tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42357199957592842652024-03-13T17:31:54.062-06:00Wholesome AbodeJoin us on a journey to discover a more wholesome, natural, back-to-basics approach to enjoying the goodness of life.Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-75337450081613124152014-07-11T12:36:00.001-06:002014-07-11T12:39:25.148-06:00Motherhood's Change: the highs and lows Part 1Blogging has definitely fallen to the wayside as I maneuver this new journey called motherhood. I have a precious 9.5 month old baby boy who I love dearly and who has done a complete overhaul on my family's life.<br />
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To say that my husband and I lived a great life pre-baby was an understatement! With stable, well paying jobs, great friends, amazing family, and our own house, we tried to make every moment count! We travelled to Scotland and the UK, Mexico several times, various Canadian locations and went for road trips in the United States. We were able to renovate our home (although it is still an ongoing project, probably for life!) and had many fun nights (some more intoxicated than others...) in the presence of amazing people. However through all of this we had a longing for something more, for SOMEONE more. We decided to start trying for a baby and after many months discovered we each had somewhat of an infertility issue to battle. Obviously, a period of tears and depression followed at the thought that we may not be able to extend our family as we had been dreaming for 4 years. We were referred to a fertility clinic in a neighbouring city in September 2012, and our wait until our appointment in February 2013 began. In the meantime we tried to keep busy, we prayed a lot, renovated even more (ick!), and waited for our appointment to hear our next step.<br />
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Early one morning in late January, 2 weeks <strong>before</strong> our fertility clinic appointment, a nagging in my heart roused me from bed to take a pregnancy test. POSITIVE! Against all odds and years of trying, God had blessed us with our miracle!<br />
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Fast forward through an uneventful pregnancy--it is so amazing how much your own body feels like it belongs to someone else during that 8+ months--I have to say, while I felt so thankful to have that baby inside me, I was definitely ready for him to vacate the premises once the time came. Our son Rhett was born in September 2013; he was perfect, precious, and was loved very deeply immediately. <br />
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Looking back now on the first few weeks of motherhood, it is hard to remember them being anything but special, our old "selfish" way of life cast aside to care for this tiny, helpless new being. In reality, there were moments of sheer terror, pain, and many tears in the first few weeks. I DO vividly remember one instance of engorgement in the beginning of our breastfeeding journey where I literally felt like a cow being milked. Horribly embarrassing at the time, but my mother (the milker) and I (the milkee) now look back on it with A LOT of laughter.<br />
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I had many lofty goals for my year long maternity leave from work....I planned to learn Spanish (HAHAHA), exercise everyday (HAHAHAHAHAHA), use cloth diapers, make my own baby food, etc. etc. etc. Needless to say, I realised very quickly that I wasn't going to accomplish the majority of these goals, and instead made new ones: get out of pajamas everyday (mostly accomplished), try get out of the house once a day (for sanity's sake), try to keep the house one step above hoarder-level mess (barely accomplished). In hindsight, I now know that so many things you think are important become SO irrelevant SO quickly as a new mom. The things that start to make you feel good and accomplished are much more simple: a startlingly loud belch from your recently fed baby, being able to place your son in his bed without him waking up, the small smiles that fleet across his face in his sleep...these are the moments and the events that matter. His first smile and giggle will seize your heart and force you to have your camera phone at the ready at all times...<br />
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While I enjoyed and remember with fondness going out to the bar, travelling all over the world, living life minute to minute and doing anything we felt like at the drop of a hat, having this new person by my side growing and changing was worth the trade hands down. Every day is not a blast, I have my days where I could pull out some hair (as if he hasn't already pulled out a ton of it!), but when I see that little boy in my arms, regardless of how trying the day, I feel blessed.<br />
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Please stay tuned for part 2 of my journey! (the baby woke up, so this is where it ends!)<br />
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I would be more than thrilled to hear what your first few weeks were like with your newborn (goals abandoned or accomplished) or if you don't have kids yet, what you think life might be like! Comment below, and feel free to share!Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-22961770276377072782013-06-18T18:58:00.000-06:002013-06-18T18:59:53.773-06:00Seedy Trailmix Cookies: My New Favourite TreatThere is a bakery in the mountains that I love to go to when my husband and I head out to the Rocky Mountains for a weekend getaway, and at this amazing place they sell the biggest, heartiest trailmix cookies you've ever had. These cookies are chewy yet crispy, with a plethora of seeds and chips and raisins to make a hearty (yet TASTY) treat.<br />
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Longing for one of these cookies but not willing to drive the 3.5 hours to get one, I decided to create my own recipe attempt for these magical cookies. The result? SUCCESS. Perhaps not EXACTLY the same as the originals, and surely a smaller size, but the resulting cookie attempt was a delicious, faux-healthy treat.<br />
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To make:<br />
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<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
-1 cup flour<br />
-1/2 cup butter or margarine<br />
-1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
-1 egg<br />
-1 Tbsp milk<br />
-1 tsp vanilla<br />
-1 cup Quick oats<br />
-1/4 cup pumpkin seeds<br />
-1/4 cup sesame seeds<br />
-1/4 cup sunflower seeds<br />
-1/4 cup flax<br />
-1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
-1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
-dash of cinnamon<br />
-1/2 cup raisins (or slightly more)<br />
-1/2 cup chocolate chips (or slightly more)<br />
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<strong><u>Directions:</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
1) Beat the margarine/butter and the brown sugar together until well mixed and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla. Add the milk. Mix to combine.<br />
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2) In a separate bowl mix together flour, oats, pumkin seeds, flax, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.<br />
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3) In 2 additions (to allow for better mixing) add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and mix to combine.<br />
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4) Add chocolate chips and raisins.<br />
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5) Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes depending on the size of cookie you desire on a greased baking sheet, or parchment lined baking sheet.<br />
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6) Remove from the oven, allow to cool enough to place in mouth, and ENJOY!<br />
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I HIGHLY recommend these cookies for actual hiking trips as they are packed with a lot of energy and flavour! Any questions or comments please leave below, I'd love to hear from you!<br />
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<br />Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-19890411657387244512013-06-15T14:08:00.002-06:002013-06-18T19:24:37.275-06:00Husband approved meatless meal! Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers with Homemade TzazikiI am so grateful to have a husband who is open to trying new things, even without his favourite meaty portion of the meal.<br />
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This recipe was discovered on <a href="http://www.thefoodiephysician.com/2012/06/dining-with-doc-black-bean-quinoa.html" target="_blank">The Foodie Physician's website</a>, and is one that I will be keeping in my repertoire for years to come.<br />
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I have always been a huge advocate of black beans. Loaded with fibre, folate and protein, these beans are a tasty way to pack nutrition into a meatless dish.<br />
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I have tried several recipes for black bean (veggie) burgers in the past, and this is by far the best (as agreed upon by my husband who is always a good sport for trying out my experimental recipes!)<br />
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Without further ado, the recipe (modified from <a href="http://www.thefoodiephysician.com/2012/06/dining-with-doc-black-bean-quinoa.html" target="_blank">The Foodie Physician</a>).<br />
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<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Black Bean and Quinoa Veggie Burgers</span></u></strong><br />
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<strong>-NOTE: these work best if left for 2+ hours-overnight to "bind" together, although I have eaten successfully within an hour of making, although they did crumble more than if I had let them rest</strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
-1/2 cup cooked Quinoa (this can be done in advance, used freshly cooked, or use leftovers)<br />
-1 tsp olive oil<br />
-1/2 red onion, diced<br />
-3 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
-1/4 tsp salt<br />
-1 can of drained and rinsed black beans<br />
-2 Tbsp tomato paste<br />
-1 large egg<br />
-2/3 cup frozen corn<br />
-1/2 cilantro, chopped (I omitted this as we do not enjoy cilantro)<br />
-1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced (if you like spice, add more--I added 1 large and 2 small for a good amount of heat in the patty)<br />
-2 tsp cumin<br />
-1/2 cup rolled oats (I used Quick Oats)<br />
-1/4 cup of flour (or oat flour, or whole wheat flour etc.)<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
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Heat olive oil in small pan and sauté onions and garlic on medium heat until they are softened and fragrant. Place the mixture in a large bowl and add the drained black beans. Mash the mixture with a fork until it forms a pasty mixture.<br />
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Stir in tomato paste, egg, corn, cilantro, chipotles, cumin, and salt. Then add in the quinoa, oats, and flour until the mixture is well blended. Using your hands, form the mixture into patties (take into consideration the size of your bun). I made 6 <strong>very</strong> healthy sized patties, I probably could have made 8 thinner patties instead. Put the patties on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight being ideal for the flavours to mix and the egg and flour to bind the patty together to reduce crumbling.<br />
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When you're ready to feast, set your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cooking sheet with non-stick spray and cook for 10-14 minutes until the top of the patty becomes brown and crispy. Flip the patties and cook for another 10-12 minutes. (patties can also be pan fried on stove top for 4-6 min per side/hot in the centre)<br />
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Serve on a wholewheat bun with your favourite burger fixings. As these are slightly drier than a meat patty, I HIGHLY suggest serving with tzaziki (recipe below) to moisten the burger and cool down the spicy patty. This is a summertime HIT!<br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Homemade Tzaziki</span></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u></strong><br />
Again, the husband was THRILLED with this dish and ate the leftover tzaziki for a week on chips, veggies etc. and graciously called this the best tzaziki he had ever eaten, restaurant or otherwise.<br />
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This recipe is based off one called <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=809319" target="_blank">Nancy's Easy Tzaziki</a> and it is, truly, easy and delicious to make!<br />
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For this recipe I used my homemade greek yogurt I had prepped earlier in the week (see recipe <a href="http://www.wholesomeabode.com/2013/05/healthy-inexpensive-homemade-yogurt.html" target="_blank">here</a>!) but you could easily use store bought yogurt as well. The key is that it has to be the thick (low fat) greek variety otherwise your tzaziki will be far too runny. You can always strain normal yogurt through a cheesecloth to get it to the thicker greek consistency, but keep in mind you will end up with a smaller amount than you started with.<br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
