Lemon-Ginger Labourade

Here is my recipe for a large jar of Lemon-Ginger Labourade, the quintessential chilled beverage for any mom who knows that a) birth is a marathon that needs fuel and b) lemon and ginger taste great!

1/2 tsp magnesium powder - I used a sweet, flavoured powder called Natural Calm, you could also open up a magnesium supplement capsule 
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch baking soda
2 T honey
1 ginger tea bag, or 1 inch fresh ginger root
1 litre coconut water
1/4 cup lemon juice

Dissolve magnesium powder in 1 T water that has just boiled. Add sea salt, baking soda, honey, 1 additional cup of boiled water and ginger and stir to combine.
After 5 minutes remove the tea bag or fresh ginger. For added ginger flavour you can add a pinch of powdered ginger.
Pour in coconut water and lemon juice and chill until ready to use.
 

Homemade Granola - Oh The Possibilities

You can't argue with me: granola is pretty freaking delicious. If I have a carton of almond milk chilling in the fridge it has no chance at surviving me and my trusty cereal bowl. I would eat granola for breakfast every day (if it wasn't for my love affair with toast - sigh.)

Granola is really easy to make and I'm very sad if you buy it prepackaged unless you have a valid reason like you're preoccupied with 15 children or you have no arms or you can't afford a baking sheet.

Here's my bare bones method.

Preheat your oven to ANYTHING. I suggest 375 or 400F but let's not get technical.

Line a baking sheet (the kind you make cookies on) with butter or coconut oil or tin foil or parchment paper.

Warm up a mix of butter (or coconut oil) and honey (or maple syrup). Maybe a 1/2 cup of each - don't worry about it.

Now fill a mixing bowl with a whole bunch of stuff. Go on. I would suggest oats but this isn't a dictatorship. It's granola making, lighten up. A recent favourite that I made contained dried blueberries, pepitas (that's hulled pumpkin seeds), shredded coconut, salted pretzels and dark chocolate chips. You can put nuts, seeds, spices, other cereal. Try granola crumbs. The sky's the limit but I wouldn't suggest ground beef or grape popsicles. At this point I add a pinch of salt but it's very naughty and I can't condone you doing it to your batch.

Go back to that butter-honey you warmed up. (It wasn't in the microwave was it? Use a pot on the stove you high-tech clown.) Pour the mixture over the bowl of odds and ends. Use a wooden spoon to toss it all together then spread it on your sheet.

Bake it for 10 minutes then take it out and stir it with the spoon. Keep doing this every 10 minutes until it looks toasty. Then let it cool and store it in a large glass mason jar.

Mmmm, see aren't  you glad you didn't follow a MarthaStewart recipe or anything like that? You go granola-maker!

Beauty Secrets from my Best Friends - Part One

One thing you may not know about me is that, while I myself am extremely fashion-handicapped, low maintenance, and let's be honest a little homey, I am surrounded by a fleet of near super-models that I happen to call my best friends. How a v-neck-wearing, eyeliner hack ever scored companions of this calibre is beyond me (it must be because we go to the same church). It's actually a visual phenomenon when you look at things like my wedding photos where I'm standing in all my bridal gown, hair-extensions glory, and the five girls next to me are like "Canada's Next Top Model".

You've already heard from a few members of my family, and some of my friends (Ashley, Alexis...) but now you're about to meet some more of my friends, as they each share a beauty tip with you.

The first one is Jill Butler. I first heard of her on the day we moved in to our new house in North London. My roommate Jordan said he'd met a nice girl and I thought: she must be pretty nice if she's inciting this type of notification. (It was the first time in like 7 or 8 years of friendship that he'd told me of a "nice girl".) One thing led to another and they got married last month. Jill has formal education in the beauty arts and if you saw her make up on her wedding day you'd be floored. Here are her tips!


My favorite part about integrating natural products into my beauty routine is that they’re inexpensive, easily accessible (most stuff is probably in your pantry!), and free of harsh chemicals and preservatives. Here are a few natural products I use and some great tips to compliment! 

