And Everything in Between

Give Away!

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:05:00 +0000

I thought a give away was in order to celebrate my new blogging spot!

A Huge Thanks to everyone who moved over with me. I'm still bringing over older posts as I post new, so be sure you have subscribed at Crafty Earth Mama

I'll be giving away 2 body butters to 2 subscribers. Winners will be chosen randomly on Oct 1st!
You can enter 2 ways
#1-subscribe to Crafty Earth Mama.
#2-If you've already subscribed or want a second entry, leave a comment at this post on CEM and let me know how you like the new blog.

Fall is here and it's getting a bit chilly. Keep your skin and hair moisturized and smelling good naturally with Head to Toe White Chocolate Body Butter! It's 100% Organic with no parabens or phthalates.

Let the entries begin!

Invitation to my new spot!

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:44:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!
It's been awhile between posts. So much has been going on, including a big move into our new home. I have alot of new projects going on and alot of catching up to do, so look for many posts in the upcoming days!
Please join me at my new blogging home
Crafty Earth Mama
I'll be migrating my older posts from here as well as updating new in the next couple of days, so please bare with me!

Thank You!

Health Freedom Expo 2011

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:26:00 +0000

It's that time again. I'm really excited to see who will be exhibiting this year!

This expo is always filled with all kinds of wonderful organizations to get invloved with and new products to try.

http://www.healthfreedomexpo.com/site/

Countdown to My Daughters 1st Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:37:00 +0000

Has it really been almost a year? Yes it has.
It's been an amazing year and Mommy hood has been better than I could have ever imagined! Miakoda's birthday is March 17th and we will be spending the whole day together.
The following weekend, my husband and I are putting together a small dinner with close family and friends to celebrate. She will be one and although she's smart as a tack, themes, bounce houses and the like would be lost on her. We tend to gravitate to more natural celebrations anyways, so a small gathering it is. We will spend the time eating good food, having fun and most important, loving up on my sweet little one!
So on to the countdown.
Here is what I have done and what still needs to get done for the gathering.

Make Birthday dress and Party dress- Finished over the weekend, just need to hand wash and dry. http://andeverything-in-between.blogspot.com/2011/03/adventures-in-sewing.html
Make fabric Birthday Banner- collected fabric scraps, etc. will be done Wednesday
Make "Guess my Age" board- haven't started yet
Finish 20 questions game and make printouts- will finish tonight
Put together 2 prizes- keeping it simple, have a few ideas in mind
Finish 1 year video- currently working on
Finish 1 year scrapbook- not going to happen, i haven't even started it :)
Shop for menu items- got some will shop for the rest at Friday's farmers market
Make edible fruit display- will get fruit Friday and make Friday evening

Menu so far;
Grilled Vegetable sandwichs on whole wheat
Mock Tuna salad sandwiches on rolls
Kale salad
Quinoa salad
Edible fruit display
Variety of tortilla and pita chips with avocado chutney, hummus and salsa
Variety of Nori rolls http://andeverything-in-between.blogspot.com/2010/03/nori-rolls.html
Variety of cupcakes
Hibiscus tea with guava and a Floral mixed tea

Adventures in Sewing

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:44:00 +0000

I've always been kind of interested in sewing, but didn't really catch the bug until after my daughter was born. It was then that I really started to long to make her cloth diapers and clothing myself. My mother was a wonderful seamstress and made everything imaginable. I knew that if she was still with us, she would have made so many things for my daughter and taught me how to make those adorable diapers and covers she made for my nieces and nephews.

It took me awhile to gather up the time and supplies, but I was determined to sew my daughters 1st birthday dress. I bought some beautiful fabric back in December and was so excited to finally put it to use. I borrowed my sisters sewing machine and accessories, went through my mothers old patterns and bought some other things I would need for my projects. I wanted to make a simple dress for her actual birthday and then something slightly more fancy for her birthday party.

