Oil Coping

Well, it's been a while.  I considered giving up the blog world, yet here I am with wisdom to share.

I've posted about skin care and facial cleansing before, but I was in Denver then.  It occurred to me upon moving back to Florida (and my face continuously breaking out like a 13 year old going through puberty) that what they say is true, it really is all about location, location, location.

Who was I to think that my regimen was universal?  Particularly considering the extreme lack of overlap between the climate I'd adjusted to for the last year, and that which I had known my entire life?!  So, I started my research...and I really shouldn't be surprised that I was taken back to my humble science-based educational roots.  It's pretty simple: 

LIKES DISSOLVE LIKES.

Oh, so you're tired of my rambling?  Me too.  I'll get to the point.  

The Oil Cleansing Method

This website is a good starting point.  There are so many different oils and combinations you can use.  I recommend extending your research and testing out different options to figure out what's best for you based on your skin type & needs.  I'll share my own findings with you.  In just a minute.  Be patient :-)

On the topic of patience: that is what you'll need with this method.  It's pretty scary to think of CLEANING your face with oil.  Our whole lives we've been brainwashed to think we need to scrub all that oil away with commercial chemical cleansers - nay nay!  We are doing more harm than good!  When we remove all the oils from our skin, it compensates with increased sebum production (an all-out oil slick) which leads to trapping of dirt and bacteria, clogged pores, pizza face...whole nine yards.  And here I thought I had it all figured out.  I'll share my regimen first and then get to the positive feedback (per moi of course...) feel free to add your own!

You have two options, the long road, or the short road.  Both are good, however I recommend doing the long at least once every 1-2 weeks.

Long: 

Put together a steam bath (I do mine in a big pot on the stove) with very hot water.  I add peppermint & rosemary.  Peppermint has a cooling effect, nourishes dull skin, and helps to improve oily skin.  Rosemary actually has antibacterial properties.  I believe fresh is a necessity in this case. I used pure peppermint extract and I felt it worked very well.  Peppermint oil would probably be best if you can't get it straight from the source (i.e. the plant).

It's a run of the mill steaming process - 10-15 minutes with a towel over your head to trap in the steam.  Worth it.  BE PATIENT!  Oh and be careful, steam is very hot.  Like burn your face and eyes hot.  Use common sense!

Then your oil.  If you're mixing, you should do so ahead of time.  I use castor oil & olive oil.  Again, do your research to see what is best for you.  I've found that my ideal ratio is 3:1 -->  3/4 tsps olive oil to 1/4 tsp castor oil.  Be careful with the castor oil as it has very strong drying effects on your skin.  I will say, I started out with a 50/50 ratio on my combination skin and I was just fine, but I think over time it would get very dry which entirely defeats the purpose of using this method in the first place!! You want to balance your oil production. 

Ok - so rub that mixture into your skin for about a minute or two, really let it bond.  It's cozying up, keeping your worst enemy close to do its job.  THEN!  You get to blast it with steam.  That oil is like a flying ace - serving your skin with extreme patronage.  

Get a washcloth wet with hot water, as hot as you can stand, and lay it over your face.  Leave it there till it cools.  But make sure you can breathe.  The first time I kept breathing the washcloth into my mouth and nose.  Not worth it, breathing is important. 

Once it cools, repeat!  You're going back in for round two - these guys are sneaky & tricky - they think they can outsmart your trusty COOO pilots (oh, that's castor oil olive oil for short, clever right?!) 

We are still talking about cleaning your face, I promise!

I limit this at two times usually because by then most of the oil has been steamed away.  Sometimes I'll do a little scrubby scrub with the cloth, but it's really unnecessary.  At this point you can A) splash your face with cold water, and massage any remaining bits of oil into your skin as a moisturizer or B) soldier onto the next step which is the MASK!!!

I LOOOOVE masks.  And they're so simple.  I just use plain greek yogurt and honey.  I will throw some sea salt in there too if I need exfoliation.  Just spread it over your skin and let it dry, wash it off with warm water (and I mean all of it!  If you leave any of those sugars on your skin, that's just FOOD for yucky icky acne causing bacteria) and then splash with cold water to seal your pores.  Follow with moisturizer!  If your mask is too watery, strain in through some cheesecloth before you plan on using it so that it's thicker.  Wonderful.

