Raines Realm

A lot of people may be unfamiliar with the term "dressing candles", so I've decided to go over some simple information here so that you can use the basics to further manifest success in your daily life. Dressing candles is a very old practice that is used by many different cultures and belief systems. Every group has used this technique at some point or another. This adds to the symbolism of it because it can help you feel connected to the world around you as well as all of those who came before you. To properly dress a candle, you will obviously need to start with a candle. Bare minimum, you will also need some oil. I prefer using oils and herbs in my candle preparations, to make sure that I am using making my combination as potent as possible. This also ensures that i can clearly concentrate on my intention. I suggest using a candle that you feel like respresents the outcome of your goal, whatever you are trying to acomplish using the Law of Attraction. After ...

With the weather cooling down, these are a perfect treat for the whole family! You can customize them in so many ways and they are kid-approved, healthy deliciousness.   You will need a dehydrator for this recipe or a warmer drawer on your oven. A high-powered food processor really helps when making the sauce, but its not absolutely crucial for this recipe. Raw Vegan Cinnamon Rolls 5 Bananas 1 cup medjool dates (soaked for 30 min and then pitted) 2 tbsp softened coconut oil 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Pinch of sea salt 1/2 c water 1. Slice bananas lengthwise into thirds and dehydrate until soft and pliable. 2. While bananas are dehydrating blend remaining ingredients until smooth. 3. Spread filling on banana slices and roll onto themselves until you have two banana slices rolled together into cinnamon bun shape. 4. Dehydrate rolls until the consistency you prefer. 5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped walnuts. You can also sprinkle with nutmeg, add shredded coconut...

If you've ever dealt with trying to find a healthy snack that actually tastes good or an "out of the norm" new vegetable side, this recipe is for you! Kale is often overlooked, but it is a superfood suited for many uses! This amazing vegetable has many health benefits including the fact that it is high in iron, vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and fiber; easily making kale a guilt-free, superfood addition to your diet. You can add it to smooties, stirfrys, egg scrambles, burgers, salads, as well as many other things, including these delicious chips. Kale chips are incredibly easy to make and only require three ingredients. The are light and crispy, absolutely delicious. If you buy kale already chopped, this recipe becomes even simpler, but it can be done with a bunch of kale with minimal effort. Kale Chips Recipe 3 Cups of Chopped Kale (stalks removed) 1 Tbsp Olive oil 1 or 2 Pinches of Sea Salt Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie...

Have you ever had that moment where you just finished cooking dinner after a stressful, hectic, crazy day, and its much later than your family's normal dinner time, and as you triumphantly announce that its ready, you realize that the table has not been set? Now dinner is getting cold while everyone pitches in, grabbing the plates, saucers, flatware, glasses, napkins, and condiments. Dinner is now cold. What's the solution? Everyone knows that I am a big planner. I am a firm believer that meal planning can make life so much easier. And meal planning is crucial for this habit to work. Its best if you know what the next meal is going to be, or at least have a basic idea of what it will consist. You can find more information on meal planning and prep  here . After you clear the table following a meal, set it for the next meal. Simple right? At minimum, put out the plates, saucers, and cloth napkins. Then, if you have children they can put out the flatware and condiments whi...

When you first wake up and you're resembling something more out of a Romero movie than your normal self, blindly staggering towards the coffee, do you ever wish for an effortless breakfast that doesn't consist of packaged convenience food? This recipe is your wish granted! This casserole is so easy because you mix it the night before. So, in the morning, all you have to do is put it in the oven and, bam, home-cooked breakfast without the work first thing in the morning. This was perfect for our Christmas morning and will probably be a weekend favorite as well. The only thing that actually has to be cooked the night before is the ground sausage. You could even take that a step further though. During your meal prep daus, you could scramble sausage to freeze as well, making this recipe that much easier. This recipe is great for building onto as well. You could add onions, peppers, ham, bacon, tomatoes, anything that you would like in an omelet would probably work i...

These chocolate spoons are so festive for this time of the year. They would make great last minute stocking stuffers...or you could keep them all to yourself! I still haven't quite decided what I'm going to do. These are perfect for anyone who loves taking their coffee or hot cocoa to a whole new level. For these, I use the plastic spoons that mimic actual flatware. I normally buy them from Sam's Club, but you can get them from most large stores. I think they really dress them up and  give them an elegant look. And, we all know that I like pretty things! If you're giving these as a gift, I suggest using cellophane bags to wrap them. You should probably add a tag that says what they are and what's in them depending on the toppings and add-ons that you use. I, personally, really like dipping them in crushed candy canes after the Chocolate. I just run them through the food processor for a few seconds. Its so easy and adds a festive touch! Chocolate-...

