Alton Brown’s granola bars are seriously too good, y’all. I made my second batch in three weeks this past Wednesday, and I don’t expect those bad boys to very long at all. After experimenting a little with the recipe,  I think I’ve perfected it by replacing half of the almonds with unsalted peanuts and halving the amount of brown sugar.

Feelin’ snacky? Maybe you should give them a try as well. : )

This weekend is going to be so fun-filled! I can only hope yours is too.

Pardon my absence, but guess what I’ve been up to lately?!

Danielle, a couple of our friends, and myself planned a potions party for this past Tuesday night, and we ended up making beet blush, toning mist, and deodorant bars. I’ve only used each product a couple of times so far, but I’m already in love with the beet blush. I’ll be back with extensive reviews when I have time to form solid opinions of the other two.

For the curious, here are the recipes we used:

1. Toner

2. Blush

3. Deodorant

We used both lavender and tea tree essential oils in the toner, and we put the liquid in spray bottles to avoid having to use a cotton ball. Also, misting your face is probably one of the most refreshing things ever. Right?

I’m pretty sure the potion party was a hit, and we plan to have another one so soon!

1. I have been sweating like a man.
2. Walking to class is now a chore.
3. I need a refreshing beverage (or four) in my life.

I can’t do much about numbers 1 and 2, but I’m well on my way to remedying the third (with the help of my good pal Pinterest):

Sources: Strawberry Basil Sangria, Peach Limeade, Spicy Grapefruit Margarita, Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie.

Don’t they all look like dreams come true? Maybe I can make one of these bad boys happen this weekend.

]]> http://turbyandjohn.com/2012/05/11/foody-friday-warm-weather-cold-drinks/feed/ 0 http://turbyandjohn.com/2012/05/10/do-you-take-biotin/ http://turbyandjohn.com/2012/05/10/do-you-take-biotin/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 14:00:47 +0000 Dawn http://dawnandkirby.porchswingmedia.com/?p=4323

I used to take biotin religiously, but I must’ve failed to restock after running out at some point and then forgotten about it completely. I do that a lot.  As someone who is trying to maintain long, healthy hair, I recently started taken it again. I tell myself it’s helping, but who really knows? I’ll believe almost anything written on a hard plastic bottle (not really).

How about you? Do you take biotin, or do you rely on fruits and vegetables for that sort of thing? If you do take it, then do you think it’s making a difference your hair and nails?

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Remember how disappointed I was in Weleda’s Calendula Toothpaste? Well, thankfully my experience with their Plant Gel Toothpaste was much more pleasant.

Ingredients (provided at usa.weleda.com)- “Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Hydrated Silica, Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria (Chamomile) Flower Extract,Krameria Triandra (Ratanhia) Root Extract,Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil,Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Oil, Algin, Alcohol,Esculin, Limonene*
* from natural essential oils”

This product receives a moderate hazard score of 3 in the Cosmetics Database. Limonene is the only ingredient with a hazard score above a 2.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of parabens, sulfates, added fluoride, and artificial fragrance.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

Product Description(provided at usa.weleda.com)- “Clean teeth, care for sensitive gums and balance the normal functions of your mouth with this soothing tooth gel. It’s a gentle way to clean your mouth with natural silica and help reduce the buildup of plaque.

Your sensitive gums are soothed by the mild antiseptic properties of organic chamomile flower extract. The gently effective disinfectant in our soothing myrrh extracts and the astringent properties of organic ratanhia are proven oral healthcare secrets from ancient cultures that naturally clean and tone your modern mouth. With the invigorating taste of lively mint and citrus fruits, your mouth feels completely refreshed. You’ve finally found soothing oral care that effectively cleans your teeth, so tell those sensitive gums to relax.”

Price-  around $4.40 for a 3.3 oz tube. Mine came from a health food store, so it was (of course) slightly more expensive.

Performance- This product is both minty and refreshing without being too harsh. It leaves my teeth feeling clean and my breath smelling fresh, and it’s especially effective when paired with a drop of peppermint oil. I like that it’s a gel rather than a paste, and (for no real reason) I’m also a huge fan of the pinkish red tint of the gel.

Scent- It smells/tastes like spearmint, which I love.

Rating-  I’ll subtract 1 point for the single questionable ingredient, but this product earns a solid 9/10.

I’ve always heard that unrefined coconut oil is the way to go when it comes to cooking, and this makes plenty of sense.  Apparently the polyphenols in coconut oil, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, are damaged during the refining process. I’ve also read that the proteins/minerals are significantly diminished after being refined.

 But because it was the cheaper option at the health food store, I’ve been moisturizing my body with organic refined coconut oil for the past couple of weeks. Common sense tells me that since my skin is  my largest organ, I might be better off opting for unrefined coconut oil when it comes to moisturizing, but frugality tells me to get over it. After all, it is still organic, expeller pressed, and processed under the same guidelines as any USDA organic product. Like I said, I’ve found plenty of information that would be helpful if I were cooking with it (one & two)…but not so much related to putting it on my body.

Any helpful input is encouraged. : )

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Remember my less than glowing review of skinnyskinny’s jasmine organic dry shampoo? Well, I recently discovered that the dry shampoo works. Not only that, but it actually works quite well. My problem? I used it on hair that simply had too much product buildup (ie: hair that needed to actually be washed), and when I used it on other occasions I simply wasn’t using enough of it to see results. So, here I am to admit that I am sometimes the worst and completely wrong about things. I’ve edited the review accordingly. : )

For the past few weeks, I’ve been fond of these three in particular:

Goji berries have fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and pretty much everything awesome. Some folks aren’t crazy about the taste, but they remind me of green tea (which just so happens to be my hot beverage of choice).

Raw almonds are full of fiber, protein, and vitamin E! Oh, and bonus: They taste like cherries.

When selecting dark chocolate, I generally shoot for 80% cocoa at least. I’ve been told it’s the healthier option, and (on a good day) I honestly prefer the flavor to super sweet/milky chocolates.

How about you? Are you an avid snacker too?

Image Sources: One, Two, Three.

Leave it to me to be the last person on earth to try something useful, but are you guys familiar with dry skin brushing? Danielle mentioned incorporating it into her daily routine a couple of months or so ago, and (as with most awesome things she tries) I simply told her to let me know how she liked it.

I had all but forgotten about dry skin brushing until I saw a recent morning routine on No More Dirty Looks that mentioned it, and soon after that I stumbled upon an article about it. What did I learn? Apparently it’s a great way to improve circulation, brighten one’s complexion, and even detoxify the body. Whether or not these claims are founded,  I am beginning to think that maybe I should take a brush to this neglected skin of mine. What’s the worst that could happen (aside from wasting $40 on a fancy skin brush)?

Are you a fan of dry skin brushing? If not, then maybe you could save a girl some dollars by being honest.

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Still, I thought you guys might wanna hit up the following:

• Use the code REPEAT2012 and get $15 off a full size bottle of perfume from A Perfume Organic. Green sounds like my kind of scent.
• Check out this post on caren’s  blog, which includes helpful tips concerning which ingredients to avoid in your sunscreen and which foods may protect your skin from the sun. Sup, dark chocolate?
• Take it from the queen of crusty elbows: this cornmeal scrub is worth trying.
• Who knew coffee filters could be so useful?

I’m off to study, nap, and then repeat. Wish me luck!