Tin Foil Tip

Do you rent your humble abode? This is a quick tip that I needed reminded of when I first moved into this apartment which has an electric stove. Use aluminum foil to protect the stove bibs. Last winter I was at a friend's place and this simple and brilliant idea jumped right out at me. (bright new shiny foil sheened from his stove) Duh! Why hadn't I remembered to do that. Totally saves you from buying replacement pans which are getting more and more pricy. It's so simple to accomplish and you can replace them as often as you'd like for pennies!

Fresh stove bib.
ummm.. someone might have boiled over a pot and ruined the pre-exsisting foil bib cover. (hehe.. uh that would be ME!)

Tear enough tin foil to cover your stove bib.  Tear a hole in the location where the prongs are going to plug in. Wrap all the foil tightly around the underside of the bib. Tear off any extra.

Oops.. a little tear. I bought cheap aluminum foil last time. I now realize why I like Reynolds Wrap so much better. :)
I'll let you know how fixing it with transparent tape works. ;-)

Viola!

Tumeric Facial Mask

So with the post of my Sugar Lips Scrub it got me to thinking about other recipes I used when I worked at the Natural and Organic Spa. Tonight I came up with a new concoction which was a little risky but turned out great!

It has long been known that aspirin is a great treatment for acne. It contains BHE (beta hydroxy acid) or salicylic acid. The very same ingredient that is in many manufactured blemish treatments. I have recently become aware of turmeric and it's many healing properties as it's a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent. Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory. All of these ingredients combined will produce brighter, less irritated skin. After a few masks you should see a marked improvement in your break-outs. I felt my skin looked less red and irritated after just one treatment! Add in a little honey as its a humectant and you've got a little somethin' good goin' on!

So here comes the risk factor. Everyone knows you can't get great things without a little risk involved right?! And if you know anything about turmeric you were gasping at the thought of applying it to your face! Scarredy cat that I was, I certainly didn't want a bright mustard colored face! So I did what any bright gal would do.. a test patch on my arm. :) Yep, sure thing, a square yellow stain appeared. But to my surprise a suggestion I found on the web, regarding using milk to remove the yellow from your skin, worked! I wish I'd have known this trick for all those times I cooked with turmeric and had yellow finger tips!

Turmeric Acne Mask
3 aspirins crushed, non-coated works best but I used buffered ones as that was all I had.
1/4 tsp turmeric (find at an Indian grocery)
1/4 tsp honey
2 TB (or so) of besan flour. (this is chickpea flour which you can find in most Indian groceries)
milk, enough to create a paste
milk, enough to wash face post mask
cotton balls

Mix first two ingredients together. Add the honey and besan flour. Start adding milk until it forms a paste. It will be very bright yellow! Apply to face and let dry. This will take about 10-15 mins. Wash off with warm water. Use a washcloth that you don't really care about since the turmeric will stain it. Once all of the mask is removed, cleanse your face with a cotton ball dipped in milk. This will remove any yellow tint your skin picked up from the turmeric. (it really works!! promise!)

My face felt fresh, looked brighter and is quite soft too!  I have to admit this experiment turned out much better than the recent banana mask I tried to make. Oh goodness.. that was a disaster! lol.

Aspirin Mask
1-3 aspirins
Warm honey (runny honey)


Mix these two items together and apply to the infected  area. Let dry, appx 10 mins. Rinse with warm water to remove.
*You might need a few drops of warm water to get it to mix up properly. But it should remain a paste.

Raspberry Fruit Dip

1/4 cup shredded coconut (opt)
1 cup sour cream
2 TB milk
1/4 cup raspberry preserves

In a bowl mix together the above ingredients.
Toss fresh fruit in lemon juice and serve together using the fruit for dipping.

Baking Soda

There are tons of ways to use baking soda beyond just the usual recipe in the kitchen. Did you realize it makes a great cleaning agent? Today I used it to remove the build-up of non-stick spray in my non-stick pans. Yes I finally read the care directions for them! I didn't realize until this weekend you should not use non-stick sprays in non-stick pans. Amazing little fact I wish I'd known when I bought the pans 2 years ago lol. I also removed the icky grease that seems to always be on my George Foreman grill no matter how well I clean it. Annnnnd I used it to clean the stains out of my stainless steal sink too! Yep, I was pretty amazed with that one too! Ck it out..

