Healthy 2Day Wednesday {6/19/2013}

June 18, 2013 By Anne Simpson

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a sharextravaganza (said no dictionary ever) of healthy and natural living posts. If you’re a blogger you can link up your wisdom, ideas, projects, recipes, whatever you think other people might benefit from reading. This is our weekly gathering of brilliant ideas shared by amazing people who love to experiment with new ways to improve their lives and their health. Browse through the collection… or add your own!

This is one of those linky parties that is hosted by several bloggers at the same time (see handy graphic below), and we take turns week-by-week choosing the top three posts. This week Steph chose her favorites. Enjoy!

Steph’s top 3 picks from last week:

As the top 3, you have been Facebook’d by Steph. And don’t forget, your posts were pinned to our Pinterest board made especially for Healthy 2Day Wednesdays.

All-Natural-3-Ingredient-Hand-Sanitizer-2

Natural 3-Ingredient Hand Sanitizer Spray from Eyes on the Source

ice-cream

Cherry Almond Ice Cream from Simple Foody

LadybugTile

Hired Killers (great but ugly bugs for your garden!) from Brown Thumb Mama

Have you been featured as an H2W favorite?

We now have a button for you to add to your post or side bar! You can get different size buttons here.

How to join this week’s fun:

Link up to any of our blogs with your favorite healthy post.
Guidelines for this Link-Up:

Share an idea, tip, recipe, things to avoid, something new to try, natural remedy, alternative medicine, going “green” tips, etc. that will help us to remain or become more healthy!
If this is your first time participating read more info & get button here (also find the “I’ve been featured” button there)
Comment on another participant’s post, this builds community.
Add button or link back to that day’s link up.
Spread the word so we can learn more ideas on keep our families healthy; feel free to share on Facebook or Twitter.
Ideas: homebirths, natural remedies, an interesting article, something eco-friendly, a review, natural cleaner, alternative or holistic approaches to health, how to’s, the list goes on & on!
If you are adding a recipe, make sure the ingredients do not include white flour, refined sugar, processed products, packages products (unless it is clearly stated or pictured that it is organic or all natural) and the like. We are looking for whole food recipes that are beneficial to our health.
If you have any questions regarding H2W’s, please contact Rachel.If you’re not participating today, I hope you’ll come back & join in next week!

Find more inspiring and informative posts at Make Your Own Monday, Motivational Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, The Bulletin Board, Better Mom Monday, Natural Living Monday, Trivium Tuesday, Titus 2sday, Teach Me Tuesday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Titus 2 Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Open Call Tuesday, Tiny Tip Tuesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Works For Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Encourage One Another, Thought Provoking Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Homemaking Link Up, Keep it Real Thursday, Frugal Thursday Rewind, Your Green Resource, Homeschooling on the Cheap, Thrifty Thursday, Fellowship Friday, Fight Back Friday, I'm Lovin' It, Weekend Bloggy Reading, Weekend Whatever, Snacktime Saturday

2 Comments Filed Under: Home Tagged With: healthy 2day wednesday

How to Clean Your Crock Pot

June 18, 2013 By Anne Simpson

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Authentic Simplicity!Years ago, I bought the crock pot you see here (the 5qt programmable one by Rival) at a yard sale for next to nothing. When I bought it, it was a lovely crisp white color and looked as if it had never been used. The lady who sold it to me exclaimed that she was so glad to be rid of it because, and I quote, “I got so tired of scrubbing that thing!”. I smiled and nodded because it seemed like the polite thing to do, but inside my head I was thinking, “What in the world is your problem, lady?! Just wipe it down when you’re done with it; what’s the big deal, anyway?”

Fast forward to the point in time where I actually used the crock pot… and then I understood. For whatever reason, this particular crock pot is hard to clean. Let me rephrase: this particular crock pot is almost impossible to clean. I can soak it for days and nothing happens besides the passing of time. I can scrub at it until I’m blue in the face and nothing happens except my face is blue. I’ve since heard from others that they suffer similar struggles with their crock pots, too, so it is not a unique situation to this specific one.

There have been times when I honestly just gave up on my crock pot ever being clean. Besides the whole issue of sanitization, the crock pot worked great! I loved that it could be programmed and that it automatically switched to “warm” when it was done cooking. It was the perfect size for my family, and it was quite reliable.

But it was dirty.

