VeggieConverter

Helping moms introduce meatless meals with ease.

Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

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Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

You've probably noticed by now that I, like most humans, LOVE dessert. I also LOVE Young Living Essential Oils (learn more here).

So it seemed like a no-brainer for me to start making desserts with essential oils in them. And then I decided to look for some inspiration for MORE ways to make delicious desserts that use essential 0ils. And then this post happened.

If you want to learn more about Young Living Essential Oils, you can start right here. Whether you like fruity, chocolate or cinnamon spice desserts, you can make something extra delicious with essential oils. And, bonus, many of these are gluten-free, too, so you can enjoy them if that's an issue. A couple of my favorites are the lime bars and snickerdoodles. But they are all so good, it really is super hard to choose.

But without further ado, here is my list of Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils. Enjoy!

 

Fruity Desserts with EOs

1. Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls from Veggie Converter

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2. Mojito & Cream Popsicles (Paleo) from Holistically Engineered

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3. Lemon Vanilla Coconut Butter Bites from The Rising Spoon

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4. Paleo Baked Apples from Holistically Engineered

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5. Gluten-Free Coconut Key Lime Bars from Veggie Converter

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6. Paleo Orange and Cream Ice Cream from Holistically Engineered

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Chocolate Desserts with EOs

7. Easy Peppermint Fudge from Veggie Converter

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8. Peppermint Chocolate Truffles from Homemade Mommy

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9. Paleo Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cake from Holistically Engineered

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10. Orange Chocolate Fresh Fruit Truffles from Cheerfully Imperfect

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11. Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownies from Veggie Converter

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Cinnamon Desserts with EOs

12. Paleo Sweet Potato Pie from Veggie Converter

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13. Paleo Almond Butter Cookies from Veggie Converter

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14. Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies from Veggie Converter

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Do you have any other tasty recipes that use essential oils? Feel free to share them with me in the comments! I'd love to have more yummy desserts to devour! 🙂

 

Delicious Desserts with Essential Oils

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls

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paleo lemon coconut balls | @VeggieConverter

Paleo lemon coconut balls? Yes, please! Lemon + coconut plus done in less than 30 minutes? Oh, yeah!

I am not a huge chocolate dessert person. I mean, it's yummy. But if I get to choose, I prefer citrusy desserts. I love lemon bars, but I don't make them too terribly often.

I love these key lime bars in particular. But, they take a little while.

So these paleo lemon coconut balls---which are grain and dairy free and done in less than 30 minutes---are a great quick, yummy dessert for me. Plus, they have hazelnuts inside, so they are delicious and chock full of protein. Win!

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls

adapted from Coconut Caramel Macaroons
Makes 12-15

Ingredients

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk or cream
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
15-20 drops of lemon (vitality) essential oil (I buy mine HERE)
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup hazelnut flour or almond flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Mix together maple syrup, coconut milk or cream, coconut oil and lemon essential oil.

To the bowl of a food processor, add the shredded coconut, almond flour and the maple syrup mixture.

Pulse until the mix is finely chopped and holds together when squeezed into a ball.

Drop 1 tablespoon size balls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Make sure the balls are packed tight; if needed, use your hands to finely pack the balls together.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops of the balls just begin to appear toasted.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Results

Wow, these paleo lemon coconut balls are super lemony and fantastic. I can't believe how easy they are, too!

The kids and Mr. Meaty all loved them and they were an easy recipe for the kids and I to make together.

Super win. We'll be making these many more times and experimenting with new flavors, too.

