Roasted Sweet & Salty Maple Pecans

Some time ago, at Libretto Restaurant (http://pizzerialibretto.com/), I had these fantastic roasted pecans accompanying some Quebec goat cheese and crackers.

These make a delicious snack as is, or you could pair it up with some cheese and crackers, either way I bet you can't have only one!

Ingredients:

1 cup of Pecans

¼ cup of maple syrup

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Directions: 

-lightly coat your pan in olive oil.

-rinse your pecans in warm water and then    

   pat dry.

-put your pecans into a bowl along with 1/4 

   cup of maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt  

   (I used the finely ground stuff, not 

   coarse).

-mix well making sure all pecans are coated   

    in syrup

-place in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 325 

    degrees, stirring often, making sure the 

    pecans do not burn or become too brown 

    or dry.

-Once the syrup begins to cook sprinkle two 

   pinches of salt over pecans and stir again.

You can let them cool, but they're extra delicious and soft when they're still warm!! 

DIY Instant Oatmeal

Why waste your money on packaged oatmeal? Seriously…there’s nothing special or difficult about it. You can make your own breakfast oatmeal in two minutes flat and save yourself the 3-6$/box of oatmeal. While I appreciate that companies are providing organic oatmeal, I don’t appreciate the cost or all the packaging/waste that comes with it, especially when Organic Quick Oats are incredibly cheap!!

Solution….Make your own oatmeal!! How you ask? Easy.

-Hit your local bulk food store and buy some Organic Quick Oats.

-Add some dried fruits and nuts as much or little as you want.

            (That’s right, no more wishing there were more raisins in your cinnamon and raison oatmeal, or more pieces of dried apple in your apple cinnamon oatmeal!!).

            -you could also add flax seed, hemp seed, wheat germ, etc…

-Add some spices to taste (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, whatever…)

            -You can add a few tablespoons of raw/brown sugar to sweeten it, or just drizzle honey on after you’ve added the boiling water.

        And, yes, this cooks the exact same way as the packaged stuff, either by adding boiling water, or adding water and putting it in the microwave.

I’m partial to everything chocolate-coconut…

so here’s what I made.

Ingredients:

-1lb of Organic Quick Oats (cost me $1.09CAD   
   for 2lbs).

-3 tablespoons of Carob Powder (cost me approx. 

   $0.20), you can also use Cocoa Powder)

-1/4 cup of chopped carob chips ($0.30)

-1/2 cup of Shredded Coconut, sweetened or 

   unsweetened – it’s your call, (cost me $0.50)

-1/2 cup of chopped Almonds (roughly $1)

-1/4 cup of chopped Pecans (roughly $1)

-1/4 cup of dried fruit (a mix of blueberry,          
    cranberry and raisins) (roughly $1.50)

So for less than $5, I’ve got more food, and made just the way I want it with plenty of nuts, and dried fruit, and without the unnecessary ‘powdered milks’ and added starches or thickeners. For instance Instant Quaker Oatmeal has added salt, food colouring (e.g., caramel colour), “reduced iron” [? – I have no idea why], and added vitamin A (Vitamin A Palmitate).

While it might be true that none of the above will kill me, I just don’t know why it belongs in my oatmeal. Actually, it doesn’t belong in my oatmeal… and so it isn’t.  Is it in yours?

The Title of My Blog

I wanted to write a little somethin-somethin' about the title of my blog, “On est des milliards à vouloir faire tourner la roue dans l'autre sens!”. Quite a few people have asked me what it means... and why the “quotation marks”, so here goes!

To begin, they are lyrics from a song (Jeunesse du Monde) by the French (alter-globalization a.k.a. The Global Justice Movement) hip-hop artist, Keny Arkana. You can hear the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpoEQi06h-o&feature=related and check out her website at http://www.keny-arkana.com/divers/download.php .

The literal translation is something like “We are millions to want to make the wheel turn in the other direction.”

I chose this to be the title for a couple reasons...

-it's one of those lyrics (songs) that strikes a chord (actually, ALL of her songs strike a chord with me).

