Finally, an up date on my bath bomb adventures. This adventure has just begun yet I feel I have been working on it for ages. Like most projects I take on they are much more complicated then I had expected. It all started when I fell in love with these cupcake bath bombs I saw, but after reading their ingredients I fell out of love just as quickly. I talked before about how I hate filler/fake/unnecessary/unnatural (the list goes on) ingredients in my products. And these most adorable cupcake bath bombs were full of them. Not to mention they had animal products as well. I just wanted one of these most cute bath bomb cupcakes for my own that I was determined to make them. Once I got into what all was in the cupcake bath bombs I realized that the bath bomb it self was only the cake part of the cupcake and that the ‘frosting’ was basically just for looks. So one step at a time I started with just the cake part, the search for the perfect bath bomb recipe was on. I spent many many hours online reading how to recipes, blogs of others who have attempted it and looking up all the basic ingredients to find out what they really were. I found a ton of recipes, but they all seemed to fall short of my expectations. All recipes used baking soda and citric acid across the board, after all those are the main players that make the bath bomb do its bath bomb thing. So I started with those two as definite ingredients, the baking soda was easy however tracking down citric acid took a little extra footwork and turned out to be pretty expensive. I will definitely need to find a better supplier for that if this master recipe I created works out. Now that I had those two parts nailed down I needed to fill in the rest with some amazing ingredients. I couldn't believe what some of the recipes used, borax for example. Yes, borax is used in many household cleaners but it is also used as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal compound for fiberglass and as an insecticide(thanks wikipedia). None of those equal indulgent bath time to me. I needed my bath bomb recipe to be moisturizing and smell so good you could eat it. The hard part is that you can’t add too many wet ingredients or it will start fizzing and therefore be fizz-less once dropped in the tub. So I did some work on dry scents and moisturizers and came up with cocoa butter and fruit zest. I decided to go for a sort of chocolate and oranges scent. I found a source for 100% raw organic fair trade cocoa butter and ordered a whole pound of it. When the package arrived the whole thing smelled of chocolate, I have never received anything in the mail I considered eating. I also purchased an organic blood orange to zest, which is full of all its amazing orange oils and also adds the prettiest little flexs of orange throughout the whole bath bomb and a delicious smell. The zest also helps cut some of the sweetness from the cocoa butter making the over all scent not to sugary. So there was all my ingredients, all I needed now was something wet to give the bath bomb enough hold for me to mold it with out starting to fizz. Other recipes used every thing from witch hazel to just plain water; I decided to go with something that would add even more moisturizing benefits- organic almond oil. It worked perfect. So now my bath bomb recipe was complete and I whipped up a small bath today. I was a bit nervous about it but it went well. Only a few miss steps that were easy to correct and a little adjusting to the amounts of each ingredient and I was done with my first bath bomb. They are currently drying wanting to get ‘frosted’. Here they are.....so pretty.






Now I have to get to work on the frosting recipe. That is tomorrow’s project. Everyone cross your fingers as I am going into this part blindly.

A Truth.

I'm Sick?!?

The funny thing is I was just thinking how it is has been a really long time since I have been sick. I use to always catch every bug I came in contact with, but in the last few years I haven't really had a single cold or flu I can remember. Not that it has been all good, I have in the last year suffered from my first bout of food poisoning and quite a few hang overs that were my own doing of course and then a few episodes with the seasonal allergies. But not a single virus. I really think it is the simple fact that I am just taking better care of myself. I get really down sometimes on myself that I could be doing better, working out more, eating healthier, getting in more organic fruits and veggies. I think that’s just humane, we always think we can be doing better in some aspect of our life. Maybe its not always health related, maybe its spend more time with family, be kinder, more organized, finish the to do list, keep up on the house duties or spend smarter. How often do we look at what we are doing and think to our self that we have made some vast improvements? It just came to me this morning that I rarely do that. So today, while sick I am thinking of all the things I have done that are a step in the right direction. Starting with working out, I think I dwell on this most, but just a few years ago I didn’t even belong to a gym much less think of joining one. In the big picture; not the this week, this month picture, I have been doing pretty well. I have gone pretty regularly in the grand scheme of things, tried new things- yoga, pilates, kick boxing, weight classes and even completed a Bikram yoga challenge. I have also transitioned into eating an all vegan diet a few years ago and incorporated some raw foods in as well. Green smoothie anyone? Eating vegan is a big reason why I think my health has been on such a better track. I don’t want this to turn into a preachy Go Vegan! entry but I really encourage everyone to try to incorporate more fresh living foods into your life. Live with less prepackaged and processed foods, and add in more veggie meals and less animals and dairy. Just a thought. I won’t know if you actually do it or not, so no pressure. And lastly I have been really smart with my money, much smarter then when I was still in school. I have been not working for a while now but thanks to a good plan and sticking with it I am feeling really good, and even got in a couple vacations. While I do need to get a job, mostly out of boredom I am so thankful I am in the position I am where many jobless people are not. Well, look at me! That’s a not so bad, I hope you are all looking at what you have done and I hope you feel really proud of whatever it is. Its not always easy but the more we make it a part of our daily life the more it seems to be less of a choice and more of a lifestyle.

