Angelic Face Mask

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banana, face mask, gluten- free, glutenfreevegan, healthy, holistic, homemade, homemade natural face mask, natural, oats, raw, rawvegan, rose petals, rose water, self love, skincare, vegan, vegetarian

Our precious skin naturally takes a beating this time of year, be it the harsh, icy winds or the central heating thats no doubt keeping you all warm as the temperatures continue to drop. Wouldn’t it be nice to say a big thank you that wonderful layer that works so hard on your behalf? And don’t you deserve a little pampering? You do, no question.

An holistic approach to healthy living is underpinned by the notion that what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in. I treat my skin with the same love and care as my stomach. Sadly, there seems to be a markedly higher price tag on natural skin care as opposed to the (terrifyingly full of chemicals) cheaper options on the market.

Fear not- everything you need is easily available and more than likely, is already in your kitchen (or garden, if you’re lucky enough to have one). Plus, you don’t need a chemistry degree or even heaps of time to whip up a whole plethora of amazingly good for you lotions, potions and tonics.

Today i would love to share a super simple face mask we enjoyed over the weekend. And the results were so incredibly good that we were still stroking our faces hours later, delighting in our soft, plump and fresh skin.

Only four ingredients and even then, if you don’t have access to rose petals/ water then straight up oats and banana would also work wonders. This mask leaves your skin so incredibly soft, silky, light and rejuvenated. Honestly, if you engage in one act of self love this next week- make it this.

Prepare, apply, lie back and inhale the glorious aromas, wash and enjoy the softest of angel skin.

(Makes 1 small jar, about 8-10 applications. You can make this in advance but omit the banana until you’re ready to apply)

• 1/2 cup Oats
• petals from 2 small Rose buds
• 2 tbsp Rose Water
• 1/4 Banana (for 2 applications)

1. Grind the oats and rose petals into a fairly fine flour, transfer to a bowl
2. Stir in the rose water and mix well (the mixture will be quite clumpy at this stage)
3. Store the mixture in a clean jar if not using immediately
4. When ready to use, combine 2-3 tbsp of the mixture with the banana and mash well until everything is combined
5. Apply a thick, even layer to clean skin and leave on for 10 minutes
6. Wash off with warm water and pat your skin dry

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Persian Aubergine Salad w/ a Pomegranate & Preserved Lemon Dressing…

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advieh, aubergine, BABS, cardamon, cinnamon, cumin, dates, dehydrated, dill, gluten- free, mint, nutmeg, persian, pomegranate, raw, rose petals, salad, vegan, vegetarian

There are a few reasons why i don’t eat out that often: its expensive, its hard to find places that cater to my diet (your a what? vegan and gluten free? jesus! what an irritatingly fussy eater…) the cheap wines hideous (give me my £4 bottle o french red any day ta), the list goes on. However, i am beginning to sound like the old lady i really am. The main reason is the this little issue of salad.

For any given meal i serve and we eat, a very big bowl of salad. I stress big. Big as in one of them massive mixing bowls. In the land of social media its whats referred to as a “big asse bowl of salad”. BABS. I like the acronym (though i’ve never seen it before). Whether its simply dressed leaves or an everything-old-in-the-fridge affair is always, no exceptions, big. In fact, i rarely make “salad” for dinner because its pretty much a given that salad is for dinner, though it be a (ginormous) side.

Therefore, on the rare occasions salad is the star of the show, it has to be pretty darn groovy. The following salad is certainly that, in a daisy chains, custom- made flairs/ love in sort of a way. Its ambitious, robust and rebellious. Its the sort of salad that dyes its hair purple and doesn’t live to regret it.

The main attraction is the fragrantly marinated aubergine. Tossed in advieh and drowned in lemon juice- ah yes, that reminds me…

Tip of The Day: There is no need to salt your aubergines prior to cooking; lemon juice will both tenderise and draw out the excess water. Coming from the salt fiend (guilty/ shame face) its really not necessary.

Anyways, getting back. Once marinated, you’re free to cook the aubs’ however you wish, since i’m sticking to raw through the week (and i was blessed with a dehydrator for my bday- thanks Natasha & Daniel!) i popped mine in there for an hour or two.

The base is of course the BABS. Put whatever you so desire into the mix, but bearing in mind that this is a Persian salad, there are a few stipulations: mint, dill, dates and pomegranates. From there i added sweet, plump sultanas, offset by crunchy, sour pickled fennel, shaved celery, fresh peas, peppery radish, juicy tomatoes and wonderfully bitter cabbage.

The dressing is sweet, tart and refreshing. Preserved lemons toy with pomegranate juice in a mouthwatering symphony. The rich oil holds these two strong flavours fantastically and coddles the BABS perfectly.

Salad days = happy days. Persian cuisine is certainly something i’ll be getting my roots firmly in to.

