Adios Snickers!

Hubby has asked me to help him wean off his Snickers addiction.  It's a good thing he loves to work out.  It truly amazes me how someone who eats so much sugar is not overweight!  I've been trying out new recipes to see if we can find a winner that will help him completely forget Snickers ever existed.  Huge task, I know, but I'm up for it.

This is what I've come up with so far, and while it's not the "golden ticket" at least he likes it.  I'll keep trying though until I hit jackpot!

RawNut Nuggets 

**Advance Prep: Dates need to be soaked at least 1 hour.

NOUGAT FILLING 1 cup raw almonds, unsoaked 1 cup raw cashews, unsoaked 3 Tbsp raw local honey 1 Tbsp water, or more if needed

CARAMEL 1 cup dates, pitted & chopped juice of one half lemon Water to cover dates 1 Tbsp coconut butter ¼ tsp sea salt

CACAO COATING 1 cup cacao powder ½ cup maple syrup (or agave nectar) ½ cup coconut oil ¼ tsp dark mesquite powder ½ tsp Ganoderma 2-in-1 coffee (optional) Pinch of salt ½ tsp vanilla

 

1.  Soak dates (for caramel) in the water and lemon juice for an hour. Reserve soaking water.  Proceed to step 2 while dates are soaking.

2.  Nougat Filling - In a coffee grinder, grind almonds & cashews into a fine powder.  Place nut powders in a large bowl. Add honey and water. Stir until mixture is a thick paste-like consistency. Form nougat into miniature candy pieces. Place nougat pieces on a plate and put in the freezer for an hour.  [I formed them into 1”x1” squares with a slight indent in the center to hold the caramel.]

3.  Carmel - process soaked dates, coconut butter and sea salt in a blender.  Using soaking water one tablespoon at time, blend until you achieve a thick creamy mixture. Spread caramel on top of nougat pieces and return the candy to the freezer while you make the chocolate.

4.  Cacao Coating - In a large bowl, whisk cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, mesquite powder, instant coffee (optional) salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Coat candy pieces and freeze an additional hour or until coating hardens.   Keeps well in freezer.

Yield: Approximately 20 candy pieces

Before the cacao coating.

Ready to chow down!

Raw Collard Wraps and Fresh Dilll Dip

I've been in sunny South Florida since the beginning of the month enjoying the balmy weather and helping my mom move from her home into a condo.  This has been the prefect opportunity to introduce her to raw foods.  This week I've been making Collard wraps with freshly made dill dip for lunch and finally got her to try one.  I'm happy to report that she loved it! YAY!!  She especially loved the dill dip.  Double YAY!

I ate my wrap all up before I thought to take a picture; however, I lucked out when I discovered mom was still eating hers, so I grabbed a shot before she polished hers off!  I sure wish I would have had the presence of mind to take a photo when I was assembling the wraps.  Maybe I'll remember tomorrow and add a photo later.

Yep, it was THAT good!  :-9

Collard Wrap Ingredients
Dill Dip (see below for recipe)
Collard leaves
Sprouts (I used Clover this time)
Julienne carrots, spring greens, cucumber
Sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, yellow or orange peppers
Thinly sliced avocado slices

I cut the spine out of the collard and make short wraps.
Then I spread the dill dip onto each collard leaf half.
Next I spread the sprouts and then start layering the veggies.

Since I don't want the wrap to be too sloppy, I don't put a lot of the dill dip on the leaf, just a thin layer.  I put some dip in a small bowl and served it with the wraps for dipping.

Mom's Wrap

Vegan Dill Dip

1 cup of Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise

1/8 tsp Onion powder

1/8 tsp Garlic powder
dash of Sea Salt with Sea Veg (optional)

2 Tbsp cup of snipped fresh Dill

1 Tbsp snipped fresh Parsley

The above measurements are best guess scenario as I did not measure my ingredients.  Be sure to add ingredients to your taste.

If you make this, let me know what you think. Also, I'd love to hear any variations you come up with!

Bon Appetit!

