Recipes | Bearfruit Basics | Simple Christian Living

Quick & Easy to Make Air Fryer Recipes for Dinner

BearfruitBasics — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 14:00:59 +0000

Easy Air Fryer Dinner Recipes Looking for quick and easy-to-make air fryer recipes for dinner? Well, bookmark this page because here is a round up of fun things to try in your air fryer! I must admit, I’m late to the game with air fryers, as I just got one last Christmas 😂 but I’m always looking for easy air fryer recipes, so let me share a few easy air fryer recipes to get you started: 1. Crispy French Fries To start, just cut your washed potatoes into thin wedges, toss with olive oil and your favorite seasonings. My favorite is salt, pepper, and rosemary. Air fry at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. 2. Chicken Wings Season your chicken wings with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and air fry at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. For an extra kick, you can add hot sauce if that’s your preference. 3. Fish Tacos Restaurant quality fish tacos at home? Don’t mind if I do! Season tilapia (or your preferred fish) with chili powder, cumin, and salt, and air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes. Serve in warm tortillas with avocado, salsa, and lime wedges. YUM! 4. Vegetarian Egg Rolls Fill egg roll wrappers (you can buy these already made at the super market) with shredded cabbage, carrots, and anything else you would like to add. Air fry at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. 5. Sweet Potato Fries If you like potato fries, but want something a little healthier, go for sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes contain a lot more nutrients than regular potatoes, such as more antioxidants, vitamin A and vitamin C. For this meal, cut your sweet potatoes into thin wedges, toss with olive oil and cinnamon, and air fry at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. 6. Falafel My husband loves falafel and all things mediterranean. Pulse chickpeas, onion, garlic, and spices (you can use coriander, cumin, black pepper, chili powder and/or cayenne pepper). Put all ingredients in a food processor until combined then form into balls. Air fry at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. 7. Chicken Tenders Cut chicken breasts into strips, dip in beaten egg and seasoned breadcrumbs, and air fry at 400°F for 12-15 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. Kentucky fried chicken, who??? Remember to preheat your air fryer before adding your food, and to shake or flip the food halfway through cooking to ensure even browning. Try our quick and easy breakfast recipes when you can! Enjoy your air fryer creations!

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The Best Easy Peasy Banana Muffins Recipe

BearfruitBasics — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 21:48:38 +0000

I buy way too many bananas every time I go shopping. It’s an easy snack, healthy, and great for smoothies. However, if you can’t eat them fast enough, they go bad – quick! This is why I’ve perfected the art of making banana muffins! If you find yourself in the same pickle as I do – with plenty of bananas that have reached the mushy stage – don’t through them away just yet! I have the best, easy-peasy banana muffin recipe to use. It’s so easy, even the little ones can make it. Not only do they come out perfect every time, but the best part is you can customize this recipe to add whatever you want. What’s So Special About Banana Muffins? According to WebMD, bananas contain many nutrients that help lower your risk of stroke, prevents kidney stones, keeps your muscles strong, and your bones healthy. Bananas have fiber, and contains vitamins A, C, B6 and Magnesium. They also keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check, as well as reducing any inflammation. So to sum it up, there are good for you. Not just for your body, but they make some great jokes too. If your family is anything like mine, we love to laugh. Knock, knock? Who’s There? Banana Muffins! Okay, I’m sure you’ve heard this joke before, (but in case you haven’t it goes like this): “Knock, knock!” “Who’s there?” “Banana.“ “Banana, who?” “Knock, Knock!” (repeat “Banana” and “knock knock” a few times before you answer with “Orange”) “Orange, who?” “Orange you glad I didn’t say Banana?“ Never underestimate a cute banana joke, especially when mushing up bananas at the same time. One of my favorite puns about bananas is this one: “You need to be extra nice to bananas, or else you’ll hurt their peelings.” LOL via GIPHY For more hilarious, clean humor about bananas to giggle about while you make banana muffins with the kiddos, you can always check out more banana jokes here. So back to baking: Grab your old, mushy bananas, a bowl, and the following ingredients below, and let’s get started! Shopping List Here are the things I recommend that you’ll need: Banana Muffins Recipe And that’s it! You did it! Banana muffins in five simple steps. via GIPHY So instead of throwing away mushy bananas next time, please give this a try. If you enjoyed this post, you can stay connected with Bearfruit Basics by following us on instagram and signing up for our newsletter! Did you make the recipe? I want to see! Please tag @BearfruitBasics on Instagram.

