Monthly Archives: September 2014

Coffee & Coconut Oil Body Scrub

Posted in obsessions, other obsessions, the important stuff by

My Daughter and I- Coffee and Coconut Oil Body Scrub

Ahhhhh… coffee. I love everything about it: the taste, the heat and, of course, the smell. Using coffee grounds in a body scrub may seem a bit strange, but it exfoliates skin well, and the smell is to die for. Also, because the coffee is packed with antioxidants, it’s a great anti-inflammatory, and the caffeine also makes your skin feel softer and firmer.

I’ve made coffee body scrub before (here’s the original post), but I used olive oil in the recipe. We had a jar of coconut oil floating around in our pantry, so this time, I found a recipe that included coconut oil instead. The coconut oil is a lot more moisturizing then the olive oil, so you probably won’t need to put lotion on after you shower.

My Daughter and I- Coffee and Coconut Oil Body Scrub 2

 

Coffee & Coconut Oil Body Scrub

3/4 cup coffee grounds (Used or fresh. Coarser coffee grounds seem best, but anything works)

1/2 brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 tsp. cinnamon

 

Mix all ingredients well and store in airtight container.

 

Here’s the original recipe (I made quite a few modifications.)

 

Jordan

 

Chicken Fried Rice

Posted in main dishes, side dishes, things we like to eat by

My Daughter and I- Chicken Fried Rice

Hey, Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Our’s was HOT! When it’s hot like this, I really don’t want to cook, but I still have to feed my family. This delicious and easy chicken fried rice recipe is great for days like that. I found it on Gimme Some Oven, one of my favorite blogs.  The recipes are always great and the pictures are amazing.

I whipped up the fried rice and served it with a green salad and some frozen egg rolls that I heated up in the toaster oven (always trying to keep the house cool!). Also, I cooked the rice in the rice steamer and cooked the chicken ahead of time in the same pan as the fried rice, so it was a very simple clean-up.

My Daughter and I- Chicken Fried Rice 2

Chicken Fried Rice

3 T sesame oil
2 eggs
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, allow to defrost for a bit while prepping other ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
4 cups cooked rice
3-4 Tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 Tablespoons sriracha, or more/less to taste
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Pour sesame oil into large skillet or wok and turn stove to medium heat. Add carrots, peppers and garlic, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 -7 minutes until the veggies are soft. Add the green onions and peas and stir to combine and heat. Increase the heat a bit and add the rice, soy sauce and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 3 -5 minutes to fry the rice. Then add in the chicken and stir to combine. Once all the ingredients are combined and heated through, push the rice back on the pan, opening up a small section on the pan in order to scramble the egg. When you have a small section open, just crack the eggs and mix well, once it’s mostly scrambled, you can start mixing it in with the rest of the rice and mix until combined and cooked. Add the sriracha if you like a bit of heat and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if you like and serve warm.

Cindy

Fashion Friday- Lace, Crochet and More

Posted in Fashion Friday, obsessions by

Happy Friday!

It’s about a billion degrees around here (translation: like 95). For some odd reason, my brain blocked out the fact that September (or even October) in California does not equal cool fall weather, and I was actually surprised that it’s been so darn hot. So, if you’re in the same boat as us, and standing outside means baking, ignore any Fashion Friday choices that seem like fall clothing. Just look back at this post at a future date and enjoy them then 🙂

Evening Stroll Kimono

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A unique take on the kimono.

 

Crochet Detail Jacket

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Ahhh!! So cute!

Dearest Wish Lace Top

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This would look adorable with shorts now, and with jeans and a blazer later.

Asha Boots

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It’s hard to tell from the picture, but these are actually burgundy.

Chevron Lace Top

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There’s something about this top that I absolutely love. It’s a bit pricey for a t-shirt, but it’s so cute!

 Eastcastle Street Embroidered Blouse

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So pretty and delicate.

 

Knit Maxi Dress

maxi dress embroidered

 

So this is neither lace or crochet, but I liked it, so I included it anyways. Just like the burgundy boots.

 Crochet Tee

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I like the unexpected lace on the sides of a basic shirt.

 Lace/Mesh Headband

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I’ve been really into headbands recently and this one is so pretty.

 

Jordan

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted in breakfast, sweets, things we like to eat by

My Daughter and I- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Two summers ago, we went to an outdoor showing of The Endless Summer. There were booths, a history of surfing exhibit, a band and food. We met some friends there, and we all brought picnic dinners to share. One of our friends brought frosted banana bars- something that I’d never tried before- and we all absolutely loved them. Ever since then, Mrs. Smith’s banana bars have been floating around in the back of my mind as a recipe that needed to be tried. Last week, I finally got around to making a similar recipe, and they did not disappoint!

We love our banana bread recipe, so normally, if we have over-ripe bananas on the counter, that’s our go-to dessert. This banana cake with cream cheese frosting was another hit- the cake itself is moist, and isn’t overly sweet and the frosting is simple and delicious. The recipe came together very quickly too.

My Daughter and I- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 2

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients for cake:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana

Ingredients for cream cheese frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the wet batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting:
In a bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until completely smooth.

 

Original recipe from Taste and Tell. 

Cindy & Jordan

French Breakfast Puffs

Posted in breakfast, sweets, things we like to eat by

My Daughter and I- French Breakfast Puffs

I attend a High School girls’ Biblestudy on Tuesday morning’s that runs during the school year. The study starts at 6 A.M., so we eat breakfast together while we talk about our Biblestudy book. Every week, a different girl brings breakfast for everyone, and last week was my day to bring food. I made these delicious breakfast muffins and everyone loved them! They remind me a bit of coffee cake- yummy muffins rolled in butter and coated in cinnamon sugar. The muffins that were leftover from study went to work with my dad, and the guys there loved them too- definitely a hit all around 🙂

My Daughter and I- French Breakfast Puffs 2

French Breakfast Puffs

Ingredients:
3 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cups Shortening (Crisco)
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Milk

1 cup Sugar
2 heaping teaspoons Cinnamon
1 stick butter

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 18 muffin cups.
In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
In a bowl, melt 1 stick of butter. In a separate bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

 

Jordan