(Serves 2 healthy appetites, Vegan, Gluten Free, RAW)

• 1 Aubergine
• 1 tsp Advieh
• juice 1 Lemon
• 1 bag salad leaves
• 1/5 Cabbage, finely sliced
• 1/8 Cucumber, quartered and sliced
• 6 baby Plum Tomatoes, quartered
• 4 Spring Onions, sliced diagonally
• 4 tbsp Pickled Fennel (or fresh)
• 4 Radish, finely chopped
• 4 tsp Fresh Peas
• 10 Dates, pitted and chopped
• seeds from 1/2 Pomegranate
• 4 tsp chopped Mint
• 2 tbsp chopped Dill

1. Slice the aubergine into thin disks
2. Pop into a freezer bag
3. Pour the advieh and lemon into the bag
4. Seal and shake about to coat
5. Leave for at least 2 hours, shaking occasionally
6. Remove aubs from the bag, shaking off excess marinade
7. Dehydrate for 2 hours (or cook to your preference)
8. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Dressing:

• 1/4 Preserved Lemon, roughly chopped
• juice and seeds of 1/2 Pomegranate
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
• scant pinch of Sea Salt
• 1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1. Blend/ bash all the ingredients
2. Transfer to a clean jar, shake and then pour 2/3 onto your salad
3. Use your hands to massage all the veg, leave for at least 30 mins
4. Serve by laying salad on a plate, top with the aubergines and sprinkle a few more pomegranate seeds and dill on top

Za’atar, Advieh & RAW Tahini…

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advieh, cardamon, cinnamon, cumin, gluten- free, middle eastern, nutmeg, persian, raw, rose petals, sesame seeds, spice, sumac, tahini, thyme, vegan, vegetarian, za'atar

Now for three things you should have in your pantry (if you have a pantry, we have a shelf). They are easy to prepare and boast not only a wealth of nutrition but each in their own rights, a hell of a lot of flavour. If you can find 15 minutes to spare in the kitchen, i highly recommend you make these. Great to have on hand to add panache to loads of dishes- the two spice mixes will transform even the humblest of meal into a regal affair. The tahini so versatile, you’ll be wondering how you got by without it.

Lets begin with the Za’atar. A traditional Middle Eastern blend, there is much speculation as to the origins of this flavour bomb. Components and ratios vary from Iraq to Morocco and all in between. I’ve gone with a blend that most closely fits the flavours i experienced in Northern Africa. Its fresh, with citrusy notes form the Sumac, the Thyme is fragrant and clean and parred perfectly with the earthy undertones of sesame seed. Usually these seeds are toasted but as i’m into the RAW vibes right now we kept them that way. I would recommend toasting however as they release nutty accents which will only further increase the deliciousness.

Advieh- marks the beginnings of my new adventures into Persian cuisine. One that i can already feel a heavy crush towards. This blend is a pungent, floral mix, tightroping the line between sweet and savoury- almost achingly so. Its warm, deep and fragrant. It (like no other spice blend) instantly takes any and every dish to a level of ecstasy usually reserved for exquisite raw desserts. I’m only just getting to know Advieh but already i’m totally calculating how i can apply it to puddings…

RAW Tahini, quick, rich and nutty. Make a big batch, freeze some or not- the applications are pretty endless; the base of salad dressings, dips, smoothies, desserts. Unlike toasted tahini (which is heavenly also) the flavour nestles as a pretty mellow earthiness, so its the perfect canvas for dressing up. With my first batch i added lemon juice, pomegranate and a hint of garlic- the result was so reminiscent of yoghurt that i ditched my plans to make coconut yoghurt (for the meantime anyway).

Za’atar:
(Makes a teacups worth)

• 8 tbsp Thyme
• 4 tsp Sumac
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds, raw (or lightly toasted)

1. Grind/ bash all the ingredients until quite fine (don’t overwork the sesame or they’ll release too much oil)

Advieh:
(Makes a teacups worth)

• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Nutmeg
• 2 tsp Rose Petals
• 2 tsp Green Cardamon
• 1 tsp Cumin

1. Grind/ bash until fine

RAW Tahini:
(Make 1 jar)

• 1 cup Sesame Seeds, raw (or lightly toasted)
• Water for soaking (+ 1-2 tsp should you need)

1. Soak the seeds overnight if not toasting
2. Rinse well and add to a blender, blitz until very smooth (took 5 minutes for me)

 

Perfectly Imperfect… Cosmetics and RAW Chocolate…

Tags

almond, apricot kernel, cacao, chocolate, conditioner, cosmetics, espresso, homemade, lavender, moisturiser, natural, oatmeal, orange zest, pink peppercorns, raw, rose petals, rosemary, scrub, shampoo, vanilla, vegan

Happiness.

