Grilled Salmon Kabobs

Its summer time which means its BBQ season! And what better way to enjoy summer than to grill with your family and friends and enjoy a nice cocktail on a gorgeous day.  One of my favorite things to grill in the summer are Kabobs!  I do a lot of shrimp and vegetable kabobs because I love seafood  especially paired with freshly grilled vegetables.  Lately I have been trying different variations and one in particular that I have been making a lot of are salmon kabobs!  They are so quick and easy to make!  I like to use lemon, fresh herbs and spices.  I made these last night for dinner, and they were a HUGE hit! 

Post a comment below if you have tried making these before and what recipe you like to follow.

Soph

5 Amazing Eco-friendly Beauty Products

Time to incorporate a little green in our beauty routine!  Here are some of my FAVORITE eco-friendly beauty products:


Scent

Although I am one who will always love my Chanel and Daisy perfumes, I have tried to give them up for something a little more light and natural that are not as harsh and strong, so I have slowly been shifting my way to all natural oils!  Often times perfumes can cause irritation on skin due to artificial colors and the synthetic fragrances they are blended with.  Tsi-La Organic Perfume Oils, $44 each are made with 80 to 100% certified organic, pure plant-based ingredients that don't contain dyes, synthetic fragrance, parabens, harsh petrochemicals or sulfates.

With notes of orange blossom, amber, vanilla, ilang ilang, and more, you can wear them alone or mix them together for your own unique blend!  Although the bottle may seem small and you may feel like you will use it up in a few weeks, they last!  Trust me, a little goes a far way.

Lip Gloss

I have tried a few all natural lip glosses, and this is by far my favorite! This 100% natural lipgloss is packed with intense color!  It is extremely hydrating, and lasts for hours. Which is another reason why I love it so much, I hate to reapply lip gloss every few hours.








Nail Polish Remover

My good friend came about this product.  I was so amazed!  I never came across a product like this before. All natural nail polish remover??  I will never go back to anything else!  This product has absolutely NO scent!  It is made with all natural and organic ingredients.  G2 Organics Odorless Nail Polish Remover takes off every kind of nail polish and won't leave your nails feeling dry.  It contails aloe vera and vitamin E that helps prevent dryness.

Plus, it comes in a glass bottle that's 100% recyclable, making it environmentally-friendly all around.

All-Natural Deodorant

This stuff works just as good as the Secret and Dove deodorants you find at your local drug store.  JASON Pure Natural Deodorant Stick in Soothing Aloe Vera, is pure and natural that gives all day protection.  The natural aloe vera and nourashing vitamin E soften and soothe your underarms while the grapefruit-seed extract fights odor-causing bacteria. 

Bar Soap

Pangea Organics has the best bar of soap!  The lavender is so soothing and relaxing- just try and take a five-minute shower!  Pangea has been one of my favorite all-natural body care companies for years, but this bar of soap is probably one of my favorite products of theirs!

Soph

Household Cleaning- The Green Way!

Household cleaning is an every day process, and whether it's cleaning the bathroom sink, or the kitchen counter, it is important to clean the smart, safe, and green way.  Conventional cleaning products are among the most hazardous substances you will find in your home, they are extremely hazardous to human life as well as to the environment.

Increasingly, you can find more and more eco friendly home cleaners being sold on the market today, which is great to see!  Such as Clorox new green works cleaners.  But did you know that you can make your very own green cleaning products yourself?  Just from simple ingredients found in your own kitchen!

• Baking Soda:  Mix with two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon to remove sticky greasy stains, ink stains on clothes and fish tanks.  I have two large fish tanks in my house, one salt water and one fresh water and I love using this baking soda cleaning product to clean the outside of the tanks- it makes them look brand new!
• White Vinegar:  This is a very popular ingredient people use an eco friendly home cleaner.  It has a great acidic nature!  It can remove stains from glass surfacers, dirty windows, and mirrors.
• Olive Oil:  This can be mixed with lemon juice as a natural wood furniture polishing agent.  The ratio of mixing olive oil and lemon juice is 2:1.

• Homemade All Purpose Cleaner-  This recipe is my favorite!  And the one I use the most!  I use it for just about everything that needs a quick wipe down! (counter tops, chairs, desks, walls, refrigerator, etc.)  It is a great disinfect with a lovely aromatic scent!

Half White Vinegar and Half Warm Water

7-10 Drops Tea Tree Oil

7-10 Drops Essential Lavender Oil

7-10 Drops Lemon Essential Oil

Happy Green Cleaning!

Soph

Kale Chips- A Healthy, Delicious Snack!

Kale Chips have been my new obsession lately!  I LOVE chips- a little too much, so I have been on the hunt of how I can can cut back and find a healthier alternative.  So I recently found the probably the HEALTHIEST alternative that will still give me the same great crunchy, salty flavor I crave from my Lays- KALE CHIPS!!  Kale is a superfood that is extremely good for us, so I am trying to eat more and more of it!  It does have a very bold, strong flavor so for some it might take some getting used to.  But once you start to adapt a taste to them, you will not be able to stop--just thought I would warn you in advance!

Ingredients: 

• Bunch of Kale
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Garlic Powder (optional)

(Thats it!  Just those 4 simple, easy ingredients!)

