Orange Mint Scrub

The uplifting aromas of orange and mint make this scrub an invigorating skin treatment. Exfoliate and moisturize at the same time!

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

• 1 Cup sugar
• 1/2 C fractionated coconut oil
• zest of 1/2 an orange
• 5 drops orange oil
• 5 drops peppermint oil
• 12 oz. PET plastic jar

Instructions:

1. Gently mix ingredients in a bowl.
2. Scoop into the PET jar.
3. Keep jar near your bathtub or sink to use this refreshing scrub whenever your skin needs a boost.

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: Citrus Twist

Add a little citrus twist to your water, and enjoy the uplifting flavor! Simply add a drop of lemon and/or orange essential oil to 8–20 oz. of water. You can even add a couple slices of fresh citrus fruit if desired. Need an essential oil–safe water bottle? Get one at Abundant Health™!

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™!

Chocolate Orange Mousse

Chocolate and orange are a popular flavor blend during the holidays. This simple recipe captures the deliciousness of chocolate orange candy in a fluffy mouse.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 10 minutes active; 45 minutes inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla
• 5 drops orange essential oil (add more to taste if necessary)

Instructions:

1. Melt chocolate chips in a glass dish in the microwave or a double boiler. Stir well, and let chocolate begin to cool.
2. In an electric mixer, whip the cream with vanilla and essential oil until soft and fluffy.
3. With the mixer on low, drizzle melted chocolate into the whipping cream, and mix until blended.
4. Scoop into serving dishes, and chill for 45 minutes.
5. Top with shaved chocolate orange candy before serving.

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.

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.

Lime Tilapia and Orange Cashew Rice

This colorful dish is both healthy and delicious! The tilapia and rice can each be eaten alone, but together they make the perfect meal!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 45 minutes active
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

Orange Cashew Rice:

• 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 cup (240 ml) water (or less if using a rice cooker or pressure cooker)
• 1 cup (240 ml) orange juice
• 2 drops orange essential oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup (195 g) basmati rice
• 1/2 cup (70 g) cashew pieces
• 1/2 cup (75 g) diced yellow, orange, and/or red peppers
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 can (8 oz./227 g) mandarin orange segments, drained well

Lime Tilapia:

• 4 tilapia fillets (6–8 oz./170–227 g)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 pats of butter (about 1/2 Tbsp./7 g each)
• 4 drops lime essential oil, divided
• Lime juice and/or lime slices for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, bring olive oil, water, orange juice, orange essential oil, and salt to boil. Stir in basmati rice. Lower the heat, cover, and allow to simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid (about 25–30 minutes). Remove from heat, and let stand for 5–10 minutes. Note: If using a rice cooker or pressure cooker, reduce the amount of water to create the proper rice-to-liquid ratio that is recommended for your cooking method.
2. While the rice is cooking, prepare the tilapia. Preheat the oven to 375° F. (190° C.). Spray a cooking sheet or baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse the tilapia fillets, and pat dry. Place fillets in a single layer on your baking dish. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add a pat of butter to each fillet, and drop a single drop of lime essential oil on top of each pat of butter. Bake for 8–12 minutes or until cooked through.
3. While the tilapia is in the oven, finish the rice ingredients. Roast cashew pieces in a saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes until they turn golden brown. Dice peppers and mince green onions. Mix together roasted cashew pieces, peppers, green onions, and mandarin orange segments in a bowl. Stir into rice when it’s ready.
4. Once tilapia is finished cooking, drizzle lime juice over the top and garnish with lime slices, if desired. Serve the Lime Tilapia with the Orange Cashew Rice.

Banana Sushi with Essential Oils

Making banana sushi is a great way to have some fun during snack time! Give yourself a chance to get creative and practice your chopstick skills while eating a healthy treat! There are countless flavor combinations, so feel free to experiment and find out what you like best.

• Time: 5–10 minutes active; 0–60 minutes inactive
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

• Bananas
• Essential oils safe for consumption (such as lemon, lime, orange, cinnamon, cardamom, etc.)
• Sticky substance (such as peanut butter, melted chocolate, yogurt, whipped cream, jam, chocolate-hazelnut spread, etc.)
• Toppings (such as chocolate chips, coconut flakes, sesame seeds, chia seeds, nuts, berries, etc.)
• Dipping “sauce” (such as melted chocolate, yogurt, chia seeds, etc.) (optional)

Instructions:

1. Peel each banana.
2. Mix 1 drop (or 1–2 toothpicks) of essential oil with 2–3 Tbsp. (30–45 ml) of your sticky substance. Taste, and add more essential oil if desired.
3. Spread your sticky substance over the top of the banana lengthwise.
4. Sprinkle on your desired toppings.
5. Freeze for 30–60 minutes, if desired.
6. Slice the banana with a sharp knife.
7. Use chopsticks to pick up banana slices and dip in your “sauce.”

Possible Flavor Combinations:

• Peanut butter with 1 toothpick of cinnamon essential oil • chocolate chips • coconut flakes
• Plain yogurt with 1 drop of lemon essential oil • blueberries • chia seeds
• Melted white chocolate with 1 drop of lime essential oil • raspberries • cashews
• Melted dark chocolate with 1 toothpick of cardamom essential oil • chopped pistachios • chia seeds or coconut flakes
• Peanut butter • melted dark chocolate with 1 drop orange essential oil drizzled on top • sesame seeds or coconut flakes
• Plain yogurt with 1 drop of lemon essential oil • jam of choice • chia seeds
• Chocolate-hazelnut spread with 1 drop of orange essential oil • coconut flakes • chopped nuts
• Whipped cream with 1 drop of lemon essential oil • strawberry or peach slices • chia seeds or chopped nuts