My Blog = My Life: fresh

The chemical aerosol fresheners you can purchase in the store may send off a pleasant odor, but they wreak havoc on our health! The highly condensed level of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and artificial fragrances can cause headaches, earaches, diarrhea, vomiting - even wheezing in young children!

However, sometimes it take more than just an opened window to clear out an unpleasant odor from a room. This Herbal Mist Air Freshener is completely natural and the scent is as lovely as you choose to make it! Mist in the kitchen after frying onions and bacon, spray inside the diaper pail, and store a bottle in the bathroom.

To make your own herbal spray air freshener, all you need is a clean spritz bottle and 2 basic ingredients:

1. Distilled water
2. Essential oil (I've provided some blend suggestions below)

• Country Spice | cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, bay

• Spring Morning | lavender, rose, geranium, rosemary, sweet orange

• In the Woods | sage, thyme, cedar, patchouli, frankincense

• Lover's Lane | vanilla, sandalwood, ylang ylang, jasmine, neroli, rose

• Far East | patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, lime, coriander

• Energizing | basil, lavender, orange, nutmeg, mint

• Calm, Cool, & Collected | bergamot, geranium, clary sage, chamomile, yarrow

• Garden Glimpse | lemon, orange, basil, thyme

Linking to: Natural Living, The Prairie Homestead, Mind Body Sole

Well, I just went on my first major vacation as a blogger. It was a 20 day vacation to visit my brother in England, far from my home battle station PC. And with summer in full-swing, chances are you'll be going on a few vacations of your own. So, what have I learned about blogging while on vacation? And what will I probably do differently next time? A few things. On both counts.

There were three ways I could go about blogging while away. First, I could not blog at all and pick it up when I got back. Second, I could repost some of my older popular posts (a common thing to do in the blogging world). Third, I could keep fresh posts coming each day. Obviously the third option would be the biggest commitment. And, despite what some women might think, I'm not afraid of commitment, so I took door number three. ;)

To not blog at all while on vacation is to shoot yourself in the foot (as I learned by not blogging here on WW4F). A big rule of blogging is that you should post often enough that people always have a reason to come back. In this big, fat, crazy internet world we live in, people will forget you pretty quickly if you disappear. It will probably take me a little while to remind everybody that was following that I still have posts coming on WW4F. Others will never find their way back, I'm sure. If I had it to do over, I would have prewritten and pre-scheduled several posts for WW4F.
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This dessert has got to be one of my favorite ways to enjoy summer fruit! Supposedly the recipe makes 6 servings, but our family finds it's never quite enough! Double the recipe for a 9X13.

Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups sliced peaches, fresh or canned 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup organic butter 1/2 cup oats (I use gluten-free) 1/4 tsp sea salt 3/4 cup raw cane sugar
Directions: Gently stir fruit together. Pour into the bottom of a square baking dish (8x8 or 9x9). In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of fruit. Bake at 375F until top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm with shipped cream.
Makes 6 servings.

Alternatively, replace the peaches and berries with 4 cups of pears or sliced Granny Smith apples.

I came up with this recipe shortly after we started eating the Trim, Healthy Mama way. It combines a few of our favorite flavors into one mouth-watering, plan-approved, protein-packed, tender piece of chicken.

Servings: 4 Baking Time: 25 minutes. Gluten-free, sugar-free, nut free, soy-free
*For anyone else who's a THMer, this staple falls under the Satisfying category.
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Truiva (or plan approved sweetener)
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved length-wise
• 2 cups sliced, fresh mushrooms
• 8 bacon strips
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• fresh chives, snipped

Fry bacon. Set aside on paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Discard all but 1 Tbsp of bacon fat. Saute mushrooms and cook chicken until lightly golden in bacon fat.

Arrange chicken in 8x8" baking pan. Wrap each breast with two strips of bacon to from an "X". Pour mushrooms over top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Garnish with chives.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Linked up at: Trim Healthy Tuesdays.

Lavender has got to be my all-time favorite herbal scent. I purposely brush my legs against the plants when I walk along my garden so I can catch a whiff of their glorious fragrance. With a little work, I can preserve and enjoy the smell and its healing properties long after the blooms have died off.

Although not as strong as a distilled essential oil, a lavender oil infusion produces the same fragrance and can serve the same purpose without the need for dilution. Here's how I made mine:

You'll need:

• a pale colored oil with a mild scent (olive, almond, or jojoba work well)
• fresh lavender blooms, not completely opened
• a plastic (Ziploc) bag and wooden spoon or mallet (or a mortar and pestle)
• a glass jar with lid
• a piece of cheesecloth or muslin, large enough to cover the mouth of your jar
• a smaller jar in which to pour the strained oil

1. Place the lavender heads in the Ziploc bag and seal tightly. Green leaves and stems can be added too, but keep anything woodsy or branch-like out.
2. Tap the flowers lightly with the wooden mallet or spoon to bruise them so they can release their fragrance.

3. Stuff the large glass jar full and pour in enough oil until they are covered. 4. Seal the jar and shake well. Set aside for 48 hours for the flowers to steep.

5. After 48 hours, strain the oil with a cheesecloth into a dark colored jar and discard the flowers and stems. Store in a cool, dark place.

You'll find the aroma to be quite subtle, but it will become more pronounced when it's warmed or rubbed into your skin. Stay tuned for a luxurious, all-natural hand cream recipe that uses the oil we've just created.