Yield: 12-15

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls

Paleo Lemon Coconut Balls
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk or cream
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 15-20 drops of lemon (vitality) essential oil
  • 2 cups shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut flour or almond flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  3. Mix together maple syrup, coconut milk or cream, coconut oil and lemon essential oil.
  4. To the bowl of a food processor, add the shredded coconut, almond flour and the maple syrup mixture.
  5. Pulse until the mix is finely chopped and holds together when squeezed into a ball.
  6. Drop 1 tablespoon size balls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Make sure the balls are packed tight; if needed, use your hands to finely pack the balls together.
  8. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops of the balls just begin to appear toasted.
  9. Serve cold or at room temperature.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

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paleo lemon coconut balls | @VeggieConverter

My Favorite Pain Relief Cream

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My Favorite Pain Relief Cream fb

My Favorite Pain Relief Cream

By now, you might have noticed that I LOVE my Young Living Essential Oils. They don't just provide me with essential oils, though. Nope. They've got some amazing cleaning products, beauty products, and...this amazing pain relief cream.

While lots of other pain relief creams are made with harsh chemicals and artificial ingredients, Cool Azul is made with only natural ingredients. Cool Azul contains: Menthol (naturally found in Peppermint, a key ingredient in the Cool Azul essential oil blend), Methyl salicylate (naturally found in Wintergreen), Green tea extract, and Organic aloe leaf juice.

Methyl salicylate  provides relief from minor aches and pains and is a natural component of Young Living's Wintergreen essential oil. By combining methyl salicylate with natural menthol, Cool Azul offers a unique topical analgesic for effective temporary relief.

Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream is so great because it gives me a delightful cooling sensation and relief from minor muscle aches, joint aches, strains, sprains, and bruises. You can use this minty cream for the following:

  • Arthritis
  • Simple Backaches
  • Bruises
  • Sprains
  • Muscles and Joints

I use it on my trick shoulder. 🙂 Seriously, I don't know what the deal with my should is, my chiropractor laughs at me and tells me I need to have it "tacked" surgically. No, I haven't done that yet. But, when it acts up, I slather on the Cool Azul and it REALLY helps a lot. It's a kind of warming and cooling sensation at the same time and it lasts a long while. It's very soothing.

If you need some extra relief, consider applying Cool Azul after a delightful bath with some homemade bath salts. I hope you enjoy this pain relief cream as much as I do!

Want to learn more about essential oils?

Adults and children 12 years of age and older: Apply to affected area no more than 3–4 times daily. • Children under 12 years of age: Consult a physician.

 

My Favorite Pain Relief Cream

 

5 Natural Mood Boosters

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mood boosters

When mood slumps hit, I rely on these five natural mood boosters to put a little more pep in my step.

5 Natural Mood Boosters

1. Exercise: I know, right? When you're in a slump, sometimes exercise is the absolute last thing you feel like doing. But you don't have to go crazy and join a Cross-Fit gym (though if that's your thing, go for it!). You just need to get moving a little bit and BONUS if it's outside and you can get some fresh some air and sunshine to boot. Exercise can release serotonin, a natural mood booster. And so does having fun. And breathing fresh air while getting that exercise gets more oxygen to your brain, potentially whisking away brain fog. Get yourself out to the local mini golf or go kart track. Or head to a pumpkin patch or berry picking orchard. Or simply take a brisk walk or ride a bike. Something that gets you out of the house and away from your workplace can give you an extra emotional charge just from doing something new.

2. Mood Boosting Foods: Some of my favorites are bananas and Brazil nuts. Both are in this super awesome Mood-Boosting Trail Mix recipe.

Bananas are full of magnesium, which reduces anxiety and improves sleep. And they also contain potassium, which improves circulation delivering more oxygen to your brain. Additionally, the natural sugars provide a quick energy boost, while a banana’s fiber content makes the boost last longer than energy from simple carbohydrates.

Just three Brazil nuts provide your recommended daily dose of selenium, a trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants help clear the body of free radicals that may be associated with oxidative stress on the brain. Additionally, selenium reduces risk of some cancers and inflammatory conditions.

I also like to keep these yummy Brazil Nut Bars on hand for quick boosts when I'm on the go.

More foods that are natural mood boosters include: tomatoes (stress-reducing lycopene); black eyed peas (high in folate, which helps creation of brain chemicals that regulate mood sleep and memory); sunflower seeds (high in phenylalanine amino acid, which your body converts to norepinephrine); and dark chocolate (high in flavanoids and contains and slows breakdown of anandamine neurotransmitters, which promote happiness).