Another Gorgeous Juice

I guess I just can't help myself.  I love pretty juices!  Here's another beauty.

This juice is supposed to be good for asthma and it consists of carrots, celery and grapefruit juice.  I just love the way it separates.  Even after shaking up the jar and drinking some juice, it reverts back to this lovely sight after about 10 minutes.  Simply gorgeous rawesomeness!

Sorry about the crumbs under the dehydrator.  I made this pretty amazing Sprouted Chickpea Bread the same day I was drinking this juice and didn't realize I'd captured the crumbs in my photo until much later ... after the juice - and the crumbs - were gone.  Oh well.  Life goes on. =)

To life!

Healthy Chocolate ... WOW!!

I'm so blown away! All I can say is "WOW!" 

If you've been reading my blog posts this year, you know that I've been struggling with my health since a few days after Thanksgiving. I did a 3-week juice fast but it wasn't enough to get my immune system back up to par, so I decided to stay on the juice fast.  I was still feeling rather cruddy, with no energy and lots of congestion. I didn't even have the energy - nor the desire - to make my poochies homemade "muttloaf" that I give them instead of store bought dog food. Now that's bad!  Neglecting my babies!!

I forced myself to get up, get dressed and drag my sick body to the holistic dog food store to buy some raw dog food. While there, the owner and I were discussing my health and she slid a piece of chocolate across the counter and told me to try it. I thought it was rather odd but figured, "What the heck" and I ate it. She also gave me a couple of free samples of freeze dried raw meat patties for my dogs.

On the way home, I crumbled up one of the patties and was feeding it to my Pomeranian, who accompanied me on my trek to the dog store. Afterwards, he refused to eat what was left of the muttloaf. Instead, he stared and growled at the empty sample bag that I'd kept so I would remember what to buy on my next trip to the dog store. His intent was quite obvious. He wanted more of the freeze dried dog pattie. Ugh!

So, two days later I repeated the scene. I forced myself out of bed, got dressed and dragged my butt back to the dog store. This time, another woman was working behind the counter with the owner and she heard me cough ... and the subsequent churn of mucus in my lungs. She asked me what was going on and I told her my story. She reached under the counter, pulled out a gold-foil wrapped nugget and slid it across the counter. She said, "Here, let this melt in your mouth, preferably under your tongue. It should make you feel better." The thoughts running through my mind were, "What IS UP with these women?! Every time I come in here, they keep pushing CHOCOLATE on me?!!" Then the owner turned around and said, "In about 15 minutes, all that mucus will start breaking up." Okay...

Well, I sat there chatting with them, partly because I didn't have the energy to get up off the comfy chair I was sitting in, and partly because I was fascinated by the conversation these two were having. Then, all of a sudden, I started coughing and man was she right! That mucus was breaking up and coming up. Yeah, GROSS!!! But I was very grateful. I asked them to tell me more but the owner said that she didn't know much more about it except that she had lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Two years earlier she was in a wheel chair and was having 52ccs of fluid drained off her knees. You should see her now! She is bouncing around that store like a teenager! She told me to come back on Saturday and talk to another lady who would be there. I had to wait ANOTHER two days!!

Saturday came and I was eager to get over to the store. I met up with Carol, the chocolate lady, and she gave me a BUNCH of information. She also loaned me a box of "nuggets" and told me to take three a day, one as soon as I wake up, one in the middle of the day, and one after I brush my teeth at night, when I go to bed. I did that and it TWO DAYS ... (2) DAYS!!!  I was up, dressed, and out the door - first to the health food store, then to the grocery store, then to the bank, then came home and unloaded groceries! WOW!!! My husband asked me if I was feeling better because I was "zooming around like my old self again!" I looked at him and after a moment of stunned silence, I started bawling like a baby because he was right! I DID FEEL LIKE MY OLD SELF AGAIN!!! 

The next day, I was out running errands again, then came home and did SEVEN loads of laundry, changed the sheets on the bed, cleaned the kitchen and went to a chocolate tasting party in the evening! WOW! I'd just done more in two days than I had done in the past TWO MONTHS!!!!

