12 Ways to Use Essential Oils

“…And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” ~Revelation 22:2 NIV

Essential oils are a wonderful gift that nature has provided! I was first introduced to essential oils when I started to take an interest in making DIY personal care products a few years ago. I used them once in a while in my fabric softener and for cleaning, but I never REALLY started using them until just a few months ago when I took an Essential Oils 101 class and learned about their wide variety of uses and health benefits. Here are some of my favorite ways to use these gifts of nature:

Aromatherapy. Put your favorite oils in a diffuser (this one is my favorite), and enjoy the healing benefits of the oils through your sense of smell. This is a great way to help ease stress. Lavender and Stress Away are great oils for this. Diffusing oils is also very effective at removing odors in the home. I love to run Purification whenever I am cooking fish for dinner, and it really does take the fish smell away. Purification is also great at clearing the air and keeping the germs away when someone in our home is not feeling well.
All-Purpose Cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with half water and half white vinegar. Add your favorite essential oil (mine is lemon.) Clean away without worrying about exposing your family and pets to harmful chemicals! 🙂
Removing Stickers. Lemon oil and Orange oil are both excellent at removing glue, stickers, etc. I use it in place of WD-40.
Toothpaste. Add a few drops of peppermint oil (or orange or clove oil) to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Brush and feel how clean your teeth are! Orange oil helps to whiten them, too! Just keep in mind that this toothpaste does not taste or feel like a traditional toothpaste (it will not foam), so it may take some getting used to! But it’s a great feeling to not have to worry if I (or my kids) swallow some of this. Young Living also sells toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash that my daughters and I have used. My daughter went to the dentist in early January and they said she had a cavity. She began using this toothpaste daily. 7 weeks later, she got her braces off and went back to the dentist for an x-ray. The cavity did not show up on the x-ray, and it was nowhere to be seen. I can’t say for sure whether it had anything to do with the toothpaste, but it was sure good to hear that her cavity was gone and she doesn’t have to go back to the dentist until her next cleaning.
First Aid. I’ve used lavender oil on cuts and scrapes, and sometimes on burns as well (although coconut oil is usually my go-to for burns.)
Get Rid of Lice. Unfortunately I did have the opportunity to test this one out recently. With three girls and a “super-lice” outbreak hitting my town in recent months, I knew it was just a matter of time. I mixed tea tree oil with olive oil, rubbed it on their scalps and combed through their hair, covered with a shower cap and let it sit for several hours, and then combed through thoroughly with a lice comb. Luckily this happened over a school vacation week, so we had plenty of time to take care of it. This procedure worked beautifully, and I was happy I didn’t have to put dangerous chemicals on their heads!
Internally. I don’t recommend taking oils internally unless you have done your research AND you use an oil from a reputable brand that is meant for internal use. The only oil I have used internally and have given to my family to take internally so far is Lemon from Young Living. Some people take this every day, but I reserve the use of this for when we are not feeling well. I gave my daughter 1 drop of lemon in 4 oz of water when she had a sore throat, and the next day her sore throat was gone and she felt much better. My husband and I have also had similar results taking lemon internally.
DIY Personal Care Products. There is no limit to the amount of personal care items you can make with essential oils. From homemade shampoos, soaps, deodorant, toothpaste, face wash, bug spray, and much, much more. Check out this post at Homemade Mommy for some wonderful DIY Beauty Recipes using Essential Oils.
Fabric Softener. Add white vinegar and a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine for an excellent, natural fabric softener.
Headaches. I have personally used peppermint oil for tension headaches, and it works wonders! I simply applied a drop to my temples. Just be careful because it is very strong and will make your eyes water. Headache relief is just one of the many benefits of Peppermint oil.
Pain Relief. In the Essential Oils 101 class I took, we made a Pain Relief cream. In a small glass jar, we mixed together 1/2 cup coconut oil, 5 drops Valor, 5 drops Panaway, 5 drops Peppermint Oil, and 5 drops Copiaba Oil. Rub it on the bottom of the feet or the area of the body that is in pain. It works great!
Cold/Flu Relief. Combine 5-10 drops of Thieves or Fighting Five with 1 Tablespoon Coconut oil. Apply to the bottom of the feet to help boost the immune system.

There are many, many more ways to use essential oils. The ways I listed above are the things I have personally tried in just a few short months. Frankincense is also an amazing oil with wonderful healing properties, and I have heard some wonderful stories of how it has helped cancer patients. I personally mix it with coconut oil and use it as my daily moisturizer. I have also diffused it, but my family did not care for the scent.

