Wheatgrass - so easy to grow yourself!

How can I make wheatgrass on my own? I used to ask myself that question every time I bought a 'shot' for $2.50 at Whole Foods...

As you know, wheatgrass is a very healthy and popular drink in juice bars or sold as powdered supplements at health stores, but it can be rather expensive. 

I hope the easy instructions and photos in this post inspire and empower you to grow your own!

Please take the time to review the Amazing Benefits of Wheatgrass for extra motivation.

There is loads of information, instructions and great YouTube Videos for extra help, but here are the basics to get you started:

1. Soak your hard winter wheat seeds (also called wheatberries) which you can find in Whole Foods or on line for very cheap (wheatgrass-seeds)
2. Sprout the seeds in a jar for the next 24 hours, by rinsing and draining the seeds well three times a day, (before work, after work, and before bed). Put cheese cloth or mesh over the jar, or use a sieve with tiny holes to drain.
3. Plant the seeds after a very short 'tail' is visible, on top of the soil (basic potting mix or top soil will work fine.) Do not bury the seeds under the soil, but do keep them wet. As you can see, I used small plastic pots leftover from plants I purchased and saved, or you can purchase wheatgrass trays.
4. Water gently, but soak the soil, once in the morning and once in the evening, so they don't dry out. 
5. By the fourth day you can already see the grass growing, which is very exciting, and within a few days it will be ready for you to consume.
6. Cut with a scissors and juice!

I do not own a dedicated juicer, but have been enjoying the benefits of wheatgrass along with a mixture of greens in my juices. I also blend wheatgrass in my shakes and smoothies and love the extra flavor, energy and healing properties it offers.

A picture tells a thousand words...hope you enjoy!

The Magic Of Coconut Oil

Before taking a shower last night I removed my mascara with coconut oil, and then  after washing and drying my hair I rubbed some coconut oil on my scalp and in my hair and a thin layer all over my body, and I just felt SO smooth and silky...

Have you added coconut oil into your daily health and beauty routines yet? 

Here are some great and practical uses for coconut oil:

Eye Makeup Remover - Coconut oil is a gentle and effective way to remove make-up. A little goes a long way and you avoid expensive brands with chemicals and artificial ingredients.

Hair Care - Store-bought hair masques and moisturizing conditioners are often filled with fragrances, chemicals, and other additives that do more harm than good. Coconut oil works as an excellent masque prior to shampooing. Liberally apply it to the hair, let it stay in for 5 minutes, rinse, and then continue shampooing and washing hair as normal. Putting in on as a detangler or conditioner is also great.

Massage Oil - There are many organic ways to spice up your sex life, and using coconut oil as a massage oil is one. Mix with other essential oils for desired scents and aura.

Reduce Frizz - All it takes is a small dab of coconut oil rubbed into your hands and then brushed through your hair to reduce frizz and leave your locks looking soft, healthy, and moisturized. Don’t worry about the greasy look; as long as you apply only a dab, greasiness will be avoided.

Shaving Cream - It’s never fun to shave without something creamy or soft to make the experience less harsh on your skin. Instead of reaching for a store-bought shaving cream, opt for coconut oil. It goes on smooth and works as both a shaving cream and an after-shave moisturizer.

Daily Energy Supplement - Because of its ability to fight off bacteria and viruses as well as its positive influence on digestion and skin health, coconut oil makes a great daily supplement. Add a teaspoon to your morning smoothie or lightly cook vegetables with it.

Anti-Aging Moisturizer - Coconut oil provides a boost of antioxidants, which are linked to preventing signs of aging skin. Apply a smidgen of coconut oil to your face after cleansing at night and let it do its healing while you get your shut-eye.

Diminish Cellulite - Introduce coconut oil to your daily moisturizing rituals. Apply it on your thighs and bum on a regular basis and you’ll start to notice your cellulite disappearing.

Get Rid of Lice - Rinse hair with vinegar and then brush in a generous amount of coconut oil so that the entire head is evenly coated. Put on a shower cap and let it sit for a few hours before rinsing off. The vinegar dissolves the sticking power of lice eggs and the coconut oil smothers and kills the lice.

