Your Guide to the DIY Summer Social

This post will give you some cool summer secrets and teach you how to use AMAZING Young Living products to enhance your summer experiences!

Every good meal starts with a yummy starter, so let's begin with some appetizer recipes. Appetizers give your guests teaser bites of delicious flavors while they mingle and wait for the main course! Put all those garden-grown and farmers' market veggies to great use with these recipes!

Lemon- Lime Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, seeded and mashed with a fork
1-2 T red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
1/2 to 1 drop Lemon Vitality Essential Oil
1/2 to 1 drop Lime Vitality Essential Oil
1 small Roma tomato, diced
1 t fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Directions: Add avocado to a small mixing bowl. Mix into the avocado the red onion, crushed garlic, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and salt to taste. Add a little of the lemon and/or lime essential oil (use the dilution tip we gave you) and taste; add more to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Onion trick: To remove some of the bite of the red onion, soak the chopped onion in warm water for five minutes and then remove from the water.

Super Easy Blender Salsa

Combine the following in a blender:

¼ of a 28-oz can of organic diced tomatoes
cilantro to taste
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeño pepper
2-3 drops Lime Vitality Essential Oil
3 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
½ white or yellow onion, minced

Blend/pulse until onion is in small pieces, add the rest of the can of tomatoes, pulse a few more times, and you’re ready to go!

Homemade Grapefruit Vinaigrette Dressing

3 T grapefruit juice from the can, or 3 T fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 or 2 drops Grapefruit Vitality Essential Oil, to taste
Pinch of salt and pepper

Did you know? Lime Vitality supports your digestive, immune, and respiratory systems. Grapefruit Vitality supports your cardiovascular system. Lemon Vitality supports your digestive, immune, and respiratory systems.

Next up...Adult Beverages!

Looking for an easy and delicious summer cocktail? Try this simple Red Sangria recipe with real ingredients and essential oils. Delicious for any occasion! Or try this great mojitos recipe!!

Mojitos

2 shots rum
1 shot agave syrup
1/2 squeezed lime
Sprig of mint
Splash of soda water
1 1/2 cup ice
2 drops Spearmint Essential Oil
4 drops Lime Vitality Essential Oil

Directions

Use a muddler to muddle your mint in the bottom of your glass.
Blend all other ingredients in the blender. Pour into glass and serve with a slice of lime on the glass.
Cheers! And… please drink responsibly.

Did you know? Lime Vitality supports your digestive, immune, and respiratory systems. Citrus Fresh Vitality supports your immune system. Grapefruit Vitality supports your cardiovascular system. Orange Vitality supports your digestive & immune systems and promotes healthy skin. Spearmint Vitality supports your digestive system.

We can’t leave the kids out! Next up, drinks for the kids!

I'm always looking for delicious alternatives to artificial flavors and drinks with tons of sugar. This recipe is easy and delicious; the kids will love it. They also incorporate essential oils like...

Lemon Vitality: Supports your digestive, immune and respiratory systems.

Lavender Vitality: Supports the cardiovascular and nervous system.

Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients:

14 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup demerara sugar or any other natural sweetener substitute
8 drops Lemon Vitality Essential Oils
1 drop Lavender Vitality Essential Oils

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a gallon container. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Chill and serve over ice.

Time to eat!

Grill Marinades

Store-bought marinades have a shelf life, which means the ingredients lose freshness every day they sit there, and at the same time, the flavors lose their intensity.

The secret to mastering marinades is in knowing the effect of various marinating durations.

Marinating for two hours or less will impart a surface flavor.

For a fully infused flavor, marinade for 8-24 hours.

NOTE: The thicker the meat, the longer it takes to absorb the flavor.

Here are a couple of my favorite marinade recipes. They’re full of flavor AND free of any preservatives and include the following oils:

Lemon Vitality & Lime Vitality supports your digestive, immune, and respiratory systems.

Coriander Vitality supports your digestive and hormonal systems.