Just between you and me, if it weren’t for the fact that I occasionally blog about food and therefore occasionally have to take pictures of my crock pot… I might never have renewed my interest in trying to get it really and truly clean. Honestly? The only thing that compelled me to search for a solution was the fact that I had to take pictures of the durned thing and show them to the entire world. Just bein’ authentic here.

So off I went in search of a solution. I tried a few different remedies that worked to one extent or another, like filling it with water and turning it on and letting it sit for a while. That was kind of a pain, though, and not super effective. It wasn’t until I experimented one day with oxygen bleach that I hit upon an actual, effectual method for cleaning my crock pot!

How to Clean Your Crock Pot

Since I already used oxygen bleach in my dishwasher , the container was handy right there under the sink and accessed easily enough. I just sprinkled some on the bottom of the pot and then filled it with hot water, adding a squirt or two of dish soap while I was at it. I let it sit for a few hours, and when I came back to it, pretty much all I had to do was wipe it down.

Now my crock pot routine is simple, and my crock pot is always clean (the inside of it anyway – I haven’t figured out how to soak the outside of it yet!). Here’s my simple method:

As soon as I’ve emptied the crock pot, I put it in the sink.
I generously sprinkle oxygen bleach (I like to get mine from Tropical Traditions) in the crock pot.
I fill the pot with hot water while squirting in a little bit of dish soap.
I let it sit for a while (a few hours, all day, all night, whatever works best for me at the moment).
When I come back to it, I wipe it down. Sometimes a little scrubbing is still required, and for the really stubborn stains, I’ll have to repeat the process. But most of the time, it’s just a matter of wiping and rinsing.

You can see why oxygen bleach is rapidly becoming my favorite household cleaning ingredient, right up there with vinegar and baking soda! Not only do I use it to clean my crock pots, I use it in my homemade dishwasher detergent, and I use it to get rid of stains in my carpet! Just today, I used my carpet cleaning mixture to also clean my tile floor in the kitchen, and my DH used it last week to clean the tiles in the bathroom. It’s an all-purpose, super-effective cleaner that is safe and natural. I highly recommend Tropical Traditions oxygen bleach, Oxy-Boost, or BioKleen.

1 Comment Filed Under: At Home, Home, Household Tagged With: cleaning

Homemade Pink Lemonade

June 16, 2013 By Anne Simpson

For my birthday in May, my wonderful DH hosted a lovely party for me, and even made most of the food! (I think I’ll keep him!) Included in the menu was some delicious strawberry lemonade, which he made himself from scratch to the delight of all our guests. He made a HUGE batch, and it was gone almost instantly.

Since then, we’ve made it a few more times because it was just so good we couldn’t resist. The last time I made it, though, I took it one step further. That one little step went from “amazing” to “Uh.May.Zing”. Just like that.

It’s still strawberry lemonade… but it’s pink. So I call it “Pink Lemonade”. Fitting, huh? But unlike the pink lemonade you can buy just about anywhere else, this pretty little beverage has no artificial colors. No artificial flavors or preservatives, either! In fact, it has no refined sugar, and very little sugar at all. Can you say, “Mmm-mmm!”

Recipe: Pink Lemonade

Ingredients

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup unrefined sugar (any kind)
1/4 t. liquid stevia*
1 cup hot water
3 cups cold water
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Instructions

Place the lemon juice, sugar, stevia, and hot water in a blender (I used my Vitamix). Blend until sugar is dissolved, making sure to vent the lid to allow steam to escape.
Add remaining water and chopped strawberries. With the lid secure, blend until the strawberries are incorporated into the liquid.
*If you prefer sugar, use 1/2 cup of sugar and omit the stevia. If you prefer to use stevia exclusively, use approximately 1/2 t. Adjust sweetener to taste.

2 Comments Filed Under: Beverages, On The Table Tagged With: lemonade

Healthy Frozen Treats {Raising Healthy Families}

June 15, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Welcome Back to the Raising Healthy Family Series! In this final installment,
Kelly at The Nourishing Home is sharing a healthy way to beat the heat of summer without compromising good nutrition.

Making your own homemade ice pops and frozen treats is so easy and it’s fun too! And best of all, you’ll feel good knowing that your
family is enjoying a healthy boost of wholesome nutrients in each and every yummy bite!

