People are always talking about how great broccoli is for you - well kale kicks broccoli’s butt when it comes to good health comparison. Yes, broccoli IS great for you, yet kale is leaps and bounds better, packed with the vitamins like A, K, B6, as well as niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, calcium, iron, protein, magnesium, and more. 

Many people include kale into their diet to help lower cholesterol and decrease the chance of getting cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, or prostate cancer. This might vegetable is also a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, naturally detoxifying the body, keeping it healthy and full of energy. Raw kale creates enzymes to cleanse the liver, which helps detoxify cancer causing issues in the body.

Besides eating kale raw or steamed, let's open our options to a wonderful, tasty treat - kale chips! It's become quite the rage recently, so if you search online, you'll find an assortment for kale chip recipes.  

One of the best recipes I've found is from Erika at A Little Insanity Blog.  As a wife and mother of 3 boys, she strives to make healthy, raw foods for her family. Here's Erika's recipe:

Raw Maui Kale Chips in the VitaMix & Dehydrator

Soak Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Macadamia Nuts (this gives it the creamy, dreamy taste!)
• 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Cashews
• 1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds (optional)
• 5 Sun Dried Tomatoes
• 4 Dates (pits removed)
• Approx. 1 1/2 Cups Water to Cover the Soaked Ingredients

Other Ingredients:

• 4-5 Heads of Green Leafy Kale (Washed & De-Veined – see image)
• 1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion
• 1 Single Stalk of Celery
• 1 Carrot
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Braggs Aminos (or to taste)
• 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
• 1 Cup Nutritional Yeast (this gives it the ‘cheesy’ flavor) – Add Last!
• Additional 1/4 – 1/2 Cup Water – only if needed.

Procedure:
1. Place the Nuts, Seeds, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Dates into a medium sized bowl and place just enough water to cover them (approx 1 1/2 cup).  Let soak for approx. 1/2 hour.

2. While Nuts are soaking, Wash the Kale and strip the leaves off the Center stalk or ‘Vein; and set them aside.  (We will not be using the stalk/veins for this recipe, so be sure to add them to your Dirty Juice or Compost Bin!)

3. Once Nuts are done soaking, dump the veggies & nuts (including the water) into the VitaMix, then Blend on High until smooth.

4. Add the remaining ingredients into the VitaMix with the Nutritional Yeast last.

5. Blend everything until smooth… using your VitaMix Tamper to mix it around as needed.  Feel free to add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup water if the mixture is too thick.  Ideally the mixture should have a consistency like mustard, but smooth.

6. Scoop approx. 1 Cup of Mixture into a large bowl – lining the sides and bottom of bowl.

7. Add in a couple of handfuls of Kale Leaves to the bowl, and Coat each piece of Kale generously with mixture.

8. Transfer onto your lined Excalibur Dehydrator trays (I use the Paraflexx non-stick liners for the Excalibur)

9. Dehydrate at 125-135 degrees for 1-2 hours, then reduce heat to 115 degrees for an additional 20-24 hours or until all of the Kale is very crispy and flakes if crushed.

10. When done, remove the chips from the Dehydrator and store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags in the fridge until use.

Yields:  Approximately 4-5 dehydrator trays of Chips (which fills up 3-4 large Gallon Ziploc)

Preparation & Cooking Time: 30 Minutes Prep & Soak.  Approx. 20-24 hours dehydrating time. (your dehydrating time may vary depending on humidity, temperature, mixture, etc…)

You can check out her video below:
All ingredients I used in the video were Raw and Organic. 

At the beginning of the new year, we promised you new products and we are getting ready to roll them out!  It takes a lot of work to make sure our products are ready for you through proper formulation and testing, so thanks for your patience.

Take a peek at what we have in store for you.  We're sure you'll be as pleased with them as we are!

Jagged Defense Shaving Cream 3 oz $25

Our natural shaving cream is ideal for both men and women. It is excellent for a man's bristly beard, as well as for the softer feminine hair on legs, underarms, bikini and Brazilian.  It soothes the skin and helps with razor nicks. Jagged Defense moisturizes, provides a smoother, irritation-free shave, creates slip with superior lubrication and prevents razor drag.  Helps eliminate razor burn and rashes, while protecting against the harsh environment.  You can expect smoother and suppler skin. Works great in combination with our Razor Glide Shaving Oil.

To use:  Massage cream into clean, wet skin to soften skin, uplift hair follicles, and provide slick razor surface.  Shave with the grain to prevent nicks.  Can be used solo or combined with our Razor Glide Shaving Oil for turbocharged results.

Edible Organic Ingredients
Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Seed Butter, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Lecithin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Peel Extract, Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

Razor Glide Shaving Oil 1 oz $25

Works wonders for both men and women on even the most sensitive skin. Razor Glide provides greater protection, smooth glide-enabling and superb moisturizing properties, giving you a closer, consistently smooth and irritation-free shave.  The organic ingredients help eliminate razor burn due to its protecting ability and moisturizing effect without clogging pores, leaving your skin conditioned and moisturized, not oily.  It applies clear, so you can actually see where you are shaving with no mess! Say goodbye to cuts and nicks!

