Scents and Scents' Ability - headache busting in a hurry

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Headaches can be a devil to get rid of the natural way, especially when a caffeine boost or sugar fix can seem to bring temporary release. 

If you have the chance to be indulgent, a scalp massage, quick nap, plenty of water and even an orgasm can ease the pain. If none of the above will cut it, try flinging Eucalyptus, Cedarwood and Peppermint together. Combine with a carrier oil in the bath or inhale over boiled water with a towel to keep in the steam.

I recently invested in a Soto Aroma Diffuser (madebyzen) and will never go back to burning oils with a candle. This is attractive - think modern day lava lamp with mood lighting - I get lots of compliments and interest when guests see it in use. If you want to use it without oils you have an ioniser to hand. Quite often I just use one oil for a subtle scent and ambience. 

This is the perfect accessory for a wind down ritual at the end of the day. Combine with (non toxic) candlelight and a herbal brew. 

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Hummus

Image: my own (yep, keeping Cath Kidston in business)

Hummus has been a mainstay of my diet for as long as I can remember, especially handy for those who can't cook/won't cook which was me for many years. I didn't see what the fuss was about until recently and even now I have to be in the mood to roll my sleeves up in the kitchen.

I'm pretty particular about my hummus and I'm always disappointed when someone's fannied about with flavours, especially when it tastes of factory. I don't need synthetic coriander, chilli or sundried tomatoes in my hummus. I need it straight up and unadulterated. 

For a good old fashioned guide to hummus making I found How to make perfect hummus invaluable. Felicity Cloake has done all the hard work for us. I followed her perfect hummus recipe almost to the T. I failed on soaking chickpeas - tinned means I have more time for fun stuff - and I used smoked paprika instead of ground cumin. Either way this is a bad boy. It tastes good, is super easy to make and I love the the oil is added just on top. 

What's your fail safe dip? And the crucial question - do you eat hummus and then feel self conscious all day about the raw garlic coming out of every pore? 

Sex on legs soup

I made this soup for lunch today post meeting and post throwing balls for my dog in the freeeeezing British weather. It's absolutely sex on legs. I threw in whatever veg I had - happened to be sweet potatoes, carrots, frozen peas and green beans, tinned sweetcorn and chickpeas. I skipped the greens and tinned tomato due to what I had in, but I reckon that any combo would work wonders with this gorgeous seasoning. The peanut butter (I used cashew nut butter) and honey (I didn't have raw) make it so filling and decadent that I didn't miss bread or need a second bowl. 

I discovered that frying onions and garlic in this seasoning and then stir frying in veg of any type or adding steamed or boiled vegetables would be a fabulous complement to short grain brown rice (the type of rice my nutritionist insists I stick to). You could always add pre marinated tofu for a perfectly balanced meal. 

Thanks to the fab Bari Tribe blog for this recipe which I found via Well & Good nyc. I love to find a few basic seasoning ideas which I can replicate in different ways to keep my palate satisfied. 

‘Back On Track’ Winter Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1.5 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes (with canning liquid)
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can organic corn, drained
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. raw honey
• 3-4 cups chiffonaded mustard greens (any greens work here; swiss chard would be great)
• sea salt, to taste

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven, and sauté onions over medium heat for 5 minutes or until translucent.
• Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add sweet potato and spices – coating all vegetables evenly – and sauté for another minute.
• Add tomatoes and broth, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add corn, chickpeas, peanut butter and honey. Stir and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Stir in greens. Season with salt, starting with 1/2 tsp. and adjusting to taste.

Photo via Sarah Levy for Bari Apotheke

On being good

I was reminded of Rudyard Kipling's 'If...' last night whilst watching Boardwalk Empire. It was a moving moment in the series. It's beautiful in its own right but also seems pertinent at the moment. 

In the spirit of The Secret and generally attempting to behave like a grown up I have tried to turn any adversities into learning opportunities of late. I don't always get it right but it's a win win situation when it works. Rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of another's behaviour, I find myself asking if I'm perfect. As the answer is always a straight 'no' I realise that there is something I could do for someone else or something I could do to improve myself/remedy a situation. By changing the focus like this and being as good as can be, little disappointments seem to fade into the background. 

Do you have a method for being true to yourself and as good as can be when you are faced with challenges? 

IF...

IF you can keep your head when all about you  Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings  And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!' If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, ' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Ojon Oil

I think it's fair to say that every girl has bought into a recommended/latest hair serum or oil at the salon and then held onto it half heartedly alongside a load of other barely used products, not really knowing if it makes a difference. This often happens to me and I ask myself if I'm not using it right or if my hair is too processed for me to be the judge of a good oil or not. Well, stop press. 

I've decided the Ojon oil does live up to the hype. This is Boots own and has been heavily advertised across the board. It comes in at just under £30 so for that price I need this baby to work. I recommend this for thick/dry/coarse/processed hair as it may be too conditioning for those with already silky locks. I use a little 'gloop' of it on damp hair and then blow dry. I've noticed a huge difference in condition with increased softness and perhaps even additional length, but that may be a coincidence as I'm not applying this product to my scalp. I suspect it's that I need less trimmed off the ends now that the general condition is improved. If your hair is fried this really could be your new best friend. 