So be sure to join Kelly at The Nourishing Home as she helps us celebrate summer
with some delicious and nutritious real food frozen treats certain to bring a smile to your kids faces, while keeping the ice cream man at bay!

1 Comment Filed Under: At Home, Children, Dessert, On The Table Tagged With: raising healthy families

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {6/12/13}

June 11, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays

Welcome back to Healthy 2Day Wednesday!

Great ideas await you in this week’s linkup. Others are sharing their fantastic ideas for healthy living – and you can too! We’d love to have you join us and share how you embrace your health!

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays is happily hosted by:

Rachel of Day2Day Joys

Carrie of Young Living Oil Lady

Anne of Authentic Simplicity

Paula of Whole Intentions

Steph of The Cheapskate Cook

Please stop by all our blogs for great ideas on living healthy lives!

Anne’s top 3 picks from last week:

As the top 3, you have been Facebook’d and Tweeted by Anne. And don’t forget, your posts were pinned to our Pinterest board made especially for Healthy 2Day Wednesdays.

Keep the bugs away from your family with chemical-free solutions, plus tips for healing those pesky bites, from Day 2 Day Joys.

Tessa the Domestic Diva does it again with an awesome healthy allergen-friendly recipe for peanut sauce.

Grain-Free diets are all the rage... but is it possible to have too much protein?

Have you been featured as an H2W favorite?
We now have a button for you to add to your post or side bar! You can get different size buttons here.

How to join this week’s fun:

Link up to any of our blogs with your favorite healthy post.
Guidelines for this Link-Up:

Share an idea, tip, recipe, things to avoid, something new to try, natural remedy, alternative medicine, going “green” tips, etc. that will help us to remain or become more healthy!
If this is your first time participating read more info & get button here (also find the “I’ve been featured” button there)
Comment on another participant’s post, this builds community.
Add button or link back to that day’s link up.
Spread the word so we can learn more ideas on keep our families healthy; feel free to share on Facebook or Twitter.
Ideas: homebirths, natural remedies, an interesting article, something eco-friendly, a review, natural cleaner, alternative or holistic approaches to health, how to’s, the list goes on & on!
If you are adding a recipe, make sure the ingredients do not include white flour, refined sugar, processed products, packages products (unless it is clearly stated or pictured that it is organic or all natural) and the like. We are looking for whole food recipes that are beneficial to our health.
If you have any questions regarding H2W’s, please contact Rachel.If you’re not participating today, I hope you’ll come back & join in next week!

3 Comments Filed Under: Home Tagged With: healthy 2day wednesday

How to Clean Carpet Stains Naturally{Plus Quickly, Plus Easily}

June 10, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Note: This post contains referral links. Thanks for your support of Authentic Simplicity!Fact: For 5 out of the 7 years I’ve been married, I’ve lived in apartments with nasty carpet.

Fact: It’s not my fault. (I swear!) The carpet in the first apartment was incredibly cheap (as was everything in that apartment, come to think of it), and seemed to collect stains like some people collect coins. And for some reason that I cannot comprehend for the life of me, apartment complexes seem particularly determined to floor all the dining rooms in their unit with carpet. I would take linoleum from the ’70′s over carpet in the dining room. Any. Day. (Of course, that would have nothing to do with the fact that I have 2 small boys who, every meal, end up with more food on the floor than in the tummy.)

The carpet in our current apartment is actually of very high quality, but it appears to have been around since the dawn of the house itself (say, 20 years?), and has apparently experienced its fair share of toddlerhood spills and other merriment. Oh yeah, and it started out as a lovely off-white color, I’m sure, but has long since faded to a dingy sort-of-something-color. I’m determined to cover it up with rugs, but so far all I’ve managed is a second-hand rug in the dining room. Hey, anything to cover up the handiwork of my two little blessings!

At any rate, I’m way more familiar with carpet stainage than I really actually care to be. And I am so beyond thrilled to be able to share with you the solution I have hit upon within the past year, because it’s one of those things that actually works. A lot of the solutions I see online for X-Y-Z and this-and-that tend to work for everybody else but me. (Anybody else have that problem?) So when something actually works (and works every time!) for me, I want to shout it from the rooftops.

So here’s my online rendition of the rooftop shout:

Clean your carpet stains with Oxygen Bleach!

(Hey, at least I didn’t use all caps.)