-when I feel that no one cares about how bad things are, or how far gone we are as a society, it serves as a reminder to me that there are millions of other people who are not self-seeking individuals and who are doing what they can within their means to try to make things better, not for themselves or their children, but for the larger collective that is humanity whether their focus is on changing habits, environments, or educating people.

So that's that.

Easy DIY Facial Cleanser and Toner

Facial Cleanser

-2 Tablespoons of (vegetable) Glycerin

-1/2 Teaspoon of Castile Soap

-2 drops of Tea Tree Oil

-2 drops of Chamomile Oil

-1 drop of Lavender Oil

This recipe doesn't dry out my skin, and leaves me feeling soft and clean.

Facial Toner

There are a lot of options for easy to make toners.

-You can use Apple Cider Vinegar cut with water. I tried this, and the upside is that it left me feeling clean and tingly. The downside is that my partner couldn't stand the smell of my face, because you smell like Apple Cider Vinegar which isn't the best smelling thing in the world.

-You can use Chamomile Tea with a couple drops of tea tree. Chamomile is anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and a mild anti-inflammatory (good for soothing those red irritated or inflamed pimples).

-You can use Rosewater, how can generations of old ladies in so many different countries be wrong!? Rosewater tones your skin, helps to close your pores, gently removes oil and dirt, and soothes your skin. And who doesn't like to apply something that smells so good..?

Like most products you put on your face, you should try it out on a small patch first before you go ahead and do your whole face.

Easy All-Natural Chamomile Based Shampoo

I started using this shampoo a few days ago. There was no 'period of adjustments', during which time my hair or scalp was greasy or oily (and I do tend to have oily hair which I have to wash on a daily basis). 

This recipe leaves your hair SqUeAkY clean and soft!!!

Ingredients & Directions:

-bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil

            -add 4 chamomile tea bags

            -let steep/simmer for 15-20 minutes

            -remove bags and let cool

In a separate container add

-1.5 Tbsp of glycerin

-1/4 cup (2oz) of castile soap

-1 drop tea tree

-2 drops rosemary

-6 drops jojoba oil

-Once the tea is cool, pour into the glycerin/castile mix.

-Gently shake before use.

            Store in a spill proof container, in a cool dark place. This should last 1-2 weeks (so don't make huge batches of this) depending on the length of your hair, i.e., how much shampoo you use.

            It should also be noted that you can leave out any of the ingredients above and still have a great shampoo. You could just mix chamomile and castile, and voila! You’d still have a perfectly adequate natural shampoo.

Some information about the ingredients

-Chamomile is supposed to strengthen and heal your hair, including split ends. This chamomile based recipe is particular good on fine, limp hair (like mine), and it leaves my hair feeling thicker, fuller, and with more volume. It makes your hair shiny and silky. It will also naturally (slightly) lighten your hair over time. Chamomile is also a mild antiseptic.

-Glycerin which is a natural byproduct of soap making made of natural vegetal (or animal) fat, moisturizes your skin and hair.

-Castile soap is derived from olive oil but IS NOT at all greasy or heavy, and it is 100% biodegradable! It is gentle and can be used on all hair types, softening coarse hair, and keeping soft hair soft. It is a mild cleansing agent, and contains no artificial, chemical, or nasty ingredients. Like Chamomile, it works to strengthen and revitalize, and is good for eliminating dandruff. And the best thing is that it’s cheap. Castile soap doesn’t provide a rich sudsy lather but is very effective in cleaning and moisturizing nonetheless. You can buy it scented or unscented.

My recipe uses Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Scented Castile Soap which is a blend of “Water, Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm* and Organic Olive* Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils**, Citric Acid (which adjusts the pH level of your scalp), and Vitamin E”.

-Tea tree oil helps stop dandruff and stimulates hair growth (good for people like me with fine limp hair). And hey – it helps keep away head lice too! Though, that’s not really a concern for me unless I’m around children.

