Whole Grain Bread

I am still new to the whole bread thing.

However, I am an expert at the smothering it with butter and eating a whole loaf of crusty bread in one day thing.

The whole activating yeast, rising and kneading process is still new to me, but it has become a great learning experience.

Mmm.. nothing smells better than fresh bread

With cooking I can adjust the flavours, throw some more sauce in, add some more spice. With bread measurements need to be exact and you need time and patience to let the yeast do its thing.

Don't let this intimidate you though, just take your time, know that the bread needs a little more attention than, say, cooking a stir fry would.

In the end, I think you'll be surprised at how simple it is to create, from scratch, a beautiful loaf of whole grain bread. Even if the bread is a little dense, has some brunt sports on top or didn't rise as much as you hoped, it is totally satisfying to eat something that you created with just a few ingredients.

Natural Living Friday - Scrub Your Tub Green!

Hooray! We made it through the week!

It's Friday so that means I'm back with another green living tip and this week we're getting in the tub!

There is nothing more cringe-worthy than trying to get your body clean in a dirty bathtub. Right?!

Keep you bathtub super clean and sparkly with 2 products!

1. Castile Soap

2. Baking Soda

Sprinkle about 1-2 tbsp of baking soda around your tub. I use the Kiss My Face brand of castile soap, it works great and has an awesome scent.
Take the bottle and give the tub a good squirt or two out of the bottle, I bet it would amount to 2-3 tbsp of soap, I always just eyeball it.
Now, take a soft bristle brush or a sponge with a scrubber pad on it, in a circular motion go around the tub cleaning off all the grim. Rinse with water.
The castile soap helps to get things clean while the baking soda works as a gentle scrub to get grim off, it also helps to make your tub super white.
See it sparkle?

I've been using this method for a few months now and find the baking soda really helps to get the job done quickly. It's stopped me from buying tons of different cleaners too which is always a bonus!!

Have a great weekend!!



*images not originals by me*

Chicken Noodle Soup

I know what you're thinking, 'Soup! In this heat?'
Hear me out...
Ryan has been sick, it's the flu or some kind of bug and it breaks my heart to see him so down and out.
I've been doing my best to make him feel better, trying to keep him hydrated and giving him medicine.

I decided on Saturday that I would make a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup. Sure, I could of just cracked open a can and heated it up, but seeing him so down, I thought maybe making it from scratch and throwing a whole lot of love into the pot would help cure him.
He's not 100% yet, but he's getting there.
It may just be time, or it may be the soup.

Natural Living Friday- Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment

Have you heard about Coconut Oil?
If you've hung out with me, you're probably sick of hearing about it.
If you are into natural living, I'm sure you've run into an article or video about it somewhere on the Internet.
The thing is, if you have ever used Coconut Oil, whether for beauty or cooking, it's hard NOT to rave about it!!
Coconut Oil has an incredibly long list of uses, which I won't get into right now. Maybe I'll save that for a future Friday post.
The reason I love Coconut Oil so much is because it's extremely healthy for both the inside and outside of your body.

Today I'm sharing with you the best deep conditioning treatment I have used on my hair.
This is a perfect time of year to do a treatment, being out in the sun or swimming in chlorine pools can be damaging to your hair, if it seems a little dry or is lacking some softness and shine, give this a try!

Summer Linguine

Oh sweet summer, how kind you have been to me.
Thank you for keeping me up late at night watching gorgeous skies of pinks and purples while I sip on sweet, fruity wine.
Thank you for the beautiful bounty you have given and the tomatoes that are growing eagerly on my balcony.
For the sand in places I can't name.
For my sun kissed skin.
For countless road trips around the province, boat rides and bug bites.
Thank you for continually reminding me why you are my favourite (shhh!.. don't tell the other seasons!)
And finally, thank you for making it so hot outside that I have banned my oven from being turned on until the fall.