Boost Hormone Health - Coconut oil offers the necessary building blocks for the production of hormones. Fat is very important in the rebuilding and repairing cells, but the wrong balance of poly saturated to saturated and mono unsaturated fats can mean bad news for your health. The human body is 97 percent saturated and monounsaturated fats and 3 percent polyunsaturated fat. Most vegetable oils tip the balance towards polyunsaturated fats, which can wreak havoc on the body. Coconut oil keeps the ratio balanced.

Tanning Oil - Coconut oil acts as a 4 SPF tanning oil that isn’t cancerous like the brands grazing beauty shop shelves. It’s moisturizing as well, which prevents your skin from getting dry and flaky under the sun.

Dry Feet Fix - Mix coconut oil with salt to remove dry skin from feet. The salt acts as an exfoliating scrub that removes dead skin cells and the coconut oil helps to lubricate, moisturize and kill bacteria in the process.

Chicken Pox and Poison Ivy Relief - Apply coconut oil to areas affected by chicken pox or poison ivy to reduce swelling, itching, and irritated skin.

Replace Your Everyday Cooking Oil - While many everyday oils like olive oil are lauded for their unsaturated fat qualities, when cooked, the oils biochemically change and don’t bear the same nutrients, enzymes and potency as when in a raw, cold-pressed state. Coconut oil is unique in that it has a high burning temperature, so it can withstand higher heat levels that other oils can’t. When cooking, opt for coconut oil. It brings a new flavor profile to your dishes and can make the difference in your healthy diet.

Even more uses:

• As a coffee creamer when emulsified into coffee
• On the skin as a basic lotion
• As a cloth diaper safe diaper cream (just rub on baby’s bottom)
• To lighten age spots when rubbed directly on the skin
• To prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
• To get rid of cradle cap on baby
• Rubbed on lips as a natural chap stick
• Topically, can help skin heal faster after injury or infection
• Directly on the perineum to help heal after birth
• On feet to fight athlete’s foot or tor fungus
• In place of Lanolin cream on nursing nipples to sooth irritation 
• Can help sooth psoriasis or eczema
• There is some evidence that regular ingestion of coconut oil can help prevent or reverse Alzheimers
• Rub coconut oil on the inside of your nose to help alleviate allergy symptoms
• Nursing moms can take 3-4 tablespoons a day (and Vitamin D) to increase milk supply and nutrients
• There is some evidence that coconut oil helps digestion and may even kill intestinal parasites or yeast
• Mix a tablespoon with a tablespoon of chia seeds for an all-day energy boost (do NOT take this at night!)
• Can help improve insulin levels
• Oil pulling with coconut oil helps improve gum health
• Can help improve cholesterol ratios
• Blend a tablespoon into hot tea to help speed recovery from cold or flu
• Can help reduce appearance of varicose veins
• After initial heat is gone, can help speed healing of sunburn
• Is an immediate source of energy when eaten and isn’t stored as fat
• As a natural personal lubricant that won’t disturb vaginal flora
• It’s anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen arthritis
• Can help resolve acne when used regularly
• Can be rubbed into scalp daily to stimulate hair growth
• In kids ears to help speed ear infection healing
• Can help speed weight loss when consumed daily
• Can help improve sleep when taken daily
• A tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat
• By itself or with baking soda as a naturally whitening toothpaste
• For pets struggling with skin issues when used externally
• Can be taken in warm ginger tea to sooth heartburn or nausea
• On hands after doing dishes to avoid dry skin
• Mixed with catnip, rosemary, or mint essential oils as a natural bug repellent
• Can be used on mom’s nipple and baby’s mouth to help treat thrush
• When taken regularly, it can help fight candida
• When taken regularly, it can boost hormone production
• Ingesting coconut oil daily can help with allergy symptoms
• Ingesting coconut oil daily can increase mental alertness
• Can relieve the pain of hemorrhoids when used topically
• Can boost circulation and help those who often feel cold
• Rub into elbows daily to help alleviate dry, flaky elbows
• Naturally clears up cold sores
• On cuticles to help nails grow
• Add to smoothies to give them a nutritional boost

I often use a brand called - Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil - which you can find in Whole Foods, Publix and other stores, 14 oz. for approx $8.00. There are dozens of brands on line so Google to find the best value and stock up!