-2 cups of greek yogurt <br />
-1 large cucumber (or 2 medium)<br />
-1 Tbsp salt<br />
-a pinch of pepper<br />
-2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
-1 tsp vinegar (or you could use white wine vinegar)<br />
-2 Tbsp of lemon juice (fresh or concentrate)<br />
-2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
-2 tsp Dill (fresh or dried--I used dried with great success)<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
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Peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scrape to discard the seeds and softest flesh as this will make your tzaziki far too watery. Dice into small pieces/cubes. At this point, toss your chopped cucumber with the Tablespoon of salt and place in a strainer (I placed mine in a coffee filter in a strainer) over a bowl in the fridge for 1 hour. This step allows the excess fluid in the cucumbers to drain out to, again, decrease the watery-ness of your finished tzaziki. <br />
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After an hour, remove the cucumbers from the fridge and squeeze out as much excess water as possible (I did this between 2 paper towels.) Do it over the sink as you will be surprised at how much water comes out! Pat them dry with paper towel and place in a small bowl. Add to the cucumbers: vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill and pepper. At this point you could also add a touch more salt, although I found it was not required due to the salt retained on the cucumbers (I also am a salt minimalist when I cook, so it was definitely not required by my palate.) Toss the cucumbers and these mixings until the cucumbers are well coated.<br />
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In the bowl/container you wish to store the tzaziki, place your yogurt and mix in the cucumber mixture. Stir well to ensure a good blend of flavours. <br />
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This (DELICIOUS) tzaziki can be served immediately (atop your veggie burgers) or can be stored in the fridge. We found that the longer the tzaziki sat, the more flavourful it became. <br />
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This is one of my new favourite summer meals, and I would love to hear from you if you try it! <br />
<br />Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-52896734409419944562013-06-09T19:43:00.001-06:002013-06-09T19:43:43.192-06:00Non-Toxic Household CleanersI swear to you I live in a house that dirties itself. After a few hours of hard labour to make it look clean, I turn my head and find it in disarray with a layer of dust in no time at all.<br />
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Luckily, my favourite cleaners happen to be 2 household "food" items that are:<br />
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1-Readily available at any supermarket (or probably already in your cupboard)<br />
2-Inexpensive<br />
3-Non toxic<br />
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You may have already guessed their true identities, <strong>Baking Soda</strong> and <strong>Vinegar</strong>.<br />
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I never would have guessed that in my "older" years I would appreciate these 2 ingredients even more than as a child, when we would combine them with a little red food colouring to create volcano experiments during the summer.<br />
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Let me explain to you the many ways in which I use these 2 items to create a non-toxic, clean home!<br />
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1- <strong>The dirty bathtub fix:</strong> My bathtub is GRIME central. My husband and I purchased an older house, inheriting a tub that seemed to hold on to hard water deposits, soap scum and other grime better than any I had ever seen. This usually leaves a gray deposit on the bottom and walls of the tub that is hard to remove (and NOT conducive to taking baths). <strong> Enter: baking soda</strong>. After dampening the bottom of the tub with a little water, I give a healthy sprinkle of baking soda to the grime covered mess, grab an old shower loofah, and start scrubbing. As a bonus you get an excellent arm workout as the gritty particles of baking soda remove that grime from your now clean tub. After rinsing the resulting mess down the drain, I pour vinegar onto the tub and down the drain to help remove any residual scum. A nice "volcanic" eruption may occur here too with the leftover baking soda, which always gives me a giggle. After this, reap the rewards of your hard labour with a nice bath in your newly cleaned, NON-TOXIC tub.<br />
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2- <strong>The dirty glass fix: </strong>I made the very unwise decision of not only buying a GLASS coffee table, but also a GLASS vanity top for my bathroom. Fingerprints EVERYWHERE; not to mention on my bathroom vanity there is a generous layer of mineral makeup powder that despite my best efforts to contain, still manage to coat the surface of my vanity. <strong>Enter: vinegar.</strong> I have tried Windex, I have tried the green alternative to Windex, but I must admit, nothing has ever worked as well for me on my glass items (and mirrors) as vinegar. If you have an empty spray bottle it's excellent to be able to spray a layer of vinegar evenly over a mirror or table, or you could take the lazier route like me and just pour it straight on your lint free cloth and go to town. Again, your biceps come into play here as the vinegar in conjunction with your arm muscles go to work! Work fast to avoid streaks!<br />
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3- <strong>The hard water tea kettle fix: </strong>Perhaps my FAVOURITE use of all, cleaning my water kettle. My grandfather was from London and because of this, we grew up enjoying an after dinner cup of tea when we were young. I still enjoy this habit, but unfortunately live in a city where there is VERY hard water, and as such, my kettle builds up a gross skin-like layer of mineral deposits after a couple months of use. It's never fun to look into your cup of tea, ready to taste that first fragrant sip and see odd chunks floating within...while harmless, it's quite off putting. <strong>Enter: vinegar. </strong> The first time I ever tried this, I was truly stunned with the results. If you've never looked into your boiling water kettle before, I urge you to now. If you see a white-ish, beige layer on the bottom, this fix is for you. All you need to do is pour in enough vinegar to cover the layer of deposits. Turn on your kettle and allow the vinegar to reach a boil. Once the fabulous vinegar steam reaches your senses, pour out the vinegar and behold the SHINIEST kettle bottom you've ever seen. Mind you, definitely rinse out/boil a couple pots of water to rid yourself of the vinegar aftertaste before using, but afterwards you'll have several more months of use before needing to give your kettle a "cleanse" once more.<br />
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I hope these few tips were handy and opened your eyes to the wonderful cleaning power of baking soda and vinegar. There are SO many other uses (like the general deodorizing power of baking soda) but I didn't want to overload you with too much information! I challenge you to start phasing out some of the cleaners that you need to hide away on high shelves or locked cupboards for fear your children may find them and ingest them, and try some of these everyday cleaning cures!<br />
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I'd love to hear if any of these has worked for you, or if you have other uses for baking soda and vinegar (or other non toxic cleaning ideas) in the comments below!<br />
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Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-89925331038747533572013-06-03T19:58:00.000-06:002013-06-03T19:58:15.026-06:00Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins: The Best Thing I Ever Baked. And Healthy???In my spare time I, like most ladies, like to spend a little time on Pinterest. Unfortunately, looking through the pages and pages of fat ladened dips and appetizers, the most decadent desserts, and the calorie packed meals, makes it hard to stick to the healthy diet that I try to enjoy. (ESPECIALLY now that I am 6 months pregnant.)<br />
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HOWEVER, in the pages and pages of Pinterest treats, a gem appeared. These muffins, if made exactly how the website suggests are only around 90 calories per muffin! However some of the changes and substitutions that I made bumped the calories up slightly.<br />
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<strong><u>Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins</u></strong><br />
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For the original recipe and post, please check out <a href="http://dashingdish.com/recipe/triple-chocolate-chunk-muffins/" target="_blank">Dashing Dish</a>, a site full of GREAT, healthy recipes!<br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<u></u><br />
<strong>1 3/4</strong> <strong>cups</strong> Oats (I used "Quick/Instant" Oats with great success)<br />
<strong>3</strong> Egg whites<br />
<strong>3/4 cup</strong> Unsweetened Cocoa<br />
<strong>1/2 cup</strong> Unsweetened Applesauce (I used Organic Unsweetened)<br />
<strong>1 tsp</strong> Vanilla<br />
<strong>1/2 cup</strong> Greek Yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt. I used my homemade Greek yogurt, see recipe <a href="http://www.wholesomeabode.com/2013/05/healthy-inexpensive-homemade-yogurt.html" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
<strong>1/2 tsp</strong> Cream of Tartar (or 2 tsp vinegar) I used vinegar and had success with the muffins, but was instructed by my baker friend to try Cream of Tartar next time to achieve a fluffier muffin for our altitude.<br />
<strong>1 1/2 tsp</strong> Baking Powder<br />
<strong>1 1/2 tsp</strong> Baking Soda<br />
<strong>1/4 tsp</strong> Salt<br />
<strong>1 cup</strong> Hot Water<br />
<strong>1/2 cup</strong> Baking Stevia OR 1 cup of sweetener of choice (I used 1/2 cup Brown Sugar because I didn't have any low calorie sweeteners at my disposal)<br />
<strong>1/2 cup</strong> semi sweet chocolate chips<br />
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<u>Baking Steps:</u><br />
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1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners. <br />
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<span class="num">2- </span>In a food processor, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.</div>
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3- Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.</div>
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4- Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven momentarily (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on the muffin tops.<br />
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<span class="num">5- </span>Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.<br />
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6- Remove the muffins and let them cool to room temperature before removing from the pan.<br />
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ENJOY and feel less guilty and enjoy this chocolatey treat that can nourish your chocolate craving without packing on the calories!<br />
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Note: These also froze well as my husband and I took them in our lunches to work (frozen in the morning, thawed by lunch) for a healthy dessert treat!<br />
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(sorry for the poor picture, it was iPhone or nothing!)</div>
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I'd love to hear from you if you try the recipe, or have other healthy recipes to share!</div>
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Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-57418560820708426822013-05-29T14:10:00.000-06:002013-05-29T14:12:00.808-06:00Healthy, Inexpensive Homemade YogurtThere seem to be chemicals and "unedibles" in almost everything we eat nowadays. Pick up any package for any food at your supermarket and it will be full of names you can't pronounce and need to google. Short of buying a farm and really MAKING everything for yourself, it's hard to avoid allowing some of these items into your diet. Luckily, there ARE some things you can make easily at home, without all the chemicals (and <b>BONUS:</b> for half the price).<br />
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Everyday at work I take a 2% Greek yogurt. A 4-pack of this yogurt sells for over $4 at my local store; while I know that's a ridiculous price to pay, I ALWAYS look forward to eating that creamy, tart yogurt at lunch. Also, the health benefits of yogurt are proven: increasing calcium intake for stronger teeth and bones, increasing the "healthy" bacteria in your gut (typically Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in "active culture" yogurts), and a low caloric but high protein snack to help fill your belly in a healthy way. All in all, yogurt is a winner!
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<br />
Tired of paying the ridiculous fee at the grocery store, and not knowing EXACTLY what was in one of my favourite snacks, I set out to solve my problem...the answer was just a google away...HOMEMADE YOGURT!
