Poreless Green Tea Toner

Poreless Green Tea Toner

I've been neglecting my foundation lately and it's all because of green tea! Green tea has changed my life!!!!! I get sooo excited when I find an all natural product that my skin loves! I'm slowly trying tp break away from the whole commercial facial products thing since it it seems most of them only work for a period of time before they start to lose their effectiveness.

The natural remedies for skincare has never let me down though!! I have been looking for an all natural toner/ pore reducer for the longest and ran across an article in my newspaper (does anyone else still read the newspaper??) about using green tea.

Now I've heard of drinking green tea daily in order to achieve glowing, youthful skin and um...yeah...I'm been meaning to get around to doing that, but this article was saying how just simply applying it to your face will work wonders! Officially intrigued!!

I've been using this green tea toner for a few weeks now and I am loving the hell out of it! It's been a God-send for my pores. I honestly don't think my face has ever looked this even and porless!

Check out the conversation that happened in my bedroom the other night:

Me: (getting ready to go to bed and putting on some lotion. I see my husband staring at me from the corner of my eye but I just ignore it because whatever he was wanting I probably wasn't feeling)

Hubby: I thought you were going to bed?

Me: I am.

(hubby is still staring)

Hubby: Then why do you have on makeup?

Me: *smiling* What? I don't. I just washed my face?

Hubby: *still staring* Oh....

Me: *smiling* ....Baby you hungry?

LOL I turned into the sweetest wife ever! He hardly notice little things like this so I knew that was a good indicator that my skin was looking brand new!

If you haven't tried this before then get yourself to a store asap and pick up a box of green tea

But now let me tell ya.......

The article and everywhere I've read online says to use 100% green  tea (no blends) Well...I started off using 100& organic green tea and really was not that impressed. It did give me baby soft skin but the Honey Green Tea by Lipton is what has worked the best for me! It's 100% natural tea blend with honey, orange peel, chicory root and other skin friendly herbs.

How To Make Green Tea Toner

The I way I make my toner is I boil 1/4 cup of water and then add in the tea bag and let it seep until the water is warm. Then I put it (tea bag included) into a small container with a lid and put it into the fridge until it is cold. Now it's ready to use! I store it in the fridge for up to 7 days and then I make up a new batch.

How To Use Green Tea Toner

Step 1.) Wash Your Face. Wash your face with a good cleanser to remove all makeup and get it squeeky clean. Exfoliate if needed. Steam your face with a hot washcloth a couple of times if need. Pat your face dry.

Step 2.) Wipe On The Green Tea. Use the tea bag to wipe on the cold green tea. Be generous. Let the tea air dry on your face. I fan my hands infront of my face to speed up the process. It only takes a few seconds to dry. DO NOT WASH OFF

Step 3.) Moisturize Your Face. Now apply your regular moisturizer. I use a mixture of honey, olive oil, aloe gel and St. Ives Fresh Skin Collegen Elastin Moisturizer ($4 at Walmart) This makes my face tight, glowing and supple looking.

I use green tea toner in the morning and at night!

Pudina chutney with raw mango

Ingredients:

• Fresh mint leaves - 1/2 cup
• chillies - 2 or more according to taste
• Fresh Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or according to taste
• Sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
• 4 small pieces of raw mango or 1 tsp of Tamarind Paste
• Chat masala

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients and grind together to paste.
• Now add a pinch of chat masala
  

Cauliflower and Peas curry

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower
• 1 onion
• 1 cup – peas
• 1 tomato
• 1 tablespoonful turmeric powder
• Chili powder
  
• salt as per taste
• Oil
  
• cumin seeds
• coriander leaves
  

Method:

• Cut onion, tomato and cauliflower into small pieces
  
• Heat oil in a pan and cumin seeds
  
• add chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• add all vegetable together and fry them
  
• now put some water and close the vessel.
• Stir in between, when the cauliflower is cooked add coriander leaves.
  

Edible Fruit Bouquet

The first day of Spring is this weekend!!!!!!!!!! I am waaay too excited! Me and Spring get along so well. I really love her!  The comfortable weather,  night-time cookouts, cute sun dresses & fresh pedi's!!!! LOVES IT!!