I just found a 54 oz. for just $17.50 with FREE shipping here: drvita.com



It is an incredibly magical and versatile item to have in your pantry and also among your toiletries, so invest in some plastic spray and squeeze bottles and store in different places in your home to incorporate the above uses into your lifestyle...you’ll be so happy you did.

Wishing you excellent health!

Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies

This recipe is easy, quick and healthy, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now:

3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

(You can make both the almond milk and apple sauce easily with your blender, Google for recipes or ask me how).

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and flatten cookies into rounds.
• Bake for approx. 20 -30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.

Enjoy for breakfast, afternoon snack or any time with your tea/coffee.

Store in covered container.

You can add ground flax seed, more spices, other dried fruits & nuts...they are best and most delish freshly baked in the morning, and makes the house smell wonderful!

Try it as soon as possible...a few cookies will keep you satisfied for a few hours!

Enjoy and please share, both your cookies and the recipe!

What's in your fridge?

Looking in someone's refrigerator is like looking in their medicine cabinet - it's very revealing. You can learn some pretty important information. Not only can you tell what kind of foods they're into (which indicates how much they care about nutrition and their health), you can also tell if they cook or not, consume soft drinks or commercial juices, and eat animal products. 


Regardless of the contents, it's always sort of fun to look inside.

I took the photos included in this post recently, when I came back from the Open Farmer's Market called the Swap Shop, in Sunrise, FL.  We've been shopping there for about 20 years now and have sustained a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle for our family of 5 on a modest but substantial budget, with a feeling of incredible abundance because of the amounts of fruits and vegetables that are stocked in our fridge used for meals, fresh juices, shakes, and snacks.

As you can see, most of what's in there is fresh produce.  Other things kept in our fridge on a regular basis include homemade hummus, fresh peanut butter, tofu, homemade sprouts, unsalted butter, whole wheat flour & yeast for baking in the bread machine, homemade salad dressing, dates, raisins, walnuts, almonds, leftover quinoa and rice & lentils. 

In our freezer you'll usually find a few bags of frozen bananas and chopped frozen fruit for smoothies and homemade ice cream, frozen slices of home baked (salt free, sugar free, additive free) and ice.

We do indulge and splurge on pizza, ice cream, chips and baked goods occasionally, since moderation of 'special treats' is key in a balanced lifestyle, but healthy choices are available for our daily consumption. 

As the New Year approaches, let's take stock of what we are putting into our bodies, and whether  the food we are eating is alive (contains water, like fruits and veggies) or dead (cooked or packaged). We only have one body, and we should take the best care of it for ourselves and for our loved ones, who count on us to be healthy and strong, with energy to work and enjoy our lives in excellent health.

If somebody took a look inside your fridge today, what would they see?   

Wishing you an incredible New Year, filled with 

the best of health, fulfillment, joy and love.

Easy Sprouts!

If you love sprouts and want to have them available all the time, make them yourself easily, with very little space needed, in your very own kitchen!

When you purchase sprouts in the store they are usually overpriced, packaged, and after a day or two often get slimy or go bad very quickly.



We've been using the Sprout Garden 3 Tray Family Sprouting Kit (approx. $28 on Amazon) for the last 6 months and it has truly been a blessing to enjoy homemade sprouts daily and in abundance.

The sprouts we've been growing are Mung Bean, Alfalfa and Broccoli sprouts (seeds were also purchased on Amazon) and having them on hand to add to our daily salads has been a luxury...the best thing about homemade sprouts is that you know exactly where they came from and what went into them - just fresh water!