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The process seemed daunting at the time, until I stumbled onto a <a href="http://kitchensimplicity.com/easy-homemade-yogurt/" target="_blank">Kitchen Simplicity</a> post about how to make homemade yogurt. With only 2 ingredients and a thorough description of what to do, how could I not try it!<br />
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Below I have included my photo documentary of the process. My advice? TRY IT!<br />
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<u><strong></strong></u><br />
<u><strong>What you need:</strong></u><br />
-2 L (quarts) of whatever milk you prefer. Personally, we drink 1% at home so that's what I used.<br />
-2 tsps of any yogurt with "active bacterial culture" listed as an ingredient. I used Oikos Key Lime which I conveniently already had in the fridge. (it is my VICE!)<br />
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For the full "recipe" and instructions, visit <a href="http://kitchensimplicity.com/easy-homemade-yogurt/" target="_blank">Kitchen Simplicity</a> but below is my quick step by step procedure!<br />
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1. Pour 2L milk into a medium sized pot and heat to 175-180 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir often so it doesn't burn.<br />
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2. After reaching this temperature, allow milk to cool to 100-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir, but less frequently.</div>
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3. Add 2 teaspoons of yogurt with active bacterial culture and whisk the mixture together.<br />
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4. Place the milk/yogurt mixture into a glass bowl or casserole dish with a lid, and wrap with kitchen towels. I used 2 kitchen towels and taped them securely with masking tape so they were securely nested around the dish. Starting in a cold oven, turn on the heat for ONE minute and turn off promptly. This will slightly warm the air in the oven but not enough to heat the yogurt mixture. At this point you are only trying to maintain the temperature of the milk/yogurt so the bacteria can incubate and replicate, you are not heating it any longer. Leave in the oven for 8-12 hours to incubate. It works well to leave the oven light on to provide just the smallest amount of warmth to maintain the temperature. I left mine overnight in the oven while I slept.</div>
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5. After 8-12 hours, open the dish up to find your lumpy, tangy product. There will be a watery fluid on top (whey) that you can either mix in for a thinner, more tangy yogurt, or you can strain out to create a thicker, "Greek" yogurt.<br />
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I strained mine through a cheesecloth to get the thicker consistency. After straining, mix the lumpy mixture into a smooth consistency and there you have it! Homemade yogurt! Remember this is unsweetened, and unflavoured and has a nice tangy quality to it. Mix in honey or your favourite berries or syrup for a tasty, TASTY treat and know that you created it, and know exactly the ingredients you are putting into your body. <br />
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Enjoy!!!<br />
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I'd love to hear from you below if you have tried this, or another method of making homemade yogurt. Any other tips, tricks, or comments are read with joy!<br />
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<a href="//pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholesomeabode.com%2F2013%2F05%2Fhealthy-inexpensive-homemade-yogurt.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3IHr7ccM7o0%2FUaZcMs4e2LI%2FAAAAAAAAAKw%2Fow0UIdcImEA%2Fs640%2FP1020539.JPG&description=Next%20stop%3A%20Pinterest" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-32045669391315730832013-05-27T19:15:00.002-06:002013-05-27T19:17:42.388-06:00Sweet Treat for the One You Love!I've been trying to stay pretty chill about being pregnant (mostly for my sanity and my husband's sake) but every once and again I get a little weepy, emotional, or extra needy. My husband had taken it all in stride and had embraced my new mental state, being extra loving, patient and affectionate on my tough days. We're living on a budget right now, saving for the baby WHILE completing endless renovations, but I did want to leave him a little surprise to let him know how much I appreciate him. Conveniently this Pinterest inspired surprise was based around his favorite candy--peanut butter flavoured anything!
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<strong><u>What you'll need</u></strong>:
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-a small jar (I used a magnetic spice jar with a clear lid ($2.99) but you could easily use a small mason jar or equivalent
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-a permanent marker like a Sharpie or a paint pen
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-Reese's Pieces
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All you need to do is write a note on the jar (in my case I used the clear lid of the spice jar) containing the phrase "I love you to pieces" or a similar line. Then, fill your jar with Reese's Pieces and leave on a space where your significant other will find it. Since mine was a magnetic spice jar I stuck it to the front of the fridge where I know he'll head after work.
Marriage doesn't have to be full of extravagant gifts and gestures, but the smallest of ideas can spread a lot of love!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2omZy7wDWUar19fLtHpmrlsebaCVqH0GWkWbahFGsfZmzh5br7fp3XZSadnG_NNGLbtcQehpm7Dgg-LDVIC5FIYUwiPNqtGzCWk2NQ2hP3ewpj8D78xovMinu-QPJbrS8r1z4UtOkjI/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2omZy7wDWUar19fLtHpmrlsebaCVqH0GWkWbahFGsfZmzh5br7fp3XZSadnG_NNGLbtcQehpm7Dgg-LDVIC5FIYUwiPNqtGzCWk2NQ2hP3ewpj8D78xovMinu-QPJbrS8r1z4UtOkjI/s320/photo+(4).JPG" /></a></div>
<a href="//pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholesomeabode.com%2F2013%2F05%2Fsweet-treat-for-one-you-love.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-H8rJQXSLt94%2FUaQEjXMWWGI%2FAAAAAAAAAI4%2Fubzxe_eEwYc%2Fs1600%2Fphoto%2B(4).JPG&description=Sweet%20Treat%20for%20the%20One%20you%20Love!" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-27103641860725009662013-05-11T21:51:00.000-06:002013-05-11T21:54:46.366-06:00Safe, Non-toxic Coloured Play Dough!I came across this idea in the local community newspaper, and wanted to ensure I remembered it for when my own kids are old enough to want to play with play dough. Instead of spending your hard earned cash on that smelly, neon play dough, this is a homemade, toxin free recipe that will be sure to get your kids sculpting and creating in no time!<br />
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<strong><u>Recipe for Uncoloured Dough:</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
Mix together:<br />
3 cups white flour<br />
1/2 cup table salt<br />
2 teaspoons cream of tartar<br />
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Boil 2 cups of water. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and stir.***<br />
***(eliminate this step if adding any of the homemade colour recipes found below)<br />
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Pour water/oil (or homemade colour mixture) into dry ingredients.<br />
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Mix with a spoon and add more flour as required for kneading (most likely ~1 more cup). Knead until smooth with the consistency of bread dough.<br />
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This play dough can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.<br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: red;">H</span><span style="color: #38761d;">o</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">m</span><span style="color: #a64d79;">e</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">m</span><span style="color: #bf9000;">a</span><span style="color: #990000;">d</span><span style="color: #351c75;">e</span> <span style="color: #38761d;">C</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">o</span><span style="color: yellow;">l</span><span style="color: magenta;">o</span><span style="color: lime;">u</span><span style="color: #0c343d;">r</span> <span style="color: #cc0000;">M</span><span style="color: #a64d79;">i</span><span style="color: #7f6000;">x</span><span style="color: #274e13;">t</span><span style="color: #e69138;">u</span><span style="color: #0c343d;">r</span><span style="color: #e06666;">e</span><span style="color: purple;">s</span></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="color: purple;"></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">For these mixtures, substitute them in the above recipe in place of the water/oil mixture.</span><br />
<strong><u><span style="color: purple;"></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Green--</span><span style="color: #38761d;">Spinach </span><span style="color: black;">Boil 2 1/2 cups of water. Add two handfuls of spinach and simmer 15 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and puree. Add the puree to dry ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">--Liquid Chlorophyll </span><span style="color: black;">Boil 2 cups of water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of liquid chlorophyll. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and add to dry ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">Yellow--Turmeric Powder </span><span style="color: black;">Boil 2 cups of water. Add 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric powder, stir, and strain if desired. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and stir. Add to dry ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Orange--100% Carrot Juice </span><span style="color: black;">Bring 2 cups of carrot juice to a slow rolling boil. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and stir. Add to dry ingredients. (can also use boiled carrot puree in place of juice)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Red/Pink--Red Cabbage </span><span style="color: black;">Boil 3 cups of water. Add 1/2 a cabbage, diced. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and add to dry ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"> --Red Beets </span><span style="color: black;">Boil 2 1/2 cups of water. Add 1 large diced beet. Simmer for 15 minutes and strain. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and stir, then add to dry ingredients. (Red beet powder can be used as well)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Baking Soda Blue--</span><span style="color: black;">Boil 3 cups of water and add 1/2 a cabbage, diced. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and stir. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and add to dry ingredients.</span><br />
**note: I have no idea how this creates a blue colour, but if anyone tries it, please let me know!**<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Brown--Cocoa</span><span style="color: black;"> Boil 2 cups of water. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa and stir. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, stir, and add to dry ingredients.</span><br />
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Feel free to mix and match, and experiment with other naturally coloured items in your house! This non-toxic, colourful, kid-friendly recipe should be a staple for any mom wanting <br />
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I would love to hear from you below, or if you try this, or have tried it, leave some feedback or other colour options you've discovered! Happy sculpting!<br />
<a href="//pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholesomeabode.com%2F2013%2F05%2Fsafe-non-toxic-coloured-play-dough.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-bVGkNEghDnw%2FUY8RbRwgzQI%2FAAAAAAAAAIk%2Fx7XK9JNM_UQ%2Fs1600%2Ffreeimage-9278480-high.jpg&description=Create%20homemade%20coloured%20non-toxic%20play%20dough%20at%20home%20from%20kitchen%20ingredients!" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>
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<span style="color: black;"></span><br />Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-50261400661088138472013-05-05T16:34:00.001-06:002013-05-05T16:34:42.066-06:00Welcome Back!Hello my friends, and thanks for coming back!<br />
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I realise I have left you for far too long but as I'm sure we all know, life can get crazy in a hurry! My apologies for not posting in over a year, however I'm hoping to change that!<br />
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The website will be taking a minor turn in content to one of a more broad category as my life mirrors this change by taking a new turn itself. My husband and I have recently found out we are going to be welcoming a baby boy in September 2013 after almost 2 years of trying to have a baby and enduring the painful ups and downs of that process.<br />
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Because of this, some of the blog content/reviews etc. will likely be more "mom" and "baby" oriented, however I still hope to post my favourite recipes, eco products, gardening, and composting experiences! I am SO VERY excited to take this journey, and I hope you will come along!<br />
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With all the new changes in my life (and changes to come), I would love to connect with some other moms/moms to-be, or blogs that you all like, so please feel free to post in the comments below, or email me using the "Contact" form above!<br />
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Thanks for your patience over the last year's silence!<br />
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--AmyWholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-88790892424571798082013-04-23T22:23:00.000-06:002013-05-05T15:53:57.071-06:00Spring Tea Party FavoursThere's nothing like hosting a themed party with some of your closest lady friends. Especially in the springtime, it's fun to get together and see what the girls have been up to over a long hard winter.