Before. Note the circular stains in the upper left and right corners. They looked much worse in person.

During. Sprinkle area with baking powder. Add just enough water to form a paste and start scrubbing!

Final product. :D Look how shiny it is!

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

 Today was a beautiful day, sunny and 67 degrees outside! It was quite warm for the Midwest in November! It got my blood going and I was a amazed at how much I got done today. Yep, I just patted myself on the back! :-) One of the items I managed to complete today was whipping up some ooey-gooey toffee cookies. Minus a trip to the grocery (in the middle of the recipe I realized I was outta flour) these were pretty quick to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter ( I used reduced fat Skippy)
1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 TB. milk
1 TB vanilla extract (*Halal Vanilla is available if needed)
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/3 cups (8-oz pkg) Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits, divided.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended

 Add egg, beat just until blended.


I just love using my KitchenAid mixer! Look at it go! Yep, it's pink people.. isn't that a fabulous color?! :D







Combine flour, baking soda and salt gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup toffee bits; reserve the other 1/3 cup for topping.









I did the standard two test cookies today! (I tend to skip this part) A test batch allows you to see how long to bake the cookies according to your oven and type of pans that you are using.
Today I baked my cookies 7 minutes.







Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I used a baking stone.)

Bake 7-8 mins or until set. Be careful not to overbake. They will continue to firm up after you remove them from the oven.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 mins while remaining on the pan. Remove from cookie sheet and let completely cool on wire rack.


Remember the 1/3 cup toffee bits we reserved? Use these to top each cookie after it comes from the oven.
*I didn't do this as I only used wax paper oday but I think it would work well to use a wire rack with wax paper underneath to catch the loose toffee bits. There was JUST enough toffee to split the bag into 1 cup and 1/3 cup. The 1/3 cup for topping was barely enough to finish the last few cookies. I would use the toffee on the wax paper for the last cookies.. or you could eat it if you have left overs. :)

Makes appx. 3 dozen cookies.














*Recipe from the back of the Heath toffee bits package. Hershey brand.

Quick Tip: Sugar Lips

 Try it! Skip dessert tonight. Instead, try this delicious homemade lip exfoliant.

1 TB. granulated sugar
1 TB cocoa powder
1 TB honey

Mix ingredients together until they form a paste. Gently exfoliate lips with mixture for 10-30 seconds. Wipe lips clean with a wet washcloth. Feel free to lick the rest off, it's edible! :p You'll be amazed at how smoothly your lip balm glides on afterwards, not to mention how kiss-ably soft your lips will be!

To take or not to take.. Vitamins!

Here is an interesting article on new research regarding multi-vitamins. Seems new studies show they provide little to no benefit. If this is true it certainly makes me feel less guilty about neglecting to take them consistently! Ha!  Check the article out here!

Chocolate Sauce in a Pinch

Have you ever had a craving for sweets but there is no chocolate to be seen anywhere in the house?  OMG.. like major despair right! No worries.. I'm here to rescue the day!  Check out how to make this rich sinful chocolate sauce on the fly. Great for drizzling over ice cream or crepes! Just like this:

Chocolate Sauce
2 TB Cocoa Powder
2 TB sugar
1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until sugar and cocoa is disolved. Microware 1-2 mins. Mixture will bubble. Stir when you remove from the micro and let set for appx 5 mins. The chocolate will become thicker as it sits.
Special note: Use a BIG bowl because it will boil all over your microwave.  I miiiiight be mentioning from experience! ;p

Goo & Protein Bars

Looks gross right? Haven't you learned to not judge a book by it's cover? ;-)  This is a recipe I got last spring at a Figure Building/Body Building contest I attended with my friend Tasha. She did awesome btw! It will satisfy your sweet tooth but isn't empty calories like most sweets.