The most intense part for me was figuring out the patterns. I wound up getting 2 simpler patterns off Etsy for the dresses. I really wanted to use my mothers, but I just could not figure them out. I will use them in the future I'm sure.
I was quite amazed that I remembered how to load a bobbin and thread a machine. It all just came back to me. I used to spend hours at her feet while she sewed or playing around in her sewing room asking questions and "helping". I can't remember an exact lesson, but somehow all that my mother had taught me about sewing that was locked away in my brain somewhere came flowing out.
I did a couple of practice stitches on a scrap, but felt pretty comfortable quite quickly. My mother was guiding me for sure!

I'm no pro and I know with time my stitching and technique will get better, but I truly enjoyed making these dresses and can't wait to have my own sewing room! I'll continue to post my progress. Perhaps one day my daughter will be playing at my feet and "helping" while I'm sewing things for her.

(back of party dress)

(birthday dress)

(p.s, apologies for the horrid pics. Better ones to come)

Animal Acres

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:50:00 +0000

Yippee! I finally got to visit Animal Acres. I have been a supporter of theirs for years, but have never gotten the chance to visit. Lorri Houston has created such a beautiful sanctuary for rescued farm animals. At Animal Acres, they are nursed back to health and can live out the rest of their lives in a peaceful environment.
My family and I walked away with such a sense of love and compassion.
As my husband said, visiting Animal Acres is good for your soul.

Go for a visit, volunteer at the sanctuary or donate!
http://animalacres.org/

Holiday Cocktail, Venetian Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:33:00 +0000

One of my favorite things is a delicious cocktail.

I recently received a gift of the ingredients for a Venetian Sunset.

Other than being pretty and festive looking, the drink itself was yummy!

I know what I'll be sipping on this New Years ;)

Venetian Sunset

3 ounces Martini and Rossi Asti

3 ounces pineapple juice

1/2 ounce grenadine

Pour over ice and enjoy!

Repeat as often as necessary ;)

Holiday Candy Gift Tins

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 03:30:00 +0000

These were a big hit with my family this holiday season.

I made a variety of candies and gave them away in decorative tins and takeout boxes.

It's nice to make extra and have some on hand for visitors and special people in your life during this time. You could collect the tins all year or find inexpensive ones at a used goods stores or catch a sale, like I did.

Cardamom Granola Squares

4c rolled oats

1c dried cranberries

1c coconut flakes

1/4c dried ginger

1/2c flax seeds

1/2c sunflower seeds

3tsp ground cardamom

1tsp sea salt

1/2c brown sugar

5tbs honey or maple syrup

6tbs natural balance

4tbs coconut oil

1tsp vanilla extract

Line 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and lightly oil and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1st 8 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat next 4 ingredients on the stove until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour into greased pan and press down firmly. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

The smell of the granola as it's baking is heavenly!

Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into squares.

Lavender Truffles

1/4 dry lavender flowers
2/3 cup coconut milk

10 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Cocoa coating

2tbs cocoa powder

1tbs lacuma powder

1tsp mesquite powder

Heat the coconut milk and lavender together until the milk is warm.

Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add chocolate to milk and melt and stir until well combined.

Refrigerate until chocolate is set and you can easily roll into balls.

Roll into tsp sized balls and roll into cocoa mixture.

Store in fridge.

Cookies and Cream Truffles

I used this recipe here and veganized it by using vegan cream cheese.

Beleive it or not, oreos are vegan. Not at all healthy, but vegan nonetheless :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-OREO-Truffles/Detail.aspx

*notes- I used a food processor instead of crushing in a bag.

- I added 1tbs canola oil to dipping chocolate for shine and texture.

- I froze the truffles before dipping them in chocolate.

- I sprinkled with dehydrated coconut.

Chubby Hubby Cups

Years ago, I loved chubby hubby icecream...and it showed :)

Anyhoo- I was just going to make a standard peanut butter cup, when the chubby hubby sweet and salty combo popped into my head. Here's what I came up with.

8oz dark chocolate chips

8oz milk chocolate

1c plus 2tbs chunky peanut butter

about 2 cups of salted pretzels ( I use small braided ones. If you use bigger, you may have to break them up.)

about 1/2c caramel sauce

muffin liner papers

Melt chocolate chips along with 2tbs peanut butter. Do this in the microwave or a double broiler.

