A Cleanser fit for a Queen

Cleopatra is notorious for her milk bathes and kohl eyeliner. The Pharaoh(ess) indulged in a natural beauty regime (I meant routine but I love this witty mistake) that included a large variety of herbs, plants, and raw ingredients including aloe vera, which is our star ingredient today. Queen Nefertiti is also known for using aloe vera to help promote healthy skin.

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Aloe Vera is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and soothing. It can help prevent scars and contains salicylic acid which helps combat acne. It also helps to improve the elasticity of skin, preventing wrinkles.

This aloe vera cleanser is indeed fit for a Queen! Something about creating my own beauty products makes me feel like royalty myself.

This recipe fills a 4 oz container. I usually recommend using glass bottles and jars but because we have ours in the shower (and we have a little one who sometimes uses that shower), we've put it in a "safe" plastic bottle.

If you have dry skin, skip the castile soap and use an extra tablespoon of almond, castor or olive oil. You can also interchange these with the almond oil below.

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Aloe Vera Cleanser
5 TB aloe vera gel (or heaping 1/4 cup)
2 TB sweet almond oil
1 TB castile soap (as noted above, skip if dry skin and replace with an extra tb of oil)
20-60 drops Essential oils (20 if you have sensitive skin)*

Directions:
Add aloe vera gel (using funnel) to bottle. Shake to break up chunks. Combine rest of ingredients in bottle. Shake vigorously to mix. (May seperate over time so just shake to mix - mine never does seperate though).

To use:
Wet face with warm water (too hot and it can actually work against you). Pour a small dollop on your clean fingers rubbing them together. Start at your forehead, working toward your nose then out toward your cheeks and eventually down to your neck. Using a muslin cloth, rinse your face with cooler water to help close pores. Pat dry with clean, unused towel. Voila!

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*For my essential oils, I use a combination of lavender, chamomile, tea tree, carrot seed essential oil.

You can buy all of these ingredients through Mountain Rose Herbs. Amazon, and your local health food store also offer these products.

I buy my herbs from    

Refreshing Garbanzo Bean Salad + Hibiscus Tea

Cooking, baking, even turning on the kitchen light switch seems positively evil right now. The other day was a muggy 99 degrees here in Idaho (I know, all you southern states can scoff at us). Don't get me wrong, I love a good hot day to go to the beach but lingering in the kitchen over a heated stove has me cringing.

But if you can't make it to the beach, try this delicious salad (or better yet, bring it with you to the beach).

I happened upon a bundle of mint from Gracious Granny herself! Besides drying for winter tisanes, I knew I wanted to incorporate into a salad that mixed with cumin, a tribute to the day I spent in Morroco.

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As I've mentioned, I love Whole Living. They had a wonderful article about cooling foods. One of the recipes was a cucumber and mint smoothie. I incorporated those flavors into a fresh bean salad  that you can serve over lettuce or eat alone. (They also had a recipe for hibiscus tea which, thanks to my mother, is a staple in my house in the summer. I've added my recipe below because it's a little different).

In Ayurvedic nutrition, cucumbers and mint are cooling foods. They don't shock your system like ice-ladden drinks do. Instead they help your body work to beat the heat... Meaning this recipe is not only delicious but also therapeutically cooling!

The salad also incorporates cumin. Cumin helps aid digestion. According to some studies, it helps the liver secrete more bile, which helps our bodies to break down fats and absorb more nutrients. Cumin combined with mint has a wonderful Morrocan flair.

If you are new to the taste of cumin, you can start with 1/2 teaspoon in this recipe and work your way up to a larger amount. The fresher the cumin, the stronger it's flavor. Keep ground cumin up to six months.

You can refridgerate this recipe or leave it at room temperature before serving.

Refreshing Garbanzo Bean Salad
1 1/2 c cooked garbanzo beans (or 15 oz. can well-drained)
2 Mini Cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber
Handful of Mint
1/2-1 t ground cumin
1/2 Lemon
Olive Oil
Dried Cranberries *optional

1. Chop mint finely. Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise and slice those halves again lengthwise. Chop across to get small cucumber chunks.
2. Combine lemon juice, cumin, and olive oil.
3. Pour dressing over beans, cucumber, and mint. Top with chopped dried cranberries if desired.

Makes 2 servings.

Serve with Hibiscus tea!

You can buy hibiscus petals from your local ethnic or heatlh food store, Mountain Rose Herbs, vitacost (sign up for $10 gift card) or amazon.

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Hibiscus Tea
1/2 c Hibiscus Flowers
1 T Stevia Leaf or agave or honey.
Lime
4 c Boiling Water

1. Pour boiling water over hibiscus flowers and stevia Let sit in glass jar in sunlight for at least an hour to infuse it with solar energy! (I just made myself giggle).
2. Add sweetener of choice if omitting stevia leaf and lime juice. Serve at room temperature or chill with a 2-3 cubes of ice.


Don't know what to do with leftover hibiscus petals? Try hibiscus + red walnut lettuce wraps or hibiscus ketchup!

