• Best Non-Candy Easter Gifts for a Healthy Basket

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    Best Non-Candy Easter Gifts for a Healthy Basket

    The best non-candy Easter gifts for a healthy basket can be so much fun. It’s a chance to get creative and give your children more than junk food. There are a lot of things you can put in an Easter basket. The problem is that so many of the non-candy options are also junk – plastic that will end up in a landfill. They are toys that will break easily or never be played with again and tossed.

    How about the idea of a non-candy gift on a holiday that is also useful? Many items you use regularly have a fancier or more fun version. When my kids were young, they loved getting fun toothbrushes in their baskets. I typically would buy boring toothbrushes but on the holidays they would get a fun character toothbrush that they didn’t normally get. There are also fun gift items that are not necessarily useful but they are still made of natural materials (like these fun break your own geodes).

    What can I give for Easter instead of candy?

    Every year I try to come up with new and fun ideas for Easter baskets that are age appropriate. The things a toddler would love are much different than a teenager. Easter baskets are still a lot of fun when they are low in sugar and full of useful and fun items. Although some of these items do crossover into other age groups! Here is a good list to get you started on brainstorming ideas for your children (or young adults).

    No Candy Easter Basket for Toddlers

    Non Candy Easter Basket Ideas for Girls & Boys Age 5-10

    Non Candy Easter Basket Ideas for Tweens & Teens

    No Candy Easter Basket Ideas for Young Adults

    What Can I put Inside Easter Eggs Besides Candy?

    If your family has an egg hunt tradition, you can dye real eggs with homemade food dye and hide them. This avoids the need to fill plastic eggs with candy or junk. If you do use plastic Easter eggs, you can still fill them with non-candy gifts that come in handy. Here are some ideas:

    • Money
    • Temporary tattoos
    • Stickers
    • Fun band-aids
    • Seeds for planting a garden

    Holidays can be a time when so much junk food comes into your life. You can still have fun traditions and enjoy the day without those things. Making homemade treats that are healthier can become part of your family traditions. There are many simple and healthy recipes you can try to find the ones your family likes the most. Try these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins or this Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread.

    Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe to stay in the loop. If you are looking for some of the healthy tools and resources mentioned in my articles, take a look at my healthy shopping guide.

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  • Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Recipe (& Dairy Free Option)

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    Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Recipe (& Dairy Free Option)

    Here is a Gluten free Irish soda bread recipe (with Dairy free option) that everyone will love. It’s lightly sweet and has a nice texture. You can make this healthy bread and feel good about serving it as a healthy food.

    Does Irish Soda Bread Contain Gluten?

    Irish soda bread is typically made with wheat flour so if you are purchasing a loaf chances are it is not gluten-free. Can you buy gluten free Irish Soda Bread? Maybe! Stores like Whole Foods may have gluten-free options but don’t assume unless it clearly says gluten-free on the label. Really the best way to get a nice loaf is to make it yourself.

    How did Soda Bread Originate?

    During the famine years, Irish grain was exported to England while Corn was imported from the US. Soda bread was born out of necessity, because the domestic flours did not have the properties needed to rise effectively when combined with yeast. The original recipe, dating back to 1836, had four simple ingredients: Flour, salt, (an acid to interact with the Soda), and Bicarbonate of Soda. The acid element used was sour milk or buttermilk left from butter-making. 

    Dairy free Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

    If you want a gluten free soda bread without buttermilk, it is possible. Our recipe

    Gluten free flour for Irish Soda bread uses almond milk but any milk will do. Dairy-free milks like oat milk, cashew milk, or almond milk work well. In addition to dairy-free milk, goat milk also works. To make the rise reaction with the baking soda, some acid is needed. This is traditionally provided by the buttermilk but since we are not using that, we add apple cider vinegar to our milk. Our recipe also calls for butter but coconut oil is a suitable replacement to make it dairy free. It comes out great with either type of fat. I’ve made it both ways!

    gluten free irish soda bread

    Ingredients Needed for this Recipe

    • Gluten free flour blend
    • baking soda
    • baking powder
    • Sea salt
    • xanthan gum (if your flour blend doesn’t contain it)
    • Raisins – a mix of raisins and golden raisins is really nice
    • Granulated sugar or coconut sugar
    • butter or coconut oil (if dairy free) softened
    • 1 egg
    • Dairy free milk or goat milk
    • Apple cider vinegar

    Which Gluten free Flour to use in Soda Bread?

