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The Kitchen for BEST natural, edible conditioners to moisturize and revitalize hair!
By: Denise K. Livotti PetitsChefsAcademy.com
I’ve been on a search for some inexpensive hair products that can condition and give my lack luster, dull hair some vibrancy and shine. I’m not getting any younger and with my hypo-thyrodism my hair is always very dry and brittle looking. So I went out there looking, reading scanning the internet for these great, inexpensive concoctions to give me what I’ve been looking for.
You’re probably wondering how this has anything to do with cooking, let me tell you how much it does have everything to do with cooking and the kitchen. Most of these items should be staples in your home pantry, fridge and diet for health reasons.
All these ingredients are natural taken from the produce isles in your local grocery store or farmers market. Not only are these mixtures natural, they’re edible too!
I’ve spent, over the years, quite a bit of money looking for the right product for me. All to my chagrin, nothing really seemed to work on my hair, outside of the ones below. I go back and forth from using #1, All Hair Types which gives a great soft, supple glow to my hair to #2, Olive Oil & Egg for those times when my hair is on one of it’s dry, brittle benders.
For my youngest daughter 4 who suffers, at times, from Psoriasis and Eczema, I use #4, Dry, Flaky Scalp and Hair: Banana, Honey and Almond for my eldest daughter 8, once in a while we use #3, Oily Hair: Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon.
I interchange these recipes depending on what our hair is doing that particular week or month.
Not only have these home remedies proven effective they’re easy on the wallet and you end up saving not only money but numerous of unused bottles of products which then end up in landfills and oceans around the world. It doesn’t take long to make a batch of the stuff since most of the items should be staples in your home pantry, fridge and diet for health reasons. It’s like riding a bike, once you get into the routine it becomes quick and easy.
Skip the unnecessary expense plus the toxins and chemicals found in commercial hair products and look to your kitchen for the BEST natural, edible conditioners to moisturize and revitalize your hair!
1. All Hair Types: Avocado and Honey
Cut and scoop out the flesh from a ripened avocado and mix in a tablespoon of organic honey. Apply to hair and allow it to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing it off in the shower.
Avocados are rich in a variety of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin E and protein, both of which your hair needs to remain soft and healthy. Meanwhile, honey is a natural antibacterial agent.
2. Dry Hair: Olive Oil and Egg
In need of some major TLC? Combine three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with two eggs and apply the mixture to your hair and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes before rinsing in the shower.
The olive oil will help hydrate brittle locks, while the protein in the eggs will promote healthy hair growth.
3. Oily Hair: Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon
Combine 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with the grated peel of an entire lemon and allow it to set for 15 minutes to absorb the excess oil from your scalp, and then rinse in the shower.
Apple cider vinegar will remove build up from styling products and conditioners and strengthen the hair shaft, leaving you with soft, shiny strands. It will also balance hair’s pH level, kill bacteria, and is a cure for dandruff.
4. Dry, Flaky Scalp and Hair: Banana, Honey and Almond
Mash together 1/2 a ripe banana and add two tablespoons of honey and a few drops of almond oil and allow it to set with a shower cap on for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Bananas can increase the moisture of your hair, smooth frizz and soothe your itchy scalp.
Choose a mask that suits your hair condition and bring your hair back to life!
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Food Revolution Day Toronto/Vaughan 2013
Food Revolution Day Toronto/Vaughan 2013
Cook It! – Share It! – Live It!
Food Revolution Day Toronto/Vaughan 2013
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Guest Blog: Adriano Filice, Petits Chefs Academy student, Age 9, Grade 4, My Love of Cooking
Guest Blog: Adriano Filice, Petits Chefs Academy student, Age 9, Grade 4
My Love of Cooking
Everyone needs food, and I love cooking it.
Good Morning/Afternoon to all of you teachers, students, and judges. If you haven’t guessed it, my speech is on my love of cooking.