Honey

I recently discovered honey in a whole new way. I’ve learned it has amazing antioxidant benefits, antibacterial qualities (it actually draws impurities out of the skin!), and has the ability to replenish moisture in the skin leaving it soft and hydrated.

I tend to break out, especially when my hormones are out of whack. I discovered this brightening and blemish fighting mask to help my skin along. Begin by mixing 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 ¼ tablespoons of honey. Layer onto the skin and gently massage in circular motions for a few minutes, rinse with lukewarm water. If you have time to relax, you can let it sit on the skin for up to 30 minutes. The end results give you a bright, dewy and clarified complexion! 

Coconut Oil  

It might seem odd to use cooking oil for the body, but coconut oil does wonders for the skin! There are hundreds of ways to use it (seriously, try Googling it). These are just a few ways I use it:

Moisturizer - Works similar to dry body oil, leaving no oily residue behind. 
Lip care- This makes a yummy lip balm.
Lashes- Combing through lashes at night strengthens and fortifies them.
Blemishes- Can help diminish blemish and prevents scarring.
Razor burn- Relieves itchiness, calms redness, and speeds up healing!

Olive Oil

When you use long wearing foundation, eye shadows and face powders, the brushes you use tend to build up with product as well as natural skin oils. Before cleaning my brushes, I dip them in olive oil and work it into the bristles. Oil tends to break down oils, so when you do this it makes it that much easier to get a deep clean on those grimy brushes. It’s important to rinse thoroughly and do a second “shampooing” to remove any access oil. I just use a gentle clarifying or baby shampoo. Burt’s Bee’s Baby Bee Shampoo works great!

Olive oil also makes a great eye makeup remover for similar reasons. It breaks down the most stubborn of mascaras and waterproof liners with ease. No rubbing or tugging, and leaves lashes nourished. It’s a good idea to cleanse the face after with a mild cleanser to remove any residue.

There are no limits to what you can concoct out of your cupboards. Do some research and have fun planning your next relaxation day!

How to Make it SWEET

Sugar can come from so many places - sugarcane, beets, corn - and it can also be faked like in the case of Splenda. With all of these options, how do you choose a sweetener?

When evaluating sweeteners there are so many things to consider. I like to look most at its source and processing, as well as its nutrient content and its resulting effect on your health. Those focusing on weight loss may look at calories, diabetics may look at its glycemic index. It's also good to consider the ease of use and versatility, the availability, the taste, the shelf life and, of course, the price.

White sugar is a highly processed product refined from the sugarcane plant. It is terrible for your nervous system and kidneys, and negatively effects your mood, metabolism and ability to absorb nutrients from other foods. It has 45 calories per Tablespoon. It comes in different forms for different purposes: granulated is the regular stuff, castor is a bit finer and powdered (confectioner's or icing) is very light. The nice thing about white sugar is that since most recipes call for it, you don't need to figure out a substitution.

Sugar alcohols are refined from fruits and vegetables. Because the body doesn't absorb them as well they only contain 29 calories per Tablespoon. They're also slightly less sweet, but don't have a bad aftertaste. Xyltitol is the most common one, and has a glycemic index (GI) of 13 which is very low. They can pretty much be substituted 1 to 1 in all recipes. The good is: since yeast and bacteria can't use it well, it's a good choice for Candida diets, and for oral health. The bad is: being poorly absorbed it can end up having a laxative effect if you use it often.

When sugar is processed there is a syrupy byproduct called molasses. It tastes strong and sort of burnt due to its high mineral content - higher if you choose black strap over fancy. You can use 1 1/3 cup in place of 1 cup of sugar, but try to reduce the recipe's other liquids by 1/3 cup. It has 58 calories per Tablespoon.

Raw sugar, or cane sugar, is a broad term that means different things depending who you ask and where you are. The most raw sugar is succanat which is made from sugarcane juice that has been filtered, evaporated and crystallized. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added so it technically contains minerals but they aren't naturally occurring. The different classes - demarara, muscavado, turbinado - all have varying levels of molasses. They can all be substituted 1 to 1 and have about 51 calories per Tablespoon but I'd recommend succanat as the best. They all taste great!

