The “Jello” Gelatin you can buy in stores is packed with sugar or chemical sugar substitutes, along with Gelatin from conventional animals fed a poor diet. I certainly wasn’t going to make that for my kids!

Then I found out about how healthy gelatin from grass fed animals can be a good protein source and can improve skin and hair quality and help the digestive system. I’d been drinking unflavored Gelatin in my tea and in smoothies, but it dawned on my that I could use the healthy kind of jello with natural fruits and fresh juices to make a “Jello” that my kids would like and that I would be ok with them eating.

Certainly, this still isn’t an everyday snack, but if it is made from fresh fruit and juices with quality Gelatin, it can be a healthy treat that kids will enjoy!

Healthy Gelatin Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of organic or freshly juiced fruit juice of choice (grape, pineapple, orange or a mix of orange and pineapple are all good!)
• 1/4 cup cool water
• 1/4 cup hot (almost boiling) water
• 1 tablespoon of Kosher Gelatin Powder 
• 1-2 cups of fresh fruit (optional) – Pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and orange slices are all really good

Note: Can double recipe.

How to make healthy Jello:

1. Pour the cool water in a large mixing cup or quart sized mason jar and add the gelatin powder.
2. Stir briskly until mixed- it will start to thicken a lot.
3. Add the 1/4 cup of really hot water and stir to mix- it should be thinner now.
4. Combine this with the juice and mix well.
5. Put the fruit into the container that you are going to make the jello in. 8×8 baking dishes work well.
6. Pour the jello mixture over the fruit and stir lightly to make sure it has coated the fruit too.
7. Put in the fridge, covered, for at least 2-3 hours or overnight and serve.
8. Can cut into cubes or scoop out with a melon spoon to make cute shapes.
9. Enjoy.

Variations: Can use Water kefir in place of part of the juice for a probiotic boost. You can make it entirely with Kombucha for a less-sweet but more healthy version. For a grow up treat, you can even do this with Champagne for a fun party treat. If you want individual sizes, make it in ice-cube trays with a single strawberry or piece of fruit in each cube.

Ever made Jello? Like the chemical laden stuff at the grocery store? Will you try this one? Let me know! 

A lot of people on my Christmas list got homemade lotion this year, and it couldn’t be simpler to make.

You can customize your lotion to your skin type and desired scent, and you can even make it for baby (calendula and chamomile…)

There are endless variations, but some of my favorites are:

• Calendula and Chamomile for baby
• Rosewater and Almond Oil
• Peppermint, Wintergreen and Ginger for sore muscles
• Coconut and Calendula for face
• Mint and green tea
• Lavender and vanilla

I’ve included my basic recipe below. You can customize by making different herbal bases in the liquid, using different oils, or even using cocoa butter or shea butter for half of the oil if you like more of a body butter consistency.

Organic Homemade Lotion Basic Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of oil of choice (almond and coconut are good choices- coconut will make more of a body butter texture)
• 1 tablespoon of beeswax
• 1/3 cup distilled water, or brewed herbal infusion of choice (To make: boil distilled water, add herbs you are using and let sit until mostly cool)
• 1 tsp Vitamin E oil (important-to preserve)
• Essential oils of choice (optional)

How to Make:

1. In a double boiler (use an old bowl over a small saucepan that has water in it) put the oil and beeswax and stir over medium heat until the beeswax has just melted.
2. Remove from heat, add the vitamin E oil and essential oils and stir to combine.
3. Make sure water or herbal infusion is slightly warm but not hot (important step or the lotion won’t emulsify)
4. Put the water/herbal infusion in a blender or food processor and turn on high.
5. VERY SLOWLY add the oil mixture, starting with a drop at a time.
6. Continually drizzle the oil mixture into the blender until all poured in.
7. Check consistency and blend more if needed.
8. Store in a glass jar (or pump bottle if you use almond oil and have a thin enough consistency). Lasts up to two-months out of the fridge or up to 6 months in the fridge.

Ever made your own lotion? How did it go? Let me know below!!