Okay, so I'm sold! I signed up to be a distributor and I want to get the word out to anyone who has chronic pain, inflammation, or whatever illness to try this! Everyone's body is different and there are no guarantees, but there are so many testimonies of people who have been helped that it's amazing. 

You may be wondering WHY can't I just buy chocolate at the store. Well, for one thing, the chocolate at the store has been heated, treated, processed, and radiated. This chocolate has a proprietary method of cold-processing the cocoa bean so that it does not destroy the antioxidants. The highest levels of antioxidants are found in unprocessed dark chocolate, raw blueberries and acai berries. This chocolate has been infused with blueberries and acai berries to give it an antioxidant level that is comparable to medical grade.

The stories are amazing, and from doctors no less!! But that's not what sold me on Xocai (pronounced "Show-Sigh") Chocolate. My results are what definitely got my attention and won me over. I have been consuming this chocolate for two weeks now and I feel FANTASTIC!  I keep thinking about how much of a difference I experienced in two simple days!  And I'm STILL blown away!

I'd MUCH RATHER have chocolate than handfuls of supplements any day! I hate pills ... BUT I LOVE ME SOME XOCAI!!   Check out my ad at the top of the right column.

Nature's Flu Shot

Someone sent me a recipe to "Natures Flu Shot" and just a couple of days after receiving said recipe, I had the opportunity to test it out. Fortunately, I did NOT get the flu, but I did get a healthy dose of pharyngitis/bronchitis/sinusitis ... on top of my asthma!

I didn't have enough lemons to mix up a full batch, so I made half a batch. Folks, let me tell you, this stuff really works!! And it's quite tasty too ... well, at least for the first few seconds, and then the afterburner affect of the cayenne, garlic and ginger kicks in! YOWZA!! I really should divulge here that I am NOT a "spice girl" but lean more towards being a "sugar baby." I can barely handle black pepper, much less cayenne! lol. So, if you like spice, then you'll probably love this tonic. Actually, after the first few sips, the "heat" didn't bother me anymore. YAY!

Here is the recipe:

Juice of 6 fresh lemons, preferably organic

1 "bulb" of garlic (Yep, a full bulb - the whole shebang - not a "clove")

2 tsp of ginger powder, preferably organic

2 TBSP raw local honey

3 cups of fresh pineapple juice*

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients thoroughly and store in a glass jar.  

Drink 1 cup, 4 times a day until symptoms are resolved.

* * *
I didn't keep drinking the juice until symptoms were "resolved" because, as mentioned, I didn't have enough ingredients; however, I did notice a significant difference in chest congestion, coughing and stuffiness every time I drank a cup of juice.

*I buy pineapples already cored.  For this recipe, I just cut the cored pineapple into spears and ran them through the juicer.  I then saved the pineapple pulp (which came out more like soft serve ice cream) and used it in smoothies.  =)  Just make sure when you juice the pineapples, that the juicer is clean so your pineapple pulp is pure and not mixed with other produce.

Even though there's a full bulb of garlic in this photo, I only used half since I halved the recipe.

I hope you won't need this, but if you do get the flu, this tonic is, by far, a much better and healthier alternative to a toxic flu shot.  Here are a few of the health benefits of the ingredients in the Natural Flu Shot tonic:

GARLIC is renowned as a natural antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral ... and with NO side effects!  Well, except for smelling like garlic!

On Dr. Mercola's site, he quotes John Summerly:

“Forget the flu shot. A soup based on more than 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme and lemon will destroy almost any virus that enters its path including colds, flu and even norovirus.”

LEMON has strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers. In addition, it is a liver cleanser and aids digestion. Lemons contain many vitamins and nutrients that fight infections by enhancing immunities -- notably citric acid, Vitamin C, bioflavonoids, calcium, magnesium, pectin, and limonene.

PINEAPPLE is extremely nutritious and is loaded with many essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes.  One enzyme, Bromelain, has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer properties, and is effective in breaking up mucus and suppressing coughs.  Pineapple is also rich in vitamin C that can ward off viruses that cause colds and cough, plus it can accelerate healing.  Besides Vitamins C, pineapple also contains Thiamine, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and proteins.  Oh, and Vitamin B6 which helps to promote a healthy immune system!