Beverly Goo
2 scoops protein powder
1/4 cup Peanut Butter (natural or almond butter)
1/4 cup Honey
Handful of candy pieces. (opt)

Mix all of the above ingredients together. I usually have to add water. Just enough to help it mix properly.  I eat it with a spoon right outta the bowl, as I crave something sweet!



I also sampled a similar recipe recently from my friend who is an Arbonne Consultant. This one is a larger quantity but the same basic concept. With the addition of the oatmeal you can ideally cut these into protein bars.

Protein Bars
2 cups or 1 16-oz jar natural peanut butter
1 3/4 cups honey
2 1/4 cups protein powder
3 cups dry uncooked oatmeal

In a microwave safe bowl combine PB and  honey. Heat in micro until it easily stirs.
Add protein powder and oatmeal and mix thoroughly. It will be very thick. Press it into a 9x13" pan. Refridgerate for 1 hour or until solid enough to cut into bars. Wrap each bar in foil or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
For extra fiber use 1/4 cup fiber and 2 cups protein powder.

Makes 24 servings.

Goo recipe originally from Beverly International.
Please visit Renee's Arbonne page if you'd like to order anything!

Shake Creations 101

Hey guys! This is another one of my thrown together shakes. Just sharing the base details in case your mind is in a rut! Don't worry about the brown flecks in the shake, those are just the almond butter goodness! :)

Ingredients: (this will make a large serving, you can half them if needed)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 heaping teaspoon of almond butter
1/2 frozen banana
8 oz skim milk
2 scoops Energy Booster

Place all in blender and push "blend".

Appx:
*using 1 scoop energy booster for small, 2 scoops for large size.
Large Serving: 380 cals
Half Serving (small): 191 cals

Eggs-celent!

This post is a dedication to a friend whom wishes to know some of the easy meals I make on the fly. This one is a stand-by for me!

First you will need fresh eggs. Use whatever number your little heart desires! I usually use 3 egg whites and one whole egg to keep some of the fat, and hence flavor! You will also need some non-stick cooking spray and some sort of seasoning. I am infatuated with Tastefully Simple seasonings! My fav is the Spinach n' Herb.  I also sometimes use southwestern flavors if I want something with a little kick. If you want to get crazy you can chop up some fresh veggies and herbs but this will take more time and ingredients of course.

Here is a larger view of the some of the seasonings I use.

Next, place your egg whites or eggs in a bowl. Add desired amount of seasoning. Whisk with a fork (or you can use a whisk if you own one). *I do not use milk in these because I am not a fan of scrambled eggs. It is an alternative method though.

Heat your frying pan to medium heat. Spray with non-stick pan spray. I do this even though my pan is non-stick. I know, I'm odd lol. Place eggs in the pan and begin to cook. Remove from heat and eat when eggs are done to your liking.
You will notice in the pics, I was lazy the last time I made these. (oops!) I placed the eggs directly in the pan and stirred them with a bamboo spatula. Once they were mixed up a little I sprinkled on the seasoning and continued chopping with spatula until mixed thoroughly.

Appx Nutritional Facts (varies on the actual size of your egg)
Per egg white (egg size large): 17 cals, 0 Fat, 4 grams protein
Per whole egg (egg size large): 70 cals, 5 g Fat, 6 grams protein

Smart Tip: Check out Calorie King for nutritional information on just about everything!

Shake Shake Shake.. Shake that bootay!

Here's a very quick (and clean) way to make instant pudding!  Put all your ingredients in a shaker cup. If you don't already have one you can purchase them at most nutritional stores or online. They have easy guide measurements on the side of the cup, so no need for dirtying additional tools like measuring cups. (The less dirty dishes the better right!) Follow the directions on the box for ingredient amounts. Once the milk and pudding powder are in the cup screw the lid on. Make sure the drink spout is closed tightly and shake your way to a dessert delight!  Toss it in the fridge until it's set. That's it!  Cool huh!

A Batch from Scratch-- Chai!

A touch of chill is in the air as the Midwest summer starts creeping into fall. Soothe those shivers away with a big mug of hot Chai!! One easy way to make Chai is from the dry powder mixes that are available in stores. I myself prefer to simmer up a batch from scratch!