-Rosemary helps thicken your hair and also helps stimulate and increase hair growth. Rosemary can also slightly and gradually darken your hair over time. Also – supposedly – it helps reduce hair loss associated with age.

-The jojoba oil moisturizes, softens and shines your hair, preventing dry brittle hair and split ends.

None of the ingredients in this recipe leave a residue on your hair or scalp, nor do they strip any nutrients from your hair (like the majority of store bought shampoos).

Use it like you would any other shampoo. It gets a small lather that doesn’t last forever. Massage scalp and hair. Rinse.

About Hair Care Products

Many of the ingredients in hair care products (or most store-bought manufactured products for that matter) are bad for you!! Really, corporations care about profits, not you! Harsh, I know. Corporations are allowed to bottle and package a lot of harmful things, and then sell them to you. The truth is that most store bought shampoos are bad for you! Yes, they clean the dirt and oils out of your hair, but the natural oils produced by your scalp is what makes your hair strong and healthy. Shampoos strip these oils away,  making your scalp try to produce more and more leaving you with ultra greasy hair if you don’t wash once a day. Your scalp is trying to produce what you keep stripping away! Try a natural shampoo.

Check see if your shampoos/conditioners have any of these ingredients:

-Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): potentially a carcinogen, has been associated with hair loss or thinning. Go ahead – google it!

-Isopropyl Alcohol (think Rubbing Alcohol!!): this is a petroleum derived alcohol that will DRY your hair out, making it brittle (making you need to buy conditioner..!).

-Mineral Oil: actually coats your hair and skin suffocating it – liquid petroleum. It is difficult for your skin/scalp/hair to absorb and clogs pores. Check out http://www.herballuxuries.com/about-mineral-oil.html

- Polyethylene Glycol: potentially carcinogenic, and “PEGs contain potential toxic impurities such as ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. PEGs are nephrotoxic if applied to damaged skin.” (Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol). You’d better hope you don’t have any scalp irritation if this is in your shampoo!

-Chlorine: belongs in a pool – not your hair. And anyone who cares about their hair knows they should shampoo the chlorine OUT of their hair after swimming. And we all know how crappy your hair feels when you get out of a pool! So why would you want chlorine in your shampoo?!

Think about it!

Cheap and Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

   

The ingredients for this recipe cost me under 8 dollars (not counting the egg, butter, honey, apples and cinnamon which I already had in my cupboard).

Ingredients and Directions:

In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients:

-2 cups of Organic Rolled Oats

-3/4 cup of dried fruit (I used a mixture of    unsweetened shredded coconut, cranberries, cherries, and raisins)

-1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped nuts (I used   almonds)

-1/2 cup chocolate or carob chips (I used carob – no caffeine in it, unlike cacao/chocolate)

-1 and 1/2 tsps of cinnamon (and add any other spices or flavouring you like)

-1 tablespoon of white sesame seed

-1 tablespoon of black sesame seed

(if you wanted you could also add a few tablespoons of wheat germ to increase the protein content. You could also add some puffed quinoa for a bit of crunch).

In a pot over low heat warm up:

-1/2 cup of honey (I used honey that already had chai spices in it, including cinnamon, ginger, clove and cardamon)

-2 and a half Tablespoons of Butter

-1 teaspoon of virgin coconut oil

In another bowl:

Mix together

-2 grated apples (do I need to specify to leave the core out? Leave the core out.)

You could also substitute one apple for a very ripe mashed banana.

-1 beaten egg

Then mix together the honey and butter mixture into the apple and egg mixture, and combine well.

-Then stir the wet ingredients into the dry.

-Spread this mixture into a greased baking pan.

-Bake at 325F and bake for 25-30 mins.

-Allow to cool before cutting into desired sized pieces/bars

      I don't know the size of my baking sheet, but the mixture ended up being about 2 cms thick. If you use a smaller baking sheet and your mix is thicker you may want to bake for an extra five mins or so.

         The baked apple in this comes out fluffy-ish and keeps the recipe moist. The result is a fairly moist and chewy texture.

Enjoy!