Our shaving oil is a blend of vegetable oils or silicone oils and essential oils that can be used as a stand-alone shaving lubricant or as pre-shave underneath shaving cream, soap or gel, to facilitate shaving facial and other body hair. If a pre-shave is your preferred method, we highly recommend using it in combination with our Jagged Defense Shaving Cream. Often these products would work best by wetting the area before the razor being used.

The concentrated formula delivers a comparable number of shaves as commercial brands, up to 100 shaves.

To use: Massage a few drops of oil into clean, wet skin to soften skin, uplift hair follicles, and provide slick razor surface.  Shave with the grain to prevent nicks.  Can be used solo or combined with our Jagged Defense Shaving Cream for turbocharged results. Razor Glide moisturizes, provides a smoother, irritation-free shave, creates slip and prevents razor drag.  Helps eliminate razor burn and rashes. Works great for men and women.

Edible Organic Ingredients
Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Oil

Calming Comfort Balm 2.5 oz $50

Potent cell regeneration and repair capabilities help to alleviate irritated skin, bumps, bruises, wounds and burns. Treat ouchies organically with our special blend that promotes skin recovery, reduces redness and inflammation of the skin, while helping to relieve pain.  It assists in soothing and calming skin, and aids in reducing discomfort, as it helps restore and protect dry or damaged skin.  It is powerfully antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal, with natural relaxant, anti-depressant properties.

To use: Apply to affected skin and gently massage in, as often as needed. Safe for all ages, including infants.

Edible Organic Ingredients
Dromaius Novaehollandiae (Emu) Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Pentadesma Butyracea (Kpangnan) Seed Butter, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Infused Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

We are also working on a honey facial scrub that gently exfoliates, tones with anti-aging and anti-acne properties. Sweeeet!

We expect to roll out these new products within the next month, so be sure to check back soon.

What products would you like to see in our store that we don't already offer?

Don't you just love the smell of Spring . . . the sweet scents of the never-ending variety of blooms - lilac, honeysuckle, hyacinth, lily of the valley, tulips, daffodils, lupine, sweet violet, clematis, roses, apple and cherry blossoms, to name a few - and the earthy smell we often associate with rainfall?  There are actually words for that smell - Geosmin, which literally translates to "earth smell" and is an organic compound with a distinct earthy flavor and aroma, is responsible for the earthy taste of beets and a contributor to the strong scent (Petrichor) that occurs in the air when rain falls after a dry spell of weather or when soil is disturbed.  Who knew?

For more beautiful images like the one above, check out NixBlog. He says he's only an amateur photographer!  You be the judge!

As for my personal Earth Day project, I went into recycle/reuse mode.  Since my move out to the country just outside Nashville six years ago, I have had some unfinished outdoor plans I'm been itching to complete.  We recently had our annual Nashville Herb Society sale at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds and I was anxious to get some of new herbs planted.  With so much shade on the property, I had an experiment in mind for my over-sized front deck, which required portable planters to find the sunniest areas.

To get motivated, I decided to start small and tackle some older terracotta-colored planters that had seen better days.  Scrub, prime, prime, paint, paint, PLANT!  That's all there was to it!

These are just a few of my plants.  Most of mine are in the ground, but I wanted to have some easily accessible for my kitchen witchery brews.  

What did you do on Earth Day?  Are you a gardener and if so, what type of plants do you grow?  Feel free to share your ideas, plans and tips and you are welcome to share this blog post!

Head into spring with your best face forward, using a simple four-step regimen: cleansing, toning, and moisturizing twice a day, and use a mask once a week.

Using a mild cleanser, like our Minnie Pore Facial Oil Cleanser, will do the trick, whether your skin is oily, dry, sensitive, menopausal, or acne prone.  Our mild Rosie Apples Facial Toner is the perfect compliment for all skin types.  Our Mighty Mud Facial Mask will tighten your pores and reduce oiliness. Its soothing skin-cleansing properties soften the skin as an emollient, reduce inflammation and aid in the removal of dead skin as an exfoliant with its natural alpha hydroxy acid properties, while producing a mild massaging effect. Choose from a number of facial moisturizers, like our popular Goddess Envy Moisturizer for the final step.

If you're adventurous, try these at-home recipes for winter-into-spring pampering skin care.

Brown sugar/olive oil/ginger body scrub: Mix 2 cups of brown sugar with 1 cup of olive oil and add a small amount of ground ginger. Mix well into a paste. Using circular motions, rub your entire body, paying special attention to elbows, heels, and knees. Rinse well. The result: Softer, suppler, and less dry skin.

Milk and honey foot treatment: Pour 2 cups of milk per one cup of honey into a basin large enough to hold both feet. Soak for 15 minutes, lightly massaging the mixture into skin. Results: Softer, smoother skin without harsh exfoliation. You can also use the milk/honey combo to soak elbows or hands, or pat gently onto the face and massage in. Always rinse with tepid water.

Egg white and citrus face mask: (normal to oily skin) -- Mix 2 raw egg whites with 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice. Apply to skin and let rest for 15 minutes until dry. Rinse well with warm water. The result: Tighter pores and a brighter, less dull complexion.

Oatmeal face mask: (sensitive skin) Mix oatmeal with boiling water according to package instructions. Let cool, then apply to skin and let rest for 15 minutes. Rinse well with warm water. The result: A radiant, moisturized glow.

What special recipes do you like to make for your renewed spring skin?