Tag Archives: handmade

  1. Homemade Chai Concentrate {+ Video}

    Making your own Chai Concentrate at home means you can make this warming spiced tea to suit your exact personal tastes and it’s far easier than you might think. Make sweetened or unsweetened and adjust the spices to your personal taste. Use any milk or non-dairy substitute you like and serve it hot or over ice.

    Homemade Chai Concentrate Recipe {sweetened and unsweetened}

    Homemade Chai Concentrate Recipe {sweetened and unsweetened}

    Homemade Chai Concentrate. This recipe is nearly 7 years old, at this point, and it’s still a major favorite of mine. It’s so so easy to make and you can customize your own recipe to exactly what you are looking for in your chai. I like mine spicy, with a strong tea flavor and with a subtle sweetness, if any at all. I personally find the packaged chai concentrates from the grocery store and at most coffee shops to really lack that nice spiced flavor I love and many times they are just far too sweet for me. Most are loaded with preservatives and other less than desirable ingredients. Why though?

    Chai is one of my favorite, comforting drinks to cozy up with, especially in the colder months. Plus, with the holidays upon us, it’s important to note that this is the perfect thoughtful handmade gift to bottle up and give to your chai-loving friends. Package with a cute label (FREE download included below for my printable labels you can easily customize) or label and enjoy the smiles and praise.

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  2. 15 Homemade Holiday Gifts

    15 Homemade Holiday Gifts

    15 Homemade Holiday Gifts

    With the holiday closing in on us, I am sure many of you are doing the last minute gift scramble so prevalent in these final days before Christmas. Rather than throwing money at the wall and going with whatever it sticks to, instead of just grabbing another gift card from the big box stores, why not get creative and craft up some beautiful, thoughtful homemade gifts this year?

    Drop the cottonball snowmen, leave the popsicle sticks in the popsicles and leave the salt dough for the kids. Finally put away, I repeat, put away the glitter. Spread the holiday cheer with some of my favorite sweet (but sometimes savory) and simple handmade holiday gifts.

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  3. Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar {Gluten-free, Paleo + Vegan}

    Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix {Paleo + Vegan}

    Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix {Paleo + Vegan}

    With the holiday just a week away, I am sure, if you are like me, you still have a handful of last minute gifts to take care of. I always promise myself I won’t leave anything until till the last minute, and yet here I am, one week out with a few final gifts left to get. Thankfully, I have always loved the idea of handmade gifts, the personal touch and the thoughtfulness and these gifts can be made right up until the last moments before the actual holiday. Enter my Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar!! Because cookies are always a great idea, especially when someone else does half the work for you. If you get lucky, whoever you gift this mix to, they’ll have you over for dessert, when they bake them.

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  4. How-to Make Chia Seed Pudding {Paleo, Keto, Vegan}

    Tutorial Tuesdays // Tasty Yummies

    How-to Make Chia Seed Pudding

    I have been a long time fan of chia seed pudding and it’s become a simple dish that I recommend often as an egg-free, dairy-free snack, breakfast or dessert option to my nutritional clients, especially those I recommend blood sugar control diets or sugar detoxes to. Without sweetener (or sweetened very lightly) chia pudding can be a great, nutrient-dense alternative to the more standard grain and carb-forward breakfasts. It’s loaded with omega-3 essential fatty acids, fiber, protein, and various micronutrients and chia seeds are also high in calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

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  5. 10 Homemade Holiday Gifts

    10 Homemade

    10 Homemade Holiday Gifts

    With the holiday closing in on us, I am sure many of you are doing the last minute gift scramble so prevalent in these final days before Christmas. Rather than throwing money at the wall and going with whatever it sticks to, instead of just grabbing another gift card from the big box stores, why not get creative and craft up some beautiful, thoughtful homemade gifts this year?

    Drop the cottonball snowmen, leave the popsicle sticks in the popsicles and leave the salt dough for the kids. Finally put away, I repeat, put away the glitter. Spread the holiday cheer with some of my favorite sweet (but sometimes savory) and simple handmade holiday gifts.

    Read the rest of this entry »

  6. How-to Make a Mulled Wine Kit

    Tutorial Tuesdays // Tasty YummiesHow-to Make a Mulled Wine Kit

    How-to Make a Mulled Wine Kit

    For all of you last minute Christmas elves, this simple-but-sweet tutorial on How-to Make a Mulled Wine Kit is great for the wine lover on your list and it also makes a wonderful, thoughtful gift for any hostesses/hosts of holiday parties and other celebrations this season.

    You can easily grab what you need from your pantry and the local grocer and pull this together in minutes. You can even skip the wine and the alcohol all together and send this along with a quart of local apple cider for a mulled cider option.

    How-to Make a Mulled Wine Kit

    Mulled wine is such a comforting and festive drink this time of year or really anytime from the fall through the winter. It’s easy to make and this kit makes it even easier. Besides the simple recipe for the mulling spices and the instructions on the different ways you can package your gift, I even created printable tags and instructions for the gift recipient, for you to include in your kit. So, literally all you have to do is pull your ingredients together, hit “print”, fill your name in and your gift is done! Simple as that. Grab a cute box or wooden crate, or a beautiful gift bag, some cute ribbon or twine and voila, a thoughtful, handmade edible gift!

