Coffee of the Week

Blended Banana Coffee

I  highly recommend you drink this yummy concoction as soon as you can after making it.  You don't want it to settle.

1 tbs butter
1/2 banana, peeled sliced, & mashed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup hot freshly brewed coffee

1/2 c heavy cream

1 tbs confectioners/powdered sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir in the banana, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Now simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat.  Place the coffee, cream, and sugar in the blender and add the banana mixture.  Blend for 15 to 20 seconds until smooth.

Serve at once.  Yummy for the tummy.

Personally, I've always been one to indulge excessively.  If you're going to go banana, go banana all the way with a chocolate banana coffee cake.

Mmmmmmmmm.

Chocolate Banana Coffee Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups mashed mashed ripe bananas (about 5)
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if desired)
• 1 (300 g) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 hr

1. 1 Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2 Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
3. 3 In a bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer.
4. 4 Add in the eggs and beat until smooth.
5. 5 Add in vanilla and mashed bananas; mix until smooth.
6. 6 In another bowl sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
7. 7 Add to banana mixture alternately with sour cream, ending with dry ingredients Pour half of the batter into prepared baking pan.
8. 8 In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp (or more) of cinnamon.
9. 9 Sprinkle half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the batter in the pan.
10. 10 Top with half of the chocolate chips.
11. 11 Repeat the layers.
12. 12 Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Oldie But Goodie

Turn Off The Music Above

The Hair Dryer

A second hair dryer in the kitchen?  

Yeah. 

Why not?

1. Use it on "cool" to dry salad greens, on "warm" to set icing on cakes or sugar cookies, on "hot" to soften ice cream for scooping.

2. If hard water spots up your glasses, dry them with a cloth, then blow dry to remove spots and lint. 

3. Freshly baked cake left out too long on waxed paper lined pan?  Run your hair dryer over the bottom of the pan, then carefully invert it.  The cakes drops right out.

4. Blow dry your salt and pepper shakers after washing to keep the condiments from lumping.

5. Dry the inside of  your rubber kitchen gloves. 

6. Quickly and safely remove candle wax by blowing warm air slightly above the drips.  The heat softens, the wax, which can then be wiped away with a paper towel, thus leaving no scratches.  Better yet, switch to soy candles and cleanup is a snap with just soap and water.

7. Hair dryers work great for removing old contact paper from kitchen shelves when used on warm setting.  Work on one section at a time and gently pull at edges.  This tip comes in handy if you have little one who tend to decorate with stickers in places where they shouldn't.

8. Remove crayon marks from wallpaper by using a hair dryer set on "hot".  Heat up the wax and the crayon will wipe right off.  Use a damp cloth and a small amount of oil soap cleanser.  I prefer Murphy's.

9. Open windows in spring and summer cause screen and sills to collect fuzz and pollen. Ew.   For a quick cleanup, blow the debris back outside with your blow dryer.

10. Loosen a too-tight screw by warming it with your hair dryer.  How do you like that on DH?

11. When a hot compress is needed, wet a hand towel in hot water and put it on the injury.  Turn on the hair dryer to keep the compress hot; keep it moist with a spray bottle of water.

12. Clear up diaper rash by drying baby's bottom with a hair dryer set on "warm" and held at least 7-9 inches from the skin.

13. Speed dry your pantyhose by hanging them on the shower rod and blowing them dry.

14. Quick wrinkle remover:  Lightly dampen the wrinkled area with a washcloth, then blow dry with your hair dryer. 

    Hair dryers.  Who knew?

Fun and Flirty Fashionista Friday: The Thrift Store Way

Total Spent:  $7.75

Top $0.75 Cents

 

Found this at a yard sale for 75 cents.

 

Necklace $1.99 at Fallas Discount Store.

Sewed together 2 skirts to make one.

$1.50 at my favorite thrift store.

  50 cents at the same store.

Boots $3.00.  

Scored these babies for 3 bucks.  

They were marked at $6.00, but I go shopping on half price days, so yeah, 3 smackeroos.  

Okay, now before you start with the "ews",  & the

"Used" shoes?  "Uh, . . .no".

 Know this, I am the Queen of "ew".  

But these are Tony Lama people and they are beautiful IRL.

Seriously, purchasing second hand shoes is cool and unless the previous owner had some serious foot fungus or flesh eating disease, a little Lysol Disinfectant Spray will suffice.  

