South America and have been used for thousands of years. The Aztec and other Indian groups of South America and Mexico relied on peanuts in their diets. Explorers visiting this region were intrigued by this little nut and took it back to Africa. They grew well there and actually became known as a “sacred nut”. So when explorers were coming to North America, they brought the peanut plant with them.

George Washington Carver came up with over 300 uses for the peanut. Being that it is Black History Month you can watch the quick video about Carver and catch up on your history too! It’s very interesting. He was way ahead of his time!

I realize many younger folks are allergic to peanuts, but isn’t that strange. Back in my day, growing up, being allergic to peanuts was unheard of. It has to be due to the many toxins in our world that are ending up in our soil. So if you can buy organic, it’s best that you do so!

You can eat peanuts raw, on salads, in smoothies, or even just as peanut butter. I like to just munch on peanuts as a snack, but my daughter is a sucker for a good piece of Elvis Toast! Bread toasted to perfection, peanut butter, honey, bananas, and topped with cinnamon! Sounds yummy right?

So here’s an easy way to make your own peanut butter. I put the peanuts in my blender. I do have a Vita Mix, which is the bomb. If you want to invest in 1 kitchen appliance this is one I would highly recommend. It is an investment, but well worth it! I use mine everyday for some sort of food preparation or meal making. You of course can use any blender you might have to make this peanut butter. Don’t get scared off if you don’t have a Vita Mix.

You will need about 3 cups of peanuts. I usually add 2 types: I use lightly salted and also unsalted. You can use all unsalted but you will most likely need to add a little bit of salt. Do not use Planters brand “roasted”. They have a lot of “spices” added to them that you don’t want.

I always try to avoid any food that has MSG added. The scary part is that manufacturers are getting wise and if you ever see the word “spices” on your label….beware! They can put anything they want in this vague label of “spices” and usually there is MSG.

3 cups of peanuts go into the Vitamix and then add some good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (EVOO). I use about 1/8 cup. I add honey granules which is a white sugar replacement. I typically add about 4 teaspoons. You can add more or less according to your taste. You know this is all subject to your taste! Just tweak these recipes to fit your likes. Recipes are just a guide line!

I turn on the Vita Mix and stir until all the peanuts are creamy. It takes a minute or so. I stop the mixer and I grab a spatula and scrape the sides to make sure it’s evenly mixed. I blend again for a few more seconds. If you like crunchy peanut butter don’t mix it as much, and if you like it more creamy maybe mix it some more! Just make sure to follow the directions for your appliance.

Pour your fresh peanut butter into a mason jar and store in the refrigerator with a tight cap.

Enjoy, and think how much healthier this peanut butter is for your family. You know exactly what’s in it and it’s not loaded with sugar!

Now if you want to take this one step further and have a heavenly protein shake with peanut butter, here’s another great recipe: You will need 1 scoop Meal Replacement powder, 3/4 C almond milk, 1 Tablespoon homemade peanut butter, 1/2 banana, 1 cup of ice. Mix together and enjoy!

I hope you are enjoying this blog! Please follow me on Instagram @earthygirlliving. This week I am giving away a 15mL Wild Orange and a fantastic portable diffuser! The giveaway will be on my Instagram starting tomorrow at 10:30 am and I will be announcing the winner next Sunday! Make sure to follow me so you can have a chance to win!! Rules to enter will be found under the post tomorrow! Good Luck!

If you would like any information about the best oils in the world please contact me.

Naturally, Lisa

Heart Healthy for Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 15, 2016May 10, 2016 by lisawilkins15@yahoo.com

I hope you are having a fabulous Valentine’s Day! No better time to think about your heart than today!

Do you need to boost your heart health or your immune system? I’d like to tell you about a food that has earned the spot as one of the top 50 healthiest foods of all times and is super heart healthy. This amazing miracle food is part of the peach family. Don’t cheat and read ahead! Can you guess which food I’m talking about?! Think hard!

This little super food is the almond! Did you know that almonds literally may be the best single food you can eat? Almonds have taken over peanuts as the most eaten nut in the world. California grows more than 82% of the world’s almonds. Crazy right? How about this fact…eating nuts can decrease your mortality rate by 20%. We all need to be chowing down on some nuts!

Almonds help with weight loss and satiety, they help prevent diabetes, and they inhibit cancer cells from growing. They boost your magnesium and B-12 levels. They even decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s too! Wow! In those little nuts, there’s a lot going on.

If anything, we all need to add a handful as a snack each day. New Year, New you! Right? Think ahead and add a baggie of nuts to your lunch box. Instead of reaching for those greasy potato chips and other such foods, eat the nuts that you pre-packed!

Many people are switching to alternative milk products because milk is a natural inflammatory. There are tons of folks out there with lactose intolerance. Did you know that if you add 2 drops of Lemongrass oil into a veggie capsule about 45 minutes before you ingest milk that this can possibly help to relieve the digestion discomfort associated with dairy products? It could be a game changer for some of you dairy lovers out there!

Do you ever drink almond milk? There has been a lot of controversy about almond milk lately. You never know who or what to believe.

