Author Archives: ByCandace

Skin Toner

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Beauty

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The recipes that I use and I share with you are not originals; honestly I am not sure there is such thing as original anymore…..anyway….

I try my best to be cost effective, so I attempt to use ingredients that can be used in multiple recipes and that last a long time. I like to use quick and easy recipes to save time, since none of have a lot of that these days.

Skin Toner

Toner is not just for your face and neck. It can also be used on your chest and armpits post shaving.

I have played around with toners; here is what I have learned. I like to make a small batch using three or four of the travel size (airplane approved) bottles. I put one in my bathroom and store the others in the refrigerator until I need them. If you have just one bigger bottle you want to use go for it.

If you have time to brew tea – Chamomile tea is a nice base for skin toner. Make sure to let it cool down before mixing it up in a recipe.

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If you want to be super fast you can use Aloe Vera Juice as your base instead of tea. I do not use the “good stuff” for this.

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Pour approximately 2/3 of the bottle(s) full of the base of your choice.

If I am not in a hurry when I make this I might add a little less of the base liquid and add a little bit of Witch Hazel. I use approximately 1/8 of the bottle(s). If you have dry skin I would skip the Witch Hazel.

 

The magic ingredient is non-filtered Apple Cider Vinegar.

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Then pour 1/3 of the bottle(s) up with the non-filtered Apple Cider Vinegar.

The measuring for this is not an exact science. I do not even measure anything; I eye-ball it.

A note to think about: my husband calls this “stinky face”. He does not like the smell of vinegar. I personally do not mind it. The smell fades when it dries and you put moisturizer on over it.

I have been using this toner for a very long time and I love it. I hope you do as well.

Recipe: All-In-One Meal – Spicy Pineapple Chili (Shout Out)

03 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Food

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I love cold weather! Since I live in Texas it is not common and does not last long….so I take advantage! Cold weather to me equals chili! I will typically post my own recipes, however I have to give a shout out! A couple of years ago or so, I found Civilized Caveman’s Spicy Pineapple Chili (http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/entrees/beef/spicy-pineapple-chili/). It is soooo good, so during this time of year I keep it in stock at all times.

Since make it so often it changes a little each time I make it now. Ultimately, it is George Bryant’s recipe though. Here is my spin on it.

Recipe: All-In-One Meal – Spicy Pineapple Chili

Ingredients:

  • Butter (grass-fed preferred)
  • 1 Yellow onion diced (white is ok too)
  • 4 Cloves of garlic diced small
  • 1 Green bell pepper diced
  • 1 Red or orange bell pepper diced
  • 1lb of bacon diced
  • 1lb of ground beef (grass-fed preferred)
  • 1lb of ground buffalo
  • 1 Shiner bock
  • 2 Cans fire roasted tomato
  • 1 Can tomato sauce
  • 1 Can of pineapple chunks or fresh pineapple drained
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Crushed red pepper
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1/4 Cup chili powder

Directions:

Gather all your ingredients, including a sharp knife, chopping board, a frying pan, and a large pot.

I like to cut my bacon up in small pieces, cook them up in the frying pan, after browned set aside drained on a napkin.

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I like to use the bacon grease to cook up the diced onions and bell peppers. If you do not have a lot of time you can cook the bacon up while you are browning the diced onions and bell peppers in the butter in the large pot.

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Season them with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. I like to use some of the Shiner bock to deglaze the pot. You could also use homemade beef broth/stock for your liquid.

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Add in the fresh garlic and cook for a few more minutes.

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Add in the meat.

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Season with salt, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.

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Once the meat is brown and cooked thoroughly, add in the 2 tsps of cumin and 1/4 cup of chili powder and mix until the spices are distributed evenly.

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Then pour in the rest of the Shiner bock.

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Add in both cans of fire roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with a little more garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

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Mix in.

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Add all the yummy bacon.

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Now the fun part!!! The pineapple! Drain it!!! Then dump right in with the rest.

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I like to allow at least 1.5 hours to simmer up to several hours. If you cook a long time you might have to add another Shiner bock as it evaporates off and still gives it flavor. You could also use homemade beef broth/stock for your liquid if you are completely anti-beer.

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Even better is to cook it up for a while, let it cool down to room temperature, put in the fridge (in containers) and eat the next day. It tastes even better after allowing the flavors to set-in overnight.

Natural Skin Care

13 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by in Beauty

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According to many sources, including the American Academy of Dermatology, “skin is your body’s largest organ” (aad.org, 2014). Skin is permeable; meaning that what you put on it will be absorbed into your body.