Pour 1/2 of your chocolate in the bottom of muffin liners. Roll chocolate around liners until choclate comes half way up liners. Put some pretzels at bottom of each(I use 2 small). Put them in the freezer until set.

Add one tsp pb into middle of cups. Pour 1tsp caramel over each. Pour remaining 1/2 of chocolate over cups, being surre to cover filling thoroughly.

Put them back into freezer until set. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Great with a cold glass of almond milk :)

Thanksgiving Recap

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:33:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!
Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving Day or Harvest Season, I hope that you had/have a blessed day, month and year!
I truly love being in the kitchen and I especially love preparing a healthy and delicious Holiday meal. Here's a recap of what I prepared for my family.

Tofurkey with Asparagus and Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Grape Relish

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

Tofurkey Experiments

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:04:00 +0000

Sounds like something macabre, but it's just me trying out different tofu turkey recipes. :)

I have tried and really enjoyed the store bought tofurkey made by Turtle Islands foods.
http://www.tofurky.com/
I generally don't see a need for a turkey stand in at our Holiday meals, but one year my husband and I decided it was time to give the tofurkey a go. We have always enjoyed the deli slices and the tofurkey was just as good. I added a few things to the gravy it comes with and basted it with a marinade before roasting in the oven with asparagus. Delicious indeed.

This year, I decided to try one of the tofu turkey recipes I had been hearing about.
I tried this one http://video.about.com/vegetarian/How-to-Make-Tofu-Turkey.htm

The only changes I made was to use a pinot noir that I had on hand and yellow mustard instead of dijon. The marinade in itself is quite good. I will use this for many other things in the future.

Before baking, I stuffed the tofu loaf with a brown and wild rice pilaf. I added toasted almonds, fresh sage, fresh rosemary and chopped dried apricots to the pilaf. Yum!

When it was almost time to take the loaf out, I added my asparagus brushed with some of the marinade. Another yum!

The tofurkey turned out very flavorful, but I'm not sure that I absolutely love the texture. That may have been my fault of not draining the tofu properly or it just may be the texture you get when you blend the tofu and then press it.

I will try this recipe again. Next time I will use a Asian inspired marinade and also I won't blend the tofu before draining. I think I will just break it apart and then press it. I'll let you know how it goes!

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:02:00 +0000

This pumpkin pie is more of a pumpkin custard than pie.
The filling is very smooth like a pudding. It's lightly sweetened, but full of flavor.
I could eat the sreusel topping all by itself, but I try to control myself!

2c oven roasted pumpkin
1c coconut milk
1/4c cornstarch
1 1/2tsp pumpkin pie spice
1tsp vanilla extract
your favorite pie crust (I used a vegan shortbread crust and prebaked it)

Mix all ingredients in a blender and set aside.

Topping
1/2c sucanat sugar
3/4c oats
1/4c flour
2tbs natural balance
1tsp vanilla extract

Put all topping ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork until combined.
Mixture should be slightly moist, but crumbly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour filling into prebaked pie crust.
Add topping and bake 45 minutes or until top is brown and filling is set.
Enjoy!

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:00:00 +0000

I am not a fan of recipes that add a ton of sugar to the already decadent sweet potato. I can't bring myself to messing up one of natures wonderful creations by putting candy on top of them and cooking them to death.

These lightly baked potatoes are allowed to really shine by just adding a touch of seasoning. The olive oil gives a wonderful mouth feel and the smokey paprika marries well with the rich sweetness of the potato.

sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped uniformly
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Put potatoes on top of foil and drizzle with olive oil.
Add seasonings and toss well.
Tent potatoes by pulling foil up over top and folding.

