Leek Soup for the soul.. or the cold

Soup is a great way to beat the cold or a cold. During the Hubby's recent bought with the ick, I made a pot of Leek soup. Leeks have a very mild onion flavor and look like giant chives. This simple recipe includes the immune boosting powers of ginger, turmeric root, garlic and chicken broth.
 

Here are the ingredients I used in my soup:
2 Leeks Sliced and rinsed very well
1 medium White Potato - cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
2 large cloves of Garlic - minced
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 can of condensed low sodium Chicken broth + 1 can water or 2 cups low sodium broth
an inch of Ginger root (peeled)
an inch of Turmeric root (peeled)
season with Salt and Black Pepper to taste ( I used a Himalayan pink sea salt blend but feel free to use what you have on hand)

To start I sliced the Leeks in half the in 1/2 inch pieces, rinse them in water a couple of times shaking and separating the layers. Leeks come from the ground so they have dirt trapped between the layers. Let them sit in the water for a minute, the dirt will sink to the bottom and the leeks will rise to the top. Do not dump the dirty water over the leeks after they have been cleaned or you will have to repeat the process of cleaning them again. While the leeks are getting over their bath I use that time to heat up 2 tablespoons of Olive oil in a Dutch oven style pot or a soup/ stew pot on medium high heat. Mince your Garlic cloves and add them to the hot oil. Stir the garlic to heat through and become fragrant, do not burn or it will become bitter. Once the garlic is ready, use a slotted spoon to add the Leeks to the pot draining and shaking out some of the excess water. Once all the Leeks have been added stir to toss them in the oil and Garlic. As they start to soften add your Potatoes, Ginger, Turmeric and the Chicken broth + can of water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute then turn down the heat to simmer. Let simmer till Potatoes are soft. Taste and season as needed.

Some side notes to consider...
- A quarter of a teaspoon of Ground Turmeric can substitute the use of the root just know it will give   your broth a yellow hue.
- For more ginger flavor you can grate the fresh ginger in to the soup instead of boiling the whole root.
- An all Vegetarian option can be made with Vegetable broth instead of Chicken.
- Adding a 1/2 cup of cream or milk will give your soup a richer flavor and is great for an elegant dinner party appetizer.

I hope you try this recipe and make it your own. It's a nice change from the traditional Chicken soup..
Stay well and warm!
 
 

New Year, New Life

Greetings and Happy New Year!

I know I have been MIA from posting and at first it was due to writer's block and then it was due to my Father's passing. It was sudden and 2 days before my birthday in October. Needless to say the Holidays were not as jolly as in years past, it was my first season with out both of my parents. My Mother passed away 5 years prior. However, I tried to make the most of it for my son, he is 3 and it was the first time decorating a tree. He was too small before and why schlep out the heavy, pre-lite faux tree, only to decorate the top half so he does not "play" with the ornaments. In memory of my parents we bought keepsake ornaments to hang up. Darin picked out one for his "Pappy" and the Hubby helped me pick out one for my Mom this year. It was a rather emotional holiday but as holidays do, it came and went then the New Year approached.

I am not a big fan of the New Year with all it's "Today is a blank page of a 365 page book" "Make it your year" or every single diet, fitness, aerobic workout, now skinny B class celebrity commercial assaulting my eyes and mind till March. Humbug I say, HUMBUG! If every overweight person on the planet lost weight then these people would be out of a job.. I can't be responsible for taking away someone's lively hood... I will not do it, don't ask me. ::Evil Laugh::

I digress.. though the New year is all fine and dandy... the best part of this particular year is new life. Yes, of course I know each year brings new life but this year there will be 2 new additions to our family so far.. No, it's not me. But my BIL and his wife as well as our Cousins are expecting this year.
I've spoken before in an older blog of the barrage of advice you receive as an expecting parent. But, now that I have gone trough the phase of expecting Mother to new Mom I am guilty of doling out advice warranted or not. I have come to realize that this is how we learn to care for our babies and truly build a support system to help us through the most important job we will ever have, parenthood. I must note that not all advice is good advice but that is where good judgement and common sense come in to play. To me, my support system was invaluable, since my son was born a year after my Mother was gone, I had the support of Mothers in all stages of parenthood to help guide me.

Much like a new year, a new life is one filled with hope and optimism. It is filled with purity, joy and the anticipation of what comes next. Yet, as much hope and forward thinking we have, we must also remember to live in the now. For now, this very moment in time will never come back again. My best piece of advise not just for expecting Mothers or new Moms but for everyone is enjoy the now, the good, bad, ugly and in between. Enjoy the now because you will never have it again.
Make it your year!

