1 cup Carnation Milk Powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tablespoons butter -melted
Whole milk just enough to make the dough
For the Sugar Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1 cup water
Oil for frying
Creative Tropical Fruit Bowl Recipe!
Ingredients
1 pineapple cut in half, across
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup of seedless grapes
1 can of mandarin, drained
1 sliced banana
6 sliced strawberries
2 sliced kiwi
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
dressing mixture
Juice from a lime
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1 tsp ground ginger
Preparation
Remove the core of the pineapple halves
Squeeze lemon over the shell and pineapple chunks to prevent browning
In a separate bowl, add all the fruits and pour in the dressing mixture
Toss together gently
Spoon in the fruit into the pineapple shell
Add 1 tbsp of whipped cream (optional)
1 drink umbrella
Chill until served
The BEST Lemon Bars:
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 lemons, juiced
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.
How to make your own Sugar Wax
In this economy, why spend $30 or more on a leg wax when you can do it yourself? I have many friends who wax their own legs and I recently discovered a recipe for wax on the Double X Website for women. Editor Hanna Rosin shares the recipe her family used to remove arm hair (they were hairy Sephardic Jews, according to Rosin. Watch the video). While you can buy wax kits in any drugstore, cooking your own sugar wax over the stove can save an extra few dollars on the wax itself. Here's how to make it...
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
Preparation:
To make sugar wax, cook the ingredients over low heat for about 45 minutes until the sugar caramelizes. I love her colleague Emily Bazelon's response to learning the recipe, "That's wax? THAT'S wax?" Actually, it's a sugar wax, which is much easier to wash off then wax/wax.
Once the sugar mixture cools you should be left with a sticky taffy-like wax. Apply this with a plastic knife or wooden stick in the direction hair grows.
Take a piece of cloth (you can tear up an old sheet), press down firmly and then pull off in the opposite direction of hair growth.
Irada Arts:
http://www.iradaarts.com
BEAUTIFUL Islamic wall decor! It's a perfect way to bring beauty and the remembrance of Allah into your home! They have some for UNDER $30 too! :)
This one says: Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim
This says: Allah(God)
This says: Be with Your Beloved
This one is the Shahada: La ilaha il-Allah(There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God)
This one says: Whatsoever blessings you have(Quran: 16:53)
And here is a video on how to put it on your wall:
WHAT IS MIEN SHIANG? |
By Patrician McCarthy, President, The Mien Shiang Institute The age-old Taoist practice of Mien Shiang is an art and a science that means literally face (mien) reading (shiang). It is an accurate means of self-discovery, and a great way to help us understand others. As the ancient Taoists said, the face records the past, reflects the present, and forecasts the future.What we look for when we read a face are the characteristics associated with the sizes and shapes and positions of each facial feature, as well as the lines, shadings and marking that appear on the face. Simply by looking at someone’s face, we can determine his or her character, personality, health, wealth potential, social standing, and longevity.Our Faces Accurately Record Our Chronological Passages Of Life Certain facial traits are inherited from our parents and our ancestors, while others are acquired. These acquired lines, shadings and shapes should be celebrated as ‘proof’ that we have learned our life lessons. If we don’t do our life’s work at the proper times, we can suffer emotionally, physically, and spiritually. So, it’s good to see those markings of passage appear on our faces. People don’t value wisdom if they don’t value aging. The Face Is a Puzzle With Perfect Pieces Every part of the face reveals something significant. There are five to ten unique face shapes, the two sides of the face, the three primary zones, and the twelve principal features. Each of the 12 principal facial features, the · ears · hairline · forehead · brow bones · eyebrows · eyes · cheeks · nose · lips and mouth · chin · jaw tells something specific about the person. Learning to read the face shapes, the two different sides, the significance of the dominant zone, and all of the features together, is an intricate art. Here’s Looking At You Mien Shiang is not about reading facial expressions. Many people have good poker faces; they are experts at covering up their feelings by controlling their expressions. A good bluffer can easily change a look or a movement to fool others. But shapes, positions, lines, shadows, and other facial markings tell the truth. They are foolproof signs, if you know how to read them. Because Mien Shiang is such a vast, extensive study that can take years to learn - for example, we could easily analyze 30 different types of eyebrows or 47 types of mouths - let’s start off with the bigger picture. The Two Sides of the Face: - the left side represents the true, inner, private self. - the right side represents