Then there are powder-style sugars made from other plants - coconut, dates, corn... They typically taste like their source, which can be great, are subbed 1 to 1, and have about 45 calories per Tablespoon. Coconut sugar is somewhat expensive. Corn syrup is the liquid form and has been criticized in the media - for good reason: it has been linked to many health problems and ethical/social issues with world food distribution and agricultural politics.

There are many delicious, sweet syrups that come from natural sources. Honey is made through beekeeping and is therefore not considered vegan. When raw or unpasteurized it is antibacterial and can even help alleviate environmental allergies if it has been produced locally. Honey has a relatively high GI (75) and caloric value per Tablespoon (64) but because it's nice and sweet you can use it sparingly. About 3/4 cup will replace 1 cup of sugar in a recipe. Honey contains many nutrients and is a good work-out food. Maple syrup is the result of boiling down tree sap. It has my favourite taste of all sweeteners and contains many important minerals. It has 65% sucrose but a hefty dose of zinc and also the much coveted manganese. It has 52 calories per Tablespoon and you'll need a bit more than a cup to use as a sugar substitute. Once opened it'll keep in the fridge for a long time. Barley malt is made from a grain and is similar to other syrups except that it is very low in sucrose. Same substitution as maple syrup but it has closer to 60 calories per Tablespoon. The biggest downfall? It is not gluten-free. Brown rice syrup is gluten-free and contains great nutrients including many minerals and sugars that are 50% in the form of maltose. It has 55 calories per Tablespoon, requires 1 1/2 cups to sub a cup of sugar and is often expensive. Agave nectar is extracted from the same cactus that they make tequila out of. It is low in sucrose and has a low GI. It tastes great! You only need 2/3 cup to substitute. My favourite thing about agave, other than memories of Mexico, is that it dissolves easily in cold liquids. It has 60 calories per Tablespoon.

Stevia is a super sweet plant sold in three forms: a spoonable powder (subs cup for cup), an extract (use only 1 tsp per cup) and a liquid (also 1 tsp per cup). It doesn't taste perfect but it does have 0 calories. It is my go-to sweetener for lemonade.

Lastly there are sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet n Low), aspartame (Equal) and more, but frankly I don't like them! They are created in labs with chemicals and do not fare well in studies looking out for your health.

So which sweetener do you like?

Go Ahead Honey: A Face Mask Recipe by My Sister

Photo "by": Sarah Goertz

Sweet, delicious honey and seductive, ever-tempting coffee team up in my sister's latest homemade creation: honey-coffeebean face mask.

Honey keeps your skin hydrated by retaining moisture and preventing drying. It is an antioxidant and an antimicrobial agent, and can absorb toxins which may be just what you need in the case of a blemish. Honey can be used in sunscreens, baby care products and lotions, but if you don't know the way to mix it up properly you might not want to use honey in something that you won't be washing off. That's why this mask works.


Coffee is, of course, a great source of caffeine. This is nice when my friends want to start watching a movie at midnight, and it's also nice if you want to constrict blood vessels directly under the skin. This does a few things. In the case of your under eye area it can reduce puffiness and discolouration that make you appear tired (oh, let's be honest, that make me appear tired). When applied to chubby or pudgy skin it can smooth it even as far as reducing the look of cellulite. Coffee, like honey, is an antioxidant, but unlike honey it is rough in texture so it can act as an exfolliant, helping to remove dead skin cells and rejuvenating the look of skin. Coffee goes well with honey, even outside of the mug, because unfortunately coffee dehydrates cells so it needs the honey to bring moisture back. Remember, however much I endorse coffee, any overindulgence that damages your liver makes your skin looks worse and this includes heavy coffee drinking.

The instructions:

Mix together a heaping spoonful of fine ground coffee. Decaf will not do the trick. Using a liquid honey drizzled slowly into the mix, make a paste about the consistency of cake icing. Smear this mask concoction all over your face, avoiding the eyes. Leave on for ten minutes and rinse off, wiping with a soft cloth.

Remember, take care of your coffee and your coffee will take care of you. Crap, did I already use that one?