Homemade Body Scrub

Summer is quickly approaching. We must buff our body to show off our sexy legs. I like making my own body scrub made with all natural ingredients to slough away all the dead skin off my feet and legs. It is quick and easy and the after effect of this scrub will make your skin glow. Do not use on your face or décolleté.

Homemade Sea Salt Body Scrub

1 cup of dead sea salt or sea salt

15 drops of essential oil (I used geranium)

3 tbsp. coconut oil

Combine the sea salt with the coconut oil. Add esstential oil of your choice

Place the scrub in a clean jar

That's it! Scrub your body before entering the shower. Once you have scrubbed your body and showered, you will feel how supple your skin is. I also use a moisturizer with a self tan to add to the glow of my skin.

I love candles. So I always save the beautiful jars. To remove the wax easily, I usually put the jar in the freezer overnight to freeze the wax. With a knife I carefully pop out the wax. I then thoroughly wash the jar for future use.

Chicken Bean Burritos

A great hearty lunch or for the dinner on the go. As moms (or dads) we are always on an itinerary with our children. Dance classes, soccer, hockey games. Make this ahead and freeze it. Defrost in the morning so it's ready for dinner. When you get home, place it in the oven to heat through or microwave; and away you go!



Chicken Bean Burrito

Chicken Bean Burrito

Ingredients

3/4 cup brown rice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion chopped

1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 can 19 fl. oz. (540 ml) black beans

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 burrito-size whole wheat tortillas, 10 inches each

Salsa and sour cream (optional)


Cook rice your brown rice and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium and add the onions, garlic, pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Sautee until translucent, add the meat and continue to cook until the meat has browned.

Add the tomato paste and cook, for 1 minute. Make sure you're stirring while this is cooking.

Add the tomato paste cook for about 1 minute

Add the beans, and 1 cup of water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer, stirring until thickened (approx. 15 min.)

Add the beans and water and simmer until thickened

Add the corn and cook to heat through for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add corn and heat through. Remove from heat.

Heat the tortillas according to the package. Then fill with the rice, and bean mixture. Add the cheese. The filling must be placed on one side of the tortilla. Fold sides, and hold the sides together and roll tightly into a bundle.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

If you are freezing the burritos, wrap the burrito individually and place in the freezer.

Classic Lemon Cranberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Serve this for breakfast or tea time with the girls, you will not go wrong serving scones! Easy to make, a classic that everyone will love! If you don't have cranberries, blueberries would be just divine! I prefer using dried cranberries, fresh or frozen work just as well.

Lemon Cranberry Scones With Lemon Glaze

Scones

2 cups                  all-purpose flour
1/4 cup                sugar
1 tbsp.                 baking powder
1/4 tsp.                salt
1 tbsp.                 grated lemon zest
1/2 cup                unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup                whipping cream
1/4 cup                2% milk plus extra for brushing
1                          large egg
1 tsp.                   vanilla extract
1 cup                   dried cranberries

Glaze

1 cup                  icing sugar
1 1/2 tbsp.          freshly squeezed lemon juice


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

Stir in the lemon zest.

Cut in the butter until the mixture is rough and crumbly but still small pieces of butter are visible. It should be lumpy. Do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cream, milk, egg and vanilla together.

Add this to the flour mixture and stir to just bring the dough together.

Flatten the dough out in a rectangle (about 1 cm thick), top with cranberries and press the cranberries into the dough.

Fold the dough over once to incorporate the cranberries.

Reshape into a rectangle. Do not handle the dough too much. You do not want the butter to melt into the flour.

Cut the rectangle into 6 even pieces. Cut it in half down the middle (long side), then into thirds (short side), then cut 6 squares into triangles by cutting squares on the diagonal.

Brush the scones with a little milk and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until lightly browned on top.


Glaze

Whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice together and drizzle over the cooled scones using the whisk or a fork. Let the glaze set for an hour before serving. If glaze is too thick, add water, 1 tsp at a time.

