Vegan breakfast Parfait Simple

This one of my favorite breakfasts or desserts, super simple to make. You will need rice puffs, they are not rice crispy. Rice puffs are soft in texture, and absorb quicker then the rice crisps. You can also find millet and quinoa puffs they work well.You can find them at the health store or even the grocery store. Some are dipped in honey, they are on the crunchy side, you can use either one. I make it for breakfast and when it is setting I finish my morning routine. Enjoy!


VEGAN BREAKFAST PARFAIT

serving one
one mug or taller glass

Just start to layer
1 Tablespoon soy yogurt or rice yogurt
then 2 Tablespoon rice puff then keep layering until
desired height. You can also add fruit (fresh or frozen ) to each layer.
Jams or jellies work well too.
Leave to set for 15 to 20 minutes.
If you leave to long the texture can get quit soft,
you can eat it like that but I like a little texture.


                                                                  Birch Life

My favorite gluten free flour blend I believe is the number 1 and it is from the UK

Doves Farm most of you may have never heard of it before. I discovered it when I was in the UK.

They are a family company that does fresh milling of grains to make flour and gluten free flour,they get some

of there raw materials from the Wessex area.

The bonus is that they do self rising flour,which means there is baking soda and baking powder already add.

If you have never used gluten free self rising flour it is amazing,everything comes out so perfectly done.

When I make cakes or pancakes very thing is so light and soft. The gluten free flour is a mix of different grains,the most important thing it is all ORGANIC!!!!!

They also make other things like pasta,cookies,and many more so check out there website here is the link dovesfarm.co.uk. In the UK you can buy it at most super markets or natural store. 

Please give them a try and you will not be sorry.

Doves farm ships in the EU and other places so check out the stockist on there website.

P.S. They make many things vegan!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Birch Life

The most comforting 5 ingredient faux chicken soup made with product called Quorn

The ingredient that some of you may not know is called Quorn. In this recipe I used the diced faux chicken pieces,they have the texture of chicken,I think it tastes better then chicken. I have tried the sausages they are brilliant the seasoning was perfect and they are very moist. They have a very nice texture and they cook in no time. They make other meat free products,here is the link so you can check out all there different products quorn.com. Quorn makes vegan products but only in the USA as for now. The thing that makes them not vegan is they add egg whites. This soup is so comforting and super easy to make,it warms you to the core when you are super cold. I like to make it when I had a long day!

FAUX CHICKEN SOUP

2-3 small to medium size carrots chopped to 1/2 inch to 1 inch( if your carrots are large 1-2)

3 stalks of celery chopped 1/2 inch to 1 inch

bouillon cubes or power

half bag of Quorn faux chicken pieces

fresh water

In a small cooking pot add the carrots and celery,add fresh water 2 inches to cover vegetables

On medium heat cook 15 minutes cover slightly

Then add faux chicken pieces they will be frozen that is ok and then add bouillon to taste

I use. 1 to 2 cubes or 1-3 teaspoons to taste,bouillon is all about the taste and flavor 

you are trying to achieve 

Cook additional 10 minutes so all the favors can combine 

You can make a larger amount by chopping the vegetables smaller and adding more water,more bouillon and all the bag of Quorn pieces.

Enjoy

 

 Additional note I like to drink the bouillon broth alone I add a half of cube or half of teaspoon to boiling water or to taste,it is also very comforting. 

I like to use boullion cube or powder,I don't know why people buy broth in a carton WHY WHY it is a waste of money. Cubes or powder are so much more economical and the flavor is so much better.

People say there is so much sodium in cubes or powder,not true because the ones I use add only sea salt.

You can control the amount you put in.The flavors are so much more fresh.

My favorite brands are Herbamare Bouillon by avogel.com

Organic gourmet bouillon by organic-gourmet.com

  I have been able to purchase them in the USA,Germany. Austria,and Switzerland with no problem.

Avogel is around the world so I have a link and then just pick your country.

                                                         Birch Life

The number 1 thought for spring!!!!!!!

