Rosemary Hair Treatment

While out of town for the Holiday I was siting poolside reading up on herbal remedies and one thing caught my eye... Rosemary!

For the last few years I have been trying to grow out and rehabilitate my hair and I have shared all my finding with you from Shampoo's, products, coffee rinses and clip in extensions.  I have tried it all, and have had a blast while doing it.  It's been so cold these last few months I thought, "well I'm stuck in the house after work for some long cold nights, I might as well try some new things out."

Rosemary Hair Rinse

Three Stocks of Rosemary
3 cups of Water
2 Tablespoons Honey

Rosemary and water in a pot, boil for 15-20 minutes. Strain Rosemary broth in a glass container over honey.  Mix well.

Next time you wash/condition hair pour cooled mixture over scalp, don't rinse out.  This is a leave in rinse, if you don't like the smell you can add Lavender (to rinse mixture) when you are boiling Rosemary.

What I have noticed:  My first rinse experience was 1.5.2014 and I found that my hair had great texture color and shine.  It has been really cold in Utah the last couple months and my hair was feeling dry and brittle.  This treatment, I had thought would only improve the growth, which is something I will not see the results of for months down the road.  Having instant benefit's to the rinse was a welcome surprise.

I did some research for those of you who need a second source.  See below

Benefits of Rosemary for Hair

Stimulates Hair Growth - One of the traditional uses of rosemary  is to promote hair growth, though there is not much scientific evidence to prove this. However, a recent study on lab mouse showed that topical administration of rosemary leaf extract (RO-ext, 2mg/day/mouse) improved hair re-growth in mice that experienced hair re-growth interruption induced by testosterone treatment, suggesting an anti-androgenic activity mechanism of rosemary extract. The study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research concluded that rosemary extract is a promising crude drug for hair growth.


Read more: Health Benefits of Rosemary Herb | Rosemary Herb - Health Benefits | Medindia http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/health-benefits-of-rosemary-herb.htm#ixzz2pdsT0ULZ

Pumpkin, Rosemary, Shells and Cheese

Here is a Fall Twist on a Old Favorite!

What is more nostalgic than your childhood favorite

Macaroni and Cheese.  Now add some pumpkin, rosemary and a few extra spices and you have a healthy masterpiece.

Ingredients

- 16 oz. your favorite pasta (I love shells, you might like macaroni)

- 3 T. butter

- 4 T. flour

- 3 c. + 1/3 c. milk

- 12 oz. cheese, grated ( I use cheddar & mozzarella)

- 8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed (sometimes only use 4 oz.)

- 1 c. pumpkin puree

- 1 T. fresh rosemary, minced

- 1 t. salt

- 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

- 1/2 t. cayenne pepper

 

Cook pasta and drain out water.

In large skillet on medium heat: melt butter, add flour, whisking for about 30 seconds. Add 2 cups of milk and the rosemary, whisking continuously until smooth. Add the third cup of milk and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.   

 

 

Add pumpkin and cheese, then add Velveeta stir till melted. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and followed by the additional 1/3 c. of milk.

Once cheese sauce is smooth, combine with cooked pasta and pour into a greased casserole dish {9x13}. 

 

Cook for 30 minutes.

 

Note:

Pumpkin is super healthy for you and lately I have been trying to find more things I can cook with it.  Hence my pumpkin chili and pumpkin pasta dish both of  which are amazing and you should try.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin:

*1 cup Pumpkin has 7.1 grams of Fiber which helps your body absorb nutrients from the food you eat.
*1 cup of Pumpkin has 3.4 grams of Iron, Iron helps your immune system.
*1 Cup Pumpkin contains 1,906 micrograms of vitamin A, which helps your eyes, bones and teeth healthy as well as boosts your immune system.
*1 cup of Pumpkin supplies you with 15 % of your daily vitamin E.
*Pumpkin has beta-carotene and antioxidant which helps reduce inflammation which helps with chronic health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and arthritis.

Be healthy and happy this fall!

Hugs,

To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse that is the Question

The thought of cleaning out my body of anything that could be hampering it from running more smoothly is a huge temptation. 

All my friends are doing it...

So what's the hang up? 

