Homemade Lip Balm

I am a girl who loves her lip balm.  I always have.  As long as I remember I always use vaseline on my lips before I go to bed, or I just can't sleep.  (OCD perhaps?)  But is vaseline the best product to use, being all full of pesky chemicals and such?  After all, I suppose it is a by-product of making petroleum.  (please don't quote me, as I have no idea what I'm talking about).   Anyway, since I spend all my free (and un-free) time on pinterest, I started seeing people are making their own lip balm, and I thought HEY, that's something I'd like to do.

I wanted to make a recipe that used shea butter and cocoa butter, but this was cheaper.  I'll still try the other at some point.  And SO easy.  I really loved the end result.  Although it's just slightly firmer than I would have liked, which can most likely be remedied by using more of the oils in ratio to the beeswax.  

And it's totally *chemical free!

Here's the recipe if you want to try it too:

from delia creates

1-2 TBSP. grated beeswax
2-3 TBSP. coconut oil
1/2 TBSP. sweet almond oil
5-10 drops of essential oil {added off heat}

I found it kinda difficult to grate the beeswax, so instead just cut it into small chunks.  You probably want to use a cheap knife or grater that you don't care about because the beeswax really sticks.  Same goes for melting it (which you want to do in some small double boiler type thing).  

I didn't add any essential oils, I kinda like it plain, but if you do, the directions say to do that after the melting process or the essential oils will burn off.  

The hard part is finding suitable containers.  The ones I used are some re-purposed sample containers I already had, so I'm still on the search.  

So there ya go, hope you get a chance to make some for yourself :)

*as far as I know everything contains chemicals

Tuscan Chicken with White Beans and Spinach

Just a quick post to get this delicious chicken dish up for you.  All I can say about it is...make it!  

Recipe from For the Love of Cooking

• 4 slices of lean bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil (divided)
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat  (I used breasts)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Dried basil, to taste
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 15 oz can of white beans, rinsed & drained
• 2 cups of baby spinach

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked, drain it on a paper towel then chop it up. Remove all but 1 tsp of bacon grease from the skillet. Add 1 tsp olive oil to the bacon grease in the skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil, to taste on both sides. Once the skillet is HOT, add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet, cover with a tin foil tent, and set aside.

Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the minced garlic, and cook stirring continuously for 1 minute. Add the drained diced tomatoes and white beans. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach, season with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and dried basil, to taste. Pour the juices from the chicken into the pan and mix well. Ladle the beans and spinach onto a serving dish then top with chicken. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Next post I'll show the lip balm I made myself...I'm loving it!

Root Beer Fudge

This was supposed to be Root Beer Float Fudge, but the root beer flavoring I used didn't give me the color contrast I needed, so I lost the "float" effect.  No matter, it was still scrumptious!  

And that's saying a lot coming from me, as I am pretty skeptical of desserts that aren't chocolate.  I took these to work and everyone there seemed to like them.  One girl said they were "ridiculous".  I think that's good.

Here's the recipe for you that I found at The Traveling Spoon. Easy as pie.  Well, way easier than pie actually.

3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
3 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
3 teaspoons root beer extract

Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over low heat, stir sugar, butter, salt and cream until melted and well combined. Bring to a boil and stir continuously for 4 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat and quickly stir in white chocolate chips and marshmallow creme. Stir until well combined and smooth. Mixture may be thick so don't be afraid to stir hard for a couple of minutes!

Working quickly before the mixture hardens, pour half into the prepared baking dish and spread with a knife or spatula. Stir root beer extract into remaining fudge mixture until well combined. Pour over white fudge and swirl the two layers using a knife. Refrigerate at least four hours. Cut into small squares and enjoy cold or room temperature.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

It seems I had tried making flour tortillas before, I must have blocked it from my memory but I'm sure I've tried.  Most likely they were nothing to write home about.  Then I saw this recipe at Homesick Texan and new I should give them a try.

They were easy and beautiful, and went perfectly with our roast pork. 

 They held together great without being too tough.  What more could you ask for?  Oh the recipe...here it is.

Flour Tortillas from the Homesick Texan

Ingredients:
Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight tortillas 

Pomegranate Granita

In the past I had been jealous, even quite envious when I would see that other bloggers had received a sample of this cute little bottle of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. 

 But finally, I got my turn.  It's some seriously good stuff to drink straight from the (incredibly cute) bottle.  But I wanted to make something out of it.  So I decided on granita, from Dave Lieberman's recipe found at Food Network.  

It's the easiest thing ever, just a bit tart, and very refreshing.  I halved the recipe and it made plenty.  

Ingredients

• 7 cups pure pomegranate juice
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar, or more to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the 2 juices and season with sugar, to taste. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Carefully place in freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Use a fork to scrape into large crystals and spoon granita into chilled glasses. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Waffles

I'm on vacation.  But I haven't gone anywhere.  So what this means, for my children anyway, is that instead of having a stale granola bar thrown at them on the way out of the door in the morning, I might actually get out of bed and lovingly make them a real live breakfast.  And for the past two days that's been waffles.

 it's blurry, but just pretend you're just getting up to eat waffles and your eyes aren't quite awake yet

Last night I was thinking of my ongoing love of peanut butter, and then a thought of waffles, so the logical next step was peanut butter waffles.  With bananas and chocolate syrup of course.  

The recipe is from Martha Stewart.  It makes a light textured waffle that's a bit crispy on the outside...just like I like it.  The little darlings had better enjoy, next week it's back to slinging granola bars at their heads.

• • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)  umm, sure Martha
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing waffle iron
  • 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 bananas, sliced, for serving
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, for serving  OR Chocolate, perhaps

Directions

1. Heat waffle iron and preheat oven to 275 degrees; set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a blender, blend butter and peanut butter until smooth, 1 minute. Add buttermilk and eggs and blend until combined, 1 minute. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until batter is combined.
2. Brush waffle iron with butter and pour in 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Close iron and cook until waffles are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm; repeat with remaining batter. Serve with bananas and maple syrup.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

It's the much lauded Cranberry Bliss Bar made famous by Starbucks, as I understand.  I've aspired to make them quite some time now, thinking their sophistication would launch me into the upper echelon of people who eat mature desserts.  

So, am I there?  Is this what it's like?  Feels...kinda the same as before.  While they were pretty yummy, I'm more of an un-sophisticated chocolate- covered, messy, gooey dessert person.  I guess what I'm saying is they're good, but I didn't feel the bliss.

If you think it's something that might bring you bliss, here's the recipe:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for one minute in the microwave or until melted; stir in brown sugar. Pour the butter and sugar into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
3. Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Let the frosting set then cut into bars- square or triangle-shaped. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.