Can we talk about how amazing ALOE VERA is for a moment? Growing up, my grandma had long green prickly stalks growing near her lamps (that are now my lamps), sometimes in just water filled mason jars. She never bothered with them but they seemed to always grow. I do remember when she’d cut a piece off, usually to give to a neighbor she treated it as a delicate treasure. My sisters and I knew you could use the slime for burns and cuts, but for the love of all, don’t get any in your mouth after touching it. It was bitter and smelled weird. It would be years until I realized the Aloe plant was actually a form of cacti. And another decade or so until I discovered the many true benefits of this magical plant. Here are a few…

• metabolism booster
• natural laxative
• great for hair (dandruff)
• Wonderful for skin (toning & discoloration)
• healing, soothing burns

You can grow your own small plant easily or buy the humungous leaves at the grocery store, harvest, and freeze.

What to do:

• Clean your Aloe Vera leaf.
• Remove the thorny sides by cutting them off each side with a sharp knife or use scissors to cut along the sides.
• Use a sharp knife to remove the top and bottom layer of green skin.
• Cut the gel into 1-inch squares to consume daily.
• Freeze as ice cubes in a sealed container in the freezer

I add an ice cube aloe to my morning breakfast smoothie. The freshness of the fruit covers up any bitter taste of the aloe.