Rich Chocolate Avocado Pudding

If you have a resolution this new year to eat a little healthier, give this pudding a try next time you are ready to indulge. Though not completely sugar-free, this pudding is a great way to get some healthy fats into your diet while you satisfy your cravings!

• Servings: 3–5
• Time: 5–10 minutes active; 30 minutes inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (105 g) brown sugar or 2/3 cup (160 ml) agave syrup
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut milk
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 drop cinnamon, peppermint, or orange essential oil

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and thicken.
3. Serve alone, or top with sliced berries or whipped cream.

EO-Flavored Water: Cinnamon Orange

Boost your immune system a little with this flavored water combination! You can try this 2 different ways:

1. Add a cinnamon stick to your water with a drop of orange essential oil.
2. Add a few orange slices to your water along with a toothpick of cinnamon essential oil.

Do you need an essential oil–safe water bottle? Get one at Abundant Health™!

Autumn Diffuser Blend: Pumpkin Spice

Fill your home with the wonderful aromas of the autumn season with this fantastic diffuser blend! Need a diffuser? Check out the diffuser selection from Abundant Health!

Banana Bread with Essential Oils

As the weather gets cooler, one great way to help warm your house is to bake some delicious banana bread with essential oils!

• Servings: Yield=1 loaf
• Time: 20 minutes active; 1 hour inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour (or use 1/2 white wheat flour)
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar (or use 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey)
• 3/4 tsp. (3 g) baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. (2 g) sea salt
• 1/4 cup (57 g) butter (1/2 stick)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• 3/4 cup (214 g) plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) Homemade Vanilla Extract
• 3 drops cinnamon essential oil
• 1 drop clove essential oil
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a bread pan.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well.
3. Pour batter into the bread pan.
4. Bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before removing from the pan.

Extra Ideas:

• One of our readers has told us they like this bread with 4 drops orange essential oil instead of the cinnamon and clove essential oils.
• Try adding this cinnamon honey butter to this banana bread!

Essential Oil–Infused Potpourri

Enjoy the wonderful autumn and winter scents with this essential oil–infused potpourri! All you need to do is find some cute containers and fill them with potpourri ingredients. Add a few drops of essential oil to spruce up the scent, then enjoy for a couple weeks before recharging it with more essential oil!

This essential oil–infused potpourri makes a fantastic and simple gift for neighbors, friends, and coworkers this holiday season! Just attach a cute gift tag with ribbon or twine, and it’s good to go! If you would like to introduce your friends to essential oils, you may want to consider adding a small sample bottle of essential oil that they can use to “recharge” their own potpourri.

Don’t give all of them away though—you’ll want to keep a few to use yourself! We love placing these in the bathroom, the closet, the entryway, and many other places around the house. Try keeping a small container of this potpourri in your car as an easy car diffuser. You will love being welcomed with these aromas every time you get in your car!

• Time: 5 minutes active
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• Potpourri ingredients (such as cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, dried apple slices, dried orange peels, bay leaves, candied ginger, whole nutmeg, whole cloves, whole allspice, cardamom seeds, and star anise)
• Essential oils (such as cinnamon, orange, ginger, vetiver, clove, cardamom, or holiday-scented blend)
• Salve Jars, Mason Jars, or PET Jars

Instructions:

1. Cut up bigger items such as cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, dried apple slices, bay leaves, candied ginger, etc. as needed to fit in your containers.
2. Add 3–5 drops of desired essential oil(s) on top of the potpourri.
3. To use, simply leave the lid off of the container to enjoy the delightful aromas! Add a few drops of essential oil every couple weeks or as needed. You can also put the ingredients in a pot full of simmering water to spread the smell throughout the house.

Note: To gift, make sure contents fit inside the container. Screw the lid on, and decorate with ribbon, twine, or a gift tag. You can even include a small sample bottle filled with essential oil so your gift recipients can recharge their potpourri.

We added a little bit of everything to our potpourri, along with some cinnamon, orange, and cardamom essential oil, and we loved the result. But feel free to get creative and use whatever you have on hand for this recipe! All of these ingredients complement each other, so you really can’t go wrong here.

Edible Pumpkin Playdough

This is a fun and tasty Halloween recipe for the kids! Let this sweet treat bring out the creativity in your “little monsters.”

• Servings: Yield=2 1/4 cups
• Time: 10 minutes active
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) pumpkin spice–flavored liquid coffee creamer
  
• 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
  
• Food coloring
• 2 Tbsp. (24 g) coconut oil
  
• 1 toothpick cinnamon essential oil

Instructions:

1. In a mixer, slowly mix powdered sugar with the coffee creamer.
2. Beat until combined into a stiff, dry dough. Add coconut oil and cinnamon essential oil.
3. Add in food coloring until you achieve your desired color.
4. The dough should be shiny, pliable, and ready to play with!

