Thai Chicken and Noodles

Thai Peanut Chicken & Spicy Thai Noodles

This time instead of using the crock pot for the chicken I marinated the chicken then grilled it.

Thai Peanut Chicken

Spicy Thai Noodles

These really are amazing! The Spicy Noodles have become a family favorite.

HandCream

Hand Cream

16 oz Baby Lotion

8 oz Vaseline

8 oz Vitamin E Cream

5-7 ml fragrance (your choice I choose Autumn Harvest)

Mix until it resembles frosting - my recipe is a double of the above.

it filled 19, 4 oz with at least 10 oz to spare

I made a big batch for a party I am hosting in a month and yes I have been prepping for this party for three months now.

Things like this though whether I have a big turn out or not are great - they can also be used for Christmas gifts as well as teacher/neighbor gifts.

Kapha 6 Spice

Kapha 6 Spice

2 parts dried ginger
2 parts black pepper
2 parts turmeric
1 part coriander
1 part cumin
1 part sweet paprika
1 part salt
1 part turbinado sugar/stevia
1 part dried mango powder**

Yes I know that the name is a misnomer, since there are more than 6 spice's in the spice mix. What can I say - its what its called!
* I used 2 tbsp. for the two parts and 1 tbsp. for the 1 part. Just to give you a jumping off point.
**Also this is a specialty store spice and I have not been able to find it locally yet - so for this first time I have omitted it, but am still searching for it.

This is an AFTER spice. As in After the food is cooked. This is not something that I will be putting on my husband or children's foods. Its for my Kapha/dosha. Its to help get my metabolism moving faster, burning more fat and out of its sluggish rut.

You can also add ~ mustard seeds, cayanne pepper, anise, basil, parsley, fennel & cinnamon. These are to change the taste and flavor if and when you get bored or to make it flow better with a dish. They all work with the Kapha system.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda ~ The Three Dosha's, Kapha, Pitta & Vata

A year ago I tried eating for B, the blood type diet. I lost 5 pds in two weeks - then never again.
I loved the membrane fluid cocktail and have continued to drink it although not as frequently as I should.
This week I am trying out Ayurveda. Click here to read my full post and find the test to figure out what Dosha you are.

I am Kapha.
This explains oh so much!
Luckily for me, I like spicy and hot foods!
I have toned down my foods due to my hubby and kids being spice, "lightweights".

Now I will be making my own secret spice mix, a spice I will add to food AFTER its been cooked.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well because I will be blogging many of the recipes. You don't have to join me, but you should be aware of what I mean when I type, Kapha or Tri-Doshic (which means good for everyone).

If I  lose any weight I will let you know, if I feel more alert and awake you will be notified. Hopefully (prayerfully) this will be a better lifestyle change then the last few were.
You see I don't want a diet - I want a way of life.
I love indian food - Gujarati is among my favorites - however cooking it in America is not easy. Converting recipes to fit a US supermarket is not easy.
So this has been a long expensive process with very few results. Following the dosha's at least I can find recipes that have been converted! LOL
Not only converted, but also perfect for my body type! *crosses fingers*

Here goes another adventure!

Maggies Cough Remedy

Maggies Cough Remedy

1/4 tsp Cayene
1/4 tsp Ginger
1 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Honey

Dissolve cayenne and  ginger in vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well.
Take 1 tbsp. as needed.
Always shake before using - if making this small amount no need to refrigerate. If you double then add to fridge.
Now this really helped me and quick too - however, if you can't handle spicy this isn't for you.


Original Recipe post found HERE

Sweet & Spicy Carrots

1 1b bag of mini carrots
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Butter
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Turmeric

I presoaked my carrots for about an hour before draining and cooking. This way they don't get all dry and wrinkly but not diluted with too much liquid either.

Cook covered at 350 for an hour - removing once or twice to stir - re-glazing the carrots at each turn.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

5 minutes

one pan

and a taste of heaven!

One pancake mix

Chocolate chips

Syrup

Water

Mix the right amount of batch per directions and add up to 1/4 the batter of chocolate chips. I made 2 cups of mix so I added 1/2 C. Chocolate Chips

Cook - flip - cook again
Serve!

Amazingly divine! Fluffy, sweet just right for a great start to a ugh morning!