The Benefits of Witch Hazel

I've used Witch Hazel on my skin for years. I used to have very unsightly scars on my legs from mosquito bites, the use of Witch Hazel helped to fade the scars and keep my legs smooth. Over time I tried it on my face as a skin toner and it helped with the few acne scars that I had. 

I'm always looking for natural products to add to the Water Bottle Soap Beauty Care line and as I was doing some research I remembered Witch Hazel. There are more to Witch Hazel than just for scars and skin toning. It helps with the following:

1. The big one: Spot and blemish control*
2. Soothe and heal diaper rash
3. Shrink bags under the eyes
4. Soothe and reduce external hemorrhoids
5. Varicose vein relief
6. Soothe poison ivy and poison oak
7. Treat chicken pox blisters
8. Heal your bruises faster

9. Soothe razor burn (and in some instances, prevent it)
10. Treat and soothe a nasty sunburn
11. Treat dry skin
12. Use to heal and soothe various cuts and bruises
13. Take the bite out of bug bites
14. Refresh tired eyes - NOT by squirting witch hazel in them
15. Make your own deodorant
16. Astringent to tighten the skin**
17. Ease symptoms of eczema and psoriasis***

Similar to the multiple benefits of Coconut Oil and 

Turmeric, the benefits of Witch Hazel make this natural, Eco-friendly, inexpensive product a must have to your beauty regimen.
But, what is Witch Hazel exactly...

" …an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub (Hamamelis virginiana), which grows naturally from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada and south to Florida, and Texas in the United States. This plant was widely used for medicinal purposes by American Indians. The witch hazel extract was obtained by steaming the twigs of the shrub." - Source Wikipedia

Most drugstores carry distilled Witch Hazel, it can usually be found by the Peroxide and Rubbing Alcohol. As for my beauty line I have added WBS Skin Toner Pads, the jar holds 30  pre-moistened soaked in Witch Hazel, Lavender Essential Oil and a few drop of Vitamin E Oil. All of which are super beneficial for the skin. Check out my website for more information and to check out the entire WBS Body Care Line. 


Sources:
 *http://www.wisebread.com/15-wonderful-uses-for-witch-hazel
**www.webmd.com
***http://skincare.allwomenstalk.com/reasons-to-add-witch-hazel-in-your-skin-care-routine/9/

Autumn in South Florida

For those who live in the Southern part of the Sunshine state you know that we really only have one season... Hurricane season! (No joke) The way we South Floridians tell when Autumn is approaching is when the stores and the coffee shops start to offer Pumpkin flavored goodness.

Being a transplant to Florida I truly miss the changing of the seasons. The turning of the leaves from green to majestic golds, reds and oranges, the sound of them crunching under my feet as I walk in the park and feeling that crisp cool breeze tickle my nose.The sound of the leaves rustling in the air, knowing Summer has come to a close and Winter is not too far. I just really love Autumn!

I feel sad for the native SoFlas who have yet to experience a true Autumn Season, to me, it's so magical. All they have to go on are pictures of Fall leaves and Pumpkin flavors, by all means I'm not complaining, Pumpkin and spice is a wonderful warm flavor, one that takes me instantly to that Autumn paradise. However, I've noticed it doesn't translate in to soap very well in this market. Even the colors don't really translate either... I'd love to hear what you think.. Autumn Scents in Soaps "Yeay" or "Nay"?

How does your garden grow?

I think I got my green thumb from my Father. From the time I can remember we've always had plants in our apartment in New Jersey growing up. I would help to transplant them when they out grew their pots. When we moved to Florida and we had a proper back yard my Dad would save and plant dates, coconuts, he even tried to plant pistachios ( those did not grow well). I joined in and planted Sun flowers, Amaryllis and Paper whites. Now that I am back to apartment living, I still enjoy getting my hands dirty so to speak. My current "garden" contains a Pineapple plant, Celery and Turmeric.

This is my second Pineapple plant and it is most definitely ready to transplant it to the ground, it has grown tremendously since all the Summer rains. Pineapple is the easiest to grow, just cut the top off of a fresh pineapple and you have a new plant. I saw a tip on local television if you peel away the bottom leaves close to the base about 1-1/12 inches up you will start to see the roots of the plant. All you have to do is just plant it in a pot or in your garden, before you know it you will have a Pineapple plant.

Next on my list is Celery, again it's easy to grow, just cut the base of the celery bulb and place in a small dish with water, soon enough you will start to see yellow-green shoots coming from the center. I then moved the bulb to a pot of soil about 2 weeks after it "caught". As soon as I transplanted it in to the earth,the yellow-green shoots turned a gorgeous deep green. This picture is about 2 weeks after it was in the dirt, best part is it has that bright Celery scent already. 

