Salad_003

Bacon & Chicken Spinach Salad

by with No Comment CookingfoodRecipes

Have you ever just thrown a bunch of food together and it actually turned out amazing?! This was exactly one of those times! I love eating salad but only when it’s filled with pretty much everything besides the kitchen sink. This recipe is seriously so easy and delicious. It’s also packed with amazing nutrition and healthy ingredients!

To read more about my recipes and why I create them the way I do (without specific measurements, times, and temperatures) check out this blog post. 

Here’s what you need:

 

  • Spinach
  • Cooked and sliced chicken (we made ours in our Crockpot express – check it out here)
  • Crispy bacon
  • Chopped apples
  • Feta chunks
  • Fresh squeezed lemon
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Linseeds
  • Olive oil (we love garlic flavored olive oil because it gives it extra flavor and a kick – plus, garlic is great for your immune system)

Like all other salads, just mix it all together and ta-da! How easy is that?! 

What’s your favorite salad to make at home? Post a picture of your salads to your stories on Instagram and tag me (@its.mary.taylor) so I can see and share it to my story too!

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your creations!

If you enjoyed reading this and would like more information on home, lifestyle, advice, tips, tricks, and more, follow me on Instagram @Its.Mary.Taylor and on Facebook at Mary Taylor! I can’t wait to see you there!

 

Signing off,

Mary Taylor <3

3

DIY Eco-Friendly Products You Can Make At Home

by with No Comment ADEco-FriendlyRecipes

I’ve always been interested in living as eco-friendly as I possibly can but the last few years I have been even more committed to making it part of my lifestyle. This year we ditched single-use paper towels, tissues, baby wipes, makeup removing wipes, and so much more! We are even in the process of getting rid of liquid soaps. Love eco-friendly ideas just as much as me? You can check out my Eco-Friendly Home Swaps blog here!

This blog post contains affiliate links. I may make a small commission from purchases you make from this blog but I cannot see who purchases you what. You are NOT charged anything additional for using my links. It helps me continue to provide you with fun and interesting blog posts, shopping tips, and suggestions. Thank you for your support. 

Not only can you reduce your grocery bill and weekly spending by creating your own products at home, you can also help the planet! Did you know that more than 552 million shampoo bottles could be ending up in landfills every year?

Here are a few simple eco-friendly home recipes you can easily make from home!

Check out my Amazon list for where to buy some of the ingredients and “tools” (spray bottles, jars, etc), you’ll need to make these eco-friendly products at home!

All purpose cleaner: You’re going to be shocked at how easy this recipe is! You can read the full blog with the recipe here.

Conditioner with apple cider vinegar: Did you know that apple cider vinegar stimulates hair growth and prevents hair loss? It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. You can make your own apple cider vinegar conditioner by adding apple cider vinegar and water to a spray bottle. After shampooing, spray the apple cider vinegar mixture into your hair and wait one minute. Then, rinse it out! If you want to make it smell better, add a few drops of your favorite essential oils. Please make sure you’re using pure essential oils without synthetics – especially when applying to your skin in any way.

Dishwashing tablets: Here’s what you need:

2 cups of baking soda

2 cups of sodium percarbonate or washing soda

½ cup of citric acid

½ cup of white vinegar

20 drops of essential oil

(Optional) ½ cup of salt

Mix your dry ingredients then add your vinegar slowly. Mix well and add essential oils of choice (some great options include: lemon, peppermint, tea tree, cinnamon, and lavender). Place your mix into an ice cube container and let sit for 24 hours until hardened. Be gentle when using them as they won’t be as tough as the ones you buy from the supermarket.

Bug spray: All you need to make your own bug repellent is 30 drops of essential oils, witch hazel, water, and alcohol (rubbing alcohol or vodka)! Some good essential oils for bug spray include: lavender, lemon eucalyptus, citronella, lemongrass, peppermint, and tea tree. Find these oils on Amazon here. If you’re NZ or AUS based and would like help finding where to purchase these products, please reach out to me via Instagram. Please make sure you’re using pure essential oils without synthetics – especially when applying to your skin in any way.

Which of these were your favorite eco-friendly products that you can make at home? I plan to add even more tips and suggestions for DIY eco-friendly products so don’t forget to pin this blog post and come back later to find more ideas and inspiration.

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your creations!

If you enjoyed reading this and would like more information on home, lifestyle, advice, tips, tricks, and more, follow me on Instagram @Its.Mary.Taylor and on Facebook at Mary Taylor! I can’t wait to see you there!

Signing off,

Mary Taylor <3

Fact check me:

https://unwrappedlife.com/blogs/blog/the-case-for-plastic-free-shampoo-and-conditioner

Apple Cinnamon Roll

Apple Cinnamon Roll Bites

by with No Comment foodRecipes

One thing I miss about living in Encinitas is the local bakery and Cinnabon. I am not going to lie, Cinnabon is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. And although my homemade apple cinnamon roll, pull apart “bread” isn’t the same, it IS delicious and super easy to make (which kind of just makes it that much better, right).

This is the perfect homemade cinnamon roll recipe if you don’t have premade dough (or crescents) handy and you don’t have any yeast. You can even use this same recipe and roll out the dough, fill with apples, and place in the oven the same way but more “cinnamon roll looking.” The “pop open” premade “cans/jars” aren’t really common here so I had to find something that I could easily make with what I already had at home.

To read more about my recipes and why I create them the way I do (without specific measurements, times, and temperatures) check out this blog post. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

Print Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Roll Bites

Who doesn't love cinnamon sugar and butter with apples and buns?! Yum!

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients

  • Apples Sliced or Diced
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup Butter Cold - Cubed
  • Butter Melted
  • Brown Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Granulated sugar
  • Icing sugar
  • Milk
  • Cream cheese

Instructions

  • First, combine flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and mix it together. Sometimes I like to add in a bit of extra sugar and cinnamon to the recipe so I add it directly to the dough.
  • Then, cut in cubes of butter and add it to the bowl. Make the bits of butter as small as possible.
  • Gradually stir in milk until the dough comes together (be careful that it doesn’t get too wet and sticky - if it does, just add more flour)
  • Preheat oven (350 degrees F - if you like to know that kind of stuff) and grease your pan with butter.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  • Cut apples into thin slices. Optional: squeeze lemon juice onto the slices and mix well.
  • Now, this part is kind of up to you, I like to reduce the number of bowls I use so I do this next part in the greased pan but you can also do this in a separate bowl.
  • Melt butter (either just add extra to your existing greased pan or have a separate bowl), make small balls of dough, and roll the dough balls into the melted butter.
  • Then, roll the dough balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture until they’re well coated.
  • Line the bottom of the buttered pan with apples and/or place apples inbetween the dough balls.
  • Place the dough balls next to each other (touching) in the buttered pan.
  • Cook for 7-10 minutes or until dough is cooked all the way through.
  • While they’re cooking, make your chosen sauce!

Caramel Sauce

  • Melt butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan with a little bit of milk. Don't let the liquid get too hot for too long. Keep stirring until it slightly thickens. Remove from heat and pour on cinnamon rolls. Optional: Add cinnamon!

Easy Icing

  • Mix milk, vanilla, and icing sugar until desired consistency.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Mix cream cheese, vanilla, and icing sugar until desired taste and consistency. If you prefer it a bit thinner, add a touch of milk.

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your creations!

If you enjoyed reading this and would like more information on home, lifestyle, advice, tips, tricks, and more, follow me on Instagram @Its.Mary.Taylor and on Facebook at Mary Taylor! I can’t wait to see you there!

 

Signing off,

Mary Taylor <3