Tag Archives: DIY

{natural insomnia aid : audrey michelle’s tart cherry tonic}

10 Jun

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a little secret about me : i have battled with insomnia for about half my life.

i’ve gone back and forth in my head — “claiming it” by owning it and being honest {as i’ve done here}, invoking the law of attraction by saying “i sleep great!” – both seem to have the same effect… i’ve tried melatonin, valerian root and other random herbs, about 5 different kinds of mattresses, yoga, prayer, meditation, sleepy tea, alcohol, and a variety of other remedies to help in my battle.  i even tried some feng shui to encourage the right energy during bedtime… i tried one or two prescription drugs but absolutely hated the side-effects and the dopey feeling the next day… one of them even gave me wacky lucid dreams, almost nightmares… i once tried to “donate my body to science” by participating in an insomnia-related study, but i didn’t qualify because i hadn’t tried enough prescription drugs… over-the-counter remedies help in the short-term, but that stuff is so bad for your liver and i also worried about dependency… i have to board up my windows and sleep with a mask usually, and that is in part due to my late work hours… i know i’m reasonably young but i’m not getting any younger and i’m at that age where this kind of crap is super important to me now.  i don’t need to get 8-10 hours every night, but what i do need is to STAY asleep during the night.

enter the title of this blog… Continue reading 

{homemade applesauce – vitamix style!}

12 Apr

as we know, i’m all about DIY in the kitchen.

between skyrocketing food prices and the need for healthy, organic, fresh food – i have to find a balance so that i can still continue eating well, but also still afford to pay rent ;) – and honestly, owning a vitamix has helped tremendously in that arena.  even though it was a steep investment initially – it’s actually helping me save money by making a lot of things at home!

for example, this homemade applesauce.  i did make some once a while back with my potato latkes.  but i hadn’t tried it with the vitamix, yet.

applesauce isn’t something i just go out and buy.  in fact, i’m not actually much of a fan of apples. i love the flavour and i love apple juice, but i just have never been one to eat handheld fruits.  i’m more apt to eat grapes, mangos, berries, and bite-size typed fruits.  it’s just one of those idiosyncrasies of mine… i’ll eat apple slices with some nut butter, that’s more my style ;) oorrrrr, this delicious applesauce…

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and whoa – was it easy to make!

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step 1.  buy some apples.

i opted for honeycrisp because they were on sale and approaching the end of their season… plus, these were super cute and smaller than most.  have you noticed how BIG apples are getting lately?!  it’s just not natural… i’m like “i can’t eat that in one sitting!” haha.  these honeycrisps were perfectly-sized and came in a 3-pound bag. Continue reading 

{homemade dehydrated fruit}

1 Apr

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i need a dehydrator. it just feels like a really good investment to make, and you know me i’m all about DIY in the kitchen! my former roommate let me borrow hers when i was living there, and i became an insta-fan! there’s something about dehydrated fruit – particularly apples – that i just love!

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and these little honeycrisps steal the show, no doubt. Continue reading 

{thirsty thursday} – homemade roasted pumpkin seeds w/ a belgian tripel

1 Nov

hope you all had a safe and happy halloween!  i just LOVE this time of year, don’t you?!  i love being in the kitchen more than normal… and i love busting out my crockpot… and i’m even more eager to bust out my vitamix!!  i will be doing that this weekend when i am basically a personal chef for my best friends in the rockies :)

i also love making my own pumpkin seeds.  they are one of my favourite snacks, and when pumpkins are on sale –  so what better time to make some?!  i paid 2 bucks for my pumpkins on a one-day sale.  i would say these average sized pumpkins yield about 2-3 cups of seeds – that’s a decent value! Continue reading 

“i see you” {AKA audrey michelle’s very emotional, real, and cathartic DIY cleanse update}

21 Jul

well, here it is – the official “end” i suppose.

{oh and by the way, this is one LONG AND WORDY POST!  be forewarned.}

i made it 5 whole days {entering my 6th now} eating only raw or steamed organic fruits and vegetables, juice, water and kombucha.  funny thing is, i don’t think i’m going to stop.  i had absolutely no idea how this cleanse would effect me – i certainly didn’t fathom it effecting me more on an emotional level than physical.  and i dare say – spiritual.  it almost brings tears to my eyes {again} as i write this.

yesterday was rough.  the worst day to date.  so why the hell would i want to keep putting myself through this?! good question… Continue reading 

audrey michelle’s colourful DIY cleanse – DAY #4

19 Jul

today was rough, i will admit that. and i think this photo shows it  - maybe i should’ve photoshopped the bags from under my eyes – hA!  oh well, i’m an honest person – this is how i look and feel on a 5-day DIY cleanse i randomly decided to do and invent ;)

today was harder than yesterday.  but it makes sense now – after i did a ton of research on cleansing and symptoms.  see, this is how i roll – i just wing it… whatever “it” is.  sometimes it works out, sometimes i learn a valuable lesson the hard way, meh.  anyway – i was super nervous about how i was feeling today… mostly because i was unsure if it was “normal,” if you will. and plus, i was abruptly awoken this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep, so i knew i’d be a little irritable, but i worried i was doing more damage than good with this cleanse…

until google clarified it all… Continue reading 

audrey michelle’s colourful DIY cleanse – DAY #3

18 Jul

today was different.

i definitely felt the cleanse, or my body detoxing slightly, or the odd sleeping, or something.  something was different.  i don’t feel bad per se, i just feel different.  my head is much more clear, as in not cluttered with stupid thoughts or particularly, anxious ones.  which is good!  mostly i feel a little sluggish, surprisingly, and my head {although clear} feels kind of weird. maybe it’s because it’s clearer, don’t know – but i feel different.

i have been dreaming of food, however.  hAhA! i think last night i dreamt of pizza – no joke. i was browsing the food section on WP late at night, i’m sure that didn’t help – hA.  a reader asked me if was craving anything in particular, and i will say that today i did notice i was missing carbs, starch, etc.  so i made potatoes with dinner, which seemed to scratch that itch – for now.

here’s how the menu went today : Continue reading 

audrey michelle’s colourful DIY cleanse – DAY #2

17 Jul

alright.  here we are.  my roommate and his friend are drinking a nice cold hefeweizen in the room downstairs, and i’m sitting here next to my homemade soda water.  *ahem*  and i’m okay with that… actually, i really am. as much as i love my brewskies, i realize that the ones i like to enjoy would and do keep me pretty much couch-bound for the remainder of the evening. mmmm, la fin du monde

it’s odd how my energy levels have shifted.  i’m definitely having a harder time in the morning “waking up” and i tend to get my energy after around 2 p.m., where i’d normally be tired.  it’s interesting.  i kind of like it.  especially since i work at night, or will be again once my vacation is over.

okay, so here’s how day 2 went : Continue reading 

{homemade edition} PICKLES!

4 Jul

happy 4th of july!!

i’ve decided to start making a lot more stuff on my own.  it’s only fitting.

and i love love love me some pickles! so when i saw kirby cucumbers {AKA pickling cucumbers} at whole foods last week, i had to snag some up.  i have always wanted to try to make my own pickles, and so this was perfect timing. Continue reading 

product endorsement #1 – sodastream

24 Apr

allow me to introduce you to the next investment you should make in your kitchen fun zone. Continue reading 

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