NOURISHING AVOCADO FACIAL or BODY MASK, BEAUTY ON THE CHEAP

What price will you pay for beauty?  
 

Admittedly, I do pay quite a lot of money when it comes to skin care.  I only shop for clothes on the clearance racks, much of the time at Target, just so that I can buy good skin products.  My rationale is that I might only wear clothes for a couple of years, but I will wear my skin for my entire life!

My preference to put on my skin is for organic, preservative free products.  If I’m going to all the effort to eat whole, preservative free foods to make my insides healthy, why wouldn’t I do the same for the entire body?

While I do have a few expensive products that I buy, I also have some cheap and good tricks up my sleeve so that I don’t break the bank.  One of my faves is this a Nourishing Avocado Mask, that can be used for both face and body.  

This mask is multi-tasking, hitting all of my issues; aging, hyperpigmentation, occasional acne, and clogged pores.  Nourishing Avocado Mask is super hydrating, evens skin tone, helps with minimizing lines and wrinkles, lightens and brightens skin, treats and prevents acne, and helps to clear and minimize pores.  Each ingredient used has a purpose, but can be omitted or changed depending upon your needs.  This can also be a very healthy treatment for sunburn, just by omitting the egg white and lemon juice and perhaps adding some aloe vera gel.

This mask can be used for both face and body; I tend to make a batch and use it first on my face, then I add more coconut oil and put it on my body.  I grab a magazine and hang out in the empty bath tub while the mask does its magic.

Here’s what you do to achieve beauty on the cheap!

I get avocados from my tree from November usually until February, but this year we still have a few avocados on the tree and it's now mid-March!

Avocado is super moisturizing, contains anti-oxidants which help with visible signs of aging, vitamin C helps with the loss of elastin and collagen, Vitamin E assists with those pesky free radicals.

Coconut oil provides deep, penetrating moisture.

An egg white to refine and minimize pores.

Honey is  moisturizing and soothing, has anti oxidants for anti aging, is anti bacterial to treat and prevent acne, and clarifies to unclog pores.

Lemon juice is anti bacterial to help with acne and black heads, and has citric acid which fades spots and evens skin tone.

Blend it all up.

And smear it on your face in an even layer; leave it on for 20 minutes and then rinse. 

Your skin will feel be radiant, moisturized and refreshed!  It's great to do with a friend or your honey! 

Billy told me that this picture was okay to put on Instagram, but that I couldn't Tweet it...well I didn't tweet it, but his partner got a hold of it, and he tweeted it, and now everyone has seen it!

NOURISHING AVOCADO FACIAL or BODY MASK, BEAUTY ON THE CHEAP

FOR THE FACIAL MASK

1              cup         Ripe avocado, diced

1                            Egg white

½                           Lemon, juice of

2              tsp.         Honey

1              tsp.         Coconut oil

1.  Put all of the ingredients into a bowl, and blend with an immersion blender.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, mash the avocado with a fork and then add the remaining ingredients and whisk them together.

2.  Smear the mask in an even layer on the face and neck, and leave the mask on for about 20 minutes.  Rinse well to remove the mask.  There’s no need to moisturize after using this mask.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about a week; you may use this mask once or twice per week.

FOR THE BODY MASK

1              cup        Ripe avocado, diced

1              Tbsp.      Coconut oil

1              Tbsp.      Honey

A squeeze of           Lemon juice

1.  Prepare the ingredients as in the facial mask instructions.

2.  Smear the mask in an even layer on the body and find a place to sit for 20 to 30 minutes.  I find that the bath tub is a good place to hang out.  Rinse well to remove the mask.

This mask will need more lemon juice added to it in order to store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes:  You may also prepare the facial mask and then just add a little more coconut oil and apply that to the body.  The extra lemon juice does have lightening properties though, which I don’t mind, but if you’ve been working on your tan you may not appreciate that.

This is also a great healing mask to apply after sunburn, however omit the egg white and the lemon juice.

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CREAMY HONEY VANILLA FROZEN YOGURT,made without an ice cream machine (or with)

Aaah, I'm so relieved!  We've been on vacation in Montana visiting Billy's family for the last few weeks and Billy didn't want me to post anything anywhere about our stay until it was over.  While he's only being practical (Because of the would be burglars that peruse social media looking for homes to hit.  We have a couple stay at the house while we're gone, but thoughtful Billy didn't want anyone who may be thinking that the house was empty breaking into the house while they were there.), I've been antsy just waiting to post my photos not only here but on Facebook and Instagram.

I would get so excited to post every photo that I took of the amazing scenery and the animals that come right into the back yard to Instagram, and I couldn't post them:(  I mean the whole fun of Instagram is that it's instant; it's not TwoWeeksAgogram.

Well I guess it's better later than never, so be prepared for a barrage of Montana pictures and stories in the next little bit!

So Montana was having a heat wave while we there, (which is perfect for me the visiting Floridian, cuz the only way I'm getting into the water is if I'm really warm), a heat wave definitely calls for evenings on the deck, looking out at the river, eating a nice cool treat.