The first thing that I’m going to talk about is why I love cooking. Cooking is fun because you get to experiment with your ingredients. I also like it because I get to cook with my Mom and I’ve been cooking with her since I was very young. The best part about cooking is to eat the meal that I cooked and share it with my family. I also love it because you know what you’re putting in your food and you can choose your ingredients. That’s why I love cooking, but you would be surprised how many school subjects are linked to it.
Cooking is fun also because it related to all school subjects and helps you learn more. Language is related because you read the recipes and jot down notes. It relates to Social Studies because you learn about different countries dishes. Science and Math are used in all baking. You need to measure exact ingredients and also combine the correct ingredients for your recipe to work. Health is related because you know what you’re putting in your food and you can use the healthiest products like gluten free flour. That is why cooking is good for learning, but it can also give you opportunities.
Cooking gave me the following opportunities like the following examples. The first thing that happened is that I got in the newspaper five times. Another cool thing that happened is that I got on live T.V. twice. Because of winning an online cooking contest, I got to meet the famous Chef Jamie Oliver. Those are the examples of the opportunities cooking gave me.
That concludes my speech on my love of cooking. Next time you are going to eat out, think twice, because eating at home is more healthy and fun.
By: Adriano Filice
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The Right Olive Oil Is Like a Good Bottle Of Wine!
The Right Olive Oil Is Like a Good Bottle Of Wine!
February 25, 2013
Guest Blog By: Ti-An DeMartines, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Owner of You’re A Peach Holistic Nutrition & Wellness
Olive oil is a staple because of its amazing taste and versatility. You can drizzle it on salads, use it as a base for a delicious tomato sauce, or use it to fry crispy chickpea fritters!
Olive oil has been produced for thousands of years, and is a very important part of the Mediterranean diet, named after the region where the most olive oil is produced. The Mediterranean diet is known to be high in fresh fruits and vegetables, low in meat, and high in healthy fat foods such as fresh fish and, of course, olives! This diet has been shown to cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by 30%, and olives play a starring role in health promotion.
Olive oil is made up of mono-saturated fats, which have been shown to be a prime contributor in preventing heart disease. It’s fruity, slightly bitter taste makes it a yummy and healthful addition to a variety of meals, especially when it is used un-heated, as heating the delicate mono-saturated fats can damage them, turning them into a less beneficial fat.
Not all olive oils are created equal, however, and quality and flavour can vary greatly depending on oil extraction process.
Light olive oil:
This type of olive oil has about the same amount fat as regular olive oil, but has virtually no colour or flavour due to the refining process. This oil has a higher smoking point, which makes it a better choice for cooking foods at high heat, like frying.
Extra virgin olive oil:
This type of olive oil is the purest of the olive oils and contains the most colour and flavour. This oil contains the least amount of acidity at only 1%. The oil is cold-pressed (no heat is involved in its extraction). Because this oil is cold-pressed, those healthy fats remain intact and provide the most benefit. This oil is best used in salads, for drizzling over warm dishes, or for simply dipping your bread in!
Virgin olive oil:
Virgin oil is similar to extra virgin olive oil, as they are both cold-pressed, however, this oil contains a higher level of acidity (2-3%) and therefore a less fruity flavour.
Tips:
Extra virgin olive oil may be the most expensive olive oil, but the quality and taste are far superior to the other types. Be weary of olive oils that aren’t sold in dark bottles- light can be very damaging to those delicate fats in the olive oil, and without a dark glass to protect the oil, you may be wasting your money on an oil that has already started to go rancid. Make sure you store your oil in a cool, dark place, and ensure the cap is secured tightly, as oxygen can also damage your oil.