What is your favorite way to use essential oils?

Recipe: Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries

Jan14

Do you want to get more sweet potatoes into your diet?

Sweet potatoes are a delicious and nutritious Superfood. They are high in vitamin B6, they are a good source of Vitamin C and magnesium, and they also contain Vitamin D, Iron, and Potassium. Packed with nutrients, I have been trying to incorporate more sweet potatoes into our diets, but it has not been easy since they are not a favorite food in my family.

I was so excited when I discovered this recipe originally intended for russet potatoes. My family loved it with regular potatoes, so I decided to try it with sweet potatoes as well, and it was a hit!! I usually prepare this using a combination of sweet potatoes and russet potatoes. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 Russet Potatoes (or 2 Russets and 1 Sweet Potato), quartered
4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) olive oil
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Quarter potatoes. Place into a large mixing bowl.
Coat potatoes evenly with olive oil and parmesan cheese.
In a separate small bowl, mix together salt, Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, and paprika
Cover potatoes evenly with spice mixture.
Lay potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Bake at 400° for 40 minutes.

10 Tips to Begin Eating Healthier

Mar5

If eating healthier is one of your goals but you don’t know where to begin, I will share some tips that have helped me along in my journey to eating more REAL foods and minimizing the amount of processed foods in my diet.

What IS a REAL Food?

Any food that comes from nature and can be purchased without a label is a REAL food (fruits, vegetables, raw nuts, seeds, etc.) REAL foods will help to fuel your body with the nutrients it needs. Ideally, you want to strive to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Foods that have been packaged usually have been processed in some way, so you want to choose REAL foods without packaging whenever possible. Many REAL foods are also labeled as SUPERFOODS. I have discovered this excellent resource that lists 50 Superfoods and their benefits. It also suggests healthy recipes to help you integrate these SUPERFOODS into your everyday diet. I always find it helpful to focus on the foods I should be eating rather than those I should not be eating, so I highly recommend checking out that list from skinnyms.com and printing it for future reference. Once you know which foods are ideal to eat, here are some tips to help you incorporate those foods and to minimize the amount of highly processed foods in your diet.

1. Learn to Read Ingredient Labels. If you’re striving to eat healthier, this is the first step I would recommend. If you prefer more variety in your diet than just foods without a label, it is very important to learn to read the ingredient labels on your foods. The nutritional information label can sometimes be helpful, but I think it is much more important to look at the ingredients. If there is anything on a label that you cannot pronounce or you don’t know what it is or where it comes from, you most likely do not want this food to be a part of your regular diet. The same thing goes for foods with a long list of ingredients. When comparing processed foods, you generally want to choose the product with the fewest number of ingredients. A few ingredients you particularly want to avoid include corn syrups, artificial colors and flavors, and hydrogenated oils. Also, be weary of any foods that make health claims on their packaging. For example, I always choose the full fat versions of foods rather than those with the “Fat Free” label. “Fat Free” foods are often a poor choice because additional ingredients generally need to be added to the product to make the food taste good once the fat is removed. Here is an excellent video from 100 Days of Real Food to help you learn to read ingredient labels.

2. Clean out your kitchen/pantry. If your goal is to eat healthier, it would be a good idea to remove all the unhealthy foods from your home. Otherwise, you will be tempted each time you open the pantry. Take everything off your shelves. Discard anything that is expired. Donate anything that you don’t plan to use before the expiration date, and donate all highly processed foods (those with a long list of ingredients or a lot of unpronounceable ingredients.) Oftentimes, we eat food just because it is there. If a food is not in your house, it will be that much more difficult for you to eat it. If you get a strong craving for something, you will have to go out of your way to get it.

3. Don’t buy processed foods. It all starts in the supermarket. Don’t buy the junk foods. Again, if you don’t bring it into your house, you can’t eat it. You may have heard these food shopping tips before, but they are worth repeating: don’t shop when you are hungry, go prepared with a shopping list and DO NOT stray from the list, and stay on the outer perimeter of the supermarket. The inside aisles mostly contain the processed foods. If at all possible, go shopping without the kids. Mine certainly have a way of getting me to buy unnecessary (and often unhealthy) items that are not on my list. Also, keep in mind that when you buy a food item, you are voting with your dollar. Vote to support REAL, healthy foods!

