Kitchen Facial

Now that winter is over and spring is here, I feel like I could use a facial.  Although there are numerous places to get one, most start at around $95.  It's wonderful spending a morning or afternoon getting pampered at a spa but I don't always have the time or feel like spending the money.

Did you know you can give yourself a facial with ingredients you have in your kitchen?  That's right!  There are 100s of homemade recipes from facials to foot scrubs you can create in the privacy of your home for a fraction of what it would cost at a spa.

I know this isn't the typical recipe I post, but it's food, it's fresh and it's great for your skin and well-being. 

My skin appeared dry today and I was tired, so I decided to pamper myself.  With a cucumber and limes in the refrigerator, plus a full jar of honey in the cabinet, I decided to whip up a nice soothing facial for myself.  One that heals, softens and moistures my skin, while promoting new cell growth.  Just in time for the spring sunshine. 

Who needs to go to the spa to have machines work on your skin, when you can let what nature has provided, gently revive it?

Here's a simple and nourishing facial recipe to enjoy, with ingredients you probably have at home already.

Honey-Cucumber Facial

For the Scrub:

8 oz. (1 cup) honey
10 drops fresh lime juice
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced (I use a mandoline - perfect slices every time)

Steps:

1. Cleanse your face with warm water and a clean wash cloth
2. Mix the honey and lime juice together and massage into your face for 15 minutes.  It will have a sticky, slippery sensation, but feels incredible!  The lime peels away surface cells and the honey softens the skin.
3. Wipe away the residue of honey with a wet, warm cloth.  Pat dry.
4. Neatly place the cucumber slices over your face and neck (you can cover your eyes and mouth if desired, but not necessary).  Now relax, listen to some music - feel the coolness of the cucumber while it tightens your skin and replenishes moisture. You'll probably fall asleep!
5. After a nice rest, remove the cucumbers and finish with a delicate moisturizer, if desired.

Now don't you feel better already just reading this?  I know I do.  Treat yourself, your significant other and even your children to this soothing treatment.  At these prices you can have a facial monthly!

ENJOY!

Watermelon Lime Salsa!

Summer is the time to bring out all the fresh fruits and vegetables and create dishes that are refreshing and healthy.  Although we should do this all year, it appears that during the summer we think about it more.  Maybe because we're getting into our bathing suits or because the weather is warmer and heavy foods just don't sound appetizing.

At any rate, I wanted to grill some fish last night with a fresh salsa but unfortunately when I arrived at the grocery store where we are vacationing, in the mountains of Colorado, their selection was marginal.  So I opted for chicken breasts instead.

Since my husband is a maniac about watermelon, which is packed with lots of nutrition, I decided that I would make a Watermelon Salsa.  It sounded good to me so I figured I would use watermelon in place of the usual tomatoes and add other similar ingredients like the salsas I've made in the past.  I do that a lot, do you?

I wanted to make sure that the salsa was colorful so this is what I came up with.  It was so delicious that I almost ate the entire bowl.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to since my family ate the rest.  So much for leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers - a fresh salsa will last covered and refrigerated for only 5 days.  If you prepare a cooked salsa it will last up to 6 months in the refrigerater, covered.

Watermelon Lime Salsa
serves 4 (because you'll gobble it all up)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 -2 cups watermelon, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (be careful not to touch your eyes or skin after removing the seeds.  It will burn severely)
2 green scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, juice of both and zest of one lime
1 Tbsp. minced cilantro

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and let the flavors meld together.

Serve with chicken, fish or alone as a side dish.  It's that good.

I love salsa recipes.  So if you have one that you love, I'd welcome you to share it with everyone in my comments section below.  Then I'll try it and post about it.

If you like watermelon like we do you might enjoy this link that shares a lot of watermelon recipes.

Also, here's my post for the Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction in case you missed it.

Enjoy!

Iced-Cold Gazpacho!

I love to have soup all year round but let's face it, when the temperatures are in the 90s with 100% humidity it's a bit difficult to enjoy a piping hot cup of soup.  That's when a nice refreshing bowl of iced cold Gazpacho hits the spot.  Packed with lots of vegetables and vitamins it's just what your body is craving.

So the next time you're in the mood for a healthy meal but don't feel like standing over hot coals or cooking up something on the stove or in the oven why not whip up a batch of Gazpacho in your blender or food processor?

Here's a great recipe that's so simple.  For the best results make it a day ahead to let the flavors meld together.  I just know you're going to love this.

Gazpacho
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low sodium tomato juice
1 (28 oz.) can San Marzanotomatoes*
4 slices French or Italian Bread, cut into 1" slices.  Crust removed and bread slices, cubed

1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and diced or 1 English cucumber
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry, vinegar and tomato juice.  Set aside.

In a blender/food processor, working in batches, combine the tomatoes and bread and puree until smooth, 30-40 seconds.  Transfer to a large bowl.  In the blender, combine the onion, garlic and a little of the sherry mixture and puree until smooth.  Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.  In the blender/processor, combine the bell pepper, cucumbers and a little of the sherry mixture and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.  Whisk in the olive oil and the remaining sherry mixture, and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least two hours. For the best results chill for 24 hours. 

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.  Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish each serving with diced bell peppers, minced onion and croutons if desired.

*Note:  Several summers ago I traveled to Italy.  While there I took a culinary class and although they had the most incredible fresh tomatoes they used San Marzano tomatoes in their recipes.  Their flavor is superior!

Enjoy!

Cucumbers

I love to eat cucumbers. So when a friend of mine sent me this article about them I was so shocked at their versatility that I thought I'd share it with you. Who said cucumbers were just for eating?


The Amazing Cucumber

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their
"Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve
common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber
contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid,
Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. (WOW)

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!! (DOUBLE WOW)

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have
been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores
for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have
enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its
chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also
repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a sliced cucumber and rub it
along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?
Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals
and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released
in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce
stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a
slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30
seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your
mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take
a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it
remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and
won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and
slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers
that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

I'll bet you didn't know cucumbers could do so many things. I know I didn't!