COLD AND SINUS RELIEF BATH BOMBS

COLD AND SINUS RELIEF BATH BOMBS

To make these bath bombs, you will need…

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1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup citric acid

Here is a great deal on a bundle with baking soda and citric acid together!

1/2 cup corn starch

3 Tbsp. Epsom salt

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Witch hazel and a spray bottle for it to go in

Peppermint essential oil

Eucalyptus essential oil

Green food coloring

Bath bomb molds or Christmas ornament balls

First, add all of your dry ingredients (baking soda, citric acid, corn starch, and Epsom salt) into a bowl and mix them together. Put coconut oil in the mixture and mix together by squishing it with your fingers. Do this until there aren’t any big clumps of coconut oil in the mixture

Put half of the mixture into a different bowl. Add peppermint essential oil to one bowl and eucalyptus essential oil to the other bowl. Don’t put too much of the oil in because both of these oils are pretty strong. If you are using an oil that isn’t 100% pure and is more of a fragrance oil, you can use about 10-15 drops of each oil. If your oil is pure oil, I would cut that amount in half. In the mixture that the eucalyptus is in, add green food coloring. I used about 7-10 drops. Make sure to quickly mix the food coloring into your mixture or else it will start reacting to the moisture.

Spray about 4 sprays of witch hazel into your mixture at a time. Spray and then mix it up and spray more, until your mixture is the right consistency. You want it to be slightly damp, but not wet. Damp enough that it will stick together when you grab a handful of it, but you don’t want it to be as wet as sand when you are building a sand castle. Only spray about 4 sprays of the witch hazel at a time, or your mixture will start reacting to it.

First, add all of your dry ingredients (baking soda, citric acid, corn starch, and Epsom salt) into a bowl and mix them together. Put coconut oil in the mixture and mix together by squishing it with your fingers. Do this until there aren’t any big clumps of coconut oil in the mixture.

Put half of the mixture into a different bowl. Add peppermint essential oil to one bowl and eucalyptus essential oil to the other bowl. Don’t put too much of the oil in because both of these oils are pretty strong. If you are using an oil that isn’t 100% pure and is more of a fragrance oil, you can use about 10-15 drops of each oil. If your oil is pure oil, I would cut that amount in half. In the mixture that the eucalyptus is in, add green food coloring. I used about 7-10 drops. Make sure to quickly mix the food coloring into your mixture or else it will start reacting to the moisture.

Spray about 4 sprays of witch hazel into your mixture at a time. Spray and then mix it up and spray more, until your mixture is the right consistency. You want it to be slightly damp, but not wet. Damp enough that it will stick together when you grab a handful of it, but you don’t want it to be as wet as sand when you are building a sand castle. Only spray about 4 sprays of the witch hazel at a time, or your mixture will start reacting to it.

Take turns layering the different mixtures into the bath bomb molds. This creates the fun stripe design on them! Of course this is totally optional, but it makes you feel a little fancier to do it this way. You could also fill up half of the bath bomb mold with one color and the other half with the other color and get the same effect, just not quite as fancy. Once your molds are full, put them in the freezer for about an hour. Carefully take the bombs out of the molds. You can use them right away, but if you are planning on packaging them up to give away let them dry for a few more hours.

I think that making these monthly themed bath bombs and packaging them all up together would make such a fun Christmas gift! You would be able to give someone a fun bath they can indulge in each month for a full year!

Be sure to check back next month for another fun bath bomb recipe!

Here are the bath bomb recipes shared so far this year…

Source:  https://www.girllovesglam.com/how-to-make-bath-bombs-for-colds-and-sinus-relief/

Creamy Potato Soup

(16)

This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and onions.  It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...because it's just that delicious.

prep time 15 minutes

total time 40 minutes

serves 5 people

Ingredients

cost per recipe: $3.84

• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
  
• 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth or Swanson® Certified Organic Chicken Broth or Swanson® Natural Goodness® Chicken Broth
  
• 3 medium potato, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
  
• 1 1/2 cups milk
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  

view nutrition info

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender.

Step 2

Stir the broth and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Step 3

Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through. Season to taste.  Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas

Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas

Black beans, corn, cilantro, cheese, and plenty of spices make these vegetarian black bean quesadillas big on flavor and surprisingly filling.

4.69 from 116 votes

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Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can black beans** $0.56
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels $0.48
• 1/2 small red onion $0.44
• 1 clove garlic $0.08
• 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro $0.21
• 2 cups shredded cheese $2.50
• 1 batch taco seasoning $0.34
• 10 taco sized tortillas $2.00
•  

• Instructions

  1. Drain the can of beans and rinse lightly. Place the beans in a large bowl along with the corn (no need to thaw).
  2. Rinse the cilantro, remove the leaves, and chop roughly. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the cilantro, onion, garlic, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the beans and corn. Lastly, mix up a batch of taco seasoning and add to the bowl. Stir everything until evenly mixed.
  3. Place a half cup of the filling on one side of each tortilla and fold over. Cook in a skillet on both sides over medium heat until brown and crispy and the cheesy filling has melted.
  4. To freeze the quesadillas, simply fill each one and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for one hour to solidify the quesadillas and then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat either microwave (for a soft quesadilla) or cook in a skillet on low heat (make sure to use low heat so that the filling has time to thaw and melt before the outside burns).
   

20-Minute Chicken Parmesan Soup

Twenty minutes TOTAL for this delicious, healthy, and easy chicken parmesan soup to be on your table! This is a soup the entire family will go nuts over!

Ingredients

• 2 cups rotini pasta uncooked
• 1/2 of 1 small yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) Italian diced tomatoes
• 3 cups Swanson® Organic Free-Range Chicken Stock
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups rotisserie chicken* shredded
• freshly shaved Parmesan cheese or grated
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped

Instructions

1. Follow package directions to cook the rotini pasta to al dente. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, dice the onion and mince the garlic.
3. Place a large pot on the stovetop and turn to medium high heat. Add in the oil and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until tender. Add in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
4. Add in the tomato paste, undrained diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and seasonings (parsley, Italian seasoning, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to taste (I do about 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt).
5. Mix and heat through and then bring to a simmer over medium heat.
6. Stir in the prepared rotisserie chicken and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference (salt and pepper here again if desired and/or feel free to increase any amountthose seasonings).
   7. Serve soup with a generous spoonful of the pasta mixed in, freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh bas
   (I like to keep the pasta separate as opposed to mixing it all in the soup in case of leftovers so it doesn't get soggy. If you plan on eating all the soup in one day, mix all the pasta in when you add in the chicken.)
   
   

   Recipe Notes

   *Use part of a leftover rotisserie chicken OR buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken (this is what I do in this soup which makes it even quicker)