the outer, public self. Suppose you meet someone who has a great smile, but you notice that the right side of their mouth goes up. That is probably someone who is “putting on a good face” - chances are they don’t feel, inside, as happy as they look, on the outside. See? Already, you can read a face! Who Uses Mien Shiang? We all use Mien Shiang, all the time. For instance . . . . . . when you changed seats because the well-groomed man next to you had narrow, mean eyes, . . . when you chose the employer with the easy smile over the other who had a tight, thin mouth, . . . when you advised a friend to see a doctor because you noticed unusually dark circles under his eyes, . . . when you hired the lesser experienced person for the job because he had the more trusting face, . . . you were reading faces. You were practicing Mien Shian. We all have instinctive responses and reactions to people, but Mien Shiang is more than a gut level reaction. Mien Shiang recognizes that every facial shape, size, feature and position has a significant meaning. Each line, shading and marking reveals a little bit more to the whole face reading. In Part I of this series, we established that the facial features each have distinct characteristics regarding character, personality, health, longevity, wealth, and social status. Let us first define each of the 12 major features’ general characteristics: · ears - risk taking ability, longevity · hairline - socialization · forehead - parents’ influence · brow bones - control · eyebrows - passion, temper, pride · eyes - receptivity · cheekbones - authority · nose - ego, power, leadership, wealth · lips and mouth - personality, sexuality · chin - character, will · jaw - determination Now look in the mirror and see how much risk-taking ability you have. The bigger your ears, the bigger your risks; the smaller your ears, the more cautious you probably are. Are your eyebrows dark and thick? If so, it is quite feasible that you have a lot of passion and anger. What about your eyes? The more open your eyes, the more open your heart. Do you have high, prominent cheekbones? If you do, you are likely to be authoritative. (Some might even call you bossy!) What if your left eyebrow is thicker than the other? Remembering that the right side of the face represents the outer, public self and the left side represents the inner, private self, you can see plainly that your face reveals that you are apt to feel more anger (inside) than you show (on the outside). Take a closer look at your ears. Are they the same size? The same shape? Even the same height? It’s not unusual for our ‘matching features’ to be different, though most of us do not notice such differences, on ourselves or on others, unless we are looking for them. If, indeed, your right ear is bigger, or more prominent in shape or position, it means that you appear to take more risks than you actually do take. Interestingly, if our right side features are so much more distinct, or prominent, than the left features, we will sometimes ‘act out’ a certain behavior even though it may go against our inner nature. For instance, some people who have a more prominent right ear find that they take more risks than they actually feel comfortable taking. Keep looking in the mirror. See if you can establish how much character and will you have, how determined you are, how much ego you have, and how outgoing you are. Do your features match your feelings? Do you think others see you as you really are? The Marks of Wisdom and What They Mean As we age our face changes. We get wrinkles and lines, dark spots and shadings. And though we tend to resent them, these signs of experience are good because they are recording our chronological passages of life. They are visual proof that we have been feeling the emotions of our experiences, struggling through our difficult times and learning the lessons of life. We can celebrate them as marks of wisdom that come with age. Most markings appear on an area of the face that represents the age that the emotional experience first occurred. The Face Represents a Chronological Map of Experiences: - left ear rim - conception to early childhood - right ear rim - mid childhood to adolescence - hairline to eyebrows - adolescence through the 20s - eyebrow area - early 30s - eye area - mid to late 30s - nose - 40s - mouth area - 50s - chin - 60s - jaw - 70s and beyond Facial lines and markings generally appear first on the forehead and work their way down to the bottom of the chin over the years. Take a close look at your own face, at your parents’, your children’s, siblings’, friends’ and co-workers’ faces and see if their marks of passage correspond with their ages. Using Mien Shiang we read the face by interpreting the appearance of the lines and marks. We look for placement, size, shape, depth, color and shading of each line and marking. Lines between the eyes usually appear in the early to mid 30s and are frequently the first lines we notice on our own faces as well as on others. In Mien Shiang we call this area the Seat of the Stamp, or Yin Tong, and issues with father or the dominant parental figure are marked here. Yin Tong Markings - a single, vertical line can mean that one has difficulty getting or staying appropriately angry. - a single, but stronger and deeper, vertical