The Simple Life

03/11/2019

Fermentation

When people hear this word most people think of beer or wine. But there are many foods and food products made from the fermentation process that are undetected from the public’s idea of fermentation. For example kombucha, soy sauce, miso, sourdough bread, vinegar, yogurt,kefir, sauerkraut and pickles. I recently told my friend that I was fermenting milk and the look they gave me was one of disgust. Oddly enough had I have stated I am making yogurt I am sure they would have just said oh I didn’t know you could do that at home.

So what is it and why are people afraid of it?

Fermentation is a very old process
(There is a 7000 year old container of wine on display at Pennsylvania university that came from Zagros Mountain in Iran) of the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms. It is actually a process that occurs in the digestive tracts of all animals including humans and the only method common to all bacteria; which makes it the oldest metabolic process. This metabolic process is the primary means of producing ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

If you didn’t know, ATP is responsible for energy synthesis and transportation. Many cellular functions rely on ATP including protein synthesis, anaerobic respiration(Krebs cycle) and cellular division.

The fermentation of food breaks down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, helping to make the nutrients more available for absorption, and helps remove the compounds that interfere with the absorption of the nutrients at the same time. Fermentation also helps create B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and probiotics, it enriches the flavors,aromas, and textures of foods. It also adds beneficial bacteria to the intestinal flora increasing the microbiome of the gut, ultimately enhances the immune system.

So, grab a glass of Kombucha and toast to your health and start fermenting today!
Want to know more? Let me know how I can help you start your fermentation journey today by sending me a message. I will point you in the direction you need, share my resources with you, or answer your questions.

03/05/2019

Tomatoes!!!!

Despite technically being a fruit the tomato is categorized as a vegetable. Although they are usually red when mature tomatoes come in a variety of colors, with many different subspecies with different shapes and flavors.

Tomatoes are the major dietary source of lycopene which has many health benefits but they are about 95% water!

18 calories, 3.9 g carbs, 2.6 g sugar, 1.2 g fiber, and 0.2 g fat for 100 grams of raw tomatoes.

They also contain vitamin c, potassium, vitamin k, and folate.

Tomato soup is always a favorite in our house when the weather turns cold and you need something warm!

03/04/2019

March is here!
Days are getting longer and with the increased sun, the weather is getting nicer and maybe even a little warmer!

And here at my house I am itching to start planting!
One thing that is always fun to grow is rainbow carrots!!

Carrots or daucus carota is a root vegetable that is often claimed to be the perfect health food as its crunchy,tasty, and highly nutritious. Carrots provide beta-carotene, biotin, vitamin b6, vitamin a,fiber, vitamin k, potassium, and antioxidants. They are weight loss friendly and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels. They come in all sorts of colors as you can see.
Some nutrition facts for you: 100 grams of raw carrots contains
41 calories, 9.5 g carbs, 4.7 g sugar, 2.8 g fiber, 0.2 g fat

Pectin is the main source of fiber in the carrots. It is a soluble fiber that aids in slowing digestion of starches and sugars and feeds the good bacteria in the gut, and impairs the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract. They also contain cellulose, an insoluble fiber that helps promote regular and healthy bowel movements.

My favorite things to do with carrots is to either ferment them or to eat them roasted with garlic and Parmesan!

What are your favorite garden vegetable and what do you do with it?

02/11/2019

What the Simple lifestyle is all about is acquiring new skills to get back to basic living, but that in itself is such a huge task and many get lost in where to start, what to do, or the process and give up or get frustrated with it very quickly.

Acquiring the knowledge to be successful can be difficult and hard and that’s where and why this page was created. How do you find skills, what skills do you need, ect.

Here is a you tube video from a great resource and one I use often! Watch this video take some notes. There is a wealth of information out there but this one resource is totally free and worth your time!

You want to homestead, but don't have the knowledge and skills? In this session, we give you some key tips to gain knowledge and build skills without wasting...

02/07/2019

With Valentines Day around the corner I have been thinking about what to get my spouse. I don’t want something that will just take up space or won’t be appreciated or something that will later just be thrown away.. and I feel I am at a loss for what to get my spouse.

What do you give your spouse? What would you like to receive? What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?

01/20/2019

When Tidying Up with Marie Kondo kon mari style has your close friends and family asking you if your getting a divorce or moving, that’s when you know your doing it right.

This has all taken a while. Not because I am holding every object to see if it sparks joy, but because I am on a journey.

So many lessons and things to learn from removing unnecessary items from your life, so much more weight lifted, and room to breath created. It is aligning with everything I have been doing.

To return to a way of life uncomplicated from the many other outside stressors. Like if I have a nice home, the latest trend, or appeal to any visitors. Just joy in my life.

Have you read these books? Have you Kon Mari’d yet?

01/12/2019

Essential Oils are a great health aid to have on hand, like a first aid kit.
They are able to help with many everyday ailments and can replace some of the synthetic pharmecuticals in your cupboard decreasing the strain in your body and increasing health at the same time.

Young living is an natural living company who offers 100% therapeutic grade essential oils and right now the starter kit is on sale!
This includes 11 of the most used and beneficial oils, a diffuser, their antioxidant rich drink Ningxia, a few samples of their natural cleaner Theives, sample bottles to share or to make your oils more portable in one easy convenient package for a discounted price!

