Florida Beeswax Candles In Mom Care Packages: Supporting Local Farmers

Today I am going to share with you my passion for buying from local farmers and small businesses.  Have you ever thought about visiting a local farmer and seeing what they have to offer?  You can use a great website called Local Harvest and find out what is growing in your neck of the woods.  I usually am looking for organic foods such as vegetables and eggs.  But, in my crafting business I was on the look out for beeswax! 
Buying beeswax over the internet is very expensive because it is heavy to ship.  Supporting local small businesses is very important to me because it helps them stay in business and supports the local economy.
I found a great farm in Deland that grows all kind of things and has beehives.  They do not spray their flowers with any harmful pesticides, which is very important for the health of the bees and it makes great natural honey and beeswax.  All of my beeswax candles are made from chemical free beeswax bought here in my area of Florida.
                  Introducing my Mom Care Packages made with natural Florida beeswax!

Delicious Organic Sweet Potato Muffin Gluten Free Recipe

Today is recipe Thursday here on Jeanpatch Holistics blog.  This is a southern comfort food for sure!  Today it is cold and cloudy out and the perfect day for making something warm and yummy in the oven.   I'll be sharing a delicious gluten free recipe today which is one of my favorite's for breakfast;  Gluten free Organic Sweet Potato Muffins!  Let's get started on the ingredients and what the finished product looks like.

I use my ceramic muffin dish that I got off of QVC year's ago and absolutely love because clean-up is a breeze.
Ingredients List:

• 1 cup gluten free organic flour of your choice (amaranth, rice, soy, corn, millet, buckwheat, quinoa)
• 2 large organic eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup gluten free baking mix of your choice
• 1 cup mashed organic cooked organic sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon cold butter cubed

I always use organic ingredients in all my cooking.  It is better for you and it really makes a difference in how your food tastes, not to mention helping you to feel more energetic.  The first thing I do is beat the 2 eggs in a large mixing bowl.  I add in the water and sweet potato and mix well with a wood spoon.  Next, add the flour, baking powder and salt and blend well.  Last add in your cubed cold butter mashing it a little in to the mixture.  If the mixture is too dry just add a little more water until it is just moist but not runny.
Now oil your muffin dish and spoon in 1/4 cup of the mixture into each opening.  I use a 6 cup muffin pan.  If you have any left over batter just portion it out into the 6 sections.  Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  Let cool 10 minutes before removing from muffin dish.
Enjoy your delicious and nutritious gluten free sweet potato muffins!

Green Springs: A Hidden Trail By The St. Johns River In Enterprise, Florida

Green Springs is a hidden trail located in Volusia County, Florida.  It's a short drive off of the interstate (heading north) once you cross over the St. John's River Bridge from Seminole County.  Take the first exit into Deltona and turn left at the traffic light.  Heading east on Dirksen Drive you'll come to Providence Blvd. where you'll be greeted by a traffic light.  You'll want to turn right heading south ending up at a dead end street.  Now, turn left and you'll come to the Green Springs trail parking lot on the right next to Lake Monroe.

 

"Green Springs Park offers nature trails and scenic overlooks. This park is also a trailhead to both the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail. The East Central Regional Rail Trail begins at Green Springs and travels 5.7 miles to State Road 415 in Osteen. More segments of this trail are in the works."
To see more beautiful pictures and why the water is green visit the official website, here!  If you like this post, visit their Facebook page here.
So, on your next trip to sunny Florida, drop by and take a gander at this lovely hidden secret of Deltona, Florida.  If you call ahead, I'll have sweet tea and strawberry shortcake waiting on the porch!

Is 50 The New 30?: Top Ten Tips Of How To Have a Fit Body In Your 50's!

Some of us were just born with that model thin body and some of us were not.  Fess-up, are you one of those women who would like to look like you just stepped off the runway?  I'll give you my top ten ways that you can use to keep that killer figure in your fifties! 
So maybe 50 isn't the new 30, but it could be if you make a few simple changes in your eating habits and life-style.
First, off if you think having a model perfect figure doesn't require sacrifice then you are fooling yourself.  Do you think your spouse or boy friend doesn't care how you look?  You are wrong again!  Do you care how they look?  If you are honest with yourself, you know you do.  The bottom line is having a killer body in your fifties or at any age is going to improve your health.
The way you see yourself when you look in the mirror affects your overall mental health.  If you just through yourself together in the morning and think that is good enough with the attitude that's as good as it gets, you are setting yourself up for being fat and unhappy.
If you take the time to fix yourself up like you were going to meet someone really important that day it will make a wonderful transformation come over you.  You'll start to really take pride in how you look and in turn will care about yourself and that will make you happy.