Short: 

NOW, if you don't have have time or effort for all that - let's face it, that's a lot of steps! - then just steam out your face with the washcloth a couple times, massage your oil mixture in, and then steam out, followed by cool water.  Voila!  Do this at night and you'll be on your way to beautiful skin.  I just rinse with water in the mornings, allowing the steam from my shower to do its work.  No need for additional cleansing.  DEAD SERIOUS! 

Also, mix small amounts of oil at a time, just enough to last for a day or two so it stays fresh and clean.  Only use what you need. 

Success moment:  I had some beautiful hormonal volcanoes on my face a few days ago, and I just couldn't help myself.  I had to do something about them.  So they got "extracted" while I was in the middle of my oil rubbing step.  Not the brightest idea.  BUT - when I finished my steaming, they weren't raised anymore, they weren't all red, they actually looked like they were healing.  When I woke up in the morning, I could barely tell they had ever been there at all.  Maybe I just got lucky, but I've NEVER had an experience like that before!  Remember, your skin does most of its healing and rejuvenating at night.  So be nice to it :-)

Let me know if you try it and how this process works for you! In all honesty, reading other people's successes, improvements, questions, and suggestions made all the difference in my willingness to try this method.  Oh - p.s. - castor oil is traditionally used as a laxative...so that adds to all the fun when you go to the store to buy it ;-)

XO

Dreaming in Orange & Cream

Ok.  So in my last post, I said I was going to make those Orange Creamsicle cupcakes right?

Well I did.

I'm VERY glad I did :-)

Let me warn you, you're going to gain 5 lbs just READING the recipe.  Another 5 making the cupcakes.  And an additional 5-10 lbs eating them!

You can find the recipe here.   First of all, with the amount of butter in the recipe, you could probably go ahead and call yourself Paula Deen.  I will say I left it out of the marshmallow filling entirely, so I just used the fluff.  More on that later.  The recipe calls for an inordinate amount of vanilla, but you'll never find me complaining about either of those things :-)

This is what the batter came out like before I scooped it into the tins...I used a mini ice cream scoop, about the size of a melon baller.  Perfect for little baby cupcakes!

Aren't they darling?

As usual, I accrued yet another battle wound.  Thankfully it basically is just an extension of a previous burn mark (that I fear will never go away...)  and it didn't blister!  It never fails, I'm a walking disaster in the kitchen! ;-)

I filled those bad boys up with marshmallow fluff (using a ziplock for a piping bag because I couldn't find my real ones!)

In a fit of genius I tried to forget my tip with the marshmallow fluff!  Keep a small bowl of water at hand to dip your fingertips into.  If you go after this stuff with dry hands you'll find yourself in a sticky conundrum!

I topped them off with the orange buttercream and voila! Orange creamsicle cupcakes!

So, I followed the recipe ALMOST to a tee, with the exception of leaving out the butter for the marshmallow filling.  Three whole sticks was just way too much!  This is what I would do different, as they were a little too sugary sweet and the orange flavor was VERY strong!

• I would make a MILK frosting rather than buttercream.  I have never been a buttercream fan.  While milk frosting must be refrigerated, I think it's exactly what these cupcakes need...I mean orange creamsicle - it's not orange powdered-sugar-sicle!
• as for the milk frosting, this recipe is a good one, however I would half or even quarter the recipe.  It's almost the same as buttercream, just with milk added...but the milk makes such a huge difference! 
• I would use less of the orange zest initially and adjust to taste.  More can always be folded in!  I would certainly frost a cupcake and do a taste test first.  It tastes very different off the cupcake as opposed to on!

Ok, so I guess just two things I would change.  I think this recipe would also make an aboslutely lovely layered cake!  Maybe with candied orange peel to garnish. YUM!  

