COCKTAIL Recipes

Bourbon Slush

Serves: 16 guests

Ingredients

• 2 cups of hot strong tea: 4 packets of PIQUE tea (of your choice) steeped in 2 cups of boiling water

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 six ounce cans of frozen lemonade

• 1 six ounce can of frozen orange juice

• 5 cups of crushed ice

• 2 cups of deluxe bourbon

• 1 quart cold ginger ale (or to taste)

• Fresh mint sprigs

Directions

• At least six hours before serving, combine the tea + sugar in a 1 gallon glass container + stir until dissolved. Add the lemonade + orange juice + stir until thawed.

• In a blender, in batches, blend ice with enough of the ice water to make a slush + add this to the tea mixture. Add the remaining ice water if it wasn't used with the ice. Stir in the bourbon.

• Pour the slush into several shallow plastic containers + place them in the freezer until serving, breaking up the slush + stirring about every 2 hours to freeze the mixture evenly.

• The mixture can be made 3-4 days ahead + frozen in a larger container; stir every 6-8 hours to keep mixture loose + evenly frozen. (Note: use the timer on your phone or Alexa)

• To serve, spoon the slush into tall or stemmed glasses + top off with ginger ale, Garnish each glass with a mint sprig.

Iced Tea Sangria

Serves: 15 - 20 guests

Ingredients

• 16 cups of cold water

• 8 black or fruit flavored PIQUE tea

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 cups of sliced fruit (peaches, strawberries + oranges)

• 4 cups of red wine

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring 16 cups of cold water to a boil.

• Remove saucepan above from heat; add 8 packets of black or fruit flavored PIQUE tea + let steep 4 minutes.

• Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in tea + chill.

• Place 3 cups of sliced fruit (peaches, strawberries + oranges) in a large serving bowl.

• Pour in tea + 4 cups of red wine into the large serving bowl.

• Serve drinks in iced filled glasses.

Campari Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 part Campari

• 1 part Dry Gin

• 3 parts freshly squeezed orange juice

• Juice of 1 lime

Directions

• Pour ingredients over ice + serve with a slice of lime + a wedge of pineapple

Scotch Sour

Recipe by: Stanley Tucci

Ingredients

• 1 ounce of simple syrup

• 1 ounce of lemon juice

• 3 shots of scotch

• Handful of ice

• Orange to garnish

Directions

• Combine 1 ounce of simple syrup, 1 ounce of lemon juice + three shots of scotch into a metal shaker filled with a handful of ice.

Tucci said that the scotch "doesn't have to be anything fancy." "It just needs to be not too smokey."

Spicy Mango + Strawberry Margarita

Ingredients

• 1-2 ounces of Tequila

• 1 mango

• 1 strawberry

• 1 can of OLIPOP: Ginger Lemon sparkling tonic.

• Muddled strawberries + a few slices of jalapeno

Directions

• Combine muddled strawberries + jalapeno in a cup

• Add crushed ice to above

• Pour in 1-2 ounces of Tequila over ice

• Top with OLIPOP: Ginger Lemon sparkling tonic.

• Garnish with strawberry + jalapeno slice

"I like this cocktail because it's low calorie and barely any sugar!"

Let me know in the comments below if you make any of these delicious cocktails. And....stay tuned for some great "mocktail" non-alcoholic drink recipes!

Non-Toxic Skincare for Women - March Spotlight

I’m not wearing much makeup at all right now given this quarantined state… and honestly, I don’t have much desire to even play with it. But when it comes to skincare, I haven’t missed a beat. My morning + nighttime skin care are a part of my daily self-care routine. And I find that when I’m anxious + let things slip, everything goes downhill – healthy habits, skin care, etc. So, I’ve made sure to keep up with it + also share my favorites for this month!

Self-care is important for your mental health, so please make the time to take care of yourself. I hope this post brings you some inspiration. Also, remember that brands can usually provide free samples to try these products out to see if you like them.

KORA Organics

Balancing Rose Mist

Created by the face of natural beauty, Miranda Kerr, this facial mist is infused with organically grown rose, noni + hibiscus.

The antioxidant-rich formula assists collagen production + leaves your skin feeling refreshed + hydrated with just one spritz!

Best of all, the bottle is suitable for carrying in your hand luggage on long-haul flights. It's SO refreshing + formulated for all skin types. To purchase, click here.