I highly recommend this type of t-shirt quilt for several reasons:

• No hand sewing required
• No interfacing, starch or other backing needed
• No batting or inner layer needed
• Easy to sew
• Really warm!
• Machine washable!

I came up with the idea for this quilt when my husband decided he had too many shirts from college and was going to get rid of a bag of them. He would never be able to wear all these shirts, but they represented memories for him and I wanted to preserve them.

I looked into options of having them quilted with a quilting machine, which looked great, but had a lot more steps and was going to cost several hundred dollars. I’d have to send it off to have it quilted and there wasn’t even time to finish it before Christmas.

This left figuring out a way to do it myself. I had the idea of using fleece as a backing and leaving out the batting entirely, but every search I tried online said it wasn’t a good idea and the lady at the fabric store said it couldn’t be done.

What’s this? Can’t be done?…. a Challenge!

I found fleece on sale for $3 a yard and bought three yards. In hindsight, I would have gotten a couple extra yards in case I needed it, but three yards was just enough for a 5 shirt by 4 shirt quilt (16 inch blocks).

After some trial and error, I figured out a pattern that I (hoped) thought would work and decided to give it a try. The confounding factor was that I had two weeks to get it done before Christmas and I could only do it while my hubby was gone and had to have all trace of it cleaned up before he got home so he wouldn’t suspect it.

Add four kids to the mix and I really wasn’t sure I could finish it by Christmas. Thankfully, the pattern worked and turned out to be easy!

I finished this is about 8 hours total (split up over about 5 days when he wasn’t home) and the end result is a very soft, warm and machine washable quilt!

My next project is to make smaller versions for the kids from some of their baby clothes that have special memories.

If you have some old t-shirts that are full of memories, this is a great way to up-cycle them and make them useful.

What you need:

• old t-shirts
• fleece (all one color, or a mix if you want a patch-work back also)- about a yard per every 5-6 shirts
• A lot of thread! I went through 2 spools. I used white so it would show on the back but any color would work.
• pinking shears (optional but recommended) or fabric scissors
• A paper grocery bag or large piece of cardboard
• a marker, pencil or colored chalk
• A lot of pins
• A sewing machine
• A large flat surface (I used the floor)
• Patience

How to Make The Fleece T-Shirt Quilt

1. Cut a 16×16 inch square from the paper bag or cardboard. This is your pattern for each square.
2. Lay the pattern over the back or front of each shirt (whichever part you want on the quilt) and make sure the design is centered as much as possible.
3. Use the marker, pencil or chalk to draw around the pattern onto the shirt. I used a permanent marker and just
   cut right inside the line so no marker was left on the part of the shirt that would be in the quilt. You could just try to cut around the pattern, but I found that it is very difficult to keep the shirt from moving and creating an uneven square. (TIP: Save the extra pieces of t-shirt and cut into smaller squares to use for cleaning rags)
4. Once all the shirts are cut out, use the pattern to cut out an equal number of fleece squares.
5. Match up each t-shirt with a fleece square with back sides together and the good side of the t-shirt and the fleece facing out.
6. On each square, sew the diagonal pattern (see tutorial picture). Sew diagonally down one side first. Then, move out approximately 3.5 inches on either side and sew. Move another 3.5 inches from each of these and sew again. This will make a total of 5 diagonal “seams” through the t-shirt.
7. Repeat the same diagonal 5 seams, going to opposite way (see picture if this is confusing). This will leave a diagonal quilted pattern on each square.
8. Repeat with all squares.
9. Once all squares have been “quilted”, sew t-shirts into rows first and then sew the rows together to make the quilt.
10. To sew rows: Put the backs (the fleece side) of the squares together and sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. This will leave 1/2 inch of rough edges on the front side of the quilt. If you are using pinking shears, trim the seam allowances at this point (very slightly) to leave a zig zag edge.
11. Fold each side of the seam over and sew 1/4 inch from the original seam to make a 1 inch border between squares (see picture)
12. Continue to do this to create all the rows.
13. When rows are done, place two rows together with backs touching so that seams will show on the front side of the quilt.
14. Sew with 1/2 inch seam allowance, trim with pinking shears if using. Fold down and top stitch at 1/4 inch to leave 1 inch border between rows. (The same way you did between squares)
15. Repeat this until all rows are together.
16. For the outside edges: Fold them over 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again for a total of 1/2 inch folded over. Top stitch in the middle of this to create a finished edge (see picture). Alternatively, you can trim around the whole thing with pinking shears and just fold over once at 1/2 inch to create a zig zag border on the edges as well.
17. Trim all threads (this takes the longest!)
18. Enjoy your quilt!