So there you have it.  Fashionista Friday's look of the week.  Until next time, this Thrift Shop Fashionista will be hitting yard sales, rummage sales, thrift shops, and flea markets in search of another affordable look.

Stains. Ew.

BLOOD:
Pre-soak in cold or warm water for at least 30 minutes.  If stain remains, soak in lukewarm ammonia water.  Use 3 tbs ammonia per gallon of water.  Rinse.  If stain still remains, work in a laundry detergent, and wash, using color safe bleach.

CANDLE WAX:
Use a dull knife to scrape off as much wax as possible.  Place fabric between 2 pieces of parchment paper or wax paper and press with warm iron.  Remove a tinted wax stain with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent.  Wash with detergent in the hottest water safe for fabric.

CHEWING GUM:
Rub area with ice, then scrape off with a dull blade.  Sponge with dry cleaning solvent  or kerosene  allow to air dry for about 30 minutes.  Rinse well with hot sudsy water.   Wash in detergent with hot water.

CHOCOLATE & COCOA:
Pre-soak stain in cold or warm water.  Sponge with hydrogen peroxide then wash in hot water.

COFFEE:
For a fresh stain, sponge or soak with cold water as soon as possible.  Wash, using detergent and color safe bleach. For a set in stain beat an egg yolk and then with a terry cloth, apply it to the stain.  You'll need to work the yolk into the stain for a minute or so.  Now rinse it thoroughly with water. The stain will disappear.

CRAYON:
Scrape with dull blade.  Wash, alone,  in hot water with laundry detergent and 2 cups of baking soda. Or,
turn the stained fabric inside out and spray the back of the stain with WD-40. Let this sit on the stain for about five minutes. Apply liquid dish washing soap to the back of the stain with a paper towel, and work it into the fabric.  Wash in hot water and air dry.

DEODORANT:
Sponge area with white vinegar.  If stain remains, soak with denatured alcohol.  Wash in hot water.

PERSPIRATION:
Dissolve two aspirins in 1/2 c of water. Pour onto the stain & let it soak for 2 hours or so. Now add a few drops of clear liquid detergent & massage between your fingers.  Wash as usual.

EGG:
Scrape off dried egg with dull blade. Now sponge off as much  of the stain as possible with warm water. It is really important that the water is warm and not hot because hot water sets the egg and will make it smell really bad.  ew.   If stain is still present, make a paste from water and cream of tartar. Mix in one crushed aspirin.  Apply this paste and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

 LIPSTICK:
Spray stain with hairspray. Allow the spray to set for a minute or two, then wipe it with a clean white washcloth. Or massage a dab of extra whitening toothpaste on the stain—not the gel variety, but the old fashioned, original white paste, gently between your fingers. Rinse with cool water.

MILDEW & MOLD:

Take the garment outside and brush off mildew/mold with a stuff brush.  I'd recommend wearing rubber gloves and a dust mask so you will not breath in any spores or get it on yourself.  Sponge with lemon juice and salt.  Heat and sun will kill mildew so leave fabric in the sun to dry out. Launder using hottest water, detergent, and color safe bleach.

NAIL POLISH:


RUST:
Rub stains with salt and lemon, and leave in the sun to dry. Wash as usual.  Or, wet stain and dab with a bit of cream of tartar.  Let it sit for 30 minutes and launder as usual.


SCORCH MARK:

Cover stain with another cloth that has been soaked in hydrogen peroxide.  Iron on low until mark disappears.  Rinse well.

Did You Know?

 

• Fresh lemon juice will take away the smell of onion & garlic from your hands.
• Soaking colored cottons overnight in strong salt water will prevent them from fading.
• Marigolds will prevent rodents.
• To prevent egg yolks from crumbling when slicing hard boiled eggs, wet the knife before each cut.
• Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg cracks during boiling.  This will help seal the egg.
• To prevent crust from becoming soggy with cream pie, sprinkle the crust with powdered sugar.
• Cut drinking straws into short lengths & insert through slits in pie crusts to prevent juice form running over in the oven.  This permits steam to escape.
• If juice from a fruit pies does run over into the oven, shake some salt on it.  This will cause the juice to burn to a crisp so it can be easily removed.
• You can get more juice from a dried up lemon if you heat it for 5 minutes in boiling water before you squeeze it.
• Adding a little milk to the water in which you are cooking cauliflower will help the cauliflower remain attractively white.
• Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes before baking will help them bake faster.
• When making fruit salad,  dip your bananas in lemon juice right after they are peeled.  This will prevent them from turning dark.  The same goes for apples.
• Keep a toothbrush near the kitchen sink.  It's great for cleaning rotary beaters, graters, choppers, and similar kitchen utensils.
• Plant a few sprigs of dill near your tomato plants to prevent tomato worms from invading your plants.
  