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Easy DIY Natural Lip Scrub Recipe With Sugar and Honey

BearfruitBasics — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 00:48:53 +0000

Homemade, All-Natural, DIY Lip Scrub Recipe? Don’t Mind If I do! Putting things on our skin (let alone lips) without reading and understanding the ingredients is a big risk. These days, we are fortunate enough to be educated on toxins and how they effect our bodies and health. If you are looking for a quick, simple – and most importantly – healthy way to keep your lips soft and smooth, this DIY, all-natural lip scrub recipe is perfect for you! Why Should You Use a Natural Lip Sugar Scrub? Did you know that your lips are part of your throat? Not only does a lip scrub help improve the look and feel of your lips, but an exfoliating lip scrub helps remove dead skin. Your lips will be able to easily absorb a moisturizer you put on after you have exfoliated. How Often Should You Be Exfoliating Your Lips? Great question! The answer depends on your skin type. You can exfoliate once or twice a week if that is sufficient for you. If your lips tend to be on the dry and flaky side, you can use a lip scrub on them daily. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, your lips should not feel irritated or raw after using a lip scrub. If you experience any discomfort, you may be scrubbing too often or too harshly. A great tip from Chapstick for when to use your lip scrub, is to pick a dedicated time for your beauty routine. This can be done either in the morning or for your bedtime routine. Sticking to a schedule means you are less likely to forget about it. Best Ingredients for Your Natural Lip Scrub Recipe A huge advantage of making your own lip scrub is being able to use healthy and natural ingredients. Not to mention, if you are frugal and enjoy saving money, making things your self is a great way to be financially savvy! The best ingredients for a lip scrub consist of two elements. The first being something that you can exfoliate with. The second element is something you can moisturize with. The reason both parts are vital in your scrub is because you want to remove dead skin, while at the same time replenish and hydrate your dry lips. Recipe for DIY Sugar and Honey Lip Scrub Below is a lip scrub I have personally made for myself and find the results to be quite lovely! We will be using sugar as the exfoliator. We’ll use organic virgin coconut oil and honey as the moisturizer. Make sure to use regular coconut oil and not fractionated coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil removes the lauric acid naturally present in virgin coconut oil. This means it does not have the antimicrobial properties that regular coconut oil has. Ingredients: Other Ingredient Alternatives Exfoliators If you don’t have sugar or prefer to use something else, you can experiment with coffee or ground spices. You can also use brown sugar over white sugar for a gentler scrub on your lips. Moisturizers If you don’t have coconut oil, consider using jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, or another carrier oil you have on hand. Directions Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Apply by gently scrubbing your lips in a circular motion. Rinse your lips with warm water and pat gently with a face towel. It’s recommended to use a spoon to scoop out your keep your lip scrub fresh. Your DIY lip scrub should keep for about 3-6 months if you use a clean spoon and keep it sealed. Let me know in the comments below if you tried it! Stay connected with Bearfruit Basics by following us on instagram and signing up for our newsletter!

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How To Clean Dirty Silver Jewelry with DIY Recipe

BearfruitBasics — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:53:51 +0000

My grandmother would clean her silver plates with ketchup. Word on the street – from her Puerto Rican neighborhood – is that the acidity from the tomatoes react with the tarnished silver. I remember watching her scrub plate after plate and her silver forks and knives in a bloody mess of ketchup. After barely seeing a difference, I nod approvingly as she pinches my back fat to show me what she was up to. Since then, I use a different method (that is way less messy than ketchup lol) and in my opinion, much more effective way to clean silver! Toxic Silver Cleaners There are many diverse ways to clean silver, but unfortunately some include toxins. So why are some silver cleaners bad to use? For starters, the scent alone is unpleasant and releases harmful chemicals into your household. This is bad for you and any children or pets in the household. Some silver cleaners may contain ammonia, a harsh chemical. Health.ny.gov states this about ammonia poisoning: “Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.” No muy bueno, if you ask me. via GIPHY Secondly, many silver cleaners will attack the silver by stripping away its silver molecules. Instead of taking away from your silver, you can reverse the tarnish build up by using a simple, safe, and easy homemade DIY silver cleaner. All-Natural Silver DIY Cleaning Recipe If you have silver pieces laying around that you no longer use because it has oxidized and turned rusty and brown, this recipe is for you. Before you throw your silver pieces away, or lock them in your jewelry box for good, here is a simple DIY hack to clean silver and make it shine as good as new right in your own kitchen! ✨ This recipe is safe, extremely simple, and the best part: SO EASY! All you need is: Watch a demonstration here, or read instructions after the video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bearfruit Basics•Living Simply (@bearfruitbasics) Steps to Clean Your Dirty Silver Jewelry Disclaimer: I have only tried this method with real 925 sterling silver, and 10k, 14k, and 24k gold. I don’t know how this would work on costume jewelry. Follow me on instagram at @bearfruitbasics for more DIY tips!

