Empowered selfcare, lifestyle strategies & coaching
A cozy tea for the winter In case you’re wondering, I’m something of a tea fanatic, especially when it comes to spiced and herbal teas. Once fall and winter set in, it’s time for my favorite winter spice chai (tea) along with a few tasty …
Nothing says holidays like a delicious rosemary roasted chicken stew with root vegetables! It’s a perfect way to beat those cold fall and winter days when, you’re looking for warm and hearty meal. Not only will it warm you up, but as you know, I love to add healing ingredients to all of my recipes and this one is no different.
(This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small percentage from the purchase of items on this page)
As you know, the fall and winter seasons not only mean cold ad blustery weather, but they also mark the start of the cold and flu season too! Plus, it’s also the time when many feel the winter blues or suffer from seasonal affective disorders. Including herbs and spices that help to boost your mood and immune are game changers for your health and wellness.
So because I’m smart-lazy, I love finding ways to cut down on meal prep time as well as clean up. During this time of year, that means either oven baked meals or my new fave-using a Dutch oven to create healthy and hearty meals that are yummy but without all of the fuss. There is no reason to slave over a hot stove while everyone else enjoys the festivities. For me, cooking should not be drudgery nor does it need to be overly complicated. Using a Dutch oven is an awesome way to get the complexity of flavor, deliciousness and healing in every bite without a lot of clean up and prep time. You can simply add all of your ingredients in one or two simple steps, add some water or stock, and let the dutch oven do the rest.
For my roasted chicken stew recipe, I include seasonal root veggies, a blend of rosemary and other herbs along with a selection of healing spices. With all the stress of buying gifts for family and, the reality of bills, easy is the key word. Not only that, healthy and healing are must haves in any dish I prepare, especially during the fall and winter months.
I love the aesthetics as well as the functional aspects of a Dutch oven. Having grown up with a mom who used both cast iron and pressure cookers, I say a Dutch oven beats them all! As a matter of fact, according to an article by consumer reports featuring a professor at the culinary Institute of America, it will give you better results than an instant pot any day. He also stated that this one tool, can easily replace your slow cooker, pasta pot, deep fryer and slow cooker! In other words, you can reduce the clutter and save money in your kitchen with this item alone.
Using an enameled cast iron Dutch oven cuts down on clean up and is more durable than a conventional cast iron pot or Dutch oven. Plus, you can use it on the stove or in the oven which makes this a lot more versatile than a regular pot and it’s more energy
What you will need
1. Chicken leg quarters (1lb) or your favorite selection
2. Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
3. 1 quarter teaspoon of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
4. 1/4 teaspoon of Black Sea salt (optional)
5. 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
6. 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
7. 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
8. 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
9. 1 large clove of garlic, roughly chopped
10. 1 teaspoon sea salt
11. 1 table spoon of olive oil
12. 1 cup chopped multicolored organic carrots
13. 1/2 cup of roughly chopped rutabaga
14. 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsnips
15. 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
16. 2 cups of water (or organic vegetable or bone broth)
17. 1/4 cup chopped celery (optional)
1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and the other spices listed above. Next, in a Dutch oven or favorite cast iron skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped garlic and onion until they become translucent and add the rosemary last.
2. Making sure the garlic, onions and rosemary don’t burn, add in the seasoned chicken to brown on all sides. Using the Dutch oven, you’re able to get that roasted effect without the fuss. Once the chicken is brown and the skin caramelized with a nice crisp, remove it from the Dutch oven and set it aside.
3. Deglaze your dutch oven with the bone broth and then add in the chopped vegetables and allow to simmer at medium to low heat. Then, cube your chicken and add it to the pot and simmer for another 15 mins on low heat. Turn off the heat and it’s now ready to serve with either some crusty sourdough or corn bread.
This is just one of my favorite soups for the fall and winter seasons. I always want to add healing elements (i.e spices, bone broth, etc) to each of my recipes. Check out my African twist on chicken noodle soup right here!
Sweet Potato bread: A Delicious Fall Craving It’s the season for spiced lattes and buttery baked goods! but as always, I love to add some healing and nutrition to my seasonal edible joy. My sweet potato bread with dates, is one such yummy creation! This …
More tea please! For my household, tea is a 365 day a year affair! It’s also an opportunity to look for sustainable and eco-friendly tea bags, teas, accessories, etc. when it comes to tea and blending your own recipes, you’re only limited by your imagination! …
It’s the of summer but let’s not forget we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic! That means, no scrimping on selfcare in order to stay health and aligned. For me, a summertime wellness tea is an excellent way to help my body continue to naturally fight off pathogens.