So, let's get started on the top ten tips for having that killer fit body in your fifties (50s) or at any age.

#1.  Find out your blood type and follow the latest updated information for your type.  The reason why this is so important is they have done all the research and found that the foods you eat can either make you gain weight, loose weight or stay at your ideal weight. 
My research has found that food allergies can cause weight gain in most people.  In a few others it does the opposite and causes weight loss due to the inflammatory reaction in the intestines.  A simple blood test kit can be ordered online that will tell you your blood type in about 10 minutes. (see resource section below)

#2.  Cut out all refined and processed foods.  They have high amounts of fat, sugar, salt and preservatives.

#3.  Cut out all white starchy foods.  That includes dairy because the fat from it causes weight gain in most people in the form of blotting.

#4.  Don't eat after 7 p.m.

#5.  Walk at least 30 minutes a day somewhere that makes you feel relaxed and is quiet like a park.

#6.  Eat more fiber such as organic beans, grains, vegetables and a few fruits

#7.  Drink 8 to 10 - 8 ounce glasses of water or liquid a day.  Improves kidney health and function.  Your kidney's are a major part of your immune system.  Keeping them healthy and detoxed will help you loose weight and feel better.

#8.  Get plenty of rest.  At least 6 to 8 hours a night and go to bed before 11 p.m.

#9.  Stop eating out for one month and see how much weight you loose.  Restaurant's add on the pounds because most of what they prepare is processed and comes with salt, sugar and oil added and then they add even more of the same ingredients so you'll like them.  Unless, you are eating fresh vegetables that have been steamed you are adding on the pounds.

#10.  Cook your meals at home for one month all from scratch.  Switch to organic ingredients and see if you can tell the difference in how you look, feel and think.   You'll see that fit body start to appear in the mirror before you know it!

Resources:

Blood type test kit
What Is A Blood Type Diet

Handmade Gift Shopping Guide Directory

Each Tuesday I will feature my Etsy team member's in my Handmade Gift Shopping Guide directory.  Etsy is an online marketplace for artist's to sell their handmade goods as well as vintage products and supplies of all kinds.  Browse, my blog to see what treasures I offer from my Etsy shops; Jeanpatch Holistics, Pioneer Fundraiser, My Secret Compartments, Beeswax Holistics and The Gift of Month Club.

'One Lump or Two?' by Pioneer Fundraiser                          

I loved having tea parties with my friends and family. Here are a few things that you could use for a tea part!

Toddler Spring and Summer Dr... mycottoncandyd... $38	Special Occasion // BLUE& GO... MainelyBooks $9.5	Beige Peacock Hair Clip. Cha... MyDreamWedding $44.99	Genuine Rose Quartz Freshwat... VisionsofEmera... $24.99
Happy Mood Natural Room & Li... JeanpatchHolis... $10	Organizing Theme Surprise Gi... GiftofMonthClu... $60	Box Chocolate Candy Design P... SewBizzyGifts $7.5	Table Numbers, 5 by 7 inch P... FiligreeFlare $12
Stunning Vintage Sarah Cove... SkyBoutiques $11	Bible clutch NettysNook $15	food, cakes, pastries, baked... Ecosostenibili... $16	Pure Natural Soy Candle Tin ... BeeswaxHolisti... $5.95
Aurora Borealis Crystal earr... StoneworksByJa... $12	Steaming Swirls Quilted Mug ... IcingOnTheMoon $7	Owl Bag, Applique owl on tre... keepeweclean $35	Chinese Knot Sea Turtle - ol... sarahcollectio... $7.99

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.

 

Fun tip of the day.  How to add a cool Etsy treasury like this one to your blog posts.  Visit this site, Whale Shark Generator, to generate your html code quick and easy as 1, 2, 3.                           If you've never made an Etsy treasury and would like to know how, read this great post by Rural Woman.

Saturday Is Photo of the Day

Every Saturday Jeanpatch Holistics blog will be bringing you great photos from around my little corner of the world, Florida!  Today, I am so happy to see my cactus beginning to bloom.  The buds are pink and just beautiful.  See for yourself!  What is your photo of the day?  Share your blog post with us in the comments.

There are more buds as you can see getting ready to open over the next few days.  I'll be snapping their picture and sharing the flower party with you again next Saturday, so stay tuned to this blog!  Remember, Saturday is photo of the day here on our blog each week.  We hope you'll share your great world with us in our comments box below.

                                            Have a safe and happy weekend!

