Crispy Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 2 lb Brussels Sprouts
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 lemons
• more salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Cut off the bottom ends of the Brussels Sprouts and discard. Cut the remaining part in half and place into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and give it a good mix. Spread this mixture onto a baking sheet.
3. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 40 minutes. Remove the baking sheet every 15 minutes while roasting and give the Brussels Sprouts a good toss to make sure they are evenly roasting and browning. 10 minutes before they are done, squeeze an entire lemon on top of the vegetables and then cut the lemon up and throw it onto the baking sheet and place back into the oven to finish roasted.
4. Once the edges are crisp and brown, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve immediately.

DIY Drambuie

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh picked rosemary leaves
• 3/4 cup blended Scotch

Procedures

1. 1
   Break up the fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle or under a heavy skillet. Cook the honey, water, fennel, and rosemary over medium heat stirring frequently, until it is integrated into a syrup, about 5 minutes. Let cool, with the fennel and rosemary still in the pot. Scrape off any white foam.
2. 2
   Once the syrup has cooled, pour liquid (with the fennel and rosemary still in it) into a sealable glass jar. Add Scotch, seal, and shake. Steep for 3 days at room temperature. Strain. Liqueur can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Brussels Sprouts and Udon Noodles in Miso Sauce

Recipe

If you’ve never sliced Brussels sprouts before tossing them into the pot, you’re about to discover the ideal way to prepare this underappreciated vegetable. Since the slices cook evenly and maintain their sprightly green color and crunch, you will feel like you are being introduced to a new vegetable.

In this dish, you’ll be tossing the sliced Brussels sprouts with Japanese udon noodles, bell peppers, and pecans. An East West sauce is quickly made by blending the fermented soybean paste called miso with rosemary-infused olive oil and a little of the noodle cooking water.

Yield : 3 servings

Ingredients

• Pound or two 10-ounce pints Brussels sprouts
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon peeled, minced ginger
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced (keep white and green parts separate)
• ½ cup finely diced red bell peppers
• ½ cup finely diced yellow or purple bell peppers, or additional red peppers
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup water
• 8 ounces udon noodles (Eden Foods makes a nice brown rice udon)
• 2½ tablespoons dark miso
• 1 tablespoon rosemary-infused olive oil (or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary), plus more if needed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (Shoyu or Tamari)
• ½ cup toasted pecans

Directions

1. Trim off the root end of the Brussels sprouts, and discard any browned or damaged outer leaves. Cut the Brussels sprouts lengthwise into ¼-inch slices, set aside. Begin bringing a large pot of water to the boil for the udon.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 20 seconds. Add the sliced white part of the scallions, bell peppers, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

3. Turn off the heat. Standing back to avoid spattering oil, add the water. Add the Brussels sprouts, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until the sprouts are tender-crisp and still bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. (Add a few tablespoons additional water during this time if the mixture becomes dry.) Set the skillet aside, uncovered.

4. Break the udon in half and add them to the boiling water. In a small bowl, dissolve the miso in ½ cup of the noodle cooking water. Stir in the rosemary-infused oil and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.

5. When the noodles are just short of done, drain them. Set them in the skillet with the Brussels sprouts, and stir in the miso sauce and reserved scallion greens. Add more soy sauce and rosemary oil, if needed. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until the mixture is good and hot. Toss in the pecans and serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe calls for dark miso, which is generally saltier and aged longer than light miso, so avoid any temptation to make a substitution. You’ll find udon noodles and miso in Asian groceries and health food stores. Leftovers are likely to need perking up with soy sauce or lemon juice.

Miso is a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans or a combination of soybeans and grains. In general, dark misos are saltier and have a more intense, “beefy” flavor than light misos. Dissolve mlso in liquid before adding it to your dish. Look for miso in the refrigerated section of health-food stores and Asian markets (or order by mall from Gold Mine Natural Food Co.). Miso Master is a good brand. Refrigerate miso in a tightly sealed container, and it will last for years.

source :http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/brussels-sprouts-and-udon-noodles-in-miso-sauce

Homemade Electrolyte Drinks

When a stomach or intestinal bug strikes, what is one of the first things you rush to the store to get?

Gatorade? Pedialyte?