Frozen yogurt is a great cool treat because it's not too sweet, and much lower in fat than ice cream.  This recipe uses thick Greek yogurt, which gives the frozen yogurt a really nice creamy consistency and has tartness and tang as well.  I used full fat Greek yogurt as well as half & half for the body of the froyo; you may choose to use low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt, but the half & half is necessary to get a creamy product, if milk is used the froyo will be grainy.

I don't have an ice cream machine and if I were to just to put the yogurt straight into the freezer it would just freeze into a block and it wouldn't be scoopable.

An ice cream machine stirs the mixture while it freezes so it breaks up the ice crystals and incorporates a little air into the froyo.

I came up a method that mimics what the ice cream machine does so that the frozen yogurt is creamy and scoopable.

If you do have an ice cream maker, you will just mix all the ingredients together and then use your machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

In Honey Vanilla Frozen Yogurt the honey and vanilla flavors are definitely prominent, but honey and vanilla goes with so many other flavors; so go ahead and serve it with any fruit or berries and it's even yummy on top of a brownie, or fruit crisp!

Right in the middle of making the froyo Billy came running in the house yelling, "Holy crap!  What is that?"
Well directly in front of him was a moose that came for a snack of leaves.
We've never seen a moose in the summer, they like cooler temps so they're usually up higher in the mountains.

Mama Moose had her twins with her.  It's really baffling that she wasn't bothered at all by us snapping a gazillion pictures of her and her babies; it's not uncommon for moose to be aggressive.

Here's what you do.

I used these yummy local dairy products!  These products contain no extraneous ingredients; the half and half is milk and cream, that's it!  

Because there are only four ingredients, you can really taste each and every one of them so it's important to use good ingredients.  

To a medium bowl add the yogurt, vanilla extract...

...and honey.  Give it a good mix.

Pour the half & half into a large glass or ceramic bowl.

Beat the half & half  on high speed for about 8 minutes until it's frothy and thick.

Keep the half & half good and cold until you're ready to beat it; it also helps to put the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
  

Pour the yogurt mixture into the beaten half & half.

Mix it with the beater to incorporate.

Put the yogurt mixture into the freezer for 45 minutes.

Remove the bowl and mix on medium speed, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl; this breaks up the ice crystals yielding a creamy end product.

Return the yogurt to the freezer for another 45 minutes and then repeat the process.
Now repeat the process 4 more times, but at 30 minutes intervals.

This is what the yogurt looks like when it's ready to remove from the glass bowl.  It's still soft but not loose.

Transfer the froyo to a plastic bowl that has a lid.  Place this in the freezer for a couple of hours.

You may enjoy this tangy, sweet and creamy frozen yogurt all by its lonesome, but the lovely vanilla, honey  flavor is perfectly paired with sliced fruit or berries!

CREAMY HONEY VANILLA FROZEN YOGURT, made without an ice cream machine (or with)

Makes 1 quart, or 8-1/2 cup servings

16           oz.          Plain Greek yogurt

1             cup         Honey

1             tsp.        Vanilla extract

1             cup         Half & half

If you have an ice cream machine:  Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl, now use your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

If you don’t have an ice cream machine follow these directions for creamy frozen yogurt.

1.      In a medium bowl mix together the Greek yogurt, honey and vanilla extract.

2.      Pour the half & half into a large glass or ceramic bowl.  Beat the half & half with a handheld mixer on high speed until thick and frothy, about 8 minutes; the half & half must be cold, it also helps to put the bowl and beaters into the freezer for a few minutes(it will get about half as thick as if you were beating heavy cream).

3.      Pour the yogurt mixture into the whipped half & half and beat with the mixer until completely combined.  Place the entire bowl and its contents into the freezer.

4.      After the yogurt has been in the freezer for 45 minutes, remove the bowl of yogurt from the freezer and mix completely with the handheld mixer on medium- high speed being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl (this breaks up the ice crystals so that the froyo will have a smooth consistency); return to the freezer for another 45 minutes, and repeat.  Now mix the yogurt every 30 minutes, returning the bowl of yogurt to the freezer each time; do this 4 times.

5.      After the final mix, remove the frozen yogurt from the glass (or ceramic bowl) to a plastic container that has a lid and freeze until firm.

Serve Honey Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with sliced fruit or berries.

TROPICAL GREEN SALAD with HONEY LIME VINAIGRETTE

It’s official…summer’s here!

I know that the official 1^st day of summer isn’t until the end of June, but Memorial Day for many, marks the beginning of summer season. 

While we have summer like conditions most of the year in South Florida, I still live my life as if we have four seasons; I also begin my new year in September, just like I did when I was in school…Old habits!

When I was a teenager, we lived in the interior of British Columbia where the snow doesn’t melt until May.  As soon as that snow melted, the bikinis and the baby oil came out, and my girlfriends and I were tanning in the back yard; it wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t freezing anymore either and we had a base tan to build so that we wouldn't be pasty when it got hot enough to go to the lake!

