10 Homemade skin care recipes

You don’t have to fork out big bucks for great skin care. In fact, many department-store and drugstore brands of skin care products are packed full of harsh chemicals, toxic ingredients, artificial colors and more. Even so-called natural skin care brands may contain questionable ingredients that you couldn't want on your face.

Want to look up the safety of your skin care products? Check out Environmental Working Group (EWE)’s Skin Deep database. It has the ingredients list and potential toxins of more than 68,000 personal care products.

I checked on a few products that I used to use for anti-wrinkle and anti-acne care and was floored to see the results. Most of the products ranged in the 5-6 range out of a total 10 (with 10 at the highest level of potential hazards and toxins). That’s troubling to consider.

1. Buy the right tree. Calamine Orange, Improved Meyer Lemon, Ponderous Lemon, Eureka Lemon, Persian or Bears s Lime, Testis Equality, Purana Lime, Hesitate Orange, Nippon Orangutan are all great varieties for beginning indoor cultivators.

2. Soil needs to be the correct pH and promote proper drainage. A range of 5-8 is best. You can get a pH test kit from your l As someone who's obsessed with citrus fruit, I can't imagine not having fresh satsumas or Washington navels during the holidays. The scent of the blossoms alone will instantly put me in a good mood. For those in less ideal citrus climates, you need not feel left out! You can grow the dwarf varieties of these trees indoors and reap the benefits by following a few simple steps:

 A mixture of 1 part sand, 1 part peat and 1 part bark, per-lite or vermiculite will serve your tree well. The soil should be loose enough to permit adequate but not excessive drainage. Any type of pot will do, but a 1" - 2" layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot will most readily promote drainage.

3. Citrus trees require a minimum of 5 hour of sunlight per day. Ideally, they should get 10-12. Supplemental lighting in the form of high intensity discharge lighting can be used to maximize your yield. One important thing to keep in mind is to slowly acclimate your trees if taking them from the outdoors to indoors for winter. Though acclimation isn't necessary if only bringing them in for a few days to prevent freezing.

4. Humidity. Citrus trees will drop their leaves if the humidity grows too low in an indoor environment. Ideal humidity should be at 45 - 50%. Use a humidifier, if necessary.

5. Regular watering is necessary for your tree's survival. When the top 2 inches of soil are dry, water (but don't soak) the tree. If water pools in the saucer, empty the saucer. During warm summer months, you may need to water as often as twice daily. During winter months, water much more sparingly.

Are you avoiding kale, chard, and other green juices due to their bitter flavor? Here's a simple trick to cut the  bitterness. (Hint: it's not sweet!)

Sure, you can add pineapple, agave nectar, or other sweet ingredients to cover up the bitterness of greens. But if you're looking for an easy, less sugary way to balance the flavor, add lemon or lime. The acidity really neutralizes the bitterness, plus it tastes refreshing! 

Start with a modest squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, and then taste as you go and add more if needed. 

Do you have any other tips for cutting the bitterness of green juices? 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut the bread into cubes and put in a bowl with the thyme oil and the grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Once everything is soaked up spread the bread on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes, till they’re crunchy and light brown.

Chop the garlic and gently saute with the rosemary in the plain olive oil in a saucepan. Wash the chickpeas and add them to the saucepan with the stock. Season with salt and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the rosemary and a few whole chickpeas and liquidize the rest. Get your serving bowls, pop some of the croutons in the bottom (if they are hidden they don’t count in the crab calculation, apparently) and fill with the soup. Make it look pretty with a few whole chickpeas, more croutons and a drizzle of thyme olive oil.