3. Essential Oils: Bergamot, lavender and frankincense (Boswellia carterii) have calming, mood boosting properties. Reduce your edginess and put a pep in your step by using one or more in bath salts or a salt scrub. You can also wear the oils in a diffuser necklace or diffuse them into the air with a water diffuser like the one you get with a Young Living Essential Oils premium starter kit (both lavender and frankincense come in the kit, too). Other favorite blends I use for mood boosting include Joy, Hope, Sacred Mountain and Stress Away (Stress Away is also in the kit).

4. Cut Caffeine: While caffeine temporarily boosts your energy, it can also lower your overall mood. Warning! Going cold turkey can trigger withdrawal symptoms, so monitor yourself during your transition from caffeine. Coffee beans in particular also jack with your cortisol levels, which messes with your mood, too. I did quit coffee cold turkey myself. It was hard, but worth it. Now I have occasional cups of coffee instead of the regular morning routine. But I had help. Here's how I quit coffee.

5. Start an I'm Awesome/Gratitude Journal: It's easy to complain about what we're not doing right and what's going wrong. Sometimes it's more difficult to honor what you do well and what's going right. Start writing down your small victories and it'll encourage your mood to stay high once you get there. Even if all you can think of that day is "I got out of bed," you'l get to see your progress and feel a sense of accomplishment. Start with a blank notebook if you're ready or try a pre-made gratitude journal like this one if you need a little prompting.

What natural mood boosters are your favorites?

 

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photo credit: Camilla Soares via photopin (license)

Thieves Cough Drops

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I've mentioned my adoration for Young Living's Thieves products before, but I thought I would take a minute to talk about one of my new favorite Thieves products: their cough drops! Of course, you can make your OWN lozenges (here's my recipe for homemade lozenges), but if you're a bit busy for DIY projects, these cough drops are a wonderful option. 

They taste great because they're flavored primarily like cinnamon and clove so they're super refreshing instead of unpleasant like some drops.

Young Living’s Thieves cough drops are formulated to help soothe sore throats, relieve coughs, and cool nasal passages.

Here's why I love these cough drops so much:

  • They contain only simple and known ingredients. Here's the list of ingredients: Natural menthol, stevia leaf extract, and essential oils including Cinnamon bark, Cloves, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon, Peppermint, and Rosemary. How refreshing to see a list of pronounceable ingredients!
  • These cough drops are made with NO sugar, NO dyes, NO artificial flavors, and NO preservatives. Score!
  • Thieves drops also taste great (bonus!). They combine a spicy and sweet flavor together and I enjoy the taste a lot.
  • They help soothe sore throats, relieve coughs, and cool nasal passages.

You can find out more about where to get Thieves cough drops here. You can also get the cough drops and more Thieves products with this awesome Thieves Premium Starter Kit. And don't forget, you can always make these lozenges too!

 

 

 

Why I Love Thieves Cough Drops

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

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Sweet Potato Pie | @VeggieConverter

I big puffy heart custard pies (minus the gluteny crust). So this custardy sweet potato pie with a cookie crumb/pecan crust is absolutely perfect. The recipe comes from a great cookbook I recently acquired, the Outlander Kitchen Cookbook. 

The cookbook is based in part on foods from the awesome scifi-romance series, Outlander. The natural herbal remedies and yummy whole foods recipes mentioned in the book series in such detail always intrigued me. So when I saw the cookbook, I knew it would be great to try.

I love old cookbooks and this one is based primarily on modernized versions of recipes from the 1740s, so you can't get much older in a cookbook. The best part about old cookbooks is they don't use convenience foods, so it's all real, whole ingredients. I made a few minor alterations to make this recipe grain free and dairy free.