My newest go at growing something is Turmeric root. I've talked about all the benefits to Turmeric in a previous post. This is more than just a natural food colorant, Turmeric is one of the greatest super foods we have. Turmeric like the Pineapple grows from itself. The roots start to produce sprouts and roots which once planted in the soil become a plant, you can then harvest the roots after the leafy tops start to turn yellow and have all new Turmeric roots to use and even plant more. 

 

I'm excited to see how my Turmeric plant grows and getting the chance to use my own homegrown Turmeric in my soaps! These plants for the most part are low maintenance and for me, fun to watch grow and develop.I'll keep you posted on my "harvest" ...lol

Getting Show Ready

There is always an excitement for me when participating in shows, and some anxiety as well. I'm always afraid no one will like my soap or I didn't make enough or that my selection is not great enough.... there are always questions and what if's that float through my mind until the day of and my table is set and the folks start to browse, ask questions and shop. The interactions with my customers are so gratifying to me, that moment when they "get it", cause let's face it sometimes a bar of soap is not just a bar of soap. Because I use water bottles as the molds for most of them, people become very intrigued once they hear the story, if you have not heard it... here we go... Ready?

"I use the bottom of water bottle as the mold, then recycle the plastic once the are done. So, it's a green company as well. I'm giving the water bottles one more used before they are sent off to be recycled, it's my small effort to help the environment."

It is a wonderful feeling to know that I'm making some sort of contribution to helping preserve our environment. Also, in keeping with the Eco-Friendly theme, I'm using wrappers and labels that are Eco-Friendly or from a sustainable source. I know my customers appreciate this, as well as a good quality soap.

Getting show ready is always a challenge, but through the years I have it some what down to a science... or at least less boxes. I used to stay up all night making soap, labeling, boxing, packing and truth be told praying that my efforts pay off. As with any buying cycle, sometimes there is a pay-off, sometime not, but the most invaluable aspect is the knowledge that I gain with each show. For example, the show I just participated in... I ran out of change twice, I ran out of bags, and I sold out of 4-5 products. Those were a couple of firsts for me, but next time I know to bring change, bags, and oh dear.. make more soap... lol.
I have to laugh, it was such a great experience and it taught me about this particular show. Bottom line you can prepare as much as you like but you are never as prepared as should be. So, if you are a crafter thinking about participating in your first show or a seasoned vendor remember to have fun with it. Go out there, engage each customer, don't be put off by folks who are "just looking". Tell your story and talk about your inspiration. People will feel your passion and want to support your cause.
Good Luck!

The Next Big Thing..... Turmeric

Growing up with parents from the West Indies there are certain things that are second nature, for instance Curry, I've eaten Curry all my life. Whether it was chicken, beef, goat... Curry was a staple in our home, also a staple were seasonings like Cumin, Geera, Tandoori, Cardamon and Turmeric. These are not new or mysterious to me, but in the mainstream, they are definitely exotic. Ironically, as I was getting ready to write this post there was an ad pop up about Turmeric and its benefits to ease joint pain.

What is Turmeric? *Turmeric is a plant. You probably know turmeric as the main spice in curry. It has a warm, bitter taste and is frequently used to flavor or color curry powders, mustards, butters, and cheeses. But the root of turmeric is also used widely to make medicine.


There are a mulitude of benefits Turmeric provides to not only our joints, but to our overall health.
*Here are the benefits of Turmeric in our body:

• Eases joint pain
• Heartburn
• Stomach issues
• Jaundice and liver problems
• Loss of appetite
• Gallbladder issues

Turmeric can be ingested in food or as a tea, you can even mix a bit in your detox water for added benefits. I especially love to use Turmeric in rice an peas, it gives the rice a beautiful yellow color and add great flavor to an ordinary dish.

**The topical (on the skin) benefits of Turmeric are:

• It has anti-inflammatory properties, which reduce skin inflammation, pigmentation and blemishes.
• It has antibacterial properties, which help reduce acne, especially when used with other natural ingredients.
• It has anti-aging properties, which help prevent and improve dry skin and wrinkles, thus slowing the process of aging to help your skin look younger.

I use a combination of Turmeric powder and Eucalyptus Mint Essential Oil blend in my WBS Herbals soap. I have used a bar for 2 weeks now and I have noticed some scars on my arm have began to lighten...Yay! The great thing about Turmeric powder is it creates a very fine exfoliant in the soap and the blending of the Eucalyptus Mint make for a soothing scent.

Check out the links below for more information on this amazing, soon to be the new super food and learn more bout how it can benefit your overall health. Also grab a bar of my WBS Herbals Turmeric soap...

Source: *http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-662-TURMERIC.aspx?activeIngredientId=662&activeIngredientName=TURMERIC

**http://www.med-health.net/Turmeric-Powder-For-Skin.html