For me, right now, Happiness is creating love and then spreading that creation. And love that is both physically nourishing, natural and homemade, well thats just the right kind of love to be spreading. So it was that i spend my time last week, between juicing, creating a heap of lovely goodies for my even more lovely momma. Seriously, this lady is the greatest soul out there. I hope and guess we all feel like that about our parents, but this is my blog, and its my momma thats the greatest. *gushes*

Ahem, so yes, back to the point. It was always my intention to create homemade cosmetics to gift on Mother’s Day and i’ve being doing a pretty good job of controlling my excitement and not making them too early. It all started with with my homemade shampoo and since then i’ve actively been jumping around the flat, waiting for my shop bought stuff to run out! It finally came to the time when i could plough on and create the products for my mum- i settled on Shampoo, Conditioner, Scrub and Moisturiser. Not only are they homemade, so obviously, full of love and care, but they are all natural, so slowly, we can all start to rid mass produced chemicals out of our lives and thus our bodies. I did quite a lot of research into what “flavours” would work well for each of the intended uses. I settled on a Rosemary & Orange Zest Shampoo. Rosemary naturally stimulates cell growth and strengthens the hair follicles, whilst the citrus will add a natural cleansing element. A Rose Petal & Almond Oil Conditioner- to nourish the hair and scalp and to calm both hair and mind. The moisturiser was packed with Lavender- a naturally calming, sedative, to smooth the skin and relax facial muscles, mind, soul. The scrub was a good all round work horse of Apricot Kernels, Scottish Oatmeal & Brown Sugar- good for removing old skin cells, nourishing the new skin, stimulating circulation, leaving you lovely and smooth.

Once made i stored my cosmetics in recycled, sterilised glass bottles, collected from old oil, vinegars etc. I think its important to store things in glass, especially if your trying to reduce the amount of chemicals you come into contact with unnecessarily. The weird stuff in plastics can transfer themselves to the bounty they’re holding. That being said, recycle with what you have available- its a start in the right direction. And as i’ve said in previous posts, its all about changing the way we think of how cosmetics should be. So they are Perfectly Imperfect because they are natural, there is no way around it- they don’t look, feel, last like bought stuff, but they do the job, they smells delicious and i’m pretty sure you could eat most of them. You know, if you get locked in your house and theres nothing in the fridge…

Rosemary & Orange Zest Shampoo:
(Makes one bottle)

• 200ml Fresh Water
• 85ml Castile Liquid Soap
• 3 tablespoons of Aloe Vera Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon of Jojoba Oil
• 1 teaspoon of Vegetable Glycerin (optional, but it thickens things up a bit and encourages absorption)
• zest of 1/4 Orange
• 2 Sprigs of Rosemary, bashed, to release their oils

1. Use a funnel to pour everything into a clean, sterilised bottle, i kept the pouring nozzle to stop the rosemary falling out.
2. Shake before use

Rosey Posey Conditioner:
(Makes one large bottle)

• 180ml Aloe Vera Juice
• juice of 1 Lemon
• teaspoon of Sweet Almond Oil
• teaspoon of Vegetable Glycerin
• 2 large handfuls of Rose Petals

1. Again, pour everything into a glass bottle
2. Shake before use

Lovely Lavender Moisturiser:
(Makes 3/4 bottle)

• 16 tablespoons of Aloe Vera
• 4 teaspoons of Vegetable Glycerin
• 24 drops of Jojoba Oil
• teaspoon of Sweet Almond Oil
• 3 tablespoon of Lavender

1. Pour everything into a medium/ small glass bottle
2. Shake before use, this is quite runny to start with but it dries quickly

Apricot Kernel, Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Scrub:
(Make one large jar)

• 50g Apricot Kernels
• 100g Scottish rolled Oats
• 50g Brown Sugar

1. Pop all ingredients, save half the sugar, into a blender and blitz until the kernels are the size of sugar granules
2. Add the remaining sugar and pop everything into a glass jar
3. To use, pour desired amount into wet hands, or add a drop of water to create a paste

Now, for the really exciting stuff- homemade RAW Chocolate. Vegan, Gluten- Free, Sugar- Free, pure, superfood, magical chocolate. Chocolate thats good to your body and pleases the mind. Chocolate at its natural, sexy, delicious best. That being said, one of the chocolate bars i ended up making was not really raw, in that i included some coffee grinds. You can of course choose any flavours you like, to keep it raw, nut free, etc, etc. I will say that you do need really soft dates- mine weren’t that soft and i feel like this stopped the finished product being as aesthetically perfect as i’d hoped, ach well- perfectly imperfect right? We live and learn…

This recipe is taken directly from Sarah’s incredible site. I’ve already mentioned her previously but just go see, she explains the wonderousness of these raw chocolate bars far better than i can. I halved her recipe to make 2 different flavours- Espresso & Almond and Rose Petal & Pink Peppercorn.

(Makes 1 large, thin bar, Vegan, Gluten- Free, Raw)

• 15g Raw Cacao Powder
• 50g Very soft pitted Dates
• 43g Cacao Butter
• seeds of 1/2 a Vanilla pod
• scant pinch of Sea Salt (Maldon or Himalyan Pink)

• 2 tablespoons of Espresso ground beans
• 2 tablespoons of Almonds, bashed    -or-

• small pinch of both Rose Petals and Pink Peppercorns

1. Get your baking parchment ready, fold into your desired shape/ size (or use a mould)
2. Very gently heat the cacao butter in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water
3. Once melted, remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, except the dates, allow to cool slightly
4. Mash the dates with a fork until they resemble a paste, fold them into the mixture
5. You may need to allow it to cool for longer but be careful because when its ready it will set real quick
6. When you can form it into a ball, pop it into your parchment and fold another piece on top
7. Use your hands to press the chocolate into your desired shape
8. Keep somewhere cool and dry