Have you read the ingredients list on your skin care products? Can you pronounce them? Do you know what they are? Do you know where they come from?

If the answer to any or all of those questions are no…..it might be time to re-think your skin care products.

Most of the ingredients that you cannot pronounce, don’t know what they are or where they come from typically fall under the category of a chemical and or something weird that your body likely will not recognize and make your liver and lymph system filter out or store in your body fat.

Anything you can do to take stress off your liver and lymph system will make a healthier body!

When I first started to migrate to more natural skin care I visited Whole Foods and other health food stores to seek out better products than what I was using. That was step-one for me and I suggest that you all do the same.

When you are ready for step two, which by the way tends to be much more cost efficient, you can make your own skin care “products” at home. OR Jump right to step two!

Right now I am making my own body wash, body moisturizer, face wash, toner, face moisturizer, face masks, and deodorant. All are easy to make, only take a few minutes to make, and few ingredients each.

One ingredient face exfoliation – a handful of baking soda. Moisten it a little and rub gently on a damp face. I do this at least every three days.

More to come on the recipes I use for my skin care “products”.

For more information on this topic please see the following webpages:

Recipe: All-In-One Meal – Sausage & Veggies

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Food

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Recipe: All-In-One Meal – Sausage & Veggies

Ingredients:

  • Garlic powder
  • Sage
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • ½ Purple onion
  • 3 Stalks of green onion
  • 1 Sweet potato
  • ½ of each red, yellow, orange, green bell peppers
  • ½ to 1 yellow squash
  • ½ to 1 zucchini
  • Jalapeño cheese sausage (any you choose)
  • 1 garlic bulb
  • ½ lemon juice

Directions:

Gather all your ingredients, including a sharp knife, chopping board, and a large skillet.

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Using a medium-high heat warm your skillet, add butter, chopped onions, salt and pepper.

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While your onions are browning chop your sweet potato in very small cubes. Season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little bit of all three herbs and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes to get them a little soft. I used my counter-top toaster oven.

While those are cooking chop all the other ingredients; veggies in small pieces and sausage into thin slices.

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After the onions are browned add the sweet potatoes into the pan and add in the bell peppers and cook them down till they get a little color and a little soft. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder. Add butter to the pan as needed through the cooking process.

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Then add the squash, zucchini, and chopped fresh garlic to cook and get some color. Add salt, pepper, and all three herbs.

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When the veggies are cooked squeeze the lemon juice into the pan.

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While your veggies are cooking you can brown your sausage in a separate pan or in the oven.

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Once your sausage is browned nicely on both sides add it to the pan with the veggies cook together for a few minutes.

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Done! Eat!

13

Are you a Cheeto?

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Lifestyle

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Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love food that makes noise when I eat it. I love crunchy food! Nothing is better than chips! I also am a finger-licker. I savor my foods by licking all the goodness left behind. So, Cheetos are naturally a perfect combination for me. I do not want to be a Cheeto though.

What we put into our bodies is what we will get back or get out of our bodies. Putting Cheetos and other “food products” in will eventually result in a body that is nutrient deficient, fat, and sick. Food products in my definition is anything in a box, bag, or can that did not have a mother, did not fall from a tree, or was not pulled from the ground. Food products are man-made food like products that people 200 years ago would not recognize as food. If we want to get the best results from our bodies, good health, and longevity we must put in real whole foods. Foods that have a minimal number of ingredients and are not far from its originally grown state are the best options.

The human body is an extraordinary thing, even when we abuse it to the point of illnesses we can provide it with highly nutrient-dense real foods and our bodies will heal itself. We need to provide our bodies with inputs that it will recognize and know how to utilize. Our quality of life is dependent on how good or bad we feel from day to day. If you are feeling bad, make a choice to make a change.

I realize that change can be daunting. Some people make change by using small steps in the right direction and some people by going all-in; regardless of how you like to make change happen in your life the key is to start. Do not let fear hold you back, let fear drive you towards the change you want.

We all can do better than we did yesterday. Remind yourself each day – ‘it’s your health’. The choice is yours. Are you going to choose to be a Cheeto??

Quality Food Sources (Updated 01/30/18)

21 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Food, Nutrition

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Many people choose to source their food from local areas from growers who grow produce and meats without grains, GMOs, hormones, pesticides and herbicides etc. whether it is because they want to be more kind to the environment and or because the food quality obtained is higher quality and healthier for the body. I personally like both reasons.