Ricotta For Breakfast

Steel cut oats, greek yogurt parfaits are the latest craze for healthy breakfasts these days. Which is great. But sometimes we need change. Changing it up a bit to make our mornings a little more interesting is needed sometimes.

I've featured my cottage cheese parfaits which are truly delicious.

Ricotta to me is such a delicious cheese. Light, creamy and a nice sweet taste. I usually like buying fresh ricotta from the local farm, or I sometimes make my own at home. Get some ricotta and try this recipe for breakfast.

Ricotta Parfait

Take a mason jar. Add fresh ricotta at the bottom. Layer with fruit of your choice. You can add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, walnuts; the combinations are endless. Keep layering until you reach the top. I like eating the ricotta without it being sweetened. You can add cinnamon, honey or maple syrup to naturally sweeten your parfait.

Close the lid and away you go!

Homemade Granola Bars

My children love granola bars. But if you look at the package, it's loaded with sugar. If you have a child that is allergic to nuts, this recipe is perfect and is also gluten free. I like making my own granola bars. It's not that difficult to make and much healthier. This recipe is not that sweet. The applesauce adds a nice chewy texture to the bar.

Make sure the bars have completely cooled down before you cut into squares.

Homemade Granola Bar, gluten and nut free

Homemade Granola Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees oven. Line a 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper


2 cups         rolled oats

1/2 cup        packed brown sugar

2 tbsp.         unsalted butter

1/4 tsp.        salt

1/2 cup        unsweetened applesauce

1                  large egg

1/3 cup        pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup        chopped dates or raisins

2 tbsp.         chia seeds


Mix the oats, brown sugar, butter and salt until the butter is evenly blended. Sitr together the applesauce and egg. Add to the oat mixture along with the pumpkin seeds, dried fruit and chia seeds; stir until mixture is moistened.

Spread and press mixture into your 8 x 8 inch parchment lined pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting.

Creamy Oh So Delicious Pasta Salad

I've officially started the barbeque season this weekend. We celebrated my daughter's sweet 16 birthday by hosting a barbeque. A request that she made was for me to make my pasta salad. So I did. I love this recipe because I prepared it the night before so the flavors can blend and make the salad even tastier. And to allow me more time to focus on other last minute dishes.

I used Renee's half the fat greek salad dressing which is so creamy, flavorful and delicious.


Creamy Pasta Salad

1 pkg.             bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled down

1                     green pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces

1 1/2 cups      shredded carrots

1 can             sliced black olives

3                   green onions chopped, stems removed

2 stalks         celery finely chopped

1 jar              Renee's Half the Fat Creamy Greek Dressing

salt and pepper to taste



This dressing gives the pasta salad a creamy texture

 Add all ingredients into the bowl and mix in the dressing. Refrigerate over night to let the flavors incorporate.



Make this the night before to allow the flavors to infuse.

The Most Amazing Banana Muffins

Don't throw those ripe bananas away! Peel them, place them in a baggie and freeze. Throw it in a smoothie or make these delicious muffins.

The large quantity of banana makes these muffins flavorful and moist.

Your family will thank you!


Amazing Banana Muffins

The Most Amazing Banana Muffins

Makes 1 dozen

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Grease or line your muffin pan with paper liners

1                          egg
1 1/2 cups           mashed bananas (3 or 4 large)
1/2 cup               melted butter
1 1/2 cups          all purpose flour
3/4 cup               packed brown sugar
1 tsp.                  baking powder
1 tsp.                  baking soda
1/2 tsp.               salt

1.   Beat egg, mashed banana and melted butter in a large bowl until thoroughly blended.

2.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.

3.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

I added 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can add 3/4 cup of cranberries or blueberries.

The riper the banana the better. One large banana should yield about 1/2 cup of mashed banana.

I'm concerned about fat so I reduced the butter to 1/3 of a cup. It was just as good.

      

                 

Granola Bites

A quick and easy recipe for snacks. You never know what packaged granola at the store is made of. I like to make my own so I know what we are eating. The crisp rice cereal adds a nice crunchy texture.