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And if you would like to subscribe to Whole Living or buy yourself some hibiscus flowers, here's a link to do so...


Question of the Day: What's a summer staple in your household?

Hibiscus tea has been a favorite as well as my chamomile cantaloupe smoothies. Lately, Big Blue Eyes has been enjoying the banana ice cream in all this heat. Witty Husband has a great hand at the grill so family-raised montana cow burgers have been a go-to. Also I make a version of this quinoa salad weekly (lately with nectarines and craisins instead of mango and lots of turmeric).

Shared on Fresh Food Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays... and Lifeologia

Chamomile Cantaloupe Smoothie

I've been making a version of this smoothie sinced I still lived in my father's house and went to college, so over five years. It's one of my absolute favorite drinks of all times. The combination of chamomile and cantaloupe goes so well together. I love the apple and floral hints from the chamomile combined with the sweetness of the cantaloupe.

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I went to two different places to get a cantaloupe because I had this smoothie on my mind. Unfortunately, it seemed everyone else was consumed with the idea of cantaloupe. I finally found an overly ripe one at a fruit stand which the lady gave me for free, claiming she couldn't sell it. I was thrilled! I did buy some summer squash from her as a thank you, to support her business.

The cantaloupe was perfect all around except for one little soft spot. I cut that out, chopped up the rest and stuck it in the fridge for the next day.

This is creamy, delicious and so absolutely yummy. Amaressa and I downed all this smoothie today and now I'm wishing for another cantaloupe. This is also great as popsicles or use canned coconut milk to make it into an ice cream. Also feel free to use coconut water instead of the milk to replace electrolytes naturally.

The chamomile was given to me by a great friend. I'm so glad to have some chamomile in my apothecary again!

For this recipe, I added white chia seeds. This does nothing for flavor but adds extra nutrients including Omega-3. You can feel free to add a tablespoon of flax meal or omit altogether.

Chamomile + Cantaloupe Smoothie
1 1/2 c non dairy milk (I used coconut but almond and rice work just as well)
3 c cantaloupe, chopped in large pieces
1 T chamomile flowers, dried*
1 T white chia seeds (optional)
Pinch of salt, to bring out the sweetness
Handful of ice

*If you happen to be lucky enough to have fresh chamomile, use 2 T fresh. See below where to buy chamomile flowers if you don't grow your own.

Blend it all together and enjoy! Or freeze in popsicle sticks or ice cream machine. Look how creamy it turns out to be...

You can buy chamomile flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs or amazon or your local health food store. Below is a link for organic chamomile sold on amazon.

This is shared on Lifeologia, Allergy Friendly Friday, ...

Easy Watermelon Rosewater Granita

This isn't really a recipe, just a super easy trick to making watermelon granita. And the best part, it doesn't need a high-tech blender or ice cream machine or any fancy tool so you don't have a mess to clean up after!

I was planning to make a watermelon sorbet all along (using a blender after flesh was frozen) but when I cut it in half, I thought, "why can't I just freeze it like this then serve?" Scooping out its frozen flesh, it worked great as a granita.

So that's exactly what I tried. And it worked out great. I couldn't believe how easy it was.

No need for the rosewater but I love the flavor it adds. You can also make rose water if you have rose petals and an hour.

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Rosewater Watermelon Granita
1 Personal size, seedless watermelon
Couple Tablespoons rose water

Slice personal-size, seedless watermelon in half. Freeze overnight or at least 8 hours. Take out and thaw for 30 minutes. Using ice cream scoop or sturdy spoon, scrape out flesh and drizzle with a tablespoon of rose water. Serve with mint, basil, or berries.

If you prefer to buy rosewater, amazon sells it: Heritage Flower Water Rose 8 oz Liquid

Black Tea Chia Seed Tapioca with Figs and Honey

I love, love, love FIGS! Figs by themselves, figs with honey, figs for breakfast, figs for dinner, figs everywhere!

My wonderful mother bought some for me from the farmer's market in Spokane. I devoured them! And then I found these beauties!

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This is an easy breakfast that you prepare the night before and then indulge the next day! It's a great way to incorporate omegas into your diet. My rule for chia pudding is one tablespoon per 1/4 c liquid, but this is pretty thick. If you prefer it thinner, add more liquid.

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If you want more of a creamy pudding, almond milk is delicious mixed in. Almonds, honey, and figs seem to have an infinity for each other.

Here is another chia seed pudding recipe that also includes tea!

I love having a little chia seed pudding before Amaressa wakes up. I've been waking up earlier than her so I can work on photos and prepare breakfast. However many times, she wakes up two hours after I do and I start to get quite hungry. This helps tide me over and sometimes fills me up!

1/2 c black tea
2 T chia seeds
Figs, sliced in quarters
Honey, to taste
Almond Milk *optional

Combine black tea and chia seeds. Leave overnight or at least 20 minutes. Slice Figs in quarters and arrange on top. Add honey to taste.