As always, make sure you research your herbal ingredients as well as make sure they are pesticide-free! Over the last few years, I’ve crafted a variety of herbal tea blends for each season. As an intuitive lay herbalist, I bring together ingredients based on their properties and align them with my body’s needs.
I took this current state of the world as a sign to majorly reconnect with my herbal traditions. I’ve since labeled up my selfcare toolkit, resources, and training. Today’s recipe is a deliciously natural way to support the body in fighting off ailments. I believe the solution to most diseases and illnesses, can be sourced from nature to work with the body’s natural defenses.
*please note that this post contains some Amazon affiliate links and as an affiliate I do receive a small percentage from the sales any items using these links!
Unfortunately, we live in a society that glorifies synthetic chemicals, big pharma, and the destruction of the natural world. The very people that are push drugs and the use of chemicals in our food systems are the same ones telling us not to look for natural alternatives. As for me and my family, we’ll still to our traditional remedies and limit our use of conventional forms.
My experience has shown that my body (and my community agrees), responds better to our traditional herbal remedies. Again, I’m by no means a medical practitioner, and strongly suggest you see your physician for any issues.
Having said that, my summer wellness tea blend is one of many I create for myself and my family to deal with allergies, boost immunity, etc. I often make a large kettle of it and then sweeten it with raw honey. I switch up the ingredients intuitively, depending on what I feel my body needs (i.e stress reduction, immune boost, etc). To be honest, I think everyone needs to have a wellness tea as part of their health and wellness routine. Herbs and spices have been used for centuries, to fight disease, ease chronic conditions, detox the body, and just overall wellness.
I started to really lean into my herbal roots when I found that my seasonal allergies, cold, and flu symptoms dramatically decreased when I switched to herbal and natural remedies. Also, I see that as I get older, my body feels healthier and more aligned when I avoid using pharmaceuticals to ease discomfort and other ailments. Add in spices like ginger, turmeric, cardamom, etc and the relief goes to a whole new level!
For example, Instead of using synthetic sleep aids for insomnia, anxiety, or fatigue I’ve switched to traditional herbal alternatives. Plus, since I don’t like “popping pills” (and neither does my family), I was forced to create tasty teas and tinctures instead.
I have to confess, I have a tea obsession, and if it helps my body heal and fights off the bad stuff too? Then sign me up! I believe everything has its place. Wellness must always be holistic and look at the whole person. Unfortunately, this is not true for many western concepts of health and wellness. Since I believe my food should heal and nourish, my herbal tea recipes fall into that philosophy.
This latest recipe contains, dried rose hips, lemon balm, marshmallow root, calendula flower, butterfly pea flower, chamomile flower, cardamom pods, elderberries, and licorice root. On a side note, I get all of my ingredients from small specialty stores on Etsy that are pesticide-free and ethically sourced. But amazon you can also get organic ingredients on Amazon as well, just do your research.
Sometimes, I add more of one ingredient over the others because I feel my body might need more support in a certain area. If I’m dealing with a lot of stress, I might add more elderberries and rose hips to the mix. Other times, it just depends on what my intuition is telling me about my body’s needs at a particular time. This why a selfcare practice is so important. When you “selfcare” you are more connected and aware of your body. As a result, you’re better able to discern what your needs are and make adjustments.
Since I like to keep things simple, I measure in terms of teaspoons or parts. Just make sure you stay consistent with your measurements. Also, be sure to check with your doctor to make sure it’s okay for you to consume these ingredients (i.e. you don’t have any allergies or reactions with medication, etc).
reduces stress and anxiety, eases indigestion, improves sleep, anti-viral, IBS symptoms, boost brain health, relieve nausea and pain reducer.
You should be able to find the rest at your local health food store or Etsy. Let me know in the comments, if you’ve got some other great sources as well.
I usually get my ingredients from organic suppliers in the US. Amazon also has some trustworthy sources, you just have to do a little research. Here’s just a few of the sources I use on Amazon:
For any herbal tea, you want make sure that you don’t brew it too hot or else you’ll destroy most of its benefits. I go by a simple rule: delicate flowers and leaves, low heat, while roots and fibers med to medium high heat.
Also, the longer you allow it to steep, the more concentrated it will be. To get the maximum benefits I usually steep my teas for at 15 mins and sweeten with raw honey. Don’t forget, raw honey has a number of healing benefits too. This recipe is perfect over ice as a delicious morning detox tea or hot. You can check out more of my favorite tea recipes right here!
