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What Goes On, Goes In

/ Tracy / Leave a comment

Have you ever heard the phrase, “What goes on your body, goes in your body?” It’s true. Our skin is our largest organ and the first line of defense against germs, pollutants, chemicals, and more. Overall, our skin does an amazing job of protecting our bodies from outside elements. But what about what we put on our bodies.

On Your Body

When it comes to personal care, many of us don’t really give much thought to what makes up our particular favorites, but we should. Personal care products (including cosmetics, deodorant, hair care, body lotions, bathing items, etc), medications, and even OTC medications are typically filled with toxic chemicals. Things that we wouldn’t dream of ingesting, we are absorbing.

The skin has approximately 3 trillion pores, and they absorb whatever we put on our skin, into our body, and into our bloodstream. Of course, it would be pretty difficult to avoid toxic chemicals altogether, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be deliberate and purposeful when we can.

 

I am on a quest to make healthier choices for my family, going natural where possible. Part of that is using essential oils for health and wellness support, for making my own (DIY) personal care products, household cleaning, and more.

Using essential oils can radically change your life if you want them to!

 

 

Homemade Coffee Creamer

/ Tracy / Leave a comment

Homemade Coffee CreamerMmmmm… coffee! Go-go juice. Liquid energy, in a cup. Sanity saver. Whatever you call it, for many of us, coffee is an addiction a daily necessity. It wakes us up and keeps us going! While there are many who enjoy their coffee black, I simply do not. I have to have a generous amount of creamer.

I love the smooth, creamy, sweet taste of creamer. I love the many flavor options of creamer. What I don’t love about creamer is all the “stuff” that goes into making it ~ GMO’s, additives, preservatives, and artificial chemicals. YUCK!

Awhile back I discovered something ~ I can make my own creamer (thank you Pinterest)! With ingredients I typically already have at home. It’s easy (trust me on this ~ I’ve even made it in the morning, before having coffee, because I forgot to make it when I ran out). And better for you. And YUMMY! What else is there?

MFL Homemade Coffee Creamer 1

Homemade Coffee Creamer:

Ingredients:

~ 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
~ 2 1/2 Cup Milk or Cream (whole, low-fat, skim, almond, soy, heavy cream, half & half, etc – whatever your preference, however the more fat, the more creaminess)
~ Whatever flavor combinations you prefer. I like 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract.

Flavor Options:

Vanilla Extract, Chocolate Syrup, Cocoa Powder, Caramel Syrup, Almond Extract, Cinnamon, Coconut Oil, Maple Syrup, Pumpkin Puree, Pumpkin Spice, Honey, Orange Extract, Hazelnut Extract, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt,  Peppermint, or any other flavor Extract, Syrup, or Spice you like!

Hommade Coffee Creamer 2Instructions:

Add ingredients to a jar or mixing bowl, and stir or shake until well blended. I use a 4 Cup measuring cup. I first measure out the half n half (my preference), then add in the Sweetened Condensed Milk, and finally the ingredients. Mix well and pour into serving container. Mason jars work well, but so do recycled coffee creamer bottles!

Helpful Tips:

~ If adding dry or thick (honey) ingredients, first add it to a little cream and heat on the stove. Whisk continually until the ingredient dissolves completely. That way you won’t have clumpy or grainy creamer.

~ Add the expiration date of the milk or cream you use to the bottom of the jar or bottle, so you will always know what the expiration date is.

~ I’ve seen many recipes that call for Torani Syrup as an ingredient for creamers. They do have great flavors. They also use Sodium Benzoate as a preservative, which is a whole mess of bad news. For more info on that, go here.

Homemade Coffee Creamer 1