Warming Coffee Hand Scrub

There’s something about winter time, getting cozy, making and creating beautiful things for the body, the home, the family, friends, gifting….I’ve seen coffee scrubs all around but have yet to find a recipe that speaks to me in very #hygge, cozy, perfect-for-winter ways, until this one.

I’ve always been one of those people who love the smell of coffee more than the taste. Don’t get me wrong ~ there’s nothing like really good, organic, (decaf for me) coffee….but depending on where you get it, it doesn’t fulfill me quite as much as simply smelling it (and perhaps I’ve been jaded by bad coffee!). I love that this scrub brings that amazing aroma to my senses. It’s sort of perfect.

It’s quick to make, and completely delicious to smell. I primarily use it for the hands, but you can easily use it for elbows, feet, legs, etc. Just make sure you rinse well as it may stain your hands a little, (but don’t wash with soap since it will wash away the oils that are meant to make your hands soft). It’s a bit abrasive, so I wouldn’t use it on the face.

The cinnamon and nutmeg are very wintery aromas, and warming too…makes you feel like you’re drinking a cozy cup of cinnamon & nutmeg coffee.

Here we go:

1/2 cup ground organic coffee (since this is going on the skin, you’ll want to use organic)

any liquid carrier oil of your choice (almond, grapeseed, fractionated coconut, olive, etc.)

3 drops nutmeg essential oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon (or 1 drop cinnamon essential oil) ~ watch it with this oil, as it can be very hot. Only add in one drop.

Combine ingredients in a small glass jar and mix well. The mixture will want to look like wet sand, but you can add as little or as much oil as you’d like (I typically 1:1 ratio, but I never measure).

Enjoy and use within 3 months (but it never lasts that long). Take about 1 tsp, massage into hands, then gently rinse off with warm water. Pat dry. Your hands should feel super soft and smell amazing!

Did I mention it also makes great gifts for the coffee-aficionado?

Cinnamon & Pumpkin Seed Baked Pears

It’s not uncommon to want sweet things during the colder weather ~ puddings, baked goods, breads, etc. But the flour/sugar equation isn’t always the best for us. I was hoping to remedy the sweet with something healthy, and for certain, these baked pears fit the bill. They’re a synch to make, and they’re beyond delicious and a great way to appease that sweet tooth without the flour (and dessert coma) afterwards. Plus I love that just with a few simple ingredients, these pears get transformed into a luxurious dessert you can even offer to guests, for a light post-meal sweetness.

Serves 2-4

Two pears (Bosc preferred but green are also fine)

1/2 small lemon, juiced

cinnamon

4 tsp pumpkin seeds

coconut nectar

Slice pears lengthwise in half. Cut a small slit on the round outside belly of the pears so they can sit flat in the casserole dish. Scoop out the seeds using a melon baller or a spoon. Place the pears in the casserole dish, and squeeze the lemon over them. Add 1 tsp pumpkin seeds to each middle of the pear, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When they are done, drizzle a little coconut nectar on the top and serve. These go great with some vanilla coconut yoghurt, or your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Raw Apple Cinnamon Crisps

This recipe came by mistake, actually. I was intending to make apple leather and, well, I sort of forgot about it as it was "cooking" in the dehydrator. When it came time to peel it off the dehydrator sheet, it came out in one large, very firm cracker which I then tasted and fell in love with. And ironically, I left it out (of the dehydrator) for a few hours and it became soft like fruit leather. So yes, you can have it both ways.

This recipe is best with tart green apples, but if tart isn't your thing, feel free to experiment with red apples, pears, or a combo of both. 

2 green apples, chopped, with peel

juice of one lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

Blend the three ingredients together and pour onto a dehydrator sheet fitted with a teflex sheet. Dehydrate overnight at 110 degrees. Break into little crisps and enjoy! Best if kept in an airtight container, although in a few days it will begin to soften naturally. If so, just pop them back in the dehydrator for a nice crispy treat! 

Cinnamon Cacao Tonic

Tonics are quite the hit these days, especially in the world of raw foods ~ the primary reason for this is that raw foods are very cooling, and well, sometimes we need a balance in warmth and cool. Tonics are perfect for this since you can add herbs that support immunity, support detox, give you some serious energy, heat up the system (like cayenne adn cinnamon) and offer a sweet delight in the summer that you can feel confident is good for you.

The basic template for tonics are:

some kind of liquid or tea, 

superfoods and superherbs, 

a good fat,

and flavorings of your choice. 

You can add in whatever flavors you'd like - lemon ginger, maca and cinnamon (like ours), chocolate and cayenne, caramel vanilla, the ideas are as endless as your taste buds. But definitely MAKE them, and make them YOURS. While many people sip on starbucks and donuts in our afternoon slump (which by the way, is your body screaming for nutrition and support, not sugar), I'm sipping my cold or hot tonic (dependin on the season), knowing I'm getting what my body needs. Oh, and it's gorgeous to look at and wicked delicious, mind you. 

Again, get your type-A personality out of this one, since you can't go wrong...have fun, enjoy it, and be dazzled by your new favorite tonic beverage! But first, here are a few tips:

1. brew your tea: gynostemma, nettle, even peppermint, chammomile or straight almond milk could work too

2. add in medicinals and herbs: chaga, gynostemma, reishi, maca, etc.

3. add in your good fats: coconut meat, coconut butter or oil, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, etc.

4. add in your flavors: here we have cacao, cardamom, cinnamon, and english toffee

5. sweeten to taste: I'm always going for low-glycemic (since you don't want to slump again after drinking this) so my choice is stevia, but you can go with raisins, maybe a date or two. But stevia seems to be the hit with me, so aim for that. 

Cinnamon Cacao Tonic:

4 cups boiling water, brewed with 1 tea bag of gymnostemma tea ~ let cool (you'll only need 2 cups of this)

1.5 dropper fulls of liquid english toffee stevia

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp black maca (or regular is good)

pinch cardamom powder

1 tablespoon cacao powder

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

pinch salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil or coconut butter

1/4 cup walnuts

drizzle of almond milk (optional)

ice (optional)

Combine everything except the almond milk in a blender until smooth. This is a super generous portion, so maybe share it with someone you love :) Drizzle in some almond milk at the end and enjoy! ps. you can use any tea, but one bag of gymonstemma tea uses 4 cups of water. I save the remaining two cups and use it for tomorrow's batch.