If you want to give these a try you have until January 14th 2019 at 11:59 mst to follow the link and get started.

https://www.youngliving.com/vo/ #/signup/start?sponsorid=2591893&enrollerid=2591893&isocountrycode=US&isolanguagecode=en&type=member

01/08/2019

Starting 2019 with de-crapifying my space so that I can feel and be more productive. I have joined the revolution to declutter spaces so that our minds can feel the same, uncluttered, and organization comes easier if you have less crap!

So I challenge you to de-clutter your space. Show me you 💯!!

https://becomingunbusy.com/100-things-weekend-challenge/

01/08/2019

Earlier I posted about my use of the Bees Wrap as an alternative for plastic wrap in my kitchen. It’s part of my fight to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable in my home.
I mentioned though that you did not have to buy this product commercially. Maybe it is not in your area or you have a bee hive and can make these but need to know how.
I would love to introduce you to one of my favorite inspirations, The Homesteading Family. And here is their video of how to make these wraps at home with a few ingredients.
I myself have made these after learning how and have used my Young Living essential oils to also infuse the fabric to help reduce the amount of bacteria present and really enjoyed it.

Please enjoy this video, check out the homesteading family on their website, watch some of their amazing videos or read their blog, and Learn some new ways to improve your home.

Do you have a favorite inspiration for a more natural lifestyle? Tell me about it!

Kick out the plastic wrap! Carolyn, Rachel and Brianna show a quick and simple way to start switching your home away from disposable, unhealthy plastics and ...

01/05/2019

One aspect I have made a priority this coming year is sustainability, you know the ability to maintain at a certain rate or the avoidance of depletion of natural resources in order to maintain balance.

In doing so I have been going through my home one room at a time, I inspect and research all items in that room and ask myself a few questions about each such as:

📌 how often is it used or needed
📌is it environmentally friendly
📌does it have any potential risks
📌is there a more ecological friendly version
📌what would I lose if I didn’t have it

Slowly but surely I have removed items from my home that did not meet these criteria, making it more environmentally friendly, reducing my carbon foot print, decluttering, and improving my overall health.

I have almost completed my kitchen but getting away from plastic has been difficult. Bee’s Wraps at https://www.beeswrap.com/ is making it much easier. They also want to make your kitchen more environmentally friendly and sustainable. No fret these awesome tools can also be made at home if you are not able to order them or find them locally.
Stay tuned for a demo video from one of my favorite homesteads to follow so that you can even learn how to make these Bees Wraps at home!

01/04/2019

Essential Oils are not the only Health and Wellness tool I use.

Seen below are two herbal remedies in the making. Calendula officinalis or pot marigold infused oil and yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) tincture.

🌼 calendula infused oil
Why am I making this? I use it when I make soaps and often turn it into a salve.
Calendula flowers have many uses though. They are edible and have been used in place of saffron, and to color cheese and butter for a long time. When. Eaten it has been said to aid in relief of abdominal cramps and constipation.
When used topical as I am going to calendula has been found to help promote the quality and appearance of skin as well as promote healing. During the American Civil War and WW1 it was used in open wounds and on dressings as an antihemorrhagic and antiseptic to promote healing.

🌿 Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium)
Known as an astringent and diaphoretic yarrow has been known to cause constriction of mucous membranes supporting digestion and soothing stomach aches, protecting the skin and reducing fevers.
Yarrow contains salicylic acid, the main ingredient in aspirin. Although the amount found In yarrow is far less it aides in its ability to help one feel better.

Both of these plants can be found locally to me and I wild harvested the yarrow earlier in the year. I did purchase the calendula from our local health store but it is also in the garden, if you remember to harvest and store it properly. These are both options in my arsenal of health and wellness. I save money, enjoy some time outside, and can get over some of the seasonal crud without the need for over the counter medications that may tax my body systems further with all the added ingredients in them or a costly trip to see the doctor. And if my remedies don’t work, I am not out of options as I am sure the doctor has something up their sleeves to help.

01/03/2019

Young Living is a international company based here in the United States that is invested in empowering individuals to whole life wellness with a commitment to focus on their members first, having positive attitudes, personal integrity, and good judgement to help bring essential oil and essential oil infused products into every home.

They are leading a global purpose driven wellness revolution, and I want to help you start your year off with one of the many ways they help do this.

Is one of your New Years revolutions to lose weight? Or to make healthier choices? To be mindful of what is put in or on your body?

Here is some exciting news! Starting in February members of Young Living will be coming together for this event to help them meet their weight loss and management goals. By purchasing two qualifying products from the Slique line and participating in the challenge they are entered to win a grand prize of $3000.00!!!

The rules, buy any two qualifying products, complete the registration packet, use the products faithfully, uninterrupted and according to the directions provided for 60 days. You turn your results in and your entered.

The product even comes with a guarantee,

if you complete the above mentioned and are not satisfied with the product, you’ll have 14 days to contact the company and receive the product price credited to your account.

So what’s to lose but inches and pounds?!?

Not a member or want to join the challenge and need some help! No worries there is still time left. Just message me and I can help you get started today!