DIY Collagen Treatment

This blog post is a bit different from most. You get a recipe, not to worry, but it’s not a recipe for something that you can eat. This recipe is for a skincare treatment. Now, I have no idea whether this works or not, it’s strictly experimental, but I thought I would give you the recipe in case you wanted to take this journey along with me, and we can compare results. My goal is to use it three times a week for a month, and see if it has made any difference.

When you get to be my age, things start heading south at a rapid pace. So, when I read online that you can make your own collagen treatment, I decided to give it a try. I mean, what did I have to lose? It was a combination of olive oil, raw honey, and grapes, all of which I had on hand. So, after reading about the benefits that honey, olive oil, and grapes provided skin, I knew that I had to try it.

Honey can help to moisturize your skin, fight the effects of aging, and fight bacteria. Plus, it’s loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Win!

Olive oil penetrates deeply into the skin, but doesn’t clog pores, and provides a gentle cleansing effect while acting as a moisturizer. Win!

Grapes contain antioxidants known as polyphenols, thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They also contain resveratrol, known to boost the production of collagen. 

BIG Win!

With all of this in mind, I decided to toss these ingredients into my little Ninja Blender, and give it a whirl, both literally and figuratively. I applied it evenly to my face with a cotton pad. I looked a bit like something out of a horror movie, because while the honey and the olive oil had emulsified, I ended up with little bits of grape skin all over my face, giving me a bit of a “zombie” look — trendy, yes, but not particularly desirable.

I was not deterred! I decided to use this time to relax, so I got comfortable in my favorite chair, had a little relaxation music playing in the background, and set a timer for 15 minutes. After the time was up I rinsed my face over the kitchen sink, patted dry, and was amazed at how great my skin felt. Dare I say that the tone of my skin seemed more even? I felt like I was positively glowing. Let me warn you not to do this over your bathroom sink. I can only imagine, over the course of time, the grape skins that could build up in your drain resulting in a clogged mess. Also, it would be wise for you to look in the mirror after you wash your face. You wouldn’t want to, say, greet the FedEx man at the door to sign for a package of Omaha Steaks with a little piece of grape skin stuck just above your left eyebrow. Not that I would know anything about that, mind you, but I can imagine how embarrassing that might be for you.

 I am going to try this three times a week, and see if I notice any difference. I will let you know. Meanwhile, here is the recipe that I used.

DIY Collagen Treatment

15 Melissa’s Organic red Muscato grapes 

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons raw honey

Put everything into a small blender (I used this Ninja Blender), and whir until emulsified. Dab all over your face with a cotton pad, and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your face thoroughly and pat dry with a soft towel. Store extra in the refrigerator for a week. Be sure to give it a good stir, and allow it to come to room temperature before using. Do this three times a week. Make up fresh treatments as you need them.

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This post is linked to:

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Wonderful Wednesday

Funtastic Friday
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

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Frozen Boozy Arnold Palmer

If you don’t know what an Arnold Palmer is, let me tell you that it is a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage made up of equal parts iced tea and lemonade. I am not a fan. When I drink iced tea I want to drink it in its purest form. I want to taste every tea leaf that went into the making of that glass of iced tea. I feel the same way about lemonade. I don’t want anything mixed in to alter the fresh, delicious, citrus taste.

But, when I made that big batch of homemade lemonade earlier in the week, I realized that I was going to have to find other ways in which to use it because I'd made A LOT! I started out by trying different flavors of daiquiri; they were quite good. Then I stumbled upon this recipe on Epicurious. It didn’t sound at all good to me, and there were only two reviews, but those reviews were so positive, and considering the amount of lemonade I had left over, coupled the amount of tea that I always have on hand, I figured what could possibly hurt?

I did not have plain vodka, only Maple Bacon and Whipped Cream, so I went with the latter. I was shocked at how delicious and refreshing this cocktail was! I am not kidding you when I tell you that this is my favorite summer cocktail so far this year. I cannot help but think that part of that goodness is owed to the Whipped Cream vodka, but don’t go out and buy a bottle if you have plain vodka on hand. Just know, that to be taken all of the way to heaven, you’re going to need the Whipped Cream variety.

The taste is phenomenal; it is cool, refreshing, and way too easy to guzzle the entire thing. The beauty of this is that you can make it up ahead of time, store each component (the boozy iced tea and the boozy lemonade) in separate containers in the freezer until you’re ready to make these. Or, if you use Mason Jars in which to serve them, like I did here, you can make up individual cocktails, secure the lid*, and shove them into the freezer to hang out until you’re ready to put them on a tray and deliver them to guests who will soon be in your debt. You absolutely must try these. You must!

Frozen Boozy Arnold Palmer

Slightly adapted from epicurious.com

8 black tea bags (I used Luzianne)

5 tablespoons sugar** (optional)

3 1/2 cups homemade lemonade, divided

1 cup Whipped Cream vodka, divided

Lemon wheels (for garnish)

Bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add tea bags and sugar (or not). Let steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags and let cool slightly (you should have about 3 1/2 cups tea).