4. Find Healthy Replacements. Find healthier replacements for foods you commonly eat. For example, use REAL butter instead of margarine, use coconut oil instead of canola oil, make your own popcorn instead of buying bagged microwave popcorn, make your own salad dressing instead of the store-bought dressings loaded with high fructose corn syrups, or even start by making your own cookies instead of buying store-bought cookies loaded with trans-fats.

5. Become accountable. Find a buddy who is also interested in eating healthier, or join a support group on social media for people who share a common goal with you. Share recipes and support each other, For example, the 100 Days of Real Food Mini Pledge Program group on Facebook will help you cut out processed foods in 14 weeks. Members share recipes and tips, and they encourage and support each other with their struggles throughout the challenge. I am also a member of the October Unprocessed community, which is also wonderful and supportive. October Unprocessed is a challenge I participated in for the past two years, and the goal is to go through the entire month of October without eating any processed foods. The challenge was a very inspiring, eye-opening, and educational experience for me. In fact, that is what inspired me to begin this blog! 🙂 I would encourage everyone to participate in October Unprocessed 2015, but don’t wait until then to begin eating healthy. You can start taking small steps today!

6. Track your progress with a blog or journal, or track your nutrition through an app such as MyFitnessPal. For more ideas on how to track your progress, check out my previous post 5 Tools to Track your health and Fitness Goals.

7. Get into the habit of making a smoothie for breakfast every day. A smoothie (or green smoothie if you’re a little more adventurous) is a nutritious way to start the day and to help you get more fruits and vegetables into your diet, and it will keep you full until lunch. Not sure how? Here’s one of my favorite recipes. Adapt it to your liking with your favorite fruits and vegetables. There are so many different combinations you can try! Visit Simple Green Smoothies for more smoothie recipes and tips.

My daily smoothie is something I look forward to, and I am so happy I have implemented it into my daily routine and made it a habit. Give it a try, and you may even find that it is an easy way to get more fruits and vegetables into your kid’s diets!

8. Don’t completely deprive yourself of the foods you love. Start slow. Try to find healthier replacements to satisfy your cravings. If you love chocolate, maybe you could opt for a handful of Ghirardelli chocolate chips instead of a full candy bar. Just be careful. It is still sugar, and sugar is HIGHLY addictive. Once you start eating it, you will want more.

9. Become educated. Learn WHAT you are eating and WHERE it is coming from. There are some excellent books and food documentaries on this topic. Click the links for my reviews on the food documentaries Food, Inc, What’s on Your Plate?, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, and Fed Up. If you’re interested in learning about the source of your food, some excellent books I have found on this topic include The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Animal Vegetable Miracle also contains some wonderful recipes, and it will teach you how to eat seasonally and how to preserve your food so you can eat from your garden or local farm stand year-round. I have found all of these books and movies to be inspirational, and some of them were even life-changing for me!

10. Find REAL food recipes. Visit my Recipe page for my favorite REAL food recipes, or check out the extensive list of REAL food recipes on 100 Days of Real Food.

Please keep in mind that this journey to a lifestyle of eating REAL foods is a process. Everyone does it at their own pace. I feel like I’ve learned so much and I’ve come a long way from the way I used to eat, but I have still have SO far to go. I still eat plenty of junk food (as you might see from some of my favorite recipes on my blog Stacy Loves), but when I do, I try my best to choose the healthiest options and make it myself when I can. As with everything in life, I believe balance in all areas is the key to optimal health. Good luck! 🙂

Recipe: Homemade Granola

Oct30

As promised in yesterday’s post, here is my recipe for homemade granola. This post can also be found in my blog, Stacy Loves…

I made granola for the first time last week. I had never realized before how easy it is to make. After trying some that my friend had made, I had to have her recipe. I modified it to my liking and according to the ingredients I had on hand at the time. That is one of the great things about granola…you can use whichever nuts, seeds, and extras you personally prefer or have on-hand.

Homemade granola can be made at a fraction of the cost of store-bought granola, and it is really easy to make! It is packed with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and nutrition. According to this article on WebMD, oats are one of the top ‘Superfoods’ that everyone needs. Granola is an easy way to get lots of nutrients and superfoods into my kids’ diets. I love to eat this plain, but it is also delicious mixed in yogurt or eaten as a cereal with milk.

The recipe I use is below, but feel free to modify the ingredients to your own liking. Just try to keep the measured amounts the same.

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup pecans (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
1/2 cup cashews (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
1/2 cup almonds (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)
(Optional) Extras: Shredded coconut, chocolate chips, etc.