One of many popular themes these days for a party is a "High Tea" theme. In fact, I have been to 2 of these bridal showers in the last 3 months. For these parties it's a chance to put on your finest dress, your dainty gloves, and fascinator and channel your inner Royal as you sip tea, munch scones and catch up on the most recent gossip.<br />
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I was recently given the task of providing favours/prizes for a High Tea party themed bridal shower and decided to create a "Tea Party in a Jar". A simple idea, it was created with mostly things I already had in the house! See below for all the ladylike details!<br />
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<strong><u>Materials</u></strong>:
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-Mason jar of whatever size you like or have
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-Fabric (preferably with a cute pattern)
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-Twine<br />
-Stiff cardboard for gift tags
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-Assorted gift items to place inside
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For the gift items within my jars I kept it very simple, small, and related to the theme (Tea Party!). I printed out a recipe for Tea Scones which I placed in the jar, as well as a variety of tea bags of differing flavours, and some small, delectable chocolate truffles.<br />
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After filling your jars with all the ladylike details, simply close up the mason jar and secure circles of fabric over each lid with twine. I hand printed little tags that say "Tea Party in a Jar" on one side, and the name of the bride and groom and "2013" on the other side. Simply slip the cute tags onto the twine and secure, and then you're done! The great thing about this prize is that it cute, customizable depending on the personality of the bride, and relatively inexpensive to create. In total I think each "Tea Party in a Jar" cost about $2.50 to make (although I DID already have many of the components already at home).<br />
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Hope this helps you think of some fun ideas for a Tea Party of your own. As always, love to hear from you below!<br />
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<a data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholesomeabode.com%2F2013%2F04%2Fspring-tea-party-favours.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-YJRP4Mmn0OE%2FUXdc1ZfdTUI%2FAAAAAAAAAH8%2F4bKc_fbauzo%2Fs1600%2Fphoto%2B(3).JPG&description=Tea%20Party%20in%20a%20jar%3A%20%20High%20Tea%20Bridal%20Party%20Favour!"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-38859489368740554852011-08-21T16:30:00.000-06:002011-08-21T16:30:01.490-06:00Snack Taxi Giveaway Winner!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiXSb5fTR62xXxFeXL7koOCEUXVf3CPHrzPLzx3fI76rVi3zfisTMRidkIzawoxlYxd0FyrCFqXURBmCsyY8QSC6ZemT6-R54eWEo8bSkB8_AZOZXjgjRjnhsig-p0q0wJxtEPlIa2Fs/s1600/winner2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiXSb5fTR62xXxFeXL7koOCEUXVf3CPHrzPLzx3fI76rVi3zfisTMRidkIzawoxlYxd0FyrCFqXURBmCsyY8QSC6ZemT6-R54eWEo8bSkB8_AZOZXjgjRjnhsig-p0q0wJxtEPlIa2Fs/s1600/winner2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhu49ANAFxrHBJ_2uLuwiLwI-Paq4ltukceP9CagiriMTLefl8HMg5XhaGgeU9kQoRiqbme6UXMs8ux0VU2dWbMnjCKTobHpkD9au-z_m2vJM9E2BwMPpkAhDL0UrrWglI9vsxtrCH_LQ/s1600/winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhu49ANAFxrHBJ_2uLuwiLwI-Paq4ltukceP9CagiriMTLefl8HMg5XhaGgeU9kQoRiqbme6UXMs8ux0VU2dWbMnjCKTobHpkD9au-z_m2vJM9E2BwMPpkAhDL0UrrWglI9vsxtrCH_LQ/s1600/winner.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congratulations Diane! Look for an email shortly!</div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-28652564958464891742011-08-02T22:21:00.000-06:002013-04-23T21:06:06.344-06:00Kale Chips for One and All!Oh my heart, I am in LOVE! I have found a new favourite healthy snack. This tasty treat is homemade with 3-5 ingredients and takes a total of 10 minutes to make, from prep to mouth. I perused many recipes on the internet and came up with a version of my own. Below is a photo documentary of how these delicious, tasty treats came to be. I hope you try it at home and enjoy them as much as I did!<br />
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<u><b>The Journey to a Perfect Kale Chip</b></u></div>
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Kale is a green leafy vegetable that is high in calcium, manganese, potassium, folate, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. Pretty much, it is a WONDERFUL veggie to have in your life. While some of us may love to work the greens into our meals, some of us have to fight to sneak them into our own diet, or that of our families. Kale chips are an excellent way to introduce your palate to kale and also an excellent snack to substitute for popcorn, potato chips, or other salty snacks you crave while watching your favourite sitcom.</div>
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For kale chips, you want to try and use the "curly", "wavy" like variety shown above. I purchased this bundle at my local farmers market. For a large serving for 2-4 people, I would use the whole head of kale (probably approximately 10 leaves)</div>
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Remove the stalk of the kale and discard (COMPOST!!!) it.</div>
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Remove the centre "vein" from the each leaf.</div>
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Cut the kale leaf into bite sized pieces. Something to note about kale chips is that they are very delicate, so once you bite them they will shatter. This is why you want to cut them into a size that you can comfortably fit into your mouth in one tasty, tasty, bite.</div>
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Wash the bite sized pieces in a salad spinner and spin dry so there is no excess water hanging about.</div>
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.</div>
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I added simply one tablespoon of olive oil to my bowl full of dried bite sized pieces, and mixed with a spoon until I could see that all the leaves were coated lightly and evenly with the olive oil.</div>
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Every recipe you see for kale chips will season with something different. I found mine to be extremely tasty by seasoning with garlic powder, a touch of salt, and a Cajun spice mix. Be careful when seasoning to not add so much that it coats the kale. You want to accomplish a nice dusting of flavour without it overwhelming the natural flavour of the leaf! </div>
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Lay the kale on a cookie pan covered in parchment paper without overlapping the leaves. Don't worry if they curl over and won't lay flat. Pop them in the oven and<span style="color: red;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">STAY NEARBY</span>. </b>I baked my first batch for approximately<b> 6 min</b>, but depending on the oven it could be faster or slower. What you want to achieve is for the kale to be green with the <b>slightest</b> tinge of browning on the curled edges. If you let them get any more browned than this, they will taste burnt. </div>
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Remove them from the oven.</div>
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Enjoy this tasty, amazingly delicious, inexpensive and healthy treat!</div>
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Let me know if you try this out, and if you feel as passionate about this snack as I do!</div>
<a href="//pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholesomeabode.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fkale-chips-for-one-and-all.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-sv1WoAID44g%2FTjjFdsQrz4I%2FAAAAAAAAAHY%2Fx9U5ps_6Nas%2Fs1600%2FP1010877.JPG&description=Kale%20chips!" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-7666042771394600702011-07-25T17:16:00.003-06:002011-08-08T23:58:55.936-06:00Snack Taxi Reusable Bag Giveaway! **CLOSED**In the United States, over 20 million plastic sandwich/lunch bags make it to the landfill EVERYDAY. Such a huge amount of waste is created by something so small, which is why Erin Kelly-Dill started <a href="http://www.snacktaxi.com/">SnackTaxi</a> in 2003. With 3 kids of her own, Erin wanted to decrease the amount of lunch waste her family created each day by making reusable sandwich and snack bags.<br />
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All the materials used in SnackTaxi products are lead, phthalate and BPA free, and can be hand washed or machine washed and then air dried. All SnackTaxi products are made by local sewers, in Massachusetts, USA.<br />
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At $6.95 (USD) for a <a href="http://www.snacktaxi.com/snack-sacks.html">snack sack </a>and $8.95 for a <a href="http://www.snacktaxi.com/sandwich-sacks.html">sandwich sack</a> , these cute, fun, reusable bags are a total steal!<br />
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SnackTaxi was kind enough to send me a sandwich sack, and a snack sack to try out!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XzCv5R0uLvR4owO4e4LyGqkO2zTLiEB5wszi5OXkiUKrfhZwAwaObrfXPchXEB65NtlteV7YRCCsNG_QfcF2vtTUvR33Q6gS1ki8qcSfDlT0PFJdjHO-wLuWQ3OYaT0GLQg0qP78U_A/s1600/P1010715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XzCv5R0uLvR4owO4e4LyGqkO2zTLiEB5wszi5OXkiUKrfhZwAwaObrfXPchXEB65NtlteV7YRCCsNG_QfcF2vtTUvR33Q6gS1ki8qcSfDlT0PFJdjHO-wLuWQ3OYaT0GLQg0qP78U_A/s640/P1010715.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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These SUPER cute prints had all my coworkers talking, and even my husband asking if there were more "manly" prints available. The bags are made out of 100% cotton (they will be releasing organic cotton versions shortly) with the inner being made of polyurethane lined nylon. The inside of these sacks are spill and stain resistant (I am a mustard ADDICT and generally have mustard spilling out the sides of my sandwich) which means any stains or spills, etc. stay contained, and clean up easily! I hand washed my sacks with my after dinner dishes (no dishwasher but me in this house!) and found they easily air dried by the next morning for next use.<br />