Divide 3 cups tea between 2 ice cube trays; chill remaining 1/2 cup tea. Divide 3 cups lemonade between remaining 2 ice cube trays; chill remaining 1/2 cup lemonade. Freeze until solid, 3–4 hours.

Blend lemonade ice cubes, 1/2 cup vodka, and 1/2 cup lemonade in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a spouted liquid measuring cup or pitcher. Rinse blender jar and add tea ice cubes and remaining 1/2 cup tea and 1/2 cup vodka; blend until smooth.

Tilt a large glass to one side and fill halfway with lemonade mixture. While slowly returning glass to upright position, pour in frozen tea mixture to fill glass and create a swirl.

Garnish with lemon wheels.

Ice cubes can be made 3 months ahead. Transfer to resealable plastic bags and keep frozen.

*Be sure to leave at least ½” headspace at the top to allow for slight expansion during freezing. Because of the alcoholic content, this will not freeze solid.

**I did not add the sugar and the cocktail was wonderful. Save yourself some calories here and forget it.

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If non-alcoholic is your goal, try this Strawberry Lemonade. So refreshing!

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

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Oven Chicken Kiev

It was only on the most special of occasions that my mother made Chicken Kiev. When she did, it took her the entire day, so she would make a lot of them. Generally, she would make them for a fancy dinner that she and my dad would serve to their friends. Because she knew I loved it so much, she would make three extras to serve us for dinner the day before. Dad and I never minded having the same thing two nights in a row when it was something we loved. 

She would de-bone her own chicken breasts (back then it wasn’t all that easy to find chicken breasts without bones), flatten them, fill them with parsley, scallions, and butter, roll them up as tightly as she could, and then roll them in a crumb coating. Then, of course, they had to be deep-fried. I remember that I always got the job of doing dishes, and I hated cleaning that deep fryer. As much as I loved it when she would drag it out because I knew that something good was to be had, I hated emptying that oil (that I usually poured all over the counter and had a devil of a time getting up), and then trying to scrub that thing clean while keeping the plug end out of the hot soapy water.

So, when this recipe fell into mother‘s lap, the deep fryer was put away for good. No, this oven version is not as good as the deep-fried version, but it goes together quickly, is tasty and satisfying, and is company worthy, and it’s tough to beat all of that. Because you all seemed to enjoy my Chicken Piccata recipe so much, I thought I would share this one with you as well. It’s a keeper!

(As I always tell you, and it is so important here, marinate your chicken in buttermilk overnight for the juiciest most succulent results.)

Oven Chicken Kiev

(My momma’s recipe)

2 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup minced parsley

4 pats of butter

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a baking dish with Pam; set aside.

Butterfly and halve chicken breasts (you learned how to do that here). Melt butter in a metal or glass pie pan. In another metal or glass pie pan combine breadcrumbs, cheese, basil, oregano, garlic salt, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast half, first in butter, then in the crumb mixture, coating well. Place chicken breasts into prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes until juices run clear.

While chicken is baking, stir together wine, scallions, and parsley. During the last 10 minutes of baking, pour this mixture on top of the chicken, top each with a pat of butter, and return it to the oven.

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Another easy, company-worthy chicken dish is this Asparagus and Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken. So good, and makes such a beautiful presentation.

 

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Wonderful Wednesday

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday

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Deck Gardening UPDATE

A month and a half ago, I showed you the new beginnings of what I had hoped to be a thriving deck garden, when I planted carrots on Mother’s Day. (You can read that post here.) I thought it was about time that I gave you an update. Naturally, like all gardeners, the hope is that everything planted will grow and thrive like Jack’s beanstalk. That is not often the case.

Carrots

Here, in the Mississippi Valley, we have been weighed down with the most intense heat I can ever remember having this early in the year. We went directly from winter right into the heat of summer. Early May brought us 90° temperatures, and with rare exception, we haven’t left them since. The upcoming week will bring us upper 90s/low 100s.

French Radishes

When you have a deck garden, one of the most important things is keeping your potted plants watered. With this intense heat, that means hand watering nearly two dozen plants (Additional plants are in the covered area, some are on the patio below, and I water those with a sprinkling can from over the side of the deck. I hate to think how that looks to the neighbors, so we won’t even go there), up to three times a day. Essentially, these past six weeks or so, I have made a career out of watering plants.

Zucchini

Thankfully, they are doing quite well. This week, be still my beating heart, I saw the beginnings of a zucchini. Prior to that, every day I would get a male flower (and I know the flowers are edible, but I never got enough at one time to make harvesting them worthwhile), but patience (and fertilizer) paid off, as here you can see a zucchini on the way. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this. I have a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake that looks amazing, and I think that is one of the first recipes I’m going to try. (Note the tone of optimism in my voice…confident that I am going to get more.)

Cucumber and Black-eyed Susan Vine climb the bottle tree.

