Christmas and Holiday Gift Idea: Homemade Mulling Spices

Homemade mulling spices make a wonderful gift with either a bottle of wine or a jug of apple cider.

Super easy to make, you'll impress your friends with this warm, spicy homemade gift.

Homemade Mulling Spices

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

• Rinds of 3 oranges
• 8 ounces whole cloves
• 6 cinnamon sticks, crushed
• 3 tablespoons allspice
• 3 tablespoons candied ginger, diced into small bits

To remove the pith:

• Cut the oranges into quarters, just deep enough to remove the skin from the fruit.
• Peel the skin off the fruit. Turn it pith side up and using a serrated knife (or better yet, a grapefruit spoon)  scrape the skin clean. Be careful not to cut through the skin with the knife.

Dry The Orange Rinds:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Cut the cleaned orange rinds into strips.
• Place the strips on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
• Dry in the oven for up to an hour (make sure to keep an eye on them, so they don't become too brittle).

Combine all of the ingredients, package and share!

• Sterilize 4 4 ounce jars (see here for instructions).
• Spoon mixture into jars and seal. Use a decorative ribbon to finish the jar.
• Wrap your favorite red wine or apple cider in tulle or colorful fabric, tied with a decorative ribbon
• Warm 4 cups of wine or cider over a medium flame. Add mulling spices and warm again for five minutes, or until you smell the aroma of the oranges, spices and ginger being released from the mixture.
• Strain the mixture, keep warm over low flame and serve.

Juice...Grapefruit, Avocado, Beet, Watermelon...The List Goes On

Hello and welcome to another juice recipe. I'm no longer on my juice cleanse, but I loved the juices I made so much, that I decided to continue making them.

This week's juice has a few ingredients I haven't included in previous juices: watermelon and grapefruit. Wow! The watermelon is just the right sweetness to offset the earthiness of the beets. The grapefruit's sour tartness tastes just right against the smooth, bright flavor of the avocado. Topped off with fresh coconut water, this juice is my favorite so far.

It's a lot thinner than the other juices I've made, not in a bad way, but in a really refreshing way. I thought I liked the juice to be more of a pureed salad, but now really want more of a liquid texture. Now that I'm making juice on a more regular basis I'm learning that I need to trust my instincts when it comes to flavor mixing. Juice after juice, I've been really pleased with all of my combinations.

Raw Beet, Avocado, Nectarine, Strawberry, Watermelon, Grapefruit Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 1 small nectarine, pit removed, sliced
• 1 grapefruit, skin removed, cuts into chunks
• 4 small strawberries, sliced
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 3 small pieces watermelon, cubed
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Juice Cleanse....Two Great Raw Juice Recipes

I tend to do a cleanse once or twice a year. This is the first time it's a full-on juice cleanse, with no solid foods for 3 days. My friend and I are in this cleanse together. I made it 66 hours total, pretty close to the 72 hours I had committed. I've been keeping myself going on store-bought raw juices, coconut water, herbal tea, and a small amount of probiotics.

When I re-read that last sentence, I realized just how crazy this cleanse may be. Even though I'm an avid meat eater, there is something I love about eliminating everything but raw veggie and fruit juice for a few days. The challenge of making the smoothies taste good enough to satisfy my desire to eat keeps me going.

I make smoothies regularly, but they always have almond or rice milk in them. I'm using coconut water for the cleanse smoothies. As long as there is some avocado mixed in the texture is similar to the ones I usually make. Nice to know that I can eliminate the milk from the smoothie and not miss the flavor, but cut down on the calories.

The way I see it, if I can get in the habit of making one or two smoothies a day that are primarily veggies and good stuff, I can eat all the other stuff I love without worrying about getting all my nutrients in.

I do have to say that so far I feel great and very calm. That might just be because I'm a little crazy from not eating, but I think it has to do with giving my system a rest. Your body uses up a lot of energy trying to digest meats, grains and processed sugars. Eating this way always gives me perspective on how much and how often I eat or snack. It's a kickstart to remembering portion control and being more aware of my eating habits.

Not to worry, the mouthwatering meats, gluten and dairy free treats and all the other wonderful dishes I love to make will be back shortly. I'm sure to have a new appreciation for them!

Raw Beet, Avocado, Basil, Peach, Nectarine, Ginger, Cucumber, Celery Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 1 small nectarine, pit removed, sliced
• 1 small peach, pit removed, sliced
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 4 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground ginger
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Raw Spinach, Carrot, Beet, Avocado, Peach, Strawberry and Banana Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 15 to 20 spinach leaves (a small handful)
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 2 carrots, skin removed, cut into rounds
• 1 small peach, pit removed, sliced
• 1 banana, sliced
• 2 strawberries, hulled, sliced
• lime juice (about 1/4 of a lime)
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Enjoy!