Sugar Scrub Recipe

I was watching a craft show today where they made sugar scrub. I decided I'd make my own. It is so easy and rewarding: give it a try yourself. Here's my recipe:

Sugar Scrub

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup oil (grapeseed, olive oil or even canola)
2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
2 Tablespoons Honey
3-4 drops of essential oils (I used vanilla lavender)

Mix together and viola! That's it. Store in a glass jar.

Here's a link to more wonderful recipes: Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes

The Beach Diner

After last night's disappointing diner experience, my husband and I decided to try the Beach Diner in Atlantic Beach this morning.  We were NOT disappointed with this one.

This cute diner is located right on Atlantic Beach Blvd approximately a block from 3rd St. They are open Monday through Saturday, 6 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. The first clue that it is a good place to eat is that it is always FULL!  Fortunately, we found a place at the counter. The decor is beachy leaning towards kitschy but not so much that it looks over done. Overall, it is visually appealing. The wait staff were friendly and attentive. I was a given a cup of coffee within the first few minutes of sitting down. There is a happy buzz of voices that contribute to the carefree atmosphere.  They serve typical diner food with reasonable prices. My husband and I both ordered the Sunrise Special, which consists of two eggs, any style, bacon (2) or sausage links (2), grits, hash browns, or fruit, toast or english muffin. I chose sausage, fresh fruit and the english muffin. My hubby chose the hash browns and an english muffin. Both of our eggs came back perfect (mine over medium well and his sunny side up).  The fruit was seasonal, sweet and fresh. All in all, a great place to eat and hang out with friends and family. We'll definitely return! 

Cheap Eats

Thought I would share this tidbit with you if you haven't already heard.  You can buy gift certificates for local restaurants at a discount. So you buy a $25 gift certificate, but you only pay $15.  If you get their emails, they run specials for 60%, 70% and 80% off the gift certificates. I bought a $25 gift certificate today for only $3.  Here's the info...

Only catch is you usually have to spend more than what the gift certificate is for...I bought a $25 one and have to spend at least $35. Plus, I have to pay 18% gratuity on the original amount. Still not so bad.

****UPDATE****

We went out last night to the 3rd St. Diner (in Jax Beach, FL) with certificate in hand and the owner refused to honor it!  I've used at least three of these vouchers and have NEVER had problems. On top of everything, he was rude. Churlishly, he said we had to spend $50 instead of $35 to get the $25 off. Apparently, that night there were two other guest using Restaurant.com certificates. One of the guests said he was told that he had to spend $100 to get the $50 certificate (versus $75). This was at a diner. Can you imagine how much food you would have to eat to spend $100 at a diner (even for a family of 3)? Both parties were upset and said that although the food was good they would not return due to the service. As we were leaving, another party overheard the conversations and said he would not return to the restaurant. NOT GOOD for business. In one night they lost 12 return customers and lost 4 that night. We were meeting Carolyn-Marie and her husband that night. Fortunately, they were running late and missed the drama. But, after she heard what happened she said she was never going back either.

On my "to do" list...

I've been busy lately and haven't had time to make anything...well, besides Easter Dinner, which BTW, was  a total success.  Everyone had so much fun. Plus, my friend Carolyn-Marie made the BEST salad. I'll see if I can get the recipe and share it with you.

Anyway, this week, I found a couple recipes I want to make. The first is using the left-over pink champagne I had from my cupcakes.  I found this recipe for Strawberry jam using Pink Champagne:

STRAWBERRY PINK CHAMPAGNE JAM

4 ½ cups strawberries
1 package powdered pectin
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup pink champagne
7 cups sugar

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, pectin and champagne in pan. Over high heat, bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a rolling boil again. Continue to stir and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Place in sterilized jars while still hot.

The other one is Cake Batter Pancakes from the blog, "How Sweet It Is."

The next creative endeavor I want to tackle is a mixed media art project. I got a book for my birthday from my friend Tiffany called, "Art at the Speed of Life", which has inspired me.

I have a huge canvas in my office/studio ready to go. I just have to get in there and start!

I'll keep you updated.

Until then...have a great week!

A little inspiration for a friend

If you haven't figured out by now, I like making collages. I have a friend who is planning a special event where tartan plaid may be used. I thought I would put together some inspiration for her!  However, it might be overkill...what do you think?

Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

I'm going over the final touches of the menu for Easter dinner. I ended up not going with leg of lamb because:
a) I'm having 10+ guests
b) I'm having picky eaters over (read: teenagers who may or may not like lamb)
c) at $6 a pound I can't afford it (can't afford the chance to spend over $60 and people not like what I'm serving. I know most people like ham).