line indicates estrangement from father - 2 vertical lines means one tends to anger easily - 3 or more vertical lines suggest the ability to stand up for oneself and use anger appropriately. - horizontal lines also represent separation from father, or son, or one’s own yang (male) side, as well as women who were never allowed to get angry - a dark mark, or discoloration, indicates that one is backing off from their power. The mouth is another area we tend to notice. Though the predominant lines and markings generally appear in one’s 50s, they often occur as early as one’s 20s. Pursing the lips creates lots of tiny lines cutting into the lips, both top and bottom. Those lines show all the hurts that have been held on to, that have never been forgotten. They belong to the person who has ‘done all the right things’ but hasn’t been ‘rewarded’ for her ‘goodness.’ There are so many, many more lines that appear on the face that reveal our experiences or tendencies. Like the Grief Line than runs down the center or the cheek, or the Fa Ling Lines that show whether or not we are on our Golden Path. The telling lines around the eyes that warn us of an inclination for unfaithfulness, or reveal the pain of unshed tears. As you notice the lines and markings on your own face, as well as on others’, remember . . . - the right side of the face presents the outer, public self, and that it represents the mother’s influence - the left side of the face presents the inner, private self, and that it represents the father’s influence. And remember the significant characteristic and trait that belong to each facial feature. Now look in the mirror and combine what Mien Shian has taught you, so far, about each side of the face, each of the 12 major facial features, and the different lines and markings and their placements. Does Mien Shian help piece together the puzzle of who you really are? |
Face Mapping for better Facial Skincare
A high quality facial mask or serum will work wonders for your skin, but these products are the icing on the cake.
Next time you look in the mirror, think about this: What shows up on your face is connected directly or indirectly to the state of your internal organs and systems. One of the skin’s “jobs” is to communicate inner imbalances before they become major health issues or cause disease.
Face mapping is a great tool to determine where the skin symptom (pimple, rash, redness, hyperpigmentation, sallowness, darkness, or wrinkle) connects deeper in the body. Dermalogica, a popular retail skincare company, has made face mapping more mainstream, but this method wasn’t created to sell skincare products. Actually, face mapping has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
Here’s an easy-to-follow face map I use in the skin care studio to help point you n the right direction and give you a little more clarity to what’s out of balance and causing your skin to “act up.”
*These tips and suggestions are not meant to replace a doctor’s advice. For best results, seek advice from a reputable Naturapathic Doctor and / or Licensed Dietitian or Nutritionist. Also read this post on Acupuncture For Skin Health and look into this wonderful non-invasive therapy!
*These tips and suggestions are not meant to replace a doctor’s advice. For best results, seek advice from a reputable Naturapathic Doctor and / or Licensed Dietitian or Nutritionist. Also read this post on Acupuncture For Skin Health and look into this wonderful non-invasive therapy!
forehead – gallbladder and liver: possibly too much fat in the diet – or too many “happy hours.”
Bien-etre Tip: Lay off the fatty or “fast food” and alcohol for a bit, opting instead for a lighter fare, detoxifying herbal tea, lots of fresh clean water, milk thistle, and burdock root
Bien-etre Tip: Lay off the fatty or “fast food” and alcohol for a bit, opting instead for a lighter fare, detoxifying herbal tea, lots of fresh clean water, milk thistle, and burdock root
third eye – stomach and liver: usually related to digestive health and too much toxic buildup in the system. When these two organs get overloaded, the health of your skin deteriorates.
Bien-etre Tip: Look into digestive aids in the form of a gentle cleanse (like eating a raw food diet for a week, or cutting out meat, dairy, caffeine, processed food and sugar from your diet for a little while.)
Bien-etre Tip: Look into digestive aids in the form of a gentle cleanse (like eating a raw food diet for a week, or cutting out meat, dairy, caffeine, processed food and sugar from your diet for a little while.)
brow line / temples – kidneys: Check also to see if you are experiencing any low lack pain as this could be a sign of kidney strain.
Bien-etre Tip: Drink more water and include more superfoods in your diet, like algae, spinach, kale, nuts, berries, etc!
Bien-etre Tip: Drink more water and include more superfoods in your diet, like algae, spinach, kale, nuts, berries, etc!
under eye area – stomach, kidneys and liver: Usually the main concerns in this area are fine lines, puffiness and dark circles. A quick fix is a little caffeine, Vitamin A and Vitamin C in your morning eye cream, but that wont fix the internal issue.
Bien-etre Tip: Take a look at your diet and see where you can “clean it up a bit” also look into detoxifying teas with licorice root.
