Homemade Vegan Coconut Deodorant

Save $$$ in long run. Simple and easy to make, make all in under 5 minutes and less than $3!!

This will LAST months and months!! 

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• ¼ Cup Baking Soda 
• ¼ Cup Cornstarch (if preferred, you can use Arrowroot Powder)

• empty toilet paper rol

• wax paper/aluminum foil 

• rubber bands

• drops of lime juice(optional)

• any essential oils of your preference (optional) - lime e.o., lemon e.o, tangerine e.o., tea tree e.o., 

Directions:

1- Place the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 20 - 30 seconds or melt in a small pot on stove until the oil is liquefied.

2- In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda and cornstarch

3- Slowly add the liquefied coconut oil to the baking soda and cornstarch. Stir together until well-blended. It should now have the consistency of a thick paste.

4- Add essential oils - optional. Some opt no essential oils as some can irritate skins. (lemon e.o., lime e.o., tea tree e.o., tangerine e.o., lavender e.o. - to your preference)

5- Rubberband the wax/aluminum to bottom of the toilet paper roll. Turn it over. Pour the ingredients in the toilet paper roll. Place it in a glass or container to hold it up straight. Freeze. 

6- When solid, remove the wax paper or aluminum foil, and you have a stick of deodorant! Tear off the cardboard as you use it. Store in fridge.

One stick of deodorant standing up in a glass container. Another bowl of ingredients mixing up and prepare to put in the other toilet paper roll. 

 

Voila! My two sticks of deodorants!! 

Peanut Buttery Hummus (No Tahini)

Planning on whipping up some hummus but don't have any tahini on hand? Let peanut butter come to your rescue!

It happened to me one day few weeks ago. I forgot to get more tahini when I went grocery shopping. Save myself from taking another trip back to the store, I saw my best friend, Google. I searched for the best substitution of tahini - peanut butter. Decided to give it a try. My family never noticed the difference especially saying the flavors I make every time tastes good & delicious. My oldest is NOT a peanut butter person, she dislikes anything that tastes or have peanut butter. She ate hummus wraps, hummus w/ crackers, and few others.. Never noticed the difference! 

I tripled the recipe as I make for family of SIX. Very simple and easy!

ENJOY!!

Ingredients

• 1 can (19 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1-2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (preferably unsweetened, but conventional is fine too)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Himaylian salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup of chopped peanuts (optional, for serving)
• Pinch of smoked, hot paprika (optional, for serving)
• Parsley, herbs and seasonings for taste 
• 
  

Preparation

1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor/blender and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I often find I like to add much more lemon juice). Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.

Oatmeal Chews

Oatmeal Chews

This is a GREAT, healthy snacks you can easily make at home and eat for your morning/afternoon snacks.  It's NO added sugars, low in calories, all organic & gluten-free.  Great for boost of energy.

Easy to make, I made 4 times for family of 6.

ENJOY the recipe!  Please share your comments on your thoughts of this when you make for yourselves.

OATMEAL CHEWS RECIPE

Makes 15

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 small bananas (very ripe)
• ¼ cup soaked raisins
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• dash of ground cinnamon
• 1 ¼ cup instant oats

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients except oats in a blender and puree until smooth.  A few raisin bits are okay, but you don't want pieces or chunks.
2. Combine mixture with oats in a mixing bowl until well combined.
3. Let Batter rest for a minimum of 5 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
5. Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the cookie sheet and flatten slightly with your hands. Use your fingers to shape into a circular cookie shape. Repeat 15 times or until no batter is left.
6. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies feel firm to the touch and are a deep golden color.
7. Let stand for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool (they firm as they cool).

Note: If you don't have a strong blender, you'll need to soak the raisins in water overnight, or in hot water for 10 minutes, to get them to blend properly. This process also makes the cookies a tad sweeter.

Calories: 36
Fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 7.8g
Fiber: 0.8g
Sugars: 3.6g
Protein: 0.7g

Crack Wraps

Oh my! Tonight's dinner has become my family's BIG another winner! Another favorite meal of ours, Crack Wraps, definitely will make this sometimes!  Easy to make and healthy - one wrap is 276 calories.