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How to Make Non-Toxic, DIY Simple Homemade Cleaning Spray

BearfruitBasics — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 05:14:30 +0000

Homemade Cleaning Spray Solution I must admit, I never did think about the dangerous chemicals in my household cleaning spray until having children. Seeing my toddler in their high chair, I realized that the only thing I had to use to clean up their food tray was a bleach bottle (or something similar). A quick internet search can show you the dirty truth about using a toxic cleaning spray. Not feeling comfortable with the ingredients listed in my household cleaning sprays, I began searching for a healthier, non-toxic alternative. Because of this, I found out that you can clean by using simple, household items with no harsh adverse effects. Why You Should Ditch Toxic Cleaning Sprays We’re all aware of pollution outside our homes, but sometimes we forget to be vigilant with eliminating toxins inside our home. Using household cleaners with dangerous chemicals in them – for example ammonia – can induce physical symptoms such as: Some people can be more at risk for severe symptoms than others. If you have asthma, you may notice your symptoms being triggered more after using something harmful. So instead of using these things, how about using something healthier? Even better, you can make your own! All you need is a secret ingredient: What’s the Secret Ingredient for Homemade Cleaning Spray? Vinegar! Vinegar is the super star when it comes to cleaning sprays. White vinegar is mildly acidic, with a pH of 2.5. You can use white vinegar to clean, deodorize, and disinfect. Vinegar can even kill mold. This vinegar cleaning spray will clean just about anything. However, something you do NOT want to use it on would be granite countertops. Frequent use of vinegar on your granite can dull the shine of your precious stone. Regular soap and warm water works best for these kinds of countertops. For everything else, check out this cleaning spray recipe to do the trick. Cleaning Spray Ingredients You only need four simple ingredients for this recipe, with two of them being completely optional! How to Mix Them Together The ratio for water and white vinegar varies. I have seen 1:3 ratio of 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water. I’ve also read that the more white vinegar you have, the stronger and more potent your spray can be. I personally prefer 1:2 ratio of 1 part vinegar to 2 part water because this is what works for me. I counteract the vinegar smell with essential oils. Vinegar does have a smell to it, I’m not going to lie, but if you add a citrus scent such as lemon or orange, it can smell very fresh and clean. Here is my recommendation: A nice mix of essential oils to try is grapefruit (15), lemon (5), and lavender (10). Mix and match your favorite scents and see what you like! The Takeaway In conclusion, making small changes – such as swapping out your toxic spray for a healthier version – might not seem like much in the moment, but in the long run it helps keep toxins out of your house. It’s cost effective, too! P.s. If you like creating your own cleaning recipes, check out this non-toxic, silver cleaner recipe. This is a quick and chemical-free way of polishing your gold and silver. Let me know in the comments if you use your own homemade cleaning spray, I’d love to hear about it. Follow me on instagram at @bearfruitbasics for more DIY tips!

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How To Make Homemade Natural Deodorant

BearfruitBasics — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 09:33:01 +0000