GINGER has anti-inflammatory properties and has long been used as a natural treatment for colds and the flu.  If you've ever had "Ginger Ale" you know ginger eases the symptoms of stomach flus and food poisoning.

RAW HONEY is just loaded with benefits!  For one thing, it's a fabulous antiseptic that promotes healing and fights infection.  It is also an anti-bacterial and anti-viral that contains enzymes and antioxidants proven to fight bacterial and viral infections, like sore throats, coughs, colds, bronchitis, flu ... you know, all the stuff that the "flu shot" is supposed to (ahem) treat.  If you take RAW HONEY every day, the antioxidants and phytonutrients that it contains enhances the immune system.  

***NOTE OF CAUTION: It is crucial that you buy raw, local honey.  According to Food Safety News, more than three-fourths of the processed honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn't even honey!  The bee pollen has been deliberately filtered out.  Bee pollen is what makes honey, honey!  When the pollen is not present, there is no way to verify its origin, which typically means it is fake honey from China.  Honey that comes from China is contaminated with chloramphenicol and other illegal animal antibiotics which are dangerous, even fatal, to a very small percentage of the population.  So buyer BEWARE!!

CAYENNE PEPPER, according to Eat This! is one of nature's most healing and therapeutic foods.  It is a powerful anti-inflammatory that stimulates circulation and neutralizes acidity.  It also has the ability to ease stomach upset, sore throats, as well as spasmodic and irritating coughs.  Since it helps to break up and move congested mucus out of the body, relief of flu symptoms usually follows shortly afterwards.

So there you have it - a natural alternative to the flu shot that TASTES GOOD, is HIGHLY BENEFICIAL, and has NO SIDE-EFFECTS!  Hmmmm... seems like a no-brainer to me! 

Stay healthy and be wise. 

"Freebasing Mother Nature!"

The juice fast ended on January 28th; however, I did not achieve the desired health results that I was expecting.  Apparently my immune system is really out of whack (consequences of cheating on my diet) so the healing process is going to take longer than I'd hoped. I have decided to continue juicing, but since I'm down to 114 pounds, I am allowing myself to indulge on eggs in the morning for breakfast (omelet or scrambled veggie mash), hoping that I do not lose any more weight.  Besides, I love me some fresh, organic, free-range eggs and it was tough going three weeks without.

Aren't they just eggceptional! 

And here are they lovely ladies who delivered them!
Thank you my chickadees!

Okay, so getting back on topic ... I watched an awesome documentary titled Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead created by Joe Cross, an Aussie who was fat, sick and nearly dead! It was very inspiring, and the motivating force behind my decision to pursue another 3-4 weeks.

Joe Cross not only made the movie about his transformation through juicing, but he also has a website - Reboot With Joe - that has tons of awesome recipes. God bless him!! I love trying new recipes!

I highly recommend watching the documentary.  It's funny, interesting, educational and motivating!   As a matter of fact, it was Joe Cross who made the comment in his film that juicing is like "freebasing Mother Nature!"  HA HA HA HA!!  That phrase SO cracked me up.  There are a lot of humorous moments in the film.  Watch it!  You won't be sorry.  It may change your life!  =D

Speaking of juicing, check out this photo of pure rawesomeness!

Isn't that just too cool!?  If I remember correctly, this was spinach and pineapple juice. I love the way it splits into three shades of green. Even after blending it up by shaking, after letting it sit about 20 minutes, it reverts back to the three shades. Such fun and oh so delicious ... and healthy!  I especially love when people say, "WHAT are you drinking?!"  My response is usually, "Pond scum."  LOL!!!

