Organic Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I have curated a wide variety of the best and most interesting organic gift ideas that I could find.

And it just so happens that they come from many of my favorite organic companies.

SWEET GIFT BOX BY ONE LUCKY DUCK

Having daily access to One Lucky Duck is reason enough to live in NYC.

But not to worry if you don’t live here because One Lucky Duck has you covered. They will ship your Valentine a box of organic, gluten-free, vegan, raw cookies, brownies, and chocolate to anywhere in the country.

The box comes wrapped in pink and red tissue paper and is tucked into a sexy black gift box embossed with a silver duck, complete with red or pink ribbon.

This gift set comes in two sizes, mini love box or big love box, and can be purchased online by clicking here.

3-DAY JUICE CLEANSE FROM SUJA

Wanting to give someone a Valentine’s Day gift of mental and physical clarity through nothing but juice?

If so, Suja, one of the best pressed organic juice companies in the country, is offering Living Maxwell readers 20% off their 3-day cleanse.

This person will be filling their body with USDA certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified bottles of goodness, all packed with tons of vitamins and nutrients.

To order this cleanse, click here and use the code VDAY20 at check-out to receive the 20% discount. This offer will be good until the end of the month.

FLOWER ESSENCES BY LOTUS WEI

Katie Hess, founder of the Lotus Wei, wants to help rejuvenate and nourish that someone special in your life with her amazing flower essences.

Handpicked from wild-harvested flowers grown in the most pristine conditions around the world, these flowers are infused into flower elixirs, mists, serums, and eco-friendly perfumes for mood-elevating experiences.

Personally, I use Joy Juice and Infinite Love, and think they’re spectacular. Many other people, including Dr. Andrew Weil and Johnny Depp, are also big fans.

To browse the large collection of honey elixirs, aromatic mists, and luscious oils, click here.

4-DAY SAKARA LOVE CLEANSE 

From February 10th to 13th next week, Sakara Life, the fantastic organic food delivery service in NYC, is offering a special 4-Day LOVE CLEANSE designed to cleanse, tone, and rejuvenate your body. Here’s what you’ll be getting with this package:

* 4 days of ready-to-eat meals that will fill you with love & light
* Special 25% off of specially selected Fluer du Mal lingerie pieces
* Sakara community class led by top yoga teacher and author Elena Brower
* 2 exercise classes of your choice at any of Fitist’s participating studios
* Daily pieces of Lulu’s raw chocolate made of the finest organic ingredients
* Sakara LOVE notes

Click here for pricing and more information. This package is only available for NYC residents.

CHOCO-LUSCIOUS BY VERMONT SOAP ORGANICS

When you talk about innovative products in the organic industry, Vermont Soap Organics is always at the top of the list.

And the company delivers another one with its Choco-Luscious Skin Smoothie.

This 100% organic product is made with coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and rosemary extract, and will leave your Valentine’s skin feeling smooth and moisturized but not greasy.

To order Choco-Luscious Skin Smoothie, click here and enter the code chocomax at checkout to receive a 15% discount.

LOV IS BEAUTIFUL ORGANIC TEA BLEND

From the internationally-known organic tea company, Løv Organic, comes a special mellow blend called Løv is Beautiful.

This enticing blend uses white tea, green tea, and green rooibos, and contains two crucial allies in the fight to preserve your skin’s looks, antioxidants and zinc.

To purchase Løv is Beautiful, click here. Shipping is available to more than 100 countries around the world.

[via Living Maxwell]

A Seductively Healthy Valentine’s Dinner

What can you do to make a special Valentine’s Day dinner for your sweetie? Make it hot, make it healthy, and make it easy!

Studies show that spicy foods can raise your heart rate, cause flushing, and generally mimic some of the effects of sexual stimulation. For centuries, chiles and other heat-inducing ingredients have been added to love potions and other sensual aids to increase desire.

What’s a better aphrodisiac than showing someone that you love them enough to prepare deliciously healthy foods? Pomegranates, those exotic fruits containing a multitude of sensual, fleshy seeds inside a thick rind, not only offer a luscious crimson color but also come packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Try this fabulously different recipe on your honey for Valentine’s Day. It’s sweet, spicy, inherently healthy, and couldn’t be easier to prepare or clean up.

Piri-Piri Pomegranate Chicken
“Piri-Piri” is an African term for hot and spicy. Control the amount of fire by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper. This recipe is presented as mild-to-medium heat.

Ingredients
Olive oil
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 cup water or broth
2–3 pieces chicken
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses*
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Salt, to taste
18-20 Brussels sprouts, trimmed with shallow “x” cut into stem end
1-1/2 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced thickly
Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray or wipe the inside of a 2-quart Dutch oven and lid with olive oil.

Pour rice into pot and add liquid. Stir gently to coat grains and smooth into an even layer. Set chicken pieces on top in a single layer.

In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, honey, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Drizzle 1/2 mixture over top of chicken. Drop in Brussels sprouts and carrots and add the remaining mixture. Top with mushrooms and pomegranate seeds. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes or about 3 minutes after the aroma wafts from the oven. Serves 2.

Notes
You can use any combination of boneless, bone-in, skinless, or skin-on chicken pieces in this recipe.

* Look for pomegranate molasses in Middle Eastern markets or specialty or health food groceries.

Elizabeth Yarnell is author of the award-winning cookbook, Glorious One-Pot Meals: A new quick & healthy approach to Dutch oven cooking. Visit her at www.gloriousonepotmeals.com.