WHAT WE'RE BAKING? NUTELLA HAND PIES

Nutella Hand Pies

pie crust - store bought or handmade
Nutella
2 C powdered sugar
1 T milk or orange juice, more drops if needed

Preheat oven 400°

Roll out the pie crust, cut in 3-5 inch circles using a biscuit cutter, glass or bowl. Rework the unused pie crust and roll it out again, cut. Repeat as necessary. Laying the circles out on a pastry board, spread a teaspoon of Nutella in the middle of each one.
Fold over and press edges with a fork. You might want to consider dabbing the inside edges with water if the crust is dry to allow it to stick more before you fold over and press edges with a fork.
Prick the middle of the pie with the fork for venting.

Arrange pies on a baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack or pastry board.

Mix powdered sugar and milk or OJ in a separate bowl. Add more drops of milk or OJ if too thick or more powdered sugar if too thin. Scrape into a Ziploc bag and put into the refrigerator until ready to use.

When the pies are completely cool, cut one small corner off the Ziploc bag and squeeze out onto the pies.

WHAT WE'RE BAKING? APRICOT HAND PIES

Sure to be a crowd pleaser. You might have to hide a few for yourself.

Apricot Hand Pies

pie crust - store bought or handmade
1 cooked apricot per pie
cream cheese, softened
brown sugar
2 C powdered sugar
1 T milk, more drops if needed

Preheat oven 400°

Roll out the pie crust, cut in 4-5 inch circles using a biscuit cutter or bowl. Rework the unused pie crust and roll it out again, cut. Repeat as necessary. Laying the circles out on a pastry board, spread a teaspoon of cream cheese in the middle of each one. Top with 2 halves of cooked apricot. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.

Fold over and press edges with a fork. You might want to consider dabbing the inside edges with water if the crust is dry to allow it to stick more before you fold over and press edges with a fork.
Prick the middle of the pie with the fork for venting.

Arrange pies on a baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack or pastry board.

Mix powdered sugar and milk in a separate bowl. Add more drops of milk if too thick or more powdered sugar if too thin. Scrape into a Ziploc bag and put into the refrigerator until                                                                                     ready to use.

When the pies are completely cool, cut one small corner off the Ziploc bag and squeeze out onto the pies.

WHAT IS OIL PULLING & HOW DO I DO IT? Optional with essential oils

Oil pulling has made it's way back into mainstream and is at an all time high. You can google oil pulling and see all the benefits that people including doctors like Dr. Axe claim and I too am a believer. I claim that it:

• Whitens my teeth.
• Has actually made some of my cavities disappear according to my dentist when I went in to get some filled!
• Strengthen my jaw so much that I no longer have any horrible symptoms of TMJ.
• Clears my sinuses.
• No more bad breath.
• No more tonsil stones.
• Strengthens my enamel and gums. My receding gum lines have stopped! 

Tooth brushing is relatively new. Did you know that it's only been around for less than 100 years?! Crazy, right? If you do a historical search for oil pulling, you'll find that traditionally it was a Native American and Ayurveda (South Asia/India) holistic practice. 

Most dentists I've encountered and hear about do not like this practice as it generally can take money away from them. You do the practice of oil pulling, it heals your teeth and gums and you don't see the dentist except for your bi-annual check ups. Yeah, not a good combo for dentists. But for you, it can be a major money and headache saver. 

You can research all the mechanical actions and medical jargon of how and why but I like to just boil it down.

1. Pick an oil. My favorite is coconut oil. Choices: Coconut, Sesame, Olive.
2. Choose the amount. 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon is perfect. I prefer around 1/2 tablespoon.
3. Optional: Add 1-2 drops of essential oil. (Buy pure EOs at link in the right column of this page.)
• Clove essential oil - heals wounds, relieves toothaches, banishes bad breath, pain reliever, boosts immune system, reduces gum disease, anti-inflammatory, etc.
• Cinnamon essential oil - anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, astringent, anti-clotting, decreases inflammation, etc.
• Orange essential oil - anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, anti-septic, kills bacteria, fights infection, etc.
• Lemon essential oil - astringent, detoxifying, antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-fungal, banishes bad breath, thirst quencher, kills bacteria, etc.
• Lime essential oil - immune booster, fights colds/flu/sinusitis/sore throat, kills bacteria, promotes oral health, etc.
• Peppermint essential oil - anti-microbial, freshens breath, promotes healthy sinuses, allergy reducer, etc.
• Basil essential oil - anti-bacterial, fights infection, anti-inflammatory, anti-virus, anti-fungal, fights colds/flu, etc.
• Black Pepper essential oil - anti-bacterial, anti-viral, etc.
• Cilantro/Coriander essential oil - anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, etc.
• Thyme essential oil - anti-septic, anti-bacterial, expectorant, kills infection, treats respiratory conditions, cures bad breath, promotes teeth from decay, etc.
• Oregano essential oil - relieves colds/flu/sinuses, kills parasites, eases infections, heals cold sores, etc.
4. Put in your mouth and swish. Set the timer for 20 minutes, no more, no less. 
• Do this while you take a shower, check your email, play a video game, prep for the day, read a book or study. It will fly by when you're preoccupied. 
5. Do not spit this down the drain or swallow it, rather spit it in the trash. Remember that it can solidify in the pipes and you don't want to swallow all the bad things it's been pulling from your mouth, sinuses, throat, gums, etc. 
6. Do this 3-5x a week.