Another recipe hit in my house. And no baking required.

Granola Bites

Granola Bites

1 cup              mixed dried fruit (raisins, abricots, cherries, chopped dates)
1/2 cup           raw sunflower seeds, shelled
1/2 cup           raw pumpkin seeds
7 cups            crisp rice-cereal
1 cup             quick oats
1 1/2 cups     chunky peanut butter   
1 cup             light corn syrup
1/2 cup          brown sugar
1 cup             dry instant nonfat dry milk
1 tsp              vanilla extract

Grease 15x10 inch pan

Combine dried fruit and seeds in food processor, cover. Pulse to chop into small pieces. Transfer to large bowl. Add rice cereal and oats, mix well.

Combine peanut butter, corn syrup and sugar in small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until bubbly about 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir in dry milk and vanilla extract. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture. Stir well to coat. Let cool completely before shaping into balls. Store in air tight container.

Celebrating A Campfire Tradition

Summer is quickly approaching. Time to spend outdoors hosting a barbeque, going up to the cottage.  What fun! Not all of us have the opportunity to sit around a campfire to eat the delicious s'more. Not to worry. I have you covered. This delicious dessert is a tribute to the famous campfire goodie made right in your kitchen. So easy to make. You can prepare this the night before and toast the marshmallows last minute just before serving.

S'Mores Dessert Squares


64 Nilla Wafers, divided

5 tbsp. butter, melted

3 tbsp. sugar

3 1/4 cup cold milk, divided

1 pkg (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding

2 pkg (4 serving size each) vanilla instant pudding

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Finely crush 40 of the wafers and place in medium bowl. I used the food processor to do this. Or you can place in a ziplock and crush. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.

Pour 1 1/4 cups of the milk into a medium bowl. Add the chocolate pudding mix. Beat with a whisk for 2 minutes until well blended (I cheat and beat with a mixer fitted with whisk attachment). Spread over crust and top with 24 wafers.

Spread chocolate pudding over crust. Top with wafers

Beat the whipping cream and set aside.


Pour remaining 2 cups milk into a mixing bowl, add the vanilla pudding mixes. Beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. Fold in the whipping cream into the vanilla pudding. Spread over the wafer layer. Refrigerate overnight.

Fold whipping cream into the vanilla pudding

Spread the vanilla/whipped cream mixture over wafers

Preheat broiler just before serving. Top dessert with the mini marshmallows. Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned. I really kept an eye on this and rotated the pan continuously to ensure the marshmallows were evenly browned. You may sprinkle with grated chocolate if you wish.

You may sprinkle with grated chocolate before serving

Serve immediately.

Makes 24 squares.

Healthy Breakfast Recipes

I am really becoming a fan of steel cut oats. I love trying new flavor combinations. Today's recipe I used fresh lemon and ginger to flavor the oats. Then topped the oats with fresh blueberries and yogurt - Divine!

Lemon Ginger Blueberry Oats

2 1/2 cups                    water
1 cup                            steel cut oats   
1/2 tsp.                         salt
Fresh ginger root I cut off a 1" piece
1                                   zest of lemon
3 tbsp.                          maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup                        vanilla almond milk

Lemon Ginger Blueberry Oats

Add the steel cut oats, zest and ginger root to the boiling water. Add the salt and let boil until cooked (about 20 min). When the oats are almost cooked, add the almond milk. Remove from heat and remove the ginger root. If you feel the oats are not sweet enough, add more maple syrup to suit your taste. Top with blueberries and greek yogurt. The flavor combination of ginger and lemon is quite yummy. When I made this recipe, I was under the weather. My tummy was aching and found this really soothed my tummy. I just omitted the yogurt this time because of my sore tummy.

You can also add pumpkin seeds, nuts or chia seeds.

Make this ahead of time so you have it ready for breakfast for the week.

Breakfast for me is the most important meal of the day. It's in fact, my favorite meal of the day. I am always looking for tasty new recipes to make.

