Sweet & sensuous vanilla body oil.

It is my daughter Carollyne who turned me on to vanilla ... she loves the scent. Last Christmas I gave her a bottle of hand-crafted (by my own hands) vanilla infused jojoba oil as a gift. I must say as I was preparing this infusion a few weeks before Christmas, I developed a bit of a love affair with it myself. 

I am putting together a new batch and it will be ready in about 4 weeks. Some of it will be available as simple vanilla in jojoba body oil and part of it will serve as a base for more complex formulations.

Vanilla body oil by Woman Divine

Vanilla is a member of the Orchid family. It is valued for its aphrodisiac qualities and you will often find it as an ingredient in sensual body oils and perfume.  Vanilla is believed to stimulate the release of serotonin which triggers feelings of arousal and satisfaction. An idea for Valentine's night... actually any night. 

Vanilla body oil by Woman Divine

Sweet smelling Vanilla is also beautifully soothing and calming for the nervous system. For this purpose it works great in body oils.

If you wish to make your own Vanilla infused oil please use organically sourced vanilla seedpods and carrier oil.

How to infuse vanilla into jojoba oil?

• 3 organic vanilla pods
• l cup of organic jojoba oil
• Cut up vanilla pods into small pieces place in the amber glass and cover it with oil.
• Place on the window sill and let it infuse for the next 3-4 weeks.
• Strain and you are ready to go.

If you like a softer scent, you can always dilute it using more jojoba oil.

If you are not the kind to play with making stuff but would like to have a bottle of organic, beautifully sensuous and relaxing vanilla infused body oil, my batch is brewing as we speak. I will let you know when it is ready... in about four weeks.

This week's intention.

A few drops of oil and two hands, close your eyes, stroke your face kindly with an upward movement... take your time... move slowly noticing both softness and tension under your fingers. Breathe as you go .. in... peace and quiet...  out... stress and tension. Once this week... no thinking just feeling... a moment with yourself :-)

Magdalena xo

Spreading wings...

My daughter just left for a far away trip… strange feeling for a mother to experience her child make a big step into the world… I feel both excited and uneasy at the same time… like the day I dropped her off at daycare for the first time when she was little… a new chapter begins for both of us.

To my daughter and all daughters who are spreading their wings :-)

May you experience the World as a safe place.

May kind people always walk next to you on your path.

May LOVE light your way wherever you go.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume

Yesterday, on my way back from work I found in my mailbox a much anticipated package. A Roxana Illuminated Perfume sampler I ordered had finally arrived.

As soon as I had visited Roxana's blog I had a feeling that this woman was creating something very, very special.

I received nine lovely presented perfume samples, six liquid and three solid. The scents...beautifully balanced, full of depth...I will call it aromatic poetry.

Photo by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

One of them immediately called to me. ROSA solid perfume is mine. "Rosa is a sparkling rose natural perfume unfolding from a green powdery rose bouquet into deep rich rose with wood and earth at the base. It literally blossoms on the skin of the wearer. The climatic ending of the orchestration is a musky wood." It is a composition a Wild Woodland Rose - California Rose - Precious Rose Otto, my beloved Oud and Sandalwood. You could say, I have been waiting for Rosa for many years...truly.

Photo by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

I had almost given up on perfume. Synthetic big brand perfume never appealed to me. It actually gave me headaches and today I still find it offensive when people wear toxic fragrance in public. I have tried a few pseudo 'natural' or 'organic' brands which surely did not list all of their ingredients... based on the negative effect they had on me.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume is made all by hand by Roxana herself using "high grade essences, many of organic and vital origin, obtained exclusively from the plant, mineral, sea and apis kingdoms." 

Roxana's botanical, all natural perfume is beautiful and healing. It is not a type of fragrance you splash on but rather one you anoint with. 

Photo by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

I highly recommend Roxana Illuminated Perfume. I wish for you to find your own scent just like I found my Rosa.

Purchase Roxana Illuminated Perfume

Happy New Year!

Another year is about to end...a few more grey hairs... will keep on colouring... not feeling ready for silver yet. I have been postponing the inevitable for a couple of years but I think 2013 will have to be the year of the eye glasses. Peculiar..., the more my body shows the mark of time the more whole I feel, softer inside and beautiful...comfortable with me..., the way I am.