Spring is here,so it is time for dandelion's,and no they are not weeds.  My thought is that every season nature gives us signs for our body.  For me dandelions are natures way to tell us it is time to wake up my insides. I like to drink it as a tea. The tea comes in various forms, roasted roots or dried leaves,or even a combo with both. For me if I am feeling sluggish or tried I go straight to dandelion, especially after a long winter. Really helps my liver to function better,and for water retention in the warmer months. Dandelion roast root tea has a coffee or woody flavor,it is full body,people even substitute it for morning coffee,because of the satisfying taste. The dried leaves have a mild woody flavor. I will give a few different brands at the end of the post. You can also eat the dandelion leaves fresh,they have a bitter favor,you can mix them with other greens like  kale or spinach which makes them milder. Make a salad or even just in a sandwich. Most health food stores or markets sell the fresh leaves. You can also forge for the leaves, the young leaves in spring are delicious. If you forge make sure that the grass has not been sprayed with chemicals,and no dogs or cats have used the area you are going to forge. Not by a main road because of the pollution given of by the cars.  So note when spring is here dandelion's should be one of our first thought for our spring body.

 The last thought the tea is vegan!!!!!

For the Uk brands clipper-tea.com
heathandheather.co.uk, symingtons dandelion tea roasted root

For USA traditionalmedicinal.com
dandyblend.com, teeccino.com

For Germany,Austria
Go to the dm they have many different kinds.

For Switzerland
Go to the Apotheke they sell it by the gram

                                                          Birch Life

3 Devine facial masks,Do it yourself! 2 Vegan 1 Veganish

I love doing facial masks,I have tried many on the market,and I always go back to making my own. I will give you 3 of my favorite,2 can be made vegan,and 1 is not considered vegan. I travel a lot whether it is in a car,plane,rail,or even just walking. My skin is mainly normal,if it is very cold outside it can get dry and sensitive. I have noticed that when I drive in the car for along time,my face feels the same as when I am on the plane.The feeling is like dry plus really caked on with dirt. My go to product,that will refresh my skin is simply honey,yes honey. Honey has so many great property's,it has a high water content, which intern adds moisture to the skin,trace minerals and vitamins. I simply cleanse my face,and pour some honey in the palm of my hand,it will warm up and then spread on my face. I do a thin layer,when it warms to your skin it will spread easier. When I have it on my skin I feel like my skin is absorbing all this decadent  moisture. Leave on 15-30 minutes I leave on for 30 minutes if my skin really needs help,or just 15 minutes as maintenance. Wash off with a warm washcloth, then splash with cold. Put your favorite face cream or oil,my personal favorite is rosehip oil(of course I make it). I like to do it when I have been traveling all day or when I feel I need more moisture. Oily skin can benefit from it also,it can help balance it out,and give it a blast of minerals and vitamins. You can do it as much as needed or 2 times a week. You can us any honey clear,creamed,raw,any one you have works well. 

The second mask can be made vegan or not. Divine Banana mask. You need a half of banana,

1 teaspoon honey if vegan(leave it out),and a squeeze of lemon juice fresh. The banana should be ripe,riper the better I found. Banana's have vitamin c and potassium which is amazing for our skin. I would us a towel or old t-shirt if any drips.  Smash the banana well with fork and add the rest ingredients,combine well. Cleanse your face,slowly spread mixture on face,it can get gummy,but keep adding it to your face as like layers it will stay on and dry slightly. Leave on 15 to 20  minutes. Wash off with warm washcloth splash with cold. Then moisturizes your fresh skin.  This mask has a great feel to your skin,it gives moisture and the lemon gives your skin brightness. The feeling it gives my face,is that it has taken off a dead skin layer. My skin feels so clean and refreshed,with a brightness to my skin. A side note you can eat the other half of banana(out of its peel) or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap,and put in freezer and make smoothie with it at a later date.
  
The third is Sunny orange lush mask. You can make it vegan,by just using the fresh orange juice. Simply squeeze 1 tablespoon of fresh orange juice,and 1 tablespoon of honey and mix.
Cleanse face and massage on,it may drip in beginning but the honey will dry it slightly. Oranges are powerful they are very acidic so don't leave on very long 5-10 minutes the most. For me I leave it on 5 minute I can start to feel,warming on my skin and I take it off right away. Oranges have natural source of alpha hydroxy acid, so you need to be careful, it can be very strong for your skin.Us it carefully. Wash off with warm washcloth and splash with cold, and then moisturize. This can be strong so take it slowly. Leaves my pores very clean. Layer of dead skin comes off so your skin may be sensitive so be gentle. I would do it once a month. With the rest of orange you can squeeze the juice out, and add it to sparkling water for a refreshing drink. I like to juice it and add it to my bath water or when in the shower fold open the half's and us it like a scrub. Your skin will feel sooooooooo clean. Be very careful orange are very very acidic so don't do often.

