Tropical Traditions: Natural foods, handmade soap, fair trade chocolate, and many more healthy options.

Sorry for the ridiculously long title, but I assure you it was necessary. I have been buying products for Tropical Traditions for over six months now. Their gold label coconut oil is divine! I have also tried their Coconut soap. It has worked wonders for my hair, (It lathers really well!) The best part, there are no chemicals, fragrances, or sulfates. Their Chocolate is Delicious, you can eat it up and even bake with it. They have a good selection of flavors. This website has everything for someone who has decided to eat better and live without the junk we put into our bodies. We shouldn't obsess over ourselves, but we should take care of the body that God gave us. We can start by eating better and using natural products. I would recommend this website to anyone who's ready for a change (and loves dark Chocolate.)

This will be my last post, but I am passing the torch to my sister who is just getting into blogging. She has been eating right and using natural products for about as long as I have. Hopefully she'll be much better at keeping up with posting.
  Well, thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in this blog. I hope that you have at least learned something that has helped you.

Many blessing and prayers!

-Anastasia

Gluten free Pizza recipe.

This recipe is so much easier than a regular pizza recipe. It takes about a fourth of the time to make.
Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:                             Makes: about 1 large pizza (8 servings)
2 cups almonds, walnuts, or pecans
3-4 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried basil (or use Italian seasoning)
1/2 cup of your favorite kind of cheese (I used white sharp cheddar)
two big hand fulls of spinach

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put all your ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until the mixture feels like dough (you might have to use a spatula to scrape the mixture closer to the blades, because it tends to stick to the sides.) Once your mixture is dough-like, take your pizza pan, and using your hands spread the dough evenly on the pan (if your using a non stick pan there's no need to grease). Bake in the oven for 10-12 minuets, Then take it out, and add your sauce and favorite toppings. bake it for 10 more minuets (to melt the cheeze) and Enjoy! 

Here are all the ingredients in the food processor.

Spread the dough evenly.

Here's the crust before you bake it.

I like Sausage, mushrooms, and pineapples on my pizza.

Gluten free Snickerdoodle recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

Sugar coating:
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

The first thing you need to do is cream the butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, then add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients (If you don't have any oat flour on hand, you can grind quick oats in a food processor.) Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir well. Refrigerate the dough for an hour (or up to 2 days). When your ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Get a small bowl and make the sugar coating. Roll your cookies into 1 inch balls, coat them in the sugar coating, and set them on a baking sheet 2 inches apart (don't press them down.) Bake in the oven for 8-10 minuets, take them out and let them set on the baking sheet for one minuet, and then remove them from the pan and onto wax paper. Let them cool, and enjoy!

Gluten free Banana bread recipe.

My parents, my sister, and I have been on a gluten free diet for a few months now (we have an intolerance to wheat). 

My Dad and I developed this Banana bread recipe the other day, when we notice we had a lot of ripe bananas. This recipe is pretty easy and super delicious. I recommend this to anyone even if they aren't allergic to wheat. 

Ingredients:                            Makes 1 large loaf or 3 small loaves

1 cup Rice flour

1 cup Oat flour (we made some by grinding quick oats in a food processor)

2 tsp. Xanthan gum

1 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

3 Bananas, Peeled and mashed

4 tbsp. softened Butter

3 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 cup white Sugar

1/4 cup brown Sugar

Directions: Set your oven to 350degrees F. In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients (except sugars). Mix the wet ingredients (in order as listed) in a medium bowl. Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Grease your pan/pans and pour the mixture into them 3/4 of the way. Bake them in the oven for 40-50 minuets. When the bread has finished baking, set on a cooling rack. 

Here is the finished product. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Much love, 

-Anastasia.

Tea.

I love tea! In this post I want to tell you about some of my favorite kinds of tea.

1. Celestial Seasonings: Honey Vanilla Chamomile.

I love this this tea mostly for its flavor, but also because it's 100% natural.
I believe you can get this at your local Walmart or Hy-vee.

2. Celestial Seasonings: Mandarin Orange spice.

This tea is absolutly delicious! All Celestial Seasonings tea is natural, and they have a huge selection.
You can find most of their tea at your local Walmart of Hy-vee, Or check our their website.

3. Celestial Seasonings: Echinacea Complete care.

I love this one, because it not only tastes good, but it also helps you get over a cold faster.
I would recommend keeping a box of this in your house at all times (just in case).

4. Vanilla Chai tea.

If your looking for a tea that is tasty and you can share with guests or enjoy yourself, This is that tea.
I love the vanilla flavor in this, and how delicious it is when you add milk or cream. You can get this at Walmart.

Those are the kinds of tea I have tried and really enjoy.
If you know of any tea that I should give a try, Comment below and tell me.
Thanks for reading!

-Anastasia.

Castile soap.

Okay, so I'm totally loving the "Dr. Bronners Peppermint Castile soap" I got at target. I've mostly been using it to brush my teeth, but I have also used it to wash my hair. It didn't work very well the first time I used it, but that was because I also used Coconut oil to condition, and I used too much. I haven't really used it on my hair since then.

Another Castile soap I'm excited to try is "Kirk's Original Coco Castile soap"

I got a great deal on Drugstore.com, 2 bars for $1.38. I've heard great things about it, and how nice it makes your skin feel. I've even heard it works better then Dove. So I'm excited to try it, and hopefully recommend it for you (if its good.)

Both of these products are made with pure natural ingredients. 

-Anastasia.

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