DIY Lavender Aromatherapy Bubble Bath

DIY Lavender Aromatherapy Bubble Bath

 

Taking time to pamper yourself is important and here’s a simple way to make your own DIY Lavender Aromatherapy Bubble Bath.  I chose to use lavender because it’s been clinically proven to relax and reduce stress but this recipe will work with any essential oil scent.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mild shampoo or dish soap {Baby shampoo is gentler but dish washing liquid is more bubbly. It’s your choice!}
  • 1/3 cup Liquid Glycerin {Glycerin moisturizes and gently cleanses. It’s also aids in making your bubble bath extra bubbly.}
  • 2 tablespoons of water
  • 15 drops Lavender Essential Oil {or your favorite scented oil}

 

Instructions:

  • Mix together the shampoo, glycerin, water and 15 drops of lavender oil.
  • If desired, add 5 – 10 extra drops of essential oil and mix again.
  • Pour your bubble bath into a bottle or jar that will seal tightly. Before each use shake well to mix and then pour into the tub’s running water. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy!

 

Making your own aromatherapy bubble bath is a great way to pamper yourself affordable and without harmful chemicals and fillers.

Blueberry and Lemon Cream Parfait Recipe

This is one of the few diabetic diet recipes I know that is super delicious and super easy!  Let me know if you like it and if you have any recipes you would like to share with our readers.
Blueberry and Lemon Cream Parfait Recipe

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. low-fat, vanilla yogurt sweetened with low-calorie sweetener
  • 4 oz. fat-free cream cheese
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
  • 3 c. fresh blueberries, rinse and drain well

 

Directions:

  1. Drain liquid from the yogurt. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, cream cheese and honey.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until the yogurt mixture is light and creamy.
  3. Stir in the lemon zest.
  4. Layer the lemon cream and blueberries in dessert dishes.

 

Note:  If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate.

 

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 125, Protein 7 g, Carbohydrate 22 g, Total fat 1 g, Monounsaturated fat 2 g, Cholesterol 3 mg, Sodium 180 mg, Fiber 3 g

Weight Watchers points: 2

Cookies & Cream Parfait Recipe

Cookies and Cream Parfait

 

Here is a quick and easy dessert recipe to serve at Christmas or anytime!

 

Make 2 layers of vanilla pudding, add crushed chocolate wafer cookies and whipped cream in tall glasses.  Top each with a cookie.  Serves 4.

 

Simple, attractive, and yummy!

 

My friend over at Freebies4Real gave me this image and recipe to share with you!   She’s my blogging friend who has 2 (possibly 3) autistic children.  If you would like to help contribute $20 to help her get an iPad for her kids for Christmas please read my post, Help a Mother of Children with Autism, for more information.

Cinnamon Biscotti Recipe

My friend Penelope, owner of PenelopesOasis, is here to share one of her favorite Christmas recipes!  I’ll turn it over to her now…

During the holidays my family loves to bake and enjoy treats. Today Ashley is letting me share a family recipe with you that I hope you enjoy as much as I do. To view more of my favorite family recipes, pop over to my site one day (I also have great hair tutorials perfect for holiday parties and other fun things).

One of our family’s favorite treats for Christmas is a yummy biscotti recipe with flavors of cinnamon and vanilla. In addition to being totally delicious, you will absolutely love how wonderful your kitchen smells when you make this yummy treat. There is something about cinnamon that is perfect for the holiday season, and everyone will be drawn to the kitchen while these tasty Cinnamon Biscotti cookies are baking.

Cinnamon Biscotti

Ingredients:

  • – 4 cups flour (divided into three cups and one cup)
  • – 2 tbs baking powder
  • – 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • – 1 stick salted butter, softened
  • – 2 eggs
  • – 1 egg yolk
  • – 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • – 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • – 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • – 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Combine three cups flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix butter, shortening and one cup of sugar with a mixer on medium until mix is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then vanilla, and mix well.

4. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time and blend well until a soft dough forms.

5. Divide dough into four parts and shape each piece of dough into an eight-inch long log. Place logs on cookie sheet, at least four inches apart, and lightly press down on each log with a flat surface until each is about 3 inches wide.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If using multiple cookie sheets, rotate location (top and bottom racks) 1/2 way through for even baking. Remove from oven and transfer cookie logs onto a cutting board, but keep oven on.

7. Combine cinnamon with remaining sugar.

8. Cut cookies diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices and coat each cookie slice with cinnamon sugar mixture.

9. Place the cookies back onto the cookie sheets (cut-side down) and bake for 15 minutes. Turn slices over and bake for 15 more minutes on other side.

10. Remove cookies from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes about 40-50 cookies.

Chef Boyardee “Almost Homemade” Recipes

Chef Boyardee is a name my family is familiar with.  Before we were married my husband use to eat cans of Chef Boyardee pretty regularly.  I can even remember eating them as a kid.  Since we’ve been married we’ve been a huge fan of their pizzas!  I’ve talked to so many people who have never heard of Chef Boyardee pizzas and I can’t hardly believe it.  If you’re one of those people who’ve never tried one, go to Walmart this week and buy one.  Make sure to buy an extra bag of cheese, pepperonis, and other toppings too!  Where was I?  Oh yes, we love Chef Boyardee.

