Hummus Tuna on Ezekiel

Sometimes I really amaze myself.....

I've had some veggies in my fridge for a while now and they've been on my mind.. like I need to cut and eat those dang veggies before they turn gelatinous and stink up my fridge!

While I was at Trader Joe's last week I found some Roasted Garlic Hummus that screamed at me....BUY ME AND EAT ME!! I'm a lover of anything garlic and roasted garlic is even better!

So while I was cutting up my veggies today I suddenly had this AH. MAZE. ING. thought!!

What if I used the hummus as the binder for my tuna fish??  I've heard of Greek yogurt or Avocado but never Hummus..

That's how my Hummus Tuna open face sandwich was born....

Hummus Tuna

1 can white albacore tuna.. I was reading that you shouldn't eat white albacore tuna b/c it's high in mercury?? I will have to do more research on that and if it's true, well my heart will be broken.

a little chopped onion
a little chopped red pepper........ just eyeball the veggies, what ever you think is good, is GREAT!
a little chopped celery

6-7 shakes of Dill or whatever you like.. next time I might try lemon pepper (not that many shakes of course)

3-4 spoonfuls of Roasted Garlic Hummus.. or whatever hummus you like. I used 3 and it needed 1 more spoonful.

spread on your choice of bread, cracker, pita, or even lettuce..

I chose Ezekiel bread

and topped it with some homegrown clover sprouts..

The only thing that could have made this sandwich better was a ripe red tomato sliced on top!

DELICIOUS!!

Am I a genius or what??


When I sit at my table on the computer, this is what happens.....

I always get company. Say Hello Marley!
 

What was your last great recipe invention? 

Do you like sprouts or lettuce? 

Do you have any pets? 

Sherice OXOX

Oatmeal Lavender Face Scrub

It seems that I'm a bit obsessed this week with homemade beauty products!

I made this face scrub and gave it to my sister. I haven't used any yet but she said her face felt wonderful after and the calming scent of lavender is exactly what she needed after a long hard day! 

 Lavender Oatmeal face scrub

What you'll need:
1 cup Oatmeal
1/3 or more Coconut oil melted
15-20 drops Lavender Essential oil   


First I put 1 cup oats in my magic bullet so they would be a finer texture. 

Then I added in the melted Coconut oil, and lavender 

mix well and put into glass jar 

 This Face scrub is very gentle... 

Benefits of oatmeal ~ 

• Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and is perfect for most skin types, even the most sensitive skin
• Oatmeal contains saponins, a cleansing agent, and can therefore be used as a mild soap
• Oatmeal is moisturizing and helps remove dead skin cells.
• Oatmeal can help treat acne, eczema, rosacea and rashes
• Oatmeal can helps relieve symptoms of aging skin 

Info from here  

 Benefits of Lavender ~ 

~ Headaches and migraines - Lavender essential oil has a calming aroma which makes it an excellent nerve tonic. It aids in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. 
~ Insomnia – Lavender essential oil is ideal for those who have trouble falling or staying asleep as it improves the length and quality of sleep.
~ Scrapes and wounds – Due to its powerful antiseptic properties, Lavender essential oil can increase cell growth and aid in the formation of scar tissue. It has been used to heal wounds, cuts, burns and sunburns rapidly. 
~ Anxiety and depression - It is an excellent tonic for the nervous system. It’s known to remove nervous exhaustion and restlessness while increasing mental activity and relaxation. 
~ Skin care – Just like it can be used for scrapes and wounds, lavender essential oil can also be used to treat skin disorders such as acne, burns, dry skin, eczema, itchy skin, sunburn, seborrhea and skin inflammation. 
~ Pain relief – A regular massage with Lavender essential oil provides relief from pain in the joints as well as pains caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago

info from here

In this post you will learn all about the benefits of coconut oil on your skin

I hope you give this face scrub a try. I can't wait to make some for myself! 

Sherice oxox

Whipped Body Butter

Hi There ~

I don't know about you but where I live it's cold and snowy! My skin is dry, itchy and looking for some thirst quenching lotion!

Did you know that your biggest organ is your skin? And when you use products with chemicals and perfumes those are absorbing into your body and then into your blood stream. I always find it interesting that people are so careful about what they eat aka put into their bodies but a lot of people don't even think about what they are using for sunscreen, lotion, face creams, eye creams, perfumes.. These products affect your Endocrine system.. aka your hormones!