May 2013 bring you peace, happiness, prosperity and mostly LOVE including the kind you feel for yourself. Happy New Year everyone!

Love,

Magdalena xoxoxo

PS. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. I am looking forward to seeing you or hearing from you in 2013. It will be a good year...

Face oil - how to choose the right one for your skin.

Today's market offers a wide selection of face oils but using oil on your face is hardly a new practice.
For ages, women around the World have been using healing vegetable oils to nurture and beautify their skin. The western world is just catching up.
Oils have been part of my personal care for a long time. I believe, I have never purchased a commercial body lotion. It has always been oil. I use oils on my face daily and I find them effective, versatile and simple to use. I also love working with oils and use them in every treatment I offer at my clinic. The healing potential of oils is greatly underestimated and commonly not known.
Oils are beautiful; various in colour, texture and scent. They also differ in their healing profiles and biochemical makeup. 
I would like to encourage you to give oils a try. But before you run out to buy one lets see which oil will benefit your particular skin type the most.
One more thing; there are many oil blends by various skin care companies on the market. To start with, explore pure organic cold pressed vegetable oils also known as base or carrier oils like: Rosehip, Argan and such. I believe you will like them a lot. Once you get a feel for base oils, the next step will be to add essential oils. At that point you will be able to affect much more than the health of your skin with your face oils.  Another time about this....

DRY SKIN loves oil and can benefit from a variety of oils.
Apricot kernel
Argan
Camellia
Sesame
Rosehip

MIXED/COMBINATION SKIN does not like the oily feeling, yet it can benefit from oils like:
Camellia
Meadowfoam
Jojoba
Coconut

OILY SKIN will benefit from oils which help to balance the excessive production of sebum.
Grape seed
Hazelnut
Jojoba

AGING SKIN is still either dry, sensitive or on the oily side so follow one of the above suggestions.

You can use oils daily instead of a moisturizer, as an addition to a moisturizer and/or to massage your face and neck at least once a week. Organic and cold pressed is always the way to go.
Are you using oils already? It would be great to hear about your experiences.

Simple oat scrub for dry and sensitive skin.

The cold weather is here, the heat is on and your skin might have just started feeling a bit too dry and dehydrated. This is a very simple scrub for dry and sensitive skin (not the best for oily) which will help gently exfoliate dead skin cells without stripping the protective acid mantle.

The acid mantle is a very fine, slightly acidic film on the surface of the skin acting as a barrier to bacteria, viruses and other potential contaminants that might penetrate the skin. It is secreted by sebaceous glands. The pH of the skin is between 4.5 and 6.2, so it is acidic. These contaminants and other chemicals are primarily alkaline in nature and the skin's moderate acidity helps to neutralize their chemical effects.

You can create it from the stuff that is already in your kitchen, literally for pennies. I think everyone ought to know how to utilize simple home ingredients to create beauty care products, from high end skin care divas to women who love the simplicity, purity and creativity which comes with concocting your own stuff.  It comes in very handy in many situations. Even if you are a lover of brand products, you never know...You may run out of your favorite product and need to exfoliate like, NOW, or maybe your wallet is a bit thin these days. If you are an 'earthy beauty' I do not need to convince you.  

Simple steel cut oat which you use to cook porridge is a great exfoliating agent. When prepared properly it will softly clear your face of dry and flaky skin and it will leave it glowing.
HEALING PROPERTIES OF OAT:
helps to soften the skin
anti-inflamatory
soothing
helps to relieve itchiness
*high in silica
The quality of oat is: warm, moist and sweet; ideal for dryness.
Oatmeal can be used as a poultice for skin conditions like eczema, cold sores and shingles.

Many skin care companies use oat as the base for their scrubs and exfoliating creams. Now you can experiment with your own.

I use organic steel cut oats which I buy at my local health food store.
First, the very simple version. All you need to do is:
throw a handful of steel cut organic oats in a blender and take it for a spin until it turns into powder
sift it to remove any leftover large pieces
place in a jar
you are ready to go
use after cleansing 2x a week
grab about 1tsp and mix it with water forming a soft paste in your hand
work it all over your face and neck
rinse and apply your moisturizer or face oil

You can up the healing properties of this scrub by adding 1Tbsp of dried Calendula flower petals. You would place the petals and oat together in the blender and follow through, the same as you did with the simple version of this scrub. 