Instructions:

Spread oats in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 7-10 minutes.
Transfer oats to a large mixing bowl.
Chop nuts/seeds in food processor until chopped but still coarse.
Mix nuts/seeds into mixing bowl with oats. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Pour mixture into nut/seed/oats mixture and mix until combined.
Add dried fruit.
Bake at 325° for approximately 15 minutes.
Add chocolate chips or other extras (if using).
Let cool and transfer to an airtight container.
ENJOY!!! 🙂

Recipe: Homemade Italian Salad Dressing

Jul24

When I began this journey toward healthier eating, one of the first things I tried to do was minimize the products we used that contained corn syrup. I began reading ingredient labels on everything I bought. I was not able to find salad dressing in a store that did not contain corn syrup, so I decided to find a recipe to make my own. That is when I came across this recipe from PennilessParenting.com. With just a few minor modifications, I have made this recipe several times. My family likes it even more than the store-bought dressings!

This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, it costs less than store-bought dressing, tastes better in our opinion, and it contains ingredients you most likely already have at home. If you are missing a few of the spices, it probably won’t make much of a difference.

This recipe can be used on salad greens, pasta, or any recipe that calls for Italian dressing, including Perfect Potato Salad.

July 23, 2014 013 italian dressing

Ingredients

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup olive oil

2 ½ Tablespoons Grapeseed oil

1 Tablespoon water

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon honey

1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt (if you don’t have any, just use regular salt)

Instructions

Pour ingredients into a 2 ½ cup glass measuring cup. Transfer to a glass salad dressing bottle. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate to store.

Edited on 8/13/14: I tried making this using olive oil only and leaving out the grapeseed oil. After being in the refrigerator for a few days, it solidified. So it is necessary to add another oil in addition to olive oil to prevent this.

Perfect Summer Potato Salad

Jun12

Nothing says summer to me like a cool, refreshing mix of potatoes, eggs, cucumbers, and celery mixed with the perfect blend of spices in creamy mayo.

To make it healthier and minimize my use of processed ingredients, I made my own Italian salad dressing. If you’re running short on time, store-bought dressing will work. But if you have a few minutes, give the homemade dressing a try and you will see how simple it is to make. This delicious substitution is healthier and less expensive than the store-bought, and it gives me peace of mind being able to control the oils I use and to eliminate the high fructose corn syrup that is present in virtually all store-bought dressing.

The following recipe is my idea of a perfect potato salad. Feel free to add or eliminate ingredients to your liking (for example, my family doesn’t like onions, but add them if you like).

Ingredients

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cubed into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup Italian Dressing (recipe below)

½ teaspoon salt

pepper, to taste (I just use a few shakes)

½ cup mayonnaise (we use Kraft Real Mayo)

1 medium stalk celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 cup cucumbers, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

Add potatoes to a pot, adding just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender. Drain and cool.
After potatoes are cool, stir in Italian dressing, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, toss with cucumbers, celery, eggs, and mayonnaise until potatoes are well coated. Enjoy!

Italian Dressing recipe (makes 1 1/3 cups)

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup olive oil

2 ½ Tablespoons Grapeseed oil

1 Tablespoon water

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon honey

1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt (if you don’t have any, just use regular salt)

Pour ingredients into a 2 ½ cup glass measuring cup. Transfer to a glass salad dressing bottle. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate to store.

Recipe modified from http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2010/07/perfect-homemade-italian-dressing.html.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Feb26

Save Print

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 12 servings

My family loves Buffalo Chicken Dip! It is very quick and easy to make, very tasty, and a good way to use up some leftover chicken. I have been making it a lot lately. The recipes I had initially used (from the hot sauce bottle) called for Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressings. I didn't love all the processed ingredients in the dressings from the store, so I set out to find a healthier replacement. This is what I came up with, and my family and I are both happy with the result. I usually serve it with celery sticks or organic corn chips. Enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients

8 oz. Package cream cheese, softened
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup Frank’s REDHOT sauce
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
Serve with celery sticks or organic corn chips.

Instructions

Place cream cheese into baking dish or glass pie plate.
Stir in remaining ingredients until mixed well.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until hot. Stir.

Healthy Replacements: Coconut Oil

Jan22

I just discovered coconut oil last year, and I can’t say enough good things about it! I love that stuff and can’t imagine how I ever lived without it! I use it daily in cooking, baking, and on my skin, teeth, and hair. I recommend it to everyone! As I mentioned in my post 10 Things I Learned in 2013, I feel like coconut oil was the best thing I discovered in the past year. When people ask me for tips on eating healthier, my first suggestion is usually to replace their vegetable oils with coconut oil. It is a simple change that is hardly noticeable, but the benefits are many.

