DIY Essential Oil Rack

Hi, my name is Lexie and I am a lover of essential oils.

There, I said it.

In January I thought I'd delve into the world of the concentrated distilled plant essences. Thought I'd buy just a bottle or two ... and well, I got a little carried away, but in a good way. Five months later a sizeable collection of oils has taken up residence in our house—demanding their own little spot.

I know that some of you have your own collections of essential oils so thought I'd share this little DIY essential oil rack idea. Hung on the wall where I can see them and easily access them, I am more apt to use them.

"And what do you use them for?" you ask.

Well, it was in this issue of Autism Science Digest that I first read about essential oils and how they've helped kiddos on the spectrum. Two articles in the magazine suggested that essential oils can help detoxify as well has help with focus and hyperactivity. Being a mom who will try most anything to heal her boy, I thought I would give them a try. We are still experimenting and I don't have a definitive answer on how they are working for him, but I've been having a great time making my own household cleaners, lotions, and potions. I've even been using some of this brand's cilantro, lime, and lemon oil in my cooking—divine!

So if you are into essential oils or want to learn more, stay tuned because I will be sharing some fun EO recipes (food and otherwise) with you in the coming months.

An added bonus with this little rack is that though the rack only has three shelves, the dowels add three more—like stadium seating for your growing oil collection.

If you are interested in exploring the world of essential oils or would like to order Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® oils, contact me here and/or visit my DoTerra site.

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Veggie Jim Recipe

Hi! This is Jill, Lexie's sister from Hawaii. I've been visiting Lexie for the last week, helping out with the boys, and of course testing and eating some fabulous food. 

One of our experiments this week was a dehydrated snack we're calling Veggie Jims. These nori power wraps are available at many natural food stores and sell for $1-2 each—we thought we could make them for a lot less! They are a tasty seed paste wrapped up in a convenient nori sheet for easy transport on the go. 

After doing some research I found out that these power wraps are one of the "oldest" vegan snack foods around. Being an aspiring vegan, I was surprised that I'd never heard of them. I found them while picking up some airplane snacks at my health food store on Maui. Lex and I both thought that they were super tasty and satisfying and wanted to try making them ourselves. Flavorings for these are endless, we went for the classic Slim Jim flavor demonstrated by Matt and Angela here in this video. The cayenne gives these in awesome kick!

Veggie Jims 

Makes About 36 Veggie Jims

Ingredients:

About 12 NORI SHEETS, cut into 1/3's length wise
12 ounces raw SUNFLOWER SEEDS
8 ounces raw PUMPKIN SEEDS
1 cup WATER (more as needed)
1 BELL PEPPER (any color)
1 tablespoon raw grated BEET*
4 minced GARLIC CLOVES
6 tablepsoons fresh LEMON JUICE
1 teaspoon SALT
2 teaspoons ONION POWDER
1/4-1/2 teaspoon CAYENNE PEPPER (or to taste)

*Optional. We added the beet for color. It did make the filling a lovely spam color which you will see in the photos. After being dehydrated though it went back to a brown color. 

Directions:

1. Whirl seeds in a high-powered blender or food processor to a fine meal. Remove and set aside. 
2. Add remaining ingredients (except for nori sheets) and blend/process until smooth. 
3. Add the seed mixture back in and blend/process to a smooth, spreadable, paste-like consistency (add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed to aid in blending/processing).
4. Avoid over salting so they don't end up too salty after being dehydrated. 
5. Transfer to a large zip top bag, squish paste down into one corner, and snip off the corner to pipe out a 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness. 
6. Lay a strip of nori (shiny side down) onto a sheet of parchment. This was the only tricky, slightly time consuming part. Lightly spritz (we used a spray bottle) the nori sheet with water. Then pipe the filling down the center of the nori sheet. Take your time and try to ensure an even filling. 
7. Roll nori around filling and seal edges with another spritz of water if needed. 
8. Arrange Veggie Jims on dehydrator trays and dehydrate over night or until firm and dried out—about like a Slim Jim meat stick. They are super yummy warm out of the dehydrator! 
9. Store in an airtight container.

In the photo below the paste looks pretty gross (that's the pink from the beet). We promise, no pink slime or spam was involved in the making of these vegan snacks. Oh and we got over-ambitious in the "piping it on" shot. Just aim for 1/4-1/2 inch strip of paste.

 

Feel free to experiment with flavorings. Ones I have seen are Italian (sundried tomatoes, oregano, marjoram and sage) and Japanese (ginger, miso, wasabi). You can also wrap different shapes with the nori, like triangles.

Enjoy and let us know what you think! We'd love to know.

Shrimp and Curry Rice Salad

One of the most talented chefs in our family is my Tutu Flo. As the wife of a naval officer, she travelled the world and enjoyed the flavors of many lands. This recipe was given to her by the wife of my grandfather's Commanding Officer at Barber's Point. A tasty side dish for your next potluck.

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DIY Vanilla Extract

Ever wondered how to make your own vanilla extract?

Here's the way I do it.

The extract I am pouring in this picture was a wee bit "young." Unfortunately I didn't have a couple of months to let it sit prior to the photo shoot :). The final product will be much darker than what you see here. 

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Easy and Tasty Chia Fresca Recipe

Some of you may remember this recipe. It's a goodie and my own version of Mamma Chia—one of the tastiest Chia Fresca beverages on the market.

It's not often that I repost a recipe but I feel this week warrants it.

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