All of these masks are very good for your skin,the honey mask is so simple. In the future I will post more facial masks! I hope you will try them and leave me a comment,you can experiment with other ingredients as well. Enjoy and your skin will rejoice.  
    

                                                               Birch Life

My story of being a vegan

 When I was a teenager I got heavier and felt old in my body. I began to stop eating meat, and I lost weight. I still didn't feel good, something was missing. I started research on my own,I read many books(library is a great resource) about the body and how foods heal you and can hurt you. I started looking at the food,and stopped eating tomato's,wheat,dairy,meat

My stomach pains began to decrease and I had more energy. I learned all about stomach acid, and how it worked. When you are stressed or anything that makes your body off,your stomach acids change. I would once in a while eat cheese or wheat my joints began to be sore,

so I figured what foods would be good for me to eat without pain. There were many for me,

we all have different foods that we can process differently. The journey was long in some spots and still I have days. I have food sensitivities,so I cook most of my own food. I have talked to many natural healers about this and they say,we all are different no one is the same,we should eat the way are body is telling us. We just need to take time to listen to it. I see people having a pizza or ice cream would be nice to eat it,but I know what my body is telling me! I think it is important to get to know your own body and listen to it.

There are many books that are good here are a few.

christophervasey.ch The acid alkaline diet for optimum health and The Naturopathic way
he has other books as well,I have added the link to his website.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Bach 

Just go to the book store or library,and just start reading, something will click and you will know,but keep your mind open to healing.

                                                                              
                                      Birch Life
       

  

      

More natural organic shampoo reviews Nature's gate Andalou Nature's gate Giovanni leave in conditioner

I will make it a series to do natural and organic body care products reviews. I will be reviewing 3 shampoos again, and at the end I will throw in a leave in conditioner.

Nature's Gate pomegranate sunflower hair defense shampoo 18 oz mrsp  $7.79

The smell is glorious it has a medium texture, it lathers quite well and you don't need a lot. 

The only thing was it did the same thing with either air or blown dry my hair was really fluffy! My hair felt clean and not left with residue. Managing my hair was ok but I think if you have thin and limp hair it would work great. The shampoo is great for bottle treated, and I can definitely say it does not strip color out. I give it a 5 out of 10.


Andalou shampoo lavender & biotin    11.5 oz mrsp $9.95
             
First of all the texture is very light, and smells of real lavender. Left my hair really clean and even the scalp  felt so clean. When I air dried my hair it was sooo soft with a very soft curl, and blown dry it made my hair soft and smooth. This shampoo was one of the best I have ever tried! The texture was so smooth and no FRIZZ. They say it is color safe which I find very true!
I give it 10 out of 10!!!!!! 


Nature's Gate mandarin orange and patchouli color protecting shampoo 12  oz mrsp $8.59

The smell is very interesting the patchouli is strong for me,but I do like the smell. Lathering is good, like any shampoo. When I air dry my hair is slightly fluffy,blown dry is smooth but slight frizzy. The shampoo is ok, it was a bit dry feeling. Color safe is true it does not strip, and it says it protects from uv damage. I could see my hair not getting lighter when in the sun. I give it 6 out 10.


Finally a leave in conditioner,which happens to be my favorite. I don't use traditional conditioner, it weighs my hair down so I opt for a leave in conditioner.


Giovanni 2chi ultra sleek leave in conditioner&styling elixir Brazilian keratin
4 oz mrsp 8.99


I love this stuff!!! What ever shampoo I use,I can trust this will fix my hair. I comb my hair when wet with a wood comb which is much better for your hair. Then I take about pea size and smooth in hands all over the hair,but I don't do my roots. Most days I blow dry it leaves my hair smooth, and very manageable, like I had a blow out on my hair which is great. The bottle lasts a very long time which is a plus.
I give it 10 out of 10.  





Again I don't get paid for reviews,I pay for the items out right.

x

Why I heart lemons = Alkaline

I love lemons!!!!! For me they are like sunshine,it is like they hold sun inside of them. They are alkaline which is very important,we want to try to keep our body more alkaline then acidic,I think. I like to have a few squeezes of lemon juice with warm water first thing in the morning,it helps to wake up your insides. Some people like to drink it throughout the day,you can squeeze half a lemon to a liter of fresh water or to your taste. I like to make lemonade when it is hot outside because for me it keeps me hydrated and I need to drink something other than plain  water. My recipe is:                                                                              
                                                         2-3 lemons 
                                                         1/4-1/2 cup of agave nectar syrup
                                                         1 liter fresh water
                                                         pinch of sea salt                                                                                                  
                           squeeze lemons and mix all together drink or cool to taste enjoy!