Makeup Monday: Cover Girl's Tropical Fushion

Drug store cosmetics have come a long way.  Now that I have been penny pinching, I've realized that I can achieve great makeup looks without going over budget.  Cover Girl Eye Enhancers 4 Kit Eyeshadow Set is a great buy for under $5.00.  I picked one up at my local Walmart awhile back and was quite impressed.  The pigment is vibrant and blends well.  With this eyeshadow quad, one can create numerous looks.  It's perfect for the up coming summer months.  Just like it's name suggests, Cover Girl's Tropical Fushion, is a delicious paradise of vivacious color which fuse together perfectly to create many fun looks.

Turn Off Music Above

Coffee of the Week

Coffee and Chocolate are two of my most favorite things.

Here's a simple formula for a delectable treat  anytime and anywhere.  This particular drink adds the taste of chocolate to a Cafe au Lait.  The proportions of coffee and milk may be varied to suit your particular taste.

Chocolate and coffee make the world a better place!

Cafe Mocha

2/3 cup fresh brewed coffee

2 tbs chocolate syrup

1/3 cup milk

Sweetened chocolate powder  *Optional

Pour coffee into a cup.  Stir the chocolate syrup into the coffee.  Steam the milk until hot and frothy, then add to the coffee, leaving a layer of foam on top.  Sprinkle chocolate powder on top, if desired.

Indulge.  Enjoy.

Serves 1

Variations:  For a Cafe Mocha Mint, (YUM), stir 1/8 teaspoon mint extract into the coffee along with the chocolate syrup.  Proceed as directed above and garnish with a fresh mint sprig, if desired. 

For a TDF Mandarin Mocha,  stir 1/8 teaspoon orange extract into the coffee along with the chocolate syrup.  Proceed as directed above.

I am a huge biscotti fan. Enjoy your coffee of the week with chocolate biscotti. 

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/01/chocolate-biscotti/

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups (280g) flour
3/4 cups (75g) top-quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup (125g) almonds, toasted and very coarsely-chopped
3/4 cups (120g) chocolate chips

For the glaze
1 large egg
2 tablespoons coarse or crystal sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the 3 eggs, sugar, and vanilla & almond extracts. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then mix in the nuts and the chocolate chips until the dough holds together.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two logs the length of the baking sheet. Transfer the logs onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.
5. Gently flatten the tops of the logs. Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops of the logs liberally with the egg. (You won’t use it all). Sprinkle the tops with the coarse or crystal sugar and bake for 25 minutes, until the dough feels firm to the touch.
6. Remove the cookie dough from the oven and cool 15 minutes. On a cutting board, use a serrated bread knife to diagonally cut the cookies into 1/2-inches slices. Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies feel mostly firm.

Once baked, cool the cookies completely then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. If you wish, the cookies can be half-dipped in melted chocolate, then cooled until the chocolate hardens.

Beauty On A Budget

For almost 2 decades I worked in the cosmetic industry and had all the hook ups to the top of the line department store skin care and makeup lines.  

Well times have changed and

I am now a penny pinching housewife on a strict budget. 

 

I've done my research, gotten creative, and have replaced Bloomingdales with Walmart.  No worries.  It's all good.  Here are a few tricks I've picked up.