Christmas is almost here! Presents wrapped and under the tree, check. Goodies baked, check. Hot chocolate stockpiled, check! So, now that everything is ready, what are some fun things to do with your kids while you wait for Christmas day? Here's six fun crafts to occupy the rest of the week. 1. Painting mugs - this craft is so simple! All you need is some dishwasher-safe acrylic paints (less than $1 each at craft stores and Wal-Mart), painting supplies, and mugs (only $1 each at Dollar Tree), and painter's tape. Put down a drop cloth and have fun! After everyone finishes painting, let sit for one hour, then bake per directions on paint bottle. Fun works of art for the whole family! 2. Painting ornaments - such a fun craft to do with children of all ages! These are great for adding to your tree or for giving to family and friends as stocking stuffers. You can find the complete recipe with directions here . 3. Bird Feeder - if you like birds, why not make birdseed ...

Are you looking for an awesome gift for everyone in your list? Have you waited until last minute and want an easy and reasonably priced recipe that you can make yourself? Look no further, sugar scrub is your friend! This recipe is so easy and it works wonderfully. You can customize it by adding more or less sugar depending on the consistency that you want. The great thing about using coconut oil is that it doesn't leave an oily residue, so it can be used on the face and body! I suggest using lavender essential oil instead of peppermint. I know, I know, peppermint is all the rage around the holidays. But, peppermint oil can have detrimental effects on new breastfeeding mothers' supplies. So, instead of screening everyone on my gift list, I use lavender. Besides being such a mild and well-tolerated oil, lavender is also amazing for easing headaches and migraines, relaxation, skin irritations, and it can really lift your mood. It is such a great overall choice that it is ...

Yogurt pretzels are a simple thing to make. They are fun and tasty, although the calorie count is not for the faint of heart! Seriously, don't look it up, just enjoy these little delectables a few at a time and you'll be fine. Moderation is always key and these pretzels taste so good that they're worth it. The first time I made these, the yogurt didn't coat the pretzel as well as I would've liked, so I ended up doing the process twice. You can watch that video here . To avoid that, you can make the yogurt mixture and put it in the fridge to stiffen up a little first and then proceed with the dipping and setting. This recipe would be a fun project for children. Getting to dip the pretzels into the yogurt would also be really good for developing hose fine motor skills as well as teaching patience. And, it's vegetarian, so for those with certain dietary restrictions, this can still be an acceptable snack. Another great thing about this recipe is that you p...

Sometimes it's the simple things that can make all of the difference. The holidays are busy enough that I'm sure all of us could benefit from these simple kitchen hacks. I personally utilize all of these tricks and they have really made my life easier. If you want to watch me go into a little more detail about these ideas, you can check out my video  here . 1. Baking Kits If you're going to be doing a lot of baking this season, making lots will save you a lot of time and headaches along the way. Pre-measure your dry ingredients for the recipes on your baking list and bags them separately in sandwich bags. Then combine them into a gallon storage bag and label it. This way, when you're ready to bake, all you have to do is grab your bag and then measure your wet ingredients. This is such a time saver! 2. Add baking soda when boiling eggs Add a tbsp of baking soda to the water when boiling eggs. This makes them so easy to peel which saves time and eliminates frus...

This recipe is a favorite of mine. It combines just the right amount of sweetness and it's a perfect addition to a cheese course! (More on that at another time.) Spreading this recipe over a cracker paired with goat cheese is an ultimate snack, appetizer, or addition to your cheese courses. At this moment, I realize I might be obsessed with cheese courses. I'll reflect on that. Seriously though, this recipe really takes minimal effort, you can easily do it while doing other things around the house. I recently made this whole also doing some holiday crafts and it was a perfect treat to enjoy after clean-up! A side note, this has a shelf life of about three days, but I doubt it will last that long. You can easily make it for gifts if you make it the day before or morning of the exchange. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Fig and Onion Spread Recipe 1/4 Cup Olive Oil 1 Onion (diced) 2 Cups Figs 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar 2 Tbsp Sugar Directions ( Step-by-step vid...