As I was trolling around pinterest I found some amazingly easy options for beauty and skin care.. like so easy I couldn't believe it could be so easy!! But in usual Sherice fashion I thought how can I do this and make it my own?

well I got my brain working and ideas just started coming... like a flood, if you will :)

I want to share these with you because I'm a firm believer in sharing is caring and I care for all of you! I hope that you will enjoy these as much as my sister and I do!!

Whipped Eye Cream

2 ingredients.. that's it!!

Coconut oil, vitamin E oil... before I get into the how to's of it.. let's spend a min on why coconut oil and vitamin E...

Coconut oil ~

1. Coconut oil is nature's most abundant source of Medium-Chain Triglycerides. When applied to your skin, your natural good bacteria convert these Medium-Chain Triglycerides into Antimicrobial Fatty Acids. Antimicrobial Fatty Acids prevent viral, fungal, and bacterial infections, including yeast! Antimicrobial Fatty Acids act like nature's natural bodyguards for your skin. In other words.. it will help with blemishes and breakouts.. clearing up your skin

2. Coconut oil is vitamin enriched with vitamins A, B, C, and E, and nourishes your skin, coconut oil is a natural anti-oxidant that helps the skin repair itself. Coconut Oils protective anti-oxidant qualities protect the skin from free radicals and other environmental aging factors.

So coconut oil helps heal your skin of wrinkles and helps with younger looking skin

3. If your using pure virgin coconut oil.. which you should be, it won't clog pores

info from here and here

Vitamin E ~

1. Vitamin E is also a natural antioxidant.. in this day and age we need all the help we can get against all those free radicals roaming around, right! YES!!!

2. It helps in the healing process and prevents scarring

3. It's also moisturizing and helps healing of sunburns and cold sores.. which I'm sure to get when my lips are really dry and chapped! Did I mention that this could also be used as a lip cream.. A FLOOD I TELL YOU!!!!

4. last but not least Vitamin E will not clog pores.. so it's perfect for your skin.

info from here and here

Now lets get to the how to's, shall we?!

start with 1 cup coconut oil.. DO NOT HEAT OIL!! you want it to be solid. put into your kitchen aid. Add in 1 tsp of Vitamin E oil

I used Vitamin E capsules b/c when I went to get the oil, Walgreens was out of the stuff.. really?! popular stuff. and so I improvised.. wow that was a good thumb workout as it was about 25 capsules to get almost 1 tsp of oil.. END RANT!!!

Turn on mixer to 8 and mix with your whisk attachment for 6 mins or until light, airy, fluffy and wonderful..

once done I put it into these little pill containers I found at Walgreen's. 

This is light and fluffy. It melts into your skin on contact and leaves your fragile eye area soft, smooth and eventually wrinkle free.

Always remember when you are applying anything around your eyes and your using your fingers, always use your ring finger.. the skin around your eye is the thinnest and most fragile skin on your body and your ring finger is your weakest finger. You don't want to do damage by pulling and tugging around your eyes!

Once I was done with the Eye Cream I started on the Whipped Body Butter by adding in 20 drops of Lavender essential oil to the whipped eye cream still in my mixer bowl

make sure that if you use fragrance your using Essential Oils Not Fragrance oils. Essential oils are the real deal and ok to use on your skin. It's not the same as the oils you can buy at Bath and Body works for that cute oil burner you have.

you can learn about the benefits of Lavender essential oil here
 

 
once I added the lavender I turned back on my mixer for a few seconds to incorporate it.

when done put it into a jar and keep it where ever it's handy!!

I immediately slathered this stuff on my arms... which felt like a baby's bottom for the rest of the night! The smell of lavender is soothing, calming and my serenity!

This whole process took about 10 - 15 mins.. and if your not having to squeeze vitamin E oil out of those dang capsules it will take you less... so make some, your worth it!!

Sherice oxox

Dried Fruit Snacks

I have this wonderful contraption called a food dehydrator that I borrowed from my mom quite a while ago.. it's been sitting in the box taking up space and today I had this amazing thought..... "what if I actually used the damn thing!"

So I did!!

Dried Fruit Snacks......

What you'll need..

Tools I used...