By Ti-An DeMartines, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and owner of
You’re A Peach Holistic Nutrition & Wellness
http://www.youreapeach.ca
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Grow Good Health this New Year 2013 with the Tower Garden
Great way to start your healthy resolutions for this New Year 2013, grow good health, get your daily fruits, vegetables and herbs right from your own Tower Garden, at home, in the office, good for growing indoors and out, on terraces, balconies. It’s your compact, vertical, hydroponic, growing sensation. Not only is it a great for your health but you’ll also SAVE money at the grocery stores and make it a fun educational tool for kids to know where their food comes from, how to grow it, easily and with no mess. www.PetitsChefs.TowerGarden.ca Call us for more information at 289-553-4445 or email me at Denise@PetitsChefsAcademy.com
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YOUTUBE ALERT: Petits Chefs Academy http://www.youtube.com/user/PetitsChefsAcad?feature=mhee
YOUTUBE ALERT: Please view all our AMAZING segments on various media outlets in #YorkRegion #Vaughan #Toronto about #kids #cooking #health #nutrition #culinary #skills #overweight #obesity Since 2011 a year in review. Enjoy and Subscribe for more LIVE COOKING SEGMENTS coming soon! http://www.youtube.com/user/PetitsChefsAcad?feature=mhee
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FOOD DAY 2012 – Lasagna Cupcakes and Chocolate Macaroon Drops
By: Chef Adam wwww.PetitsChefsAcademy.com
October 24, 2012
To celebrate food day I asked all the kids to bring in recipes that we would cook together in class. I chose 2 fun and creative recipes. The first recipe was lasagna cupcakes, brought in by Petits Chefs, Ben and Matteo L. the two brother dynamo duo’s. The second recipe was oatmeal chocolate macaroon drops, brought in by RiAnna J. a Junior Chef.
You might be asking yourself what are lasagna cupcakes? All the kids had the same question and many thought that it was a dessert and involved chocolate. The basic
components are of a lasagna, ground meat, tomato sauce, cheese and noodles. To be health conscious we used lean ground turkey. The kids diced up onion into small pieces and then began cooking the ground meat with onion in a frying pan behind the stove. The kids seasoned the ground meat with granulated garlic and paprika. Once the ground meat was cooked we strained the excess liquid and cooled the meat in the fridge. We made our own tomato sauce by blending San Marzano tomatoes, fresh garlic, fresh basil (grown on our tower garden in the Academy https://www.PetitsChefs.TowerGarden.ca/ and a pinch of salt. At home you can use almost any type of cheese you prefer; we used low fat marble cheese. To replace the lasagna noodles we used wonton wrappers. Every kid layered their lasagna with noodles, sauce, cheese, mushrooms and ground meat. Once each kid built 2 layers on their cupcake trays we baked them until the cheese was melted and bubbly.
While the cupcakes where baking we made macaroon drops. The kids measured butter, milk and sugar and placed it in a small sauce pot. We reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe by half. The kids stirred up the mixture and once it began to simmer we turned off the heat. The kids measured out the remaining ingredients, oatmeal, cocoa powder, coconut, salt and vanilla. We mixed together all of the ingredients until everything was combined. The kids took spoons and shape some really nice macaroon drops, which went into the fridge to firm up.
The kids gobbled up their lasagna cupcakes and they were excited to go home and make more. I gave all the kids a pamphlet from the Turkey Farmers of Ontario http://www.ont-turkey.on.ca/main.cfm?id=03136A3C-B6A7-8AA0-697D73ECCFB816F3
We read through nutritional facts and healthy fun recipes about turkey. I hope the kids go home and try some of the recipes. Than it was time for dessert. They loved the macaroon drops too. Big thanks go out to Ben, Matteo and Ri Anna for sharing their great recipes with all the kids.
@FoodDay2012 @FoodDayCanada #FoodDay #RealFood #Kids #Health #Nutiriton #Cooking
RECIPE: Lasagna Cupcakes and Sugar Reduced Macaroon Drops
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Google+ Hangout with Jamie Oliver`s Food Revolution Community Ambassadors
Were so excited and thrilled to be amongst the best food advocates around the world. We`ll be putting pen to paper and rolling up our sleeves for @FoodRev Jamie Oliver on May 17, 2013 for Food Rev Day! We’re looking for VOLUNTEERS for this amazing event. #RealFood #Vaughan #YorkRegion Please contact us at 289-553-4445 or Info@PetitsChefsAcademy.com for more information.
