The Skin Smoothie.

Strawberries are so full of amazing nutrients that will nourish your skin and get rid of pesky blemishes, and the tea has anti-oxidants. Hurrah! 

• About 1 1/2 to 2 cups of frozen Strawberries.
• 2 cups of black or green tea steeped to perfection and cooled. (Today I used black tropical peach tea) 
• 2 tbsp. of Honey or to taste.
• If you want some extra boost add some cucumber, they are SO good for your hair and skin. (will make them, shiny, smooth,  and your hair will become thicker.)

Blend and enjoy! 

Chai cookies

So the other day I made these chai cookies that are simply amazing! I loved them, and everyone went crazy over them.

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• |
• Cook time: 14 minutes
• |
• Total time: 34 minutes
• |
• Servings: 24

• 1/3 cup(s) of soy milk
• 2 chai or black tea bags
• 1/2 cup(s) of Earth Balance margarine
• 1 cup(s) of sugar
• 1/3 cup(s) of brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. of cornstarch
• 2 2/3 cup(s) of flour
• 1 tsp. of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1 tbsp. of cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. of ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp. of cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. of cloves
• 1/8 tsp. of black pepper
• 1 tbsp. of coarse sugar

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Heat the soymilk in the microwave for about a minute and a half, or on the stovetop until steaming hot.
3. Add the tea bags and steep for about 10 minutes. Stir an ice cube in the tea until cool.
4. Cream together the margarine and sugar until fluffy.
5. Add the vanilla, soymilk, and cornstarch and mix until incorporated.
6. Stir together the spices in a small bowl and set aside. The spice mix should equal about 3 tablespoons.
7. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 1/2 teaspoons of the chai spice. Stir. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add a splash of soymilk. It shouldn’t be sticky, though.
8. Mix the tablespoon of sugar with the remaining chai spice. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in the chai spice/sugar mixture.
9. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
10. Bake for about 12–14 minutes until golden around the edges, but still soft on top, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. 

Recipie from the the vegan cookie connoisseur cookbook .

I used goat milk instead of soy. !/2 cup of honey and 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of sugar, and turbanado sugar to roll them in. I also used spelt flour, witch I really like. This is my healthier take on this recipe. 

Kombucha

I love Kombucha, not only dose it have a name that is fun to say but it is a delicious fermented drink with out the alcohol. It doesn't taste like alcohol, but it is fizzy, and so yummy and way cheep to make at home. If you do like your alcohol then this is something that would benefit you greatly, it detoxes your body, keeps the liver clean and the body free of cancer. It is also filled with B-vitamins, antioxidants, and glucaric acids.The glucosamines in it can prevent and treat every form of arthritis. It help to keep wrinkles at bay also! Its not that this drink cures things, natural (non-drug based things) herbs, supplement and basic good healthy diets don't cure things. Rather, they bring your body back into balance and give it the vital nutrients that our western diets our starving us from, to make it so that our bodies regenerate and "cure" themselves! This drink is simply an easy and Cheep way to get those nutrients. When drinking this you need to make sure to drink plenty of water too. Not only to help your body flush out toxins that this is helping to get rid of, but to keep you hydrated. Just listen to your body, and when your thirsty, DRINK! It's pretty simple. :)

This is my Kombucha. 

Boil 2 and 1/2 quarts of water for five minutes. 

Add 1/4 cup of Black tea leaves (just the tea, no additives like fruit of anything, this can ruin you batch.)  

And 1 cup of Sucanat or turbanado sugar (this is what the culture eats, don't use honey, it might kill it!)

Mix and let sit until it comes to room temperature.

In a glass or ceramic 1 gallon container, Along with your mushroom, place you 1 and 1/2 cups of kombucha from the previous brew, or 1/2 cups of vinegar as a substitute. When the tea is cooled, poor into the container. Place a coffee filter over the top with a rubber band. Place somewhere away from sunlight where it will never be moved. In a couple of days there will be a film on top, this is ok, it means that it is fermenting. 

In 7 to 12 days, a baby culture will sprout off the mother. when its done, Take the baby and the mother, and put them in a clean bowl, ready for your next batch. You can give one away to someone so that they can start their own. Stir  and bottle, close the caps, and let them sit for a couple of days on the counter so that they can become fizzy. If you want a supper yummy drink, add fruit juice, at 10 to 5 percent juice to 90 to 95 percent kombucha. My favorite is adding lemon juice. Also, if you think it's to strong, make another batch and don't ferment it for quite so long. Just make sure it gets the foam and grows a baby. 

More reading, and I encorage you to ask around and to google it more.

http://www.kombuchakamp.com/health-benefits-of-kombucha

http://www.foodrenegade.com/kombucha-health-benefits/

http://www.anahatabalance.com/teakombucha2.html

yummy Break-feast

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. No mater if it is grits, a smoothie, or just plane toast, I love breakfast foods for every meal. This one is my favorite.... HASH BROWNS! (with eggs, sunny side up!) Mmmmmmm, lip smakin' good! So this morning I made some with red, purple, and golden potatoes. (all heirlooms from the farmers market.) Any hoo, I did a perfect flip today, and I had to document it. :)

Its like a rainbow exploded in my mouth! 

 Perfectly crisp! 

Egg gravy!

Mmmmm, delicious! 

Have a wonderfully Happy Friday Everyone! Make sure to start  your weekend off on a good start. :)