Thai Peanut Chicken - easy version

 

1 Large bag of frozen Chicken
1 (1/2 C. extra reserved) Thai Peanut Sauce
2 C. uncooked white rice
2 C. small veggie mix

Add frozen chicken and rest of Thai Peanut sauce - cook on low 6-8 hours

Cook rice separately, cook veggies separately then mix together. Serve strained meat over rice with remaining sauce drizzled over top.
For my daughter (8 yr old) I omit the extra sauce as it's too spicy for her. The cooked flavor is yummy enough for her!

So yummy, so easy and quite a break from the more mild flavors without being too hot or too spicy. Its a mild heat, with a mild sweet nutty taste.

Sweet Indulgence

Greek Vanilla Yogurt 

Frozen Blackberries

The thick rich cream of the fat free yogurt is perfectly balanced with the sweet and sharp taste of the blackberries.

A perfect pairing of the two flavors.

Nothing else is needed

No sweeteners

Just a few minutes for the blackberries to thaw out

and the juices to mix into the cream yogurt.

Enjoy!

The best part of the treat is how guilt free and good for you it is!

Coffee Ice

Left over coffee made into Ice Cubes.

This is not really a new idea.

I just jazzed mine up a bit by freezing them into shapes. Our family LOVES coffee milk. These added to lightly flavored milk - chocolate syrup, tsp vanilla, dash of stevia.... and a few of these and YUM!

I found both of these small molds at Ikea for a dollar each - the Ice popped right out and a rinse was all that was needed to clean them!

Quick, easy, thrifty and yummy!

Clean and Bright, Fridge Shelving

On pinterest a few months ago I found a post showing how to cling wrap your Refrigerator shelves - helping to keep them neat and clean.
I tried it.
Epic Failure.

 Okay so it did keep the shelving clean, in the spots that didn't get torn or worn through, but it left a grimy sticky film behind that I found harder to clean off then the dirt build up normally found on shelves.

Enter Pinterest idea round two!
Refrigerator shelf protectors made from plastic placemats.
The pinner measured, line up, penciled and scissored hers.
That just seemed like far to much detailed work.

Instead I pulled out my Tikki Tak (Handi Tak - as seen above) and my handy razor knife.

 

Gorgeous!

Took minutes for me to cut enough for the top 4 shelves.

If mine shelves had been shorter I would have used the ends for the side doors.

Instead I may end up going back for more placemats.

Nice, neat, clean and bright looking!

So here we go again to see if this will help me keep my fridge cleaner and neater.

With my kids growing more independent, getting their own food and drinks, its much harder to maintain.

Home Made Face Cleanse

I would call it a face wash - save the fact that its not really washing, not in the usual sense that is. I found this on pinterest, titled The Oil Cleansing Method, her post is amazing and very detailed. Check it out.

For my first batch (seen above) I used

1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 oz. Castor Oil
5 drops of Tea Tree Oil

Gently rub it onto wet face. Next wet a wash cloth with HOT water (not boiling but as hot as you can stand it) wring and place on face - steaming your pores - until the cloth has reached room temp. (average 1 min)
Rinse cloth and gently remove oil.

Best ratio batches are

Normal skin 1-1 ratio of *EVOO & Castor Oil
Acne Prone Skin 1-3 ratio of *EVOO & Castor Oil
Drier Skin  1-3 ratio of Castor Oil to *EVOO

Other good oils for very oily skin are jojoba oil, grapeseed oil & flaxseed oil.
For very dry skin almond oil & evening primrose oil are good.

Add tea tree oil if you have issues with acne - or for your first batch to help your body transition without breaking out.

I have been using this for two days (early stages I know) my acne is clearing up and my skin is softer and healthier!
Already I love it!

As everyone is different you need to tweak your oils until you find the right combo - the one listed at the top is working well enough for me, but I will add any changes that I make back to this post!

9/27/12 ~ Update ~

 My face two days before I started using this

 Close up - trying to show all the many many tiny bumps 

Two weeks later

No oils that I can't wash away - no matter how many times I wash

No gunky feelings

No tiny thousands of dirt bumps on my face

Two weeks later

this is what the same patch of skin looks like!

I feel so much better!

I don't know about you - I however, am sold!

I will be using this for years to come!