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The long strips of Velcro create many options for pocket size, which ensures a good fit no matter what size of sandwich or snack you put in the sack. With the food tucked securely away in the sacks, I was able to pop the reusable bags into my lunchbag and head to work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYWBTeT_vklaDzHJnUSjsl_EPduJGRFtS11nmPW6VDWClXYOCoS4qeD6Al18cVb0c9d7exgfeSvw8ZIcCn8HAUEVcvevjATJO3-W7xqbFOqr3BRXio4t6rhnGDrEgJmHRcF-NyCgBsgA/s1600/P1010740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYWBTeT_vklaDzHJnUSjsl_EPduJGRFtS11nmPW6VDWClXYOCoS4qeD6Al18cVb0c9d7exgfeSvw8ZIcCn8HAUEVcvevjATJO3-W7xqbFOqr3BRXio4t6rhnGDrEgJmHRcF-NyCgBsgA/s640/P1010740.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">SnackTaxi is offering one lucky reader a snack sack and sandwich sack duo!</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">*Please read the rules and regulations of this site’s giveaway policies <a href="http://www.wholesomeabode.com/p/policies-disclosures.html">here</a> before entering!*<br />
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This giveaway is open from July 25 to August 8, 2011.<br />
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This giveaway is open to <b><span style="color: red;"><u>THE USA & CANADA</u> </span></b>only.<br />
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<b>PLEASE ensure you have a valid <u>email address</u> entered on <span style="color: red;">EACH</span> comment.</b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><u>To enter:</u></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">MANDATORY ENTRY:</span></b> visit <a href="http://snacktaxi.com/">SnackTAXI.com</a> and mention one product or fabric you like.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<u>Extra entries</u><br />
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-<a href="http://www.facebook.com/WholesomeAbode">“Like”</a> Wholesome Abode on Facebook<br />
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-<a href="http://www.facebook.com/snackTAXI">“Like"</a> SnackTAXI on Facebook<br />
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-Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/WholesomeAbode">@wholesomeabode</a> on Twitter<br />
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-Become a GFC follower of this blog <br />
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-Tweet this contest and tag @wholesomeabode (max. 1 tweet per day). Leave the permalink in the comments section. (1 entry each tweet) You can use the following tweet:<br />
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<i>Win a set of reusable sandwich/snack bags by SnackTAXI from @WholesomeAbode </i><br />
<i>http://bit.ly/nEiryJ (ends 8/Aug) #eco #green #giveaway</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<b></b><span style="font-size: 13px;"><b></b></span>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-44632661069370409212011-07-13T16:51:00.000-06:002011-07-13T16:51:09.847-06:00Wordless Wednesday! Well, not so wordless....Hello my friends, so sorry for the long silence! Summer has finally fallen in my northern land, and up here we get pretty crazy about spending as much time away from TV, computers, etc. during these long summer nights. Hopefully you are all experiencing a wonderful summer thus far as well.<br />
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For the photo portion of "Wordless Wednesday" I thought I would tell you a little tale.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">While driving through this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BsDWwPedorfYdoO3xvlBQl51dh33qfYRFpQZLSqIvVdMe8ii2Pp82PNLM27zb3XbEeGffNyR-2mne0WQJIxcvm-gIXpV1QeRnHvFkpl7YTm2NupQTUUr2Q8joKlzvzMH0gyjw5KFHGU/s1600/P1010771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BsDWwPedorfYdoO3xvlBQl51dh33qfYRFpQZLSqIvVdMe8ii2Pp82PNLM27zb3XbEeGffNyR-2mne0WQJIxcvm-gIXpV1QeRnHvFkpl7YTm2NupQTUUr2Q8joKlzvzMH0gyjw5KFHGU/s640/P1010771.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">We came across:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2jKVyXZzhTajb584A-VuS7NEO2Z5_OuYsziBUSPSp_Oju1WxaP9CmPdPFB3Po-giVia_f4EWbSM7HxrVVtP5tnymlZ4oMFr5hd1qI4dd6oOpk0oqqgMoZZlW5IdAJyLjbUMky2A8jew/s1600/P1010772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2jKVyXZzhTajb584A-VuS7NEO2Z5_OuYsziBUSPSp_Oju1WxaP9CmPdPFB3Po-giVia_f4EWbSM7HxrVVtP5tnymlZ4oMFr5hd1qI4dd6oOpk0oqqgMoZZlW5IdAJyLjbUMky2A8jew/s640/P1010772.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(momma bear AND 2 cubs--harder to see)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">I arrived home to work in the garden, and to my dismay, discovered that this is what happens when you neglect your garden and it rains more than ususal....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJGN3k-zRBWRZ6cK1FjEx8yUXmk70CscNCcHcPi5L1jBMW-RcPB9svC-WfEbqv8obmZNR5xuJ03Ne1NtOVQuYbH_5S1t96lKvITZrNUKpcJKRdD5QThfludANodnPYijHXv9eJfi2ReQ/s1600/P1010780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJGN3k-zRBWRZ6cK1FjEx8yUXmk70CscNCcHcPi5L1jBMW-RcPB9svC-WfEbqv8obmZNR5xuJ03Ne1NtOVQuYbH_5S1t96lKvITZrNUKpcJKRdD5QThfludANodnPYijHXv9eJfi2ReQ/s640/P1010780.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(by the way, what type of weed IS this....it is EVERYWHERE, I cannot pull it fast enough!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">But not all hope is lost, there are still some jewels hidden among the wild growth:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTn1HQ6z86EvyOomckIXQBKKX2MZ5_SbMBZxIv7BjlNTzvm-XJsq1QJep1zUrai8tZSBPvQMZx8X14rioBmVKcJdMMo5PWZRjAqWUITnHSOFuIaWA-xdfdfNIVIpz2hvtWBAf6OGEAK2k/s1600/P1010781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTn1HQ6z86EvyOomckIXQBKKX2MZ5_SbMBZxIv7BjlNTzvm-XJsq1QJep1zUrai8tZSBPvQMZx8X14rioBmVKcJdMMo5PWZRjAqWUITnHSOFuIaWA-xdfdfNIVIpz2hvtWBAf6OGEAK2k/s640/P1010781.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-86754584774938106892011-06-28T16:55:00.000-06:002011-06-28T16:55:23.024-06:00Raw Gaia Winner<div style="text-align: center;">The winner of the Raw Gaia Green Clay Face Mask is:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Congratulations Kristin! Look for an email shortly, and enjoy!</div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-89677041111383545492011-06-23T17:05:00.000-06:002013-04-23T21:08:54.794-06:00Sprouting: Let Them Eat Sprouts!Think of how many nutrients an expectant mother needs to be growing that little bundle inside of her. Plant seeds are similar in that when they germinate, they have a different nutritional makeup compared to when they are an inert seed, and also different from when they are a full fledged plant. It is for this nutrition that people have embraced sprouting. Eating sprouted seeds has a LIST of great health benefits varying from having increased antioxidants (which help bind up free radicals in your body), increased vitamin content (the amount can increase up to 20 times the amount before being sprouted), all in a format that is easier for the body to utilize because it is in a living format. <a href="http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-sprout-information/so-good-sprouts.html">This site</a> is such an AMAZING source of information about sprouts, I was fascinated!<br />
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What is sprouting? It's taking seeds and causing them to germinate. This can take anywhere from 3-6 days depending on the type of seed, and you would be AMAZED to see how many different types of seeds can be sprouted and enjoyed. Sprouting is GREAT for anyone who is vegan, vegetarian, raw, or just anyone who wants to include more nutrient packed greens into their diet. Did I mention you can do it at home for pennies a "crop"? Read on!<br />
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I was wandering up and down the aisles of my local eco-focused store (<a href="http://www.earthsgeneralstore.ca/">Earth's General Store</a>, for all those in the Edmonton Area) when I came upon a section devoted to sprouting. I passed by it quickly and moved on, but the seed of interest had been planted. As I continued around the store I found myself being more and more intrigued about sprouting, and what it was all about, so I ventured back to the sprouting section. Here, my new experiment was born.<br />
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The process of sprouting is quite simple:<br />
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<b>1.</b> Take 2 tbsp of seeds (this amount varies depending on the type of seed you are using) and soak in about 1 cup of water for 2-6 hours, and then drain.<br />
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<b>2. </b>Leave the jar in a bowl at a 45 degree angle with the lid facing down to continue to drain the seeds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BUPyfRi9z3L87JgeN3fkYcPNk14UCOrRvZMFBZzgQ02XSHdv7_9QdMDxnPTt_MMI78OxW5lWtrUbxpUyI8vak8M5-RpVLOrNAvWoYO84dHO8m3pPCHRV_uimO0XRVk1-veiUoswqaVI/s1600/P1010746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BUPyfRi9z3L87JgeN3fkYcPNk14UCOrRvZMFBZzgQ02XSHdv7_9QdMDxnPTt_MMI78OxW5lWtrUbxpUyI8vak8M5-RpVLOrNAvWoYO84dHO8m3pPCHRV_uimO0XRVk1-veiUoswqaVI/s640/P1010746.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b>3. </b>Every day, fill the jar (about halfway) with water, swirl, and then drain. Do this 2-3 times, always inverting the jar at 45 degrees afterwards.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCfL9qAOuVNoGs1pOvEM1C1-5z7LUjNCKG0EuCnDCKsuFmS4zq21baIbWkScqhuyBCtBz3qYZoA7lrAAWm9MTeVLRTyRu4fM_KFwwF6QvD_50c_wJ8gpheaKK_4Tr8KWckMwG_toERgg/s1600/P1010748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCfL9qAOuVNoGs1pOvEM1C1-5z7LUjNCKG0EuCnDCKsuFmS4zq21baIbWkScqhuyBCtBz3qYZoA7lrAAWm9MTeVLRTyRu4fM_KFwwF6QvD_50c_wJ8gpheaKK_4Tr8KWckMwG_toERgg/s640/P1010748.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOF4d2zMM70yKUMtMz7XuXOXkM6H32vXRfDyoGobGKn8vKN72gW4qz6JaLF7yJ45UubRrpjoymaI0rz-MGW4Uc7zcePSObyRcEHEgb28rdeICi7pGXrrkP2sJB_imYTtx47Dnz2LgwoSU/s1600/P1010759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOF4d2zMM70yKUMtMz7XuXOXkM6H32vXRfDyoGobGKn8vKN72gW4qz6JaLF7yJ45UubRrpjoymaI0rz-MGW4Uc7zcePSObyRcEHEgb28rdeICi7pGXrrkP2sJB_imYTtx47Dnz2LgwoSU/s640/P1010759.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<b>4. </b>Watch your seeds germinate and sprout! Depending on the seed, you may or may not need to subject them to sun. Personally I just left the jar on my kitchen counter, and 4 days later, I had myself a jar full of sprouts!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvX2ykTlSYhTUu2a8cOf4rkGoZHLF83KSPM0b23QXkTzVRUzRLsqWHWO2yMWoHPZOSOw6qNRGV_Ne1if_Q3WCnueRSj7QRNCaeII3R7-eSbWPhNg2zN9ys2JWeS3O4YFQD_lr5DASx2w/s1600/P1010752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvX2ykTlSYhTUu2a8cOf4rkGoZHLF83KSPM0b23QXkTzVRUzRLsqWHWO2yMWoHPZOSOw6qNRGV_Ne1if_Q3WCnueRSj7QRNCaeII3R7-eSbWPhNg2zN9ys2JWeS3O4YFQD_lr5DASx2w/s640/P1010752.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b>5. </b>Once your sprouts are a good size, remove them from the jar and give them a good pat down with a cloth or paper towel to remove and residual moisture. You can then use them immediately, or store them in the fridge! Just keep your eyes peeled for any sliminess or rot, because then it's time to toss them in your compost and start again!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fnNwo40iVQDw0IJl-1-MrRRiX3LlK9LkwIN42uI4bbvMlzF7tmXVsgG4Cmuy9hZIXZeVYl71xpdHxLDunXSCq4nTtszYK8yC4fsaqCXzBVALgj7x__Ftxx4xUWi1tJiM6Flbph4YKtQ/s1600/P1010757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fnNwo40iVQDw0IJl-1-MrRRiX3LlK9LkwIN42uI4bbvMlzF7tmXVsgG4Cmuy9hZIXZeVYl71xpdHxLDunXSCq4nTtszYK8yC4fsaqCXzBVALgj7x__Ftxx4xUWi1tJiM6Flbph4YKtQ/s640/P1010757.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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So far in 1 week I've had 2 "crops" of sprouts which have made their way into salad, sandwiches, and once I just took a bag on a walk with me to munch on. I am in LOVE! I hope this opens your eyes to the world of sprouting, and I REALLY hope you give it a try, I would LOVE to hear from you below!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fnNwo40iVQDw0IJl-1-MrRRiX3LlK9LkwIN42uI4bbvMlzF7tmXVsgG4Cmuy9hZIXZeVYl71xpdHxLDunXSCq4nTtszYK8yC4fsaqCXzBVALgj7x__Ftxx4xUWi1tJiM6Flbph4YKtQ/s1600/P1010757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
