BLACK FRIDAY 🔥 UP TO 55% OFF SITEWIDE. No coupon needed. Price as marked.

BLACK FRIDAY 🔥 UP TO 55% OFF SITEWIDE. No coupon needed. Price as marked.

THE LOOP
Danielle

Chai Tea

Hey everyone!  If you have never created your own tea mixes before, here is an easy Chai Tea recipe to get you started.  Here are the ingredients you will need:

  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into thin rounds
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 6 cups cold water
  • 6 bags of black tea (preferably Darjeeling)
  • 2 cups milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup golden brown sugar

And here are your super easy instructions:

  • Combine first 5 ingredients in medium saucepan. Using mallet or back of large spoon, lightly crush or bruise spices. Add 6 cups water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and simmer gently 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to simmer over high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Strain chai into teapot and serve hot.

Star

Vegan Cheese? Say Whaaaaat?!

With my oldest being lactose intolerant, we are constantly thinking of ways to incorporate dairy-free alternatives into our diets without adding a bunch of processed ingredients. Recently we discovered a way to make Vegan Nacho Cheese and oh my goodness...is it amazing! So amazing in fact I thought I'd share the recipe below.
Vegan Nacho Cheese
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 2 large carrots
- 1 cup soaked raw cashews (soaked overnight or in boiling water for an hour)
- 4 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- drizzle of olive oil
- juice from half a lemon
- 1 tsp each of salt, paprika, chili powder (but of course, taste it and adjust to your liking)
- 5 tbsp nutritional yeast
- some water (from the boiled veggies)
Directions:
-Boil potatoes and carrots until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
-Combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth- adding water from boiled veggies, little by little, until you reach the desired consistency. It should be smooth and semi-liquid.
-Pour mixture into a large pan over medium-heat and begin stirring. You'll want to stir continuously until you notice the 'sauce' thicken and get sticky. The last step should take about 10 minutes.
-Serve and enjoy! :D
<3 Star
Lauren

House Plant Appreciation Day

Yes - House Plant Appreciation Day is a thing!

Houseplant Appreciation Day was established by The Gardener’s Network, establishing an official opportunity to remind people of the benefits of houseplants. Plants have been shown to be very therapeutic, have added health benefits, and a splash of green here and there is sure to brighten up any home.

 

If you don't already have an indoor plant sanctuary of your own, today is a great day to start. Some great house plants for beginners are:

 

  1. Aloe Vera - it's naturally a desert plant so it requires little maintenance. It prefers an environment where you don't have to water it too often, plus it's nice to have on hand for healing and moisturizing the skin.
  2. Small herbs - not only will they brighten up your kitchen, but you'll also unlock your inner chef with fresh ingredients on hand. These may take a little more work, but the delicious rewards are worth it!
  3. Spider Plant - I swear these have nothing to do with spiders... These plants add visual interest to any room with it's long, spiky leaves. They come in a number of varieties and look great as hanging plants.

With the gloomier weather during this time of the year, now is the perfect time to bring the outdoors in this winter!