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

Adapted from Outlander Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup arrowroot cookie crumbs (or 1/2 cup arrowroot flour)

1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (for crust/topping)

1/2 cup finely ground pecans

1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (for pie filling)

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon or 2-3 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

zest of 1 lemon or 3-5 drops lemon (vitality) essential oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 drop nutmeg (vitality) essential oil

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes at 400 degree Fahrenheit. Let cool before peeling.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix coconut oil, arrowroot cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup coconut sugar and ground pecans until crumbs are moistened. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for topping, pressing the rest into a glass or ceramic 9-inch pie plate.

Mix together sweet potato flesh, remaining coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon/oil, vanilla, lemon zest/oil, salt and nutmeg/oil. Beat well to combine.

Pour sweet potato mixture into pie crust and smooth out the top.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle on topping. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

The Results

Holy wow! First of all, how did I never think to do pumpkin pies with this type of crust? Duh. Grain free and easy. The girls each had at least three pieces on day one. They would've had more, but I said no. Hah. It is absolutely delicious.

It's similar to pumpkin pie, but a bit more rich. If you like custardy pies (no matter what you think  you think of sweet potatoes) give this a shot. Mr. Meaty doesn't care for sweet potatoes. At all. He still thought this was pretty good, considering.

Recipe Card

Yield: 12

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

This Paleo sweet potato pie recipe is custardy, sweet, tasty, and has a cookie crumb/pecan crust that is absolutely perfect. Perfect for dessert or a snack!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup arrowroot cookie crumbs (or 1/2 cup arrowroot flour)
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar (for crust/topping)
  • 1/2 cup finely ground pecans
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (for pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 2-3 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • zest of 1 lemon or 3-5 drops lemon (vitality) essential oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 drop nutmeg (vitality) essential oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Bake sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes at 400 degree Fahrenheit. Let cool before peeling.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Mix coconut oil, arrowroot cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup coconut sugar and ground pecans until crumbs are moistened. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for topping, pressing the rest into a glass or ceramic 9-inch pie plate.
  5. Mix together sweet potato flesh, remaining coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon/oil, vanilla, lemon zest/oil, salt and nutmeg/oil. Beat well to combine.
  6. Pour sweet potato mixture into pie crust and smooth out the top.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  8. Sprinkle on topping. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert

 

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Essential Oils for Dudes

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essential oils for dudes

Essential Oils for Dudes

Need some inspirational ideas for how to spoil your man? Here are some great ways to use essential oils to make DIY gifts and practical daily items for men. Enjoy!

Outdoorsy Essential Oils

1. Lemon Essential Oil: the Duct Tape of Essential Oils

Ah, Lemon Essential Oil...if I have to give you a clever nickname, it would be 'the duct tape of essential oils'. I've talked about why I love Lemon essential oil before (read here), and it has some great qualities for the men-folk. For example, you can use lemon essential oil to remove oil and grease stains. Or loosen rusty screws. Or to clean car grills or car batteries. There are so many options!

oilsfordudesducttape

2. Lawn Guy's Helper

Peppermint essential oil is another of my favorites (read more here)! Whether or not your man is a fan of mowing the lawn, it can get pretty darn hot out there! Consider using some peppermint oil on a damp rag and rub on the back of the neck for a refreshing sensation.

oilsfordudeslawn

3. Make your man a hand scrub

You know how men can come inside with filthy, greasy, dirty hands? Consider handing them a homemade hand scrub, like this recipe, to help scrub away the grime. It has the bonus of getting their tough hands nice and soft, too!

oilsfordudeshandscrub

4. Outdoor Scents

If you've got a hunter in your life, you know how obsessed they can get about cover scents. These outdoorsy essential oils might be just the thing for them to try! Even if your man isn't into hunting, these essential oils are perfect for using to make them gifts like lotion bars, lotion cream, or bath salts. They probably wouldn't mind these oils in the diffuser, either!

oilsfordudesoutdoorscent

Grooming

5. Luscious Locks

Both Cedarwood and Rosemary essential oils are amazing for your scalp and hair. Consider spoiling your man (or yourself!) by adding these essential oils to your shampoo OR just have a special scalp massage date!

