How to Make an Easy DIY Natural Body Scrub

I have been using this great body scrub for a couple of years now, and it works really well to exfoliate and moisturize my skin. It's also a handy way to use coffee grounds instead of dumping them out!

Here is the recipe:

1/4 cup used coffee grounds
1/4 cup sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 cup olive (or other, such as almond or joboba) oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
5 - 10 drops essential oil for scent (optional)

Just mix everything together and store in a plastic container. If you have a non-textured tub, be sure to rinse the tub area really well afterwards so it won't be slick for the next shower.

A Creative and Easy Valentine's Day Dinner

Mashtinis!

These were so easy and fun to make! I used the following ingredients and layered them in a martini glass:

-Mashed potatoes (I microwaved potatoes until soft then seasoned and mashed with butter)
-Frozen peas (cooked in a bowl in the microwave with a little water)
-Gorton's Classic Grilled Shrimp, prepared in the microwave
-Frozen meatballs, prepared in the microwave
-Sweet Potato Chips

I garnished the shrimp mashtini with cocktail sauce and the meatball ones with barbecue sauce. I topped them all with a fresh cherry tomato. So easy!

I used extra large, plastic martini glasses, and they were more than enough for a meal. The plastic made them a bit top-heavy, though, so be sure to hold them steady if you use plastic.

Happy Valentine's Day!

New, Improved DIY Powder Laundry Detergent

For quite a while now, I have made my own laundry detergent. I have been fine-tuning the recipe, and wanted to share my new, improved process.

Rather than grate the soap, I have found that if you turn it into a fine powder, it dissolves, mixes, and cleans much better. To do this, start with 1/2 bar of Ivory soap.

Unwrap it and place it into a microwave-safe pie plate or casserole dish (you want something wide).

Place it into a microwave and set the timer for 1 1/2 minutes. Watch it closely while the microwave is on - the soap will grow and expand, much like volcanic lava. When it stops growing, stop the microwave (mine usually goes for a little more than a minute).

Remove the soap from the microwave and let it cool. Once cooled, you'll be able to pull off pieces and crumble it into a fine powder, which you'll be able to easily mix with your Borax and washing soda.

It's also a fun project for kids - my daughter loves to watch the soap while it's in the microwave, and she helps crumble it afterward. Just don't let your kids inhale the fine powder, keep it down near waist level while working with it.

Low Calorie, Yet Satisfying Banana Pudding (With Pineapple!)

I'm from the south, and down here, we just love our banana pudding. Few desserts are as comforting and sentimental for me. Now that I'm an adult and have to worry about adult things like my weight and health, I don't get to indulge in my beloved banana pudding as often as I'd like. So I went in search of a healthier alternative. This version is sugar free and gluten free, and believe me - it tastes divine and is oh so satisfying.

Pineapple Banana Pudding

Ingredients: 
2 fresh bananas
1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (no sugar added)
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup sugar substitute (I used Erythritol)
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice (drained from canned crushed pineapple)

Directions:

1. Open can of pineapple and drain the pineapple and reserve 3/4-cup of the juice.

2. Slice the bananas into 1/4" thick round slices.

3. In a large, lidded glass bowl or glass baking dish, slice one banana to create a layer of bananas.

4. Then add 1/2 the pineapple to create a pineapple layer.

5. Slice the second banana to create a second banana layer, then top with remaining pineapple.

6. Separate the eggs, being careful not to nick the yolks.

7. In a large sauce pan, mix corn starch, sugar substitute, and egg yolks until well blended.

8. Mix in milk slowly, stirring constantly.

9. Stir in pineapple juice.

10. Place pan on the stovetop and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

11. As soon as mixture reaches boiling point, reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly until desired thickness is achieved. Filling should be thick but pourable. Thickening will happen quickly. Due to the pineapple juice, the filling may or may not thicken before it reaches the boiling point, so pay close attention! I stirred mine on the stove top for a little less than 10 minutes before it thickened but everyone's results may differ.

12. Remove from heat as soon as desired thickness is achieved.

13. Immediately pour over banana/pineapple layers, moving the dish to ensure that filling covers all layers and there are no air pockets. Chill in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.



Makes 4 - 1 cup servings

Nutrition Facts Pineapple Banana Pudding
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		178.0
Total Fat		2.8 g
	Saturated Fat	1.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.5 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.1 g
Cholesterol		93.5 mg
Sodium		45.6 mg
Potassium		483.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate		59.5 g
	Dietary Fiber	26.2 g
	Sugars	24.6 g
Protein		4.9 g

Ginger Lavender Lemonade: My Favorite Summer Drink

Last year, I bought a gallon ziploc bag full of lavender, thinking I'd be all crafty with it and stuff. Of course, here are, the bag and I, not getting any younger...so, I discovered how delicious it is brewed and mixed up as a lemonade. Then, I discovered Domaine de Canton. Wow! Altogether, it makes a most delicious summer drink. Rather than clash, the mild spice flavors of lavender and ginger compliment each other very nicely.