I won't promise this recipe taste like the Chai you will find in the homes of those who know it best. But after carefully noting the favorite ingredients of a few cooks and a little experimenting in my kitchen, I think I've come up with something pretty yummy.  Let me know what you think! :)

Also.. this is much like the recipes you acquire from your favorite aunt or grandmother.. a little of this.. a little of that.. and a pinch of something else. In other words, this is one recipe you can wing it a little bit and not worry too much that it will be ruined!

Heather's Homemade Milk Chai

2/3 rds cup water (ish)
1 cup milk
5 seeds green cardamon
4 cloves
Smidge of vanilla extract (I think I dumped appx. 1/2 tsp from the bottle)
Appx. 3 Tbsp. sugar -- feel free to add more if you like.
1 cinnamon stick
1 tea bag (I have the yellow label Lipton brand)

Put all ingredients, except the milk, into a sauce pan. Heat on high until it boils. Stir mixture occasionally. When mixture comes to a boil add the milk. Stir consistently to keep the milk from scorching. When the mixture comes to a boil again, remove from heat immediately and let sit for 5 mins until the flavors mingle. Pour into a big mug and enjoy!

Special Notes:
* I use real vanilla extract. When using imitation vanilla my grandma taught me to double the amount the recipe calls for. Old habits are hard to break so yes I do this even if it says double strength on the bottle! lol

*I bought my Lipton tea at the Indian grocery. I learned previously with coffee that a certain brand's coffee is not the same in each country. I don't know if this applies to tea, but why chance that authentic taste!

*As for sugar you can add the amount that you desire. I had a friend tell me that when he was served Chai from the Jordanians they used a large amount of sugar. He believed it to be almost 3/4 cup! I have to wonder if they were making larger batches? Another fun fact he told me was that they served it in what looked like a double size shot glass.

*If you want to add more Cardamon or Cloves go for it! No one is over your shoulder counting ;p

No Bake Cookies

Have you ever thought it is possible to make cookies without firing up the oven? And no, it doesn't count to just eating the cookie dough outta the bowl lol..although I will admit that happens quite frequently here in my kitchen :p Yes, yes.. I know all about the dangers of raw eggs and salmonella... but I like to live on the edge. I'm a wild woman like that! :p
When I was growing up one of my favorite things my mom made in the kitchen were these chocolately sweet cookies that we made on the stove. I still recall how strict she was about the fact it needed to boil 1 minute and only 1 minute!  Hence the fact that I would not recommend trying to double this recipe. These cookies are a great standby and are always a big hit! Someone recently told me they taste like Reeces Peanut Butter Cups.. who wouldn't like that! :)

No Bake Cookies
Ingredients:
2 C. Sugar
3 TB Cocoa
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk

Combine the above and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the following:

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
3 C. Quick Quaker Oats

Drop on wax paper. Let set-up. Store in an air tight container.
Makes appx. 3 dozen cookies.

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients into a saucepan. I also measure out the second group of ingredients in preparation. You will need to add them relatively quickly to get the best outcome.

2 C. Sugar
3 TB Cocoa
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk

Bring this to a boil. Stirring occasionally as it heats up.

Starting to boil! I have the timer set so all I have to do is hit go when I see the bubbles start to form.

At a roiling boil now. (I still stir occasionally during this phase.) Once the timer goes off you are ready to add the next group of ingredients.

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
3 C. Quick Quaker Oats

 I add the vanilla and peanut butter first. Stirring until it's completely melted in the chocolate mixture. Then I add the oatmeal  and stir until combined well.

*I was taught growing up to double the vanilla if you are using imitation brand. Although the bottle now says double strength I still abide by this habit.  I am sure my grandma would agree! ;-) So I use 2 tsp in this recipe! I have recently purchased authentic vanilla extract and I find it to be stronger than what I am used to so I've been sticking to the recipe amounts now. Halal vanilla is available, you just have to look a little harder for it! I am using Yellow Dog brand currently I believe. I purchased it at my local specialty grocery. I have to admit it was the bottle design that drew me in.. I'm all about packaging!

