Making of He Qi Naturals Salves & Stuffed Zucchinis!

I always find process photos fascinating.. it's always interesting getting a glimpse of how things are made!

When I was making my Vanilla Lavender salve last week, I snapped a few photos and wanted to share them with you.

Everything begins with a super clean table-- I do this on my kitchen table that's covered with glass and I Lysol the crap out of it to prepare and get the surface clean.

I get all my ingredients and measuring devices ready, and of course make sure my recipe book is open to the right recipe.

I do keep a book with ALL of my recipes in them. Experimental ones included! It's kind of a bath/beauty diary :). The large block of wax is beeswax, the three little pieces of cream ish looking things are cocoa butter medallions :)

Everything get melted together, and when the temperature is right, I add in the essential oils.


And carefully pour into the individual tins:


Let cool naturally at room temperature, package and label... and we get our Vanilla Lavender salve!


I made some beautiful custom muslin bags to go with He Qi Naturals orders and decided it was time to offer a 3-lip balm gift set on my ETSY account:

I'll be soon adding it to the He Qi Website--- these make truly thoughtful and guilt-free stocking stuffers for the upcoming Holiday season!

About a week ago I also added another Charmed bracelet with pearl and bow:



And some cute Baubles in Pink and Peach:



In other news, the Tough Mudder is on the 29th of this month... we've been eating clean and working out with our usual fervor. One of the most recent, most delicious things I've cooked that's quite very healthy and nutrient + protein rich are these stuffed zucchinis:


Ingredients (use whatever you want, really, for your taste buds-- omit meat if that's not for you)
These are some of the things I used-- not pictured is seasoning (salt, pepper, minced garlic)

If eating meat is OK-- I HIGHLY recommend using bacon or panchetta in this-- it adds a lot of flavor and a little goes a long way.

I also used quinoa as a grain in the stuffing.

Feel free to prepare the quinoa up to a day in advance and store in the fridge. You'll be warming this up later.

Prepare your Zucchinies-- cut length-wise and scoop out the insides/cut them out, whatever is easier for you. I used a metal teaspoon and it worked beautifully.




Keep the innards of your zucchini and chop is up a little bit (not much), and also chop up your onions.


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Put some salt, pepper and olive oil on your hollowed out zucchini and place in preheated oven for 10 minutes. MEANWHILE, cook your stuffing!


Cook your panchetta or meat if you have any, and then add the onions and chopped zucchini.y67




I added chili peppers, you can flavor however you prefer.
Add in all the rest of your stuffing goods while your hollowed zucchini are baking in the oven.
This is quinoa added to the base of tomatoes, onions, zucchini, panchetta.


Take your baked zucchini out of the oven, and fill them generously with stuffing. You might having leftovers but I promise the stuffing is delish on its own :) (coming from someone who ate the stuffing by itself... hehe)


Gotta stuff them all...

Sprinkle cheese over the top if desired.

Return to oven for another 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Broil for a few minutes to crisp up the tops if you desire.
And.. then you're done!!

And there you have it. A really awesome way of getting all your food groups into your diet and give you plenty of clean energy for your workouts.

I've realized over the last few weeks that the days are slowly getting shorter and it's darker when I'm up at 6.... hope everyone here enjoys the fall! I am so, so excited to be in a house this year and the Holidays are truly right around the corners. VERY exciting!!!

Lisa

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