What I DON'T LOVE about Spring is that it seems like as soon as the weather warms up, here comes the flood of invites: baby showers, bridal showers, graduations, housewarming....you name it and folks are asking you to come and secretly hoping you'll bring a gift! Dang a girl has bills....and student loans and Sally Mae don't play when it comes to her money!!!

So how do I give a totally awesome gift to everyone when I'm on a budget you ask??  Say ello to mi wittle fwiend "The Edible Fruit Arrangement" or fruit bouquet, edible arrangement...what ever you want to call it.

It's the PERFECT gift to give during the warmer months when you'd much rather use your extra cash for a beach vacation and here's why
A.) Tons of fruit are in full bloom and super cheap so let your creativity run wild!!
B.) Fruit bouquets are really inexpensive, quick & easy to make!
C.)  They look expensive & people LOVE to get these things
D.) It's fruit....& flowers...and it's pretty...and like...you can eat it....and it won't screw up your diet...Hellooooo need I say more!!

This gift always gets an "ahhhhhhh" when it's presented! So save yourself some cash and make an edible arrangement for your next event! It also makes for a great bouquet centerpiece.

Watch me create an adorable fruit bouquet for under $10!!

Tips on making Edible Fruit Arrangement Bouquets

1.) Make sure all your fruit is freshly washed and dried
2.) If giving this as a gift, wrap it up in clear cellaphane and attach a cutesy bow! Be sure to keep it in the fridge until you are ready to give away. (Make it the same day you are going to give it  away for optimum freshness and brighter fruit colors)
3.) Avoid using fruits like bananas and apples that brown quickly, unless you plan on dipping them in chocolate!
4.) A variety of fruits can be used for an edible bouquet. Some of the best fruits to use are pineapples, canteloupe, honeydew melons, grapes, & strawberries as they are easier to work with and hold the color longer when exposed to air.
5.) Be sure to keep a towel handy and clean up as you work. All the fruit cutting can get real JUICY!

Fried Plantains

Delicious Fried Plantains

**UPDATE** I tried this recipe with yellow plantains and they came out DELICIOUS!! I think I prefer the yellow plantains over the black, super ripe one*

This year I am dedicated to trying new foods! First on my list: PLANTAINS!  I picked up two plantains a while back and they've been sitting on my counter forever so that they can get super black. I hear that is the best time to cook them. (major thanks to those who told me to take them out of the fridge in my "What's In A Diva's Fridge" video)

This was my first time tasting & cooking plantains so I talked to A LOT of people before attempting to try this recipe, if you can even call it a recipe. It's so simple but I really didn't want to screw these things up because I've been so excited about them.

After looking at tons of" how to cook plantain" videos and fried & baked plantains recipes, I really learned a lot about this amazing fruit. Here are a few plantain facts so you can say you learned something new today:

• Plantains are not bananas, although they are related to the banana they are not suitable to eat raw and must me cooked. (Yall know I would have tried to eat it raw had I not read this)
• Plantains are starchy and often used as a vegetable the same way we would use a potatoes. It is usually fried or baked. They are very popular in West Africa and Caribbean countries.
• A regular banana is ready to eat when the peel is yellow, however a plantain is considered ready to eat when the peel is black or almost black
• Plantains are a good source of potassium, vitamin A & C. They are also high in fiber and used as an energy booster!

 So after talking the ears off of MsJaMayka  (hey girl!!!) she gave me tons of tips on how to cook some good, authentic Jamaican fried plantains!!! I owe you one girl cause I was ready to throw these things in some batter  first LOLLL!

They turned out so sweet, crisp on the outside & so delish ...but I confess....after I ate a few of them I started getting curious...I tried some with powdered sugar (so freakin good) then I tried one with cinnamon-sugar (good as well) and then I just had to try it with some peanut butter (that was just ok but my toddler liked it) Next I think I will try baking them to see how they compare.

Overall I will definitely be cooking these again soon. I hear they go great with soups! They are such a easy and tasty snack.  Thanks to everyone who gave me tips and advice on how to prepare the best plantains.

Ingredients

Plantains (The skin should be black)

dash of salt

Canola Oil or Coconut oil

Step 1.) Cut off the ends of the plantains

Step 2.) Remove the skin by running a knife down the middle and peeling back the skin.

