Essential Oils 101

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

I LOVE ESSENTIAL OILS!! This has certainly been a recent, new world for me, but I am loving it so far!!

These little bottles are power packed with properties that can kill germs, be great for your homemade cleaners, fragrance your home and laundry, be bug deterrents, first aid helps, and can even persuade your moods! And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

I have quite a little library started, and I'm nuts about all of them! But my all time favorite must be Lavender.

It just does everything. Has all the right properties. Is gentle to my skin. And is just... GREAT! : ) Not that I'm biased or anything, but this one is a must for any collection!

Now that I have hopefully gotten you all excited about EO and wanting more, I want to make sure that I start out these EO posts first by covering some basic safety tips. DO NOT go run out and by tons of oils without researching each one. Some of these oils can be dangerous if not properly researched and handled!

Check out this website here for several detailed descriptions about the oils and some of their properties.

Below is a very general guideline about EO safety: (also found here)

Essential Oil Safety

Essential oils are very concentrated. Their safe use requires they be treated with care and respect. The user should be knowledgeable about their properties and actions before any use. Most personal applications require drops rather than ounces.

* Always read and follow all label warnings and cautions

* Keep oils tightly closed and out of the reach of children

* Never ingest essential oils

* Don't use undiluted oils on your skin (Dilute with vegetable oils such as sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil (not GSE))

* Skin test oils before using. Dilute a small amount and apply to the skin on your inner arm. Do not use if redness or irritation occurs.

* Keep oils away from eyes and mucous membranes.

* If redness, burning, itching or irritation occur, stop using oils immediately.

* Angelica and all citrus oils make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. Do not go out into the sun with these oils on your skin.

* Sweet fennel, hyssop, sage and rosemary should not be used by anyone with epilepsy.

* People with high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy

bitter almond, basil, clary sage, clove bud, hyssop, sweet fennel, juniper berry, marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage, thyme and wintergreen

Skin Irritants

allspice, bitter almond, basil, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, clove bud, sweet fennel, fir needle, lemon, lemongrass, melissa, peppermint, tea tree and wintergreen

EO's really are wonderful. They can change the way you keep your home, and make it a much safer place by taking out all of the chemicals and such...

Next will be some more of my favorites, where to purchase (to keep from spending an arm and a leg), and some recipes to use in your home!

Hope you enjoy these gems as much as I do!!

~Page

SUSHI!!!!!!!

Proverbs 31:14 "She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar."




Ahh, sushi - you either love it or hate it. For me and my husband, it's true love and we look forward to eating it every chance we get!

A skilled Japanese sushi chef creates sashimi and sushi rolls that are beautiful, artistic and did I mention, DELICIOUS!?!? However, when you go to indulge in this exotic delicacy, you can expect to pay a price that is far from appetizing.

So with all that said, I am including a "How to make your own Sushi" post for those of you daring enough to try it!

Before I go much further, I can already hear those of you saying - Eeek, ewww, bleck, gag, raw fish! First, let me first say "bunch of wimps!!" haha! Ok, now I feel better, let me define the terms below and clarify that this "how to" post shows you how to make the classic California Roll, containing NO RAW fish. Just a side note though, raw fish is incredibly delicate, and fabulously scrumptious. Have an open mind and try it sometime, it is our favorite!!

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Definitions:
Sashimi- It primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces (the key is VERY FRESH)
Sushi- is a Japanese dish consisting of cooked vinegar rice which is commonly topped with other ingredients, such as fish or other seafood, or put into rolls.

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So now that I've put your mind at ease knowing that the following recipe contains NO RAW fish, we can proceed.

~Ingredients~

-Seaweed sheets - (you'll find at your local Asian store, Wal-mart, most major grocery stores)

-Sushi Rice vinegar

-Sushi Rice - (sold at most grocery stores, must be a sticky rice)

-Cucumber x 1

-Avocado x 2

-Imitation crab meat

-Sesame seeds- toasted

~Once you've found these ingredients, the rest of the process is quite easy. It just takes some practice. Cook your rice according to the directions (be sure to rinse your rice several times first as it removes excess starch)Once it's cooked, add your sushi vinegar to taste -(if you can't find it, just buy rice vinegar and add some granulated sugar - again, this is to taste). Add your toasted sesame seeds to the rice, they will give it texture and an added dimension.

Julienne (long strips) the cucumber, slice the avocado and cut your crab into smaller strips.
Heat a small skillet on low and quickly place seaweed paper in it quickly on both sides to allow it to become more supple (do this very quickly, just to lightly heat the paper).

Next, take the seaweed and spread some rice on one half, and line up the veggies & crab. This part is fun, do it however you want to - if you want more rice or filling, make it accordingly. This is YOUR sushi!

Proceed to roll, gently squeezing as you go to keep the roll intact. Gently cut with sharp, serrated knife.

Garnish with pickled sushi ginger, spicy wasabi paste, and good soy sauce. (these should be easily found at most grocery stores)

This last step is my favorite - EAT IT! :-D Hope you've enjoyed this very informative post on my favorite food! Now I feel like eating Sushi....at midnight. haha!

~Lauren