I used Activated Charcoal a few months ago when I had an awful bout of food poisoning, and it worked wonders! This is actually the substance that many hospitals have on hand and use when patients have ingested toxins or when they pump patients’ stomachs. It is available as a loose powder and in capsule form (see notes below!)

Activated charcoal is a highly absorbant substance. It removes toxins when they adhere to the surface of the charcoal. It is not absorbed by the body, but passes through the GI system, so chemicals and toxins adhere to it, pass through the body and are expelled by the digestive system.

In the 1800s, two men took lethal doses of poisons (including arsenic) and survived without harm… their secret: they mixed the toxins with activated charcoal powder. (Stating the obvious: do not try to repeat these experiments!)

Activated charcoal is extremely effective at pulling toxins from household chemicals, ingested medicines, and other toxins from the body, especially when taken within 30 minutes of ingestion. For this reason, it is a great first treatment for any kind of poisoning, but should not be taken within several hours of medications (or even vitamins) that DO need to be absorbed.

There is even some evidence that activated charcoal is helpful both before and after alcohol consumption to lessen the amount that is absorbed by the body.

Even mainstream medical sites are on board with the benefits of using activated charcoal for a poison remedy.

Should you ever need to use activated charcoal on yourself of a child for poisoning, use as soon as possible and call a poison control center or go to the emergency room as well to make sure the poison has been fully removed!

In the event of ingestion of poison, 1-2 tablespoons of activated charcoal can be mixed with water and drank quickly. Charcoal should not be taken regularly, as it can cause constipation and block mineral absorption if it is not needed. Also, it can’t be mixed with dairy products or many foods, as they lower its effectiveness. If you have to use it for a case of poisoning, just mix it with water and drink… it doesn’t taste like anything. This dose can be repeated up to 3 times a day until symptoms of food poisoning or other poison are gone.

Important note: If you have to take charcoal, make sure to drink a lot of water as it can cause dehydration if taken in large doses!

Activated charcoal is also effective externally as a poultice on spider and insect bites. I tried this when my son was bitten by a brown recluse, and alternating poltices of activated charcoal, baking soda, and powdered plantain completely reversed the bite and he doesn’t even have a scar now.

Activated charcoal is also the stuff used in gas masks and water filters to remove toxins.

But what does that have to do with teeth?

So, it’s all well and good that activated charcoal is an effective poison remedy… but you might be wondering why I brushed my teeth with it…

First, please excuse my weird smile in those pictures and the bad lighting in my bathroom… I was  trying to show all of my teeth (I don’t usually smile like that!).

The times that I’d recommended charcoal for use in food poisoning or other digestive issues, I always cautioned people to mix with water and swallow quickly so that it wouldn’t stain their teeth. Then, a holistic dentist I know mentioned that it is very effective at whitening teeth… huh?

Since the powder stains everything, I had always worried that it would do the same to my teeth (one of my kids dumped it in the kitchen one time and it does stain tile, grout, clothes and shoes… just a note).

I did some research and found out that even though it temporarily makes the mouth look extremely black (see picture above!) it has the same effect as it does when ingested: it pulls toxins from the mouth and removes stains. (Fair warning: when you open your mouth, it is completely black and rather scary looking! Right after I did this the first time I was intensely worried that it would stain my teeth!)