While reading up on colon cleanses I found the following: http://www.oprah.com/health/The-Truth-About-Colon-Cleansing 

What I learned from the above article:
#1 My colon is doing it's job and I can help it by just eating whole grains, fruits/veggies and by making sure to drink more water.

#2 Doing a cleanse can deplete my body of vital nutrients and could lead to malnutrition, anemia and in some cases heart failure.


After doing some research, I have just decided to eat cleaner and drink more water.  It would have been fun to do a cleanse with my cute roommate who makes everything way fun... To be honest I am still going to do the eating healthy part of her cleanse with her, I'm just going to skip out on the tea part of it.

The biggest lesson learned for me was that there will always be new health crazes that everyone is trying out.  Instead of just jumping on the band wagon, do your own research and if you think it will do more help than harm then try it.

Truth be told:

Do I think a colon cleanse for two weeks will do horrible damage, No. 

Do I think it is worth $30 to drink bad tasting tea for two weeks that will dehydrate me and deprive me of nutrients, no.

Be smart and safe when it comes to fad diets!

Hugs,

Fall Harvest, Tomatoes Upon Tomatos

With the new chill in the air everything is slowing down and going into hibernation, this is the time that you will want to harvest your garden.  Harvest time is usually right before the first frost, on October 1st I moved to a new home and had to do my fall harvest a little early.  I was worried because I had tons of green tomatoes that hadn't turned red yet.  I was talking to my neighbor and she said "you can pick them green and they will turn on their own."  I thought why not try I'm going to lose them anyway.

The Great Turning Tomato Trick

All these tomatoes were green when I put them in the box

At the end of the season harvest all of your tomatoes Red, Green, yellowish... just pick them all.

You can either put them in a box with just the unripe tomatoes or with a banana (bananas release a chemical that speeds the ripening process).  Put the box in a dark place aka pantry, closet and after a few days they will start to ripen. 

Here are some of my tomatoes that were all green when I picked them on October 1st, by October 14th most of them had turned red.  Some tomatoes took a few days while others have taken a couple weeks but it works!

My little tomato sorter, and the tomatoes that ripened after two weeks of storage

P.S. I had to move my raspberry and strawberry plants.  It would have been ideal if I had moved them once it had frosted so the plants would have been hibernating.  Wish me luck on the transfer and I guess we will only know how it worked in April/May when the garden starts growing again.

Favorite Fall Soups (Part One)

There is something about the fall; the leaves are changing colors, there is a chill in the air and all of the sudden you want to curl up with some warm food and a good book.

 

One of my most favorite things about the cooler weather is soup; I love soup, it was something my mom was amazing at making.  Now that I am living a thousand miles from my mother, I am enjoying the ability of making soup all on my own.

Here is a new yummy healthy soup that I think everyone should try!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili
1 Tablespoon Olive or Vegetable Oil
1 Onion Chopped
1 Yellow Bell Pepper Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
1 Clove Garlic Minced
1 Pound Ground Turkey
1 Can (4 ounce) Green Chilies
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
1 Can (14.5 ounce) Kidney Beans
2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
2 Tea Spoons Chili Powder
1 Tea Spoon Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Shredded Cheddar Cheese - Topping
Sour Cream - Topping

In pot on medium heat brown; onion, bell peppers, garlic with the oil.  Next add the ground turkey, till turkey is all the way cooked. 

Add tomatoes, pumpkin puree and kidney beans all the while string well.  I still have a lot of tomatoes from my garden so I used fresh instead of canned tomatoes.













Once soup starts to get a little more fluid add your spices, remembering to add salt to taste.  Soup should be ready in 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

 My friend Shannon has an amazing corn bread recipe which I am going to beg for... it supstitues half of the butter for Apple Sauce and taste better than any Corn Bread I have ever eaten.

Shannon's Corn Bread... so good!

Garden Update

Tomatoes upon Tomatoes:  Tomatoes have got to be the best thing I have grown this year! They have been producing fruit since June and have never stopped.  I have gone on two vacations and they have not only survived but didn't skip a beat.  Everyday I come home to a happy harvest of at least 10 red tomatoe babies ready for the picking. 