The information out there says to be aware of the ingredients in some of the selections you can get at the grocery store. There is a product called carageenan that is an additive made from seaweed. That doesn’t sound so bad right? It is used as a stabilizer and thickener. The scary thing is that it is not digestible. Many times it will be in your “organic or natural” products such as yogurt, butter, milk, almond milk, etc. Check your labels!

So you know me…… trying to be all natural and stuff haha! I decided to make my own almond milk. Let me tell you, it was really easy!! You can do it too!

All you need is a blender, some water, sweetener of choice, and raw almonds of course!

Take 1 cup of raw almonds, soak them in enough water to cover them in a bowl of water 24-48 hours. (The longer you soak them, the creamier the milk.)
Drain, rinse and place almonds in your blender. Add 2 cups fresh water and mix for 2 minutes.
I strained the milk out with a nut bag, (yes there is such thing as a nut bag and it’s not a little speedo bathing suit ha ha!) You can use a cheesecloth too. Squeeze all the milk out into a bowl. Makes about 4-6 servings.

I poured the milk in a glass jar and added maple syrup to taste and a little vanilla extract. You can also use Stevia or your choice of sweetener.

I then put the almond milk in the refrigerator. I use it in place of regular milk for eating cereal or making oatmeal.

You can use it to cook with too. I made muffins with the almond milk and they were great!

The best part is that I know exactly what was in it the milk. No funky ingredients!! And it tastes to fresh and like real almonds! Go figure!

Check out Dr. Axe’s article entitled “9 Amazing Benefits of Almond Nutrition” and his video below:

I told you there was nothing to it! I hope you try to make some too!

If you are interested in ordering any essential oils from my favorite company at wholesale click HERE.

Make sure to follow me on Instagram @earthygirlliving. I’ll be giving away a fun prize to one of my followers on Instagram! Don’t miss it!!

Talk to you next week,

Naturally, Lisa

I Interrupt the regularly scheduled program

Posted on February 7, 2016February 8, 2016 by lisawilkins15@yahoo.com

Are you ready for spring? Well it’s official, the ground hog says winter will be with us for only 4 more weeks!! Is that exciting or what? It’s so nice to be able to get outside and get a little fresh air and exercise!

The warmer air we had this past weekend has me thinking ahead to springtime and one of my favorite things….CAMPING!! About 8 years ago, after I read Bill Bryson’s, A Walk in the Woods, I got all fired up to walk the Appalachian Trail. (about 2,500 people every year start off on the trail in early spring) There’s no telling how many dreamers like me there are out there!

If you haven’t read the book you should check it out. It’s a funny read and offers interesting facts about the trail. I highly recommend it, even if you have no intention of ever walking the trail!

The movie was just released this past year too. I enjoyed it, even though the book was better! It is a great movie to rent at Red Box. Throw a dollar at it because it’s well worth it!

So, I am still dreaming of walking the trail even though when I first learned about it, I had never been camping a day in my life. Everyone thought…”It’s a phase….it will go away….She won’t like it…..It will be too cold”…. you name it, they thought it. Well the phase hasn’t gone away!! So in the meantime, I figured I needed to get some gear, since I owned NOTHING for camping!

… I showed up at REI one random day and it happened to be a “garage sale” day!! They usually have these sales on used equipment 2-4 times a year! I rounded up 2 must haves: a tent and a sleeping bag. I ended up with a 2 person Big Agnes tent. It had been returned since it had a one inch rip in the front screen and get this, I got it for 70% off!! What a steal!! I put a little piece of duct tape on it and it’s as good as new! I highly recommend checking out the garage sale at REI when they have them! Major deals can be had!

The Big Agnes tent has been the right fit for me. My husband (6’2″) and I squeeze into it with zero room to spare, but it will be the perfect size for me alone when I go hike the trail. I’ll have a little wiggle room, it weighs just over 2 pounds, and its is super easy to put together!! Check it out at the link here. I couldn’t be happier with it and we’ve camped through many a storm with no leaks!

I also ended up with the Big Agnes Mummy sleeping bag. I have to say I like the bag but I feel a little claustrophobic in it. I like to sleep on my side and it’s rather hard to do. You basically have to sleep on your back and lay still. Not the best nights sleep for me. My husband has the primo bag. It’s a Western Mountaineering Ponderosa bag. It’s the bomb! He has plenty of room to move around and it is super warm. If I buy another bag, that is what I’ll buy. I will watch for end of year close outs!

Living in North Georgia is really a perfect location for outdoor adventures. There is so much available to us within a few hours drive. I drove 2 1/2 hours north last weekend and it was spectacular. I went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it was actually closed since they just had the 7th largest snowfall on record, 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, they expect the parkway to be closed until spring, but the view is still worth heading up there!

We parked at the barricades where they blocked the road and just got out and hiked up the parkway. It was the coolest experience. There were no cars and it was so quiet up there. There were only a handful of other people hiking. Next time we would like to hike to Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower. Have you ever been there before? Please comment if so. I’d love to hear about it! Also if you have any other favorite places to hike, please comment so I can add them to my list!

It was so nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the work week stress and just sit and look out at how beautiful it was. It was so quiet and the air was so fresh and clean. It would be a great place to sit and meditate.