New Juice Recipe: Green Grapefruit Juice

So I'm on day 10 of my juice feast, and yesterday I had a quart of grapefruit juice in the morning. I was really enjoying the grapefruit and wanted to incorporate some greens into it, so I decided to experiment. I had a container of baby spinach in the fridge that was close to borderline, so I salvaged what I could out of it and ended up with approximately 10 - 15 spinach leaves. I threw those into the juicer along with 2 large kale leaves and a green apple. The grapefruit juice was already in the jar and when I added the green juice to it, it was so pretty I had to shoot it. Check it out!

Now doesn't that look delicious?! Eye candy to the raw foodist. It wasn't so pretty after I mixed it all up, but it sure tasted great! I was quite pleased with the refreshing taste.

Green Grapefruit Juice
1-2 grapefruits (2 cups), juiced
2-3 kale leaves*
small handful of spinach*
1 green apple

Use citrus juicer to juice grapefruit. Set juice aside.
Juice kale, spinach and apple. Add green juice to grapefruit juice.
Admire pretty color, then blend and enjoy!

*You can use a combination of kale and spinach or either one of them; however, if you choose to use a different green, be sure it's mild so as not to overpower the grapefruit.

Breathe Naturally

Clearing Congestion with Honey and Essential Oils

Wow!! This stuff really works!! My Naturopathic Doctor mixed up this concoction while I was sitting in his office struggling to breathe and told him how much my lungs hurt.  If you want to try a natural way to relieve chest or nasal congestion, have I got a recipe for you!

It's so simple it's ridiculous!  Just mix up raw local honey with essential oils of Frankincense, Lemon and Peppermint.  That's it!!  So easy, and tasty too ... like liquid candy canes. 

Once it's mixed up, you just scoop up a bit on the tip of a spoon and lick it off while breathing in the vapors. You can try a full teaspoon, but be prepared!  It's powerful!

During my bout with pharyngitis, bronchitis and asthma, I kept a mini Ramekin of this "honey" next to my bed and licked on it through the night whenever I started coughing or wheezing or just plain couldn't breathe. I am very impressed with how well it works, and I love the fact that it's all natural!  Here is the recipe.

BRONCHIAL RELIEF SYRUP

1 tsp raw local honey
2 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil
2 drop of lemon essential oil
3 drops of peppermint essential oil

Mix well.

A friend recently sent me a recipe for natural Vick's Vapor Rub.  I may try to incorporate the honey recipe with the Vapor Rub one and see what I come up with. 

Best Green Juice EVER!!

I posted this recipe back in 2011, but it merits another mention. This is, by far, the best green juice I have ever made/tasted.   It's so refreshing, I absolutely love it!  And so does my husband!  Now THAT is saying a LOT!!

I made a quart today because I just couldn't get enough of it.  Here's the recipe:

Apple Lime Green Juice
1 bunch of curly kale (depending on the size of the leaves, I would say a "bunch" of small leaves would be around 4-5. If leaves are large, than 2-3.)
4 Fuji apples
juice of 1/2 lime

Juice the kale and apples, then add the juice from the lime. Stir and enjoy!!

YUMMMM!!!!

Spiritual and Mental Healing Through Fasting

If you spend any time on the internet – formerly known as the information super highway – you will quickly find yourself run over by information overload, especially in these tumultuous times with all the woes and scandals.

When I fast, I not only take a break from food, I also greatly limit the amount of time I spend feeding on internet news to feeding on God’s Word, praying and praising. By feeding my body with fresh juices, I nourish my body with life-giving nutrients and enzymes. By feeding my spirit with God’s word, I nourish my spirit with life-giving spiritual sustenance.

When my hunger for a more intimate and deeper relationship with God exceeds my hunger for food, it’s time to fast. Fasting unclogs the spirit from all the “static” of life enabling one a clear channel to spiritual awareness and hearing God’s voice.

Sometimes I get all caught up in the craziness of life and neglect my time with the Lord, but by redirecting my focus off food and the internet to spending time in meditation, prayer and reading the Word, my mind becomes sharp, I think more clearly, I’m calmer and more focused, I have an inner peace and enhanced spiritual connection. Fasting rejuvenates my mind, cleanses and heals my body, and recharges my spirit!

