Easy Breezy Mararoons

These macaroons are a breeze to make, using simple ingredients and not too sticky sweet. They come out looking elegant with little effort, making them a perfect treat for a garden tea party or whatever social gathering you may have going on. As always, I recommend using as many locally-produced ingredients as possible. They are fresher and it is always nice to support our local farmers and beekeepers whilst limiting our fossil fuel dependence.

Easy, Breezy Macaroons
Makes about 12-16
Ingredients:
4 egg whites from local chickens
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons of raw organic honey
2 cups shredded organic coconut (non-sweetened)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Separate eggs and put whites in a medium mixing bowl. The yolks may be saved and used in smoothies, homemade ice cream or simply fried up with butter for breakfast — contrary to popular belief, egg yolks are one of the healthiest foods available when they come from healthy, happy chickens. A good deep yellow yolk contains many essential nutrients such as vitamin D and A in bio-available form as well as all the essential amino acids. So don't feel guilty for indulging, your body needs these nutrients. For more on nutrition go to westonaprice.org

Whisk the egg whites up by hand for just about ten minutes until lightly foamed. Add vanilla and honey and continue to whisk until honey is dissolved. Add coconut one cup at a time, making sure to stir well. Add more coconut if needed until liquid mixture is completely absorbed. Using a small ice cream scooper or spoon, scoop rounded balls of coconut batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, serve and enjoy.

Make it yourself: Deodorant

I am one of those people who likes to make things on my own. I am constantly trying to invent better more simplistic recipes for everyday products such as deodorant. I am skeptical of many skin products as they contain numerous chemical and petro-derived ingredients such as aluminum and parabens. In fact, I really don't feel right about using any products that have a huge long list of weird ingredients. Our skin is not an impenetrable surface, whatever we put on our skin seeps down and then gets into our blood. This is how painters get lead poisoning from lead paint and how aluminum — the main active ingredient in conventional deodorants — has been singled out as a possible link to breast cancer and tumors. Read the labels! Even though numerous studies have linked breast cancer to aluminum, they still continue to put it in almost all deodorants!

My first solution to this problem was to try to find a 'natural' deodorant from my local health food store. But this did not prove effective. In my experience, the natural 'deodorant' I purchased seemed to make my odor worse. On top of that I still had the issue of plastic waste.

Reducing plastic and oil dependency is a huge concern of mine as is limiting the chemical burden I place on the environment everyday. How much plastic and styrofoam can we divert from the landfill if we pack our own lunch everyday and make our own deodorant, toothpaste and moisturizers stored in reusable containers? How much cleaner will our water and soil be if we limit the chemical pollutants we wash down the drain everyday? How much energy will we be giving our bodies each day if we don't expose them to harmful chemicals and substances? In a year's time, these small changes can add up to quite a big difference for our bodily health, our finances and for the health of our environment.

Simple Natural Deodorant
Makes about a month supply
2-4 tablespoons organic unrefined/virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking soda
2-4 drops tea tree oil
2-4 drops lavender oil
Put all ingredients in a small clean glass jar and stir well. If you are reusing a jar and cannot get the smell out try soaking for a day with hot water and a couple drops of essential oil-- any work but I use lavender or tea tree as they are also disinfectants.

Apply deodorant to skin prior to dressing so that you don't get any on your clothes. If you live in a colder climate then you can soften the deodorant in a sink of hot water before applying. Coconut oil has anti-viral and anti-microbial properties and tea tree and lavender add to these benefits when used as a deodorant. The baking soda simply helps to absorb unwanted odors.