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This Mother's Day remember to treat your Mum to all things that make her happy.

After all, she's spent many years caring for you - tending your skinned knees, wiping your tears, and cheering you on. Call, send flowers, make a card - and if you're lucky enough to live close by, perhaps you'll invite her over for brunch or an old fashioned tea party. We've been busy in our kitchens testing and sampling new recipes for the occasion. And just to be thorough in the process, we sat down with a few cups of tea and ran a taste test to be completely sure that our vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free baking would be just the right fit for teatime.

Here are two of our favorites:

Lemon Poppyseed Loaf

A comforting classic, this recipe was originally for 12 muffins, but it works equally as well as a loaf. It also has a blend of flours, which makes a big difference in gluten-free baking. Not a fan of maple syrup? You can substitute agave nectar or concentrated pear juice for the syrup. It will change the flavor slightly - the nectar and juice will result in sweeter muffins or loaf. The recipe is from Flying Apron's Gluten-free and Vegan Baking Book, by Jennifer Katzinger (published by Sasquatch Books). If you're vegan, gluten-free, or both, it's an incredible resource full of tasty recipes. Highly recommended.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 3/4 cup garban...

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Fresh, natural ingredients are at the heart of our formulas at LUSH. Sometimes the resulting creations look so delicious that we're tempted to take a bite, although our recipes aren't designed to make a good snack; they're designed to be effective on the skin and hair. To keep our nibbly temptations at bay, we've taken inspiration from our delicious-looking products and adapted them into tasty recipes that will keep us from sneaking sly bites in the LUSH kitchens!

Vegan banana-oat cookies

One of the most appetizing products in our shops is our Oatifix fresh face mask. It looks like a delicious creamy bowl of banana oatmeal, but contains kaolin clay which would make it much too gritty to be an enjoyable snack! Save the face mask for beautifying your skin; we've taken the most delicious ingredients from Oatifix and made them into a tasty vegan cookie recipe.

Oatifix is full of ingredients that are fantastic for your skin and beneficial for your body. We use oats for their soothing, anti-inflammatory properties. They work wonders to calm the skin, though it's not only our skin that benefits from oats; they are also highly nutritious. Oats are a source of calciu...

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The easiest way to freshen the air is to simply use LUSH products.

However, we do like a good crafty project or two. These are three simple, quick projects to keep any room smelling fresh. You’ll need about five minutes, and a few basic supplies for each. It’s a great regular task to include kids in, when supervised by responsible adults. Safe handling and proper care of essential oils will protect both yourself as well as the precious material. As they are highly valuable, and often low-yielding in origin, they can be pricey. Consult an Herbalist or a respected local purveyor for advice on specific ingredients. Or, start at the grocery section for a few basics you can easily extract essence from--without breaking the bank. Three simple recipes to keep your nose happy at home:

Simmering Spices

Create a healthy mist full of detoxifying and blood-warming essential oils. This is perfect for before guests arrive, as a welcome that will warm them from the inside out. Feel free to experiment and add your own special mix or play up the proportions of a favorite ingredient.

Materials Needed: Pot, 2 cups of water, oranges, whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, and star anise.

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a gentle boil on the stove. While that’s on, slice oranges into rounds about a quarter-inch thick. In a bowl, mix the spices together. Start with a tablespoon of each spice, but play with the proportions as you like.

2. When water boils, add in the freshly sliced oranges and other spices, and turn heat to simmer.

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With New Year's resolutions in full swing, there are quite a few of us vowing to put health as a priority in 2013. Perhaps you've made a pledge to hit the pavement or the gym for the first time in... years? Or maybe revamping your diet is at the top of your list. One great way to get your body in gear after weeks of overeating, drinking, and being merry is a detox.

While we do recommend that you consult with your health practitioner to create a plan that is best suited to your personal needs, you can get started in the kitchen with a smoothie filled with fresh, nutritious ingredients. There are numerous smoothie recipes available, so we thought we'd try some to give you the best scoop. They are delicious, easy to make, and vegan and gluten-free too! Even better? They contain some of our favorite fresh ingredients for making products too.

Honey I Made You Breakfast

Short on time but high on hunger? They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now you can blend it up and take it to go.

Ingredients:

• 2 large pears, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Add ingredients to blender, making sure the lid is on tight and blend away. If you prefer a thicker, icier version you can add 1/3 cup ice cu...

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