ENJOY few of the recipes I posted below:

CRACK WRAPS

Make 4 wraps (we double the ingredients as we are family of 6)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4  La Hacienda de Peas Tortillas (see recipe below on how to make this)
• 1  cup Crazy Good Hummus (see another recipe below on how to make this)
• 1 to 2 ounces shredded or sliced non-dairy Swiss or mozzarella cheese (Daiya mozzarella shreds)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of melted vegan margarine (Earth Balance)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Spread your tortilla or wrap with a generous amount of hummus and top with cheese. Tuck both ends of the tortilla up and roll like a burrito.
3. Brush the outside of the wrap with a light coating of melted margarine or a quick blast of cooking spray. Grill wrap on both sides until the outside is toasted and the cheese has melted.

 la hacienda de peas tortillas recipe

makes 6  6-inch tortillas

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2  cups all purpose gluten-free flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegan margarine  
• 1/2 to 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add margarine and work through flour evenly with your hands until fully incorporated. 
2. Pour in water, a few tablespoons at a time, and work in with your hands until a soft ball forms.  Knead dough on a floured board for a few minutes until dough is no longer sticky.
3. Divide the dough into 6 balls and set aside to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
4. On a floured board, roll the dough flat (as thin as possible).
5. Place the tortilla in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat, cooking until slightly golden and puffed on each side, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Store the finished tortillas in the oven on the lowest setting, covered with clean damp tea towels until ready to use.

 
                   Crazy Good Hummus recipe

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1  14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (reserve liquid)
• 2  tablespoons tahini
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon cumin
• 3  tablespoons reserved liquid from canned beans
• OPTIONAL GARNISH: paprika and/or olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas and place in a colander. Remove skins from chickpeas by squeezing each bean gently between your thumb and forefinger.
2. Place de-skinned chickpeas in a food processor with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth and creamy.

VARIATIONS:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: add 1/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers to mix during processing
Kalamata Olive Hummus: add 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives to mix during processing
Rosemary and Pine Nut Hummus: add 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped rosemary and 1/4 cup pine nuts to mix during processing.

What is Vegan?

"What is Vegan? Veganism?", "What do you all eat?", "Do you get plenty of protein a day?", "It is expensive, isn't it?", etc..

This is what my whole family have been asked hundreds of times from people we meet, neighbors, friends, parents at school, kids' friends, families...


Are we used to it? Yes, sure. Many are not familiar, do not know, and need educate on Veganism/Vegan.




What is Veganism and Vegan?

Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and ALL other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines.   

Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating. Vegan is an herbivore, or plant eater, who lives solely on plant products and excludes all animal flesh, including that of poultry and fish, any product made by an animal such as milk and all other dairy products, eggs, gelatin, and honey.

Vegetarian avoids eating meat, poultry, and fish.  There are several types of vegetarianism.



What do you all eat?

Our vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits and the nearly infinite number of foods made by combining them.


Do you get plenty of protein a day?

Yes! Absolutely! What you have heard or told that you wouldn't get enough protein a day as vegetarian or vegan is not true! Average of protein a day recommended by USDA for men is around 56 grams and for women is around 46 grams.

It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is adequate. Great link to see where most of protein we get in our Vegan Diet - http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm


It is expensive, isn't it?

HA! No, it's very inexpensive! Seriously! Many of you eat meats and dairy, buys organic meats, organic dairy, many others... We only get oatmeal, almond butter, organic fruits and vegetables, gluten-free pasta, tomato sauce, corn flour to make tortillas, jasmine and brown rice, MANY varies of beans, Japanese and sweet potatoes, and common produce can be relatively inexpensive.
Moreover, simply comparing supermarket prices doesn’t take into account the true costs of animal agriculture, some of which are described in a New York Times article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?_r=1



I highly recommend you to learn and watch Forks Over Knives documentary DVD.