What is it/How is it Made/How do I select the right product for me?

Coconut oil is the oil extracted from coconuts. There are two different types of coconut oil: refined and unrefined. If you do not like the taste or smell of coconuts, you may want to opt for the refined oil because it is generally tasteless and odorless. If you do go with the refined oil, just be sure it is not hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated because the hydrogenation process creates synthetic trans-fats. “Virgin” or “Extra-Virgin” Coconut oil is unrefined and it tastes and smells like coconut. If you need additional help in choosing whether you want refined or virgin coconut oil, check out this great article here.

Where Can I Buy It?

With coconut oil gaining in popularity, you can find it just about anywhere. I have seen it at my local grocery store in the organic foods section. I have also seen it at my local Walmart next to the cooking oils. You can also buy it in health food stores, and online here.

Uses of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has many health benefits and is said to help with weight loss, diabetes, cholesterol, Alzheimers, and many other health conditions. I can attest to it helping with cholesterol. Last year I threw out my huge jug of canola oil and replaced it with coconut oil. Since I no longer keep vegetable oils in the house, when baking I now use coconut oil in any recipe that calls for vegetable oil. When cooking, coconut oil may be used in place of butter or other oils in temperatures up to 350 degrees. I most commonly use coconut oil when cooking eggs or popcorn. As a result of this healthy replacement, my “good” cholesterol went up and my “bad” went down as of my last cholesterol screening in October.

Coconut oil has many uses for the skin and hair as well. It is a popular ingredient in many homemade natural products. I use it daily as a facial moisturizer (as an added bonus, it is naturally an SPF of 4). I use it as a moisturizing body lotion, as a replacement for chapstick, and I have recently started using it for oil pulling. For more information on oil pulling, check out this article. There are so many more uses for coconut oil. Check out Wellness Mama’s great list of 101 uses here.

More information & Resources

Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature. It naturally melts and becomes a liquid at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. When it cools back down, it returns to a solid.

Check out Coconutoil.com for the most up-to-date research on the benefits of coconut oil.

For more in-depth information about all I’ve mentioned in this article and more, including some really great recipes, check out “Lucy Bee’s Definitive Guide to Coconut Oil.” 🙂

With coconut oil becoming a natural beauty staple in recent years, Reviews.com set out to find out which options stood apart by being ethically sourced by socially responsible brands. They tested the top oils to create a guide to help any natural beauty maven. Check out their recommendations for the best coconut oil here!

Healthy Replacements: Homemade Granola Bars

Jan8

Granola bars are a staple in my house. I used to buy a box or two every time I was at the grocery store because my family goes through them so quickly. When I decided to check out the ingredients list one day, I did not love what I saw. I saw a huge list of unpronounceable and unrecognizable ingredients, preservatives, corn syrup and oils that I had been trying to stay away from. You can check out the ingredients in a popular brand here.

I set out to find a healthier recipe to feed my family. I tried several different recipes until I found one that my family liked. I started with this recipe called Playgroup Granola Bars from Allrecipes.com, and then I made some healthy modifications so I could feel better about feeding these to my family. When making modifications, I try to minimize or eliminate all processed ingredients and GMO’s whenever possible, including white sugar, white flour, and vegetable oils. There is still more sugar in here than I would like, but I feel better knowing there is no corn syrup or dangerous oils or preservatives that I have been trying to stay away from.

Here is the recipe I currently use, and my family loves them. The great thing about granola bars is that you can customize them to your liking. Add whichever nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you like. My family loves them with chocolate chips instead of cranberries or raisins. Again, not the healthiest choice, but I still feel better feeding them these granola bars because I know I have carefully selected each ingredient that goes into them, and they do not contain preservatives or any unpronounceable ingredients. Give them a try. I’d love to hear what you think! 🙂

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flax seeds or wheat germ (or 1/4 cup of each)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (or chocolate chips)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey (local is best!)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, flax seeds and/or wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins (or cranberries/chocolate chips) and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, applesauce and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3.	Bake for about 23 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Healthy Replacements: Organic Popcorn

Jan2

I am always on the lookout for healthier versions of the foods I feed my family. When I first began on this journey, one of the first foods I tried to find a healthy replacement for was popcorn. Popcorn is a whole grain food, a good source of fiber, and it can be a healthy snack when the ingredients are carefully chosen. Unfortunately, the toxic chemicals added to microwave popcorn and the GMO’s(genetically modified ingredients) present in most of the popcorn sold in grocery stores can cause more harm than good and turn people away from this snack altogether. That doesn’t have to be the case. We can still feel great about enjoying this healthy snack by carefully selecting the ingredients we use to prepare it.