• No need for fancy smancy exfoliants.  Miracle Whip salad dressing removes dead skin just fine.  Now I'm talking Miracle Whip brand ONLY.  Regular Mayonnaise will not work.  Begin by washing your face and patting it dry.  Now rub a small amount into your skin and let it dry a few minutes.  While the skin is still slightly moist, start massaging your face with your fingertips, rubbing vigorously.  You will be surprised at how much dead skin will roll right off.  Ew.  This treatment also works great on feet, elbows, and knees.
• Toners smoners.  Restore the natural Ph-balance or acid mantle to your skin with apple cider vinegar.  Pour some into a basin of warm water and splash your face thoroughly.  Let it dry without towel drying.  Do this every morning before applying moisturizers or makeup.   Misting a thoroughly clean face with mineral water is great too and if you prefer, mix up a cup of water with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, place the mixture in a spray bottle and use this to mist your face.
• After you've applied your makeup, spray your face with mineral water or soak a tissue in mineral water and lightly dab it all over your face.  This will set your makeup and keep it fresh longer than usual.
• If you're grossed out by the Miracle Whip suggestion, a paste of oatmeal and water makes an awesome facial scrub and exfoliant.  Apply to face and allow to dry until it feels tight.  Rub off with your fingers in a back and forth motion.  Not only will this slough off dead skin, it will help get rid of blackhead.  Concentrate around the nose area.
• Tried and true, a teaspoon of sugar with soap lather is another great method of exfoliation.
• Did you know that the fastest way to dry up a blemish is with lemon juice?  Well, it is.  Dab it on your juicer a few times a day and it will clear up in no time.  
• Castor oil, in its odorless form, makes a seriously good eye cream.  I've learned that plastic surgeons use it on their patients following surgery.  Before bedtime, apply a light amount of Castor oil around your eyes.  
• Everybody should know that placing fresh cold cucumbers on your eyelids will rid them of redness and puffiness.  Well, cold teabags work well too.  I recommend green tea teabags

As for facial masks, I could go on and on and on.  There are oh so many yummy facial mask recipes you can whip up right in your own kitchen that will do wonders for your skin.  One of my favorites is simply applying an egg white to my face.  After it hardens and drys, I rinse it off and my skin is unbelievably smooth and firm.

How about one of these?
http://www.beauty-soap-and-bubbles.com/homemade-facial-masks.html
 
Rose and Honey

Honey and oats are used in the beauty industry to soften and heal the skin tissue and help attract moisture to the skin

• 1-2 tbs of honey
• 1 cup porridge oats
• 1 tbs of rose water

Mix ingrediets together adding more honey if required. Avocado Face Mask Choose the ingredients which feel most suitable to your skin today.

• half ripe avocado
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (normal or oily skin)
• 1 egg yolk (normal to dry skin)
• 1 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp olive or avocado oil

Peel and mash the avocado half in a bowl Beat in the remaining ingredients and use immediately. Banana Face Mask

• half medium size banana
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp plain yoghurt (oily skin)
• 1 tbsp cream (normal to dry skin)

Peel and mash the banana in a bowl Beat in the remaining ingredients and use immediately. Pineapple and Cornmeal Pineapple is a natural exfoliate.

• 1 slice of pineapple half an inch thick
• 2 tblsp plain yoghurt
• 4 tblsp cornmeal

Puree the pineapple. Put the puree in a bowl and mix in the yoghurt and enough cornmeal to make a thick paste. Leave it for 5 minutes before using to let the cornmeal soften.

Here are a few more links for reference.
http://www.wittyliving.com/recipes/facial-mask-recipes.html

http://www.skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com/facial-mask-recipe.html

Work Those Oven Mitts!

 

Oven mitts are for baking and cooking AND for . . . .  

• Changing hot light bulbs
• Grasping a prickly pineapple when cutting one
• Protecting your hands when you hunt for items in your freezer.
• Wax on.  Wax off.  Use an old oven mitt for dusting:  How about one side for waxing and the other for polishing?
• Gardening gloves:  Especially tough jobs like pruning thorny roses
• Back to the wax on/wax off bit:  They work great when you wax and clean your car
• Touching hot engine parts under the hood.
•  Ironing difficult things such as puffed sleeves.  Place an oven mitt on and  slip your mitted hand into the sleeve.  You'll now be able to press into the gathering without flattening the sleeve or creating a crease.     

Even get your man involved with oven mitts!

Here's a clever idea courtesy of   http://www.realsimple.com

Times Are Tight Tuesday

Sephora is over rated.  Don't get me wrong, I could spend hours in one and seriously want everything in sight, but  IMHO it's all over priced.  Since our forced relocation from the OC to TAPC (the armpit of California),  I'm cutting corners left and right in an attempt to save money and survive.   Lunch break shopping trips to South Coast, have been replace by The Dollar Tree &  The 99 Cent Store, but I'm making the best of it.
Make Sure To Turn The Music Off Above.