It’s really actually quite easy. Take a spray bottle and put a tablespoon or two of oxygen bleach in the bottom. (I never was a good one for specific measurements – I honestly just dump some until I think I have enough.) Fill the bottle the rest of the way with warm-ish water (never was good at temperatures either) and shake until the oxygen bleach dissolves (being sure to replace the nozzle on the spray bottle first, of course).

Spray the stain liberally with the oxygen bleach mixture and let it sit for a few minutes. (I don’t time it exactly, either. Bet you’re surprised by that.) Come back with a white rag and rub at the stain until it disappears.

And the amazing thing? It will disappear. Right before your very eyes. Like magic. I actually find it oddly entertaining, and am always secretly excited when I spot a new stain that needs to be cleaned.

This stuff has not failed me yet, and I’ve attacked many a stain with it. However, your mileage might vary – it depends on your carpet, the stain, and you. I also recommend testing just an unobtrusive corner of your carpet first to make sure you won’t ruin the color. I’ve only ever used this spray on nondescript beige-ish colors, so I’m not sure how it would react with a colored carpet.

Note: Do not use the oxygen bleach you can buy at the dollar tree. I don’t know exactly what’s in it, but it smells like chemicals and is blue (and sometimes pink, which is kind of funny), so I don’t trust it. Get the pure white unadulterated stuff from places like Tropical Traditions or Amazon.com.

3 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Household Tagged With: cleaning

How to Get Your Kids to Eat More Vegetables {Raising Healthy Families}

June 7, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Raising Healthy Families Series!

We hope you’ve enjoyed joining us each Friday as we’ve shared different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world!

Be sure to join us next Friday for our final post in this series from Kelly at The Nourishing Home, as she shares delicious, real food frozen treats that your family can enjoy all summer long.

Written by Jill of Jill’s Home Remedies

Getting a child to eat vegetables can be a monumental task that most moms hope to accomplish in their lifetime.

We all know that many kids balk at vegetables.

Moms therefore try to find ways to “hide” vegetables in meals and casseroles, hoping their children do not notice the “green and orange stuff” hidden within their food. They whisper to their older children that they “better not say the word ‘vegetable’ or their younger siblings won’t eat supper!”

My girls eat vegetables every day. I’m not talking about vegetables hidden in food; I’m talking about fresh, raw, healthy vegetables! My girls cheer when they see I’m chopping up a plate of celery, carrots and green pepper!

Hop on over to Jill’s Home Remedies for fun and practical tips on teaching your own kids to eat more vegetables!

Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home, Children Tagged With: raising healthy families

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {6/5/13}

June 4, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays

Welcome back to Healthy 2Day Wednesday!

Great ideas await you in this week’s linkup. Others are sharing their fantastic ideas for healthy living – and you can too! We’d love to have you join us and share how you embrace your health!

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays is happily hosted by:

Rachel of Day2Day Joys

Carrie of Young Living Oil Lady

Anne of Authentic Simplicity

Paula of Whole Intentions

Steph of The Cheapskate Cook

Please stop by all our blogs for great ideas on living healthy lives!

Carrie’s top 3 picks from last week:

As the top 3, you have been Facebook’d by Carrie. And don’t forget, your posts were pinned to our Pinterest board made especially for Healthy 2Day Wednesdays.

Have you been featured as an H2W favorite?
We now have a button for you to add to your post or side bar! You can get different size buttons here.

How to join this week’s fun:

Link up to any of our blogs with your favorite healthy post.
Guidelines for this Link-Up:

Share an idea, tip, recipe, things to avoid, something new to try, natural remedy, alternative medicine, going “green” tips, etc. that will help us to remain or become more healthy!
If this is your first time participating read more info & get button here (also find the “I’ve been featured” button there)
Comment on another participant’s post, this builds community.
Add button or link back to that day’s link up.
Spread the word so we can learn more ideas on keep our families healthy; feel free to share on Facebook or Twitter.
Ideas: homebirths, natural remedies, an interesting article, something eco-friendly, a review, natural cleaner, alternative or holistic approaches to health, how to’s, the list goes on & on!
If you are adding a recipe, make sure the ingredients do not include white flour, refined sugar, processed products, packages products (unless it is clearly stated or pictured that it is organic or all natural) and the like. We are looking for whole food recipes that are beneficial to our health.
If you have any questions regarding H2W’s, please contact Rachel.If you’re not participating today, I hope you’ll come back & join in next week!