So, ham it is...I still think it's weird that as Christians we eat ham at Easter. Then again...$1.77 a pound is easier on the pocket book. I guess that must be why we do it. Anyway, I digress.

I'm making Au Gratin Potatoes as the side dish. My mom never made them when I was growing up or if she did, then it was rare. Counting this year, I've only made them twice. However, I used this recipe last time and now wouldn't consider making anything else with my ham (at least at Easter).

Remember calories don't count when you are eating with friends AND it's a holiday :)

Here's the recipe:

Au Gratin Potatoes

Serves 8

4 russet potatoes & 4 Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/8-1/4 inch slices

1 onion, diced or grated

6 Tbls. butter (NOT margarine)

6 Tbls. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

4 C. milk

3 cup shredded cheese (I'm using 1 1/2 C. Cheddar & 1 1/2 C. Colby)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and then layer the potatoes in the dish. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper as you layer.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and transparent. Make a roux by mixing flour, salt, and pepper into the butter and stirring constantly with a whisk for one minute. Next, stir in the milk. Cook until the mixture is thickened. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cheese and continue to stir until the cheese is melted and thoroughly incorporated into the béchamel. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in a preheated oven.

Bon Appétit

Getting ready for Easter dinner

Can you believe it's almost Easter! I love Easter. It is hands-down my favorite holiday. This year we've invited friends over for dinner after Church. Depending on what's available at the market for a decent price, I'm making roast lamb, beef or a baked ham. Here's the rest of the menu:

Raspberry White Iced Tea 

Deviled Eggs 

Fruit Plate 

Refrigerator Pickles 

Apricot Honey Glazed Ham 

Or 

Roast Lamb 

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes 

Steamed Asparagus 

Biscuits 

Pink Champagne Cake 

I'm totally excited about my "new" Easter tradition-the Pink Champagne Cake. This will be the second year I've made it for Easter. However, I'm thinking I will make Pink Champagne cupcakes this year.

Come back, 'cause I'll share more recipes as the week progresses. Here's my refrigerator pickle recipe:

REFRIGERATOR PICKLES


6 c. sliced cucumbers

1 c. slice onion

1 c. vinegar

2 c sugar

1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. celery seed


Combine all ingredients; mix well. Place in jar, refrigerate. The pickles will be ready in 24 hours and will keep up to 1 year

My birthday @ Carrabba's

My husband arranged a "surprise" dinner for me at Carrabba's last night for my birthday. Through quite a few unintentional "clues" he left behind, I figured out what was going on by one o'clock in the afternoon. (I already knew who was coming by last Monday). No matter, it was definitely the thought that counted. It was such a sweet and kind effort. You can see some of the snapshots I took with several different camera apps on my iPhone last night (some better than others). I then used a new app called Zapd to create a website. It was quick, free and easy to use.  I highly recommend it. Click here to see the website

The best "Best Banana Muffins"

A sweet friend/co-worker of mine makes "The Best Banana Bread." That is actually the title of the recipe. Truth be told, it really is good. However, I can't ever leave anything alone so I tweaked her recipe yesterday. I had some time on my hands and since I had several bananas in the freezer that I've been saving up to make banana bread, I pulled out the recipe. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to wait an hour for bread to bake, so I decided to make muffins instead. I call this recipe, The Best Best Banana Muffins.

Here at home, we've managed to eat several over the last couple days. I also brought some to work, which were gobbled up, too. I'm trying to save some for breakfast tomorrow. Try the recipe. You may find you have the same problem. Caution: This recipe contains chocolate. *yum*

4 ripe mashed bananas (thawed if previously frozen)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk (I used the Vanilla Light Silk)
1 tsp Butter nut & vanilla extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp Baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Pour batter evenly into muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 24 muffins

What I've been doing lately... making a fabric handbag

Several years ago, I bought several purse handles on clearance at a craft store. Then, I packed them away never to be seen again...until last Saturday. I pulled out the wood handles and some brown and white pin-dot fabric from the closet but then was stumped on what to do with it. So, I started looking for inspiration. It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do, but after some doodling sketches, searching google images and diddle daddling at Hobby Lobby--I came up with this bag>

It has a front and back pocket and snaps in the middle. I made the rose, too by melting satin ribbon. I'll take a better picture of the rose and post directions in a different post later. I'd give you step by step directions to make the purse but since I made up the design by trial and error...you don't want to go through what I went through. In addition, there are things I would have done differently. None the less, I think it turned out cute for the first time purse I have ever made.