    Gluten free flour blends work well. I always have luck with King Arthur flour gluten free measure for measure flour. You could also use Bob’s Red Mills gluten free 1:1 flour or your favorite pre-made blend.

    Gluten free Irish Soda Bread

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 1/2 cups Gluten free flour blend
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
    • 1/2 cup raisins
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 3 tbsp butter or coconut oil (if dairy free) softened
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup almond milk
    • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oven to 450°F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
    • In medium bowl, stir together flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum. Stir in raisins; set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar, butter or coconut oil and egg on medium speed about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in milk, vinegar, and flour mixture.
    • Place dough on cookie sheet and pat into circle about 1 1/2 inches thick. With sharp knife, cut X across loaf about 1/2 inch deep.
    • Bake at 450°F 5 minutes; reduce heat to 350°F, and bake 25 minutes longer or until golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
    • Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.
    how to make gluten free dairy free irish soda bread

    Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe to stay in the loop. If you are looking for some of the healthy tools and resources mentioned in my articles, take a look at my healthy shopping guide.

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  • Get Rid of Dry Skin Without Petroleum

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    Get Rid of Dry Skin Without Petroleum

    It is possible to get rid of dry skin without petroleum. If you have had dry skin your whole life you've probably been told to use petroleum products like Aquaphor, Vaseline, or Eucerin. While these products may seem to work, they are not really healing your skin and they contain potentially harmful chemical additives. Creams that contain mineral oil, like Eucerin, can increase the rate at which skin tumors form.

    Just a quick search on the Environmental Working Group will show you that Aquaphor contains a level 8 chemical additive called oxybenzone which has a long list of potential risks. It's clear these products aren't safe options for you or your family. The good news is there are many natural alternatives that work with your body's ability to heal itself. Here is how you can prevent and sooth dry skin with all natural ingredients:

    Use Gentle Natural Exfoliation

    Exfoliation helps to take off dead skin cells and keep the skin surface smooth. The other benefit is that moisturizers can penetrate the skin better when the dead skin cells are sloughed off. Make exfoliation a part of your regular skin care routine to help to prevent severe dry skin. Read this post about exfoliation options for your face including the Konjac sponge.

    There are similar methods you can use to get rid of dry skin on your body too, like this natural body loofah or a natural sugar scrub. You can even mix your own with some organic sugar and almond oil for a quick solution. The added benefit to using a body scrub that contains oil is that it's perfect to use just before shaving your legs, you won't even need shaving cream.

    Natural Oils & Butters Get Rid of Dry Skin

    There are many natural oils and butters that will work all on their own to help soothe dry skin and many are even better when combined with other oils. Some of the best oils you can use for your body include coconut oil, shea butter, and almond oil. Try our super moisturizing Body Butter that contains these oils.

    Natural oils that work well for face include olive oil, rosehip seed oil, hazelnut oil, and shea butter. My absolute favorite single oil for your face is a high quality organic first cold pressed olive oil. If I'm all out of my serum or face cream, then this is my simple go-to oil. It's also a good trick if you are traveling and forgot your moisturizer.

    Remedies for Severe Dry Skin and Eczema

    There are times when skin can get extremely dry and even to the point where it's an inflamed red rash or eczema. In this case, some more intense moisturizing and healing is needed. There are herbs that can be helpful for severe skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Some helpful herbs include chickweed, calendula, and chamomile. If you like to DIY you can make your own herbal salve – here is my recipe.

    As you can see, there's no need to use products with chemical additives that could be harmful to your family. I gave up all of that drugstore junk almost 10 years ago and I've never found the need to go back. Nature can provide all of the things we need to maintain healthy skin!

    Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe to stay in the loop. If you are looking for some of the healthy tools and resources mentioned in my articles, take a look at my healthy shopping guide.

    Some of our links are affiliate links, which means if you click and buy, I earn a small commission. The price is the same for you, though. Thank you!

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