<a href="//pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholesomeabode.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fsprouting-let-them-eat-sprouts.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XIajGGhjlfA%2FTgKNhLo6juI%2FAAAAAAAAAGU%2FM1NbHhR9PTo%2Fs640%2FP1010759.JPG&description=Let%20them%20eat%20Sprouts!" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-47098289161608587872011-06-22T18:51:00.000-06:002011-06-22T18:51:31.030-06:00Wordless Wednesday! --Life as a Sprout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPasbiIeVn0NxRAWPbEGJMnBoQJYYuidGYW1Bhxqgfftv9W-z8FBs9f3HJ4tnWMd_5cIhEOYbhUxibcUSo1zd5qWIaSSL-ZYizQWI__x0WSWEhWln9jx1FFTtaZKPWckRU892XolPR4Q/s1600/P1010762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPasbiIeVn0NxRAWPbEGJMnBoQJYYuidGYW1Bhxqgfftv9W-z8FBs9f3HJ4tnWMd_5cIhEOYbhUxibcUSo1zd5qWIaSSL-ZYizQWI__x0WSWEhWln9jx1FFTtaZKPWckRU892XolPR4Q/s640/P1010762.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-57172181862860741122011-06-16T22:03:00.000-06:002011-06-16T22:03:45.913-06:00Compost Standstill: What to do?I am a student of compost. A student who last week was failing the class. It didn't matter that I LOVED this class, I was just missing something.<br />
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As I previously wrote about <a href="http://www.wholesomeabode.com/2011/06/compost-junkie.html">here</a>, I love to compost. However, last week my compost was at a standstill. From the information I have read, and class I attended, compost should be a nice, moist, warm pile of action. When I opened my composter, however, all that greeted me was a dried up pile...picture, if you will, a mouth full of soda crackers. THAT dry. If you are having a similar problem with your compost, let's break down what the issues could be:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>1) Your compost is too dry causing microorganism activity to halt.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Solution:</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">-Add water to your compost (without soaking) and mix your pile to help the water permeate the layers.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">- Your compost may be in too much sunlight, causing it to dry out too quickly. Move it into the a slightly more shady area </span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-Soak your browns (carbons) before adding them to your pile to increase the moisture content</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-Cover ventilation holes to decrease excessive airflow</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"><b>2) You are adding to many browns (carbons)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Solution:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">-it's easy to add to many browns because at certain times of the year (Autumn) they are most readily available. Just remember that when you add browns, you need to be adding approximately the same amount of greens. So to counteract too many browns...add more greens! Grab some grass clippings, apple peels, or past due veggies, and toss 'em on in!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span><b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">These are just a couple of ideas on changes to try to get your compost moving again. Since I started writing this post last week and trying some of these options, my compost has made quite a recovery! If you have any questions on trouble with your compost, post 'em below and we'll try brainstorm some ideas for you!</span></span><b><span style="color: blue;"> </span> </b></span></div></div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-32365268660345414042011-06-09T20:18:00.004-06:002011-06-26T14:58:29.754-06:00Raw Gaia Skin Care Giveaway **CLOSED**<div class="MsoNormal">Raw Gaia is an exciting, inspiring company. Hailing from the UK, Raw Gaia is the world’s first line of cold-pressed, living, 100% organic, vegan, cruelty and chemical-free skin care products. This sounds like a mouthful, and really, breaks down into Raw Gaia being a company you need to look into. Let’s break down what they’re all about.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Raw Gaia uses cold-pressed, raw, living ingredients. What this means is that their products are created using a process that avoids surpassing temperatures of 40⁰C; antioxidants, proteins, vitamins, minerals etc. are influenced at high temperatures and lose many of the benefits that they provide, which is why Raw Gaia’s production is key to the benefits of their products. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Raw Gaia’s products do not include any petrochemicals, artificial fragrances, colours, glycols, laurel sulphates, parabens, preservatives, bulking agents, or synthetic additives. Essentially, what you read on the ingredients is what you get in the product. And because the products are made fresh without preservatives, everything is marked with a unique expiry date for that product. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Raw Gaia’s products are certified by the Vegan Society and the British Union Against Vivisection (BUAV). The company prides itself on using “organic and/or wildcrafted ingredients” and attempts as often as possible to utilize fairtrade to accrue their raw materials. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Something I really love about Raw Gaia is their new policy on “ethical marketing”. This is their attempt to make a stand against the “false standards of beauty that make women feel inadequate and unsure of their bodies, and in particular, about ageing skin”. With this new policy, Raw Gaia refuses to mention features like de-aging, wrinkle reducing, rejuvenating, etc. on their product descriptions, and instead have a section on their website dedicated to achieving healthy skin through proper diet, positive mental attitude, and natural skin care. It is this positive, healthy, respectable way that Raw Gaia creates, sells, and markets their products that makes them such a desirable company to work with, purchase from, and use products from.<br />
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Raw Gaia generously sent me their "Acne Combination" skin care pack consisting of cold pressed Borage oil, Tea Tree Floral Water and Green Clay Facepack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR1gfjsy4NCWLh2AAoZvqgwmXtC4F3J37LUIrqVmInZuJl_EzoIPcWvAmksif733zjSLtYo_21VDt9JqR4j2wDssACdHIvSaNlBPBEpGTuVShSRtoJZ6zHV-NVebF2E1YXZPSpfcBwvo/s1600/P1010419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR1gfjsy4NCWLh2AAoZvqgwmXtC4F3J37LUIrqVmInZuJl_EzoIPcWvAmksif733zjSLtYo_21VDt9JqR4j2wDssACdHIvSaNlBPBEpGTuVShSRtoJZ6zHV-NVebF2E1YXZPSpfcBwvo/s640/P1010419.JPG" width="360px" /></a></div><br />
At first, I was confused why they would recommend borage oil to put on already oily, problem skin, until I read a little more about borage oil. It turns out that borage oil is rich in GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) which helps to regenerate and stimulate cell activity while being absorbed deeply into the skin. Borage oil is also known to help sunburn and eczema.<br />
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When I first used the borage oil on my skin, it felt quite oily, but started to soak in quickly, leaving my skin feeling hydrated without the normal "slick" feeling I get from my usual face cream. I also noticed that throughout the day my face seemed more balanced. Usually in the afternoon I find my skin to be excessively oily, but when I used the borage oil it helped keep a balanced hydration all day, which was LOVELY! Raw Gaia also supplied me with the Tea tree Floral Water, which is a fragrant water that, when used over top of the borage oil, helps the oil to soak in faster, as well as providing all the benefits of tea tree oil without drying out the skin. The Tea tree Floral Water has the antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial benefits of Tea tree oil, which help to clean and purify the skin, targeting acne to help clear the skin. In the mornings I would use the borage oil after showering, top with a spritz of tea trea floral water, and then continue with putting on makeup etc. I found that this combination made my skin moist (without being oily), and also helped decrease the amount of acne on my face. I also found that on warm days, spritzing with the floral water helped to refresh my face and make it feel less oily without having to wash my face and reapply my makeup!<br />
