Vegetable Minestrone

This is for you Melanie! It's is easily one of my family's all time favorite soup recipes. Perfect for a cool fall evening!

Ingredients:
2 T. avocado oil
1 onion, chopped
4-5 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 t. oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
8 c. broth of choice (I use low sodium veggie)
28 oz. diced tomatoes
1 c. ditalini pasta (I sometimes use whole wheat macaroni)
1 can white beans, drained & rinsed
2 zucchini, diced small
1 head kale or chard, destemmed & chopped
1/4 c. fresh basil or 2 T. pesto

Directions:
1. Saute onion, carrot, bell pepper in avocado oil until onion is translucent (about 5 min).
2. Add garlic, oregano, salt & pepper and cook 1 min more.
3. Add broth & tomatoes and bring to a boil.
4. Add pasta & beans. Cook until pasta is almost done (time varies depending on the pasta you use).
5. Stir in zucchini & kale. Cook a couple minutes more, until veggies are tender.
6. Turn off the heat and add the basil or pesto. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Homemade Body Wash

I love this stuff! It's way cheaper than the kind you would buy, plus it's all natural ingredients. And the best part is it doesn't dry out my skin. It makes about 20 oz.

Ingredients:
1 T. steel cut oats
1 c. filtered water
2 T. sweet almond oil
1 T. raw honey
1 t. citric acid
1 t. guar gum
1 1/2 c. Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap
10-20 drops essential oil of choice (I used wild orange oil)

Directions:
1. Boil the water and infuse it with the oats for about an hour.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, citric acid & infused water.
3. Add the guar gum and whisk and then immediately (so you don't get clumps) add the soap.
4. Stir in the essential oil and store in a bottle. (I used an empty kombucha bottle).

Banana Berry Coconut Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients: 
3 c rolled oats
1/4 c ground flaxseed
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 t salt
4 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
2 c coconut milk
4 eggs
3 bananas
3 c frozen mixed berries

Top with coconut & bake at 350 for 45-50 min.

One Pot Wonder Spaghetti

Ingredients:
14 oz spaghetti 
4 1/2 c veggie broth 
1 onion, diced 
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes 
1 t oregano 
1 t basil 
2 T evoo 

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 min, stirring every few minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil (if you have it).

Essential Oil Cold & Flu Bomb

Whenever I feel a tickle in my throat, I start taking these cold bombs 2-3 times a day. It usually beats the cold before it settles. I use doTerra oils for this.

In an empty capsule:
5 drops Oregano
5 drops On Guard
5 drops Melaleuca
2 drops Peppermint
4 drops Lemon

Warning, you may feel like a fire-breathing dragon after taking this! My husband says it's like Christmas in his tummy.

Super Orange Juice

This is a great immunity booster when you're feeling under the weather. I always juice a lot when my kids are sick. I made this in my juicer, not blender.

Ingredients:
2 apples
2 oranges
2 limes
4 carrots
1 sweet potato

Pineapple Delight Smoothie

This tastes better than an Orange Julius! 

Ingredients:
1 scoop protein powder
2 bananas
2 c. frozen pineapple
3 c. OJ