Other chia seed combination ideas: green tea and melon sliced on top, jasmine pearl infused coconut milk chia pudding with raspberries, roobois (or black tea) and sauteed apples, blueberries and coconut milk with lemon zest, coconut water and mango, etc.

How to make your own Rosewater DIY

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Rosewater in the drugstore is normally synthetic rose fragrance in water. Pure Rosewater or Hydrosol is harder to find and more expensive. It can be just as easy (and free) to make your own when the season is right. Use non-sprayed roses (Damascus smells absolutely divine!), organic when possible. If you don't grow them yourself, ask a neighbor or family friend. Offer to split the rosewater with them or make them a treat with rosewater in it (ideas listed below). Farmer's Markets are also a great place to look.

Gracious Granny (mentioned before) allowed me to pick some of her roses one evening. Pick in the morning (or evening), when the dew has dried but the sun isn't in full force. The roses will be their most fragrant during these hours.

This picture explains how to make your own still. Pictures are worth a thousand words, right?

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It's basically two heavy glass bowls (I used the smaller bowls of this set. Pyrex Prepware 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set, Clear ) and a large stockpot with a lid.

How to make your Rose Water or Hydrosol with Makeshift Still
Ingredients
3-4 c packed rose petals (non-sprayed)
12 c water
Several cups of ice

Directions:
1. Set one bowl, upside down, on the bottom of the stock pot and then the second bowl, facing up, on top of the other bowl.
2. Scatter the rose betals in the bottom of the stock pot around the bowl and then pour the water on top of the petals. Cover.
3. Bowl then turn to low. Invert the lid and pour several cups of ice in the lid.
4. The steam will rise and then when it hits the cold lid, drop into the top bowl. This top bowl contains the rose hydrosol or rosewater.
5. Let it simmer for 20-60 minutes or until 1-2 cups has gathered in the top bowl.

Ideas for RoseWater:
*Fill ice cube tray with rose water and stick a rose petal in each compartment. Freeze over night. Use in lemonade or with sparkling water or champagne. Makes a very elegant beverage!

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*Mix in pavlovas, ice cream, frosting, meringues (or vegan meringues) and homemade chocolate bars. Also great in warmed honey as an icing for baklava.

*Combine equal parts rose water and aloe vera juice for a toner. Add to homemade lotions, sunscreens, and facials.

Here is Big Blue Eyes pouring herself some rose water.

Also, I shared this one allergy-free wednesdays! 

Rethana's Surrender and Supporting Creative Artists

It's important to me to support creative artists, especially being one myself. Normally, I wouldn't post a novel review here (this being a herbal blog and all); However, I wanted to share this wonderful book I read this weekend and the author behind the series.

Besides writing novels, Courtney Cantrell also writes at her blog Court Can Write, where she's brightening her corner of the world. You can read more about her passion for storytelling there.

I met Courtney back in Oklahoma at a yoga class. I could tell she was a strong individual, the person who could bring a storm (or write one) but could also (and did always) brighten up the room with her smile. I wished I got to know her a little better before we moved but I'm glad we still made a connection.

When I heard Courtney was writing a fantasy novel (a favorite genre), I knew I wanted to get my hands on a copy. And I'm so glad that I did! The novel exceeded my expectations and thrilled me. I devoured it in two days (I had to force myself to go to bed the first night).

And so I introduce you to Rethana's Surrender...

Here is a little background story over at Courtney's blog and I've pasted my review from amazon below.  This book is only available as an ebook. If you don't have an ereader, don't worry. You can download the kindle app to your computer and read it there!
"Mrs. Cantrell has built a wonderful, detailed world showcasing strongly written characters with believable powers and honest shortcomings.

My struggle with fantasy books is it seems the power comes too easily and is just handed to the protaganist, but I can't say that for this book. The addition of Chel really made Rethana's character all the more convincing. There were battles on personal levels (and not just that of romance) and battles on more "Save-the-world" levels, which I'm sure will be explored more in later books.

I loved, loved, loved Rethana. You could feel the struggle with the men in her lives. Her hunger for knowledge of the comori. Her desire to protect her sister. At times I wanted to shake her awake (I won't tell you why). But most other times I was cheering her on.

I do have to say, at first, I thought I might have to talk notes on all the different names. The names were complex (and lengthy) but each character seemed to fall in place and I found myself easily remembering who each one was.

Also I wished Allasin had pursued her a little more. And that's all I will say so I don't spoil it. But I don't feel it was detrimental to the story, just a small underlying wish for myself.

I'm recommending this book to anyone I know! Thank you Courtney for such a wonderful new literary world to transverse. And please, please publish that second book soon! "

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! And when you do, give a little love and support to all the creative artists out there and link to it on your blog.

Courtney has published another series Demons of Saltmarch also available on Amazon:
Colors of Deception

Shadows after Midnight: Demons of Saltmarch

Stains of Grace (Demons of Saltmarch, #3)

Question of the Day:
What's on your reading list for the summer?