DIY: Refrigerator Sweet Pickled Beets

Hello everyone! At work, a few months ago, I tried sweet pickled beets for the first time and fell in love! Although I didn't want to pay the price at the store for pre-pickled beets when its MUCH cheaper to just make them yourself! Plus it feels more gratifying to eat them knowing you did all the work and the flavor tastes better since its specialized to what you like best.

Items Needed:
A pot to boil beets
A pot to make the brine
Cutting board & knife
1-2 Beets
1 Cup Vinegar
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp Cloves (ground)

Optional Items to add:
2-3 bay leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/3 Cup of shallots
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Gloves (for when cutting the beet, beet juice will stain your hands)

NOTE: These measurements of ingredients are for 1-2 beets, if you are doing anymore than that please adjust the measurement accordingly

Directions:
1) Peel your beet and cut it (I cut mine into bite size bits, but you can go larger depending on the size of your jar)
2) Boil your beet until soft

3) Once beets are boiled toss them in your chosen jar until the brine is finished

4) Make the brine - combine vinegar, sugar, cloves, and other optional items that you think you would enjoy. Heat at a little lower than medium heat until the sugar is melted and the smell of vinegar is quite pungent. 

5) Pour brine over beets and seal jar

6) Let sit until cool enough to put in the refrigerator

7) Wait AT LEAST a week before enjoying your sweet pickled beets. Waiting longer does intensify the flavor. 

Note: If your using a canning jar, like the one shown above, the heat from the brine should cause the jar to seal once its been refrigerated.

Congratulations! With a little bit of a wait you can soon enjoy your sweet pickled beets! Theyre great to add to a salad or just to eat on their own! 

Strawberry Pineapple Water

March was a heavy month for toxins - Mardi Gras, Oscar Night parties, St. Patrick's Day, and daylights savings time have all thrown me out-of-whack. So for April here are a few wellness activities to do everyday to keep your body in proper order. Plus a delicious recipe for Strawberry Pineapple Water!

Strawberry Pineapple Water

Ingredients:

Two Strawberries

1/2 cup cubed or sliced Pineapple

2-3 sprigs of Rosemary

Water

Ice

A glass/cup

A fork

A knife

A cutting board

Directions:

1. In a glass add pineapple and rosemary (in the image above I have mashed pineapple, which I found was very annoying to drink - therefore I recommend keeping the pineapple in chunks. I found the same problem happened with diced rosemary therefore I would recommend using fresh rosemary sprigs as well)

2. On a cutting board slice the strawberries in half

3. Add strawberries, ice, and water. (Add ice on top of fruit, this will keep it at the bottom so it doesn't get in your way when drinking)

(Optional: To add a boost of detoxifying power try adding 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar to the mix!)

Tips & Tricks for the Everyday

I have all these small tips that I know of that are easy "cheats" in the morning to save time or energy, but I felt they weren't big enough to write a post about on their own. So here are a few

Tips & Tricks for the Everyday!

1. Run a dryer sheet over your hair if you are experiencing static cling (I have this often occur after blow drying or straightening my hair)

2. If your lips gloss tube is low, place the tube in a cup of hot water for a few minutes so that any spare lip gloss on the sides will melt to the bottom so that it can be used

3. Sugar is a great exfoliator in any kind of facial scrub

4. Mix some lemon juice and baking soda into your toothpaste to get a brighter smile

5.  Rub wet coffee grounds on your skin to reduce cellulite (Best to do this before a shower, so you can rinse of more easily)

6. Reuse your green tea bag, once it has cooled - place over your eyes to reduce under eye circle or bags 

7. Accidentally got blood on your clothes? Let soak in hydrogen peroxide for a few hours (or more, depending on how much blood) the blood should be gone before you put the article of clothing into the washer

8. Blonde hair? If you weren't able to wash and your hair is starting to look greasy, add some baby powder to your hair. It'll make your hair look good as new for the day

9. Shoes smell bad? Sprinkle some baby powder in them and leave overnight. May have to repeat for several nights depending on the smelliness of the shoe

10. Wearing flats but no socks? Sprinkle baby powder in your shoes before wearing them. The baby powder will help prevent the sweat from your feet from getting all over your shoes

11. Dyeing your hair? Rub Vaseline over areas of your face (and neck) where you do not want the hair dye to get onto. The Vaseline will act as a barrier and will wash of when you rinse your hair

12. Dead lighter? Use a small of amount of rubbing alcohol (or nail polish remover) onto a small stick and use the dead lighter to create a spark to make a flame

13. Bee sting? Make a paste using baking powder and water. Apply to wound and cover with band aid

14. As a substitute for shaving cream, use baby oil or conditioner

15.  If you must dry shave, then apply lotion first so the area you are shaving does not dry out

16. If you want to naturally lighten/highlight your hair, apply lemon juice to your hair and sit out in the sunshine for a few hours

17. Apply a light amount of Elmer's glue with a Q-Tip around your nails when painting them for any clumsy mistakes. Once the nail polish on the nail is dry, peel of the Elmer's glue from the skin for perfect nails

18. If you receive flowers cut of a small portion off the bottom of the stem every other day so that the flowers live longer (flowers receive more water) 

19. To make temporary false lashes, in-between coats of mascara apply small amounts of baby powder with a Q-Tip. Continue this routine until lashes are a sufficient length

20. An easy way to set your makeup for an evening out (so running will not occur) is to spray your face with a very light dusting of hair spray

21. If you have a small hole in lace or a pair of pantyhose, use superglue to seal the threads so the rip will not continue

Hope these tips help you through your day! You can do it!

Holiday Jellied Sandwich Cookies

November has arrived and therefore the holidays are approaching! Time to get in some warm pajamas and curl up with some cookies and a good book. This simple recipe is delicious for the occasion!