Homemade Natural Deodorant That Actually Works! Did you know that it’s healthy to sweat it out? Okay, great, but that doesn’t mean you have to smell your BO either. Natural deodorant allows you to still sweat (which is actually healthy and necessary for your body to flush out toxins) while killing the nasty bacteria that produces odor at the same time. Are you looking for a natural, homemade deodorant that actually works? If so, then this simple recipe is for you! Why Is Store-Bought Deodorant Bad For Me? Firstly, store bought deodorant isn’t BAD for you–it just depends on what kind you buy and the brand that makes it. When I am not using my homemade natural deodorant, I personally use this natural deodorant alternative. Not only does it smell amazing, but they promise to be free of “aluminum salts, artificial fragrance, filler ingredients, propylene glycol, phthalates, or parabens.” Most stores carry antiperspirants or deodorants, some made from naturally derived and others not. Unfortunately, many of these products contain harmful ingredients that are not good for your health. Antiperspirant blocks your body from sweating. We actually have to sweat in order to get rid of toxins. Some of the ingredients inside store antiperspirants, such as a metal called aluminum, is for blocking perspiration. The problem with this (and many other unsafe ingredients), is that it may cause gene instability in breast cancer. Does Antipersperant Really Cause Cancer? According to the National Cancer Institute: “Because underarm antiperspirants or deodorants are applied near the breast and contain potentially harmful ingredients, several scientists and others have suggested a possible connection between their use and breast cancer. However, no scientific evidence links the use of these products to the development of breast cancer.” Although there is no clear link to cancer, many institutions are declaring that more research is needed to find more solid answers. If you are wanting to not take that risk, a natural deodorant helps eliminate that threat. Ingredients In Antiperspirants Parabens, Aluminum, Phthalates, Triclosan, artificial colors and fragrances, are some of the ingredients you can find in antiperspirants, just to name a few. These are preservatives, metals, and chemicals that can cause symptoms such as allergic reactions, gene instabilities, unusual hormone activities and skin irritation. How Long Will It Take For My Body To Get Used to Natural Deodorant? A reason why many people quit a natural deodorant, is because they don’t give their body enough time to adjust to a natural deodorant. It can take as little as a few days to a few weeks for someone’s body to reset its ecosystem. For example, if you are hoping to transition into using a natural deodorant, something you can try first is doing an armpit detox. The gist of it is to reset your body by removing any build up from previous antiperspirants and to flush out previous toxins in your body to give you a fresh start. Ingredients in Homemade Natural Deodorant The ingredients in natural deodorant are not only safer for you, but also contain antibacterial ingredients. Coconut oil and tea tree oil acts as a natural disinfectant, since both contain antibacterial properties. Baking soda is a popular option for natural deodorant due its well-known ability to absorb odors. Arrowroot powder or cornstarch helps to combat moisture, while essential oils (such as lavender or sandalwood for a more earthy tone) provides a pleasant scent. Please Note: When it comes to using citrus oils (such as orange, lime, or lemon), please be aware that citrus oils are among the most common essential oils to cause photosensitivity. These oils greatly increase UV sensitivity. Be safe in the sun by either omitting citrus oils in your DIY recipe, or make sure you are using sunblock and protecting yourself from any negative reactions. Deodorant Recipe #1 Homemade Deodorant (Regular Version) I have been using this recipe for homemade deodorant for years. You can use either arrowroot powder or corn starch (whatever is in your kitchen!) Mix all the ingredients together, and store in an air-tight container. I use a mason jar 🙂 Deodorant Recipe #2 Homemade Deodorant (For Sensitive Skin) Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks for using baking soda in your deodorant. According to an article in Healthline.com: “Baking soda isn’t designed for the skin. It’s much more alkaline than your skin, which could disrupt your skin’s natural pH balance.” If you find yourself having some kind of reaction to this formula–such as itchiness, redness, scaly skin or a rash–you can try the recipe below with less baking soda and more arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Regardless of which recipe you choose, it’s important to do a patch test first. This will help you see if you experience any discomfort with natural deodorant. Remember you can adjust the recipe accordingly so that it suits you! Stay connected with Bearfruit Basics by following us on instagram and signing up for our newsletter!

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7 Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes With Simple Ingredients

BearfruitBasics — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:43:54 +0000