2 Comments Filed Under: Home Tagged With: healthy 2day wednesday

Raising Real Food Kids {Raising Healthy Families}

May 31, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to the Raising Healthy Families series – a fun and informative series designed to help you and your family thrive! Join us each Friday as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world!

Written by Emily McClements of Live Renewed

As you push your child in a cart down the aisles of the grocery store, they are bombarded by brightly colored packages and more choices then they would ever know what to do with. The produce department is a full rainbow of fruits and veggies from around in the world, all looking like they’re at the peak of ripeness. And the cereal aisle is a rainbow full of sugar, artificial vitamins and minerals, and toxic dyes that are meant to attract your child’s attention.

So how do we teach our kids what real, seasonal, and local food actually is? Emily McClements of Live Renewed gives us easy ideas to help us teach our kids what’s on their plates, and where their food really comes from.

Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home, Children Tagged With: raising healthy families

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {5/29/13}

May 28, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Welcome back to Healthy 2Day Wednesday!

Great ideas await you in this week’s linkup. Others are sharing their fantastic ideas for healthy living – and you can too! We’d love to have you join us and share how you embrace your health!

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays is happily hosted by:

Rachel of Day2Day Joys

Carrie of Young Living Oil Lady

Anne of Authentic Simplicity

Paula of Whole Intentions

Steph of The Cheapskate Cook

Please stop by all our blogs for great ideas on living healthy lives!

Rachel’s top 3 picks from last week:

As the top 3, you have been Facebook’d by Rachel. And don’t forget, your posts were pinned to our Pinterest board made especially for Healthy 2Day Wednesdays.

Post image for Why I Stopped Using Sunscreen

Jill from the Real Food Forager breaks down the standard myths about sunscreen

and why she thinks it is important to be in the sun with out it!

Vanilla Extract gift bottle, Madagascar Bourbon vanilla

Jacqueline from Deep Roots at Home gives us a simple homemade

vanilla recipe that will last forever and make a great gift!

Peanut Butter Chocomole + New Trim Healthy Mama Link-Up

One of my blogging friends Stacy brings you a delicious healthy

dessert everyone of your family will love!

Have you been featured as an H2W favorite?

We now have a button for you to add to your post or side bar! You can get different size buttons here.

How to join this week’s fun:

Link up to any of our blogs with your favorite healthy post.

Guidelines for this Link-Up:

Share an idea, tip, recipe, things to avoid, something new to try, natural remedy, alternative medicine, going “green” tips, etc. that will help us to remain or become more healthy!
If this is your first time participating read more info & get button here (also find the “I’ve been featured” button there)
Comment on another participant’s post, this builds community.
Add button or link back to that day’s link up.
Spread the word so we can learn more ideas on keep our families healthy; feel free to share on Facebook or Twitter.
Ideas: homebirths, natural remedies, an interesting article, something eco-friendly, a review, natural cleaner, alternative or holistic approaches to health, how to’s, the list goes on & on!
If you are adding a recipe, make sure the ingredients do not include white flour, refined sugar, processed products, packages products (unless it is clearly stated or pictured that it is organic or all natural) and the like. We are looking for whole food recipes that are beneficial to our health.
If you have any questions regarding H2W’s, please contact Rachel.If you’re not participating today, I hope you’ll come back & join in next week!

2 Comments Filed Under: Home Tagged With: healthy 2day wednesday

Authentic Simplicity

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {6/19/2013}

Steph’s top 3 picks from last week:

Have you been featured as an H2W favorite?

How to Clean Your Crock Pot

How to Clean Your Crock Pot

Homemade Pink Lemonade

Recipe: Pink Lemonade

Ingredients

Instructions

Healthy Frozen Treats {Raising Healthy Families}

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {6/12/13}

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays

Welcome back to Healthy 2Day Wednesday!

How to Clean Carpet Stains Naturally{Plus Quickly, Plus Easily}

Clean your carpet stains with Oxygen Bleach!

How to Get Your Kids to Eat More Vegetables {Raising Healthy Families}

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {6/5/13}

Healthy 2Day Wednesdays

Welcome back to Healthy 2Day Wednesday!

Raising Real Food Kids {Raising Healthy Families}

Healthy 2Day Wednesday {5/29/13}

Welcome back to Healthy 2Day Wednesday!

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