Clear Conscience Blog | J.R. Watkins Naturals

Freshen up! Our Room Fresheners are the perfect way to spritz...

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:44:53 -0500

Freshen up! Our Room Fresheners are the perfect way to spritz up a room. Combined with open windows and fresh air, these are the perfect remedy for kickin’ back at home.

Chicken Tacos

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:19 -0500

Planning a fiesta this summer? Our cumin rubbed chicken tacos are sure to spice things up!

Cumin Rubbed Shredded Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

1 tsp. Watkins Cumin

½ tsp. Watkins Chili Powder

½ tsp. Watkins Sea Salt, ground

¼ tsp. Watkins Paprika

2 tbsp. Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil

Salsa

1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 Anaheim or poblano pepper, diced

1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp. Watkins Salsa & Sour Cream Snack & Dip Seasoning

1 tbsp. cilantro

1 tsp. Watkins Cumin

1 tsp. Watkins Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. Watkins Garlic and Parsley Grapeseed Oil

Shredded lettuce for garnish

Chicken Directions

Rub chicken breast with spices. In a large skillet sauté chicken in grapeseed oil. Cook over medium high heat, turning once, for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Shred chicken for tacos, enchiladas or fajitas.

Salsa Directions

Combine all ingredients and serve on top of tacos with lettuce.

Throwback Thursday

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:19:00 -0500

Something we’re really proud of here at J.R. Watkins is our history. In honor of #tbt, we thought we’d share a few fun facts from the past 100+ years! For more of our history, check out the timeline on our brand new website.

1868: Introducing Liniment, our very first product. Fun fact: it’s still sold today!

1912: Construction was completed and we moved into our administration building located in Winona, Minnesota! Fun fact: this building is still our headquarters.

1928: We were awarded gold medals for our Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon and Black Pepper. Fun fact: you can still find these on our packaging today!

2011: We opened our very first retail store, located in Orange County, California!

We love our rich history and enjoy hearing fond memories from fans, as well. What is your favorite Watkins memory?

Asian Slaw

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:11:46 -0500

Ready for BBQs and picnics this summer? Bring this side to complete the meal!

Ingredients

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1½ tsp Watkins Ginger

1½ tsp toasted sesame seeds

To taste, Watkins Black Pepper

3 cups broccoli coleslaw mix (shredded hearts of broccoli, carrots and cabbage)

¾ cup fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

¾ cup sliced fresh mushrooms

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, grapeseed oil, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, sesame seeds and pepper. In large bowl, combine broccoli slaw mix, bean sprouts, mushrooms and red pepper. Pour dressing over top and toss lightly. Refrigerate until serving time. Drain before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Spice Substitutions

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:47:37 -0500

Image found at: http://bit.ly/11FvnyR

Out of a spice with no time to run to the store? Check out these substitutions!

If a recipe calls for:

Allspice – you can use cinnamon, cassia, a dash of nutmeg or a dash of cloves
Aniseed – pull out the fennel seed or anise extract
Cardamom – ginger is a great alternative
Chili powder – use a dash of bottled hot pepper sauce mixed with a little oregano and cumin
Cinnamon – nutmeg or allspice can be used, just make sure to use ¼ of the amount
Cloves – cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger
Ginger – can you guess these ones? Allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg can all be used to substitute ginger
Nutmeg – cinnamon or ginger; easy alternative

And just like that, your recipe is saved!

Sun protection is important all year long, but especially now as the summer season quickly...

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:24:00 -0500

Sun protection is important all year long, but especially now as the summer season quickly approaches! Lather on the sunscreen!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:40:00 -0500

Life Time Fitness’ new race series, Esprit de She, is the nation’s premier athletic event series for women and J.R. Watkins is thrilled to be one of the partners! In the coming weeks, we’ll be giving away entries to some of the races. To see the full list, visit here: http://www.espritdeshe.com/events.

Today we are giving away TWO entries to Minneapolis area running races; either the 50^th and France 5k on July 25^th or the Maple Grove 5k/10k on September 19^th (your choice!). Interested? YOU could be the winner! Here’s how to enter:

Follow J.R. Watkins (@JRWNaturals) and Esprit de She (@EspritdeShe) on Twitter.
Leave a comment below telling us why you’d like to win an entry.
That’s it!

Winners will be randomly selected (using the Random.org tool) the week of May 13 and notified. Good luck!

(Additional race entries will be given away here on the blog in the coming weeks – stay tuned for details!)

Bleu Cheese Dip

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:18:55 -0500

Yum! This tasty treat is light and perfect for an afternoon snack or a party dip!

Ingredients

½ cup finely-chopped walnuts

1 package reduced-calorie cream cheese

½ cup reduced-calorie sour cream

1 package bleu cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp chopped pimentos

1 tbsp minced green pepper

½ tsp Watkins Garlic Powder

½ tsp Watkins Onion Powder

Dash Watkins Black Pepper

Pan-roast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, shaking skillet and/or stirring constantly, until golden brown. Cool slightly. Beat cream cheese in bowl until smooth and creamy. Blend in sour cream, bleu cheese, walnuts and remaining ingredients; mix well.

Spoon into attractive serving dish. Keep refrigerated. Makes 2 cups.

Serve with unsalted crackers, party rye or French bread.

One of our staple products, perfect for every season, is our line of Sugar & Shea Body Scrubs....

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:22:12 -0500

One of our staple products, perfect for every season, is our line of Sugar & Shea Body Scrubs. The best part? They do double duty. Not only do they exfoliate, they also moisturize and rehydrate your skin! Have you tried them?

