Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup (sugar, honey, and cinnamon)

Hey Burlesquers,

Has anyone read On the Road by Jack Kerouac?

Image by Barefoot Duchess at blogspot. Cool, huh?

This is one of the books I read as a teen that I just loved. Every young person–any race, class, or sex—just has a WHOLE lot of feelings and thoughts, you know? You’re young, you’re confused about loving others, loving yourself, and life, and you’re trying to figure it all out.

“I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till I drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.” —Jack Kerouac

This book, with its non-linear, Road narrative and poetic prose, really speaks to that youthful energy . As an adult, I recognize that this book is, at times, admittedly racist, filled with drugs, and not quite as a brilliant as I once thought. In fact, the book’s characters are adults behaving badly, as opposed to young people behaving badly (which is somehow more excusable?).  I do, however, still believe that On the Road captures a certain moment or energy that we all at some point feel–those highs and lows (that I sometimes miss). Am I the only one who did a little rebellion as a kid? I swear, I was more rebellious in high school than college! You can imagine I had even less forethought and more confusion as a 14 year old.

Anyway, there is a movie adaptation of On the Road, and I am excited to see it! (I am ignoring the fact that Kristen Stewart stars in it, yuck.) Here’s the trailer for anyone interested.

I can’t wait to see this. It’s going to be a rental for me (most likely), but I will definitely see this. And you know what I will be eating as a snack while watching? Fruit with my new Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup!

Ronaldo and I were looking for a syrup alternative to Hershey’s that had less sugar and more natural ingredients, but we couldn’t find anything! And if we did, it was 5 dollars too much. I suggested we make our own, and wooo, I’m glad we did! This syrup is definitely dark and even a bit bitter for all those dark chocolate lovers out there! It pairs perfectly with fruit. (I ate a tbsp with a banana last night.) If you prefer milk chocolate or would like it sweeter, use a Hershey’s Cocoa mix, add more of stevia or sugar, and you will love it. Next time, I think I’m going to add a touch more stevia and Bailey’s!

DIY Kitchen: Use celery or carrot tops in place of parsley

Kitchen Tip:

Instead of throwing away celery and carrot tops, wash and use them as you would parsley! 

Picture from “Slaw & More” blog.

Blend the tops in pesto, toss them in salads, and add them in sauces. You will not only get the most of your money, but also eat more greens!  I actually first saw this tip while I was drinking tea and reading my new favorite cookbook, Pretty Delicious by the too cute Candace Kumai.

My grandma, who passed away, bought me this tea pot, and my mom bought me the china. I love these kind of precious mementos. (I can’t talk about it more, or I will cry!)

This is such a smart idea, right? I found a few recipes using specifically carrot tops, like Carrot Top Pesto on the blog Slaw & More. Their recipe looks fresh and fun!

“We like big buns, and we cannot lie!”

Our stylish friends over at Friends with Benefit (the blog associated with fabulous Benefit cosmetics) are spreading the gospel of the “Sock Bun”. I’ve never tried this hair trick before, but for hot summer days where I am, this looks tempting! Has anyone tried this? Let me know if it’s cute!

DIY Home: Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cubes

Want pretty and pink ice cubes for those hot summer nights?

Star-shaped ice cubes. Fun, right?

Make Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cubes for summer! Blend fresh or frozen strawberries with equal parts lemonade (I used light lemonade), pour in an ice cube tray, and freeze overnight. This concoction makes fun and fruity ice cubes, or even Strawberry Lemonade Pops, that are perfect for a hot summer day or festive party. I like to put mine in sparkling water to give my drink more pizzazz! I also tend use over-ripe fruit and/or fruit that has too much freezer burn (for regular consumption). And, fyi, I bought this ice tray at Walmart for $1!

DIY Home: Olive Oil as Furniture Polish (untreated wood)

Kitchen tip for households with dull or dirty untreated wood furniture:

Is your untreated wood furniture dull or dirty? First, wipe surface with a lightly damp, warm towel to remove dirt. Let dry, and then use a folded paper towel and 1/8 tsp olive oil and buff the surface of the furniture. This oil buff will leave your furniture brighter and looking like new! Be careful, though: a little oil goes a long way. You don’t want to stain your furniture! I would suggest half a dime’s worth on the paper towel.