To my surprise, all of the black washes away and it makes your teeth feel extremely clean and smooth. After a few uses, my teeth were noticeably whiter too (you can sort of tell in the picture above… the lighting didn’t do it justice!).

Further research I’ve done on this showed that activated charcoal can actually be helpful in changing the pH and health of the mouth, and as such is effective in preventing cavities and killing the bad bacteria present in tooth decay and gingivitis. For this reason, I now suggest and use it as part of my remineralizing protocol for teeth, along with my remineralizing toothpaste.

How to use on teeth: Dip a clean, wet toothbrush into the powdered charcoal (or dump a capsule of charcoal on the toothbrush). Lean over the container or charcoal and quickly put the charcoal covered toothbrush in the mouth (this is to protect your sink). Brush in small, gentle circles for 2 minutes, spit carefully and rinse really well. Your mouth will feel amazingly clean…. your sink, not so much! Use as often as needed.

Quick Reference of Uses:

• For food poisoning: Take 1-2 tablespoons in a glass of water (most effective way) or take a lot (6 or more) capsules of the powder. This can be repeated up to three times in a day and is safe for children as well. The only dangers are dehydration or mineral loss over the long term, so don’t take for extended periods of time and drink water. If any type of poisoning occurs, contact poison control or your local emergency room even if you successfully use the charcoal. Has been used for ingestion of household chemicals, medicines and other household toxins.
• For skin infection, spider bites, insect bites and other skin lesions: Make a paste of charcoal and water and either place directly on the skin, or inside a piece of sterile gauze and place over the wound. This can be changed hourly and should pull toxins from the wound. Note: On open wounds, some people report that it can be absorbed and create a tattoo like effect when skin heals, though I did not have this experience when I used on my son, and even this seemed preferable to the oozing bite that was developing.
• For teeth: Dip wet toothbrush in charcoal powder, brush gently for 2 minutes and rinse well. Repeat as needed.

Where to get Activated Charcoal:

Most natural health stores carry activated charcoal in loose powderor capsule form and it is also available online. I keep both the powdered and capsuled forms on hand in case it is needed for poisoning and I use the powdered in a small glass jar for tooth brushing. Make sure that the charcoal is from wood or coconut sources and not petroleum based. This is one of the highest quality forms I’ve found and it is made from coconut hulls.

I’d definitely recommend trying this as part of your oral health routine, and even if you don’t I suggest having some activated charcoal on hand at all times for food poisoning or accidental ingestion of toxins.

What do you think? Am I crazy… would you try it for whitening your teeth? Tell me below!

For babies and small children especially, treatment options are limited, but congestion and coughing can really interfere with their ability to sleep well.

We used to keep regular Vicks Vapor Rub and the Baby version on hand for illnesses, until I realized that it had PETROLEUM in it.. yuck!

In the name of not consuming or slathering our skin with anything that is more beneficial to a car engine… I’ve been making this really easy homemade version ever since.

If you don’t have the ingredients or don’t want to take the time to make this recipe, mixing the essential oils with coconut oil works almost as well. All ingredients for the recipe below  (including tins or lip chap containers to keep it in) are available here.

Vapor-Rub Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup olive oil or almond oil
• 2 level tablespoons of beeswax pastilles
• 20 drops of Eucalyptus Oil
• 20 drops Peppermint Oil
• 10 drops Rosemary Oil
• 10 drops cinnamon or clove oil (optional)

How To Make Vapor Rub:

1. Melt beeswax with olive oil/almond oil in a double boiler or in the microwave until just melted.
2. Add the essential oils (use half the amount for a baby version or dilute with coconut oil before using)
3. Stir until well mixed and pour into some type of container with a lid to store. Little tins work well, as do small jars. I also always make a few in lip chap sticks to keep in my purse or use on baby feet.

What are your tried and true remedies for beating illnesses? Ever made your own remedies? Tell me about it below!

Of all the stain removers out there, Oxy Clean is the most natural option that I”ve found… but it is also one of the most expensive options.