Sprouts are one of the most alkalizing, nutritious and easily accessible foods known to man, rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes.  A sprout possesses all of the energy, vitamins, nutrients and power that enables it to be transformed from a small seed into a strong plant.  At this stage its nutritional value is at its highest, and due to their size and taste you are able to eat hundreds of sprouted seeds at a time. In so many sprouts, you are eating the equivalent of hundreds of fully grown plants all at once!  Studies have shown that broccoli and other types of sprouts contain exceptionally high levels of a natural cancer fighting compound called sulforaphane (20-50 times more than in mature broccoli) which helps support antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E.

There's a lot of information available on the internet on sprouts and how to grow them, with plenty of methods and techniques, but after trying several other ways I found the Sprout Garden to be the easiest, quickest, most fun and rewarding. Kids can also help, it's so easy...you just have to water and drain them first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and within just a few days your sprouts are ready!  

Below are recent photos of ours...hope this inspires you to start sprouting!

Mung Bean Sprouts

Alfalfa Sprouts

Broccoli Sprouts

Got Juice?

As I write this post I'm drinking a delicious juice made with celery, apple, carrot, a slice of lemon, a piece of ginger, parsley and cucumber...I have been drinking this kind of juice every day for almost 90 days now, and I feel amazing, with boundless energy and great health! A very exciting result has been losing a few 'pesky pounds' I've been meaning to for some time now, and I've been told my skin feels softer and is glowing...

If you have a juicer and are not using it, take it out, dust it off, and get ready to rock!...I promise you it will be worth your while...most people get excited about juicing and do it for a little while, and then they get lazy, especially about cleaning the juicer afterwards. (You know who you are!) It only takes a few minutes, and if you 'whistle while you work' and know that if you take the time to treat yourself to this magical and healthful drink, it will become a habit, second nature, and your body will actually begin to crave the juice on a daily basis and you will start realizing all kinds of amazing results!

I was inspired by a documentary I saw several months ago called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" by Joe Cross. It's an amazing documentary (reserved it at my local library) about a man's journey through JUICE FASTING, and how he and other people along the way achieve a healthy lifestyle using the power of fruits and vegetables. Its primary focus is on shedding weight, but even for people who have no weight issues but perhaps some health issues, it's well worth watching and being inspired...it's a great way to change up your lifestyle and get some great extra energy!

No doubt, the healthiest juices are the ones that contain greens.  Green leafy vegetables contain the most vitamins and nutrients, and you'll feel almost instantly better after drinking a green juice. Typically, the guidelines for making Green Juice is 60% green and leafy vegetables and 40% other vegetables/fruits.

The juice floods your body with enzymes, vitamins and minerals for quick absorption and greatly benefits your immune system.

If you are making a whole day's worth of juice at one time, keep the juice in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for later.

A basic recipe to get you started...
Cucumber, celery, green leaves (lettuce, kale, collard greens), 1 apple.

You can add carrots, beets, red and green peppers, broccoli, zucchini, pineapple, add spice with some fresh ginger, add a zesty tang with a slice of lemon or lime (skin is okay to include), give your juice a fresh taste with a few sprigs of mint.

There are many dozens of wonderful recipes on the internet so google away and find the best and tastiest juice that works for you, and start today!

Obviously fresh vegetable juice is much more concentrated than the amount of vegetables you can possibly eat in one sitting, so the nutritional benefits of the vegetables are made available to the body much faster, helping your body to remove the step required to extract the juice from the vegetable. But in doing so, you also lose the all important fiber which helps maintain regularity, so make sure to continue eating plenty of fresh veggies as well!

Happy Juicing...

Easy Potato Knishes

This is by far the easiest and quickest way to make potato knishes! They were such a big hit the first time I made them that I had to share this recipe with you...the filling in these is a mixture of steamed potato, fried onions and all kinds of spices, but you can add your favorite ingredients such as sweet potato, spinach and mushrooms.

The photos below tell the story...use any kind of tortilla you like, regular or whole wheat (healthier), mayonnaise (I prefer homemade) mustard or your favorite spread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while preparing your knishes. When ready, bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tortilla is firm but not crisp. Let cool before eating. Serve them whole or slice for hors d'oeuvoures. 

Hope you enjoy!