Raspberry Surprises:  I was told that Raspberries do not produce for the first couple of years.  I was prepared to be patient and just wait.  So when my first year little baby plants started to produce lovely red berries, you can imagine my shock and pure happiness.  Like the tomatoes I get to pick these lovely berries everyday, when I get home from work... Pure Bliss!

Strawberry Kisses:  What hardy and wonderful Strawberries I have had this year!  They started producing mid May and have never stopped.  The only problem to be had was the birds but for some reason they stopped mid summer... leaving one happy little gardener to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Bountiful Basil:  My basil been wonderful this year!  The best basil was the sweet basil I planted in the ground.  It truly has been such a great herb to grow.

Wonderful Watermelon:  Isn't it fun to think you can put a few tiny little seeds in the ground and before you know it you have a beautiful watermelon.  I have already eaten two good sized watermelons out of my garden.  This little baby is the next one to be harvested.

 

 

 

Came home to this the other day... Happy little Harvest.

It's been fun having my first garden, the best thing I did was to weed everyday I watered (which was everyday).  It seemed like a burden in the beginning, that it was a never ending chore but as the summer went by the weeding got lighter and lighter till it it became almost non existant. 

I hope you found something you enjoyed as much as I have enjoyed my little garden.

Sweet Summer Peaches

Growing up in Washington had it's advantages, the beautiful forests, the Puget Sound, Seattle... but one of my very favorite things would have to be a sweet tree ripened peach.

My parents owned a little grocery store which was only open in the summer time. We sold only fresh produce and locally made products. Every summer my sisters and I would be in charge of the fruit, at one time I could bag up a pound of cherries exactly to the ounce, I can still half a nectarine, apricot and/or peach with out having to use a knife. Along with my many fruit skills, I fell in love with fresh fruit, like many girls are in love with chocolate; I crave Raspberries, Strawberries, Blue Berries, Blackberries and yes Peaches.

Peach season is at the end of summer, it is short but wonderful at the same time.  When I was little (and up till I moved away for college) my dad would come home with a huge bag of peaches and some half & half.  He was always so excited he would say "Ashlee look what I got!  Want to have Peaches and Cream?".  We would make our little treat and talk about life, he had a way of making the littlest things so fun and memorable.

Peaches are best when they haven't been in cold storage, they stop sweetening when they are picked, so when you go to a store and the peach is blah, it's because it was picked too early and then in cold storage.  To be honest, Washington Peaches cannot be beat they are large and super flavorful. Just on Monday I was driving home from Seattle and I couldn't resist the urge to stop and buy a box of Peaches in Eastern Washington. 

 

Peaches and Cream

Peaches

Half and Half

2% Milk

If you want it a little sweeter:

Sweetened Whipped, Whipping Cream (not Cool Whip)

 

Directions: Peel and cut up your peaches, I have noticed that 1 large peach is enough for 1 person.  Then in a cup mix half & half with 2% milk and then top it off with a little sweetened whipped whipping cream.

 

My dad was a purest and would only use half and half.  I think it's best to mix the half and half with a little 2% milk.  If you want to you can add sugar, personally I don't think you need it but to each their own.

How to Enjoy Peaches all year round! 

I bought a box of peaches when I was traveling from Washington State to Utah, knowing I couldn't eat a box of peaches all by my self.  I ate what I could, peaches and cream everyday for a week and then I peeled cut up and froze the rest.  Now I have two bags of frozen peaches I can use for peach pie, peach smoothies, little snacks or what ever.

How I Freeze my Peaches:
Wash & peal peaches, slice and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet, then place in freezer.  When peaches are frozen put in zip lock freezer bag and store in freezer.

                Enjoy,



Summer Food Love

I love summer food, everything is so fresh and delish!

Here are some of my latest and greatest dishes.

BBQ Chicken Salad, Photo by Ashlee B.

BBQ Chicken Salad
Lettuce Head of Green Leaf Lettuce
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken
Corn 1 cup
2 Tomatoes
1 Avocado
1/2 cup Cheese
Tortilla Strips
BBQ Sauce
Ranch

BBQ Chicken Salad, Photo by Ashlee B.

Wash and cut up your lettuce, add diced tomatoes, avocado, corn and shredding chicken.  Sprinkle Cheese & tortilla strips on top and then dress with BBQ Sauce & Ranch Dressing.