I will say, that wearing my adorable apron that Steve gave me a couple years definitely put me in the mood for making these, there sure are a lot of steps!

more on that ridiculous bun in a minute ;-)

SO - there they are!  I was swimming in a sea of orange creamsicle as I had this candle burning all the while :-)  It is my VERY favorite.  Mmmmm can't get enough :-)

*** 

As for the bun, almost forgot!  With it being summertime, not matter how cute my hair is, sometimes it's just too hot to leave it down!  I've gotten in the habit of trying to let it dry naturally, still testing out the best methods for straightening it without heat.  But I do set it in curls...I twist it up into a bun on top of my head and secure with bobby pins to keep the volume and body - it works like a charm every time!  My next method to try is a sock bun.  I'll see if I can find a video to post!

*** 

On a different note - I got to spend the whole day today with Steve's mom - it was so nice just to catch up!  We took a trip to go see my wedding gown - it was so exciting to get to share that with her!  I just cannot wait for it to arrive!

It's rainy here in Orlando tonight.  We're just taking it easy, I gave myself a facial and now we're getting in touch with my Southern roots and indulging in Gone With the Wind *sigh*

I grew up with this picture hanging in my room growing up :-)  Needless to say, I think I turned out a lot better than Scarlett did!

"Oh if I just wasn't a lady WHAT would I tell that varmant!" - Scarlett O'Hara

I'll post my facial routine soon! :-)  

XO

Here, there, and everywhere!

Whew!  It has been a whirlwind month already and we're only about halfway through!

For the Fourth of July - we attempted to go downtown for the fireworks at Lake Eola in Orlando, however, as soon as we got there a huge storm passed through!  We would have been fine but Coco was terrified and decided to climb in my lap :-(  We went home and enjoyed our picnic on the porch :-)

But I did look really cute and festive for a little while at least!

Steve did too!  Coco not so much...

Last weekend Steven and I went home to Pensacola for the Blue Angels Airshow out at Pensacola Beach.  We had such a great day!  Got there at 7:30 in the morning and didn't go home till about 5 or 6.  We watched from the beach this year (last year we went out with my friend on her boat) and we had the PERFECT spot!

In the morning when we got there, there was a big thunderstorm out over the Gulf, it was beautiful!

We found a little friend!

Fat Albert, Steve's favorite - flew RIGHT OVER the top of us!  It was amazing!

Steve's favorite maneuver:

Perfect photo opp right!?

And now this week it's just back to the same ole same ole routine...

For dinner tonight we had lasagna rolls:

Let me know if you want the recipe! :-)

Then I made my favorite go-to snack/lunch/I'm hungry standby:  Lentil salad with lime, mint, & feta.  If you like mediterranean inspired foods, this is for you.

2 C cooked lentils
Juice of 2 limes
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 Tbsp fresh minced mint leaves


Cook the lentils and allow them to cool.  That link has some pretty good tips on cooking them.  I love green lentils.  They're so inexpensive and a good protein source.
Mix together all ingredients, pour over the lentils, and fold in!

You can always adjust the amounts of lime juice/mint/olive oil to taste.  I like things a little tart, and it's very possible that I used more than two cups of cooked lentils...you know me, I never measure!

Tomorrow, I'll be making these so that I can try (just) one and send the rest to the office with Steve!

Speaking of healthy snacks and things to send to the office with Steve, I've really been trying to get him to take his lunch instead of eating out every day.  I made these today for him as a healthy afternoon snack so that his big smart brain doesn't crash before it's time to go home!  I used both peanut and almond butter, added a little maple syrup with the honey to make up the 1 Tbsp, and 1 Tbsp of coconut sugar - doesn't taste like coconut and sO much better for you than regular refined or brown sugars - even better than the honey!

This is the brand I use:

They're so cute!

Let me know if you end up trying any of these and what spins you put on them!  Hope you're all having a great week.  It's hump day, only two more days till the weekend!

XO

on the spot recipe

It's summertime.  That means light & cool food for dinner in our world.  

Let me just toot my own horn for a minute here.  I probably make the BEST oven roasted chicken.  I am particular about my chicken...I can't stand for it to be overcooked and dry.  

I don't know how I managed to do it, but I have a touch for it.  It doesn't matter what you dress it up (or down) with...it's all about the process.  I heat the oven to 375, brown off in a pan, and finish in the oven for 22 minutes, no matter the size.  For larger chicken breasts I'll increase by a few minutes, up to 27 minutes.  The key is letting it rest when I take it out.  I always cook in my pyrex but it would be about the same if you were to use le creuset etc...the time would definitely be different for a metal pan, as metal heats up faster than glass/ceramic/the like... It's important to remember that just because you remove food from the heat source doesn't mean it stops cooking!!  Just like a steak.