Calendula is just one possibility. You could use rose, lavender or echinacea. Have fun with it...

Calendula - the soothing flower for your skin.

Today I was playing with Calendula flowers. I was simply making tea for myself but when I poured hot water over dry Calendula flowers, magic happened. My cup of Marigold tea has turned into a 'poetic thing', kind of sort of... :) I took some pictures... hope you like them.

I use Calendula officinalis (Marigold) on a daily basis. This flower is very well suited for sensitive skin and skin inflammation due to infection or physical irritation. It can also be used on wounds, bleeding, bruises... Herbalists often use it as the key ingredient in healing skin ointments.
I prepare a Calendula infusion every morning and use it as a soothing hydrating mist or as an addition to the raw sensitive skin masks I create throughout the day. 
I also use Calendula infused oil for facial massage in face masks and in face oil blends.
Powdered Calendula flowers can be added to ground up oatmeal, to form a lovely home made face scrub.
Calendula tea makes a good remedy for indigestion,  gall-bladder and liver problems, gastric and duodenal ulcers as well as for menopausal problems and menstrual pains. Some herbalists say it also supports healthy lymphatic function.

Herbal tea:

(daily dose)
2-4 tsp of dry organic Calendula flowers 
or 4-8 tsp of fresh flowers
500ml of (purified) water just off the boil 
steep for 10-15min 
strain
drink 3 times a day hot or cool 
*use your tea as a wash for sensitive skin 
place it in a spray bottle and mist onto your skin

Infused oil:

(yes, you can make it yourself)

pack a jar tightly with calendula flowers (fresh is better but dry will do)
completely cover with oil (organic cold pressed virgin olive oil or sunflower oil) 
put the lid on 
leave on the sunny window sill for two weeks
strain 
repeat the steps using once infused oil and a new batch of fresh herbs
leave on the sunny window sill for two more weeks
strain
store in the amber bottle away from light and heat

I must say, I am mesmerized by the flowers which became the essence of my tea. How beautiful... I am drinking it thinking some of their beauty will surely rub off on me:)

  

Face Your Inner Reflection Workshop with Magdalena.

Workshop Woman Divine

 
I am very very excited about this one! It has been in the making for a very long time. This workshop is based on the work of some really cool people and my own 20 plus years' practical experience and observations. I hope you join us:) Registration starts next week at Woman Divine. You will be able to book the workshop online or you may email me at info@womandivine.ca or call 613 2167676; whichever is the easiest.

FACE – YOUR INNER REFLECTION WORKSHOP

Face - Your Inner Reflection Workshop has been created out of the desire to deepen the awareness of the dynamic nature and beauty of your face.

Its intended outcome is an enhanced connection to self and the world around you as well as a greater appreciation of living in your own skin.

You will:

· Revisit your own definition of Beauty

· Explore your face as the map of your Being

· Learn practical tools to relax into your beauty

· Connect to your own feminine wisdom

What you need for this workshop:

Wear comfortable clothing

Bring a yoga mat or a blanket

Bring 1-2 photos of yourself with your favorite facial expression

If you like taking notes bring pen and paper

When: November 10^th 10am - 12:30pm

Where: 1^st Floor 351 Churchill Ave. N. Ottawa (downstairs from Woman Divine)

Fee: $45

Space is limited to nine participants.

Crudessence, Tiramisu and French Lesson #1.

My version of raw Tiramisu from Crudessence.

I discovered CRUDESSENCE, the Montreal based raw food restaurant about two years ago; love at first sight... I have discovered their amazing Tiramisu a couple of months ago... I will be sharing the recipe with you so read on.  Crudessence Academy (yes, there is an academy as well) offers interesting courses and I will be taking some in the near future. Yep, that's wright! I love everything about them.
If you are my client you already know that I wholeheartedly believe beauty does not come from a tube of the latest skin care product. In my opinion food we eat forms the base for a healthy body and healthy skin. I am always eager to broaden my nutritional knowledge for my own good but also so I can be a better support to you...
Now, back to Tiramisu; a lot of people expressed they would like the recipe and I myself wanted it badly. This is what happened...
Crudessence has a 'cookbook' and the Tiramisu recipe is in it. Naturally I got the book. Here is the trick, the book is in French and I do not know how to speak the 'language of love'. So with this book I am not only learning how to make Tiramisu but also I am getting a French lesson.
I have learned English by listening to the lyrics of songs. It looks like I will be learning French from a 'cookbook'. I am totally up for it... Thus French lesson #1...
A little note about the book; it is beautiful with lots of delicious recipes and wonderful photography.
It is a fresh and vibrant invitation to raw food exploration:)) Just as a book about live food ought to be. If you can, get it!