So Fresh and Yummy.

Below is a dish my good friend Shannon made, it was so good... I had to share!

Cilantro Lime, Photo by Ashlee B.

 

 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients ½ cup fresh lime juice
 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon fine pepper
 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  ½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup olive oil
6 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

 

 

I hope you are making the most of your summer, making food you love and going on adventures.

 

 

                  XOXO,



Gluten Free Fun

I was out to dinner with a friend and she said that she had recently found out that she had Celiac disease (which means no wheat products, aka anything with flour).  She said the thing she missed the most was baked goods, and I thought why not find a way to give her what she wants!

Gluten Free Cup Cakes with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

 Recipe for Cup Cakes:

2 cups Gluten Free Flour or 1&1/2 cups regular flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1&1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut milk

4 large egg whites

 

In medium sized bowl - combine flour, baking powder, salt

 

In Mixer Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and egg whites

 

Once mixed add milk and then flour mixture.

 

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

 

Frosting:
Whipped Cream Cheese
Powdered Sugar
Heavy Whipping cream or coconut milk
Almond Extract
Strawberries

This friend isn't the first person I've known with Ciliacs I actually know a handful.  The first time was 4 years ago, my old room mate found out she had it.  She would bring home random food that would taste horrible and we just figured that we would never eat together.  She started the Gluten Free Expo in Utah (Which is now the largest in the country) and all of the sudden there were all of these new options and some were actually super yummy.


My favorite was a bakery in Salt Lake City and Kaysville, Utah called the Sweet Bake Shop.  There you can buy a gluten free flour substitute, which is actually better tasting than normal flour and their baked goods are really amazing.

Cooked Blackberry Pear Torte

Chances are you or someone you love has silica's so why not learn how to bake yummy treats that everyone can enjoy.

 

Gluten Free Pear, Blackberry Torte

Pre Cooked Blackberry Pear Torte, Gluten Free and Yummy

Crust
1&1/4 cup gluten free flour or 1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter (Room Temperature)

Combine flower, sugar and then cut in butter.  Press mixture on the bottom of greased spring form pan and cook at 425 for 10 minutes.

Filling
1/3 cup Sugar
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 Egg

Topping
Blackberries and or sliced up Pear (make sure pear is ripe)
Cream together sugar cream cheese and egg till smooth. 

Add creamed mixture to baked crust, add topping and cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

One of my very favorite treats.

This is such a yummy treat you are going to love it!

Fresh is Best!

In high school and college I would get dizzy spells all the time.  I didn't think much about it till I passed out a few times; in a cross country race, at work and a friends... I was at a BBQ when I got really dizzy and reached for my best friends arm, before knew it I woke up with a dozen people crowded around me.  I ended up hitting the back of my head and getting a concussion, at that point I started to be concerned. 

It just didn't make sense that someone who doesn't drink alcohol, eats healthy, works outs; should be passing out. I went to the doctor and he said it was a iron deficiency and that the best thing I could do was, eat meat a few times a week. I don't go crazy and eat it every meal but I make sure to fit a little bit in when I can.

Here is my Steak Salad from this week, I can't ever tell you how yummy it was!

This week I got a new basket from the food co-opt.  Every time I get a new basketI think "What new thing will I will make today???"

 

I looked in my fridge and saw Green Beans, Lettuce, Cucumbers and I had a lime (from the last basket).... So I went to the Store and bought a little Flat Iron Steak and a Tomato.
 

Less than a hour later I had whipped up this yummy steak salad with lime juice flavoring and coconut green beans on the side.

Coconut Steak Salad



 

Salad
Green leaf lettuce
Cucumbers
Avocado
Tomato
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Steak with Coconut Oil and Salt, yes coconut oil.  Just take a teaspoon full of coconut oil melt it on medium heat on a pan and add your salted steak.  I try to turn my steak as little as possible so the meat can keep it's flavor. 

The coconut oil will lightly flavor your meat and once you have it this way... you will want it again.

Since you have such a flavorful Salad already, you don't have to add much dressing. I just squeezed some lime juice on mine and thought it was perfect.

Side of Green Beans cooked with Coconut Oil and Salt

Fresh Salad with Steak = One Happy Girl