TATA Harper

Hydrating Floral Mask - A lightweight gel mask with 1,000 sizes of hyaluronic acid to recharge dry skin, replenish lost moisture + deliver thirst-quenching hydration.

• Skin type: Normal, Dry, Combination + Oily.

• Skin care concerns: Dryness, Redness, Dullness + Uneven Texture.

My friend, Sophia is also a fan + said this one is "a great soothing and hydrating mask for breakouts." To purchase, click here.

Regenerating Cleanser - A natural daily exfoliator that buffs + polishes with BHA + apricot microspheres to reveal smooth, radiant healthy-looking skin.

• Skin type: Dry + Combination.

• Skin care concerns: Dullness + Uneven Texture, Pores + Dryness.

To purchase, click here.

goop

"The Martini" Emotional Detox

Bath Soak

This bath soak takes the edge off during turbulent times (or after a crazy day), centers the body + spirit + helps to relax the neck + shoulders, where stress tends to build up.

There are 3 cups of bath soak in every bag, which means 3 amazing baths, all for you!

Ingredients include:

• Himalayan Pink Salts: helps to relax, destress + ease muscles.

• Chia Seed Oil: leaves skin nourished, hydrated + visibly soft.

• Wildcrafted Frankincense: helps to calm + soothe the mind.

This product is vegan, cruelty-free + gluten-free.

To purchase, click here.

MARIE Veronique

Replenishing Oil Cleanser

• Non-stripping.

• Smoothes skin with OMEGA-6 OILS.

• Stimulates circulation.

• Removes sunscreen + makeup.

Multiple oils penetrate to dissolve congestion + deep clean, without harming or drying skin.

Contains Superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that destroys special free radicals responsible for assaulting cell membranes. To purchase , click here.

NYAKIO

Sweet Almond Cleansing Oil Balm

This sumptuously rich, transformative balm-to-oil cleanser gently melts away makeup, dirt + impurities, leaving behind radiantly clean skin.

Scoop out a small dollop + warm

between hands, allowing the balm to melt. Gently massage the oil onto the face, using circular motions. Rinse well with warm water or wipe away with a tissue, for extra moisture.

Formulated without: sulfates, phthalates, parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum + formaldehyde. To purchase, click here.

FLEUR & Bee

Nectar of the C - Rejuvenating Vitamin Serum

A non-irritating form of vitamin C paired with powerful botanicals.

The result?

A powerful yet gentle vitamin C serum you can use every day.

• Evens + brightens skin tone.

• Reduces the appearance of dark spots

• Softens the appearance of fine lines.

To purchase , click here

Eyes, Eyes, Baby Anti-Aging Eye Cream - Illuminate your eye area + reduce the appearance of wrinkles, bags + puffiness. This nourishing eye cream softens the appearance of wrinkles, helps reduce the appearance of dark, puffy eyes + moisturizes + hydrates skin. To purchase , click here.

KYPRIS

Pot of Shade Heliotropic

This broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen + primer offers gentle, yet effective protection from UVA & UVB.

• Enhances skin to appear more plump, smooth + luminous.

• No essential oils to accommodate reactive, sensitive skin.

• Calming, soothing + non-irritating.

To purchase the 27 mL size, click here.

To purchase the 68 mL size, click here.

Naturopathica

I've been a big fan of Naturopathica for decades. It was one of the first clean brands that I learned about. Below are my Top 6 favorite

products by the brand:

Aloe Cleansing Gel - click here

Plant Cell Booster Serum - click here

Oat Cleansing Facial Polish - click here

Carrot Seed Soothing Facial Oil - click here

Vitamin K Brightening Eye Complex - click here

Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream - click here

Finding A Biological DENTIST and Safely Replacing Your Mercury Fillings

Back in the day, many people got mercury fillings, including myself. I asked my parents why we did it and at the time, they didn't know about the dangers of mercury fillings. A few years ago I had 2 of the 4 mercury fillings I have replaced. Some biological dentists will accept some forms of insurance or you can even look into getting Care Credit . At the time, I was living in Florida and I had the very kind and very well educated Dr. Castellini at Medplex Dental, Holistic Dentistry safely remove my mercury fillings. I cannot recommend him enough if you live in the area or even book him during a trip. He's that good! As soon as I am comfortable post Covid, I will be going to get the rest of my mercury fillings replaced.