Inspiration for this tip:  Imagine my dismay when I made a water mark on my professor’s untreated side table. (I’m house-sitting, remember?) I didn’t mean to! I had no idea! I tried buffing out the ring with commercial furniture polish, and that product literally had NO effect. (That was a waste of 5 dollars! Harumph.) Then I showed my problem to Ronaldo, and he suggested buffing the mark with everyday oil, like olive oil. If it’s good for skin and hair, it’s good for wood, too! I was skeptical. How could this do a better job than a commercial, store-bought furniture polish? Come on! Umm, I was wrong. No more watermarks! See?

Phew! Saved by an everyday kitchen product!

Homemade Light Butter (whipped with honey and yogurt)

Hey Burlesquers,

Wow, I am excited. (I know, I get excited alot, but it’s for real this time!) Not only do I have a fabulous recipe to share with you, but I also found some great arts and crafts deals at Michael’s (a major fabric and craft store in the US). I bought a spool of cute orange decorative ribbon and two packages of decorative cupcake liners….all for $3. Fun! I foresee this ribbon on jars, and these cupcake liners being given away as part of gifts. I’ve recently gotten in the habit of browsing at stores next to our local Target and grocery store (like Michael’s), and it seems to be paying off!

Aren’t the peach and circus cupcake liners cute?

And for the delicious recipe: I made Homemade Light Butter!

As you know, I am trying to lose weight (aka Operation Hot Bod), and I am always looking for DIY home products and healthy substitutions for my favorite foods. In the end, I’m trying to eat healthy on a budget, and I like making my own products. Honestly though, I’m also trying to limit processed food products. Processed foods are usually much more costly than if you made them yourself, and they also (usually) contain a ton of chemicals. It’s frustrating, when you think about it! Food companies seem to rarely look out for the consumer, and it’s usually because of money. Think about how corporate capital accumulation works: large companies strive for lower production costs in the making of their food or product. Lower means of production and lower labor costs equates to higher profit margins. This means companies will inevitably find the cheapest labor force (possibly outsourcing) and use the cheapest, and not always the healthiest, ingredients possible in the making of their food.

from Wix.com

 Corporate consumer awareness and sympathy for public health is always the exception, never the rule. I hate sounding cynical, but as a student of history and the daughter of an ad man, it’s true. Read history books on consumerism. Look at current public health articles. Look at deceptive advertising. Large corporations are more notorious for making people sick than for keeping our populations and communities healthy. This doesn’t apply to all corporations, of course, but to many. Remember, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906? And how many times have pharmaceutical companies released drugs too early with little information on its ingredients and without decades of research (for their long term effects)? Honestly, I’ve found it’s better to be an active, critical consumer than a passive, uncritical consumer. What AM I eating? What is really “natural” about this product? Who are they trying to fool?

The Jungle, one of the many muck-raking novels of the early twentieth century that exposed corporate corruption. From wikipedia.org.

Anyway, back to my healthy DIY recipe! I wondered: could I make a homemade light butter with healthy, natural ingredients that isn’t chock full of chemicals (like margarine)? It would have to be spreadable, because I hate how cold butter is impossible to spread (on wheat bread). To make my own light butter, I decided to try and whip unsalted butter with greek yogurt, salt, and honey. Could it work?!

Yay! It worked!

Well, it worked all right. I ended up eating my entire experiment. All of it. I basically ate my calories for lunch and dinner because this spread/light butter was so dang good. (Now I’m having vegetable soup for dinner to make up for it.) Simply whip together your ingredients with a hand-held mixer or standing mixer, and your end product is a light spread that’s sweet, yet salty, and spreadable. I replaced a quarter of the butter with greek yogurt, which made this soft and lower in fat. If you have children, I’m sure they will love this! LOVE. You could even add cinnamon to this or a pinch of Cayenne! I am storing my light butter in one of my pint jars in the fridge, and I plan on spreading it on some nine-grain bread I purchased at the grocery store. Throw out that margarine! Toss out that unspreadable butter! And dig into this. Yummy!