    How-to Make a Mulled Wine Kit Read the rest of this entry »

  7. How-to Make Chocolate Bark

    Tutorial Tuesdays // Tasty YummiesHo-to Make Chocolate Bark

    Homemade holiday gifts are one of my very favorite things. I love thoughtful, personalized gifts that are truly made with love! Homemade chocolate bark is probably one of my most favorite edible homemade gifts to make. Whether it’s a gift for a hostess of a holiday party or your dish to share, homemade chocolate bark is super simple to make and you can customize it to no end.

    Ho-to Make Chocolate Bark

    The possibilities for flavors and toppings is endless and you can really create something super special for whoever will receive it. It is super easy to make your chocolate bark allergen friendly, too. Easy to make gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, soy-free and so on. You can add dried fruit, nuts, seeds, your favorite cookies or candy, dried botanicals, spices or herbs. Some of my personal favorite flavor combos include sea salt or smoked sea salt. I also love a sprinkle of cinnamon, chili powder or cayenne to bring a little heat. Gluten-free pretzels or mini peanut butter cups are both amazing and fun toppings. The list could go on and on.

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  8. How-to Make Cauliflower Rice

    How-to Make Cauliflower Rice

    How to Make Cauliflower Rice - Tasty Yummies

     

    Use this simple step-by-step and learn How-to Make Cauliflower Rice! It’s super simple. Cauliflower rice is a staple around here! It’s been a favorite of ours for years now and although it cannot completely replace traditional rice in all recipes, it is truly wonderful when you are enjoying a dish that calls for a bed of rice – curries, stews, sauces and so on. Usually the rice is a nice way to have a more filling meal, to offer some texture and a way to soak up some of the extra sauce, so cauliflower rice is such a perfect substitution for these dishes and it is so incredibly easy to make. Done in about 10 minutes, or less.

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  9. Holiday Gift Guide: D.I.Y. Gifts

    Hey all!! This is the final week in my 5-part Holiday Gift Guide series. I hope you have been enjoying all of the goodies I have been sharing with you! This week it’s all about DIY, handmade gifts! Just a small selection of some of my favorite how-tos and recipes for you to create a beautiful, thoughtful gift! I hope you enjoy. To see the other gift guides from this series head over here.

    Holiday Gift Guide: D.I.Y. Gifts

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  10. Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub

    Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub

    As I mentioned in my recent post, I have switched to a brand new skin care regimen with Peacock Apothecary that is all natural, handmade to order, all of their products are free of any chemicals and preservatives and locally sourced when possible, etc. Additionally, as part of my routine I am still using my homemade apple cider ginger toner every time I wash and I added in a homemade exfoliant that I use twice a week, at the recommendation of the girls at Peacock Apothecary.

    This recipe is something I can put together very quickly and simply. I make up this small batch and keep it in the shower for the week. I have been loving how my skin feels after this gentle scrub, it is smoother than ever and I feel like my skin is as clean as it ever could be. It is super gentle and the scent is so soothing and calming.

    Here is my current skin care routine:

    Daily in the morning:
    Wash with Coconut Milk cleanser from PA,
    Tone with homemade apple cider vinegar toner
    Moisturize with citrus serum from PA

    Daily in the evening: Wash, toner, serum (same products as above)

    Twice a week I use this scrub in the evening (or morning if that works better with my schedule) and at least once a week, more if needed, I make a probiotic mask.

    Also, when using my face cleanser, twice a week, in the evening, on opposite days of when I use this face scrub, I use my Clarisonic Mia.

     

    Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub

    [print_this]Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub

    • Juice from 1/2 organic lemon
    • 1 tablespoon honey (I used local raw honey, in its liquid state)
    • 1/4 cup sea salt (I used pink Himalayan sea salt)
    • 2 teaspoons dried lavender
    • 15 drops lavender essential oil

    Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl, mix well to combine. To use: Mix the ingredients until well blended and massage on a damp face. Rinse well with warm water and finish with a splash of cold. Though the scrub’s nicest when used fresh, you can keep leftovers for up to a week or so.

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  11. Homemade Chai Concentrate – Gluten-free (Vegan + Sugar-free Options)

    Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

    Ingredients for Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

    This month for my ongoing monthly series with the Free People blog BLDG25, our theme is giftable recipes. Tasty gifts you can make and give to your loved ones, a holiday party hostess, co-workers, neighbors, etc. What better way to say “Happy Holidays” than with delicious treats, right?

    Spices for Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

    This first recipe is a classic Tasty Yummies recipe, that many of you have likely seen on here before, but it had to be shared again, as it is one of my most popular and it makes a wonderful gift. I myself have made and gifted it to quite a few chai lovers and it was very well received each time.

    Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

    The great thing about this chai concentrate as a gift, is you can either make the finished concentrate and give it in a cute vintage bottle or jar with some cute twine or ribbon and a hand made tag, or if you are worried about giving a refrigerated item, you can out together a cute cheesecloth pouch full of the spices with the tea bags and wrap it all up with twine and print the instructions for the recipient to make their own batch when they are ready.

    Head over to the Free People blog to see the full recipe and check back each week through the month of December for other giftable recipes.

    Ice Chai Latte made from Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

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