If you like meditating, I’ve included a great blend to put in your diffuser.

Meditation blend:

3 drops Cedarwood
2 drops Patchouli
3 drops Lavender

Also if you read my past blog on how to make your own homemade laundry detergent and are interested in making your own dryer balls, check out this blog. It is super easy. I hope you try it!

I hope you all have a fantastic week! I will be back with you soon!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @earthygirlliving

Naturally, Lisa

It was a Tough Breakup!!

Posted on February 1, 2016May 16, 2016 by lisawilkins15@yahoo.com

Can you believe the month of January is already over?! This month I have accomplished a few of my many goals for the new year, and it makes me feel really good! Were you able to make any changes this month? Start small, baby steps are all it takes! Remember it’s a new year, so you can be a New YOU!

Last week, I touched on one way to make a change for a healthier YOU by using homemade laundry detergent. I am so happy to hear that many of you are trying it out! Did your triceps hurt after making it?! I have another idea for you this week that will be beneficial to your health and wellness. This one is really easy and does not involve getting physical! All it requires is the push of a button!

I’m sure, if you’re like me, you have your go to aromas and fragrances that you just absolutely love! Smells are very powerful and can trigger memories from your past and make you think of special occasions. For me, and I’m sure many of you, there’s nothing like walking into the aroma of fresh baked bread or cookies. A realtor once told me to bake cookies right before showing our house to create a more inviting, homey space! It actually worked!

I have always used the popular wall plug-in air fresheners, as well as candles to spice up my life. After being on this wellness journey, I have learned that most of these products are toxic and harmful to our bodies. They are no longer welcome in my house! It was like a tough break up with all those nasty products; but it had to be done!!

(Read here how you can de-pollute the funk in your house. A helpful tip: If your product does not have the latin name of the fragrance on it, then it is synthetic. Which basically means that it is man-made in a laboratory and it is dangerous for you. Talk about polluting the air in your home and your body!)

I’m not going cold turkey though! OH NO NO! Even though I banned those other products from my house, I love aromas too much! I have replaced all those toxic, smelly, items with several diffusers!! You may think “Oh I use to put one of those on the end of my hair dryer to diffuse the air and it made me look like that girl from the movie Flashdance.” Does that bring back memories or what?! If your behind that generation then all you young whipper snappers should check it out. It was one of my faves!! But this is no hair diffuser, this is a type of diffuser that you put essential oil into.

The cool thing is my family and I actually benefit from diffusing oils. Now let me say one quick word about essential oils. All essential oils are not the same. You have to be very careful about what and where you are purchasing oils. You want to buy an oil that is pure therapeutic grade! My favorite oil company has pure therapeutic grade oils. Their oils are 100% pure with nothing added and nothing taken away! My favorite oil company tests their oils 7 different ways! They are by far the best oils on the market!

Let me know if you’d like more info and how you can get started with a 25% discount and over the course of a year, up to a 55% discount on my favorite oil products!! Now that’s what I’m talking about!

So back to diffusers!

Diffusers are so easy to use. You add a small amount of water (read your manufacturers instructions) and then add 4-5 drops of Essential Oil. Turn it on and voila! It works its magic!

Basically, a diffuser transmits the essential oils therapeutic qualities into the air. The oils not only smell nice, but they are cleaning the air and benefiting your body too, without any toxic side effects! There are many varieties of diffusers available, but I prefer to use a cold air diffuser since warming the oil will change the chemistry and effect its benefits.

I typically run mine daily, refilling it every time it runs out. I have several throughout the house and one in my first grade classroom too! I just can’t get enough of them!!!

Depending on the style, diffusers run anywhere from 4-16 hours and usually will turn off by themselves. They work great in kids rooms, bedrooms, family rooms, and in the kitchen too! I like to use one that runs longer in my bedroom. At night, I love to use respiration blend, as well as calming blend. These two oils help me get a more restful night’s sleep and keep my airways open! If you have someone keeping you awake at night because of closed airways and loud noises beside you in bed, you should give the respiration blend a try!! Let me know if I can help you!

During the day, I love to diffuse Wild Orange and a very popular blend known as the Protective Blend. It is a great, uplifting, energizing, combo that gives me that extra boost throughout the day! This blend supports immune system function and protects against seasonal threats, so its especially great in the classroom.

You can diffuse so many different combinations of oils that it is almost endless. You will first need a diffuser and then some oils.

Here are a few of my favorites to try:

For seasonal support:

2 drops Lavender Essential Oil
2 drops Lemon Essential Oil
2 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

For respiratory support:

1 drop Lemon Essential Oil
1 drop Eucalyptus Essential Oil
2 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
1 drop Rosemary Essential Oil

How about a more manly smell you say? :

2 drops Wintergreen
2 drops White Fir
2 drops Cypress

The list is endless. You just need to play! I will continue to add ideas for you.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like a sample! I can hook you up! I also have a few diffusers, so if you are in the market for one, let me know!

This simple addition to my house has changed my families lives for the better!!! I am positive that you will fall in love as well! Let me know what your favorite blends are!

Naturally, Lisa