***UPDATE***
3-22-15

I've been using this for 2 1/2 years now. Will never go back!
Any time I run out and put off making a new batch - reusing my old expensive face washes - my face immediately gets oily, greasy and bumpy!
This is the best stuff ever!
Not only does it make your skin feel clean and amazing but after a month of using it regularly you will notice you don't need to use it every night.
Instead I rinse my face with hot water, dry off and use the cleanse once to twice a week.
More during that "time of the month" for women.
I highly recommend this.
Cheap, easy and lasts forever!

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
1 16 oz jar of salsa
4 C. grated cheese
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 C. non fat Greek plain yogurt (sour cream, low fat or fat free can be used as well. I prefer the yogurt)
1 pkg Tortillas

addition optional toppings, more grated cheese, olives, and green onions.
Serve over rice cooked with Sazon seasoning, or with a side salad.

Mix soup, salsa & yogurt (or sour cream). Spoon 1/4 C. of mix into bottom of 9 x 13 in pan and spread evenly.
Place bite sized bits of chicken into tortilla shells. Along with grated cheese, olives and 1/8 C. sauce.
Roll up and set into baking pan.
Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped green onion as garnish.

This is my husbands favorite dish. This is what I call the out of trouble dinner.

 assemble ingredients and check to make sure everything is fresh and ready.

This shows the bottom covered with sauce as well as the first rolled up and finished enchilada

 

This time I added sliced olives to the chicken 

 

add some cheese and sauce

 

Bake, sprinkle with extra cheese if you want 

I went for it!

Serve immediately with rice! 

I got the original recipe from my BFF. Its a favorite of her hubby's family.

This can also be frozen (precooked) in a tinfoil pan for once a month cooking or for giving away to a family in mourning, baby or sickness.

Camping Recipes & Tips

Going camping is a great, fun and relaxing way to be with friends and family.
No stress of making appointments, lines, traffic or dealing with tourist traps & bad service.
You get away from internet, phones and the TV.

Everything is great as long as you have planned ahead! To that end I make a list of all the camping supplies and items that need to be packed each trip. Everything from sleeping bags & pillows to tooth paste & tweezers.
Then the next step that really helps is coming up with a menu and recipe plan.
I do Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu's allowing for some flexibility in what on what day.

Then I prep as much of it a home that I can. Not all food has to be made and assembled on site. Here is the Menu I used this camping trip.

Breakfast
Pancakes & Eggs
Breakfast Casserole
Cereal
Drinks - Milk, Chocolate Milk & Orange Juice


For the pancake mix, I mix my own batch at home pour into a clean squeeze container.
This will last 5 days in your fridge. 3-4 Camping if properly made and kept as cold as possible.

Lunch
Deli Sandwiches
Macaroni & cheese with hot dogs
Hot dogs/Cheese dogs & Brats

Dinner
Camp Sub's
Hamburgers & Hot Dogs w/ foiled veggie packs
Coke Chicken

Other Great Recipes for camping that I didn't use this time
Breakfast Burritos - toss on the coals to warm up
Southwest Soft Tacos
Teriyaki Fajitas

Also here are two sites that have a ton of great Camping Recipes
Quiet Journey
The Camping Source

Also I bag things into gallon freezer bags. Asthma items, toiletries, dog treats, dog food, bug bites & skin help, allergy & first aid.

Assemble all items before packing to double check that you have everything.

Coke Chicken

Coke Chicken 

2 lbs. Chicken Tenders
1 can Coca Cola
12 oz. Ketchup
1 lb. Baby Carrots
2 lb. smal red potatoes cut into thick chunks (halves or quarters)

Mis all ingredients together. Place into 1 gallon freezer bags & freeze (if saving for camping or once a month cooking). Unthaw.

To grill - wrap in tin foil (heavy duty - double the foil) place on grill cook for 40 minutes - turning over midway.

Dutch oven - Place chicken & veggies in Dutch oven. Mix coke & ketchup and pour over the top. 12 coals on top and 12 on bottom.
cook for an hour or until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

Slow Cooker - dump frozen bag or after mixing into slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. High 4-6.

For cooking once a month double recipe and make two batches. I took this camping and quadrupled the recipe since we were going to have such a large group.

 Super simple to assemble & freeze, easy to cook and great to taste!

Another camping and once a month cooking favorite!

I love how versatile this recipe is - can be cooked so many different ways! 

I am sure it can also be done on the stove top or in a dutch in the oven!