I also like to use lemons in my bath.I juice a half of lemon and add it to my bath water, it leaves my skin really really refreshed especially if I have been feeling hot and sweaty. 



                                                    Birch Life 
                                                          













        

Natural And Organic Shampoo Reviews, Jason Sea Kelp, Giovanni 3 in one ,Giovanni colorflage shampoo brazen brunette

We have so many natural organic shampoos to buy, and sometimes it would be nice to have reviews on how they work. I have used soooooo many and wasted so much money, so I will start with these 3. My hair is bottle treated ( that is what I call colored) it has a light natural curl when air dried and a bit frizzy when blown dry, if I use conditioner my hair gets weighed down, if I don't wash it every day it gets on the oily side,and it is mid-back length.

                                    Jason sea kelp shampoo mrsp  $8.89 16oz they make a large size as well

First of all the bottle is very large Good thing, it says it tames frizzy hair and leaves no heavy residue. Well for me it is a thick shampoo with a pleasant smell and has a little feel of seaweed,( seaweed has a slimy feel).
You don't need much and it soaps up nicely. The shampoo left my hair with a slight residue,and it seemed like the next morning it was on the oily side. When I blow dry my hair after using it, it made my hair smoother and not so frizzy. Bonus! I wish it was a little less heavy for me, but it worked well for frizz , so I give it a 5 out of 10, if you have dryer hair I think it would be a good product. They say it is good for color treated hair. My hair did not fade or was not stripped of its color. A very good thing.

                Giovanni 3 in one shampoo body wash bubble bath  grapefruit sky 16oz  mrsp $9.99

The bottle is very handy, it comes with a pump top, the smell is sooooooooooo refreshing like a real grapefruit sliced open. The shampoo is on the light side in texture, it is nice with the pump top because you can really control the amount.  Grapefruit is a very nice cleanser, and it really worked well. There is no residue left on my hair,and when I air dry I get a very soft curl in my hair. When it's blown dry very slight frizz but not bad. I give it 8.5 out of 10. I think it would be good for all hair types. Also no stripping of color another Bonus. I tried it as body wash it and it was good and cleansing,but I like bar soap better for me.


            Giovanni colorflage shampoo brazen brunette 8.5 oz mrsp $9.99 

 The bottle is a down side because it comes out from the bottom, and there is sometimes a little leakage. The shampoo has a thicker formula so I was worried for a minute, but it cleansed well. You only need a very little amount.There was a very very light residue left on my hair, but not much so it was not a big deal. My hair air dried with a light curl almost straight, blown dry light frizz but manageable. No stripping and also it comes with brown color tint so it keeps your color longer, it totally works! If your hair is not bottle treated and has the brunette color it gives it more life. This comes in different colors blonde, black, red, and platinum.

I give it 9 out of 10.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I hope this is helpful to you all 

                                                  and maybe saved you money

                                                   if you shop at Whole foods 

                                                   or local Health food store 

                                                    they may have pamphlets

                                                    with samples of these shampoos

                                                   and sometimes there is coupons

                                                    inside so ask or keep your eyes 

                                                    open. Love to hear what you think

                                                     soooo please leave comment.

                                                          Birch life

                                                             

    
    I don't get paid for reviewing these products I purchased them out!

New thoughts and Ideas

My first posting on my blog ahhhh kind of nervous but excited too! My blog is going to be a bit of everything everyday living. Teaching,sharing ideas and thoughts of everyday life,that's why I called it Birch life. The birch tree is a good symbol for life because it likes to grow with other trees and we need each other to share our ideas and thoughts,even just to talk. The trees also do many things.They can be used for many purposes furniture,leather,tanning,toys and paper,just like us we have many things hobbies interests, work. Also purifies and renews which is great as people we go through things and we have to renew our self and purify sometimes our thoughts. I want to share many things and maybe have a laugh or too,but most important that we have each other to share things with or ideas and maybe learn something new or even better try something new! So I hope you enjoy my blog and ideas and leave a comment!


                                                      Birch life