sisters Comfort Me With: Spinach Pesto Chicken A down-home dish of chicken and pasta with a spinach-pistachio pesto makes a quick and satisfying late summer dinner. [Photograph: Stephanie Stiavetti] When I was a kid, I had a neighbor who I loved to visit in the early evenings. This sweet, little old Italian lady was a pesto master, and I'd go watch her pound basil and pine nuts in her mortar and pestle. Despite her slight frame, she pounded that pesto with everything she had, and within minutes she had reduced the greens, nuts, and garlic into a perfect, creamy texture. It would be years before I learned to make pesto on my own, and years beyond that for me to perfect my mortar and pestle technique. After years of experimenting with pestos, I've learned to use all sorts of ingredients for fun flavor combinations. About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in San Francisco.
"One Good Thing" by Jillee: Aspirin & Lemon Juice Face Mask Beauty Secrets From Your Pantry! For months I have been hearing bits and pieces about how aspirin is actually good for your face???? Really?? As in take two and it won’t hurt so bad when you look in the mirror??? I had no idea what aspirin could actually do for your face until I finally stumbled across this “beauty secret” from Doctor Oz! I don’t watch his show and haven’t read any of his books….but every time I run across something of his online…I have never failed to be impressed! Since starting the Oil Cleansing Method of washing my face last month…overall I am MUCH happier with how my skin feels. Well, if Doctor Oz is to be believed, (I have no reason NOT to believe him at this point!) And the ingredients couldn’t be simpler! Dr Oz Aspirin and Lemon Juice Flawless Skin Home Remedy: Ingredients: - non-coated aspirin (coated is fine too, just takes longer to dissolve.) - fresh lemon juice - baking soda Instructions: 1. Simple huh? Here are a few question/answers that might be helpful:
TESTOSTERONE NATION | No-Pasta Lasagna - Page 1 Low-Carb, No-Pasta Lasagna It started with a cat. "Why does that fat cat like lasagna so much?" Yep, because of Garfield I just had to try lasagna. These days, I still love lasagna. At first, I fell for the usual trap -- trying to find a "better-bad" lasagna noodle. Pasta problem solved, I moved on to the rest of the ingredients. For sauce, I just go for the store-bought variety with the lowest sugar and calorie content. Finally, I use fat-free or reduced fat cheese to drop the caloric load, then extra lean ground beef or turkey if I'm making the meaty version... and I'm usually making the meaty version since I'm Texan and therefore required to have dead animals at every meal. There are a thousand variations, but here's one of my favorites so far. No-Pasta Lasagna The Stuff Putting It All Together 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. That may seem like a lot of steps, but it's really hard to screw this up. Enjoy!
DIY: Mercury Glass {I finally tried this, you can see my results here} I'm catching up on a little light magazine reading because I'm finally DONE with finals this semester and that's about all I have the energy for! I'm so happy, but incredibly beat! Anyway, I saw this idea in Martha Stewart Living to make your own Mercury Glass and really want to try it. All you need is a couple of clear vases or votives, a spray bottle with water and mirror paint. Clean your vase or votive then cover the exteriors with paper. I love this idea! Has anyone tried this before? Cream Cheese Coffee Cake | Just Baked The last few years we have gone to my father in law’s for Halloween because we live in a townhouse and no one really trick or treats here. We use Karl’s house to get everyone dressed (this year as a ninja, Princess Tiana and a gnome), trick or treat as long as the cold Chicago weather permits, and stop back for dinner and dessert. I was trying to decide what to bring and then it came to me. My FIL loves coffee cake (given the opportunity, he could eat the whole thing himself) and I had just pinned the perfect recipe a few weeks ago. I knew that the kids wouldn’t eat it, but they would be too preoccupied with sorting and eating candy to even notice. So, coffee cake it was. Halloween was a super busy day. I couldn’t wait for dessert to taste this cake. Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Yield: 13 x 9 cake For the filling: Two 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light or regular) I used regular ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg For the cake: 3 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda
Olive Cheese Bread. Mmmmm, this is yummy. Three or four years ago, I prepared roasted beef tenderloin, tomato-basil pasta salad, roasted asparagus, and this olive cheese bread for a cattlewomen’s luncheon with over 200 hungry ladies in attendance. They loved the tenderloin (recipe coming soon), but what they really went gaga over was this olive cheese bread. The finished product does have quite a strong salty/olive flavor, so for anyone who’s not an olive fan, this might be a little strong. "Olive Cheese Bread"—the words alone make my mouth water. The Cast of Characters: French bread, green olives, black olives, green onions, butter, real (not low-fat or fat-free) mayonnaise, and Monterey Jack Cheese. Place one regular-sized can of black olives on a cutting board. Give them a rough chop. Do the same with a 6-oz jar of pimiento-stuffed green olives. Just give ‘em a rough chop; no need to go crazy. Now slice two green onions… Into thin pieces… Then give them a nice, rough chop all over. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise.