If I ever get to go back in time I will tell my younger self to at least cover my/our face, so that I/we don’t get ghastly brown spots on my/our face.  Is it “my” or “our, “I” or “we”; it may be too confusing for me to go back in time; I might just have to stay put!

When the days get longer and lighter we crave lighter meals; which means lots of salads!  I heart salads, especially salads with lots of “stuff” in them!  Since this is also the time of year that mangoes are in abundance in the super market, I put them in this salad and called it Tropical Green Salad and I made a light and lovely tasting Honey Lime Vinaigrette that is just perfect for this salad!

I made this salad for a luncheon, so I doubled the recipe and prepped everything the night before; then just before it was time for me to leave, I assembled the salad.  I served the dressing on the side, as well as the almonds, (just in case someone had a nut allergy).  It’s so dang yummy! 

 

I’ve made variations of this salad in the past, and instead of green beans, I’ve added sliced avocado.  If you decide to go that route just know that the avocado needs to go on the salad right before it’s served.

Here’s what you do.

Start with making the Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Add to the jar of a blender the chopped shallots, garlic, and fresh squeezed lime juice.

By twisting a fork in the lime while squeezing the lime a lot more juice can be gotten from the fruit.

Also add some rice vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, toasted sesame oil, tabascco, salt and pepper.

Turn the blender on, remove the center of the lid, and pour the canola oil through the hole in a slow steady stream.

If you don't have a blender; never fear, there are instructions at the end of the recipe for you!

Pour the vinaigrette into a container.

Honey Lime Vinaigrette can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Prepare the green beans by trimming the ends and blanching them in salted boiling water for about a minute and a half.

Plunge the blanched beans immediately into a bowl of ice water that you just happen to have standing by.

Doing this will keep the beans crisp and bright green.

I like to have all my veggies cut a similar shape and size; so I cut the red bell pepper into strips, and then cut those strips in half.

I cut the cucumber into strips and then cut those strips into about 1 1/2 inch lengths.

I'm not gonna show you how I cut the remaining ingredients, because it would get repetitive; suffice it to say that I cut the mangoes, onions and cheese the same shape and size.

The veggies and the cheese may be cut in the day before and stored in separate containers (or storage bags) in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the salad.

Place the lettuce on the bottom of a platter or a shallow bowl.

Arrange the veggies and the cheese in an attractive manner over the lettuce.

You may do like piles; which would make for a "composed salad", or toss everything together for a "tossed salad".

So pretty and colorful, perfect to serve just for family or at a party!

Because I served this to a crowd I doubled the recipe and, I served the dressing and the almonds on the side.

TROPICAL GREEN SALAD with HONEY LIME VINAIGRETTE

Serves 6

½             lb.             Green beans, trimmed

1                              Cucumber, peeled, and diced large

1                              Red bell pepper, large dice

1                              Mango, large dice

½                             Small red onion, sliced

1              bag           Green lettuce, such a romaine or butter lettuce, a bag is 6.5 ounces

6              oz.            Havarti cheese, large dice

¼             cup           Flavored Sliced Almonds, Honey roasted or salt and pepper flavor (typically found in the produce section)

                                Honey lime vinaigrette (recipe follows)

  1.       Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a little salt and the green beans.  Blanch the beans for about a minute and a half. 

  2.       Immediately plunge the blanched green beans into a bowl of ice water.  This will shock the beans so that they stay bright green, and crisp.  Once they’ve completely cooled, drain the beans well.

  3.       Use a large shallow bowl, or a platter.  Arrange the lettuce on the bottom. 

  4.       Arrange the veggies, mangoes and cheese in an attractive manner over the lettuce.  My preference is to make piles of like veggies, so that each person can take what they want.

  5.       Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the salad (or serve on the side).  Serve the dressing on the side.

HONEY LIME VINAIGRETTE

Makes about ¾ cup

2              Tbsp.       Shallot, minced

1              clove       Garlic, chopped (a small clove)

1                            Lime, juice of

2              Tbsp.       Rice vinegar

1              Tbsp.       Honey

1              tsp.         Dijon mustard

¼             tsp.        Toasted sesame oil

2              dashes    Tabascco sauce

1/3           cup         Canola oil, add up to ½ cup (depending how acidic you like your dressing)

                             Salt and pepper to taste

  1.       Add all of the ingredients except for the canola oil and the salt and pepper in to the jar of a blender. 

  2.       Put the lid on the blender, but remove the center of the lid.  Turn the blender on (hold a towel over the top in case it splatters), and pour the canola oil in a slow, steady stream through the hole in the lid.  When the dressing is emulsified, add salt and pepper to taste.

  3.       Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.                               

Note:  * If you don’t have a blender; be sure to mince the garlic and shallots really fine.  Combine all of the ingredients except for the canola oil in a medium bowl.  Use a whisk and whisk the ingredients while pouring the oil in a slow steady stream into the bowl.