I am always in a rush. If I have nothing to make or I am not in the mood, I zip up a protein shake and take it along with me. It fills me up and gives me quite the energy boost.

In this next recipe I have made a strawberry/banana smoothie with vanilla protein powder.

I also threw in some blueberries and chia seeds. The combinations are endless. And the outcome is simply yummy! If you're using frozen fruits, your smoothie comes out nice and thick. I feel like I'm drinking a milk shake!

You will need a smoothie blender. You can purchase inexpensive ones at Walmart. I bought this particular blender at Walmart. It's from Oster. It was on sale for $29.99. The blender came in different colors to choose from and two of these stylish jugs that you snap onto the blender, lids and a re-usable straw.

Strawberry/Banana Smoothie

1 small banana or 1/2 a large banana
1 cup of chopped strawberries
I added a handful of blueberries
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

You can add 1 tsp of chia seeds if you would like.

Blend everything together and off you go!

This blender kit comes with lids that you can snap on and feed the straw through to prevent spilling.

Carrot Muffins

When my children were small, oddly enough they loved vegetables. But as they got older, green food became "not cool". They started not to eat fruits and vegetables like they used to. So, to improvise, I would sneak it in their food. I would puree the vegetables in soup so they would not see the chunks or would make healthy snack items. One of the items I usually make are these carrot muffins. Moist and so tasteful, it has become a hit here in our household. I use whole wheat flour for extra fibre. If you do not like the taste of whole wheat, all purpose flour can be used.

Carrot Muffins



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

one or two 12-cup muffin pans, greased or lined with paper liners

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

3/4 cups raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrots

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine the flour, sugar, raisins, walnuts, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt in a large bowl. Stir well.

Beat carrots, eggs and oil. Add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling three quarters full for regular-size or full for large-size muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes for regular muffins or 27 minutes for large muffins or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

Variations:
Omit nuts if desired. My kids hate nuts so I make carrot muffins without the nuts.

Switch the carrots with shredded zucchini.

A healthy breakfast alternative. My son

Cheese Biscuits

I love cheese and especially in biscuits! Serve with tea, some grapes or a nice glass of wine. I cannot stop at one! Make little bite size sandwiches with these cheese morsels. I know when I bake a batch, the biscuits disappear quickly. I love to serve these as a finger food if I'm hosting an event.

Cheese Biscuits

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 cup shredded old cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten (to brush the tops)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender (or two dinner knives), cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.

Stir in cheese. Pour milk over top and stir with fork to make soft, slightly sticky ragged dough.

With floured hands, form into a large ball. Turn dough onto floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently 10 times.



Form dough and knead gently 10 times

Gently pat into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick round. Using a 2 inch (5 cm) floured cutter, cut into rounds.

cut into 2 inch round (1/2" thick)

Place on ungreased baking sheet. Gather up scraps and repeat dough; cut more rounds, pressing remaining scraps into final biscuit.

Place on ungreased baking sheet

Brush tops of biscuits with egg. Bake in centre of 425 degrees F oven (220 degrees C) until golden, about 15 minutes.

Brush top with egg wash

Let cool on rack.

Enjoy!

Rice Ring With Meat Sauce Stuffing

This is a true crowd pleaser if serving at a party or a dinner. It's literally dinner in a pan. Serve with an arugula salad and dinner is done!

Rice Ring Stuffed With Meat Sauce

Meat Sauce


1 bottle or can of tomato puree
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp. olive oil
450 gr (1 lb) ground beef
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Meat Sauce

Sautee the onion, garlic until translucent. Add ground beef and sautee until fully cooked. Add the tomato sauce, parsley and let simmer on med/low heat for about 40 minutes stirring the sauce often. Add peas  and let cook. Set aside.


For the rice ring you will need to boil 6 cups of water with salt and 3 cups of Arborio rice.

In the meantime prepare your bundt pan.

Butter your bundt pan and coat with bread crumbs, I used the Italian seasoning bread crumbs

Once your Arborio rice has cooked and cooled down, add 1 cup of parmesan cheese and two eggs to your rice. Blend thoroughly.