Bien-etre Tip: Take a look at your diet and see where you can “clean it up a bit” also look into detoxifying teas with licorice root.
bridge of nose / upper cheeks – heart: This area is a common stomping ground for rosacea.
Bien-etre Tip: Look into diet and lifestyle changes that aid in circulatory health and look into ways to lower cholesterol, like replacing “bad fats” with “good fats” like Omegas 3 and 6 found in nuts, avocados, fish and flax seed.
Bien-etre Tip: Look into diet and lifestyle changes that aid in circulatory health and look into ways to lower cholesterol, like replacing “bad fats” with “good fats” like Omegas 3 and 6 found in nuts, avocados, fish and flax seed.
mid cheeks – lungs and stomach: Another common are for rosacea flare-ups, but also a common area for hyperpigmentation and breakouts.
Bien-etre Tip: Look into possible food allergies like dairy and wheat gluten, and keep the body more alkaline by avoiding foods that make the body acidic (meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, etc) and adding more alkalizing foods like green veggies and wheatgrass juice!
Bien-etre Tip: Look into possible food allergies like dairy and wheat gluten, and keep the body more alkaline by avoiding foods that make the body acidic (meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, etc) and adding more alkalizing foods like green veggies and wheatgrass juice!
lower cheeks – nasolabial folds – stomach and liver: Lines, redness and breakouts in this area can usually be attributed to food sensitivity or toxic build-up.
Bien-etre Tip: see tips for mid cheeks and mouth!
Bien-etre Tip: see tips for mid cheeks and mouth!
around or on the mouth – stomach: as with the other areas of the face connected to the stomach, you will want to look into any possible food sensitivities or allergies (they are sometimes the foods you crave the most!)
Bien-etre Tip: also look into a gentle detox and adding more greens and fiver into your diet.
Bien-etre Tip: also look into a gentle detox and adding more greens and fiver into your diet.
jawline – ovaries or colon: Usually hormonal stress or changes cause breakouts in this area for women. Many theorists believe that having a monthly period (although not always convenient or fun) keeps the female circulatory system healthy and helps women to live longer.
Bien-etre Tip: Bulking up on greens and staying hydrated during the premenstrual cycle will help minimize any hormonal breakouts. If you are breaking out in this area all month long, you may want to look into dietary changes or supplements that aid in healthy elimination.
Bien-etre Tip: Bulking up on greens and staying hydrated during the premenstrual cycle will help minimize any hormonal breakouts. If you are breaking out in this area all month long, you may want to look into dietary changes or supplements that aid in healthy elimination.
lymph nodes – usually linked to stress or a sign that the body is trying to fight off sickness (bacterial invasion). The lymph nodes are in charge of regulating fluid and eliminating excess waste proteins and toxins from that fluid.
Bien-etre Tip: give yourself a break, take a yoga class or two, take a nap, take time to breathe deeply and know that everything always works out.
Bien-etre Tip: give yourself a break, take a yoga class or two, take a nap, take time to breathe deeply and know that everything always works out.
Strawberry centered chocolate pudding cupcakes!
Ingredients:
1 package cake mix, chocolate
1 package strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 package pudding, chocolate
Fresh mint sprigs,optional but awesome
Directions:
1. Prepare cupcakes according to package and let cool. Using a paring knife, core out a well
down into each
cupcake, for your strawberry to fit into. Prepare your pudding according to the package.
Let set until nice and
pudding-y (solid - wet gloopy pudding will ruin the cupcakes, so don't be in a rush, let the
pudding firm up!)
2. Stick the strawberry pointy side down into your cupcakes. Take the piece of the cupcake
that you cut out, and
place it on top of the strawberry, after you push it down into the cupcake.
3. Top liberally with pudding in leu of frosting.
4. Add a sprig of mint if you like. I think it adds a certain something, and my neighbor had
some growing in her
kitchen and shared…but don’t go out and buy some.
5. cut each cupcake in half and set it on a plate, because presentation is everything with
these suckers. They are DELICIOUS and super easy
Can we do a little project together for the next 30 days? I pitch that we all partner up to pack healthy meals for ourselves (if you eat lunch away from home) and our kids. Are you in? I sure hope so. If you can’t swing five days a week for 4 weeks than can you go with at least a day or two a week? I bet once you get started you will see how easy it is to pack a quick, healthy and delicious lunch box.
We are starting this event on a weekend so you have some time to go grocery shopping. I have a shopping list if you need a few suggestions to point you in the right direction.