Chicken, Avocado and Spinach Salad - Honest Kitchen - Honestly... The Honest Company Blog Summer calls for light food that makes the perfect healthy lunch or alfresco dinner. Chef Jane Coxwell’s salad is incredibly tasty and full of goodness, guaranteed to become a seasonal staple. She says, “The key is to use the cooking juices and olive oil from the chicken to make a really beautiful dressing. Ingredients Serves 2 For the chicken (use organic ingredients when possible): 1 organic, free range chicken breast1 lemon2 sprigs of thyme2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 Thai chili, sliced (use less if you don’t like heat)1 clove of garlic, mincedMaldon salt (or other sea salt)Freshly ground black pepper For the salad (use organic ingredients when possible): 1 avocado, roughly chopped ½ cucumber, roughly choppedA large handful of baby spinach leavesA handful of cilantro, roughly choppedA handful of dill, roughly chopped3 tablespoons plain yogurt½ teaspoon of agave nectarA squeeze of lemonSea saltFreshly ground black pepper Directions For the chicken: 1. 2. 3. 4. To make the salad: 5.
How to Make a Terra Cotta Flower Pot Bird Bath You've seen them in magazines, on television and in books. Well, hunt no further. Here are complete instructions for you to make your own Terra Cotta Flower Pot Bird Bath. Your best bet for decorating terra cotta that will be used outdoors is Patio Paints. I know they are a little pricey, but they are fade resistant, non-toxic and designed for outdoor use. Another option for protecting your work would be a water-based polyurethane. For the saucer of your bird bath, try to find a waterproof type that won't require any treatment inside the bowl, where the water will go. One each, 12", 14", and 16" terra cotta flower pots One - 20" diameter clay saucer. Sand away any rough spots or loose clay particles on the rim, bottom edge, and outside of the pots and saucer. Seal the inside of all the pots, (and the saucer if it isn't waterproof), with oil-based polyurethane -2-3 coats.
Arugula & Warm Mozzarella Salad The four components of this composed salad mix, match and meld in a wonderful way. The tomatoes provide natural sweetness, the arugula gives bite and depth, the parsley-pine nut dressing is tart and assertive, and the warm mozzarella is oh-so-rich. The technique of breading and warming the mozzarella maybe new to you, but don’t worry; it’s fast and easy, and the result is beautiful. Arugula and Warm Mozzarella Salad Recipe type: Main Dish Salad Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons pine nuts ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, packed 1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons water 2 cups arugula (about 2½ ounces) 2 small tomatoes ¼ cup bread crumbs ¼ teaspoon salt 2 egg-shaped balls of fresh mozzarella (about ⅓ pound) 1 teaspoon olive oil Instructions Notes
Making a Mosquito Trap To keep mosquitoes from ruining a picnic or camping trip, it is nice to have an enticing trap to lure them away from you. This guide is about making a mosquito trap. Solutions Read and rate the best solutions below by giving them a "thumbs up". Tip: Making a Mosquito Trap Because mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 we breathe out, I started looking for ideas that used CO2 as the bait for the mosquito trap. I found a cached link on Google here. Thanks to the students for their hard work on this project. Supplies: 1 2 liter soda bottle a sharp knife black paper tape candy thermometer Take a 2 liter soda bottle. Make a simple sugar syrup. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 2 cups cool water 1 tsp. active dry yeast Directions: Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. Be sure to seal the two parts of the bottle with the tape. By Susan Sanders-Kinzel Tip: Vinegar and Sugar Water For Mosquitoes
» Crispy Orange Beef & Broccoli Lemony Thyme When I made the decision to dedicate Winter Thyme to Spice Exploration I began by playing with my spices….literally. I transformed them into a Winter Thyme ‘Wind.’ Touching each one, taking in their individual aromas, admiring their earth tone colors, and seeing how beautiful they looked together. As I stated in my Winter Thyme post, my goal for this season is to explore spices and share what I learn through new recipes. Where they’ve taken me thus far is on an International journey. So while my intention is to become familiar with spices, I’m kind of digging the new recipes and flavors along the way. While perusing my favorite sites for a recipe to incorporate the broccoli that was ‘on sale’ in our fridge aka must be eaten today, I found this recipe on From Away. Crispy Orange Beef & Broccoli Author: From Away Recipe type: Entree Cuisine: Chinese 1 8 oz. Combine sugar, vinegar, orange juice, salt, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. 2,211 total views, 1 views today