Here it is shown with the oatmeal added. Now quick.. you've no time to waste! ;-) Start dropping them onto wax paper by spoonfuls. You want to do this part as quick as possible as they will start to set up in the pan if you do not. I can sometimes tell the difference between the first cookies I drop and the last. Towards the end they will become dryer if you are not quick (quick like a bunny rabbit!) :)

Let the cookies set up and then carefully peal them from the wax paper. Store them in an air tight container.

Pom Power!

How many of you out there just adore pomegranates? Come on don't be shy..yell out ME ME!! For very good reason you should love this little guy! He's packed with all sorts of antioxidants that will punch out the competition. To name a few contenders in the ring this includes red wine, blueberry juice, green tea and cranberry juice. I know right.. amazing! Check out this graph that demonstrates it's superiority in the antioxidant fruit fight.

Antioxidants are like cops.. they will fight crime in your body. What crimes am I speaking of? I am speaking of the toll free radicals play on our health and well being. Free radicals are the bad guys. They are unstable molecules that can damage the cells in your body causing disease and increase the signs of aging (gasp!)

First let me show you all the ways Pom Wonderful makes it easy for us to enjoy these benefits. Below I have pictures of the Pom section at my local grocery. Pom Wonderful comes in all sorts of flavors such 100% Pomegranate Juice or a variety of options that are about 80/20 mix. Let your taste buds delight over Pom Blueberry or Pom Mango. Those are some of my favorites besides straight up 100% Pom on the rocks! It also comes in a array of other products such as Pomx Iced Coffee. I admit that was extremely yummy!

I have a tendency to drink this stuff right outta the bottle but it can also be useful and delightful in many recipes. Today I made a Pomegranate Blueberry Shake packed with protein and yep you guessed it--> antioxidants!! (blueberries also pack a kick of antioxidants)

Pomegranate Blueberry Power Shake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranite Juice.
3 oz skim milk (that is just over 1/3 cup)
2 ice cubes
1/2 frozen banana
handful of frozen blueberries
1 TB almonds: ground
2 TB vanilla whey protein powder (that was about half a serving or scoop)
1/2 tsp honey

First I put whole almonds in the blender and ground them up. I have a selection on my blender called "grate".

Then I added all the other ingredients to the blender and pushed Blend!
Check out the little chunks of blueberry goodness in that glass!

It was delightfully refreshing!

Information and recipe adapted from  Pom Wonderful

How do you "umm umm" love your oatmeal?

I never thought I'd say this but I love oatmeal! I not only love oatmeal but I look forward to that warm feeling in my tummy and the whole grain goodness wafting from the bowl as I lift the lid off.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between slow cooked oatmeal (I prefer steel cut myself) and instant or quick cooked oatmeal? When your grandma said "Oatmeal will stick with you." she was right... but only if she was speaking of the slow cooked version due to it's lower glycemic index over instant oatmeal. A glycemic index is a measure how quickly a particular food increases your bood sugar within a two hour period. Instant oatmeal has already been broken down and processed which makes it easier for your body to digest, hence it's higher glycemic index. Also most instant oatmeal's are loaded with sugars and other 'junk' such as sodium making them the lesser choice.

Lots of us are on a time crunch and have used the excuse "I don't have time to make breakfast!". I'm a huge advocate of preparing your meals ahead of time. You can make more than one days worth of oatmeal at a time and divvy it up into appropriate serving-sized containers. You will not loose any of the nutritional content and now you have breakfast on the go! I make my oatmeal on Sunday afternoon for the entire week. I have no excuses for not eating a healthy breakfast!

