Can you guess the 8 spices on the plate?

I’ll give you a not-so-helpful hint: you likely already have ALL of these spices in your pantry

Ok here it is…

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX INGREDIENTS:

To make this homemade taco seasoning recipe, you will need the following spices:

• Chili powder: American-style chili powder, which includes a mix of other spices.  (For my International readers, American chili powder, it is fairly mild and is not cayenne pepper. ♡)
• Ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and dried oregano
• Smoked Paprika: I prefer to use smoked paprika, but you could also use standard or sweet paprika if you prefer.
• Salt and black pepper: For this recipe, I used pink Himalayan salt and course ground black pepper.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: Add a bit of heat.  For a milder taco seasoning, you can leave these out.  If you don’t have crushed red pepper flakes on hand, you could also sub in a pinch of cayenne.

How to Make It

1. Combine the ingredients.  Combine everything together in a small jar, cover and shake until evenly combined.
2. Store. Your batch of homemade taco seasoning mix should last you about a year!

More recipes from That Green Lyfe’s Kitchen:

How To Make Sea Moss Gel | No Heat Required

How To Make Fruit Infused Sea Moss Gel + FAQ

Damn Good Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

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Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe

This is a super reliable, all out good taco seasoning mix recipe. Double or triple the batch. Make it over and over again. You'll be pleased to always have some on hand. Use it for popcorn, tacos (of course), burritos, corn on the cob, salads, dressings, refried beans, and more!

Course Condiments, How-To

Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword pantry staples, salad topper, spices, taco mix, taco mix recipe, taco seasoning mix

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 3 minutes

Equipment

• Air-tight container (mason jar or BPA-free plastic container)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon oregano

Instructions

• Combine all spices together in a small jar, cover and shake (or stir) until evenly combined.
• Use immediately or cover and store for up to one year.

The post Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe | DIY appeared first on That Green Lyfe.

Once you have the proper gel to fruit ratio, the possibilities of flavor combinations are endless!

Many recipes call for half of an ounce of dry sea moss per 16 oz jar. This isn’t necessarily “wrong” or “incorrect”; it’s more about preference. I like my sea moss on thicker side, so, I add a FULL ounce of dry sea moss per 16 ounce jar of fruit infused sea moss gel. One FULL ounce of dry sea moss per 16 oz jar of gel also equals more sea moss benefits in each tablespoon serving when compared to using only a half of an ounce of dry sea moss. YES!

When sea moss is soaked in water, it expands to 2-3 times its size.

Make Fruit Infused Sea Moss Gel

To make fruit infused sea moss gel, you would add in your choice of fruit to the blender, then blend until smooth and creamy. Depending on your taste preference and ripeness of fruit, you may or may not need to add any sweetener such as agave nectar, honey, or stevia.

Note: If choosing a banana for your fruit (or one of your fruits), gel discoloration may happen after three to four days. I recently experimented with a banana mango fruit combo; While still tasty, my sea moss gel went from bright yellowish-orange to a lighter brown. Not. Cute. At. All. So yeah, no banana unless you plan to consume it within a couple of days.

Here are some Fruit Infused Sea Moss Gel Flavor Ideas:

FAQ

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How to Make Fruit Infused Sea Moss Gel + FAQ

You'll want to pinch yourself when you realize how easy it is to make fruit infused sea moss gel. Why continue to buy it? Save your money and start making your own.

Course How-To

Cuisine American, Caribbean

Keyword fruit infused sea moss, fruity sea moss, helpful how-to, sea moss gel, sea moss gel recipe, sea moss recipes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Soaking time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Servings 16 ounces (approx)

Equipment

• High Speed Blender
• Mason jar or air-tight container

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Dry Sea Moss
• 3/4 cup Spring water for blending
• 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit of choice organic if possible
• 1-2 teaspoons agave nectar optional

Instructions

• Thoroughly rinse and clean dry sea moss. When fresh out of the package, sea moss can have lots of sand, salt and dirt on it. You want to assure you rinse several times–thoroughly.
• Soak sea moss in water at room temperature for at least 5 hours or overnight. Be sure to soak in a large enough container as it can expand to 2-3 times its size. (No need to soak in refrigerator)
• After soaking, rinse one more time (if necessary). Drain and add rinsed sea moss to the blender along with 3/4 cup of spring water, fruit, and agave nectar (optional). Blend until desired texture is reached.