One of the most exciting things about my garden this year was the inclusion of a bottle tree. I have always wanted to have one of these, so was thrilled to death to be able to finally make this addition. The wine bottles I have been collecting of the course of two years. As you may have guessed, I’m not a big wine drinker. One bottle, made its way to the tree via a neighborhood party. I still need five more, and I had better get them soon because the black-eyed Susan vine that I am training up the tree is really starting to grow. In addition, at the base of the tree, I have a bush cucumber. Despite the fact that it is a “bush” variety, it, too, will climb, so, in my mind’s eye, I am going to have a beautiful, colorful bottle tree, laden with yellow blossoms and fat cucumbers, all thriving amidst a swirl of butterflies. We’ll see how that works out.

I think the birds spotted my tomatoes before I did. I wondered why they were standing along the railing staring at the tomato plant. I just know they’re waiting to punch holes in a couple of the tomatoes and take their leave. At any rate, a couple of them are on the way.

Similarly, a couple of green peppers are also on the way, and the tomatillo plant (that is shockingly spindly) is showing some blossoms as well.

Red and green peppers both grow in one pot.

This slow starter has nearly 50 blossoms! Salsa verde anyone?

While cleaning out a drawer, I found a package of multi-colored string bean seeds that were stamped “2007.” I know that seeds remain viable for quite a long time so I figured, what the heck? And I planted a couple of them. They grew! I have no idea what color string beans I’m going to end up with, but that’s half the fun.

French radishes border the edge of the pot that contains the string beans. The carrots are doing very well, at least the tops are. I have no idea what’s underneath this delicate green foliage. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter, I love the way these look.

Giant Multicolored Zinnias are doing well.

Zinnias, that attract hummingbirds, goldfinches (who love to hang onto flower stems, and pluck out the petals with their beaks in order to reach fat, fresh seeds — and because they’re so cute I let them), as well as butterflies. I planted these from seed, and I’m happy with their progress.

Lemon Grass

Italian Flat-leaf Parsley

Sage

Thai Basil

In addition to all of this, I also have herbs (not enough), and two citrus trees. Despite being laden with fragrant blossoms, neither one of my trees is showing much. I’m told that’s because they need fertilizer. So, having purchased a special citrus variety of fertilizer, I treated them early this week, we’ll just see what happens.

This is my first time ever growing Cosmos. I am happy with their progress.

This is the end of the update. I will check in next month and keep you abreast of the progress. What have you got growing?

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

Share Your Style

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Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

It was only on rare occasions that my mother would make lemonade. I think the reason being was that it contained a decent amount of sugar, and she was afraid she would drink the entire pitcher. Yep, it was that good. But, considering the nutrition in the fresh lemon juice, I can’t help but think that offsets any negative aspects the sugar can bring. And, hey, with this hot weather we need to stay hydrated, right? I can’t think of a better way in which to do that than by drinking healthy quantities of this refreshing beverage.

Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (I used Melissa’s Meyer lemons*)
1 cup Sugar
4 cups water, divided

Make simple syrup by placing 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. 

Add lemon juice and simple syrup to pitcher. Stir to blend. Add remaining 3 cups water, and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill. Pour into a tall glass (I like these) and enjoy! Garnish as you see fit.

If you’d like to make pink lemonade for the kids, stir in a half cup of maraschino cherry juice, and garnish with some cherries.

*Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons and will give your lemonade an excellent taste. I highly recommend using these whenever you make a sweet drink.

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Another equally refreshing drink is this Lime Cordial.

 This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
Wine’d Down Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

This post contains affiliate links.

Stars & Stripes Tablescape

Thinking back, I cannot remember a time when I hosted a Fourth of July anything. For years my dad played in a symphonic band that had a fabulous Fourth of July concert, complete with a spectacular fireworks display, that was held on the Fourth every year at the local Civic Center. We would either head to my mother's for a Fourth of July barbecue, or to my aunt’s, and then we would all go to the Civic Center, spread out our blankets, set up our lawn chairs, and unload our cooler full of beverages and cold desserts, and enjoy the concert and display.

But, as happens, people moved out of the area, got older, became ill, and this celebration that I remember so fondly, ceased to take place. After that, Fourth of July just didn’t seem as important to me anymore. I do have a spectacular view of the fireworks from my deck, and I enjoy that every year, generally while sipping a cocktail. This year, instead of being an old poop, I decided that I was going to set a pretty table as well.

Some Pottery Barn rewards dollars were burning a hole in my pocket, so I spent them on these placemats and blue napkins with the white stars. From there, I just started rummaging through my hutches, cabinets, drawers, closets, you name it, in order to dig up something that would go together and look attractive. It’s not as heavily laden as some of my previous tables, but it gets the job done. The beauty in this table is its simplicity.

Whatever you do or however you celebrate the Fourth of July, be safe!

Sources:
Placemats, flatware, and star napkins - Pottery Barn
Jeweled chargers - Pier 1
White dinner plates - “Amelie” by Versailles
Heart-shaped salad plates - Amazon
Small red and blue bowls - Fiestaware
Candleholder Centerpiece - Pottery Barn
Blue champagne flutes - a wedding gift, years ago
Red napkins with white stars - my mother made these years ago

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
Wine’d Down Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

Tablescape Thursday

This post contains affiliate links.