Chef Boyardee

Even the best cooks get burnt out at times, right?  From first hand experience I can tell you that moms with newborns love a quick meal!  I’m sure we could all name a list of things that make dinner preparation difficult at times.  Chef Boyardee knows this and has created quick and easy recipes that are “almost homemade” to help us out.

Tonight my family tried out the Ravioli Lasagna recipe and we liked it!  My husband was a bigger fan than I was.  He loved it because it tastes so similar to the plain cans of Ravioli that he loves.  It was a little too runny for my taste.  I guess I’m use to homemade lasagna that stands up when you cut it.  This is a great quick and healthy meal to serve to kids for lunch or dinner.  I’m not opposed to eating it again but on a scale of 1-5 I would give it a 3.  I loved the simplicity of the preparation and how quick it was to bake.  It only took 6 ingredients and 30 minutes.  I’m anxious to try out another Chef Boyardee recipe soon!

Nutrition Information:

Serving size – 6 servings (1 cup each)

Calories – 240

Ingredients:

  • PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
  • 1 cup frozen loose cut leaf spinach
  • 2 can (15 oz each) Chef Boyardee® Beef Ravioli
  • 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, drained well
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8×8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place spinach in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH 2 minutes; squeeze spinach dry.
  2. Combine ravioli, drained tomatoes and Italian seasoning in medium microwave-safe bowl. Chef Boyardee Recipe Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is hot. Combine cottage cheese, spinach and black pepper in small bowl.Spinach
  3. Place half of ravioli mixture in bottom of baking dish. Top with half of cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.Lasagna RecipeLasagna BakedLasagna

Looks yummy, huh?

The recipe was simple, quick, and required just a few ingredients.  Who doesn’t love that?  Check out the list of “Almost Homemade” Chef Boyardee recipes and give one a try for yourself.

Pedigree Ambassador

I just had to share this! Here’s my cute pup.  She was eagerly standing by hoping we would drop a bite for her. 🙂  Do you remember Lucy?  She was a Pedigree Ambassador!

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Just-Like-McDonald’s Caramel Frappe Recipe

McDonalds Caramel Frappe

Here’s my simple recipe to show you how to make your own Just-Like-McDonald’s Caramel Frappe.  I love these and I hope you do too!

 

5 min | 5 min prep

Serves 2

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 2-3 teaspoons Starbucks instant caramel iced coffee granules {Add more or less to suit your tastes}
  • 1 tablespoon caramel syrup {optional}
  • 2-3 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping {Smuckers is my favorite!}
  • 2 cups ice {add more for a milkshake texture}
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
  • Redi Whip and additional caramel topping for garnish
Directions:
  1. In a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl heat water in microwave on high for 40-60 seconds.
  2. Add instant coffee and stir until dissolved.
  3. Add caramel ice cream topping and syrup to coffee mixture and stir.
  4. In blender, add 2 cups of ice, 1/2 milk, ice cream and then the coffee mixture.
  5. Process on “ice” setting until desired consistency.
  6. Top with RediWhip and drizzle with caramel.
Feel free to experiment with milder or stronger versions to suit your taste.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Lemon Scone Recipe

Blueberry Lemon Scone

Lisa from Simply This, That and The Other shares how she made these yummy blueberry lemon scones.  They look delicious and I can’t wait to make a batch of my own!

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta Recipe

Chicken pot pie pasta

One of my husband’s FAVORITE recipes lately has been chicken pot pie.  I honestly think he would eat it every day if he could!  So today when I saw that Liz from Fresh Plate shared a new recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Pasta I was excited.  Hopefully this will be a good meal to add into the rotation so we can have chicken pot pie a little less often.  Does it look like a recipe your family will love?  What are a few of  your family’s favorite recipes?

Honey Bunny Easter Recipe

Honey Bunnies

This is a recipe I received from Bridgford and I thought the bunnies were too cute not to share it!

Ingredients:

1 pkg Bridgford Parkerhouse Rolls, thawed
¼ cup melted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon honey
24 Raisins
24 Slivered almonds

Instructions:

Lightly grease sheet pans. With lightly floured hands, roll a piece of dough between palms of hands to a rope approx 12-16 inches long. Continue with remaining pieces of dough. Place ropes of dough on lightly floured surface. To assemble bunnies; coil one rope into a circle on prepared sheet pan. Take second rope and cut off a 4-inch piece; set aside. Take remaining 8 inch rope and coil into another circle for head; placing it above the first coil. Take 4 inch piece and divide in half for ears. Attach to bunny head. Continue with remaining pieces of dough, placing bunnies 3-4 inches apart on prepared pans. Brush with honey butter. Let rise until double in size. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with additional honey butter. Let cool.With a tooth pick, poke holes for eyes and teeth. Take raisins (cut in half) and place in holes for eyes. Insert 2 slivered almonds for bunny teeth.

If you choose to opt-in to receive Bridgford’s newsletter you can receive a coupon from them!

Easter Breakfast Recipe – Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection rolls

My blogging friend, Courtney, recently shared how her favorite Easter breakfast recipe is resurrection rolls.  I love this recipe and I am very excited to share this recipe with you!  The kids can help make them, they look yummy, and the best part…you can give your kids a small visual reminder of the Savior’s resurrection.  Visit Women Living Well for this how-to recipe!

For more Easter recipes check out:

Make ‘n Mold Chick Cookies

Filled Candy Easter Eggs

Nesting Baby Bluebird Cupcakes

Easter Egg Dipper Treats

Little Lamb Cupcakes