Thanks to Pinterest (go check it out if you haven’t… unless you value your free time!), I found a recipe for homemade Oxy Clean and from my scientific testing (aka: my kids stains for two weeks) it seems to be as effective as the store bought stuff.

It’s also really easy and cheap to make!

Homemade OxyClean Ingredients

• 2 parts water
• 1 part hydrogen peroxide
• 1 part baking soda

I use 2 cups water, 1 cup hydrogen peroxide and 1 part baking soda. This is a liquid recipe and also reminds me somewhat of Shout spray.

How To Make:

1. Combine all ingredients and put in an opaque dark bottle. I just stuck a sprayer from the dollar store on top of the hydrogen peroxide bottle.
2. Use as a pre-treat spray on stains or add 1/4 of the mixture above (about 1 cup total) to a load of laundry, add water and let soak for 30 minutes before washing.

Also, check out this recipe for homemade laundry detergent.

What’s the weirdest stain you’ve ever had to get out? Ever made your own laundry supplies before? 

Stuffing is such a part of Thanksgiving for so many people (me included), yet it almost always is bread based and adds very little nutritional value to the meal. This has been the most difficult recipe to make a healthy version of, but I am pleased with the (much more nutritious) outcome.

This stuffing is better outside the bird, and can easily be prepared a day or two ahead of time and reheated in a 9×13 baking dish to save time on Thanksgiving Day. The leftovers can actually be breaded in coconut flour and pan-fried to make a “bread” for leftover turkey sandwiches.

If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year, why not serve a meal with as much nutrition as it has taste? Check back tomorrow for a full Thanksgiving Menu with recipes and a shopping list so you can serve a healthy feast and not forget any details!

Grain Free Stuffing Ingredients:

• 2 large turnips (not sure how big they normally are, but mine weighed about 2 lbs each, so 4 lbs total)
• 3 large or 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 large onions
• 5 large ribs of celery (or about 1 medium sized head)
• 1 package of fresh button mushrooms
• 1 apple
• 1 pound of sage pork sausage (optional)
• 2-3 teaspoons or more garlic powder (to taste)
• 2-3 teaspoons sage powder  or more (to taste)
• About 1 teaspoon each of Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt or more (to taste)
• 1/2 cup of oil for cooking: tallow, lard, ghee, coconut oil, etc (just no vegetable oils)- I prefer tallow

How To Make Savory Grain Free Stuffing:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel turnips and sweet potatoes and cut into small (1/2 inch) cubes
3. Grease 2 large baking sheets with oil and evenly spread the turnips and sweet potatoes on them (Depending on the size of your baking sheets, it may take another baking sheet or a couple rounds to fit them all)
4. Sprinkle with some of the garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, turmeric, pepper and salt and toss with your hands.
5. Put into oven and bake for about an hour until they are soft and starting to brown… toss a few times to brown evenly.
6. While those are cooking … in a large skillet (or Wok) brown the sausage if you are using it.
7. Finely dice the onions, and celery and add to the pan once the sausage has cooked. You might need to add more oil.
8. Dice the mushrooms and peel and dice the apple and add once the onions/celery have started to soften.
9. Continue cooking until all are cooked and add more of the above spices to your taste.
10. Once turnips and sweet potatoes are done, mix with the sausage/onion/celery/apple/mushroom combination and continue mixing until well incorporated and starting to clump together.
11. Transfer to a greased 9×19 baking dish and warm in oven if serving immediately or put in fridge, covered.
12. For reheating: 30 minutes, covered @350 degrees.

What dish makes it seem like Thanksgiving for you? Do you make it healthy?

I was never actually a big pumpkin pie fan in the past. In the past couple of years, I’ve fallen in love with coconut and pumpkin… and this recipe is a good combination of both. It is grain free and can be completely dairy free.

If your family considers pumpkin pie a part of the Thanksgiving feast, consider this healthier option this year!