oilsfordudeshair

6. Give him some amazing Shaving Cream

Shutran Shave Cream is made especially for men. With clean ingredients and a great manly scent, your man will have a nice clean shave that leaves him with some really nice and soft skin.

oilsfordudesshaving

7. Great Dental Hygiene

Granted, getting toothpaste and  mouthwash aren't really the best GIFT ideas, but they are still amazing products for your home! I've mentioned before that I LOVE Thieves cleaning products, and this toothpaste and mouthwash are some of my favorites! Your man will love the cinnamon and clove taste, and you will love the healthy, natural ingredients.

oilsfordudesteeth

8. DIY Beard Oil

If you are one of those ladies who LOVE beards on men, here's a great DIY beard oil recipe that will help improve the overall look and feel of your man's beard. Add a dropper lid for easy use!

oilsfordudesbeard

9. Make him a Shoe Powder

Let's face it: men can be kinda stinky. They can especially stink up their shoes. This DIY shoe powder will keep that odor down and make for a happy and less-stinky household.

oilsfordudesshoeodor

Exercise

10. Refresh tired muscles

Whether your man just got done with either a tough day of work, a hard workout at the gym, or a sweaty day caring for the lawn, you can be prepared to help him refresh his tired muscles with the following products:

oilsfordudesmuscles

11. Muscle Man Roller Bottle

You can make your own custom blend of essential oils for dudes that he can bring with him to the gym or to work. This recipe can help keep him refreshed from a hard and strenuous day:

oilsfordudesmuscleman

Bedroom

12. Heat things up in the Bedroom

Want to heat things up in the bedroom? Shutran essential oil is a man's best friend, trust me! Consider a sensational massage oil, too, for bringing the magic to the bedroom. Or, if you want, check out my recipe for a water-based lube. You're welcome. 😉

oilsfordudesmagic

13. Promote sleep

There is such a thing called 'Handsome Sleep' like there is 'Beauty Rest'. Help your man relax and wind down for the night with one of the following essential oils. Check out more information about Lavender Essential Oil here.

oilsfordudessleep

Misc.

14. Promote Relaxation

Whether your man has returned from a frantic day at work or is frazzled from the everyday chores of life, Stress Away essential oil can be a wonderful item to help promote relaxation.

oilsfordudesstress

15. For Meal Time

Whether your man is a heavy eater, picky eater, or quick eater, it's always nice to be able to provide various items to help out after meals. These are some great options:

oilsfordudeseating

What are your favorite Essential Oils for dudes?

This is just a small list of essential oils for the dudes. Feel free to tell me about your favorites, too!

Want to learn more about essential oils?

oilsfordudesfinish

Almond Butter Cookies

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Almond Butter Cookies | @VeggieConverter

I've tried a lot of different meals for breakfast since going mostly grain free. This almond butter cookies recipe is one of my absolute favorites. And you wouldn't believe how simple it is. The recipe requires only TWO INGREDIENTS. What?? All you need is an egg and half a cup of nut butter. I add a couple drops of cinnamon (vitality) essential oil to mine just for an extra kick, but that's totally optional. You can mix these almond butter cookies up in about two minutes and they bake in just five. So breakfast is ready in less than 10. And since there's no sugar added, these cookies are straight up protein: egg and almond butter. Win. These breakfast cookies are paleo, grain free, gluten free, dairy free---oh, and bonus---they make a yummy dessert, too.

Almond Butter Cookies

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond butter
1 egg
2 drops cinnamon (vitality) essential oil (optional)

Method

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop mixture onto the sheet by the heaping teaspoonful.

If you want fancy fork marks, freeze the batter on the sheet for about 1 hour. When you get the unbaked cookies out of the freezer, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly press cookies down with a fork (crosshatching the fork marks on top to make a checkerboard pattern).