Cinnamon-Scented Grilled Chicken Breasts

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:08:03 -0500

Ingredients

2 ½ to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp Watkins Garlic Powder

½ tsp Watkins Curry Powder

¼ tsp Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Watkins Black Pepper

Freshly ground, to taste Watkins Coarse Sea Salt

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

Combine lemon juice with all ingredients except chicken; mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat all sides. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Grill or broil chicken 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

We’re matching our favorite scents with our nail color this season. Check out some of our best...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:10:00 -0500

We’re matching our favorite scents with our nail color this season. Check out some of our best pairings this spring (all OPI colors can be found on OPI.com)!

Grapefruit Sugar & Shea Body Scrub and hot pink nail polish gets us in the mood for spring outings!

Lavender Body Oil Mist and lavender nail polish are staples for relaxing getaways or nights in at home!

Lemon Cream Hand & Body Lotion and bright yellow nails motivate us to spring clean (and remind us of sunny days ahead when skies are grey).

Mango Hand Cream and coral nails help us pretend we are on spring break and remind us of blooming flowers!

Coconut Milk & Honey Body Butter and pale white polish reminds us of sun, surf and sand!

What colors are you pairing with scents this year?

We can’t wait for things like sandals, lazy beach afternoons and time spent outdoors. Until then,...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:46:59 -0500

We can’t wait for things like sandals, lazy beach afternoons and time spent outdoors. Until then, we’re prepping by getting our toes in tip-top shape! Our best trick? Softening feet with our Foot Repair Salve and Rejuvenating Foot Cream (bonus: it smells minty-fresh!). Add a pretty polish and your feet are ready to be seen!

Image found at: http://bit.ly/13V36dp Spices do much more than add flavor to food! Check out a...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:48:00 -0500

Image found at: http://bit.ly/13V36dp

Spices do much more than add flavor to food! Check out a few of our favorite tips and fun facts:

Chili Powder: can help reduce pain when applied directly on the skin (LivingStrong.com).
Oregano: has remarkable bacteria-fighting power (marksdailyapple.com)! Beauty bonus? Makes a lovely scent for your skin, similar to patchouli (marksdailyapple.com).
Thyme: cold season is wrapping up, but throat gargling with tepid thyme water or a few sips of thyme tea may help with coughs and sore throats (nutrition-and-you.com)!

What’s your go-to spice tip?

Dad’s Favorite Peppery Beef Kebabs

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:34:48 -0500

Spice Rub

1 tbsp Watkins Black Pepper

1 tbsp Watkins Cumin

1 tsp Watkins Chili Seasoning

2 tsp Watkins Curry Powder

2 tsp Watkins Sea Salt, freshly ground

1 tsp Watkins Paprika

1 tsp allspice

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp Watkins Cinnamon

1 lb. sirloin, cut 1-inch cubes, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms or vegetables of choice into chunks. In small bowl, stir together rub ingredients. Sprinkle sirloin with about 2 tbsp of the spice rub. Reserve remaining rub in an airtight container for future use. Thread beef onto skewers along with vegetables. Grill or broil turning occasionally, until meet is cooked to desired doneness, about 5-7 minutes. Serve atop a bed of couscous or rice.

We’ve got a lemon surprise coming your way this year! Can you guess what it will be?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:32:47 -0500

We’ve got a lemon surprise coming your way this year! Can you guess what it will be?

Clear Vanilla Extract is perfect for baking white cakes and treats and now you can stock up on it...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:40:45 -0500

Clear Vanilla Extract is perfect for baking white cakes and treats and now you can stock up on it with this deal – just in time for Easter!

http://bit.ly/Ybn01n

Image found at http://bit.ly/ZWtJqm Springtime finds us obsessing over the freshness of grapefruit....

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:40:08 -0500

Image found at http://bit.ly/ZWtJqm

Springtime finds us obsessing over the freshness of grapefruit. (Hint: we have grapefruit scents in both our personal care line AND our home care line!) Are you using the scent this season?

Getting packed for a spring break trip? Check out this article from Her Packing List to figure out...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:29:40 -0500

Getting packed for a spring break trip? Check out this article from Her Packing List to figure out which electronics you really need (and which ones can stay at home). Please share your travel images with us – we’re experiencing some wanderlust this month in Minnesota. (And don’t forget your Sunscreen!)

(photo courtesy of Caroline at herpackinglist.com)

Tomorrow is the first day of spring. We know cleaning may not be your activity of choice but it...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:42:47 -0500

Tomorrow is the first day of spring. We know cleaning may not be your activity of choice but it will help you kick off the season on a positive note! Our tips for making it fun? Blast your favorite tunes, open the windows (if you can) and get the whole family to help! The job will be done in no time.

Copy Cat Shamrock Shake

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:21:36 -0500

It was just our luck that we stumbled across Laura from Real Mom Kitchen’s recipe for a copy cat Shamrock Shake days before St. Patrick’s Day. Our Peppermint Extract is the perfect ingredient to give this shake a delicious minty flavor!

(image courtesy of Laura at Real Mom Kitchen)

Copy Cat Shamrock Shake

3 cups of vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
8 drops of green food coloring
green sprinkles, if desired
Watkins Sweetened Whipped Cream recipe: http://bit.ly/WXoV9n

Place the ingredients in the order listed above in a blender. Start out with the 1/4 tsp extract and taste after blending to see if you want a stronger mint flavor, if so add another 1/4 tsp extract.

Blend in the blender until smooth. Pour mixture into 2 glasses and top with whipped cream and sprinkles if desired. Makes 2 shakes.