'World's most infrequent blogger award' goes to...me

I know, I really do deserve this award. I've been a complete slacker on the blogging front - my apologies and thanks as always to all those who've been in touch about all things beauty and healthy living.

I've been a busy bee juggling various work projects. I've also been to Ithaca and adopted a rescue puppy (Herbie, whom I shall soon introduce), visited friends and family, started back my military style fitness regime, explored hypnotherapy and have had a few weddings to attend...and it seems like time just disappeared.

At times I've felt I had no time for anything at home, so the last few weeks for me have been about rediscovering the food processor, training little Herbie to sit and 'investing' in velvet cushions and the like. 

Here's a few pics from the little known island of Ithaca. 

Sunrise from my sunlounger...oh to wake up to this again

I ate loads. I just love Greek, fresh, simple food

My view by day. From this spot I enjoyed...

Dandy in the Underworld has got to be the funniest book I have ever read. Disgusting and hilarious. Total must read. I laughed out load a few times per page.

Yours truly shivering...late May was beautifully hot but cooler in the evenings.

A view of beautiful Fiskardo, (Kefalonia) where I went last year, from the sea. If you are into lazy quiet Greek holidays Kefalonia or Ithaca will hit the spot.

Natural dry shampoo

Via

Some time ago I was seduced by the idea of not washing my hair. After a few days of attempting this I chickened out. I haven't tried again since and must confess I use a regular shampoo and conditioner, albeit sulphate free. I love this tip which I found on the fab Well & Good NYC (one of my all time fave beauty sites): Cindy Joseph, a celebrity make up artist, says that one of her beauty obsessions is good old corn starch which is found lurking inside many a kitchen cupboard. She simply coats her hands in the stuff and rubs it into the roots of her hair on an off day. Cindy says this leaves her with that fresh hair feeling and she loves that this is chemical free. I shall trial this next time I favour a little shut eye over a shampoo in the morning. 

Hot stuff - how to heal burns the natural way

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I managed to burn myself a few weeks ago by spilling boiling water over my arm. I was trying to multi-task with two mugs of tea (I should have done the Buddhist thing of focussing mindfully on one task at a time) and as I never want to keep my wounded body part under cold running water for long - because, let's face it - it feels pretty cold and unpleasant, I end up with ugly burn marks. I remember learning in first aid that it's not enough to simply immerse your burnt body part in a bowl of cold water because the burn actually raises the water's temperature. Anyway, I've been left with a rather unsightly arm burn and have been turning to two of my natural friends in my time of need. 

I bought 3 Aloe Vera plants for the new pad just for aesthetic purposes. They've turned out to be great pals as I've been tearing off the leaves and applying the goo to my burn and then intermittently slathering on neat lavender essential oil. I'm seeing a real improvement as the scar diminishes. I've also experimented with talking to the Aloe plants lovingly every now and then, but that's another story.

For those not in the know, a brief history lesson on lavender: Rene Maurice Gattefosse was a French chemist and perfumer who burnt his hand badly in his laboratory. Being the first available compound handy, Gattefosse treated his badly burnt hand with pure undiluted lavender oil, which not only immediately eased the pain, but helped heal the hand without any sign of infection or scar. Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy in 1937. The moral of this little story is that it's well worth ensuring you have lavender oil and Aloe Vera to hand in the kitchen. Could make a big difference to a burn. 

Health note:

Lavender is absolutely lovely and seems to have shaken off its granny image in recent years. Relaxing and gorgeous, it's one of the most popular oils and certainly a favourite of mine. I love a little sprinkle on my pillowcase for relaxation and often use lavender in my own oil blends. Lavender is an emmenagogue which means that it can stimulate menstruation. This is great for anyone who is trying to regulate their periods, but for obvious reasons is best avoided in pregnancy. Those with low blood pressure can feel a little dull and drowsy after using this oil. 

Heartbeats

How was your bank holiday weekend? I went foraging and fabric shopping...good for the soul.

Somerset House 

Even though I haven't yet found the right rescue dog, I'm already looking at snuggle cushions for dogs - a girl's gotta plan ahead, right?

Picking out fabrics for my outdated footstool was a serious mission but good fun. I settled on this Designers Guild fabric as I figured it will be fairly practical colour wise and will complement the grey pallete I've chosen at home. I'll need to paint the legs grey to match.

Choosing a sensible fabric wasn't easy when there were a number of pink and crazy psychedelic numbers to hand

A walk in the woods isn't complete with a little tree hugging. My friend Adele demonstrates beautifully...

This is the perfect time of year for wild garlic. We enjoyed with a buckwheat pasta salad.

I would love to tell you we made this wigwam. 

Julia and Dotty

I'm totally in love with my neighbour, Dotty. She is so cute. We all pampered and stroked her for hours. A dog's life really isn't bad.

Happy weekend

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.” 
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace


Sorry for being so quiet on the blogging front. Life has been going quickly. Here's to making time to breathe consciously every day. Happy weekend  - a bientot. x