Ingredients:

For Crust-

• 1 cup of almonds or pecans, finely ground in blender until flour like (or almond flour)
• 3 TBSP of coconut oil plus some to grease pie pan
• 1 egg
• Cinnamon powder (1/4-1/2 tsp or to taste)

For Filling-

• 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin (nothing added) or approx 2 cups of homemade pureed pumpkin with excess liquid drained
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup of honey (or to taste) – can substitute stevia, but the honey actually helps it hold better
• 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spices or about 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of cloves, ginger and nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla
• coconut milk to thin (no more than about 1/3 cup)

How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Pie

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Grease pie pan with coconut oil and mix crust ingredients by hand in a medium sized bowl.
3. Press crust into bottom and sides of pie pan and put in the oven while making the filling.
4. In the same bowl (no need for extra dishes!) combine the filling ingredients (except coconut milk) and mix using an immersion blender. If you don’t have  one of these, use a regular blender or food processor. A hand-mixer will not get it as smooth! It should be smooth and spreadable, but not really pourable. Add coconut milk if needed to thin slightly.
5. After 10-15 minutes, remove the crust as it barely starts to brown.
6. Pour/smooth the filling over the crust and return to oven for about  an hour or until center is no longer jiggly. Will set more as it cooks.
7. Top with coconut cream or whipped heavy cream and some chopped pecans.
8. Enjoy!

This post is the first of 16 that will run between now and Thanksgiving. I’ll be posting healthy Thanksgiving recipes, and then compiling them into a free menu plan with shopping list. If there is a favorite you want to see, tell me in the comments below!

Butternut Squash Soup is one of my fall favorites. It  is naturally sweet and filling, but also very easy to make a healthy version of.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup (plus more to thin) homemade chicken broth or stock
• 1 sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp garlic (or to taste)
• sprinkle of thyme (optional)

How To Make It:

1. Cut top and bottom off of butternut squash and use knife to carefully cut remaining skin off.
2. Cut in half and scoop out seeds (they are great roasted!)
3. Chop squash into small cubes and dice onion.
4. In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add diced onion.
5. Saute 3 minutes until starting to soften and add squash.
6. Saute an additional 5 minutes until squash starts to brown.
7. Add coconut milk, stock, and spices and bring to simmer.
8. Simmer about 20 minutes until soft.
9. Use a blender or hand blender to puree until smooth.
10. Serve warm or make ahead to reheat for a fast meal addition.

Liquid stevia extract is a relatively easy tincture to make at home, and it is a much cheaper alternative to the store bought versions. If you grow your own stevia, you can preserve the leaves while still fresh to make the most potent extract. This is my basic stevia recipe, and it is suitable for kids and pregnant women as the alcohol cooks out.

Homemade Stevia Extract Ingredients and Materials:

• 1- Quart or pint glass jar with lid (both boiled to sterilize)
• fresh or dried stevia leaf
• enough vodka, rum or everclear to fill the jar (at least half of the total size of the jar)
• a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
• small sauce pan

How To Make Liquid Stevia Extract

1. Put the fresh or dried stevia leaf in the jar, filling it 2/3 full.
2. Pour vodka/rum/everclear over the leaves to fill the jar and put the lid on tightly.
3. Put in a place where you will see it and leave for 36 hours, shaking occasionally. (I put on the counter and shake every time I’m cooking) Leaving it for longer than this seems to make it bitter.
4. Strain the liquid into the small sauce pan (it will be greenish-brown)
5. Turn heat on low and bring to a simmer. Important: do not boil! It will ruin the taste!!!
6. Simmer for about 1/2 an hour, stirring constantly and making sure not to boil. It will thicken. When it gets to your desired thickness, remove from heat.
7. Store in small jar in the fridge for up to 3 months.

This can be used in baking recipes like Crock Pot Cheesecake or Pumpkin Cheesecake. It is also great in coffee, tea, chai lattes or pumpkin lattes.  It is pretty much the only sweetener we use in our house and by making it ourselves, we avoid the bitter aftertaste in the bleached store versions.

Do you use stevia? Ever made it?