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Raw Gaia also sent me the Sun-dried Green Clay face pack which is a detoxifying face mask. It is said to be able to "gently draw out toxins and environmental pollutants that may be lying under the skin, in order to heal and clean while giving your face a nice lift and glow" and is said to be especially helpful in "relieving skin congestion, spots, inflammation, fatty deposits and dry skin". This sounds like a miracle worker! I was very excited to try the mask, and enjoyed the results every time I used it! By mixing a little of the clay with water or floral water, you are able to create a thick paste that you apply to the face for 5-10 min.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6BYLRhC280hbBnmd7dcMNELGK0Gwhd0kj7BgErmC1DjcVTHzWQjsyv7rSluMlRJ9YjMN3eU3bBvxNhGTniz_GdbGy951Fp0I_uC5-9X_1leoaSVFRRvw2CWbIhU8ZC_3v7ZT37F-p8Q/s1600/P1010625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6BYLRhC280hbBnmd7dcMNELGK0Gwhd0kj7BgErmC1DjcVTHzWQjsyv7rSluMlRJ9YjMN3eU3bBvxNhGTniz_GdbGy951Fp0I_uC5-9X_1leoaSVFRRvw2CWbIhU8ZC_3v7ZT37F-p8Q/s640/P1010625.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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After this, you rinse and then enjoy the feeling of radiant skin. Literally, every time I used this mask I felt like my skin was rejuvenated. It didn't exfoliate like other masks I had tried, yet truly left my face feeling refreshed with an even tone and glowing, healthy radiance. I <b>love</b> this mask.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiOJ_CBr8e726hxMfxtPb3AQeoB2VGd1MxIgXcexBSZdn2J4fIJxsFNf-PGKQmsPQTp506DEbZWjUDqLcHmEXqwl4WdJDN1G-_VR1itddhLAPejLpwo0Sf9TslPzL4ze9ZcWrAw1G3vc/s1600/P1010693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiOJ_CBr8e726hxMfxtPb3AQeoB2VGd1MxIgXcexBSZdn2J4fIJxsFNf-PGKQmsPQTp506DEbZWjUDqLcHmEXqwl4WdJDN1G-_VR1itddhLAPejLpwo0Sf9TslPzL4ze9ZcWrAw1G3vc/s640/P1010693.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Raw Gaia has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader the Sun-dried Green Clay Face Pack!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oPU8YOP4jQO-ryrZLgCjkwYAcWc9JTcf4nWgb-xMvji1RkjXelp2s0ZJu97kAYns7SiOwg-2cWJ8i2HJR9C2W4b3azawYK5YjraAp-nXxHEdavL-9DdIhYRPRCvCn2qFEuCl-6gb5vs/s1600/P1010425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oPU8YOP4jQO-ryrZLgCjkwYAcWc9JTcf4nWgb-xMvji1RkjXelp2s0ZJu97kAYns7SiOwg-2cWJ8i2HJR9C2W4b3azawYK5YjraAp-nXxHEdavL-9DdIhYRPRCvCn2qFEuCl-6gb5vs/s400/P1010425.JPG" width="225px" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Please read the rules and regulations of this site’s giveaway policies <a href="http://wholesomeabode.blogspot.com/p/policies-disclosures.html">here </a>and then start entering!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">This giveaway is open from June 9, 2011 to June 23, 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">This giveaway is open to residents <b><u><span style="color: red;">WORLDWIDE</span></u></b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>ENSURE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IS PRESENT IN EVERY ENTRY</b></u></span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"><u>To enter:</u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">MANDATORY ENTRY:</b> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-V</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">isit <a href="http://www.rawgaia.com/">http://www.rawgaia.com/</a> and mention one product you are interested in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Extra entries</span></u></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/rawgaia">@rawgaia</a> on Twitter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raw-Gaia/131926826844133"><span style="color: black;">“Like</span>”</a> Raw Gaia on Facebook</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/WholesomeAbode">@wholesomeabode</a> on Twitter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-<a href="http://www.facebook.com/WholesomeAbode">“Like”</a> Wholesome Abode on Facebook</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Become a Google Friend Connect follower of this blog </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">-Tweet this contest and tag <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/WholesomeAbode">@wholesomeabode</a> (max. 1 tweet per day). Leave the permalink in the comments section. (1 entry each tweet) You can use the following tweet:</span><br />
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<i>Win a raw, organic, vegan Green Clay Face Mask @WholesomeAbode </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>http://bit.ly/m6rYkX (ends 6/23) #raw #eco #green #giveaway</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-161611789212156632011-06-07T22:11:00.000-06:002011-06-07T22:11:16.377-06:00The Compost JunkieI'm addicted. I'm addicted to composting. <br />
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I read about it, I go to classes about it, I talk about it with friends. I sit around the lunch table at work cringing as people throw away their cores, peels, crusts and think... "Maybe I could take those home to my bin?". Once I even asked, and then passed it off as a joke as my coworkers stared at me like I was insane. The fact of the matter is, I LOVE the idea of taking something that is garbage, and turning it into something useful,and full of potential--that earthy smelling black gold.<br />
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For beginners, compost waste is classified as two main groups "browns" (carbons: shredded paper, dead plants, brown leaves/grass, wood chips etc.) and "greens" (nitrogens: fruit peels/cores, veggie scraps, plants, tea leaves, coffee grounds etc.). Of course there are many more nutrients and elements making up your compostables, but this is the main way that these wastes (let's call them "building blocks") are separated into groups. The key to a good, healthy compost is to have the correct balance of browns, greens, moisture and air, otherwise your compost heap can turn into a stinky, slimy mess.<br />
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Microorganisms are the most important ingredient to the compost pile and are the starting force of decomposition. Actinomycetes, fungi, and eventually worms and more complex organisms move in later and help to keep the decomposition rolling. Where do all these organisms come from you ask? Well, you are creating a lovely home for them full of food, heat, and moisture, so they will start to move in in a hurry if you provide this type of atmosphere. Sometimes when starting a BRAND new compost, you need to an an "activator" to introduce some of these organisms, and to provide a rich nitrogen based environment for them to live in. Chicken manure is said to be an EXCELLENT activator (unfortunately, I don't know anyone with chickens, so this option was out). I did have the next best thing though...a husband willing to pee on my pile. That's right! It took a little bribing, and perhaps a bit of begging, but eventually he succumbed to my pleas. Urine is an excellent compost activator because it is full of a variety of nutrients within its' yellow streams, and generally carries some bacteria as well. All in all, a perfect activator for my backyard compost pile.<br />
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At the risk of blathering on, I will end this post here, but this is only scratching the surface of composting. I would LOVE to talk about it some more with you, so if you have any questions or comments, let's chat below!Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-64908443441699521832011-06-02T22:38:00.000-06:002011-06-02T22:38:35.577-06:00Perfect Baked Jerk ChickenSorry I've been on hiatus lately! Summer is a BUSY time full of long nights of friends, gardening, family, and little time for the computer. Hopefully I can find some time to write when the sun goes down! Unfortunately for me, that's usually after 1030 pm in these parts--I can't complain though, I love these long summer nights.<br />
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I just wanted to share with you one our household's current favourite recipes! It was given to me by my <a href="http://www.momsavvymedia.com/">sister</a> for a Christmas present in a recipe box full of wholesome, delicious recipes! I hope you enjoy!<br />
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<b><u>Perfect Baked Jerk Chicken</u></b><br />
<b><u> </u></b><i>serves 3-4</i><br />
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<b><u> </u></b>1 tsp allspice powder<br />
1 tsp packed brown sugar<br />
1 tsp onion powder<br />
1/2 tsp garlic powder<br />
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp pepper<br />
1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/4 tsp cayenne (if you like kick, you can up this to 1/2 or even 1 tsp)<br />
1/4 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp dried thyme<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
4-6 pieces of chicken (bone in, I usually use thighs) with skin on<br />
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<b>As an aside:</b> <br />
This may seem like a daunting list of ingredients, and believe me, I spent about $30 to accumulate all the spices, but you will put them to GOOD use because you will LOVE this recipe. <br />
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The good thing about this recipe is that you can also customize it to your liking depending on your taste. I usually up the amounts of pepper, cayenne, and garlic.<br />
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<b>Back to the recipe:</b><br />
<b>1. </b>Combine ALL ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Squash is, shake it, smear it all around until the chicken is coated evenly. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 2-4 hours. (I actually usually leave it for about 20 min....who has 2-4 hours to marinate meat with???)<br />
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<b>2. </b>Preheat over to 350°F. Put the chicken on a broiler pan skin side up.<br />
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<b>3. </b>Bake until the chicken is cooked to 170-180°F near the bone (or about 1 hour-1 hour 20 min)<br />
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<b>4. </b>Broil the chicken for ~5 minutes at the end to crisp up the skin<br />
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<b>5. </b>Serve with something delicious and nutritious like salad and <a href="http://www.wholesomeabode.com/2011/04/quinoa-bean-medley.html">Mexican Quinoa Bean Medley</a><br />
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I urge you to try this recipe...you will not be disappointed! Comment below if you try it, have any changes to propose, or if you just want to chat!Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-2303650701623527052011-05-23T20:09:00.001-06:002013-04-23T21:09:48.888-06:00Limoncello UpdateIf you read my previous post about making homemade <a href="http://www.wholesomeabode.com/2011/05/make-homemade-limoncello.html">Limoncello</a> , I am here to give you an update. After 23 days of resting in a cool place, out of the sun, my husband and I did a taste test of the vibrantly yellow, clear liquid. Since you need only 1-2 oz. to taste, we have PLENTY left over for apres dinner sipping on hot summer nights.<br />
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<b><u>The taste test results:</u></b><br />
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The limoncello remained very clear, with a nice strong yellow colour. Upon opening the bottle, a lovely, refreshing citrus (yet very alcohol smelling) scent wafted out. At first taste, it a had a very smooth flavour which was thoroughly infused with the lemon without being overwhelmingly citrus. However, it is upon swallowing you really get the full flavour of the liqueur. There is a lovely warming sensation that follows the taste, as well as a residual essence of lemon left in your mouth (when I talk of the lemon taste, its more of a spiced, mellow lemon flavour which is really lovely, rather than a pucker-worthy citrus taste). While the liqueur is essentially pure vodka, it has an over all sweet flavour which, I am told, gets sweeter the longer you leave it "curing". <br />
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All in all, I am VERY happy with the way the Limoncello worked out; I would DEFINITELY recommend that you try making this at home, as the taste is DEFINITELY worth the work, and the wait!
Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-27446853272123164132011-05-16T17:10:00.000-06:002013-04-23T21:12:25.024-06:00Reduce, Reuse, Rescue!In our hometown we have a store called the "Architectural Clearing House" which is a compilation of reclaimed building parts from houses and buildings that have been demolished. There are rows upon rows of old doors, plumbing pieces, handles, old porcelain toilets, windows, the list goes on and on. In an attempt to get people to reuse these items that would have normally gone to the dump, they are offered at very low prices...like a whole window for $15.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PxHVaglp9Zgt2Un9UK_SHsp1MMloVJnetCWDzcXWN9o9zrUkimkSDxryItcYy4QrPIzy8mxLMgtMSnnAC40-LYgWGgEtA4iGyPorJGdBMg_p9VDPiEodkm1IBqRQ2oZSOONgAtPsz7Y/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PxHVaglp9Zgt2Un9UK_SHsp1MMloVJnetCWDzcXWN9o9zrUkimkSDxryItcYy4QrPIzy8mxLMgtMSnnAC40-LYgWGgEtA4iGyPorJGdBMg_p9VDPiEodkm1IBqRQ2oZSOONgAtPsz7Y/s400/photo%25281%2529.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><br />
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My husband and I bought a house that was built in 1968, and thus, had the interior of a house built in 1968. The previous owners (an older couple) left it in its original format, in all its' retro glory. When my husband and I moved in, we gave the house an overhaul, but parts of the old form still remain, waiting patiently for their turn to be updated.<br />
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Having an eclectic style and a knack for DIY projects, my husband decided that this weekend it was time to tackle the dreaded diamond divider.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj4tBsGCZ9l7mQx4DSXdBGBgjPbqf37yu9Kia7NyiHi7c0lB5OuIvZTpQW4kmJg8UujkJcBv1hBfGpHfqt__Q9fEoe4NseRj2LC3pVI32sm_2Difpz8xo1SoMTNrWrbvnSxO_UsFDpRc/s1600/P1010727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj4tBsGCZ9l7mQx4DSXdBGBgjPbqf37yu9Kia7NyiHi7c0lB5OuIvZTpQW4kmJg8UujkJcBv1hBfGpHfqt__Q9fEoe4NseRj2LC3pVI32sm_2Difpz8xo1SoMTNrWrbvnSxO_UsFDpRc/s400/P1010727.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
While a nice piece in its day, it no longer fits into our plans for the house as WE see it; this is where the Architectural Clearing House comes in. In our meandering up and down the aisles of this junk wonderland, we happened across a rustic old window painted a fascinating green on one side, and a demure brown on the other:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbIY9eVnbogNghJVINjWAV9dQpQKtYMr2nU_c83xO5oX3mgyFl8v572eawpY7eWsYM9WxNi0mGorMZohEq2g3gF53yWTJ0FMaXOlq89sKEoKXMb8l9zqxcvVFJj-btPi5OJGu4_RgCR4/s1600/P1010730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbIY9eVnbogNghJVINjWAV9dQpQKtYMr2nU_c83xO5oX3mgyFl8v572eawpY7eWsYM9WxNi0mGorMZohEq2g3gF53yWTJ0FMaXOlq89sKEoKXMb8l9zqxcvVFJj-btPi5OJGu4_RgCR4/s400/P1010730.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My husband, being the handy guy he is, cleaned the window with vinegar (worked like a CHARM!), removed the dreaded diamonds, and worked some sort of system to suspend this window in their place. The result was a fun new look for our divider! The green is an accent colour in other aspects of the house, so it adds a nice punch of colour to the area. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdptOzJ3fcAKMa8syfdGM7HrJXdn4qdU0HDAp7VVv2lqwzc94WOkxjbSehvKIOYrXBKz7EilIv8lumLYCvE6ap9XZwOSTW4NUW2VNUSTSM49Sv66BQpRymTYpYiBrRICaE1dgnLmj7Cxw/s1600/P1010732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdptOzJ3fcAKMa8syfdGM7HrJXdn4qdU0HDAp7VVv2lqwzc94WOkxjbSehvKIOYrXBKz7EilIv8lumLYCvE6ap9XZwOSTW4NUW2VNUSTSM49Sv66BQpRymTYpYiBrRICaE1dgnLmj7Cxw/s400/P1010732.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVSP31P7UoQZsIYWz0-FYYHoULoLp5IeX0LFjyyNKLwoycUvyeBk_F7Ds8eCpXE5n7lY5vvMd_N3tmzEandz6E-RBXY81hfo5avp1Z6Gv8tlNwjHhp9sF_aidqig5mO66jzvUvEOQm2U/s1600/P1010735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVSP31P7UoQZsIYWz0-FYYHoULoLp5IeX0LFjyyNKLwoycUvyeBk_F7Ds8eCpXE5n7lY5vvMd_N3tmzEandz6E-RBXY81hfo5avp1Z6Gv8tlNwjHhp9sF_aidqig5mO66jzvUvEOQm2U/s400/P1010735.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
All in all it was a simple, successful update to our dated divider, and we were able to rescue an old window from its landfill demise! <br />
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What do you think of the update? Have you done any upcycling DIY projects in your house? Share below!
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Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-4206917158502731622011-05-11T17:10:00.000-06:002011-05-13T14:30:42.694-06:00Wordless Wednesday! --Wind Edition<div style="text-align: center;">In honour of the windy day outside my window, a picture of our trip to Scotland and how they use the wind to their advantage!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235719995759284265.post-65656395260578794432011-05-09T21:19:00.013-06:002011-05-30T22:00:34.223-06:00Radiance Mineral Cosmetics Giveaway **CLOSED**<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Radiance Mineral Cosmetics was created by Leigh Polidoro in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada. As an aesthetician and makeup artist, Leigh had always had an interest in the health and beauty industry, but never pursued any of her ideas until she experienced trouble with rosacea and adult acne in her late 20’s. Leigh began experimenting with different brands of mineral makeup and loved it, but found she was still experiencing breakouts and irritation. When she started to research mineral makeup, she discovered all the hidden chemicals, preservatives, and cheap fillers that many companies use. Deciding she could create her own affordable, 100% pure mineral makeup, Radiance Mineral Cosmetics was formed in the fall of 2007. Originally experimenting with eye shadows, Leigh created her first (and most popular) shade, “Fairy Dust”; the line has since grown into 9 foundations, 4 blushes, 25 eye shadows, 6 lip glazes, and more.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Radiance Mineral Cosmetics are made with all natural 100% pure minerals. The products are free of all parabens, synthetic fragrances, filler, and chemical dyes, all of which are all irritants, and things that you should avoid putting on or in your body. Since minerals are inert, microorganisms are unable to grow in these cosmetics, which means reduced cross contamination of powders. All Radiance Mineral Cosmetics are oil free as well, which means they don’t clog pores. This is GREAT for acne prone, oily skin like mine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Leigh has ensured that Radiance Mineral Cosmetics are free of fillers like talc, cornstarch, and Bismuth Oxychloride. All of these fillers can clog pores, and Bismuth Oxychloride, which is a by-product of copper and lead refining, can irritate and cause itchiness to the skin and thus should be avoided. The three main ingredients in these cosmetics are: Titanium dioxide, Zinc oxide and Mica. Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide are both natural sun protectors and provide the makeup with approximately SPF 15-20. These two minerals also have natural anti-inflammatory properties, making this makeup ideal for people who have acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">As I learned when testing this makeup, Radiance Mineral Cosmetics can be used wet or dry to achieve a variety of looks. The powdered minerals can also function as liners, or added to clear lip gloss or nail polish to find that perfect colour. Since it can be mixed with water, or other gels and fluids, Leigh even suggested mixing the powdered foundation with a medicated acne cream as a quick blemish concealer. It is very very versatile stuff!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">It’s Radiance Mineral Cosmetics' goal to provide their products (foundations, concealers, blushes, bronzers, primers, veils, eye shadows, lip glazes, and facial spritz) at a price everyone can afford. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">As someone who has used the SAME liquid foundation her entire life, and has never really 1) thought it worked well or 2) been good at applying it, Leigh’s suggestion that I try her mineral makeup came as a new adventure. As I said before, I have struggled with oily, acne prone skin my whole life, which makes wearing makeup vital at times. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Leigh hooked me up with a very generous starter package including: a Radiance Mineral Cosmetics Exfoliating Cloth, foundation, blush, 2 eye shadows, and facial spritz. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">As soon as I applied the makeup, I could feel the difference between this and my old liquid foundation. The mineral makeup felt light and breezy on my skin, and it was very easy to brush on using a large makeup brush. The foundation covered REALLY well, and blended in really nice into the skin on my face and neck. I also used a damp Q-tip to apply some of the powder directly on blemishes which pretty much made them disappear instantly! (I seriously cannot stress how exciting this was, for someone who has had so much trouble with acne!). After laying down the foundation, I gave myself a quick brush over with some of the blush which was a gorgeous rosy colour, but I learned that less is more, as you don’t need much to cover the apples of your cheeks! At this point I gave my face a spritz with the facial spritz to help set the mineral makeup, and then I put on some of the gorgeous "Brown Sugar" eyeshadow for a perfectly put together look that I felt SO comfortable in. I also experimented with mixing the "Brown Sugar" and "Cafe Latte" eye shadows I received to create different varieties of colours. The mineral eye shadows have such a gorgeous sheen to them that they reflect many different colours at once, which is REALLY beautiful. I think I'm in love. After experimenting with eyeshadow I dabbed on some of the mineral lip gloss which was SO shiny and rich on my lips, and I was ready to head out for anything! As I wore the makeup throughout the day, I also noticed that it didn’t start to slide around on my face like my old makeup. After a week of wearing it, I noticed that it did <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> clog my pores, or have any poor results on my skin, which means that this is the makeup I plan to keep using from here on out! </span><br />
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</a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Radiance Minerals Cosmetics and Skin FX have been kind enough to offer the same makeup set to one lucky reader (2 eyeshadow, 1 foundation, 1 blush, 1 lip glaze, 1 facial spritz, and 1 exfoliating cloth ($117.00 value))</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">We also have a promotional code for you to use at <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.skinfx.ca/" target="_blank">http://www.skinfx.ca/</a></span> if you would like to purchase some products for yourself at a 10% discount. The promo code is:</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">WHOLESOMEABODE</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Please read the rules and regulations of this site’s giveaway policies <a href="http://wholesomeabode.blogspot.com/p/policies-disclosures.html" target="_blank">here </a>and then start entering!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">This giveaway is open from May 9 to May 26, 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">This giveaway is open to <span style="color: red;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>THE USA & CANADA</u></b></span> only.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><b>PLEASE ensure you have a valid <span style="color: red;">email address</span> entered on EACH comment.</b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"><u>To enter</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">MANDATORY ENTRY:</b> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-<a href="http://www.facebook.com/WholesomeAbode" target="_blank">“Like”</a> Wholesome Abode on Facebook and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">visit <a href="http://www.skinfx.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.skinfx.ca</span></a> and pick one product or product colour you like and mention it in a comment below.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Extra entries</span></u></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/skinfxinc" target="_blank">@skinfxinc</a> on Twitter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skin-Fx/17654452373" target="_blank">“Like"</a></span><b style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skin-Fx/17654452373" target="_blank"></a></b> Skinfx on Facebook</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Purchase something on <a href="http://www.skinfx.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.skinfx.ca</span></a> using the promo code WHOLESOMEABODE (5 entries)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/WholesomeAbode" target="_blank">@wholesomeabode</a> on Twitter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">-Become a GFC follower of this blog</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">-Tweet this contest and tag @wholesomeabode (max. 1 tweet per day). Leave the permalink in the comments section. (1 entry each tweet) You can use the following tweet:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<i>Win a set of 100% pure mineral makeup valued at $117 from @WholesomeAbode </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>http://bit.ly/lUqQFn (ends 5/26) #makeup #eco #green #giveaway</i></span><br />
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</div>Wholesome Abodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04796232351200513411noreply@blogger.com127