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May 22, 2013

I’m so excited to introduce you to this fun, easy way to take steps toward a more sustainable, natural lifestyle! Would you like a FREE box overflowing with pure, natural products delivered to your doorstep? Visit ConsciousBox.com and use code FIRSTBOXFREE when you subscribe. (You can cancel your subscription at any time if you’d like, but I think you’ll love it!) Types of products may include healthy personal care, food, green cleaning and home & garden. Brands have included Seventh Generation, Yogi Tea and Rockin Green Soap. You can even specify vegan or gluten-free options.

With your subscription, you’ll receive a box of different goodies every month along with discounts to buy your favorites. It’s a great way to take the guessing game out of searching for healthy products, since the experts at Conscious Box hand select the most sustainable, natural and non-toxic ones on the planet for you. They research how each item is made, its ingredients and more to select which ones they trust.

I hope you’ll enjoy Conscious Box as much as I do…the subscription is fun because it’s like having a birthday every month. Everything inside the box truly pampers our health.

By applying the FIRSTBOXFREE code when you sign up for a monthly subscription, you’ll receive your first box free. All you’ll need to do is pay $7.95 for shipping. You can cancel your subscription at any time. I was asked by Conscious Box to share this promotion code with my readers, and was not monetarily compensated.

May 21, 2013

At the store, dried organic chives cost at least $6.00 for a little .14-ounce bottle, and fresh ones are at least $4.00 for a tiny bunch. I’ll show you how you can grow your own chives and preserve them for a year-round staple in your kitchen for a fraction of the cost. I put chives on everything so I can’t even imagine how much money I would spend if I bought them all the time. I cook with chives and pile fresh ones on everything from soups and salads to pizzas and potatoes.

Chives are extremely easy to grow in the garden and they’re a perennial, so they grow back after the winter. In fact, they may even be invasive if they’re not divided at some point during the late summer or early fall. You can then plant them in containers or give them as gifts. Here are some quick tips from Organic Gardening on planting chives.

If you’re overwhelmed with fresh chives, you don’t have to let any of them go to waste. You can preserve them to use year-round…and you’re not going to be spending $6.00 for a .14-ounce bottle! My uncle gave me the tip of freezing them as opposed to drying them because their flavor is retained even better that way. Here’s how to do it!

1. Harvest

To harvest chives, simply take a bunch of about a dozen stems in your fist and cut two inches above the ground using a pair of sharp scissors. Leaving at least two inches at the bottom of the plant allows for the best regrowth. You just want to keep an eye on your plants and harvest them while the stems are still soft and hollow. It’s also important to remove flowers as soon as they appear to encourage regrowth.

2. Wash

Wash your chives thoroughly immediately after harvesting. I just put them in a colander and spray them with cold water. I shake the water out and blot them gently with a clean towel to remove most of the excess water.

3. Air Dry

These last two tips are my uncle’s. Using your sharp scissors, trim the chives into 1/4″ pieces or smaller if you desire. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the cookie sheet outside in the fresh air for an hour or two to air dry the chives. The goal here is to make sure the moisture evaporates so the chives don’t stick together when you freeze them. They will still be fresh.

4. Freeze

Place the chives into a freezer bag. Try to keep them in a single layer. Press all of the air out of the bag, then seal it. You can roll the bag up or keep it flat in the freezer; whichever way you prefer in order to reserve space. We usually use them within six months. Just remove the amount you need from the freezer; there’s no need to thaw before cooking because the skin is so thin.

Keep harvesting and preserving your chives for as long as your garden’s growing season lasts!

May 16, 2013

This is one of my family’s favorite chicken recipes because they love its savory-sweet flavor. I love it because it literally takes five minutes to prepare and it’s super healthy. It’s a good source lean protein from chicken, as well as healthy fats from olive oil and coconut oil from the marinade. It’s a great recipe to have on hand for busy weeknights! Serve it up with vegetables and a salad for a hearty but light meal.