Easter recipes...

If gluten-free vegan recipes interest you at all, visit my vegan cooking blog for some delicious new additions!

Oils for the Eyes...

Oils and eyes? Really? That's what I was thinking this morning when I woke up this morning with extreme discomfort behind my eye. I have never experienced anything like it before...my eye itself wasn't sore but it wasn't my head that hurt...it was just a terrible aching at the back of my eye where it sits in my head. Ok so that was likely a confusing description but I've never had pain there before and there's no name for that place that I know of! Suffice it to say that it was so uncomfortable that keeping that eye open was irritating and painful and I was having a hard time concentrating on anything else, let alone reading to and teaching the boys school this morning.

There was no oil that came to my mind that might help with this oddity yet I was determined to try something to ease the aching. I looked up eyes in my Reference Guide for Essential Oils  and there were a number of eye conditions listed such as dry/itchy eyes, swollen eyes, pink eye etc but none of them described my condition. I settled on a couple to try - Frankincense and Eucalyptus. Now, if you've ever used Eucalyptus near your eyes or on your face, you know it's a spicy oil that can cause some watery eyes! I was a little hesitant but figured I would give it a try. I applied a drop of each oil around my eye in a wide circle several times throughout the day. Each time I applied it, the pain dissipated and I had some relief. By lunchtime, the pain was gone and I have been able to function normally for the remainder of my day. And thankfully the Eucalyptus only caused a minimal "burn" and quickly calmed. 

Hopefully this was just a weird event caused by strained or tired eyes and will not reappear in days to come. For now, I am extremely grateful for the relief these oils gave me and for the positive end to an otherwise long day:-)

As a reminder: NEVER PUT OILS IN YOUR EYE!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose, cure or treat any illness or malady. All oils discussed on this blog refer to Young Living Essential oils only.

A day filled with Spring perfection!

I am embarrassed to see the date of my last post...I could give all the reasons but instead I will just use the time to write :-)

We have been enjoying some amazingly beautiful days here in Kansas City - lots of warmth and sunshine and breezy evenings filled with birds singing and grass growing greener. It is blissful. Monday was such a gorgeous day in so many ways and I wanted to share a little of that goodness here.

I have been experimenting with some different oil combos in our schoolroom and I have found a trio that I simply adore. It helps to keep minds fresh and in focus when things seem a little rusty. I add 2 drops of each oil to the diffuser and we enjoy that during our day. It smells delightful and is so fresh!





Due to some recent health-related discoveries, I am now a completely gluten free vegan. This has caused the need for some new creativity in the kitchen and many adjustments. It thrills me when I find or make up a recipe that is delicious:-) I discovered a breakfast that wowed me and I started Monday out with this nutritional feast - homemade gluten free bread, toasted and topped with fresh kale and tomato slices, layered with "cheese" sauce and baked. I must say, it was a breakfast masterpiece. I used the Vegan Yum Yum recipe for Chard Florentine Toast Points as a guide but modified it so much that I believe it is a new recipe all together. I figured I would share the "cheese" sauce recipe in case anyone is interested...







Vegan "Cheese" Sauce

1/3 cup gluten free flour

1 tbs mellow yellow miso

1 tbs tahini

1 tbs tomato paste

3 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tbs lemon juice

1 cup soy milk

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1-2 pinches pink Himalayan salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste Mix dry ingredients. Slowly add soy milk until smooth, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps. Add tomato paste and lemon juice and stir to incorporate.

We have been studying about the Wright Brothers in history the last few weeks and this week we talked about some of their first attempts at creating flying contraptions. We made box kites on Monday and had a perfectly breezy day to head outside and test them out. The boys had so much fun running with them and watching them soar.

 As if the day wasn't perfect enough, my hubby met us for lunch - we had promised dates with the boys for their birthdays and this was the first chance to do it. Frank took Keith to lunch and I took Braedon. Unfortunately, finding a restaurant that has not only gluten free but also vegan fare is a challenge but I was thrilled to find a new restaurant that offered both! We tried "The Rim - Greens and Grilled". I had a beautiful plate of kale white rice, a mound of fresh, crisp tender sauteed veggies, and sweet potato fries. It was delicious! Though the veggies did have some added oil, they weren't greasy and I didn't indulge in too many of the fries as I was much more enamored with the colorful plate of veggies! Though we rarely frequent restaurants, this was a place I would be happy to go back to.                                                                                


And so, this was truly a most delightful day...what a great way to start our week:-) Happy spring everyone!