Directions: 

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the kale leaves.
3. Remove the leaves from their stems.  
4. Place the kale on a baking sheet and pour on the olive oil.
5. Be sure to really massage the oil into all the leaves.
6. Sprinkle with Sea Salt and add a pinch of garlic powder- this is optional, but it is very tastyyy so I definitely recommend it!
7. Spread the leaves around so that they aren't touching.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 mins.
9. Let cool, and ENJOY!

Soph

Homemade Ketchup

Making your own ketchup is so easy!  One main reason I like to make it from scratch is because I control what goes into it.  Have you ever checked the label on your favorite brand of ketchup?? It is pretty frightening!  Store bought ketchup contains tons of high fructose corn syrup!  Organic ketchup is a much better alternative, but I did not want to continue paying the high price for such a small bottle.

So I had some fun in the kitchen!  I played around with a few different recipes and tweaked some of my own special ingredients until it was PERFECT!  My secret to the perfect amount of sweetness?- HONEY :).. this helps to cut down on the sugar.

Ingredients: (Servings: 22)

• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey (or agave)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk until smooth.
• When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Remove from heat and cover until cool.  Chill and store in refrigerator in a covered container.

VOILA! ..simple..easy..& HEALTHY!


Soph

Going Green

10 Ways to Make Your Life More Environmentally Friendly:

1. Grow your own food
2. Eat less meat
3. Cut down on processed foods
4. Open blinds to let in natural light
5. Take shorter showers
6. Hang clothes on a clothesline to dry
7. Turn off water when brushing teeth
8. Recycle bottles, cans, newspapers, etc.
9. Donate items you no longer need or use
10. Use reusable bags at the grocery store

Soph

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has been becoming more and more popular.  And I can see why- there is pretty much nothing this oil can't do!  It's the new craze that everyone wants to find out more about..and I don't blame them, I am pretty much addicted and use it for just about everything!  Some people think its strictly for cooking and baking, and others know the benefits it has on our  bodies and hair- like me!  I pretty much replaced all my lotions with coconut oil.  I first started to dig into my research after I was hearing talk that it can help cure KP (Keratosis Pilaris).. also known as "chicken skin"- but I don't go by that, who wants to say they have "chicken skin".. like seriously!  So anyway, just after a few weeks of using the oil I saw a HUGE difference! And now I absolutely SWEAR by it!!  Before I discovered coconut oil, I tried just about everything on the market and nothing was working.  I was so frustrated that I just wanted to give up.  I am sooo happy and relieved that I FINALLY found a product that actually works and that can be useful for many other things as well!.. SO if you are one that does not suffer from the horrible KP but may suffer from other things- lets find out if coconut oil is your CURE!

1. Itchy Legs from your Shaving Cream:  If you are one like me that suffers in the winter (or year round) with itchy legs, then this is your CURE!  For the longest time I could not figure out what was causing my legs to itch so bad, I knew it wasn't any of my lotions because before coconut oil I was using all natural, unscented scrubs and lotions, until I realized my shaving cream was not one of them!  So a friend of mine suggested me to use my coconut oil for in the shower as well as after in replace of my shaving cream.  Bye Bye itchy leg syndrome!!

2. Body Lotion: As I mentioned above, I use coconut oil in replace of my body lotion.  I exfoliate in the shower then immediately after lather my entire body with the oil.  You do not need much- a little goes a far way!  It helps with roughness (red bumps), and dryness.  In just weeks you will notice a difference- I PROMISE!

3. Frizz Control: All us girls can all relate to this one..especially in the summer time!  The oil helps those little annoying flyaways!  You can also use it after the shower when your hair is damp to add some shine and help with dryness.  Just take a small amount and rub it in your hands then run your fingers through the ends of your hair.

Soph

Organic vs Natural- What's The Difference?

There is a lot of talk about the difference between organic and "natural" food.  Most people don't know that there are major differences between the two.  It 's unfortunate that the two titles get tossed around a lot, it just confuses people to the point where no one seems to be able to determine which is which!  So lets separate this confusion and break down the facts about both of these food labels to ensure that your next visit to the local store is an educated shopping experience so you know exactly what it is you are purchasing.

Basic Facts: What is Organic?

• Organic food is grown with strict standards that use no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers in the field.  Organic growing maintains soil and ecological biodiversity, GMO seeds are not allowed.
• Organic foods are minimally processed.  They contain no preservatives; no artificial ingredients, no GMOs, and they cannot be irradiated.
• Organic meat, poultry  eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Farmers earn the USDA Certified Organic label by growing and processing to strict organic standards.  They also go through a stringent process of fields and records inspections.  Soil and water are tested regularly to make sure a farm is not using synthetic products.

What Does "Natural" Really Mean?

• The term 'natural' really can mean just about anything!  (Scary, I know!)  There are no rules or guidelines and no inspection or certification system.  A food labeled "natural" is usually considered to contain less preservatives and chemical additives than other kinds of processed foods, though since there is no way to legally supervise the product, no sure answer may be set forth.  So basically all the term means is just to confuse consumers into thinking they are getting something as healthy as organic without the added expense, which is certainly not the case at all!

Soph