While I have been sick I have discovered a new friend anyone suffering with a cold needs. This stuff is AMAZING! It really helps and I have been drinking it like crazy.


This has also help me pass the time while curled up on the couch.

For....

A good night of sleep, drowning out the outside noise or neighbors.

No noise machine purchase necessary.



http://www.rainymood.com/

Daily Nourishment

This is an adaptation from a recipe I saw online. It was pretty easy, could be made ahead and put together later and the left overs are endlessly versatile. I will definitely be making this again.

I first made some quinoa, pressed it into a pan to cool and sprinkled it with some sesame seeds.




While it was cooling I made up a quick mushroom gravy. Its much healthier then traditional gravy and very simple. Brown some onions in a little olive oil, add mushrooms, put in a spoonful of flour to thicken, a splash of soymilk and some veggie stock. Then just season to taste, I used a little sea salt, black pepper, thyme and parsley.





Once the quinoa has cooled you just slice it up and brown it in a pan. The addition of the sesame seeds makes it extra crunchy on the outside while staying soft on the inside.




I served it with a little steamed broccoli finished with some sea salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.






Now for the left overs....so many ideas! Because I made the quinoa using only a little salt the left overs can be used for both savory and sweet dishes. I only browned up what was going to be served tonight, so I'm thinking in the morning I will brown up a couple slices with some agave and cinnamon, or maybe with some apples and maple syrup for a quick and protein filled breakfast. In the summer grilled on the bbq and then top with some strawberries and a little Coconut Bliss. On the savory side this can be served with any veggie or sauce, my first thought is to try it with roasted tomatoes and basil. See what I mean? Endless possibilities. And don't forget the gravy, brown up some veggie sausage and throw in the gravy to be reheated and top a few biscuits and have it with a tofu scramble...a perfect brunch.

I Was Impressed...

A while ago the boyfriend and I went to Burgerville when we had failed to plan dinner and got to the point where we were too hungry to try and cook something. Fast food and other unhealthy things of that kind I try to avoid, not because I am that committed to healthy eating, but because its a slippery slope for me. I find I do best when I just don't indulge; the less I have it the less I want it.

This particular night I just couldn't resist, it was much quicker and guaranteed I wouldn't be eating dinner at 9 o’clock that night. I tried to order as healthy as I could, their Oregon Harvest Burger- no mayonnaise, no fries, and a diet soda(ok, I know. Water would of been a smarter choice). I thought I was ordering the best I could, but often you don't really know.

So we got our order and I noticed they now give you the calories, fiber, fat and carbs right on the receipt. I was so excited about this(sometimes it doesn't take much), the boyfriend not so interested.

Anything that makes it a little easier to know you are eating healthy I am a fan of, it really helps me not just throw in the towel for the rest of the day or convince myself what I ate wasn't as calorie laden as it probably was.

The Icing on the cake? It also shows you what you did to make your order a better choice! The only thing better then this information on the receipt would be to have it on the menu. That way you could make a better choice before ordering.

Current Obsession: The Perfect Bath Bomb

I have always half-heartedly made bath products for myself. A honey mask here, a body scrub there when it strikes my fancy, nothing too serious. More often I buy them, mostly out of laziness. I am now currently drowning in beauty books and blogs of that sort in search of creating the perfect bath bomb.

I love bath bombs...really love them. I take a bath with one at least once a week. Up until recently I have always had a decent supply of products to make bath time a little more indulgent. Typically the usual suspects- bubbles, candles, you see where I am going. When that wasn't enough I am lucky enough to have a Lush shop a few blocks away, so I would make a quick trip to stock up. With Lush products you can't really go over board. All their products have a short shelf life due to all the fresh ingredients they use, if you haven't been I highly recommend it, this is not your typically bath shop. So began the downward spiral, every bath just wasn't the same unless it was with a Lush bath bomb. You see the problem with this I am sure, a bath bomb here, a bubble bar there, it added up. I have become quite enamored with their bath bombs and bubble bars. And while I love their products I am not in love with a lot of their scents, they are a little too sweet and fruity usually, and I am not a sweet and fruity type of girl. It reminds me of those awful fruity/sugary body sprays I would wear in middle school. Ew. But they do have a few that do suffice, so if you are not up for making your own I suggest these;

Avobath Bath Bomb
Honey Bee Bath Bomb
Karma Bubble Bar
Floating Island Bath Melt
Back to the current obsession, I am in search of making the perfect bath bomb with a scent that is relaxing, pretty, complex, earthy, slightly lingering, can't quite put your finger on it but utterly perfect. One that is so moisturizing there is no need to slather on anything else after. I have a strong distaste for artificial scents, so I am seeking out essential oils to fulfill my needs. Something else that instantly turns me off to a product is one that has a million empty ingrediants shoved into its tiny little self. It may look pretty and smell decent but the ingredient’s efforts stop there. I just feel that for most people money is not something that we have an abundance of, and that if we are choosing to spend whatever we have left over on something indulgent that product should give back what it can. The last thing I want to be thinking about while relaxing in the bath is that these bubbles aren't what were promised to me on their pretty packaging.

Here are my guides I am starting with.








I will of course be keeping you updated on my results!