Fasting is like rebooting your immune system and enhancing the memory in your laptop and walking on water! Everyone should try it!  Even if just for one day.  Some people fast from everything except water.  Other fast from specific foods, like sugar.  This past summer I fasted by consuming just water the first day, the second day I added a slice of lemon or lime and a tsp of maple syrup to the water to give me energy, the third day, I had fresh juices.  It can be a simple 1-day fast or a moderate 3-day fast or a 21-day juice fast.  Whatever you choose will only promote health and healing.

“The best of all medicines is resting and fasting”

Benjamin Franklin 

21 Day Juice Fast - Starts TODAY!

Today kicks off my juice fast, or as some call it, Juice Feast!  That actually makes more sense since I'm not fasting from juice, but feasting on it!

For the next 21 days, I will be washing down handfuls of supplements with nothing but fresh juices.  Since I failed to post the update that I promised so long ago, here is a current photo in the event that I disappear.  Considering I'm starting this fast out at 120 pounds, three weeks of strictly juice is sure to diminish my stature.  And let me just say that I'm NOT doing this fast to lose weight because at 5'4" and wearing size 3 jeans, I'm quite content with my current weight.

I'm fasting for two reasons.  First, to detox and heal my body.

A few days after Thanksgiving, my asthma reared up and has been kicking my butt ever since.  When you do not do pharmaceuticals to control or maintain asthma, it can be very tricky, or should I say risky. At this point, I definitely need to detox in order to heal.  I have numerous food allergies and indulging in several wheat laden foods over the holidays was NOT a wise choice on my part.  Oh, but while the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.   I learned a valuable lesson.  Sacrificing BREATHING is not worth corn meal dressing, sweet tater casserole, green bean casserole, or pumpkin pie.  At least NOT when it's prepared the SAD way ... that would be "Standard American Diet" way.  DId you know that most, if not all, diseases originate in the digestive tract?! Yessiree.  Sho enuf does!

Juice fasting has the ability to heal the body, and has been known to reverse food allergies. When we cook food over 116°F, living enzymes are destroyed by the heat, thereby making the food "dead".   When we consume dead food, our body has to expend energy and enzymes to digest the food.  When we drink freshly juiced fruits and veggies, the living enzymes are still present and they feed your cells, thereby healing the body.  Also, since the body has no need to expend energy or enzymes digesting the juice, all energy is directed towards healing the body.  It never ceases to amaze me how our bodies function.

The second reason is spiritual and mental healing which I'll discuss tomorrow. 

There are awesome "rawcipes" as I call them, that make amazingly delicious raw foods that mimic traditional meals.  The only drawback is the preparation time and steps necessary to achieve the final result.  When I have a hankering for a specific raw food, by the time I finish preparation (soaking, sprouting, dehydrating, etc.), my craving has subsided.  I take just a nibble or two, but I'm no longer in the mood for that particular food.  The bulk of the food sits there until I dispose of it.  Then I cry over the wasted $$$.  I just need to determine a way to anticipate my cravings a week in advance!  ha ha ha.

Today I started out with a new recipe called Green Magic that I found on Drew Canole's Juicing Vegetables page on FB. Well, it wasn't very "magical" for me. I took a sip and shuddered. By adding two extra Fuji apples and two very ripe pears, I succeeded in salvaging the juice. Actually, it turned out quite tasty.

Here is the recipe as it was listed on Drew's FB page:

It's worth a try.  You might like it as is.  I just needed some more sweetness to it.

So, off to get my "dinner" which is the modified version of Green Magic.  Doesn't this look delectable?!  Soooo yummy, I can hardly wait to eat have my dinner. 

Yes, I am being facetious, but because of the supplements, not the juice.  I am very excited about the fast and the subsequent benefits.  My last "juice feast" was March 2011 - I feasted the entire month - all 31 days.  I felt FANTASTIC because as a result of this feast, I was emancipated from Advair!

Cheers till tomorrow! 

A New Year ... A New Leaf

Okay, so I just realized that I blew off 2012!  I can't believe that I did not make a single post.  My bad!!  With this new year, I am committed to turning over a new leaf and getting back on track. My goal for 2013 is to post - at minimum - once a month, preferably more.