 

Cinnamon Apple Crêpes

This delicious recipe is the perfect marriage between a classic American apple pie and a well-loved European crêpe. To make the dish even better, we added cinnamon essential oil to the crêpe batter, the apple filling, and the whipped cream for the top. It’s sweet enough for dessert, yet healthy enough for breakfast!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30–40 minutes active
• Difficulty: Moderate
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Ingredients:

Crêpe Ingredients:

• 1 cup (120 g) flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1 drop cinnamon essential oil
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. (1.5 g) salt
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) melted butter

Apple Filling Ingredients:

• 4–5 apples, sliced and diced
• 1 toothpick cinnamon essential oil
• 1/4 tsp. (.5 g) nutmeg powder
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. (14 g) butter

Cinnamon Whipped Cream Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. (16 g) powdered sugar
• 1–4 toothpicks cinnamon essential oil (Add a toothpick at a time until you like the taste.)
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl (or blender), mix the flour and eggs together. Slowly add milk and water while whisking. Add cinnamon essential oil, vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter, and whisk until well combined.
2. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each crêpe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, flip, and cook the other side.
4. While continuing to cook the crêpes, combine all apple filling ingredients in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until the apples are soft.
5. For the cinnamon whipped cream, whisk the heavy cream until it starts to form stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon essential oil, and whisk for a few seconds to incorporate into the cream. Taste, and stir in more cinnamon essential oil as needed.
6. Serve crêpes warm, filled with apple filling and topped with cinnamon whipped cream.

Cinnamon Orange Water Bead Diffuser

Water beads absorb water and scent really well, so they are great for making a fun DIY diffuser. We tried it out with an autumn scent, but you can really use any essential oil or blend you desire!

• Time: 10 minutes active; 6+ hours inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp. dry water beads
• 2 1/2–3 cups (600–720 ml) hot water
• 10–20 drops essential oil (We used 8 drops each of orange and cinnamon.)
• Mason Jar Mug with Straw Lid (Another glass vase or container will work, but you may need to make adjustments to the recipe in order to fill your container.)

Instructions:

1. Place desired water beads in a large glass dish. We used about a 1/2 Tbsp. to fill our mason jar.
2. Add hot water, and allow to sit for at least 6 hours until the beads are large.
3. Strain out any excess water. Stir in essential oils.
4. Pour water beads into the mason jar, and set your new diffuser anywhere you would like a refreshing scent!
5. If you notice the beads drying out a little, just add a little bit of water to refresh them. You can also recharge the scent as needed by adding a few more drops of essential oil.

Note: If you have young children or pets who may try to eat the water beads, you can screw the lid on the mason jar. Make sure your lid has a hole or something to allow the scent to escape. If you get your mason jar from Abundant Health, it will come with a straw lid that already has a hole in it to allow the scent to be released.

Hot Cocoa with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

This is the perfect time of year to curl up with a delicious mug of homemade hot cocoa. Top it with delicious cinnamon whipped cream for an added treat!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 10 minutes active; 10 minutes inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar or agave nectar
• 1/3 cup (39 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 cups (840 ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) half-and-half
• 3/4 tsp. (3.8 ml)  homemade vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) boiling water
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) homemade vanilla extract
• 1 drop cinnamon essential oil

Instructions:

1. Combine the cocoa, sugar, and pinch of salt in a saucepan, and add the boiling water.
2. Stir, and slowly bring to an easy boil. Be careful not to let it scorch.
3. Stir in milk and half-and-half. Heat until hot but not boiling.
4. Remove from heat, and add 3/4 tsp. (3.8 ml) vanilla.
5. In a mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream with the agave nectar, 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) vanilla, and cinnamon essential oil until fluffy.
6. Divide hot cocoa between 4 mugs, and top with the whipped cream.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

Here is a delicious, healthy snack you can make with all of those autumn apples you have.

• Servings: 8–10
• Time: 10 minutes active; 1–3 hours inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 2–3 apples
• 1–2 tsp. (4–8 g) sugar
• 2 drops cinnamon essential oil

Instructions:

1. Slice apples in thin slices. Lay out on dehydrator sheets or a cookie sheet.
2. Mix together sugar and cinnamon essential oil in a small glass bowl or shot glass.
3. Rub cinnamon-sugar mixture over apple slices.
4. Dehydrate at 110–145°F (45–65°C) for a few hours. Flip apple slices over when the top feels dry. Note: you can also bake in the oven at 225°F (105°C) for 1 hour, flipping after 30 minutes.