Bake until fork tender. About 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Cranberry and Grape Relish

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:54:00 +0000

I usually make this, but using oranges. However, my oranges were not very sweet and I don't like adding processed sugar to my berries. I searched the fridge for something else to use and decided on some nicely sweet globe grapes. I figured the color and taste would go well with the cranberries. I use grapes a lot as a sweetener for smoothies and juices, because they mix with other flavors well and they can be quite sweet on their own.
I loved this combo so much that I'm going to make it this way from now on! It was so refreshing and a perfect accompaniment to the other parts of our meal. I wound up eating the rest straight from the bowl for breakfast the next morning!

1c fresh cranberries
1 1/2c grapes
the zest of 1 small orange

Pulse in the food processor until your mix is in small chunks You may find you want to add more grapes, but this ratio was perfect for me.

Veggie Pride Parade Fundraiser at the Veggie Grill

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 02:52:00 +0000

Go grab some vegan eats at the Veggie Grill to help Animal Acres fund their annual Veggie Pride Parade. Yummy food and a great cause!
This event is Thursday, Oct 21st at the Veggie Grill, located at 8000 W Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. Go between 5pm and 11pm and tell the cashier that Animal Acres sent you.
50% of total purchase will be donated.

http://www.veggiegrill.com/
http://www.animalacres.org/

Make Me Something Chocolatey

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:53:00 +0000

I hear this about once every other week from my dear husband. Usually, it's on the later side of the night. Typically, I go scouring the cabinets to see what's available to make something that's chocolatey, not terribly unhealthy and won't take too long. I like to keep baking staples around, but Count Chocula raids my supplies on the regular, so these late night baking sessions sometimes yield some interesting results.
Last night, this is what I came up with.

Fudgey Chocolate Cake with Almond Butter Glaze
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1/3c cocoa powder
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1/2tsp cinnamon

1/2c coconut milk
1/2c water
1/3c canola oil
1/2c sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix first 5 ingredients together until well combined. I pass the cocoa, baking soda and salt through a sieve to be sure all the lumps are gone. Set aside.
Mix next 6 ingredients together and pour into first mixture. Mix until just combined.
Pour into oiled 9inch cake pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Do not over bake. This cake is fudgey, so it will still be slightly soft when it's done.

Almond Butter Glaze
1tbs almond butter
1c powdered sugar
2tbs coconut milk
1/2tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients until lumps dissolve.
If it's too thick, add a little water.
When cake is done, poke holes in it all over using a toothpick.
Pour glaze over the top while cake is still hot and let sit until cool...if you can ;)

Slice it up and enjoy...perhaps with some cashew ice cream. http://andeverything-in-between.blogspot.com/2010/10/raw-cashew-and-chai-spice-ice-cream.html

Walk For Hope 2010

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:23:00 +0000

"The Walk for Hope is a reminder of the things that matter most in life. The purpose of the entire event is to spread more love in the world. The entire 3.5 kilometer route (2.2 miles) is decorated with inspiring quotes, all of them hand-made. You can also expect to find activity stations along the walk route.

The Walk for Hope is free, there is no registration fee. The entire Walk for Hope is our gift to the community."
http://www.bethecause.org/event.php?event_id=624

Raw Cashew and Chai Spice Ice Cream with Pineapples

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:24:00 +0000

Say that fast twice :)
This is by far one of the most decadent and healthiest frozen treats I have made. It is amazingly creamy and so full of flavor. The pineapples really give it something extra and takes the yumminess over the edge!
Just a small serving goes a long way.

Cashew and Chai Spice Ice Cream
3c raw soaked and drained cashews
1 1/2c milk (rice, almond, cashew, etc)
1/3c maple syrup
1tsp chai spice
1tbs maple syrup
1c frozen pineapple pieces

Blend first 5 ingredients and freeze in cubes.
Put frozen cubes, extra syrup and pineapple into high speed blender and mix until just creamy.
Enjoy straight from blender or freeze and enjoy later!

Non Dairy Frozen Yogurt

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:11:00 +0000

I like my frozen yogurt yogurty...if you know what I mean.
I prefer the tang as opposed to the more ice cream like fro yos.
I came up with this non dairy version and it's a keeper!
It's creamy, tart and delicious.
It was especially wonderful topped with strawberries and granola!

