homemade

Candy canes are a wonderful holiday treat to enjoy this time of year, but they're not always healthy. They're loaded with sugar and corn syrup: Try making these as a healthy, fun alternative. This recipe in particular will make you approximately 18 sticks. If you wish to make more or less, just double or halve the ingredients. The finished result won't look as perfect and flawless as pe-made candy canes, but they'll definitely be healthier.

Ingredients:

Who doesn’t love chili? On a cold winter’s eve, there is nothing more quintessential, filling the house full of rich aromas and setting the stage for a hearty meal. Every family has their own recipe passed down generation after generation, but why not try a new rendition of an old favorite? Maybe it will become the new staple. Super easy and quick to prepare, this homemade comfort food is perfect for the busy family on-the-go.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

We all love our gardens and hate the pests. So here are five homemade pesticides that target only the bad bugs in our garden and are benign to all other life.

A few years back I switched my family from store purchased toothpaste to natural, homemade toothpaste. These days there are a lot of complicated chemical ingredients listed on the back of toothpaste tubes and containers—even many of the natural brands have them. Not to mention, the natural, safe brands seem a bit overpriced. So I thought—why not make my own? Being very choosy, I used safe, simple, natural ingredients, and now I am here to share my own natural toothpaste recipe with you!

Nature will always be the best place to get everything; it’s an abundant source of all that is good for us. Why don’t we recall that this also includes items that beautify? Instead of chancing it with ingredients that sound like they emanated from a mad science experiment, you can make your own cosmetics at home, with natural ingredients you already know and love. Here are some great options to get you started on your way to a truly healthy glow:

Sugar Scrub

Make the most of apple season this fall with my easy homemade applesauce! You can enjoy this recipe on its own, with pancakes or in other main dishes. If you like baking, applesauce can also be used as a healthy vegan alternative to eggs, butter or oil. I’m a big fan of cinnamon, but feel free to get playful with different spice combinations or leave them out altogether to experience the pure apple flavor.

*Makes about 2.5 cups*

Ingredients

The Lazy Composter / Homemade Fertilizers From Waste

Couldn’t get compost right? Try these homemade fertilizers instead…

Want homemade pizza without the hassle? Try my vegan quick dough recipe! With no overnight waiting times, you can be sitting down to eat within the hour. Get as creative as you like with the toppings – your options are endless! Some of my favorites are the classic marinara and (non-dairy) cheese, roasted vegetables with garlic, or pineapple with spicy tofu and mushrooms. Whatever toppings you choose, you are sure to impress with this quick and easy pizza dough!

Special Supplies

Rolling pin

Pizza pan (or cookie sheet)

Khichadi is a traditional Indian dish that is both nutritious and easy for the body to digest. It is loaded with spices that cater to the balancing of all three doshas in Ayurveda, and is perhaps the most common staple in the practice due to its ability to improve overall health and detoxify the body. This is also a naturally gluten-free meal for those that are avoiding gluten in their diet. The combination of rice and lentils with ghee, spices and vegetables make this a balanced, beneficial and wholesome meal.

What You Will Need