Abhyanga is a warm oil massage, and it is one of the most important parts of a self-care routine. In Hindi, sneha means oil, and it also means love. It is a truly wonderful thing to do for yourself. This DIY body oil can be applied before or after a shower, and anytime your skin needs some affection. Continue reading
Author Archives: naturallydiy
Tomato Chutney
I spent the past week working at an organic farm on Okinawa. Gee whiz, the life of a farmer is rough! The work is hard and the rewards are great! In addition to feeding pigs (blech!), I learned about the farm-to-table concept. Husband and I talk about a small farm of our own one day, so I was testing the waters. I think it will be a good fit, so long as we can find farmland, in the middle of the suburbs, for a great price. This experience afforded me plenty of opportunity to practice Japanese and eat delicious organic food. Continue reading
Tangerine Turmeric Bliss Smoothie
Mikans are a seedless variety of tangerine. After zesting six mikans for another recipe, I knew that I had to act fast before they dried out. I wasn’t going to eat them over the course of a day, so I did what anyone with a high-powered blender would do. . . I drank them.
To be clear, this is a dessert, and probably the best fruit smoothie that I’ve ever had. It’s bright, warming, and comforting. The tiny specs of vanilla bean warm my heart and I’m pretty sure that I’m in love. Continue reading
Kombucha Candy
If you brew kombucha, then I’m sure you’ve asked yourself what to do with all of the extra SCOBYs. After nurturing these babies like a mother, you can’t just throw them away, right? You’ve already given one to everyone you know . . . twice. If there are no more vacancies in your SCOBY hotel, then I invite you to make some kombucha candy. Continue reading
Japanese Ginger Carrot Dressing
If you’ve ever been to a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant in the states, then you’ve had a taste of this dressing, atop a small bowl of iceberg lettuce, right next to your miso soup. Did you know that carrots are the key ingredient? I sure didn’t. This dressing had me baffled for years. Why don’t they call it carrot-ginger dressing? Give a girl a break.
Purple Carrot Salad
I can’t get enough of purple vegetables. At the farmer’s market last week, I found gorgeous purple carrots. I thought to snatch them all up, but opted for a small healthy bundle. I’ll cross my fingers for more this week. In the meantime, I’ll share with you a simple salad that will showcase the carrots. I could hardly stop myself from eating the whole bowl. It’s super delish! After we gobbled down this salad, I regretted my display of self restraint. Continue reading
DIY Chinese 5-Spice Powder
My kitchen spices are some of my most prized possessions. I’m delighted when I open an Indian cookbook, notorious for long lists of unusual spices, and can prepare any meal within. We enjoy frequent relocations overseas. My primary concern is whether the movers will ship my spices, and if not, where can I hide them in our belongings? After that, I start to worry about getting our cat, Skeletor, to his new home. Priorities.
As a spice collector, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never had Chinese 5-spice until I made it this week. So obviously, I am now an expert. It’s delicious! I’m generally not a fan of store-bought spice blends; I feel like it stifles my creativity. This seemed like a mystery blend, and I wasn’t sure how it would taste. What is a Sichuan peppercorn anyway? Continue reading
Rosemary Maple Syrup
This is maple syrup for adults… or I suppose it can be for kids who know what’s good. It’s fancy, and so yummy! I just want to pour it over everything, and the best part: it’s really simple, too. Continue reading
DIY Ayurvedic Body Scrub – Kapha
Body scrubs are ridiculously cheap and easy to make. You can use all sorts of things to make a body scrub: beans, grains, salt, sugar, herbs, flowers, or spices. A body scrub should be edible. If you can’t put it in your mouth, you probably shouldn’t put it on your skin.
Kaphas generally have moist, cool skin that may retain water. We want to shake things up and get kapha energized, this scrub will use sea salt as an exfoliant. Tulsi promotes lightness in the body which will help to balance kapha’s heavy quality. Lemon essential oil is also light and uplifting. Rosemary and sage are stimulating herbs and help with congestion of the lungs and sinuses. This scrub is light on the oil, since kapha is already oily enough. Continue reading
Fujimame Stir-fry
I’m enamored with the array of purple vegetables that I find in Okinawan farmer’s markets. One such delight is the fujimame, but it is also known by several other names including hyacinth bean, dolichos lab-lab, pharaoh bean, Egyptian bean, Indian bean, and Chinese flowering bean. It’s no surprise that this bean gets around, considering its beautiful appearance and crisp texture. Continue reading
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