Creating your happy place There’s nothing that screams relaxation when it comes to summer, more than my own DIY Outdoor meditation space. Having another place to unwind just adds more options. Not only is it a reflection of my own tastes, creating this DIY space …
All about selfcare mother’s day gifts that make sense! Regardless of whether or not you’ve actually given birth to a child, every woman who stands in that role deserves a break. That’s why I think a selfcare Mother’s Day gift or treat needs to be …
In my opinion, an anti aging face mask is always in season, regardless of the time of year. If you follow me on Instagram @tonyetariahhealth you’ll know that I love skincare, especially clean beauty, and skincare DIY. Over the years, I’ve tried a lot (literally) of the department store and boutique brands but, few have stood the test of time. I’ve gotten frustrated with reformulated favorites that now irritate my skin or are just plain ineffective. Let’s not talk about the ridiculous amounts of money I and other women have spent on this stuff. This is one of the reasons why I love my DIY pink clay face mask! It will tighten, tone, smooth, and, soothe all in one.
The reality is that no matter how great or miraculous the product, creams, serums, and face masks are, they’re not the cure-all for poor diet, no selfcare, and a lack of a decent skincare regime. My mom used to say, “what you eat shows up on your skin”, and she was right! The actual magic happens when you combine a skin-nourishing diet and a regular selfcare routine; which by the way, includes skincare. That means eating a lot of colorful vegetables, fruits, and limiting your consumption of processed foods and meats. The older I get, the more confirmation I get that, eating healthy foods, especially a plant-centered diet, makes a huge difference in the aging process. This is even truer for the skin because it’s our largest organ and is also the most exposed to the elements. That’s a win on every one of these skin-loving ingredients!
Believe it or not, I’m crazier about what it does than the actual color of this DIY face mask. The fact that it’s pink is just a little extra and if I try hard enough, I can make myself believe that I’m actually that girly girl, but I’m not! The pink comes from the combination of red and white clays that come together to give the pink clay its color. Some recipes for this face mask DIY have added rose essential oil or rose water for additional benefits and effect. I also love this mask to kick off the spring because the color just screams spring and my skin feels baby-soft afterward! I have to confess, I’m kinda addicted to these DIY face mask recipes because they work so well. Check out another favorite of mine right here and here too!
First, obviously the pink clay and then a few other skin-loving ingredients. I always try to make sure that I use ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and soothing to sensitive skin since that’s my type. Also, I add in ingredients that will boost skin elasticity, fight fine lines and wrinkles, as well give tons of moisture! So for this favorite, I’m using pink clay as the base and aloe vera gel as the liquid for this face mask. Remember, if you’re going to use it on your skin, make sure your ingredients are all-natural, organic, and free from pesticides and other chemicals.
4 Tablespoons of Pink clay
1/4 cup Organic Aloe Vera gel
1 Tablespoon raw honey
5 drops of rosehip essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
The pink clay helps to improve the skin’s elasticity, and cell renewal and gently exfoliates the skin to leave it feeling smooth and soft. The aloe vera gel is anti-inflammatory, moisturizes, reduces infection and acne as well as reduces the appearance of blemishes. For those who don’t know, raw honey is anti-inflammatory, heals the skin, balances bacteria on the skin (i.e. fights acne), naturally exfoliates the skin, and promotes skin renewal. Honey also fights free radical damage (anti-aging), is rich in ant-oxidants, and boosts hydration and moisture. Rosehip essential oil protects against sun damage, hydrates, and is packed with the same nourishing properties of both honey and aloe. Finally, a lavender essential oil also evens out the skin tone, reduces wrinkles, and soothing to the skin.
Now that you’ve got all your ingredients, it’s time to mix it up and enjoy it! First, mix all of your liquid and wet ingredients together in a glass mixing bowl or resealable wide-mouthed jar (you’ll use this to store any extra). Next, add your pink clay and make sure it’s well incorporated into the mixture and forms a smooth paste. To be on the safe side, do a patch test on the inside of your wrist to make sure you don’t have any sensitivities or reactions. Finally, gently apply the paste in smooth strokes over your entire face, avoiding your mouth and the eye area. Let it sit for 5-10 mins and rinse off with warm water and follow up with a serum and or moisturizer. For more face mask ideas, check out this post too!
The reality many of us face in the workplace Let’s face it. We’ve all experienced the less than ideal workplace setup. This is what I call a toxic work environment. From disjointed and inconsistent leadership messaging, micro-managing, and unrealistic goal setting to outright incompetence, we’ve …
