Sunday, September 22, 2013

Peel off Facial Mask Recipe


Have you ever used those peel off nose and chin strips? The ones that Biore sells? They are a pricey little facial care item.

I remember trying to come up with something similar years ago, but didn't have any luck. I even tried white glue, but it didn't work that well.

I recently saw a whole bunch of "recipes" for a peel off mask...one that actually works!

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon milk

I had some gelatin on hand, so tried it.

It works!

BUT...it smells hideous...like, GAG ME hideous.

I perused the posts in search of something to make it nicer. Some mentioned using "essential oils" and "tea tree oil" as helpful.

I didn't have any of that, but I do have some MINT extract.

So, I added a few drops of MINT EXTRACT to the mix.

Ahhhh...lovely! It makes the mask feel rather "zingy" and it smells nice, too.

To make this, I use a small plastic bowl. I put the gelatin, milk, and extract in the bowl and mix it with a spatula. Next I zap it for 10 seconds in the microwave and then take it out and swirl it around to mix it.

I zap and swirl three times.

It's going to be HOT and it should look kind of like yellow-ish Cream of Wheat.

Standing before a mirror, I use my fingertip to apply it to my nose and chin. It's drippy, so be aware.

DO NOT GET in your EYEBROWS or HAIR. A young friend put it ALL OVER her face. Ouchie! It will pull hairs OUT!

Once I get my nose and chin covered, I let it set for just a moment and then I apply another coat. The reason I put TWO coats is so that it's thick enough to peel. One THIN coat tends to come off in little shreds. Two coats peels off nicely.

I get my kindle and read for about 20 minutes until the mask is good and dry.

You'll know it's dry enough when you smile and you feel it cracking. Yes, fun stuff!

Then comes the fun part! Peeling it off!

Once you've peeled it off (and looked at the little forest of ICK that comes out of your skin) you should rinse with cool water to get any remainder off.

Your skin will feel smooth and look so nice!

Now, I've read where some people put this over active acne. I'm not sure that I'd do that. It's one thing to pull out blackheads, but an active acne outbreak might not take well to this treatment.

If you have lots of the mix left, leave it to dry and then a couple days later you can add a few drops of water and reheat it in the microwave. We tried that it and it worked fine.

I read that you can use any kind of milk, including almond milk.

I want to find some lavender oil. I bet that would make this even nicer than the mint!
 
This gets a FOUR OUT OF FOUR from us.
(Hubs declined to try it)
 

Side note: Amanda likes to do zombie makeup. This stuff makes the best scars! She built it up on her forearm, added some acrylic paint...and voila! ZOMBIE BITES!



Side note #2: You know those itty bitty splinters that you just can't catch with tweezers? If you put a couple coats of this on the area where the splinter is, let it dry, then pull it off, you can usually get the splinter out.

Side note #3: I saw that you can use flavored JELLO...but the color may leech into your face! So, unless you really want to be Strawberry or Lime colored, I'm not sure that I'd do that!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Creamy Salsa Chicken

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Creamy Salsa Chicken

This is a really easy crockpot recipe. And incredibly tasty! Amanda got it off a share on Facebook. We added the pineapple because we like that sweet element.

Lots of ways to tweak this one for your own family, too. If you like it spicier, there are lots of ways to fire it up.

Ingredients:

Chicken (we used a 40 oz bag of frozen chicken tenderloins)
1 24 ounce jar of Salsa (we used a mild variety)
1 small can chopped mild chiles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of pineapple, crushed or chunks, with the juice


Place your chicken in the crock pot. We didn't even thaw the tenderloins.
Pour the ingredients over the chicken.
Let it cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6.
Stir occasionally after the first two hours.

Shred the meat before serving.

Serve over rice.

Easy! And so good.

A Five out of Five from the Family:



You can use whatever chicken chunks your family prefers. You can use any heat rating of salsa and chiles. Yep, lots of ways to tweak this one!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Pecan Sticky Buns

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I recently posted a recipe for One Hour Cinnamon Rolls.

This is the Pecan Sticky Bun Option for that recipe. I cut about eight rolls slightly smaller than the regular buns and place them in the prepared pan. Some of the family likes them with the icing, and some prefer this sticky confection.

The last time I made these, I only did a half recipe as we really didn't need to eat 44 rolls, which is how many the full recipe made.

Here's the half recipe with the Pecan Sticky Option following:

Mix and let sit for 15 minutes:
1 3/4 c. warm water (110° F)
1/4 c. + 2 T. white sugar
1/4 c. canola oil
2 T yeast

Then add:
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6 c all-purpose flour (keep more available in case it's really sticky)    

Cinnamon-Sugar:
1/2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix together by hand for 10 minutes, then let it sit for 10 minutes. Oil counter** and dump out dough. Divide in half. Roll one half out into rectangle. Spread with ¼ c. melted butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll up tight, but not too tight. Divide each portion into 12 to 16 rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Let rise. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400.
 
Spread with icing while warm:
 
Icing
1/2 stick butter (1/4 c.)
dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. confectioner's sugar
milk to desired consistency

For the Pecan Sticky Buns:
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c softened butter
3 T light corn syrup
1/4 c chopped pecans

Grease round cake pan
Blend sugar, butter, and syrup well, and then spread in the prepared pan
Sprinkle with pecans
Place 6-8 cut rolls into the pan. Don't crowd them.
Bake @375 for 12-16 minutes or until deep golden brown
Remove from oven and place a plate over the pan.
CAREFULLY invert the plate covered pan
Wait 2 minutes then remove the pan

**I oil a cookie sheet and place half the dough on it, pressing it out with my fingers. Then I spread the butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on it. I then roll the dough toward me. I use SCISSORS to cut it into rolls. Much easier than a knife.

You can also do this in a muffin pan, but it's much messier than in the cake pan.
I wasn't careful enough at flipping them over last time...and they slipped off the plate! Good thing I had just wiped the stove down just prior to removing them from the oven! What a MESS! I took a spatula and scooped them back onto the plate. Will be much more careful next time.