Gluten Free Organic Split Pea Soup Recipe in the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker

Organic Gluten Free Split Pea Soup made easy with my quick and easy recipes that are easy on the budget and good for you.  I found it works best in the slow cooker or crock pot.  That way it won't burn or boil over.  Yes, I have done both!  I minute I turn on the stove and put the pot on the burner add the ingredients I walk away into the other room and go back to what I was doing and totally forget I have something cooking until it boils over.  It creates such a mess and usually burns my food, so I now put my beans and soup in the slow cooker and don't have this problem anymore.
I have Celiacs disease which is an allergy to gluten and gliadin.  Two proteins found in grains that are not easy to digest and cause mal-absorption in some people.
I don't take pictures of my food but decided I will start doing that to show you just how good the food looks that I eat.  So, be on the lookout for pictures with my next recipe.
I also have food allergies so I have to rotate my food every 4 or 5 days, which means I don't eat the same things every day.  Here is a list from my food diary log to help you understand what I mean and how to keep track of what you eat and what might be causing you problems.
Monday - Breakfast: Quinoa and butter
                 Lunch: Black-eye peas and quinoa
                 Dinner: Turkey and sweet potato
Tuesday - Breakfast:  Oatmeal and butter
                 Lunch: Black beans and spaghetti squash
                 Dinner: Flounder and yucca
Wednesday - Breakfast: Buckwheat Hot Cereal with Sesame Butter
                      Lunch: Pinto beans and butternut squash
                     Dinner: Chicken and multi-grain pasta and acorn squash
Thursday - Breakfast: Oven baked pancake (eggs and amaranth flour) and 2 scrabbled eggs
                   Lunch: Split peas soup (homemade)
                   Dinner: Tilapia and zucchini

If you have allergies or digestive issues you should think about rotating your foods like this and see if you start to feel better.  My only beverage is 10 to 12 cups of water a day.  It might be more now since I have to take 15 pills at every meal.  I can't swallow with just water so I have to take them with my food as I am eating.  My daughter taught me how to do it and it works great.  I would choke with just water to the point of it getting in my lungs and not being able to breath very good and coughing until I turned red in the face.  Not a fun experience to say the least.
Okay, now let's get to the fun gluten free recipe I said I would share with you today.

Money Saving Split Pea Soup by Marsha Jaramillo

Ingredients: 1 to 2 bags Organic green and yellow split peas, water, large crock pot, salt, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon onion if you can eat it.  I can't so I leave it out, but it is good in it if you can have it add it along with the other spices.  All spices and herbs are organic and ground.

Rinse the peas in a strainer or colander until the water is clear.  Add them to your slow cooker and fill to the top with purified water.  Add in your other ingredients and turn on high and cook until soft and smooth about 5 hours.  If I put mine on at night I put it on low and cook it overnight.  Serve with rice, potato or pasta and enjoy!

The split peas are very cheap about $2 a bag.  I buy mine in bulk from shop organic along with all my dry beans.  I order their minimum to get free shipping!

DIY How to Make A Secret Compartment Book

My husband is a great diy expert.  He takes old books and turns them into altered books better known as hollow books.  They come with fun secret compartments and sliding drawers for hiding your treasures and mementoes.  Here are a few pictures of the ones he has made and can be found in this unique Etsy shop called My Secret Compartments.

• Supplies You'll Need Are:
• tacky glue
• carpet knife
• clamps
• wax paper
• scrap paper or handmade paper
• measuring tape
• fine sandpaper

First, lay out a sheet of wax paper on your work surface.  Next tear off two sheets that are a little bigger than your book.  Follow these steps:

1. Open book and lay one sheet of wax paper on the inside cover and tape it to the front cover with masking tape.  Do the same for the back cover.
2.  Mark a straight line 1 inch in from each end of the book.
3. See pictures above for step 2
4. Glue the pages together on the outside edge of the book pages.
5. Close the book and make sure the wax paper is covering the inside cover so no excess glue gets on it. Use the clamps one of each side of the books 3 edges.
6. Let dry overnight.
7. Remove clamps and remove wax paper.
8. Draw a 1/2 inch line across the back of the book to meet the two lines you have for the sides.

Using your knife start cutting inside the pencil line in a straight line from the back of the book to the front edge.  Remove a few sheets at a time until all the pages have been removed.

Use your piece of fine sandpaper and smooth the edges until all the little wispy pieces are gone.
Now you can choose your paper for the bottom of the inside back cover and glue it in place.  You'll next glue the back of the book and close the book and lay a stack of 3 or 4 heavy books on top overnight. 
Remove the books the next day and your book is ready to use.  Have fun and let me know if you give this a try. 
If you're not up to the challenge but would like to have a hollow book of your very own, just drop by My Secret Compartments shop on Etsy.