In the meantime, check out the Google+ Hangout from Thursday Sept. 27, 2012 with the Food Revolution Community Ambassadors around the world, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFDJGi3BJTQ&feature=g-upl. Hosted by Sarah Curl herself one of Jamie Oliver`s passionate food advocates and team leader for the Ambassador program for Jamie Oliver`s Food Revolution Foundation. Happily, Petits Chefs Academy is featured, check it out and happy viewing!
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Tis’ the season for PHLEGM, SINUS ISSUES, COLDS and ICKY-NESS
Thursday October 11, 2012
By: Denise K. Livotti www.PetitsChefsAcademy.com
Tis’ the season for PHLEGM, SINUS ISSUES, COLDS and ICKY-NESS
Tis’ the season for PHLEGM, SINUS ISSUES, COLDS and ICKY-NESS. APPLE CIDER 
VINEGAR (although not the tastiest of creations) is supremely powerful, an easy, affordable, & natural way to swiftly minimize these symptoms and other irritable symptoms (allergies), is to use 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (“Bragg” brand specifically) in a tea cup’s worth of spring water. Do this 2-3x a day diligently until your problems are diminished. If these symptoms are common occurrences for you, daily use can serve you well. This neutralizes acids and balances ph, boosts immunity, depletes harmful infections / microbes, nourishes the blood, and about a book’s worth of other meaningful lab-proven chemical reactions. Adding organic apple juice to the mixture, in lieu of the spring water, can make it more tolerable / palatable for those more sensitive.
PREVENTION: The preventative measures are to avoid dairy products (milk, cream, cheese, etc.), tap water (including coffee, tea, etc. made with it in public), synthetic antibiotics, fast food, table sugar and salt, sodas, and anything made in a lab or factory. Add a pinch or two of CAYENNE PEPPER if you have a sore throat – try 2 cloves of organic raw Garlic Clove each day if you are fighting infection and remember to drink plenty of pure spring water as soon as you awake to effectively flush out the toxins inside the body. There is a science behind this and simply… it works!
Denise K. Livotti founded Petits Chefs Academy in January 2011 in the hope of inspiring children and their parents to take back the kitchen and discover the fun, value and joy in cooking healthy, nutritious foods. With many years in the corporate world as a Sales and Marketing specialist working for large corporations such as FedEx & CN, Denise realized her real calling over a bowl of home-cooked stew. A Certified L.E.A.N Healthy Lifestyle Coach and Sustainable Local Food Advocate she decided it was time to pursue her passion for cooking good food while teaching others to do the same.
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October 2nd 2012
By: Chef Adam
Petits Chefs Academy www.PetitsChefsAcademy.com
Going Nuts for Coconuts
When I put together menus for my cooking classes at Petits Chefs Academy I plan a baking activity once a month.
In general baked goods are not healthy, but they can always be made in a healthier manner. The theme of this week’s class was ‘Going Nuts for Coconut.’ It’s a light and fluffy coconut cake that the Sr. Chefs mastered. They worked as a team, read over the recipe, measured the ingredients and mixed the cake batter.
I explained why certain ingredients are prepared in a certain manner, such as whisking egg whites for a meringue. The kids learned that when you whisk, air is incorporated into the egg whites, making them white and frothy and increasing the volume. 
Baked goods can have way too much sugar; I substituted white refined sugar for coconut sugar and reduced the amount of sugar by half.
While the cake was baking we made Popsicles, another food typically made with too much sugar. Sticking with the theme the kids made Coconut Pineapple Popsicles. We used organic agave syrup to sweeten the Popsicle. Agave syrup is sweeter than sugar so we only need a small amount and agave syrup is low on the Glycemic Index so great for diabetics.
Once all was done the kids enjoyed eating their creations, the light and fluffy Coconut Cake and the Coconut Pineapple
Popsicle went well together, it was a successful class.
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