Sometimes, I can be pretty obsessed with my slow cooker. I love making big batches of delicious meals and then freezing half to enjoy later. It helps me save time and my family gets to enjoy a large variety of tasty dinners! I originally saw this recipe while I was watching How Jen Does It   on YouTube. She has some really amazing slow cooker recipes and this one really stuck out for me. I've changed a couple of things in her recipe based on my family's preferences and simplifying it to make it an even quicker dinner time option. A little tip when cooking in your slow cooker, spray it with nonstick spray first so that things don't stick. Nothings worse than saving the time cooking only to find yourself spending considerable time scrubbing over the sink after. I suggest serving this chicken over rice and topping it with sour cream and perhaps a little shredded cheese. You can use brown or white rice, whichever you prefer. Santa Fe Chicken Recipe ( Step-by-step vi...

We all want to show our loved ones how much we care, especially during the holidays. Perhaps, you're better off skipping the long lines and parking lot brawls, and baking gifts that will last year after year. This recipe can be used for a variety of projects like making ornaments or little knick knacks. You can let your children or pets add their little hand or paw prints. You can even create your own designs using your fingers, toothpicks, straws, or anything you can think of. Let your imagination guide you as you gather your supplies. You will need flour, salt, water, and acrylic paints. The original recipe for this project can be found  here . Ornament Mold Recipe 4 cups Flour 1 Cup Salt 1 1/2 cups Water Directions  Step-by-step instructions 1. Combine all ingredients in bowl and knead for 15 minutes. 2. Roll out dough and use cookie cutters or a butter knife to cut out shapes. 3. Add handprints, footprints, fingerprints, pawprints, (you get the idea...

Thanksgiving was wonderful, but you're left with half of a gigantic bird that's now taking up valuable real estate in your fridge. There are hundreds of recipes you could use, but this is probably one of the easiest and it's absolutely delicious! I love making chicken pot pies, so I got the idea of using leftover turkey, it's so simple yet an ultimate comfort food. The ingredients that you'll need for this recipe are all inexpensive and the prep takes about 5 to 10 minutes tops. Feel free to customize the seasoning depending on your preferences and how the turkey was originally seasoned. I normally buy the pie crusts that come rolled up in a two pack in the refrigerated section. If there's one you prefer, you can certainly use that instead. Here is my ultimate turkey leftover recipe! Turkey Pot Pie 2 Pie Crusts 2 Cups of Turkey (cubed) 1 bag of Frozen Vegetable Mix (Peas, Corn, Green Beans, Carrots) 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup Salt Pepper 1...

Thanksgiving was wonderful, but you're left with half of a gigantic bird that's now taking up valuable real estate in your fridge. There are hundreds of recipes you could use, but this is probably one of the easiest and it's absolutely delicious! I love making chicken pot pies, so I got the idea of using leftover turkey, it's so simple yet an ultimate comfort food. The ingredients that you'll need for this recipe are all inexpensive and the prep takes about 5 to 10 minutes tops. Feel free to customize the seasoning depending on your preferences and how the turkey was originally seasoned. I normally buy the pie crusts that come rolled up in a two pack in the refrigerated section. If there's one you prefer, you can certainly use that instead. Here is my ultimate turkey leftover recipe! Turkey Pot Pie 2 Pie Crusts 2 Cups of Turkey (cubed) 1 bag of Frozen Vegetable Mix (Peas, Corn, Green Beans, Carrots) 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup Salt Pepper 1...

Sweet breads are amazing, although you should never get them confused with sweetbreads, totally different ball game. One of the great things about breads like this is that they freeze well. You can make a batch or two ahead of time for when you need it and its a great way to take some of the stress out of planning teas and brunches. I always keep some in my freezer for just such occasions. This is a mild orange bread so it pairs well with a lot of things. You can serve it with butter and fruit spreads if you like, but it doesn't need them. This means that it can stand alone as part of a variety of finger foods, (such as for afternoon tea), or it can play a supporting role as a dinner bread, or perhaps even dessert. Orange Bread Recipe 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Baking Powder A Pinch of Salt 3/4 cup Sugar 1/3 cup Oil, such as Olive Oil 1 cup Orange Juice Directions ( Step-by-step video ) 1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease pan(s). 2. ...