What is an Etsy Treasury By Jeanpatch Holistics

Etsy is a unique website that hosts a variety of products from handmade, vintage items and supplies.  I opened my shop, Jeanpatch Holistics in 2008 and filled it with my handmade eco-friendly products in the mixed media arts.
One of the ways we can showcase our favorite products is by making what is called a 'treasury' of 16 shops in one collection.
The treasury can be shared on social media and promoted within Etsy by adding it to your favorites list.  There is a box that says favorite with a heart in it that will turn red when you click it.
It then gets added to your shop section with the heart icon.  You can come back later and see what items you added to your favorite section with the purpose of buying at some point in time.
Supporting the handmade artist is the best way to support small business and help the economy.  Here is a treasury I made that has just a few of the products and seller's that I like on Etsy.
Follow Marsha Jaramillo's board Accessories on Pinterest.

'A Few of My Favorite Things On Etsy by Jeanpatch Holistics' by jeanpatchbymk

I'm promoting these seller's on my blog and hope you will come visit and comment on my Etsy Treasury making post.http://jeanpatch.blogspot.com

Because I Love You with ASL ... justByou $10	Red Columbine Flower Magnet ... aquariann $3	Instant Download - All You N... katiecrafts $5	Reticulated silver heart pen... nataliasjewell... $125
Hearts Ribbons Design Luxury... SewBizzyGifts $3	Brides Pink, Fuchsia and Lim... FiligreeFlare $85	Fun hanging earrings.They ar... assieshop $3.95	Mult Color Ruffle Scarf - Pi... TreasureTimeEt... $17.5
Coral Shoeclips LesFleursdemon... $12	Bible cover, book cover for ... CocoBreezeCrea... $8	8 Pocket Tract or Document H... KillerBeeQuilt... $17.5	Pink Flip Flops. Hot pink Go... MyDreamWedding $35.99
Large Diaper Bag, Castle, Pr... keepeweclean $75	Beautiful Vintage Pleated an... PioneerFundrai... $30	Strawberry Ceramic Crock Bee... BeeswaxHolisti... $9.95	A pair of chinese knot peach... sarahcollectio... $13.99

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.

 

The first row are shops from my Blogging Buddies team on Etsy.  JustBYou, Katies Crafts, Natalias Jewellry and Aquariann.  The next three rows are from my Helping Hearts team.  Just click on the item and it will take you to their shop on Etsy.

I hope you will find some great gifts for you and your friends.  You can learn more about Katie's Crafts on her blog...click here!  she share's lots of cool stuff from her shop and other Etsy artist's too!                        

Tune in tomorrow when I'll share with you how to embed the treasury on your blog like I did here.

 

Please leave a comment below if this tip was helpful.

Spring Cleaning Tips

It's almost spring and you know what that means?  It's time for some spring cleaning tips.  I'm not just going to share with you the most common type of spring cleaning tips, for the home.  I'm also going to share tips with you on how to spring clean your body, mind and business.  So, let's get started.
                               Reduce, Recycle, Repurpose
1.  Easy ways to spring clean the house.  Start with one room of your house and spend 15 minutes a day going through drawers, closets etc...and getting rid of what you haven't used in a year or more. 
2.  Then after you have gotten rid of all the things you no longer were using, move on to the cleaning part and spend 15 minutes a day in each room cleaning under things, move things and refresh things.
                                       House Beautiful
3.  Now this is the really fun part of my spring cleaning tips.  Change your room décor to a spring time feel.  Brighten up dark corners with bright colorful pictures, flowers and paint.
4.  Add some new spring themed décor to your kitchen by simply adding new towels, soap dispenser and rugs. 

                                      Body Check-Up
5.  Spring clean your body with a good cleans for the organs either with foods or a good health food store brand. 
6.  Switch out refined white food products, such as white cane sugar, white wheat flour and white starchy foods for rich whole grain, colorful foods that are organic, not all natural. 
7.  Read labels and don't buy anything with sugar added unless it is organic ingredients.
                                           Garden Delights
8.  Spruce up that yard or patio with some bright and colorful annuals in an array of bright colors.  Add some pots of organic herbs while you are at it and you'll soon be noticing the difference between store bought blah compared to garden fresh Wow! ingredients.    

Within no time you'll be feeling better and you'll look better too.  Your house will sparkle and dazzle with all the bright spring time colors and decorations you've added.
**********************************************************
                        All Natural Aroma Therapy
Make your home smell great with my all natural room fresheners and diffusers found in my Jeanpatch Holistics shop on Etsy.
On sale this month for 50% off during my March Madness promotion!  You'll find scents to help you get going, sleep better, feel better and smell good!