Homemade Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup

Holy Yummers!  Just made a homemade soup improvising the recipe as I went along.... turned out DELICIOUS.   Adrian (Mr. Picky) loved it!  We'll be making this one again and again!!!  

Cream of Lemon Chix Soup:

In large soup pot, saute (on lowest setting) cut up pieces of chix breast in Organic Extra Virgin Coconut oil, O. Sesame oil, Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Throw in small cut up pieces of garlic (used about half but can use the whole thing easily.)

Throw in chopped white onion.

Stir and when chix starts to turn white add water.

Other random stuff to put in...

Pureed a can of pink beans in blender (shhh)

Frozen green peas (next time will puree them too)

Left over roasted red potatoes 

A packet of chix noodle soup

3 lg. chopped carrots

zest of 2 lemons and squeezed all it's juice.

4 generous glasses of Chardonnay

about 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

seasoned with tons of dill, italian seasonings, old bay seasoning, lemon pepper, adobo, 3 packets of sazon (orange by goya spanish seasoning), pinch of sea salt and a bay leaf

Made garlic rolls to go with but tomorrow we'll have it again and I'll make cornbread. (Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free cornbread mix).  A fresh salad is a light addition to this meal since the soup is filling.   Hey, corn would be another great thing to throw in soup next time or whatever the heck you're in the mood for.  This could easily be modified to vegetarian.  The wine, cream, lemon combo is what made it.  

Everyday Essentials

Essential Oils make me happy!  I love that burning them for aromatherapy purposes actually cleans the air rather than pollute it like other scented oils.  There are many positive uses from medicinal, cleaning, mood enhancing aromatherapy and massage spa treatments.  

I'll regularly post everyday uses for you and your family to try under Everyday Essentials.  Enjoy!

Nourishing Banana Conditioner

1 cup hot strong chamomile tea

1 ripe banana

10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 Tbsp. honey 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and apply to damp hair.   You can cover with a cap or warm towel and leave on while you relax in the bath or do your laundry, then rinse.  Note: coconut oil leaves hair beautiful, healthy and shiny.  If your hair is too oily, blot a bit of powder at roots.

Homemade Laundry Sheets

Take a small piece of flannel and put a few drops of Essential Oil of your choice such as Lavender.  Throw in dryer with clothes for natural, Divine scented clothes!

Fun with Pancakes

If you want to give your little one a special treat when serving pancakes; just pour a large circle of pancake batter in the center of your cooking pan and make 2 smaller circles on the side... voila' Mickey Mouse Pancakes! Of course you can add sliced bananas, blueberries and strawberries to make a face and sneak in some healthy flavor.

Grandpa's Birthday Present...

My Father-in-law lives in sunny Florida where is enjoys a retired life of beach living. We didn't know what to get him for his birthday but wanted to do something special since we don't get to see him often. He appreciates art, nature and meditation. We decided on the Planet Earth BBC DVD series but wanted Audrey to learn about gift giving. Figured why not house two birds in one tree and make him something creative. It was a fun craft for Butterfly and she proved to be a talented young 2 year old! Here is are the instructions should you want to make one with your favorite youngsters... (recipe is courtesy of cooks.com)

SALT CLAY DOUGH

1 c. salt2 c. flour1 c. water (coloring can be added here)1/2 tsp. powdered alum1 tsp. oil (helps keep dough fresh and pliable)
Mix, knead and shape. Air dry or bake at 325 degrees until it begins to brown. Baked work can be painted.

Butterfly did all the work herself with a little guidance and suggestion. She liked rolling the dough and we used a straw before baking to make holes for the beads. We waited a day to paint our shapes with cookie cutters. Grabbed a large baking sheet and lined with wax paper, set the shapes out and she went to town with different sized paint brushes. After they were dry, the next day I sprayed them with EnviroTex Clear Finish Spray in HIGH GLOSS. Another day we used hemp cord and Butterfly picked which order and color beads she wanted me to string. She even did a few herself. By the time we were done with this project, she felt very proud. It was something that she looked forward to making each day. She was so careful about helping me pack it gently and can't wait to give her finished hanging chime to Grandpa!

Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner

My BFF and I have been discussing our passions for creating a healthier home environment for our families. Kermit the frog was really on to something with the whole being "Green" thing. Eco friendly is in! Now that I'm a parent, it means so much more to me to provide my family with the safest products and the fact that you can do them yourself for much cheaper is a thrill. I'll regretfully admit I was an Aqua Net spraying teen and have always been a massive consumer of the latest and greatest beauty treatments. After reading this post http://autumnwindcreation.blogspot.com/2009/05/thinkingway-too-much.html I became inspired to try my own shampoo and conditioner. The basic recipe...

Shampoo Base
1 c. warm water
2 tbsp. baking soda

Conditioner Base
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

I added a handful of loose Green tea and Mandarin leaves and a few drops of essential Tea tree oil to the shampoo. You shake it up and it makes a nice lather. Just put it in a recycled shampoo bottle and voila, enjoy. For the conditioner I added almost a Tbsp. of Olive oil and a few drops of essential Lavender oil.

I tried the new shampoo and conditioner on myself and Butterfly... WOW. I was hesitant about the results but extremely impressed with the outcome. Our hair feels so clean and is shiny and soft. It's better than the most expensive salon products I've tried. It feels great knowing that the ingredients are safe! I've been running my fingers through our hair all day. You can do this yourself and get creative adding your own custom natural ingredients. Feel free to share recipes you enjoy too! Happy Hair Washing!!!