 

 

The famous Tiramisu by Crudessence.

OK, lets get to work...

 

You will need:

Almonds, cashews, espresso coffee, dates, agave nectar, cocoa powder, coconut oil, soy lecithin, vanilla extract(without alcohol), agar, sea salt, water.

The recipe is given in stages and in each stage the amount of ingredients is specified.

I have used my food processor for all the mixing. It worked great.

Tiramisu by Crudessence - the recipe.

Night before

Soak ½ cup of almonds for 8 hours.

In another container, infuse 1tsp ground espresso in ¼ cup of water for 8 hours.

The day of

Soak ½ cup of cashews in a fridge for 4 hours.

Rinse the cashews and almonds very well and pour out the water from the soak.

Filter the coffee / keep the infusion and discard the grinds.

Make almond milk with the soaked almonds and 2 cups of water.

How to make almond milk for this recipe?

Place the 1/2 cup of soaked and drained almonds and 2 cups of purified water in a blender. Blend for couple of minutes. Strain through nut milk bag or cheesecloth.

The cake

In a bowl mix: 1 ¼ cup of ground almonds, 1/3 cup of date paste, 1tsp of vanilla extract (without alcohol),  1/8tsp of sea salt, 2Tbsp of coconut oil and 2Tbsp of almond milk. Mix well. Distribute the mixture at the bottom of a cake pan (8 inch in diameter).  Put in the freezer while you are preparing the Mocha layer.

How to make a date paste?

2 ½ cups of dates and 1½ cups of water.  Make sure dates are covered with water and soak for 2 hours. Put the dates and water in a food processor and blend.

*This is way too much for our recipe, you will need only a bit. However it will keep good in the fridge for a long time so you may use the rest in other recipes.

Mocha layer

Mix the following ingredients with a mixer: 1 1/2Tbsp of date paste, 2Tbsp of agave nectar, 1½ Tbsp of cacao powder, 2¼ tsp vanilla extract (without alcohol), 1/8tsp sea salt, 2Tbsp of coconut oil, 1 ½ tsp of soya lecithin.

Next add coffee and ½ cup of almond milk to these ingredients and mix well.

In a pan mix 2Tbsp of water with ¾tsp Agar. Bring to simmer stirring frequently. In the meantime take the cake out of the fridge. Once agar/water is brought to simmer remove from the stove and wait 2 min. After 2 min. blend the agar/water mixture with the mocha layer (turn few times). Immediately pour the mocha layer onto the cake and place it back in the freezer.

Top layer

Rinse the cashews and pour out the water.

With a mixer blend the following: ½ cup of cashews, 1/3 cup of coconut oil, ½ cup of water, 2Tbsp agave nectar, ½tsp vanilla extract (without alcohol), 1/8tsp of sea salt, 2 ¼tsp soy lecithin add 1 cup of almond milk and mix until creamy.

Take the cake out of the freezer and make sure that the mocha layer has solidified before putting the icing on top. 

Place back in the freezer for 2 more hours.

Dust with cacao powder before serving.

Voila, enjoy:))


Dessert does not have to be a guilt ridden pleasure. This one is delicious and full of precious nutrients. Do not eat the whole thing in one sitting though. I know, it is going to be very tempting... .


Tiramisu will keep in a fridge for 10 days and for 4 months in your freezer in a sealed container.

The recipe is easy to make but requires good organizing like it is with many raw food dishes. Definitely worth your time...

Thank you CRUDESSENCE! I can not wait to try more of your awesome recipes. My family and I will keep on translating your beautiful book but I do hope one day you will come out with an English version:)) Merci Beaucoup,

Magdalena