DIY Home: Lemons and Citrus Fruit to freshen your kitchen sink

Kitchen Tip for households with a garbage disposal:

When cooking with lemons or citrus fruit, use the leftover peel and fruit to freshen your sink! Cut your juiced lemon or fruit into quarters, and throw down your kitchen drain. Then run the disposal with running water to freshen.

Using my lemons to freshen my sink!

Summer Gardener’s Soap Scrub (peach and coconut)

Burlesquers,

I recently spotted on Pinterest a homemade Gardener’s Hand Scrub, and I thought, “Now that’s a great idea!” My mom is a gardener, and she loves tending her garden…which sometimes requires getting DIRTY. Dirty as in “dirt-covered hands and fingernails”. She has gloves, but sometimes that doesn’t help. Sometimes, you just need to get your hands dirty, you know?

from Polyvore.com, created by Torilink

I know this well after working for Peet’s Coffee and Tea for a number of years (which I’ve mentioned before). (Love them!) I was a shift manager and barista, and I didn’t become a coffee expert by NOT working with those fragrant grounds and beans. Just imagine how strongly I would smell of coffee when I came home. I remember going home and showering after a shift, and then going to the bank. The bank teller sniffed me (probably my unwashed hair but maybe not), and then laughingly told me I smell like I just had a latte. I learned after that to always wash my hair and scrub my hands.

by Dripstick Artwork on Etsy.com

This is where a good Soap Scrub comes into use. On the “One Good Thing” blog, I noted a homemade Gardener’s Soap Scrub made with dish soap. Now, this is a cute idea,  BUT, for a sensitive skin gal like myself, I could NEVER repeatedly use dish soap (even the sensitive skin kind) on my skin. No way. You already know I am still dealing with heat rash in only mildly humid weather, and I occasionally experience bouts of dermatitis or eczema on my skin. I also am fair-skinned, which means EVERYTHING shows up on my skin. Any scratch, mark, or bruise, and I look red with welts. Dish soap is just too harsh for me.

This means I need a soap scrub made with a mild soap, added skin-friendly oil, and granulated sugar crystals (large crystals would be more rough on my skin), and some honey to calm the skin (it’s an anti-inflammatory!). Huzzah, let’s make a soap scrub, friends! Easy peasy.

from SkyBridgeCommunity.net

I made this Summer Gardener’s Soap Scrub with a peachy moisturizing body wash (Dove’s Peach Body Wash), coconut oil, a tsp of honey, and white granulated sugar. It smells fruity and divine! Why haven’t I thought about this before?! I’m even thinking about using this on my body as a regular scrub. Also, if you have oily skin, leave the oil out—for my personal uses, I happen to need as much moisture as possible!

Fab Find: Martha Stewart Home Office w/ Avery Chalk Board Labels

Reblogged from A Lot On Your Plate:

I could have easily bought everything in Staples the day I found this item, but i had to restrain myself. Today's Fab Find comes to us from Martha Stewart and Avery.

These 2 brands teamed up together like something out of The Avengers and came out with a home office line.  The line has so many Fab Find worthy products, but I found one item that was so cool that I had to share.

Read more… 80 more words

Martha is at it again....Who else LOVES the idea of Chalkboard labels? And for 6 dollars no less? Thanks to A Lot On Your Plate for such inspired fab finds! Love.

Brown Sugar and Honey Scrub

Hey all,

I’ve been jonesing for a decadent spa treatment, and I thought this scrub by Cut Out and Keep looked divine! I didn’t want to heat up the honey though (a hot scrub on a hot day? No!).  I changed the recipe a bit for a nice cool scrub for the summer. You will have enough to scrub your face and neck!

my fun spa treatment!

Brown Sugar and Honey Scrub

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/8 cup of honey

1/4 tsp milk

Directions:

In a bowl, add the sugar, and then slowly mix in the honey. Add the milk–the more milk added, the more looser consistency. Now, pat onto clean dry face and leave on for 10-20 minutes. This mixture will not harden like other masks, so watch for falling drops of honey and sugar!  After allotted time, take off scrub with a washcloth, and rinse off with tepid water. Make sure you don’t rub the honey into your hair line. (No need for a sticky updo on a sticky summer day!)