Anyone looking to replace fillings should better educate themselves about the process. You first need to find a biological mercury "safe" dentist, very much different from a mercury free dentist. Then a chelating program should be done. Also, for women looking to get pregnant and breastfeed should not be tampering with mercury fillings as it can leach into the breast milk and to the fetus.

To find a biological dentist in your area, visit the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology website here .

This is a very sensitive subject as mercury moves in the body and destroys everything that it is exposed to in its path. (Source: @simpleorganix)

The Dangers of Mercury Fillings:

Did you know all silver fillings (also called amalgam fillings) contain about 50% mercury? Did you also know mercury is a highly toxic element? In fact, there is no known safe level of mercury exposure.

Here in the United States, silver fillings are incredibly commonplace and have been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. Yet time and time again, research shows that silver dental fillings expose you to the harmful effects of mercury.

What is Mercury? Mercury is a naturally-occurring chemical element that exists in two main forms: methylmercury and elemental mercury.

Methylmercury is mercury combined with carbon. Though this toxic form of mercury is invisible to the naked eye, it’s commonly found throughout the environment. For example, it’s in water, soil, plants, and animals– particularly fish. It’s also common in many household items such as fluorescent lights, batteries, and latex paint.

Elemental mercury is when it has not yet reacted with another substance. Elemental mercury looks like a silvery metal liquid material. This form of mercury will evaporate into a toxic vapor when heated. Elemental mercury is common throughout our lives in items such as thermometers and barometers and also in – you guessed it – silver fillings.

What Are Silver Fillings?

Although the name implies that the filling is made out of silver, in reality it only has about 32% of this material. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the majority of a silver filling (50%) is actually mercury. Your filling also has trace amounts of tin, copper, and zinc.

When mixed together, these components create a hard and durable material called amalgam. This dental amalgam is filled into decaying teeth (often those with cavities) to help strengthen them and prevent their removal.

Why is Mercury Used in Fillings? Mercury has been used in fillings since the 19th century, but has faced controversy since the beginning. Shortly after the invention of amalgam, numerous harmful effects were widely reported. Mercury poisoning became a top concern and many dentists vowed to stop using the material. However, the majority of dentists throughout the US continued to use amalgam fillings because they were much cheaper, faster, and easier to place than traditional gold materials.

Flash forward to today and amalgam fillings have been placed in the mouths of over 100 million Americans. Meanwhile, countries like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have banned or restricted the use of amalgam fillings due to its proven toxic and poisonous effects.

Despite numerous studies and evidence, the American Dental Association continues to highlight dental amalgam as a safe, affordable, and durable material. Even so, this viewpoint has not gone without criticism from other organizations, including the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT).

In one report, the organization stated: “The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology vehemently disputes recent allegations made by the American Dental Association (ADA) that there is no scientific evidence validating the harmful health effects of dental mercury fillings. The ADA continues to support its self-serving view by denying that mercury fillings are dangerous. Clearly, public health is not an ADA priority.”

How Mercury Fillings Poison Your Body

If you have a silver filling, every time you chew a small amount of mercury from your filling (about 2-20 micrograms a day) is released into your body. Chewing gum is especially problematic as it releases an even greater amount of mercury into your system. An increase in temperature in your mouth, for instance when you drink hot coffee or tea, will also encourages the release of mercury vapors in your mouth.

The effects of mercury-laden fillings are scary. These fillings are one of the top contributing causes to mercury poisoning. This can cause a wide range of problems, including tremors, insomnia, headaches, nerve damage, kidney problems, and respiratory failure. In one recent study by the University of Washington, researchers found that the low-level release of mercury toxins into the body from a dental tooth filling can lead to long-term brain damage.

It’s important to note that pregnant women and those who plan to get pregnant are especially at risk. This is due to mercury exposure being proven to have a devastating impact on the health of unborn fetuses and children.

What to Do if You Have a Silver Filling. Mercury is poisonous to your body and it definitely should not be in your mouth. The longer you have silver fillings in your mouth, the more mercury you likely have in your body and the more it will affect your health. Although it will be difficult to remove the mercury already in your system, you can prevent it from continuing to build.

Your best option is to remove your amalgam fillings as soon as you can.

Removing silver fillings and replacing them with a safe, non-toxic material is a common dental procedure. Always make sure you have this painless procedure completed by an experienced holistic dentist who understands how to safely and effectively remove amalgam fillings.

Source: Green Dentistry

I will be doing more follow up posts in regards to oral health, so be sure to sign up to my mailing list so you know when a new blog post drops!