Step 3.) Dice the plantains at a diagonal.

Step 4.) Place them in a bowl and sprinkle on a few dashes of salt. Toss the plantains and let them sit while the oil heats.

Step 5.) In a skillet (cast iron works best) heat your oil on medium high heat. Just enough to halfway cover the plantains is fine.

Step 6.) When the oil is really hot, place the plantain in the oil in a single layer. *Mine started to stick to the bottom of the pan so you may want to move them around a bit when you first put them in the oil.*

Step 7.) Let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Reduce the heat if they are cooking to fast or starting to burn.

Step 8.)When done, drain on paper towels.

Enjoy!!!

Chex Muddy Buddies

Chex Muddy Buddies

If you were in my local Walmart yesterday around...say...6:15ish then you heard the sounds of a grown ass women turn into a 5-year old child in less than 2 seconds flat!

It all happened when I picked up a box of Chex Rice cereal and looked on the back. Guess what recipe was on the back? YESSSSS!!!! MUDDY BUDDIES!!! (I've also heard it called Puppy Chow) I let out a smiling gasp at yelled "Oh my God it's muddy buddies!!!!! MUDDIES BUDDIES!!!!" I even did a few excited jumps. My toddler starting saying "Yaaaayyyy!!" repeatedly and clapping but I knew he had no idea what I was talking about.

Muddy Buddies is a treat my mother use to make for us ALL THE TIME as kids. We'd come home from school and they'd be sitting on the counter in that clear tupperware container or either in our lunch boxes hidden under all of the food so we'd be surprised when we saw it.

I even remember me in the kitchen making these with her during snow days and for holiday gift bags. Aaaaah the freakin memories!!!!!!

Excuse me if I'm making a big deal here but Muddy Buddies has a special place in my heart. It's one of those childhood snacks that just takes you back to when everything was "good and easy".  I had totally forgot all about this recipe until yesterday!

Isaac and I made up a batch as soon as we got home. He loved it and it tasted just the way I remembered mom making them!! My hubby had never had them before but said they were just "ok". Booooooo he obviously don't know how to appreciate that art of quick, easy and fun snacking. I mean what is there not to love about peanut butter & chocolate?!?

(I highly recommend doubling the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butter in this recipe. I'll be doing that next time since I prefer a thicker coating of chocolate and peanut butter)

INGREDIENTS:
4.5 cups of Rice Chex cereal
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cups powdered sugar

Step 1.)  Measure out 4.5 cups of cereal into a large bowl; set aside

  

Step 2.) In a medium, microwaved safe bowl, add chocolate chips, peanut butter & butter. Microwave for1 minute or until melted.

Step 3.) Stir to combine and then stir in vanilla.

Step 4.) Pour the chocolate mixture on the cereal and stir to coat the cereal evenly.

Step 5.) Pour the mixture into a large Ziploc bag and then add in the powdered sugar. Shake to coat each piece with powdered sugar.

Step 6.) On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil, spread the mixture out in a single layer. Refrigerate until cooled.

Transfer the cooled mixture to an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

Store in the refrigerator.

(this isn't necessary but it taste soooo much better cold to me)

Enjoy but be careful...they're addictive!!!

Buttermilk Breakfast Biscuits

Southern Buttermilk Breakfast Biscuits

"Guhl how you g'won be from da Souf and not know how da make homemade biscuits!?" This is what my great grandmother C-Bell said to me one time when I told her I hated making from-scratch biscuits because they never turned out right.

It's true, me and biscuit-making DO NOT get along. (I'm getting better though, but it's totally the biscuits fault and not mine ; )

It's been so long since I've made buttermilk biscuits from scratch and now that I'm on this bread kick I just HAD to have some last night. I went straight to this breakfast biscuit recipe because it never lets me down.

This recipe is so easy and delicious and made especially for biscuit-making challenged people like myself.  It bakes up light, fluffy, golden, buttery biscuits that takes me back to country morning breakfast in Elberton.  "C-BELL, C-BELL WORKIN IN THE HOOOOT SUN....OVERRR THE HILL!!!" LOL (pardon me, that is an inside joke that only my female cousins will get when they read this. I couldn't resist.)