I will post regular updates, ingredient choices, product and meal ideas on Facebook. That will be the destination to share ideas during this challenge. Post your ideas to my wall and to your own. Please join us over there to stay in touch. We can also use the #projectlunchbox onTwitter to grab each others attention.
I have a free downloadable PDF 30 Days of Healthy Lunch Box Meals just for you.
That up there is a basic turkey sandwich with fruit. I know you guys can do that. Some littlegluten free rice crackers are tucked away in there too.
Most of us can agree that packing a healthy lunch box is a challenging and an often daunting task. We are all exhausted after busy days. What we want to do is cuddle up with a hot cup of tea and our favorite magazine….By the way I have a new favorite magazine, take a peek here.
What we need to do is put the magazine down and pack lunch for the next day. The magazine can come out after. Play your favorite music and get packing. If you want to share some of your favorite playlists I would LOVE that!
I always find it is so much easier to work together as a team. I admit that some days I have a hard time figuring out what the heck to pack in my kids lunch boxes. I want to hear your recipe ideas, favorite magazines, ingredient suggestions, etc. Share your blog links and other links you have found so we can all help each other.
This is an introduction to a lifelong project. Each day of our lives should be a celebration of healthy through great food choices. I am curious to see how this project unfolds and I look forward to working the steps and keeping the pledge with you, as a team……
Many readers ask all the time about how I handle the daily grind of packing lunch for myself and my kids. This blog was started because of people asking about my daily lunch boxes, so why not bring it all full circle. I want you to join me in the Lunch Box project.
Above is my Baby Peas and Cheese Frittata and below is one of our favorite pasta recipes withChicken, Capers and Cherry Tomatoes.
When I concept and create recipes for this blog, my goal is to inspire healthy, happy, high energy lives through whole foods. Eating real, unprocessed food not only tastes better but it is great for our physical and mental health too. When our bodies don’t need to cut through the clutter of chemicals and weird processed ingredients we think clearer, can keep our weight in check and burst with energy.
Why Project Lunch Box?
- Real, unprocessed foods are best for our physical and mental health.
- If we help guide what our children eat while away from home, there is a better guarantee for school success, overall happiness and health.
- It costs less to pack lunch at home. With tighter budgets these days it makes sense to bring your own lunch.
- We want our children and loved ones to thrive. Home cooked meals are best (unless your school or work cafeteria has embraced a real food meal plan)
Looking for some GREAT lunch ideas? Click Here: Several women put together over 70 lunch ideas! Check it out! ;)
Want to decorate your room? Or simply have some cute things for a party? Well then, make this:
One of my "Dream Living Rooms" is to have a Japanese Theme, and this is a PERFECT idea for some art work on the walls! Maybe just one though, it's a bit too pink for me. :P
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients:
How to make gulab jamun:
- Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
- Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.
- If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
- The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.
Sugar Syrup
- The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of "Kesar". Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.
- Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients:
- Whole Milk - 1 litre
- Saffron - a pinch
- Cashews chopped - 1 tbsp
- Almonds chopped - 1 tbsp
- Nutmeg pwd - a pinch
- Cardamom pwd - ¼ tsp
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Sugar - 5 tbsp or to taste
Method:
- Take whole milk in a wide pan.
- Make sure the pan is thick bottomed, as we’re going to reduce the milk to half its content.
- Boil the milk on medium heat on stove top with continous stirring.
- Continuously scrape the sides and bottom of the pan to make sure the milk doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Stir the milk continuously.
- Once the milk is reduced to half its consistency, add few shreds of saffron.
- This imparts rich color & flavor to basundi.
- Slice cashew & almonds to fine pieces.
- Add this nuts to the thick milk mixture.
- Stir well.
- Further cook for 2 to 3 mins.
- Add nutmeg powder and cardamom powder. ( this enhances very rich flavor )
- Keep cooking this on low heat
- To get the grainy texture of basundi, we’re going to add 4 to 5 drops of fresh lime juice. ( make sure not to add, too much drops of lime juice, as it curdles milk…we just need grainy texture )
- Mix it well.
- Now you can see milk is attaining grainy consistency.
- Add sugar and combine. Turn off the heat
- Now delicious basundi is ready. ( It attains thicker consistency on cooling )
- Serve basundi warm or chilled with grated pistachios & almond nuts garnishing. ( it tastes so great, when it is cold )
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