Easy Breakfast Recipes with Simple Ingredients Every time I look up a new recipe, I want to know two things: Do I have all the ingredients in my kitchen already? And how long does it take to prepare? Bonus points if the recipe is easy enough to remember by memory 🙂 If you are looking for quick, easy breakfast recipes, then this post is for you! When it comes to making breakfast, most of the time my kids are up before I am. I’m not making excuses, but I will say the reason I am not a morning person is because I am a night owl that doesn’t drink coffee. (I know, I know, who’s heard of a Puerto Rican that doesn’t drink coffee?) Not to mention my late night, TV-show binge watching doesn’t help me out either. 🙃 Although I love to eat out whenever we can, being budget conscious makes me want to be more venturesome in the kitchen. As a mama, one of the ways I like to show love to my family is by giving them healthy things to eat (well- healthy for the most part) that I cook out of love. So if you are looking for easy breakfast recipes with simple ingredients that take a short time to prepare, this is for you! Easy Breakfast Recipe #1 Grilled Cheese with a Twist Ingredients First, butter one slice of bread, then add cheese and turkey. Finally place some tomato slices and complete your sandwich with the other slice of bread. You can swap out any of the ingredients to your liking of course. Put the entire sandwich into your toaster oven and toast until golden, (or use your frying pan or griller.) Easy Breakfast Recipe #2 Tropical Smoothie Ingredients This recipe makes one serving (about 12 oz), but you can double up on the recipe to create more smoothies for the rest of the fam! Add 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of frozen fruit to your blender and whip it all up until fruit chunks turn into a smooth consistency. If the smoothie is a meal replacement, you can add your choice of protein powder. Feel free to swap out the vanilla almond milk for regular almond milk for less calories (or whatever milk you prefer to drink). Sometimes when I want more of a “slushie” taste, instead of a milk base, I go for Juice. You can also try a juice base such as orange, apple, or pineapple, depending on what taste you are aiming for. There is no need to add extra sugar into the smoothie, fruits come naturally packed with sugar. Since I use frozen fruit, I don’t need to use cubed ice 🙂 I use an unsweetened “Tropical Blend” for the fruit, which includes mangoes, pineapple, strawberries, and papaya. Another fruit mix favorite of mine is a “Berry Blend” which has strawberries, cherries, and blueberries. Easy Breakfast Recipe #3 Homemade Vanilla Pancakes Ingredients Pancakes from scratch are a favorite in our household. This is my mother’s recipe which is super easy for me to remember because it’s a pattern of either “twos” or “ones” (the only thing that breaks the pattern is the salt since you only need a half of a teaspoon). Firstly, mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Next, in a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients: milk, vanilla extract and eggs. Then pour the wet bowl into the dry one to combine the two. I like to fry my pancake batter in a pan with a bit of melted butter but you can also use oil if you prefer. Easy Breakfast Recipe #4 Yoghurt with Fruit Ingredients Another easy breakfast dish is yoghurt with fruit. You can use your choice of yoghurt: plain, vanilla, non-fat, greek, etc. My personal favorite fruits for yoghurt are pineapple and strawberries, but again- use whatever you prefer! Sprinkle the top with granola and Voilà! Here is an in-depth post I found that gives more options on yoghurt recipes. Easy Breakfast Recipe #5 Egg Omelette Ingredients Start by whipping the eggs together until completely blended. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium heat then pour the egg in your pan or skillet. Make sure the bottom is set before you add your fillings. When I make an omelette, I like to use spinach, grape tomatoes, diced red onion, and shredded cheese. Another super simple easy breakfast recipe idea that cooks up in less than 5 minutes! Easy Breakfast Recipe #6 Avocado Toast Ingredients I think what really makes this recipe pop is the type of bread you decide to go with. This article goes into great detail about the seven healthiest breads you can eat. Among them listed are: whole grain, sourdough, and 100% whole wheat. Once you’ve selected some healthy bread, toast your slices until they are golden brown. Now it’s time to get the avocado spread ready while you wait for the bread to finish toasting. Ensure that your avocado is ripe. Slice open your avocado and remove the seed. You can peel the skin off or scoop the avocado out into a bowl. Mash it up with a fork and use this spread on top of you toast. Sprinkle with salt. (I like to use Everything Bagel Seasoning.) If you are feeling adventurous, you can add more toppings to your liking! Easy Breakfast Recipe #7 Oatmeal with Fruits Ingredients Oatmeal is a great option for an easy breakfast recipe since you can customize it to your liking. Oatmeal can cook in as little as 2 minutes. It’s the perfect warm, filling, before-school breakfast that is healthy and quick before dashing out the door to take the kids to school or to their school bus. All you need is some instant oatmeal and fruits. Follow the instructions to cook the oatmeal. For the most part, all you need is boiling water. The fruits you use can be dried fruit, fresh fruits, nuts, etc. If you like to spice things up (pun intended), you can use cinnamon, vanilla extract, or nutmeg, among anything else you prefer. And that’s it! Seven easy breakfast ideas with super simple ingredients. What are some of your favorite easy breakfast recipes? Let me know what I am missing out on! Stay connected with Bearfruit Basics by following us on instagram and signing up for our newsletter!

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