Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Confession: I am not a professional food blogger. Also, I am not a food photographer. Basically, I like to eat food, and that’s as far as it goes.😂😂BUT I do know an awesome recipe when I find one, and I love to share good things so here you go!💛 

 ❗️warning❗️ this recipe includes dairy, flour, sugar, and is generally not that healthy, aside from the blueberries and lemon oil!😁 but I also sincerely believe we all need a treat once in a while…

👉🏻I added one drop of lemon oil to the liquid part, because I’ve learned from @foodnetwork that lemon enhances the flavor of blueberries.🍋 And lemon oil is SO vibrant and cheery, and while it doesn’t add a lot of extra liquid to the recipe it still packs huge flavor.

RECIPE:

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

✔️Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. In a 1 cup measuring cup combine:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil

• 1 egg

• fill to 1 cup mark with milk

• 1 drop lemon essential oil

✔️ mix thoroughly and then combine with dry ingredients.

✔️combine wet and dry ingredients until just moistened. Add blueberries, fold in gently.

✔️scoop 1/4 cup of batter and fill greased muffin tin

✔️ Mix 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup of flour for the crumb topping. Add a tablespoon to the top of each muffin.

✔️bake in 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. 

✔️remove from oven, let cool and enjoy!

Aromatherapy Play Dough

 This almost feels like cheating.
Anyone else’s kids going through the after-Christmas detox? Mine are hyped up because of the snow, but didn’t want to be outside more than 10 minutes.😁 This is my solution! Simple play-dough recipe + a few drops of peace. And sure enough, I’ve had peace and everyone has been playing happily ever since.😄

Don’t you love a happy ending?💛

What are some of your favorite indoor activities?
Recipe for Aromatherapy Play Dough:

In a large pot on the stove, add

•2 cups flour

•2 cups water

•1 cup salt

•1 tsp cream of tartar

•1 tbsp olive oil

•desired drops of food coloring

Mix thoroughly. Turn heat on to medium, and continue to stir mixture until it thickens and sticks together.

Remove from heat, let cool a bit, form a ball. Let cool more on parchment paper.

When cooled, add 4-6 drops of essential oil and knead in with your fingers. I used peace, but the options are endless!😊

Asparagus and Green Bean Salad

My sweet mother-in-law introduced me to this amazing green bean and asparagus salad, and my life was forever changed.👏🏻I know green bean salad is usually considered a summer side dish, but just LOOK at those reds and greens!😍🎄

The dressing – a blend of lemon juice/zest, garlic, and olive oil – is what really pulls this all together. This time I added one drop of lemon oil and a drop of basil. 
Recipe (courtesy of the Food Network and Rachel Ray)
  Ingredients
Salt

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed of stems

3/4 pound regular or pencil asparagus, trimmed of rough ends, a small bundle

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 cup basil, 12 leaves, a couple of handfuls

1 small clove garlic, cracked from skin

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a generous handful

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Salt and pepper

2 plum tomatoes, seeded then thinly sliced lengthwise
Directions

Bring 1-inch of water to a boil, add salt then green beans, cover and cook 2 minutes, then add asparagus and cook 3 minutes more. If using pencil asparagus, blanch for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and cold shock vegetables in ice water to stop cooking process. Drain the vegetables on clean kitchen towels to dry completely. Thinly slice the green beans lengthwise on an angle; pile them together and run your knife through them cutting them into 2-inch pieces. Halve the asparagus lengthwise if thicker, leave in spindles if thin, then cut the spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Combine the beans, asparagus, 1/2 cup of parsley and onion in a shallow bowl.
Combine the lemon zest and juice, remaining 1/2 cup of parsley and herbs in a food processor with cheese. Turn processor on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and pour over the salad. Season the sliced tomatoes with salt and garnish salad with them.

Natural Room Air Fresheners!

{Make Your Own} Mondays!! Make you own… Air Freshener! Many air fresheners sold in stores contain ingredients that can “exacerbate indoor air pollution” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9541364) – YUCK! Here are some alternatives that will make your house smell amazing – naturally! http://www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Room_Scents

True Health

Health is not simply a physical issue. True health is an overflow of a restored relationship with our Creator, through Jesus Christ.

Green Onions at Home!

When was the last time you cried while chopping up a green onion? If they are store bought, probably never. However, green onions are super easy to grow at home! Just need a container and water. Just put the white end that hasn’t been used in a short container with some water, and put the container in the window that gets the most sun, and boom – you will grow onions.

They are far more potent and flavorful than the ones from the store, and serve to aid one’s digestion when added to your food. These have been going for about a week.

Peanut Butter!

Feeling snacky? One of my favorite snack foods is peanut butter! Not just peanut butter, however. As a busy mom, I like to make this snack as nutritionally beneficial as possible, in case I miss lunch or don’t have time to sit for a real meal. I take a jar of peanut butter (the kind with JUST peanuts – yes, they still make it this way!), and mix in a combination of the following:

ground almonds (AKA almond meal/flour)
raisins
carob chips
coconut oil
grated coconut
ground flax
honey
sea salt
sesame seeds
dried milk (to hold it all together)

I usually throw it all in my mixer (you can increase or decrease each item according to preference) and let it go until the mixture can be made into peanut butter balls. OR I just put it all into an airtight container and eat it by the spoonful. It is tasty and filling!
What else could be mixed in with this?