This blog started out as my journey back to rawesome health through raw foods; however, after reflecting on ALL the ways our immune systems are under attack from environmental toxins, genetically modified foods, pesticides, air pollution, chemicals in our water, etc., it occurred to me that eating a healthy diet was not enough. I needed to do more.

One of changes I've made was replacing commercial shampoos and conditioners, as well as commercial cleaning products with something natural, readily available and best of all, CHEAP!  It's a lot easier than one might think. 

The natural product I'm referring to is, of all things, BAKING SODA! It is AMAZING to me how many uses there are for baking soda besides just eliminating odors from your fridge.

For example, I replaced my commercial shampoo by combining baking soda and pure black soap.  I wish I could give you a recipe, but I make it different each time.  I would venture to guess that I probably use 1 part baking soda to two parts Pure Black Soap and about one or two Tbsp of water.  If you decide to try this, you also need to pay attention to how your hair and scalp react.  Initially I used equal parts of baking soda and black soap, but it was too alkaline and caused blemishes on my scalp, so I cut back to the current proportions that work well for me.


Double duty ... While I'm in the shower washing my hair, I sprinkle baking soda on my wet hand and rub down the glass shower enclosure. It does a great job getting the water stains off the glass!  Also, since I use a homemade sugar scrub that has coconut oil and almond oil, the floor of the shower stall gets rather slick, so I sprinkle baking soda on the floor and rub it around with my feet to cut the greasiness.

I've also replaced my store bought cleansers like Comet or Ajax with baking soda.  I keep it on the counter next to my kitchen sink in a clear shaker jar. You can get them fairly cheap at Walmart, Old Time Pottery and I've even seen them at the Dollar Store. Works great!

Another area baking soda does a fantastic job is cleaning the flat ceramic cook top!  Just be SURE your burners are cool.  I cleaned my cook top once and didn't realize two burners were still warm and the baking soda kinda cooked on and left a film.  Ended up having to use Windex to make the cook top shine again.  I suppose I could have used clear vinegar rather than Windex.

Baking soda gets tomato sauce or juice stains out of plastic containers. I also use it to scrub out my sink and on pots and pans.  If you burn the bottom of your pots, no problem! Add just enough water to cover the bottom of a dish or bowl, then add approximately a 1/4 cup of baking soda and let it settle.  Set your pot in the bowl or dish so that the bottom of your pot is soaking in the baking soda/water solution.  Let soak for about an hour or so. Then remove the pot and use a plain scouring pad with baking soda on it to scrub off any residue.

Another concern is the amount of pesticides and toxins on fresh produce. Since I consume tons of fresh produce, it's essential that it be as clean as possible. I typically soak fruits, veggies and greens, such as apples, pears, cucumbers, carrots, celery, kale,spinach, etc, in water with a squirt of grapefruit seed extract. But with apples and especially cucumbers that always have that slimy nasty feel to them, I scrub them with baking soda after their soak.

Baking soda is also a great deodorizer. Sprinkle some on your carpets and let sit a while before vacuuming. Sprinkle some down the garbage disposal. Sprinkle some in your dishwasher every so often when you run a load of dishes.

OH!! And if you have those awful front-loading washers that mold up real bad like mine does, I discovered if I add a cup of baking soda to each load of laundry, it will eliminate the mold that builds up under the rubber gasket around the opening. Yippee!!  I also leave the washer door open when I'm done washing clothes till the washer has had a chance to dry out.  Otherwise, you're trapping moisture in the washer if you close the door immediately after washing and this creates an optimal environment for mold to grow.

These are just a few of the ways to reduce the amount of toxins in your environment while saving some hard earned cash! I buy the 12# bags of baking soda and keep one in the laundry room and one in the bathroom.

Some people add lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide to baking soda for cleaning, but I haven't tried that yet as using it straight has worked well for me.

Who would have ever imagined baking soda would be so useful for so many different things. I love getting back to basics.