VIII. Let them Infuse Cake! ...and cookies ;)

I've been baking a lot lately in an attempt to burn through the ingredients in my pantry before I move next week. Here are three of the best new recipes I stumbled upon amid the chaos, enjoy! :)

Infused Cardamom Breakfast Cake

1 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 t Baking Powder
3/4 t Salt
1 t Cardamom
1 C Sugar
3-6 Drops Wild Orange CPTG Essential Oil (or 1- 1 1/2 t orange zest)
3/4 C Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 C Oil (you could use olive, grapeseed, coconut, or butter)
1/4 C White Bean Puree (or another 1/4 C oil of your choice)
2 Large Eggs
1/2 t Vanilla

Stir flours, powder, salt and cardamom together. In separate bowl stir sugar and orange oil together. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth. Fold in flour mixture just until combined, pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan, and cool completely before serving. This would make an excellent tea party treat or dessert, or an indulgent breakfast. Serve with fresh oranges if desired.

White Orange Cinnamon Chip Cookies

1/2 C Butter, softened
1/4 C White Bean Puree (you could use another 1/4 C butter)
 3/4 C Brown Sugar (consider reducing to 1/2 C)
1/4 C White Sugar
1 Large Egg
2 t Vanilla
3-4 Drops Wild Orange CPTG Essential Oil
1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 t Cornstarch
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t salt
1/2-3/4 C White Chocolate Chips
1/2-3/4 C Cinnamon Chips

Cream butter and sugars, add bean puree, egg, vanilla, and orange oil and beat until smooth. Stir Flours, cornstarch, soda and salt together, then fold into egg mixture. I did this by hand and found the dough to be very stiff, so I added 1 T milk . This may not be necessary with a mixer. Fold in chocolate and cinnamon chips, form into 1-1 1/2" balls, place on parchment paper and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C Butter, softened
1/4 C White Bean Puree (you could use another 1/4 C butter)
 3/4 C Brown Sugar (consider reducing to 1/2 C)
1/4 C White Sugar
1 Large Egg
2 t Vanilla
2-3 Drops Peppermint CPTG Essential Oil (or 1/4- 1/2 t peppermint extract)
1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 t Cornstarch
2-3 T Cocoa Powder 
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t salt
1-1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips (I used 1/2 C Andes Mint Pieces too. They're good, but not necessary)

Cream butter and sugars, add bean puree, egg, vanilla, and peppermint oil and beat until smooth. Stir Flours, cornstarch, cocoa, soda and salt together, then fold into egg mixture. I did this by hand and found the dough to be very stiff, so I added 1 T milk . This may not be necessary with a mixer. Fold in chocolate chips, form into 1-1 1/2" balls, place on parchment paper and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

VII. Pumpkin Waffles & French Toast

It's time for some belated Autumn essential oil infused breakfast ideas, just in case you still have some pumpkin around...

Pumpkin Ginger Waffles

1 1/4 C Flour
1 1/2 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/4 t Salt
3 Drops Cinnamon Bark CPTG Essential Oil
2 Drops Ginger CPTG Essential Oil
2 Large Eggs
3/4 C Buttermilk
1/2 C Pumpkin Puree
1/2 C Sugar
3/4 t Vanilla
3 T Butter, melted and cooled slightly

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then whisk together just until combined. Cook in waffle iron and enjoy! These were so sweet and delicious I didn't even need syrup... so I opted for whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. ;)

Pumpkin French Toast

2 Large Eggs
1/4 C Milk of your choice
1/4 C Pumpkin Puree
1/4 t Vanilla
3 Drops On Guard CPTG Essential Oil Blend -OR- 1 t Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 T Brown Sugar
8 Slices Bread of your choice

Mix ingredients (except bread) in a pie plate or other flat container, coat bread on both sides, and cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. In my typical style I enjoyed this recipe with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg... reminiscent of pumpkin pie, yum!

VII. Citrus Salmon

I know I usually post recipes that infuse breakfast foods with essential oils, but today I'm breaking out of the box. I am happy to present...

Citrus Salmon

Four 6 oz Salmon Fillets

1 1/2 T Olive or Grapeseed Oil

4 T fresh Orange Juice

1 t Salt

1 t Onion Powder

1 t Paprika

1/2 t Black Pepper

1/8 t Allspice

1/8 t Cayenne Pepper

Salsa:

1 Avocado, diced

1/2 C Red Onion, diced

1 Orange, diced

1 Jalepeno, seeded ribs removed and diced -OR- 1/8 t Cayenne Pepper

1-2 Drops CPTG Lime Essential Oil -OR- 2 t Fresh Lime Juice

3-6 Drops CPTG Wild Orange Essential Oil -OR- 3 T Fresh Orange Juice

2-3 Drops CPTG Cilantro Essential Oil -OR- 2 T Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients and marinate salmon for at least 30 minutes. Combine salsa ingredients, cover and chill. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, lightly coat with oil, and cook salmon 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook 2-3 minutes more, until fish flakes easily. Serve with chilled avocado salsa and enjoy! Serves 4.

VI. Infusing Hygiene

So, I ran out of deodorant the other day and figured it was the perfect opportunity to try making my own... It was a GREAT idea, and I LOVE my new deodorant! If you choose to try it yourself, do realize that it is NOT antiperspirant. It will not keep you from sweating, but it does of fantastic job of keeping the odor away. I personally avoid antiperspirants anyway because I try not to mess with my body's natural processes when I can comfortably avoid it. After all, sweating is a completely natural method of temperature regulation and more importantly detoxifying that I really appreciate! There are many recipes for making your own deodorant, this is probably the most basic one out there and took me less than 10 minutes to make.

Homemade Deodorant

5 T Coconut Oil
1/4 C Baking Soda
1/4 C Cornstarch
CPTG Essential Oils*

Melt Coconut oil in a pan, double boiler or microwave. Stir in baking soda and cornstarch. Add essential oils drop by drop until desired scent is reached. Pour into empty deodorant containers and refrigerate a few hours or overnight to solidify. This recipe filled 2 2.25oz deodorant containers I happened to have around (Lemon Essential Oil is EXCELLENT for removing label adhesive from containers), or you can purchase full or travel size deodorant containers very inexpensively.

*Lavender and Tea Tree or Melaeluca Essential Oils are the most commonly recommended. I personally used Grapefruit and Bergamot, but you can use whatever you like. The possibilities are endless! Just be sure to use 100% Pure Essential Oils from a trusted provider to avoid skin irritations that could be caused by pesticides, additives, etc.

During the past holiday season I was inundated with tasty treats which, though delicious, led me to consider other kinds of fun inexpensive gifts I could share with my friends. One of the things I ended up making was brown sugar scrub. Not only is it fun and inexpensive, it's also quick, easy, luxurious and indulgent! Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Scrub

2 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C White Sugar

1/2 C Olive or Coconut Oil

1 t Vanilla

3-6 Drops CPTG Citrus Bliss Essential Oil Blend

Gold Eye Shadow, crushed, if desired (adds a bit of sparkle & shine)

Combine ingredients and place in small containers such as baby food jars (don't forget to use Lemon Essential Oil to remove label adhesive) or inexpensive cosmetic containers. This can be used as a body or lip scrub.

Stay tuned for more ideas to infuse your hygiene and beauty products with Essential Oils! :)