Non Dairy Frozen Yogurt
3c coconut milk yogurt
1/2c sugar ( Use your preference. I used a vegan white sugar)
Juice of 1 lemon

Mix everything up and freeze in cubes. Toss in a high speed blender and enjoy!
Or toss in your ice cream maker and enjoy!

Watermelon and Lime Sorbet

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:51:00 +0000

Whew! It has been a blazing past few days here in Cali. I found a great way to cool us all down was to mix up some icy treats.
This one can be enjoyed by the whole family. My husband, 6 month old and 2 yorkies all cooled down with this one!

Watermelon and Lime Sorbet
4c chunks of frozen watermelon
1c frozen rice milk cubes
*If using an ice cream maker, you don't have to pre freeze, just follow manufacturers instructions*
juice of 1 large lime or 2 small limes
2/3c syrup(agave, maple, brown rice, etc)

I used maple because it's what I had on hand. I would have preferred agave, because of the light flavor. Toss everything in a high speed blender(health master, vita-mix) and mix until just blended.
Enjoy straight from the blender or put in popsicle molds and enjoy later!

Dear Jujube

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Dear Jujube,
I have been waiting a year for you to return and now that you have, I am enjoying you immensely!

One of my favorite famers market vendors started harvesting their jujubes and I've been having my fill of them. Jujubes are also known as chinese or red dates. They range from cherry to plum size and can be eaten at various stages in development. I enjoy them most when they're brown to sienna colored and the skin is still crisp. At this stage, they're reminiscent of a light and airy apple, but truly have their own unique flavor and texture. As the jujube matures, the skin becomes wrinkly and the flavor becomes more date like.

The wonderful thing about growing jujubes is they don't ripen all at once, so you can pick and enjoy throughout the season, instead of harvesting all at the same time.

Jujubes are high in vitamin c, potassium, minerals and antioxidants. They have been used medicinally for many years and are often made into tea to sooth sore throats. Indulging in jujubes this time of year can boost your bodies immune system and help you avoid getting sick. Jujubes are one of natures most perfect foods!

Walk for Farm Animals

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:40:00 +0000

The walk in Long Beach, CA is this weekend, but there are walks happening all over the U.S, so check the listing and come on out for a great cause!

Farm Sanctuary works to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.
http://www.walkforfarmanimals.org
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/

Free Shipping for the Summer!

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:34:00 +0000

http://www.gaorganicoutpost.com/default.html

Stock up on Island Sun Oil and Island Sun Creme with Natural SPF
Safe for babies, kids and adults!

http://www.gaorganicoutpost.com/default.html

Coconut Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:59:00 +0000

These cupcakes are moist, but dense enough to stand up to a nice thick frosting. Great for birthday cakes!

Makes 24 cupcakes
3c flour
1 1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp nutmeg
1 3/4c sugar
2/3c oil
1 1/2c coconut milk
1/2c water
2tsp vinegar
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp almond extract
1c shredded coconut (for tops of cakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare muffin pan by lining with cupcake papers
Mix first 4 ingredients together and set aside
Cream together sugar and oil
Mix coconut milk, water, vinegar and extracts together and combine with oil and sugar
Mix into dry ingredients until just combined
Divide evenly into cupcake papers
Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center clean

Frosting
A number of frostings would be great for this cake, but I just mixed up an impromptu quicky. Sorry, I don't have exact measurements for you.
I used
powdered sugar
coconut oil
coconut milk
vanilla extract

After frosting cakes, top with shredded coconut.
Enjoy!

Placentaphagy for Postpartum Health and Well Being

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:33:00 +0000

Placentaphagy is the practice of eating your own placenta.
Placenta is great for many things, but is especially wonderful for postpartum Moms. It is rich in nutrients that aid in postpartum healing and well being. Consuming your placenta after birth can help bring your bodies hormones back into balance, stop postpartum hemorrhage, replenish nutrients, increase milk supply and keep postpartum depression at bay. There are many ways to consume your placenta. Some people choose to cook it first, but I wanted to use it raw, so that all the nutrients remained intact.

