Hot baths, bath bombs & a little Christmas Inspiration......

With the nights getting cold and dark nothing beats a long hot soak in the tub and the bath bomb is definitely the icing on the cake as they say. Lately I have developed a new found love of LUSH bath bombs – the smell, the way they leave your skin feeling sooo soft  and the fizzing / whizzing they do in the bath is an addictive combination! However the price tag (I am on a savings mission) does not excite me. So I decide to have a go at making my own and they turned out surprisingly well! Why not have a go or make them for little stocking fillers as Christmas approaches. - perfect Sunday afternoon craft session or what?!

Homemade Bath Bombs (makes two large size or 3-4 "Easter Egg" size depending on your mould (you can easily double or triple)

4 oz. baking soda

2 oz. corn starch

2 oz. citric acid

2 oz. Epsom salt

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon essential oil (I love otto rose)

1 1/4 teaspoon oil (I like coconut or olive oil here)

1-2 drops food colouring (optional)

How To -

1 - In a bowl combine the dry ingredients (the first four listed above).

2 - Whisk to remove any clumps, corn starch tends to be clumpy.

3 - In a small glass jar stir together the wet ingredients (the last four ingredients listed). If you're using coconut oil, give it a quick melt in the microwave or stove top first so it will more easily combine with the other ingredients.

4 - Slowly pour the liquid mixture in with the dry mixture, whisking as you go. If you see the mixture fizz or foam, you may be adding the liquid too quickly.

5- Once all the wet ingredients are combined with the dry, take a small amount in your hand and squeeze it together. It should stick together fairly well in one or two big chunks. If it's still too powdery to hold together, just add a tiny bit more water and mix until it does hold together.

6- Then fill each half of your bath bomb mould with the mixture until it's just overflowing a little. Press together, then gently remove one side of the mould.

7- Place the bath bomb on a tray and allow to dry out just a little (10-12 minutes) before removing the other side. Once you are ready to remove the other side, gently invert the bath bomb so the uncovered side is facing down, then gently remove the other half of the mould from the top.

8- The key word, if you haven't noticed, is gently. These can fall apart on you very easily if you're not careful. If a bath bomb does crack in half while you're removing it, you can gently press it back on top of the other half, or remove all the mixture back to the mixing bowl and start the moulding process again. I had this happen to a few, so don't fret, it's easy to fix.

9 - Once they are completely out of the mould, allow them to dry out for 8 hours or overnight. Once very dry, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a dry place until you're ready to use them, or you can gift them to friends. Enjoy!

You can add dried flower buds, like lavender buds, to these pretty easily. Just remember to use food grade dried flowers to avoid flowers that might have been grown with pesticides as you don't want to soak in a bath with that. No thanks! Do keep in mind that after using a bath bomb with dried petals, you will have to remove these from your tub. So if that bothers you, then leave the buds out.

Winter days, Yoga & Comforting Tomato Soup.......

After discovering the benefits of yoga , I promised myself that I would work hard to move the positivity of my practice off my mat and into the typical, everyday moments of life. Most specifically, I wanted to use mantras to help combat moments of stress, lack of motivation, anxiety, and frustration, which tend to rear their ugly heads all at once when I’m feeling like my plate is overflowing with tasks.

Since upping my practise recently, I’ve been using mantras (positive things I say to myself)  more regularly to push myself through moments when I feel stuck. Do you use mantras? If so, what are your favourites and when do you use them? Below are some of the mantras I find most helpful…

 1| Let. It. Go.

 

2| Yes, I can.

 

3| The time is now.

 

4| Inhale love, exhale hate.

 

5| I am enough. I have enough. There is enough.

 

6| Quiet. Focus. Trust.

 

7| Breathe in peace, breathe out love.

 

8| Be true. Be kind. Be present. Breathe.

 

So what does this have to do with tomato soup? Nothing other than the fact that it’s the perfect meal to warm up and nourish your body after some quality time on your mat. Considering most of the UK has experienced a freeze over the last few days, a soup recipe was warranted. This vegan tomato soup gets its rich and creamy texture from puréed cauliflower and nutritional yeast. The addition of red bell pepper, garlic, and plenty of spices creates layers of flavour that will keep you coming back for more. It’s the perfect meal to warm your heart during lunch or dinner, and it’s pretty much a requirement that it be paired with grilled (vegan )cheese. This soup will warm your soul on a chilly winter's day.

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup – Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnishing

 4 cloves garlic, minced

 1 medium yellow onion, diced

 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice

 1 small head cauliflower, roughly chopped

 1 teaspoon dried oregano

 1 teaspoon dried basil

 dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

 ½ teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste

 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

 ½ to 1 cup water (if needed to thin soup)

 fresh basil, chopped (optional)

 

How To -

 1.Add olive oil to a large stock pot and heat over medium heat.

 2.Add in garlic and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tender.

 3.Add in the red bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.

 4.Add in the tomatoes, cauliflower, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes (be sure to submerge the cauliflower chunks in the tomato liquid as much as possible -- it will seem like there is too much cauliflower, but there is just enough)

 5.Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow the mixture to simmer vigorously for 25 minutes.

 6.Turn off heat and purée mixture with a blender for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth

 7.Add in salt (to taste) and nutritional yeast. Simmer on low for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If soup is thicker than desired, add in ½ to 1 cup water and whisk into soup.

 8.Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and top with chopped fresh basil, if desired. Enjoy!