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Results

It's hard to believe how quickly these can be made. Seriously. Cookies/breakfast in less than 10 minutes? Win. The texture, according to Mr. Meaty, is a little "weird" when you are thinking of standard cookies. They're not quite fluffy, but not terribly dense either. They're closer to macaroons than sugar cookies. The flavor is a hit with everyone and the kids didn't balk at the texture at all. Though they did orginally think they were chicken nuggets at first glance. Hah!

 

paleo-almond-butter-cookies

Why I Love Lemon Essential Oil

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Why I Love Lemon Essential Oil fb

If you are looking for an invigorating and refreshing scent, then Lemon essential oil is what you need. Lemon's tangy citrus taste has always been a popular flavor in the kitchen (making the Lemon Vitality Essential Oil a great choice); it is also a popular choice for cleaning products and also for aroma. So if you love lemons, then you will love the intense and concentrated form of it in Lemon EO. You see, Lemon EO is derived from the rind of lemons. It takes 3,000 lemons to produce 1 kilo of this amazing and refreshing oil!

Of course, it is important to use a high-quality Lemon essential oil. My preference is Young Living Essential Oils (learn more about them here).

Here are the many reasons why I LOVE Lemon Essential Oil:

1. For Cleaning Your Home

  • Simply combine 2-3 drops of lemon with water in a spray bottle to clean surfaces.
  • Consider adding 10-15 drops of lemon essential to a gallon of carpet cleaning solution to help pull out stains, brighten carpets and rugs, and to leave a fresh smell in the room.
  • Make a natural furniture polish by adding several drops of lemon to a half cup of olive oil.
  • Eliminate odors in your home (like your garbage can!) by adding a few drops of lemon EO to a cotton ball and place it where you need it.

2. Removing Stains

  • Lemon EO can be used to remove stains from your laundry.
  • You can soak dishcloths in a bowl of water with 1-2 drops of lemon EO overnight to naturally clean.
  • Use 1-2 drops of lemon EO to remove gum, oil, grease spots and crayon from most surfaces.
  • You know when your kids get a sticker at the grocery store or doctor? And then they always leave them on their shirt and it gets washed? Well, lemon oil gets that icky, post-washer sticker residue off, too!

3. Cleaning Fruit and Vegetables

  • Add 2-3 drops of lemon EO to a bowl of cool water and add your produce. Not only will this help clean your produce, it might also help increase the shelf life of them.

4. It makes tasty beverages

  • Add a few drops of Lemon (Vitality) essential oil to a cup of water in the morning. It bursts with a lemony tang and is full of antioxidants.
  • You can also add a few drops of Lemon (Vitality) to your smoothies for a refreshing and uplifting drink.
  • Enhance your lemonade with a drop drops of Lemon (Vitality) essential oil.

5. Adds flavor to your meals

  • Add several drops of Lemon (Vitality) essential oil to a chicken marinade for a delicious dinner.
  • Toss your veggies with Lemon (Vitality) and olive oil prior to roasting for a delicious side dish.
  • Make sauces for your fish dishes brighter by including Lemon (Vitality).

6. Freshen your breath

  • Not only does Peppermint Essential Oil work for freshening your breath, you can also add a drop of Lemon EO to the tip of your tongue for a refreshing change.

7. Uplift your spirits

  • Lemon oil's uplifting effects awaken the senses, clear the mind of distractions and help a person tune in to the task at hand.
  • Place a drop in your hands to inhale, rub a drop into long or short hair, or diffuse through the room during times to uplift the spirits.

8. Promotes energy and focus

  • Lemon EO promotes focus and clarity.  It helps a person to overcome confusion or doubt, feelings of being overwhelmed and lack of enthusiasm. It also helps to clear self-doubt, limiting beliefs, stagnant energy and rigidness in the mind, heart, or body.
  • Inhale lemon oil or place a few drops on a cotton ball to replenish your mind, body, and spirit.

 

Cautions When Using Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon is photosensitive. This means that lemon oil can cause the skin to burn if exposed to sunlight after applying the oil. Avoid applying to skin that will be exposed to sunlight or UV light within 24 hours.