There is  just something to be said about a hot, soft, buttery biscuits straight from the oven. Lawd hammercy, that is one of my weaknesses. Especially when you sink your teeth into them and they just completely surrender,  melting into your mouth... I should write romance novels.

Throw on some grape jelly or pour on some white sausage gravy and BABY!!! They even taste good plain. Truth be told when I made these things last night, me and my toddler sat up and ate the first batch as soon as they came out of the oven. I didn't even feel guilty for not telling my husband they were ready. Snooze ya lose!

I love this breakfast biscuit recipe because it is so simple, quick and flavorful. Definitely a biscuit recipe you'll want to add to your stash!

Watch me make these biscuits from start to finish!

Ingredients: (makes 6-8 biscuits)


1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons powdered milk
1 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 dashes cream of tartar (find it in the spice aisle)
1/4 cup cold butter-flavored shortening
2/3 cup cold buttermilk
5 Tablespoons melted margarine (butter) - divided

*note* If you don't have buttermilk on hand, to make 1 cup of buttermilk simply use 1 cup of regular milk and add in 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let that sit for 5 minutes and there ya have some homemade buttermilk! 

Preheat Oven to 450

Step 1.) In a medium bowl whisk together flour, powdered milk, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar.
Step 2.) Cut shortening into dry mixture until it resembles large crumbs.
Step 3.) Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk & 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.  Stir gently JUST until combined
Step 4.) Place dough into the refrigerator for a minute or just until it cools down a bit.
Step 5.) Turn dough out onto a well floured surface (dough will be sticky, be sure to flour your hand and sprinkle dough with additional flour if needed)
Step 6.) Knead dough gently until it is elastic.
Step 7.) Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" - 3/4" thick; using a wide glass or round cookie cutter, cut out circles. (You can re-roll the extra dough and cut out more biscuits but they won't be as pretty as the first batch)
Step 8.) Dip each biscuit into the remaining melted butter and place in an ungreased pan with the sides of the biscuits touching.
Step 9.) Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden.
Step 10.) Brush hot biscuits with melted butter. (you may have to melt some more butter)

Quick Biscuit Making Tips 

(REMEMBER WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING BISCUITS, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!)

Although  there are some people that produce gorgeous, picturesque biscuits on their first try ......huzzies!!!

1.) Keep Your Ingredients COLD! COLD ingredients make for an incredible biscuit!
2.) Whisk your dry ingredients really well to make sure everything is combined
3.) Once you add in your wet ingredients start being REALLY gentle. Biscuit dough does not like to be handled roughly or a lot. Mix your wet ingredients in gently with the dry ingredients JUST until they are combined. Do not over mix or you'll have a flat & dense biscuit on your hand. (this may take some practice or at least with me it did because I'm very heavy-handed)
3.) Knead your dough gently just until it is elastic. (don't over knead)
4.) When cutting out your biscuits do not twist the cookie cutter. This will result in a flat biscuit
5.) Before placing biscuits in the oven, use your thumb to make a small indention on the tops of the biscuit. This will help them to rise evenly.
6.) If your biscuit dough starts to get warm as you're working with it, place it into the refrigerator to cool off a little.

Cooking Tips For Beginners

I've been cooking since I was little but I didn't fully understand what it took to throw together a meal until I was married. Truthfully, that first year of marriage was pretty comical when it came to my kitchen skills. I can't tell you how many pots of soggy hamburger helper we've eaten or the many batches of "cajun" biscuits I've made.  

Luckily my husband is easy when it comes to eating. He is just as content with a bowl of cereal for dinner as he is with a sizzling T-bone steak. (another reason why I adore my in-laws. They have created this perfect  man who didn't need any training when I got him! : ) 

The point of this blog post is to say that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! I know it's cliche' and to me that phrase is quite annoying but with cooking it is soooo true! If you are a beginner cook rest assured that there are many cooking mishaps to be had in your future. Accept them, have a laugh and keep cooking! I mean, it's just food right?
Here are a few cooking tips that will help you along your journey to becoming a fabulous cooking diva!

I will be adding more to this section!