What You'll Need:
-1/4 c. Dried Lavender
-1/4 c. Lemon Juice (or fresh lemons if you're picky like that - obviously, since mine is from Wal-Mart, I'm not)
-1/2 c. Sweetener
-A Pitcher or something to put it in that will hold 2 - 3 quarts (mine pictured is 2.75 quarts)
-A Strainer
-Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
-Water, ice, and a glass

First, combine 1/4 c dried lavender and 2 c. water into a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let brew for 10 minutes. Bonus: your house will smell like Avignon in late spring.

Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, sweetener, and about 1 quart of water (or a combination of water and ice) in your pitcher.

When the lavender has brewed for 10 minutes, pour it through the strainer into your pitcher, and mix well.

In a glass, add 1 oz. Domaine de Canton and ice, then fill the glass with your lavender lemonade. Mix, then drink.

So delicious.

Make Your Own Peeps (Without All the Bad Stuff!)

Growing up, I always found a few Peeps in my Easter basket on Easter morning. I looked forward to it all year long...that crunchy sugar coating with soft marshmallow inside. Now, we can buy Peeps all year long, as they're usually themed for every holiday and not just Easter. While they're cute (and still just as delicious!), I thought it might be fun to make our own for a change, leaving out the artificial colors, corn syrup, and preservatives.

Peeps are pretty simple: shaped marshmallow covered in colored sugar. So, I started by making my own marshmallows. I'd never made marshmallows before, but I'll try most anything at least once. I found this recipe online and thought it sounded fairly straightforward. I didn't want to use corn syrup, though, so I substituted honey in its place. The only problem with using honey is that the marshmallows were honey-flavored. This is fine if you and your family like the taste of honey, but if you don't, you might want to try this recipe instead. I found it after I'd already made the marshmallows, and I'm definitely planning to use it next time I make something that calls for corn syrup.

Making the marshmallows was a lot of fun, and yes, it was messy, but not as messy as I thought it'd be!

Next, I picked out my cutting shapes and got the colored sugar ready. For the shapes, I just used my Spring cookie cutters, but you could also put the soft marshmallow into a decorator bag and use a piping tip to pipe chick shapes.

To make the naturally colored sugar, I used orange juice for yellow, strawberry preserves for pink, and blueberry juice concentrate for purple.

I simply put some sugar into a plastic bag, then added a bit of each juice until I got the desired color. I did like the results, and the juices gave the peeps a subtle flavor that was an unexpected surprise.

My marshmallows turned out a bit thick, and with my large-sized cutters, they made some huge Peeps!

Once I had the shapes, I just sprinkled them with the colored sugar. I then melted a bit of dark chocolate to add some detail, and used a toothpick to create the eyes and lines.

That's it! I used the extra marshmallow and cut it into smaller pieces, and drizzled the leftover melted chocolate on them. Both the Peeps and the marshmallows here a big hit with the family, and with me!

Quinoa and Black Bean Casserole

All this talk of Meatless March has inspired me to try out some new vegetarian dishes. I came across a vegan quinoa and black bean casserole that used non-dairy cheese, and I decided to use a few of my ingredients on hand to come up with a spicy version of my own.

Ingredients

-1 large Sweet potato, raw and diced 

-Whole Grain Quinoa, 1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked 

-2 cups cooked black beans 

-Ground tumeric, 2 tbsp  

-2 cans Cut Diced Tomatoes with green chiles 

-1/2 tbsp ground Oregano 

-6 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese 

-1 tbsp Basil 2 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese, part skim milk

Directions

Cook Quinoa and Black beans according to directions on label.

Spray a 9" x 12" casserole dish with non-stick spray and spread Quinoa into the pan.

Combine everything else, except the Mozarella, into a mixing bowl and stir to mix. Spread the mixture onto the Quinoa, then top with the Mozzarella.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serving Size: Makes 6-1 cup servings

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 380.1

• Total Fat: 13.3 g
• Cholesterol: 35.1 mg
• Sodium: 398.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 46.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9.9 g
• Protein: 19.7 g

It was so yummy! I think it would be great on a bed of fresh greens. I'll have to try that with all the leftovers!

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

If you're looking for easy ways to save money on household items, one easy way you can do so is to make your own laundry detergent. I started making my own a little over 2 years ago because the commercial detergents' scents were too strong for me, and the "Free" products were expensive. This recipe works well in our front-loading machine. It cleans well (I do still use Oxyclean spray to pre-treat heavy stains, but everything else comes right out), has a very light scent, and is easy to make. Plus, I love the fact that as long as I'm well-stocked on the ingredients, I never run out - I just make more when I need it!

What You'll Need:
-2 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (in the laundry aisle, but regular baking soda works if you can't find it)
-2 cups Borax
-1 bar Ivory soap
-Air-tight storage container

First, grate the bar of soap.

Then, add the Washing Soda and Borax. Mix it all together.

Transfer the mixture to air-tight storage, and that's it! I use 4 Tbsp. of this powder in our small front-loader. If you have a larger machine, you may want to try a little more.

Good Drink

Know what makes an excellent mixer? SoBe lifewater. It's incredibly yummy all by itself (every flavor I have tried so far, although Acai Fruit Punch is most excellent with Vanilla Vodka).

