So for my birthday my mother-in-law got me a SODASTREAM! I love seltzer water, and Jack loves soda, so it's already seeing heavy use. In fact I took it with us this weekend when we went to visit Jeff and Katie (of NC Garden Gals) in Asheville. While demonstrating the sodastream we talked about other stuff you could make using the sodastream, and Jeff and Katie brought up the possibility of making homemade Orangina... What an AWESOME idea! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it yet! Orangina is one of Jack's favorite drinks, and I love it too. Orangina is pretty pricey so we hardly ever buy it, though. Well, after checking with the all-powerful Google I did in fact turn up several recipes for homemade Orangina. In fact, all the recipes I found were different but they shared a common technique of combining sugar with citrus juice and/or peel, and simmering it down to make a syrup. Then you add this syrup to seltzer water and BLAM - Orangina! As it happens I bought a bag of tangerines just yesterday that were on sale, but when I ate the first one I discovered they were chock-full of seeds. I try to get exclusively seedless oranges, so I was pretty disappointed. However, these tangerines were perfect for juicing! I took 4 tangerines and 2 lemons and used a vegetable peeler to get long fat stripes of zest. Then I juiced them all, and combined the juice and zest in a sauce pan with 1/2 a cup of sugar. I simmered this for about 20 minutes until it thickened, and strained it into a pint jar and stuck it in the fridge. Now we just have to pull out the jar of Orangina-syrup and pour a few tablespoons into a glass of seltzer water for a delicious and refreshing (and way cheaper) drink! UPDATE 1/14/14: I've found that when I boil the citrus peel in the simple syrup too long, the pectin in the peel causes the syrup to thicken. This makes it hard to easily mix into your seltzer water! So here's what I've been doing lately: 1 cup water 1 cup sugar Juice & peel from 1 grapefruit Juice & peel from 1 orange Juice & peel from 1 lemon Combine the water, sugar, and the citrus juice and bring it to a simmer. Once it starts to simmer and the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat off and THEN add the citrus peel. Let mixture sit until it cools (or at least 10 minutes), strain and pop in your fridge. Add a few tablespoons to your seltzer water for easy homemade Orangina!

This traditional flan recipe adapted for the Instant Pot is so rich, creamy and silky smooth and the caramel topping is absolutely heavenly.

Move over pumpkin spice! The ultimate fall dessert has arrived in the form of this delicious apple crisp made with einkorn flour. Flavored with crisp apples, cinnamon and vanilla, and topped with a cinnamon and brown sugar crumble, it brings the ultimate taste of fall to any table.

After many trials and tests, I've found a recipe for a keto sticky toffee pudding that is certainly worth writing down.

Here are 10 of the BEST Olive Garden Copy Cat Recipes I've found!

Garlic may be delicious, but it can leave a lingering odor on your hands after chopping or mincing. Sick of the smell? Try this easy (and free) trick for removing garlic smells.

Here are 10 of the BEST Olive Garden Copy Cat Recipes I've found!

A natural solution to give your brain the fuel it needs to get through the day.

A balance of sweet, salty, fermented and tangy; this vegan nước chấm chay is a quintessential Vietnamese sauce!

This recipe in no way should be credited to me. I found it off the internet years ago, and noticed this exact recipe wasn't on RecipeZaar yet... so here it is. =) This is the closest tasting recipe I've found to the Hot and Sour Soup that is served at P.F. Chang's. If you love that restaurant as much as I do, give this a shot. You won't be disappointed! (This approximately yields the "bowl" size from the restaurant.)

I've been searching for the perfect summer basil martini. I think I found it on the "B*tches on a Budget" website! Slight variation using agave nectar instead of simple syrup. I had to substitute ounces for "jiggers" as called for in the original recipe -- original verbage included in directions.

Here are 40 ingenious uses for leftover whey from yoghurt making. These are so crazy inventive, you will be blown away!

Spring Rolls are so pretty and I love all of the fillings that go inside of them before they're wrapped up.

Whenever I come across a recipe that only calls for a stalk or two of celery, I inwardly sigh. Then I have the dilemma, “Can I get away with not using celery in this recipe at all? The rest of the bunch is just going to go to waste!” Well, fear not — celery is actually really versatile, and even the biggest bunch can be easily used up in tasty ways.

I love to mentor others in this wonderful, healing diet. Here's a list of posts I've written, as well as links to the best GAPS Diet Resources I've found online.

I've searched long and hard for the perfect razzleberry pie recipe and now I've found it. Razzleberry pie or mixed berry pie has raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

This is a delicious recipe for Vietnamese Iced Coffee that is delicious and easy to make.

So you found out you had Endometriosis or Fibroids and you're wondering what to do next? News like this can be overwhelming especially when doctors aren't really certain where it comes from. Upon my research, I've found that diet and genetics play a huge role in the diagnosis of these conditions. We can't control genetics, but we can control our diet! So I've come up with 10 simple recipes to help balance your diet and decrease the symptoms of fibroids and endometriosis. This file contains 6 main dishes and 4 salads along with specific ingredients and instructions! It's an instant download with easy step by step instructions along with precise ingredients and measurements! This is a DIGITAL FILE. What's included? 6 Main Dishes 4 Salads For women with Endometriosis AND fibroids. No refunds.

Find out seven helpful tips on how to avoid ever getting a urinary tract infection, and what to do to naturally cure your UTI if you do get one.

I didn’t realize how much I love traveling until I hit my mid 20’s. Coincidentally, that’s also when I started losing my hair in patches and had to start making some big lifestyle changes to grow it back. Over the years I’ve found ways to make traveling while on the Autoimmune Protocol and the Paleo […]

After struggling with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) for over five years now, and trying every method I could to heal it, I think I’ve finally found a permanent cure! I’ve written about IBS before, and some of the tests, diets, and methods I’ve tried. And I’ve had a few periods of reduced symptoms that have lasted up to 3-4 weeks. But otherwise, it’s typically been diarrhea 2-3 times per week. Until now!... Read More