Not only are these drinks expensive, buy these drinks are loaded with artificial sweeteners, flavors and dyes which are not only bad for you when you are sick, but are not good for you when you are well either.

Vintage Remedies Homemade Electrolyte Drink

1 cup purified water

1/3 cup organic grape, orange or berry juice

1/4 tsp pure mineral salt (an unrefined sea salt)

a pinch of baking soda

Blend all ingredients well. Store in refrigerator. Serve cold.

How this works

Purified water

Filtered water does not contain contaminants that find their way in to the water supply. 

I recommend Big Berkey Water Filter Systems, which filter out nearly 100% of contaminants without removing beneficial minerals, and they last for.ev.er. Filter systems like Brita and Pur filter out some contaminants but not to the degree which Big Berkeys do - see the comparison. Learn more about Big Berkey here.

Organic juice

Juice adds flavor to the electrolyte drink while providing a boost of vitamins, mainly vitamin C. Freshly-squeeze organic juice is best, but store-bought organic is your next best option. Organic means that is was grown and processed without the use of pesticides or additives. 

For a little extra sweetness and added health benefit you can add 2 tablespoons of raw honey to this solution.

Mineral salt (aka sea salt)

Sea salt contains 92 of vital trace minerals our bodies need and will help aid in rehydration. Traditional white table salt is usually refined and processed at high temperatures, has been bleached and contains chemical additives. Which do you want in you body?

I use Redmond RealSalt Nature's First Sea Salt. Vitacost has some great prices on the 9 oz and 26oz varieties. If you are not a member of Vitacost you can join today {it's FREE} and get a $10 credit! This would bring your cost for either of these items to $0.00.

Baking soda

Baking soda {aka calcium carbonate} aids in hydration.

Source: http://www.holistichomemaking.org/2012/04/battling-tummy-bugs-naturally-homemade.html

How to get rid of blackheads the natural way

All you need is a halved of lemon and add 3 to 4 drops of honey on it. Simply, smear the lemon on your face a bit focusing on the blackhead-prone areas, particularly the nose and the chin. After that, let the concoction stay on your face approximately within five to 10 minutes and rinse it with cold water.

How To Make Your Own Magnesium Oil to improve sleep and reduce stress

Many people are deficient in this vital mineral that the body uses for hundreds of reactions. Every cell in the body needs magnesium in some way, and it is vital for bone, tooth, muscle and joint health as well as for optimal sleep and stress reduction.

because many of us have lifestyle factors that actively deplete magnesium such as lack of sleep, excess stress, or alcohol/caffeine/sugar consumption. On top of that, many natural sources of magnesium are becoming depleted (such as the soil due to over-farming and high pesticide use) and water filtration systems remove much of the naturally occurring magnesium in water.

The ocean is still a wonderful source of magnesium and trace minerals, but for those of us who don’t have daily access to a beach, transdermal magnesium oil can be the easiest and most effective way to increase magnesium levels. I’ve recently seen some research that adequate magnesium can do everything from reduce stress to improve sleep and even eliminate morning sickness!

I take magnesium internally and use it on my skin daily in the form of magnesium oil. A brilliant reader recently shared with me how she saved a lot of money by making her own magnesium oil, and I wanted to pass on her recipe to you…

What you need:

•  1/2 cup Magnesium Chloride Flakes (I recommend this brand because I’ve verified the source)
• 1/2 cup distilled water
• a glass bowl or glass measuring cup
• A glass spray bottle (plastic will work too)

What to do:

Boil the distilled water. It is important to use distilled to extend the shelf life of the mixture. Put the Magnesium Chloride Flakes in the glass bowl or measuring cup and the pour the bowling water over it.

Stir well until completely dissolved. Let cool completely and store in the spray bottle. Can be stored at room temperature for at least six months. I keep in my bathroom to use daily.

To Use:

Spray on arms, legs and stomach daily. I use 10-20 sprays per day. It will tingle on the skin the first few times it is used, and this is normal. It should fade after a few applications, but you can dilute with more water if it bothers you too much.

You can leave on the skin or wash off after 20-30 minutes. I usually apply after a shower and then use coconut oil or a lotion bar to moisturize about 5 minutes later

Source : http://wellnessmama.com/5804/how-to-make-your-own-magnesium-oil/

How Pineapple Benefits the Body

How Pineapple Benefits the Body