  Note: If using frozen fruit, allow fruit to thaw before adding it to the blender.
• Store in a sterile mason jar or other air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month (or freeze for up to 6 months).
• Note: Freshly prepared sea moss gel takes about 2 hours to thicken/set in the refrigerator.
• Scoop it right out of the jar and consume on its own or add 2 tablespoons to applesauce or smoothies.

Notes

BUY WILD-CRAFTED SEA MOSS KIT

Free Shipping in the United States!

The post How to Make Fruit Infused Sea Moss Gel + FAQs appeared first on That Green Lyfe.

Apple Cider Vinegar is amazing! It contains over 90 different healthy substances like lots of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, calcium, B vitamins and even bioflavonoids.

Apple Cider Vinegar Contains Potassium

Potassium is one of the most important minerals because it promotes cell growth and replaces dead cells. It keeps fluid in our cells. Bacteria need moisture to live, so they practically suck the fluids from our cells, especially when we are stressed because when the body is stressed, resistance (immunity) is low. That is one of the reasons small problems can turn into full blown illness and disease. When there’s enough potassium in our cells, it will draw moisture from the harmful bacteria instead of the harmful bacteria taking moisture from us.

Ok soooo where do we get potassium from? Fresh fruits and vegetables, berries, sprouts, leaves, roots AND…take a wild guess…APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!

Assists in Weight Loss

The part that many of you will want to hear is that apple cider vinegar helps to burn fat AND it cleans a fatty liver (which many people have) with its main ingredient, acetic acid. Acid is also needed to absorb protein, minerals, calcium, iron, B vitamins and pretty much all of out nutrients.

To help lose weight, take apple cider vinegar before each meal (like 2 teaspoons in half a glass of water) because it stimulates the thyroid and helps stomach acid.

Or, try my Hot Morning Elixir–it contains ACV, lemon, and a few other ingredients. It’s great because it’s one of the 9 drinks that are OKAY to have while fasting.

Helps to Lower Blood Sugar

Research performed at Tokyo University in Japan, discovered that the acetic acid found in vinegars inhibits the activity of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, including sucrase, maltase, lactase and amylase. This inhibition results in select sugars and starches passing through the digestive system without being digested, having less impact on blood sugar levels.

Researchers at Arizona State University surveyed people afflicted with type 2 diabetes. They found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (diluted with water) right before bed lowered the blood sugar levels by 4 to 6 percent by the next morning.

Another study led by Dr. Johnston at ASU gave subjects, some with insulin resistance and some without, 20 grams of apple cider vinegar and 40 grams of water. Results showed that the after-meal blood sugar levels of the subjects with insulin resistance was 34 percent lower when they drank apple cider vinegar. Though not eating meat and dairy anymore and cutting out refined carbs and sugars would help with insulin resistance, apple cider vinegar serves as a natural health assistant for people who need a little extra help cleaning up their bodies.

Gets Rid of “Stinky Scalp”

Apple cider vinegar is loaded with natural probiotics making it antibacterial and anti-inflammatory in nature. Using it can kill bacteria and sooth irritated or inflamed scalp. It’s also quite acidic meaning it can help restore the moisture to your scalp and maintain the pH balance without removing your natural oils.

As for your hair strands, apple cider vinegar, with its acidic base, mantle and close hair cuticles. Flatter cuticles not only means smoother, softer hair but also shinier hair.

I love to use ACV and water as a scalp rinse in between washes–especially when I wear my hair in twists or braids. I mean, who needs shampoo and conditioner when you have this!?

Here’s what I do:

First of all, dumping apple cider vinegar straight from the bottle onto your hair will cause damage, so please don’t do it. The key is to dilute it with water—usually one part apple cider vinegar with about 5 parts water. I mean, there are really no hard core rules about the ratio–Every recipe is different. Just in the large plastic cup and fill one-fifth of it with ACV, then fill up the rest of the cup with water.