When I became pregnant I started researching the benefits of placenta and decided that I would give it a try. My daughter is now 9 weeks old and I am very pleased that I used my placenta. I lost quite a bit of blood during birth, but I had no issues postpartum. I also had much more energy than I or my midwife expected. I had placenta smoothies for a week after birth and then started on my capsules.

You can have someone else prepare the placenta for you or do it yourself. I am DIYer in many other aspect of life, so I figured this should be no different. My midwife offered to help me with it and I gathered all the needed supplies, so that I would have everything ready to go come labor day.

For the smoothies I used mixed berries(masks the color and taste of the placenta) and pineapple. usually I would use a scoop of green protein powder, but placenta is rich in iron and protein, so it wasn't needed.
For the capsules, I used my dehydrator, spice/coffee grinder, capsules and a capsule machine.
I ordered some of my encapsulation supplies from here http://shop.placentabenefits.info/

Directly after birth, the placenta was double bagged and stored in the fridge. I started preparing the placenta the next day. I took my time with it while baby napped and it turned out to be incredibly therapeutic. While prepping it, I thought of all that we had just been through and how just hours ago, that placenta was inside of me nurishing my baby. I studied the different parts of the placenta and really took in just how amazing it was. In these moments I understood why some women choose to make placenta prints to hang on the wall or plant their placenta.

There are several different methods to dehydrating placenta. Here are the basic steps I used.

Cover all surfaces you will be working on with wax paper (remember you are working with a raw organ, so proper hygiene is very important)
Rinse placenta
Remove cord and membrane
Cut into small thin pieces (dehydrates faster)
I lay some out on wax paper and froze for smoothies
I put the rest in my dehydrator on parchment paper and dehydrated on 110 degrees until it was dry
(the pieces should snap when you bend them)
Process in grinder into a smooth powder
Encapsulate (how many capsules you get depends on the size of your placenta. I had approximately 100)
I washed everything that came into contact with my placenta in hot water and then soaked in tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract.

*Warning*
Some of the pictures below are bloody. If you're easily offended don't go any further.

Pieces frozen for smoothies

Placenta on the deydrator screen. I also dried a piece of my daughters cord for a keepsake.

Dried pieces and pieces in grinder

Powder ready for encapsulation

My husband filled the capsules using a capsule machine. He said it made it much quicker.

Vegan German Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (CraftyEarthMama) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:16:00 +0000

For my sugar crazed sister, Steph and my sweet friend, Ella...and anyone else who loves a great piece of cake :)

German chocolate cake was one of the things that my Mom would make and it would be gone in a matter of minutes. Seriously, you would have to make sure you got a piece or else you would be out of luck.
What makes this cake so great? It's so moist, with a true chocolate flavor and the added bonus of the candy like frosting. Yum.
I've been trying to crete a vegan version of this for awhile now. It took me quite some time just to get the cake part right and then I was on to recreating the gooey, coconutey frosting.
After using my husband as a guinea pig and bringing this cake to a few events, I beleive I may have gotten pretty darn close to the taste of my Momma's original.

Try it and let me know what you think!

3c all purpose flour
2c sugar
2tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1/2c cocoa
2/3c vegetable or coconut oil
1tsp vanilla extract
2tsp vinegar
2c almond milk

Mix milk and vinegar and set aside
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
Mix sugar, oil and vanilla together. Add in almond milk/vinegar mixture.
Mix wet into dry ingredients until just combined.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
It makes 2 9x5 loaf pans or 2 round cake pans.
Let cool.

Filling and Frosting:
1 can coconut milk
2tsp vanilla
1c sugar
3/4c earth balance
1 7oz pack of flake coconut
2c chopped pecans
6tbs corn starch mixed first with enough cold water to make a paste

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a sauce pan. Cook for about 8 minutes until
sugar is melted and mix is light brown.
Add coconut and pecans.
Add in cornstarch paste and remove from heat.
Frosting will continue to thicken as it cools.

Fill and frost cake with it once cooled.