I was pretty excited today to go into the garden and find a bumper crop of banana peppers. I love their sweet flavor fresh from the plant; but, this many wouldn’t keep long enough for me to eat all of them. Fortunately, I have an old fashioned recipe that blends the fresh banana flavor with some sweet, some tart, and some spicy enhancements that are absolutely delicious on cheeseburgers, pizza, hotdogs, or even sandwiches. After just 10 minutes in boiling hot water this fresh and delicious medley will last in my pantry for at least a year! Less than an hour of work produced 9 pints of garden awesome. Now, all I have to do is pop open a jar the next time I want to elevate ordinary burgers to gourmet heaven–which is something I value now that the crazy school/sports season is here. Continue reading
Author: Sabrina Gallimore
Make at Home Echinacea Tincture– Strengthen Your Immune System Naturally.
School starts here on Monday and with it comes cold and flu season. There are many benefits to having a large family with lots of children running around; but, one of the detriments is they come with lots of viruses/bacteria. They also have a wicked ability to spread them faster than I can say “Tylenol.” When cold/flu season hits our home it is a battle to keep these germs from downing each of us one at a time–then repeating. Have you ever had the experience of weeks on end of someone being sick only to start all over again when the last one “recovers?” Yuck! No offense intended to my kids–but as much as I love having them around I was also looking forward to them being back in school. . lol! I am highly motivated to keep them there!! I mean–education is a top priority, right? 🙂 I was thrilled to discover the powerhouse of Echinacea tincture. If used at the very first sniffle, cough, runny nose, or vague feeling of “not feeling quite right” you can often prevent getting sick at all. It is less effective the more symptoms you have before starting; but, even if you use during full blown illness it can help shorten the time you are sick.
So you may be asking, what the heck is a “tincture” anyway? Continue reading
Free High Quality Frankincense!!!
As an update to my Make at Home Pure and Powerful Face Cleanser post from yesterday. . . I have some very exciting news!
A good friend of mine from Temple Bodies has generously offered to give the first five responders a free 30 drop supply of Frankincense for use in preparing their own face cleanser!!! This supply will prepare cleanser for 6-8 months, is very high quality, and a very powerful anti-aging essential oil.
With such a generous offer. . . I imagine these free samples will be claimed very quickly. If interested click here to be redirected to my blog post. Her offer and link to claim your Frankincense is in the comments. If you have any difficulty, just send me an email. Finally, if you are one of the lucky first responders I would love to here your results after trying!!! Enjoy!!!!
Make At Home Pure and Powerful Face Cleanser
Would you like to be able to spend about 15 minutes to make 6-8 months worth of facial cleanser that is deeply cleansing, nourishing, great for sensitive skin, gently exfoliating, and leaves you feeling like you have left a fancy spa treatment? Well read on! Continue reading
Wicked Good 3 Berry Jam–Antioxidants And Intensely Delicious Flavor
Today when I was out feeding my bees in preparation for winter, I noticed a hint of crispness in the air around me. It started me thinking about the snowy winter days right around the corner. When school is out for snow, or just on a blustery weekend, I like to build a fire and enjoy leisurely breakfasts with the family. A frequent guest is homemade buttermilk biscuits with some fresh berry jam. So, today I bring a Wicked Good recipe that is surprisingly easy to make. Continue reading
Freeze or Serve–Potato and Leek Fusion–A Soup that Transcends
I am really excited about this soup! It is incredibly rich and flavorful; and, even better–it can be made in double or triple portions to freeze for later use. I really like any recipe I can commit an afternoon to and have MANY meals as a result. This recipe takes an already great medley of comforting flavors and elevates them to comforting, rich, delicious, and elegant. I am posting now because where I live in Leesburg, VA: the time to plant leeks is coming in a couple of weeks. They are very easy to grow and fresh leeks taste sooooo much better. This recipe is a great motivator. It is incredibly nice to defrost a fresh soup in the middle of winter. Depending on your zone, most others can also grow them this time of year as well so don’t feel left out. 🙂 Please comment below to tell me if you like it as much as we do!!! This recipe is for a single batch (you can double or triple at will): Continue reading
Sabrina’s Dill Pickle Recipe #5
When I would hear my mother say I needed “to boost my immune system” I would imagine combat ready cells flooding my body to attack the bad stuff. I figured these fighters must be activated by orange juice because she always had a glass in hand when my immune system was being discussed; and, something to do with Vitamin C since that is what she said would do the trick. Beyond that I didn’t think deeply about what exactly my immune system was and how it worked. Somehow, despite a science heavy undergrad as an adult I still never really understood much better than my childhood imaginations. Much later in life I was stunned to learn how between 70-80 percent of our immune system resides in our gut. Continue reading
Welcome!
Do you ever wonder about all the chemicals/preservatives/fillers and additives that we ingest in our food, bathe in, wash our clothes/dishes, and use in a multitude of ways over our bodies each day? Do you worry about what all those unnatural ingredients do to your health and those you love–especially when 85% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies? I used to think about these things as well. Over the years, I have learned how to incorporate herbal medicine into delicious recipes–thrilling the taste buds and strengthening my health with each bite. I have learned how to create beauty/personal care products that are not only healthy–but powerfully effective. I love great food, entertaining, travel, organic gardening, natural health and beauty, and feeling good and healthy in my own skin. Naturally Elegant is a blog where we can learn real and informative methods of organic gardening on both big and little budgets and spaces, recipes for the results, entertaining, herbal remedies, natural/organic beauty products you can make yourself AND that work wonderfully, local reviews of restaurants and farmers markets, plus much, much, more. As a community we can take charge of our health, redefine beauty; and, what we are willing to sacrifice to achieve it. And we can have a great time doing so! We will explore everything for those that want to give their families and themselves the very best. Even better, we can achieve this without going crazy or broke in the effort. Naturally Elegant is just what the name implies. Pure and true. Elegant, fun, healthy, beautiful, natural/organic living. If you are interested in learning with me about all things delicious, beautiful, healthy and fun to share with those we love… pull up a chair and a cup of coffee or wine. I would love to get to know you.
Make Ahead Easy and Elegant Jalapeno Popper Appetizer or Side Dish
If you are looking for a delicious, elegant, gorgeous, and easy side dish/appetizer you can prepare before a party or meal . . . you have found it! The first time I made these was for my son’s graduation party. It was a “taco theme” and these poppers fit right in. My husband actually stood over the plate and while munching away insisted to everyone how they should really try the queso dip instead. Fortunately, no one believed him and I got the “validation” that this was really enjoyed by all. Even my younger children that tend to steer clear of anything spicy loved them. I did wonder if my queso needed tweaking though… lol!
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