For more information on GMO’s and why you may want to steer clear of them, I suggest watching the documentary Food, Inc. You can watch the trailer here. It is available to watch on Netflix here. *Warning: That film may change the way you eat forever…that is what happened to me, anyway. At the very least, it will make you think about the source of your foods. Do not let it overwhelm you. I have found that making small changes was the best strategy for me and my family. If you try to do it all at once, it is very overwhelming and you will feel like there is nothing you can eat. Instead, I try to find healthy replacements, one food at a time. I hope to share all the changes I have made so far with you in this blog, one at a time.

After becoming aware of all the toxic chemicals in microwave popcorn and the dangers in GMO corn, the first thing I did was get rid of the microwave popcorn in our house. Then, I went on a search for organic popcorn and good, quality oils that do not contain GMO’s. So far, I have not been able to find organic popcorn in my local grocery stores. I usually get it on-line here. My favorite oil to use when preparing popcorn is coconut oil. Coconut oil is said to have many health benefits, and you can read more about it here.

For a healthy snack you can feel great about eating, here are the ingredients and methods of preparation you may want to use:

Ingredients

Organic Popcorn

Coconut Oil (as with the organic popcorn, it is very important not to use genetically modified oils.) Coconut oil can be found in health food stores or in local grocery stores, or find it on-line here.

Desired Seasonings (salt, butter, etc.)

Preparation Methods

There are 3 different methods of preparation I use for making popcorn. The method I choose depends on how much time I have and how much effort I feel like putting into it at the moment.

1. Microwave Method

While I do try to avoid using the microwave whenever I can, this is the quickest, easiest, and most convenient way I have found to prepare popcorn. I put 1/4 cup of organic popcorn kernels and about 1/2 Tablespoon of coconut oil into a brown paper lunch bag, fold the bag loosely 2 times, and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Microwave ovens vary, so you may need to adjust the time to see what works best for you to get most of the kernels popped without burning any. Remove from microwave and season as desired. I usually use a little salt and about a tablespoon of butter, but sometimes I switch it up and put cinnamon or other seasonings on it instead. *Note: Do not put more than 1/4 cup in at once, or the bag will open and the popcorn will overflow while in the microwave (that did happen to me.)

With the microwave method, I found that most of the kernels get popped and it is very quick and easy to do. This is the method I use the most often because it is the easiest.

2. Air Popped Method

The advantage of this method is that you don’t need to use oil to cook the popcorn in, so it saves on oil and it is healthier if your trying to minimize the amount of fat. This method takes longer than the microwave method, requires some cleanup, and I have found that there are usually still a lot of unpopped kernels. I make it this way occasionally.

1. Add 1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels to your air popper

2. Place the cover on the popper

3. Place a large bowl in front of the chute where the popcorn will come out, plug it in, and wait a few minutes while it pops your popcorn and dispenses it into your bowl.

4. When the popping sounds slow to intervals of 2-3 seconds, turn off the popper.

5. Season as desired

6. Discard any remaining unpopped kernels in the popper.

3. Stove Method

This method takes the longest, requires the most oil, and more cleanup is involved, but I think this method tastes the best. With this method, nearly all of the kernels pop and none of them are burnt. I originally learned about this method here, but I made a few very slight modifications, and it works beautifully. This is what I do:

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup Organic Popcorn

Seasonings, as desired

Method

1. Heat coconut oil and 2-3 popcorn kernels in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat and cover the pan.

2. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. This method first heats the oil to the right temperature. Waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

3. Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and pour the popcorn into a bowl.

4. Season to taste. I usually use about 2 tablespoons butter, and salt to taste. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the hot pan you used to pop the popcorn.

The result: A healthy snack that you can feel great about eating and serving to your family! Enjoy! 🙂

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Popcorn

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Popcorn - Stove Top Method

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
½ Cup Organic Popcorn
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
Additional seasonings, as desired

Instructions

Heat coconut oil and 2-3 popcorn kernels in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat and cover the pan.
When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. This method first heats the oil to the right temperature. Waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.
Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and pour the popcorn into a bowl.
Season to taste. I usually use about 2 tablespoons butter and ½ teaspoon salt. Feel free to add any additional seasonings to taste. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the hot pan you used to pop the popcorn.

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