My Birthday Present

I'm hoping to have the back patio fixed up for my birthday. I put together this "Inspiration collage" to help my husband catch my vision... let's see if it works. :)

Correction to the Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche Tartlets

I posted an excerpt from the entertaining book I'm writing, several days ago. Included in the "Spa Opulence Party Planner" a recipe for Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche Tartlets. I tested the recipe on Thursday and had to make some alterations. I'm including the modified recipe in this post and pictures of how I made the mini quiches. I hope you try the recipe--they are yummy! In fact, the quiches did not last long in our house.

First modification: only needed one pie crust and 2 1/2" round cutter instead of 1 1/2". I tried a 3" but it was too big.  However, you might have to adjust the size of round depending on the size of your mini muffin tin.

I increased the spinach by 1 cup.
I think it works better to add the cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes first,
then add the egg mixture. 

I added the cheese on top of the egg mixture on a couple of these,
 then realized it filled better to add the egg last.

Here are the finished quiches out of the oven.
They did not last long past this stage (barely, made it to a plate).

Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche Tartlets

Pre-made Pie dough (enough for one 9 inch crust)

1/2 cup finely snipped sun-dried tomato 

3 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup half-and-half

2 1/2 cup spinach, loosely torn

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash ground black pepper

Dash nutmeg

Dash cayenne

3/4 cup finely shredded swiss cheese 

Olive oil, for saute pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Over medium heat, drizzle one tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan. Add spinach, garlic and a pinch of salt to pan, saute until spinach is wilted. Set aside.

Roll out pie crust, then using 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 24 rounds. Press each round into the cup of a mini muffin tin and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. 

Distribute equally the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and swiss cheese between the cups. Next, spoon egg mixture on top of spinach evenly into pie shells (about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons per cup). 

Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until filling is slightly puffed and a small knife inserted into the centers of the tartlets comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes.

Makes 24.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare and bake tartlets one day ahead. Store tartlets in an airtight container and refrigerate. On the day of event, place tartlets on a baking sheet and bake in a 300 degrees F oven for approximately 10 minutes or until heated through.

Grain Sack Pillows

As I was looking for pillows for my mom's bedroom, I came across these lovely grain sack pillows. Whew! These were expensive:

$129 (SOLD)
from Full Bloom Cottage

$185 (SOLD)
http://www.frenchgardenhouse.com/catalog.php?item=2306

Being the DIYer that I am, I knew there was a less expensive way to recreate these pillows. First, I found this great source for grain sack fabric: Click here to go to the online store.  There you can buy burlap grain sacks for around a $1.00.

17 X 27 grain sack bag for $1.04

Lauren, from Our Hiding Place, had the same idea of making her own pillows.  She recreated the grain sack pillow found on Pottery Barn and gave step by step instructions. Click here to see her tutorial.

Here are Lauren's pillows

Then again, I could just buy a less expensive one from The Bolster Queens on Etsy. Check out their pillow:

Red Stripes Grain sack bolster pillow 8x18 for $38

The Bolster Queens' pillow may not be as inexpensive as if I made it myself, but it is whole lot less expensive than the inspiration pillows.

For mom...

After I posted "Mom's New House", my mom fell in love with the bedding I chose for her bedroom. However, it is expensive and being discontinued. She found several choices that she said, "I could live with." I told her, "No, let's actually get what you really want." I told her, "We can make a duvet easily." So, I did some searching and found a nice "inspiration" bedding by Horchow. Spendy, right? Well, not if you make your own duvet, shams and skirt plus buy the sheets and quilt from Kmart and Walmart.

Check it out:

Cute little Spanish-Style house for sale

I LOVE Spanish Style houses!

I've dreamed of owning a cute little spanish bungalow for years. Back in 2005, my husband and I visited Mexico. From Puerto Vallarta, we drove to Tonalá, Jalisco Mexico and bought a beautiful hand-painted sink and tile. At the time, we were remodeling our home and thought we would use it there. However, we decided that it would look best in a spanish style house. So, for the past six years, we have held on to it thinking we would buy a house that it would fit into.  (Kinda crazy to buy a house that will match a sink, huh?).

Anyway, this morning while checking my email, I got an update on a listing for this house MLS# 572088:

 The house is now $14,000 less. Here is the catch--  it's a short sale.  I saw it when it first went on the market. It was a bargain then...now, well it is a steal.  I'm going to see if my husband wants to check it out tomorrow and see if it is worth the hassle of a short sale.

Here are pictures of what I dream of it looking similar to when we are done fixing it up:

http://www.homebysunset.com/

http://www.rhoadsstephens.com

http://www.en.eprospecting.com/

http://www.modative.com/heted-hybrid-bungalows/

http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=2Ikibg9SF2nAYl6XpIi6dw

I'd love to have a back courtyard like this (I can dream, right?):

http://www.trails.com/rentals/property.aspx?vacation=095695_Oxnard_CA

I'll keep you posted as to what we decide to do...