I like to support my local people as much as I can before I go to other webpages to source good quality foods. It is important that we support our local vendors so they can make a living and keep providing good quality food for us. I am a big believer in voting with my dollar.

With that said…..here is a list of various webpages that will help you source quality food.

I will keep the list updated as I learn of new or better sources.

Nuggets – Pieces of Gold – Towards the Change You Want

10 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in Lifestyle

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I bought a Psychology Today magazine a while back, it is from June 2014. I bought it because I was wanting change in my career. The front cover reads “Reinvent Yourself: How to Plan Your Next Act”, how appealing is that!? It is now October and my life has undergone a tremendous amount of change. I have completed my Bachelor’s degree, gotten married, moved homes in a new area, and switched companies. This is not what I had in mind when I purchased the magazine. I was wanting and dreaming of a new career doing something that I am passionate about and can make a difference with. I am quite passionate about nutrition, health, and longevity. I want to make that my real life’s work. I have been thinking about it, but too busy making my life happen from day-to-day to actually do anything about it. I was listening to a pod cast, as I very often do, and got inspired to look into a mini-first step in the direction I want to go. I saw the magazine sitting there…….I picked up the magazine today and started to read….here are some of the nuggets of gold I picked up….

“You have to give yourself enough time to actually accomplish your goal,” he says. He being Art Markman who is a professor at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. If you don’t have long-terms goals, Markman warns, you run the risk of doing lots of little things every day – cleaning the house, sending emails, catching up on TV – without ever making a contribution to your future. That can leave you feeling restless and unfulfilled (pg. 57-58).

Markman suggests that we ask ourselves “What will I regret not having done?” and then working our way backward to avoid that end (pg.58). Makes perfect since to me. I have done this for years, just not in this context. That is why I like pictures of the food I am cooking from a recipe. We must know where we want to go in order to get there, right?!

“The experts in reinvention say we need to find concordance between what really matters to us and the goals we chase” (pg. 58).

Being realistic in our dreams and pursuits is important though. It is ok to dream big, but setting realistic goals along the way to accomplish the ultimate dream will determine if you make it there or not. Doing this tends to also steer your dreams into different directions along the way as well.

Very rarely in our lives are we handed things we actually want. Nothing beats out hard work, perseverance, persistence, and consistency! Nothing! Being realistic and with proper planning and these traits I dare say that an individual could achieve any goal…eventually.

The article goes on to suggest that we should seek out those who already have achieved what we want and learn as much as we can from them (pg. 60). Learn from their mistakes. Also, I think it important to learn from our own as well…and not to look at set-backs as “failure” or to look at our failures as nothing more than learning experiences that get us one step closer to our goal. Focus is also key. Do not lose sight of the end objective, the light at the end of the tunnel, the reward when you get there…wherever there might be. Remember to celebrate each achievement, milestone, and short-term goals along the way; they are not insignificant because the big goal has not been achieved yet.

The one thing that I do know for sure, is that if you do not start taking steps in the direction you want to go you will never get there.

I know what my first steps are going to be to take me one step closer to the career I want. What steps will you take towards the future you desire?

Candace’s Health Philosophy

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in General

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Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. – Hippocrates

Nutrition, Holistic Medicine, Eastern and Western Medicine – Why does it have to be one or another? Why not use the best of all four to live a healthy, long life?

You are not only what you eat but you are what your body can digest and absorb. The first line of health and fitness is a healthy gut (aka. digestive tract – from mouth to colon).

The Candace Philosophy of eating includes the following guidelines:

– If your food didn’t have a mother, fall from a tree, or grow from the ground DO NOT eat it.

– If you cannot pronounce the ingredients DO NOT eat it.

– Food spoils and needs refrigeration, if it will last years in your pantry DO NOT eat it.

– No boxes, no bags, no cans. No “eatable products”.

– Ask yourself, “Would what you are putting in your mouth be recognized as food 150 years ago?”

– Go fresh, go frozen. Try farmers markets.

– Just say no to GMO (genetically modified foods)

– Avoid Gluten, Avoid Non-Fermented Whole Soy, Avoid Pasteurized Dairy

DO EAT…….grass-fed/grass-finished beef and other meats. Organic free-range eggs and chicken (not vegetarian – chickens are not vegetarians). Raw dairy and raw fermented dairy. A lot of veggies. A lot of healthy fats. Some starchy roots and tubers. Some fruit. A few nuts and seeds.

Note: dairy and grains are not a necessity for human survival or good health. All the vitamin and minerals you may get from these food groups you can get from vegetables, meat, fruit, and fats.