YUM: Strawberry Brie cups

I just made these for a New Years party and they were not only quick and easy but also delicious.

Buy:
1 wedge of Brie
Strawberry jam
Phyllo cups

Do:
Cube the Brie and place it into the phyllo cups
Bake at 350 for 7 minutes
Remove from oven and scoop jam onto each cheese cup
Bake again at 350 for 3 minutes

Ready to eat in 2 minutes!!!! Crispy and delish!

Basement Reno - It is coming together!!!

From the beginning to now...here is a small idea of how far we've come...

And we thought clearing out the space was hard!

This basement renovation has really been an interesting learning experience for me. And don't get me wrong.  When I say interesting...I don't mean awe-inspiring, I mean equal parts AWFUL and INSPIRING.  There is something so incredibly inspirational in having a vision and then getting to watch it grow into something day by day.  And actually seeing the progress is really necessary and makes it all the more special to me.  I mean, when you hand over a 100 year old crappy basement, it is beyond impressive to see what can be done with a boat load of elbow grease and patience.

I guess that is why when I have a really hard reno day like today, and I am forced to stand witness to our contractor plow down a small portion of my neighbors' fence, I have to remind myself that this is all worth it.  It takes WORK and lots of it.  It is not going to just appear finished one day. There will be hiccups and blemishes in the process but I know it is a process.  It will be completed soon, though and I am confident that the finished product will be all 'us'.  

xoxo
L

Homemade Hair Care: Deep Treatment

So, my hair is dead.

A hairdresser a few weeks ago actually held up the bulk of it into a loooong ponytail and exclaimed, "ALL of this hair is DEAD! You need to cut it all off!"

Not gonna happen.

If it is true that ALL of my hair from my ears down is dead, I will have to find another way...I was never cute with a bob.

Proof:

Normally, I blow dry my hair once a week, wash it 7 times a week, and barely brush it or dye it.  This is why I know my hair is just brittle and thin and probably isn't meant to be long. I don't care. I like long hair. (My mothers hair, aka the ultimate "mom" haircut above may have scarred me)

That is why this morning, I did this:

3 eggs

2 tbsp olive oil (or safflower oil)

1 tps vinegar (I used the clear one)

Mix together, apply it to your tresses, cover with a plastic cap (or plastic wrap), and leave it on for 30 minutes. You will look awesome.

Then shampoo as usual.

Okay, I just got out of the shower and my hair kinda feels the same. Wah.  I'll update if anything unexpectedly glamorous happens. Stick around...

UPDATE: I brushed before going to bed and my hair feels a lot better.  This stuff definitely works well as a deep treatment. Highly recommend.  

Day 2: My hair feels even smoother today! I think this stuff made a huge difference! Love it!  


xoxo
L

YUM: Overnight Oats with Chia

A friend of mine posted a recipe for this on facebook and I just knew that I had to steal it and make it.  

Done and done.

The hubs and I did a test-run last night with a taste-test this morning resulting in a tastebud explosion, resulting in a unanimous decision. Chia shall soon become my sister-wife. We're in love! This breakfast is SO easy and SO healthy. And even more than that, it is SO filling.  It's definitely an amazing alternative to an egg and cheese bagel sandwich.  Although, I probably shouldn't mention those guys in a post where I'm trying to get people excited about eating chia seeds. I apologize. My b.

Here's the Overnight Oats with Chia recipe (with a couple alterations from yours truly):

1/2 cup Rolled Oats

1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt (you can use Plain)

2/3 cup Almond Milk (you can use regular Milk)

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

For later:

Healthy (less ingredients on the label/no processed stuff) strawberry jam

1 Banana

Mix all of the top ingredients together in a glass bowl or jar and leave overnight in your fridge.  The next morning, add some strawberry jam and half of a banana or a whole one if you're crazy and voila! Breakfast is served.

My camera is on the fritz, so these awful phone pictures will have to do. Sorry!

Yes my chia is in an old salsa bottle.

It's possible you think this looks grosser than the food in your grandmother's nursing home cafeteria.  That is possible, but please...hold your throw up.  This stuff tastes good! I promise. Now, close your lids and try some. You are going to LOVE it!


xoxo
L

Homemade Face Lotion

So, as I scoured some of my favorite blogs this week I came across a homemade face lotion recipe (from ohdeardrea.blogspot.com) that I knew I had to try.

Normally, I use Olay Regenerist in the mornings while swapping out Vaseline to use at night because I am too afraid of using 2 possibly toxic lotions in one day. Paranoid? Too bad! Because now I won't have to!

The new cream is made up of:

2 tbsp Coconut Oil.
1 tbsp Organic Baby Butt Cream
A few drops of Organic Almond Oil.

I bought everything from Whole Foods.

It isn't the prettiest concoction, so there's no huge plus of seeing a finished product. It really just looks like pasty white poo floating around the bottom of a glass jar. What matters is the application.  NOT TOO MUCH!  Just dip your fingers in and smooth evenly over your face.  I even put it on my lips and it seemed to moisturize them, so yay, laziness wins again.

I'll be updating this for the next 7 days to see if:

a) my skin looks and feels any better

b) the cut on my chin heals and how fast

Day 1 - So far, I significantly freaked out at how oily my face looked directly after application.  Decided to take a 10 minute breather from looking at myself or applying makeup and revisit.  Upon revisiting, I felt good! My skin is super soft. Let's see how tomorrow goes...

Day 2-3 - Loving it!  Cut on chin - still there.

Day 4 - reapplying at night now and my chinny chin chin is healing!

Day 5 - 14 - Loving it.  The key is not putting on too much. Whenever I do, I feel gross and wipe off the excess.

BREAKING NEWS: It is August 16th and this stuff lasts forever. The hubs and I have been using it since the first day we discovered it and we still have a ton left!