Now for the fun part.. what do you like to add to your oatmeal to perk it up? My favorite addition is fresh plump blueberries and ripe sweet strawberries. I've also tried apples with cinnamon, honey and Truvia. I have recently tried a new sweetener, Raw Coconut Crystals. It is a low glycemic sugar alternative. I really like it. You can find it in the health section of the grocery. Sometimes I will stir in protein powder or Benefiber. I tried chocolate protein powder once thinking it was going to be similar to Malto Meal. The answer to that question would be ----> a big fat no! :) Most recently I've gotten a little daring and tried a combo such as sugar-free caramel syrup and Udi's Cranberry granola. Here is the grand daddy of all wild ideas...I used about a half container of Amaretto coffee creamer (those single serving size ones you get at the coffee counters) and then tossed some Udi's Cranberry granola on top. How loud can I mumble "UMM UMMMM!" through my mouth full of oatmeal!! That was delish!! But as a disclaimer, this is not what I would call healthy lol. Good tasting, but not good for you. :) It says online a serving of this creamer has 40 cals! So I will stick with my all time favorite.. fresh blueberries and strawberries!!

What ideas do you have for adding a little something extra to your oatmeal? Please comment below!

Skinny Dippin'... for your fruit!

Although you probably won't be actually skinny dippin' this summer.. no one wants to be the one chunky dunkin' in their bathing suits either! Keeping fresh fruits and veggies on hand can help keep your figure in check. I love this Raspberry Dip that incorporates shredded coconut for a unique change from all the typical fruit dips.

Raspberry Dip
1/4 cup  shredded coconut (opt)
1 C. sour cream (I use lighter versions)
2 TB skim milk
1/4 C Raspberry preserves (I used Smuckers Sugar Free)
Fresh Fruit for dipping

Mix coconut, sour cream, preserves and milk together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dip apple and pear pieces in lemon juice. Arrange with strawberries and grapes.

Hide n' Seek Trash Bags

As I was changing out the garbage this morning I thought it might be fun to share a quick time saving tip. How many of you out there hide or store the fresh trash bags in the bottom of the garbage can? I've been doing this for years and it's such a handy idea! It saves time and steps to the pantry. In addition, if you have other family members doing chores, it might encourage them to complete the task if it's more convenient!

I just got a new box of garbage bags. It still doesn't take up that much room in the bottom. Trust me I'm able to fill them to the top!

Try these Glad bags I got last time. I was impressed. They have a force flex which has kept things from tearing out the sides and spilling randomly before I make it to the dumpster. They also have an odor shield. They were a few pennies more than the regular box but well worth it as I don't have to take out the trash as often. Think of all the wasted trash bags when you must remove them half full because the odor is so pungent! Ick!
I see they also come in vanilla scent... I might try those next time :) What tips or tricks do you guys think are the bomb? Do share!!

Breakfast Egg Roll

Just a quick post today.  Making fast healthy meals can be challenging. Especially thinking of new ideas to keep your taste buds engaged! Here's a really quick idea you can toss together in a matter of minutes. Minimal ingredients and fits within healthy in my book ;-)

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 Lt. Italian Flatout bread
baby spinach
sprinkle of cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
non-stick spray

First separate you eggs into a bowl (I missed taking pics of that) I do the half shell method. I do usually do this over a bowl though in case one of those buggers slips outta the shell into the bowl on me!

I use a 3/1 ratio as I like to get a little fat in the mix. I also like some of the flavor of the whole egg in there. It's totally up to you. If you use all egg whites try eating a few almonds with your meal. Those are a great source of healthy fat.

Spray your pan with non-stick spray (like Pam) and scramble up your eggs. Shake, shake a little salt and pepper. I sprinkled on a little shredded cheese too. Whatever type I had in the freezer (not sure it was cheddar honestly). About a teaspoon. Let it melt.

While all that was happening I got out the following:

One flat bread. Flavor: Light Italian Herb. Ammmmaaaazing!!!!  They have 90 cals a a piece, 6 carbs, no sugar, and 9 g of fiber! I know right! :o I've been eating these for years and I just love them for wraps and flat bread pizza.

Again with the baby spinach. I seriously love this stuff. It's so good for you. And a bag goes so far!

Slide your melty cheezed eggs right on top of that healthy baby spinach.

Roll the flatbread up.. cut.. and it's a wrap! (just like the movies, lol)
Yes.. I see the paper plate.. today I add to my carbon footprint in a big way.