First step: peeled and cut fruit

I didn't cut it to thick, I do think for next time I will cut it a bit on the thicker side.. I like to have a bit of  "meat" when you bite into it!

Next step: I sprinkled them with cinnamon.. I only sprinkled one side, and then loaded up the trays...

Then I let these little morsels of tasty fruit dry for about 7 hrs. Every couple of hrs I would rotate the trays.. they stack in a triple layer. At the half way mark I flipped the fruit.

When done the fruit was sweet, chewy and delicious.. Everyone in the house, dogs and humans thought it was The Bomb!!

It didn't last long.... YUM!!!

Sherice oxoxox

Zucchini, Caramelized Onion & Gorganzola Pizza

Hello Lovelies ~

It seems Christmas comes faster and faster every year. Why is that?? My menu for the holidays looks something like this..

Chili Cheese log and crackers
veggies
Baileys and coffee
this delicious Kale and Quinoa quiche recipe Christmas morning
Lasagne meat and veggie (Christmas dinner)
Buffalo Bread ( CD)
garlic bread (CD)
Cesar salad (CD)
a delicious cherry and pistachio choc tart  (CD)
Truffles, Baileys and Peppermint

and probably some other delicious things....

What's on your holiday menu??

So lets get to this AMAZING pizza...

This is my favorite pizza! Easy to make and it doesn't weigh you down.

What you will need ~
 Pizza crust
1 baby Zucchini
1 onion
1 sm clove garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Gorgonzola cheese
Mozzarella cheese

First you want to thinly slice 1 onion and put into pan with a little extra virgin olive oil using a low to med heat caramelize your onions.

while your onions are caramelizing you can go ahead and put your pizza stone or baking sheet into a the oven and turn it on to 500. Let your pizza stone or baking sheet preheat with the oven!!!

At this point you can start getting your crust ready. You can either make homemade pizza dough or buy some fresh dough at Trader Joe's or Safeway. Cut the dough in half.

 Put dough onto a piece of parchment paper that you've sprinkled with a little cornmeal.

I use a rolling pin to roll the dough. I roll my dough out very thin so I get a crispy crunch with every  bite!

after your onions have caramelized take them out of the pan and put into a bowl for when your ready to assembly your pizza. Now you can use all of the onions, but I often save some to use in something the next day.

Now you want to cut up your zucchini into about 1/4 in slices and saute them just for a few mins on each side. when you flip them to the other side add in your minced garlic.

when your Zucchini is done get them out of the pan and into a bowl or on the counter and get ready to assembly your pizza....

start by spread about 2 tsp of EVOO onto your pizza crust with a brush. Then add your zucchinni in a single layer. I put mine on like pepperoni. Then add your onions.

Then you want to add on your cheese.

I'm generous with the Gorgonzola but I only use just a sprinkle of the Mozzarella. There was the perfect amount left in the bag.

Now your pizza is ready to go into the oven. Pull out your preheated pizza stone..
Use caution as it is flaming hot!!!!  

 slide the parchment right onto your pizza stone or pan. Cook for about 5-7 mins!

I know you will LOVE this pizza as much as I do. I leave it to cool on the pizza stone and I find that it keeps the crust really crunchy.

ENJOY!!

OX Sherice 

Almond Palmiers

Hi All ~

I know I've been MIA for way to long but I'm back and will explain why in a Vlog maybe tomo.. I've never done one and I think it would be easier to explain why I've been missing for 6+ mos in person. And I like to watch vlog posts on the blogs I watch. It's nice to hear the person's voice and see what they are like in person sometimes.

So tonight it's going to be a recipe.. a delicious, easy, recipe..

I had never heard of these but thanks to an awesome blog I LOVE, check it out here I have now made these multiple times!

Palmiers ~

These can be sweet or savory. I haven't tried a savory version yet but I'm thinking Christmas would be a great opportunity to do that. I'm thinking some herb goat cheese or olive tapenade.. that's the beauty of this recipe you can use any creation your heart desires...

My heart desires the Almond Croissants at Trader Joes. you leave them out overnight and by morning you have delicate croissants with a yummy almond filling ready to pop into your oven.. so this was my inspiration for my Palmiers..