Wet Hands and Form Rice in Pan

Fill With Meat Sauce and add chunks of mozzarella (about half a ball)

Cover with remaining rice. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes

Let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce.

Penne With Peas and Mushrooms

This dish is easy and quick to make. If you're a soccer mom, this would be a great pre-game meal that is quick and easy to make.  If you like spicy, add a bit of hot pepper flakes. Also nice with rice or gluten free pasta.

Penne with Peas and Mushrooms

Penne With Peas and Mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg, cooked penne
4 tbsp. olive oil
hot pepper flakes, optional

Once the pasta has cooked, reserve 1 ladle of the pasta water for later.

Sautee the onion and garlic with the olive oil until golden. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for about 8 minutes.

Sautee the mushrooms until cooked



Add the frozen peas to the mushrooms and continue cooking

Add the cooked pasta and the reserved water and continue cooking for another 5 minutes

Serve With Parmesan Cheese 

Cheesy Pancakes

There's one thing I love about Sunday morning is breakfast! My most favorite meal of the day! I made these pancakes this morning for my family. It is moist and oh so delicious. The pancakes secret ingredient is cottage cheese which makes the pancakes so moist. I served the pancakes with a blueberry preserve that I make when it's blueberry season. Maple syrup is just as delicious.

Pancakes Made With Pressed Cottage Cheese

Cheesy Pancakes

1 lb of pressed cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix thoroughly the cheese, eggs and salt.
Add the rains and mix again.
Slowly add the flour and mix. Mixture should be sticky.
Add the dough to a floured surface and cut into balls approx. 2 inches and then flatten.
Add butter to a griddle and cook the pancakes.

Serve with fruit preserves or maple syrup.

Bite Size Appetizers A Stylish Alternative to Finger Sandwiches

Bite Size Appetizers

I made the above appetizers for my little nephew's birthday party. Bread cups filled with chicken, egg and tuna salad. Very easy to make. The bread cups can be made the night before or a few days before and filled the last minute.

This would really be cute if you're hosting a bridal or baby shower or afternoon tea with the ladies! A stylish alternative to finger sandwiches.

You will need:

A loaf of toast bread (I used whole wheat - the softer the better to work with)
Any filling you wish I went to the local deli and bought their freshly made egg, tuna and chicken salad. I only needed a little so it wasn't feasible to make my own.
A rolling pin
Mini muffin tin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Flatten the slice of bread with a rolling pin, remove crust

Cut bread in a circle with a cutter (I used a 3") to fit my tin

Grease the tins before lining with bread

Bake for 5 minutes, then close the heat leaving the cups in the oven. This will dry out the cups. After 30 minutes, remove from oven and continue cooling.

Your cups are ready to be filled

Decadent Ice Cream Pie

If you're intimidated with baking, why not try this recipe out. A delicious ice cream pie that is easy to make and great to make ahead for your dinner or event. Or just make this and savor for a cheat night!

Why not serve this at your next barbeque?

Vanilla Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Pie

Crust:

1 1/4 cup Oreo Cookie Crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

Press on bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Pie Filling:

1 cup (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate squares, chopped

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy (double cream)

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup confectioners (icing) sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Skor bits

1L tub of premium vanilla ice cream

Melt the chocolate, butter. cream and corn syrup on top of a double broiler. Set over but barely touching the simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate has melted.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chocolate for the pie topping. Spread the remaining on the cookie crust. Sprinkle with half of the Skor bits. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, using a paddle attachment, beat the ice cream with an electric mixer until spreadable but not runny. Pour immediately into the prepared pie plate and freeze until firm (about 2 hours).

Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals until spreadable. Remove, stirring quickly and spread onto the pie. Sprinkle with the remaining Skor bits and freeze until completely firm before serving. If you are making this ahead, remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving to make cutting easier.

* If you do not like toffee bits, substitute for chopped, roasted almonds.