Holiday Jellied Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 cup sugar

4 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

2 egg

1/2 tsp salt

3 cup flour

1/2 cup jam

Other items needed:

A mixer

A cookie sheet

A bowl

A spatula

A knife

Cling wrap

Tin foil

Measuring cups and spoons

Refrigerator

Circular cookie cutter (if you want perfectly round cookies)

Directions:

1. Beat butter, sugar, zest, eggs and salt into a bowl using your mixer

2. Slowly beat in flour

3. Roll dough into two round cylinders about the same size each

4. Cover the dough with cling wrap and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour, overnight would be best

5. Preheat oven to 375 F, take dough out of the fridge and cut into 1/4 inch thick disks. (Note: I remolded some of my cookies edges so that they were fairly more round, a cookie cutter can fix any misshapen cookies if you want them to be perfectly round)

(Note: If you happen to have a small cookie cutter, you can cut the center out of some cookies so that the jam can show through on the finished assembled cookie)

6. Bake 7-10 minutes

7. Let cool

8. Add jam to the bottom of one cookie and stick together with the bottom of another cookie (so that both tops of cookies are on each outer side of the cookie)

Congratulations! You have now made delicious cookies to indulge yourself or impress your family with! Happy Holidays!

How To Make Blini (Russian Crepes)

Blini, essentially the Russian form of crepes, are thin like pancakes that can be eaten with sweet or savory foods. This recipe comes from my boyfriends mother whom is a master blini maker. I have become an intermediate blini maker and therefore my "bleens" are cooked in half circles. If you feel risky, try making full circles in your pan.

How to Prepare and Cook Blini

Ingredients:

3 Cups Milk

3 Eggs

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Butter or 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

A Mixer

A Non-stick fry pan

1 Spatula (for mixing the blini batter)

1 Turner Spatula (for flipping the blini)

1 Ladle

To Make Blini Batter:

1. In a mixer bowl add milk, eggs, sugar, and salt

2. Turn on the mixture and slowly add the flour, make sure you don't add it too fast or clumps will occur. Use your spatula to make sure all flour is mixed in. (Set aside butter)

To Cook Blini:

1. Using the butter you set aside, take a small amount and have it melt in your pan. This will ensure that your blini do not stick.

2. Once your butter is melted and your pan is medium-hot, use your ladle and add the batter to your pan (if you are uncomfortable with making full circle then start with half circles)

3. It takes about a minute to a minute and a half to cook, once most of the blini batter is cooked (which you can tell by looking at the top, after bubbling it should change a shade darker) then flip it over. Half circles are easy to flip but if you are trying full circles I would suggest making sure your spatula is mainly in the center and flip quickly.

4. Once you fill the blini over it takes about thirty second to cook. Slide the blini onto a plate and enjoy!

Personally, I ate my blini rolled up with nutella and whip cream (shown below) but my boyfriend prefers them plain. Surely they are yummy prepared anyway.

Delicious!

DIY "Sunshine in My Bathtub" Bath Soak and Scrub

It has been raining for the last week here in Seattle, and its suppose to rain for the next week as well. This gloom has really got my mood down and for the perfect pick-me-up is a nice warm bath. This homemade bath soak is soothing in smell and helps to soften your skin.

"Sunshine in My Bathtub" Bath Soak and Scrub

Ingredient for Bath Scrub:

3-4 tablespoons of oil (virgin olive oil, canola oil, or coconut oil)

4-5 tablespoons of sugar

A few drops of your favorite perfume

1. Mix oil and sugar together, make sure there is enough sugar that the mixture is like a paste

2. Add perfume, mix

Ingredients for Bath Soak:

1 bathtub full of water at a warm temperature

2-3 cups of warm milk (depending on your bath tub size)

3 tablespoons of baking soda*

"Sunshine in My Bathtub" Bath Scrub 

1. After your bath tub is filled with warm water add warm milk and baking soda, stir gently

2. Get in the bath tub

3. Scrub your body with the "Sunshine in My Bathtub" Bath Scrub, your should be able to smell your favorite scent as you soak in your skin softening bath

*Also see the many other benefits of baking soda in my previous post "Benefits of Baking Soda" posted in March

Now grab a bar of chocolate, some tea (or wine) and a book. This will certainly make your day!

DIY: Facial Scrub

Perfect for those days when you need to feel refreshed or a Girls-Night-In get together, these two facial scrubs with have your skin feel softer and revitalized!

Ingredients for Merry Mint Facial Scrub - 

1 1/2 tbsp Honey

1 tea bag Mint Tea

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Ingredients for Warm Green Tea Facial Scrub - 

1 1/2 tbsp Honey

1 tea bag Green Tea

1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Other items needed - A kettle, facial pads (if preferred), 2 mugs, 2 small bowls, a towel 

(Note: Only need two of each item if you are making both facial scrubs)

How To Start - 

1. Turn on your kettle and bring water to a boil. Once water is boiled pour it into a mug with the tea of the mixture of your choice.

2. Wait for tea to cool (The tea must be cooled enough that it will not melt the sugar or brown sugar)

3. While waiting for tea to cool, in a small bowl mix honey & sugar for the Merry Mint Facial Scrub (Right in Image) OR mix honey, brown sugar and sugar for the Warm Green Tea Facial Scrub (Left in Image)

4. Now that the tea is cool, and 1 tsp of each tea into the bowl with your mixture. Mix together. (If you wish for your scrub to be less thick, then add more tea)

5. Your facial scrub us now ready to be applied. Using your fingers (or facial pads) to rub the mixture onto your face. Gently rub around in small circles, making sure to get all over your face. 

6. Once the mixture has been rubbed in thoroughly, rinse your face with luke warm water

7. Use towel to dry off

8. Feel your face, you'll be impressed by soft it is!