Almond Palmiers
 1 roll Puff Pastry
1/2 cup almond meal.. I just grind my own almonds, so much cheaper
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
 real butter at room temp

Glaze
2-3 Tbls powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbls almond milk. 

Thaw your puff pastry in the fridge and take out when you are ready to assembly and bake. I've heard that if the dough is at room temp they won't puff up in the oven.

Mix your almond meal, cinnamon, and br. sugar, I use a rolling pin and just give the dough a once or twice over. Spread a thin layer of room temp butter onto puff pastry. Then add your mixture onto that. you will not use all the mixture.. it makes enough for probably 2 batches of these.. I use maybe about 1/2 the mix.

 Start by rolling the edges tightly until they meet each other in the middle. Then slice them about an inch? I use the edge of the knife I slice them with to help lift them and then transport them to your parchment lined baking sheet. Don't worry if they kind of gap you will understand when you put them on the baking sheet. I just kinda gently squeeze them together.

Now put them in your preheated oven..if your oven is accurate the recipe calls for 400 degrees for 20 mins. My oven however, is so NOT accurate I have to constantly watch it like a baby but as it was free, I'm not complaining. I cook mine at 350 for 20 mins.. 

They puff up like little clouds of almondy goodness..

and the bottoms get this sugary, crust on them

So GOOOOOOOD!!!!

as they cool mix up your glaze and drizzle it over the top of them.. or you can leave them as is and have no glaze.. but why would you want to do that??!

Let me know how much you love these :)
Sherice oxox

Lentil Quinoa Tacos

Hi There!

It's been nice to be back in my kitchen experimenting and trying new recipes and eating them!

Today I have a Lentil Quinoa Taco recipe for ya.
 I can see that I will be putting this filling with lettuce for veggie taco salad or filling in leaves instead of tortillas! I love both Lentils and Quinoa.

Lentils ~

 Heart Health
 They have high levels of folate and magnesium.

Stabilize Blood Sugar
Due to their high fiber content, lentils help in regulating blood sugar by providing steady, slow-burning energy and balancing blood sugar levels.

High in Iron Lentils are loaded with iron and are a great way to replenish the body's iron stores, especially for people who don't eat red meat like vegans and vegetarians.
  
B Vitamins
Lentils are a great source of B vitamins, most notably folate and niacin (B3). B vitamins are important for the healthy functioning of the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.

Lower Cholesterol
Lentils are a great cholesterol lowering food due to their high levels of fiber.

Protein Packed
Protein makes up 26% of the calories in lentils and they have the third highest level of protein than any other plant food. It's no wonder that they're a staple in many parts of the world.

Info from Healthdiaries.com

Quinoa ~

 High quality protein with the nine essential amino acids, the protein balance is similar to milk. At 16.2 to 20 percent protein, it has is more protein than rice (7.5 percent), millet (9.9 percent) or wheat (14 percent).

Great source of riboflavin. Riboflavin has been shown to help reduce the frequency of attacks in migraine sufferers by improving the energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells.

nca warriors had more

 

 stamina and quicker recovery time by eating these quinoa seeds, making it a truly ancient powerfood.

Antiseptic. The saponins from quinoa are used to promote healing of skin injuries in South America.

Not fattening! Only 172 calories per 1/4 cup dry (24 of the calories from protein and only 12 from sugars, the rest are complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats).

Gluten-free. Since it is not not related to wheat, or even a grain, it is gluten-free.

Alkaline-forming. Although it is not strongly alkaline-forming, it is comparable to wild rice, amaranth, and sprouted grains.

Smart Carb: It is a complex carbohydrate with a low glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar.

 

Info from care2.com

 

 

Lentil, Quinoa Tacos

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 Tbls taco seasoning

avocado

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 chopped onion

tomato

cilantro

1 lime

1/2 cup sweet organic corn 

1/2 can black beans drained and rinsed

saute your onion in pan until soft add in garlic, saute 1-2 mins add in lentils, quinoa, black beans, & corn, squeeze in juice of lime. add in 1 Tbls of taco seasoning mix and add lid until everything is heated through. 

place in Corn or Flour tortilla and add cilantro, tom and avocado for garnish!

This meal could easily become Vegan if you cook your lentils and quinoa in vegetable broth or even water. I cook mine in chicken broth just because it adds such good flavor!

 

 Enjoy!!

OX Sherice