After shampooing, I tip my head back and slowly drizzle it over my scalp (keeping my eyes and mouth closed), raking through my roots as I pour.  I let it sit for about 30 seconds to a minute, then rinse it out and follow with conditioner. Yes, your shower and hair may end up smelling like salad dressing for a bit, but they’ll both fade by the time your hair dries.

(Note: If I’m in between washes, I skip the “shampoo” step)

How often should you ACV on your hair?

Once a week is usually a good rule of thumb. Even diluted, it’s still vinegar, which means it’s not exactly the most moisturizing, hair-coddling ingredient in the world. You can also play with the ratios—if you don’t notice a difference after a few rinses, try increasing the ACV levels a tiny bit.  

The above points are not an exhaustive list of acv benefits; There are tons of other noteworthy wonders. Want to read all about them? I recommend this book. Take apple cider vinegar with water or make salad dressings with it. Drizzle it over your food. Put a spoonful in your smoothies. However you choose to incorporate ACV into your diet, just try not to drink it straight as undiluted vinegar can weaken tooth enamel and consequently lead to sensitivity, decay and cavities. Pro-tip: Drink any beverage containing ACV through a straw so that it bypasses your teeth.

In conclusion, your mission–should you choose to accept–is to add more apple cider vinegar to your life. Your body will thank you!

Please note: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. They help to offset the fees to keep That Green Lyfe up and running. I thank you in advance for your purchase(s).

The post 4 Wonders of Apple Cider Vinegar appeared first on That Green Lyfe.

When money is tight, no need to deprive yourself of the good things that sports drinks have to offer! A well designed sports drink (i.e, the recipes below) can provide an important mix of fluid, fast digesting carbs, and electrolytes to help keep you going. These recipes make enough to fill a 24 ounce (3-cup) water bottle, so double or triple the recipe if you’d like to fill multiple bottles.

These sports drink recipes are designed to have no more that 5% carbohydrate concentration (5 grams/100ml) to help maximize stomach emptying and intestinal absorption by being hypotonic–at a slightly lower carb content than your body fluid to encourage your cells to absorb the liquid faster than they do plain water or drinks with a higher carb percentage.

The combination of glucose and fructose in these sports drink recipes also help promote absorption for better performance and less chance of an unhappy gut! These recipes supply about 145mg of sodium per cup–more than most commercial sports drinks but still on the lower end of concentration in lost sweat. This is to take into account extra sodium you may obtain from other fuel sources during exercise. Tip: Assess your situation–you can always add a pinch or two of extra salt.

The Benefits of Sipping Cold Fluid During Exercise

Studies have that sipping cold fluids during endurance exercise can improve performance, likely by helping to lower your core temperature. So, when temps, are roaring, make an extra batch of sports drink and freeze it as ice cubes. Then plop a few of the ice cubes into your bottle with the sports drink. You’re welcome!

Write a comment below after you try any of these sports drink recipes to let me and others know how they turned out for you!

Want a post-workout smoothie recipe? Try my Blueberry Pie Post-Workout Smoothie! It’s perfect to drink after a heavy weight lifting session.

The post Legit Sports Drink Recipes You Have to Try appeared first on That Green Lyfe.

You may have heard of using vinegar to soften fabrics. I find that it leaves clothes softer than the typical heavily scented fabric softener. It has become a staple to my laundry day along with baking soda.

But what if you don’t have any vinegar? Simple answer is SALT…plain old Kosher Salt!

What’s special about salt? Not only does salt help to loosen the fiber in fabrics, it can also be used as a stain remover, reduce yellowing in white clothing, and to help maintain bright colors.

For the purpose of softening fabrics, I used it as a 10 minute salt soak during the “rinse cycle” of my manual clothes washing process.

(By the way, here’s a peek at how I wash my clothes WITHOUT the use of a washing machine)

I absolutely adore the smell of lavender and vanilla together so I couldn’t resist having a lavender vanilla scented fabric softener.

Don’t like Lavender Vanilla? Feel free to use your own combination of oils to create the scent you desire!

Let’s get started!

(If you make a purchase through any of links in the above, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

The post How to Make Lavender Vanilla Fabric Softener (16 loads) appeared first on That Green Lyfe.