Black Pepper Vitality supports your digestive and nervous systems.

Is anybody here a taco fan? Check out this killer Chicken Marinade!

Juice of 2 limes
1⁄3 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 drops Black Pepper Vitality Essential Oil
*2 drops Lime Vitality Essential Oil

Mix the above ingredients together. Allow chicken to marinate for 2-6 hours.

*Avoid plastic when using citrus essential oils.

Here's a delicious shrimp marinade that is perfect for those shrimp kabobs!

Shrimp Marinade

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 drops Lemon Vitality Essential Oil
2 drops Coriander Vitality Essential Oi

Desserts

No meal would be complete without dessert!

Citrus Coconut Popsicles are the perfect way to cool down on those HOT summer nights!

Lime Vitality supports your digestive, immune, and respiratory systems.

Citrus Fresh Vitality supports your immune system.

Ingredients:

1 can of full-fat coconut milk
1 cup of orange juice or orange pineapple juice (Get creative!!!)
1/3 cup (or to taste) agave or sweetener of choice
1-2 drops of Lime Vitality or Citrus Fresh Vitality Essential Oil

Directions:

Blend coconut milk, agave, and Lime Vitality Essential Oil.
Pour mixture into popsicle mold, dividing evenly.
Place in freezer for 10 minutes; then top with juice
Freeze again for 30 minutes.

Insert popsicle sticks. Continue freezing until firm.

Next up, some simple recipes to ensure you enjoy your Summer Fun!

Outdoor Spray

Hot summer evenings outside are best enjoyed annoyance-free. Check out this awesome-smelling outside spray that will keep your evenings much more enjoyable.

Ingredients:

2 oz Witch Hazel
2 oz distilled water
20 drops Thieves Essential Oil
20 drops Lemon Essential Oil
20 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
20 drops Citronella Essential Oil

Mix together in a 4oz spray bottle.

Keep away from the face when you apply.

BONUS: This can also be a great diffuser blend for the back patio or camper! Use two drops of each oil with water in your diffuser.

Soothing Stick

If you forget to apply your outdoor spray, don’t worry. I have your back. This is perfect for kids!

DIY Soothing Stick

5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5 drops *Purification Essential Oil
3 drops *Peppermint Essential Oil

*Leave the Peppermint and Purification out of this recipe if using on children 2 years old or younger.

Combine these magical essential oils in a 10 ml roller and fill the rest with V6 complex oil or your favorite carrier oil. Apply this soothing stick roll-on to any areas you need and as often as you need it.

Floating Citronella Candle

Spruce up your summer social with this beautiful DIY citronella candle. It is not only EASY, but it will change the look of any table, AND it actually WORKS!

Did you know that many store-bought citronella candles don't contain citronella oil? Instead, the candles are often just citronella ‘scented.’ BIG difference.

Supplies

Glass bowl or container
Decorations of your choice. You can use anything! (Lemon peels, orange peels, cinnamon sticks, lavender, rosemary, flower petals, river rocks, etc.)
20 drops Citronella Essential Oil
10 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil
1 T Witch Hazel
Water to top off glass bowl or container
1 unscented floating candle

Instructions

Gather decorations and arrange in a bowl. I recommend cutting them into two-inch pieces so they don’t bunch at the top of the bowl or cause it to overturn.
Add Witch Hazel, Citronella, and Lemongrass Essential Oil to the bowl.
Fill in the remaining bowl space with water.
After placing your bowl outside, top it off with the floating candle and light it to create a cozy, aromatic ambiance you and your guests can enjoy throughout the evening.

Fun fact about Citronella Essential Oil! There are quite a few recipes out there to create your own aluminum-free deodorant with citronella. (We will save those for another class.) Meanwhile, did you know that the aluminum in deodorants has been linked to health problems, including the neurological damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and conditions like anemia, Lou Gehrig’s disease, glucose intolerance, memory problems, and Parkinson’s disease? GROSS!