I used to be a die-hard diet soda drinker. Seriously, I was an addict. I was finally able to kick the habit last year after reading Anticancer, A New Way of Life, a phenomenal book about proven ways to minimize your risk of getting cancer. It seriously should be required reading for all humans. Cancer is no joke.

Not only does SoBe lifewater taste great, the sweetener used in it is a naturally derived antioxidant.

And did I mention it's a great mixer?

New World Pumpkin Soup

This is my favorite pumpkin soup! I came across this recipe a couple of years ago, and it's best with freshly cooked pumpkin.

This is the original recipe. I modified it to accommodate the ingredients I had on-hand:

-Pumpkin, cooked, 4 cups, mashed 

-Chorizo sausage, 12 oz 

-Garlic, 3 cloves 

-Milk, canned, evaporated, 1 can (13 oz) 

-Chicken Broth, 2 cup (8 fl oz) 

-Oregano, ground, 1 tsp

1. If using fresh chorizo, take it out of the skin and break it up into the pan. Cook until sausage is brown. 2. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, ending with the chicken broth. Add as much broth as you need to make it the thickness you want. Salt to taste.

Serving Size: Makes 7-1 cup servings

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 7
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 305.0

• Total Fat: 22.3 g
• Cholesterol: 58.3 mg
• Sodium: 1,074.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 10.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
• Protein: 15.9 g

Christmas Veggie Wreath

My friend, The Domestic Goddess (or at least pretending to be), posted this recipe and I thought it sounded perfect to take to an upcoming Christmas party. I changed it up just a little (cheated, actually, by using the philly veggie spread), but overall it was super easy to make, and it was delicious! It was also a big hit at the party, and we only brought a tiny bit home. 

Here is my recipe, modified from the original (linked above):

2	tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1	container Philadelphia brand Garden Veggie spread
1	– 1½ cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
1	cup finely chopped celery
1	finely chopped red bell pepper
A few	red cabbage leaves or lettuce leaves

Remove crescent dough from packaging (do not unroll). Cut each tube into eight slices. Arrange in an 11-in circle on an ungreased 14-in pan. Bake at 375 for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a serving platter; cool completely.

Spread the cream cheese over wreath; top with broccoli, celery and red pepper. Form a bow garnish with cabbage or lettuce leaves. Yield: 16 servings

And here is the finished wreath! I love the colors - it all looked so festive!

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

In the DIY world, making your own vanilla extract is a perfect 10 on the Easy Scale. Plus, it makes a great gift that will impress your friends and family when you tell them that you made it yourself. While it's easy to do, it does take a little time (at least a month), so it requires a little advance planning.

What You'll Need:

-Vanilla Bean
-Jar or container with a tight fitting lid
-Vodka
-Measuring cup
-Kitchen shears or a sharp knife

To start, cut your vanilla bean length-wise, not quite all the way, so that you have a big V.

Place the cut bean into your jar/container, and add 1 cup of vodka.

Tighten the lid, give it a good shake, then place it into a dark place (cabinet or pantry) for about a month.

Shake it every day or two, and after a month, you'll have your own vanilla extract!

If you want to give it as a gift, strain it using a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth, and transfer it to a prettier container. There you have it! The best part is that as you use it, you can add more vodka to replenish what you've used.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal

If you're still looking for new recipes for your freshly cooked pumpkin, you might want to try out this yummy pumpkin oatmeal. It's creamy and savory, and an easy dish to make in your crock pot. It's high in fiber and very filling, so I even like to eat it as an afternoon snack to keep me from getting too hungry before dinner. I also like to add sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top, and add 1 tsp. crunchy Almond Butter to give it a little more protein. This has become one of my favorite Autumn dishes!

Ingredients

2 cups Old-fashioned Oats 

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain, fat free 

1/2 cup Egg Beaters or Just Whites 

1 cup pumpkin puree 

2/3 cup Ideal brand sweetener (I prefer the brown sugar variety in this recipe) 

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

Directions

Add the first 4 ingredients to the crock pot and stir to combine.
In a medium bowl combine the remaining ingredients, pour over oat mixture and stir just until everything is moist.
Cover and cook on low 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until desired consistency.

Serving Size: Makes 8 1/2 cup servings

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 129.6

• Total Fat: 1.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0.9 mg
• Sodium: 118.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.6 g
• Protein: 7.2 g

Cakester Spiders

Are you looking for an easy Halloween treat? These cute spiders are a tasty and so easy to make, even the youngest trick-or-treaters will be able to lend a hand. Better yet, if you're having a Halloween party, just put everything out and let the kids make them!

What you'll need:

Oreo Cakesters
Pretzel Sticks
M&Ms (Any round variety - I used the White Chocolate Candy Corn flavored ones...So yummy!)
Black Cake Icing

Unwrap the Cakesters, then break 4 pretzel sticks in half. Stick the pretzel sticks into the cakesters, 4 on each side, so that they resemble spider legs.

Then, just add small dots of icing where you'd like to place your eyes, and stick the M&Ms onto the dots. Add a bit more icing on the top of each M&M to finish the eyes, and there you have it!

I'm making these for my daughter's preschool Halloween party, and she and I made these two for a taste test. They're really delicious!