 Why I Love Lemon Essential Oil

Why I Love…

Learn more about why I love:

Got a Question?

Contact me at [email protected]

Get started with Young Living with the Premium Starter Kit. Get it for 50% off retail prices. Learn more here.

***These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.

Back to School Essential Oils: A Survival Guide

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Backtoschooltitle

Back to School Essential Oils: A Survival Guide

It's that time of year again, folks. Back-to-school time is usually a mix of excitement and sadness over here. However, no matter what you and your kids are feeling when it comes to starting up school again, the more prepared you are, the easier this transition time can go. Here's my list of awesome survival tips to make Back to School as easy as possible.

1. Keep Your Kids Healthy

I LOVE using Thieves essential oil (learn about Thieves in my post) and NingXia Red (here's more info on NingXia) during the year to boost my family's health. You can learn more about Young Living essential oils here.

backtoschoolhealth

2. Start a Good Morning Routine

One of the best things for the whole family is to have a great morning routine in place. It can keep mornings calm instead of hectic. Consider using some essential oils in the diffuser to help start the morning out right.

backtoschoolmorningdiffuser

You can also make mornings better with some healthy and tasty breakfasts. For our home, smoothies are quite popular. I often have smoothie packs ready for use in the freezer (read more here), which helps make mornings even easier. Here's a great recipe idea:

backtoschoolsmoothie

3. Help Your Kids Get Through the School Day

Sometimes, especially in those first days of school, kids get a bit shy about going to school. A diffuser necklace might be JUST the thing to help your kids get through the day. My girls love these super cute Smiley Face Silicone Diffuser Bracelets.

backtoschooljitters

If your kids aren't into necklaces or bracelets, you could always try making a fun rollerball recipe for them (these roller bottles are cute)!

backtoschoolrollerballs

4. Have an After-School Routine

It's a great idea to have an after-school routine just like it's good to have a morning routine! I LOVE greeting my kids after school with a good snack to give them a boost of energy. Confession: sometimes a treat like homemade snickerdoodles are okay, too! Here's a great fruit dip recipe, which can easily be tweaked for dietary needs:

backtoschoolfruitdip

I like to help my kids with their homework, too...or rather, I like to take out the trusted essential oil diffuser and use a good "Homework Blend":

backtoschoolhomeworkdiffuse

5. Be Stocked Up on Cleaning Supplies:

As you probably know by now, I'm a big fan of making my own household items. It's wonderful knowing all of the ingredients in common household necessities. From skin cream to kid's shampoo, I like to keep my home prepared. It's also easy to make your own hand soap:

backtoschoolsoap

It also never fails that the first month of school is often still pretty warm. That leads to hot, sweaty kids who have been in the same clothes all day...getting sweaty. This stink spray helps in a pinch:

backtoschoolstinkspray

As the afternoon becomes evening, there are other cleaning supplies that are good things to stock up on, too. If you're running out of time to go completely DIY, you could always get these healthy kid's cleaning products (learn more about them here), like toothpaste and shampoo:

backtoschoolkidproducts

Finally, right after bath time, consider making your own detangle spray to make hair brushing a more drama-free activity:

backtoschoolhairdetangle

6. Have a Nighttime Routine

It's always good to have a nightly routine. Otherwise kids can get hyper and have a harder time falling asleep. That's why this DIY cream can help:

backtoschoolnightcream

After rubbing your kids' feet to help them relax, it might be good to finish the night with a good bedtime story and this awesome pillow spray (and maybe spray some on their stuffed animals while you're at it):

backtoschoolbedtime

 

Finally, here's a few more diffuser recipe ideas for back-to-school survival:

backtoschooldiffuser

Now you're ready...

I hope this Back to School Essential Oil Survival Guide helps you and your families be ready for the school year. Let the new memories begin!

backtoschoolconclusion

Want to learn more about essential oils?

For more Back to School help, be sure to follow along with our healthy real food school lunches feature on Instagram @veggieconverter

 

 

 

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