SO - that's my chicken.  Totally got distracted! So my real reason for this post:

Steve requested fried chicken.  I said not no but hell no, I have to be on a beach this weekend and  fried chicken is NOT going to do me any favors!  (again, so distracted)

 So I compromised and we had oven fried chicken and he was happy.   To go with it (still haven't gotten to my point):  Carrot & roasted corn slaw. 

Now here's the thing, I'm not really a recipe girl.  I see ideas and I just roll with it.  Sometimes it doesn't work out, but usually my creativity works for me (and for Steven!)  There are very few things over the last 6 years that I've made that he just did not like. 

So I took a package of shredded matchstick carrots, to make my life easy - if you want to do your own by hand, by ALL menas... OK. let me stop myself here.  I'll be nice and put these ingredients in an organized list for you.  You're welcome :-)

Veggies:

1 package matchstick carrots.

1/2 yellow bell pepper - finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper - finely diced

1/2 orange bell pepper - finely diced

4 ears corn - cut off the cobb, roasted

1 mango - finely diced

1/2 of a REALLY small red onion.  Maybe 1/4 cup total of finely diced onion.

Dressing:

1/8 cup greek yogurt

1/8 cup light mayo

juice & zest of 1 lemon

juice & zest of 1 lime 

(or you could 2 lemons or 2 limes...or orange...whatever flies your skirt up)

tsp vinegar 

(i used a pear infused white balsamic because i had it, but i also considered apple cider or rice wine vinegar...it's your choice!)

tbsp agave  

(or you could use honey...if you use honey I'd use less and then adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp celery seed 

 (optional)

kosher salt & pepper 

>> Speaking of adjusting to taste, here's the problem with me writing a recipe:  I NEVER MEASURE.  Ever.  Half the things I bake never turn out right because...well...there are bakers and cooks, most people are one or the other - primarily - and I am primarily a cook.  I just like being able to adjust and fudge things.  In turn, I've written this with efforts to go on the skimpy side so if you want to add more you can.  I'd recommend using even less than what I have here, you can allllwwwwaaayyyysss add more.  <-- ALWAYS. you got that?  Oh, unless you forget to add the butter in your pastry dough at the right time.  I've done that.  In that case, you cannot add more.   :-)  <<

Back to this delish coleslaw alternative.

Roast your corn in the oven - you can add a little olive oil if it's a really dry day and you're scared it will burn, but really you should be fine.  I did it at 400 for about 7-10 minutes.  Remember that adding a liquid/oil/butter will make it a little softer - so if you roast for too long it could get mushy.

Let the corn cool a bit and mix with all the veggies.  Mix the wet ingredients for the dressing and taste BEFORE you add to the veggies.  I would have loved to add fresh cilantro & about 1/4 tsp of cumin & a pinch of cayenne to the dressing but Steve doesn't like cilantro - he thinks it tastes like soapy bleach water....so I left it alone and it was still excellent!

So that's it!  A little bit of a tang, not too bad for you - makes a TON of food - we saved - just like coleslaw it gets better with time.  Also just like coleslaw it draws out some of the liquid so use that dressing sparingly.  I had some of the leftover on my chicken and it was yummy :-)

 This pretty picture is a pretty good idea of what it will look like, especially if you add cilantro (or parsley...my plant hasn't grown enough and I have learned my lesson about hacking away at herbs before they're ready for pruning!! ;-)

Mine was actually prettier...but I can't prove that to you because, alas, I didn't take pictures.  As usual. 

Man, I have really got to learn how to streamline this recipe posting process.  There are just so many little tidbits of info along the way that are worth sharing!  And while I'm in my foodie mindset...does anyone have cooking channel?  There's a show called French at home or something I think? With Laura Calder?  Love.   

That's all for me!  Headed home to Pensacola this weekend for the Blues - CAN'T WAIT!   I will probably be doing this again:

And listening to my summer anthem:

I don't know why it's all awkward pictures...so if you don't like 'em, just listen to the song dang it!

XO