Supernatural Botanicals

There’s a reason why most hot wings taste so ridiculously delicious…it’s because they’re fried.  Not to worry, though, there’s a way to do hot wings better. Instead of frying the wings, blast them at 450 degrees on a cookie sheet in the oven.  Use a cookie sheet with edges, as the wings will produce liquid. Line the tray with tin foil first for easy clean up.  Lay the wings in a single layer, then blast them in a 450 degree oven until cooked thoroughly, about 20-25  minutes.  At the very end of cooking time, place them right under the broiler and blast them for an extra minute to get the skin good and crispy. Immediately place them into a bowl and drown them in Red Hot hot sauce.  The regular recipe calls for butter and Red Hot, but you can eliminate more calories by omitting this step.  The hot sauce will still stick to the wings. Go easy on the bleu cheese dressing, but heavy on carrot sticks and celery, and you’ll have a skinnier post-Superbowl victory dance.

Want your holiday table to look like you hired a celeb party planner?  Steal this idea… cranberry ice!  It’s super-simple to make, and looks gorgeous in an ice bucket, or under a heaping load of shrimp cocktail.

Simply fill a cake pan (silicone is the easiest) with a couple handfuls of cranberries.  Next, fill with water just enough to cover the cranberries.  Freeze.  When the ice is solid, crack the ice into large pieces (bang on countertop) and place the ice shards over a bottle of wine or champagne in a bucket, or on a large tray and load it down with cocktail shrimp and sauce.  Add a few sprigs of greenery (use some pieces from the back of your Christmas tree if you have a live tree) to set the look off.

Simple + gorgeous.  Love that!

Pudding Pops, they’re back!  Simple to make, and everyone raves over them at parties.  I speak from experience when I tell you to make at least one chocolate and one vanilla for each person at the party (quantities may double in the event children will be at the party.) 

By all means, branch out beyond chocolate and vanilla.  Try Pistachio or banana. 

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PUDDING POPS RECIPE

1 5-ounce package chocolate pudding mix
1 5-ounce package vanilla pudding mix
Dixie cups or Popsicle molds Wooden Popsicle sticks

Make the pudding according to the instructions on the pudding packages.

Meanwhile, lightly spray each Dixie cup or Popsicle mold with nonstick baking spray.

Fill each cup halfway with either vanilla or chocolate pudding.

Place the molds on a sheet pan and put them into the freezer for 1 hour.

Remove the molds from the freezer and pour in the second layer of either vanilla or chocolate pudding.

Place a Popsicle stick into the middle of each one and freeze for another hour

When you’re ready to serve the pudding pops, remove them from the freezer and let them sit for 5 minutes. Peel off the Dixie cups or remove them from the molds and serve.

Note: If you want to make a swirl pop, put a layer of vanilla and a layer of chocolate in each mold and swirl the mixture with a toothpick.

Eating baked potatoes is actually great for your skin.  Did you know that one baked potato (with the skin) provides 75 percent of your daily copper needs? Copper, when combined with vitamin C and zinc, produce elastin fibers that support skin structure, therefore elasticity. Copper deficiency in your diet can reduce skin’s ability to heal and cause it to become rigid and lifeless.  So if you are feeling bad about carbs, don’t sweat it.  The bright side is… it’s making your skin look beautiful.

Make your own all-purpose eco household cleanser.  Combine equal parts of white vinegar and water, and add a couple drops of an essential oil (lemon and lavender are exceptional) to scent the mixture.  As effective as supermarket brand cleansers, and eco-friendly!  We love that!

 This is a super-simple dessert to throw together for your 4th of July party. 

Find some pretty clear glasses or dessert dishes and layer strawberries, fat free Cool Whip, and blueberries. 

This is a great dessert to have on hand in addition to the coconut cream and banana cream pies that are sure to be on the table and calling out your name.

 This berry medley is completely fat free.  So indulge.  Have three of them if you want!

Once you’ve had homemade salsa, you’ll never go back to vinegar-tinged jarred salsa again.  This salsa recipe mimics that of Mexican restaurants in that it’s made with fresh ingredients and, of course, made without vinegar.  It’s super impressive to whip up some salsa on the fly for when friends or family stops by.  I make mine in a food processor, but you can also use a blender.  Tweak it to your liking, add more peppers.  This recipe makes a medium-hot salsa. 

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Ingredients: 

Huge handful of fresh cilantro.

1 clove of garlic.

3 small jalapenos. 

1 small onion. 

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Ingredients: 

2 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes.

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles.

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Dice onion

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Slice jalapenos long ways

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Then dice jalapenos, seeds and all to give it a nice kick

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Dice 1 clove of garlic

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Combine canned tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and garlic in the food processor. 

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Add a teaspoon (or so) of sugar

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Add a teaspoon of ground cumin to give it a good “Mexican” flavor.  Then pulse the food processor about 4-6 times, depending on how chunky you like it.  Keep pulsing if you like your salsa a thinner consistency. 

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Here’s where it all comes together.  Cilantro.  Use a lot of it.  It gives it a good garden taste.  I use a huge handful, and then pulse for 4 more pulses. 

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And there you have homemade salsa.  I blend mine to a medium consistency.  Serve with chips, with tacos, steaks, etc.  Great to have in the fridge all week long to accompany your dinners, and exceptionally good for a low-calorie snack. 

According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, bean eaters weigh less and have slimmer middles. Beans are super fat fighters because they contain the ideal combination of fat-busting nutrients—soluble and insoluble fiber, protein, and a type of fat-burning carb called resistant starch.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP

Ingredients:

• 7 cups cooked black beans (a one pound bag of dried beans prepared according to package directions.)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• 1 tsp each ground cumin, coriander, paprika
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• a handful of parsley, chopped
• rind of one orange (several large peels)
• juice of the above orange
• 6 cups hot, boiled long-grain rice, white or brown

Drain the beans and reserve the liquid.

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, saute onions, garlic, and spices in oil over medium heat, stirring until onions are translucent. Add carrots and celery, saute for 3-4 minutes more. Add peppers and saute another 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, parsley, and tomatoes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Combine the drained black beans with the vegetables. Add in as much bean liquid as you like, more for a thinner soup, less if you like it thicker. Add the orange rind and simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes. Stir often.

Remove orange rind. Stick blend the soup until it’s as thick as you like. (Or remove a cup or two of soup to blender, blend, then add back to soup.) Add fresh orange juice and cook 5-10 minutes more. Taste. Serve on hot rice. Garnish with chopped onions, chiles, and/or lime wedges.

Considering your skin absorbs almost everything (about 98%) of what’s put on it, it’s beneficial to be mindful of what you are using to cleanse and moisturize your skin with.  Homemade blends are often times more effective than department store, Paraben-laced, products.   Use fruit to create sensational all-natural skincare recipes.   Try this kiwi facial cleanser.  It’s pH balance is middle of the road …meaning it’s formulated for normal to dry skin types.  The finely ground almonds make it perfect for gentle exfoliation. 

1 kiwi fruit
2 tablespoons of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon orange water
1 tablespoon apricot or almond oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely ground almonds
2 drops orange (or your favorite citrus) essential oil

Puree the kiwi fruit in a food processor until liquid. During processing, add yogurt, orange water, almond or apricot oil, and ground almonds. Process until thick and cream like.  Add essential and stir to mix. To apply, massage gently over neck, face and décolleté to cleanse. Rinse well.  Makes one application.

Not only is fruit good for you, it’s good on you.  Fruit is an incredible multi-tasker in that its purely nutritious and it’s beneficial to your skin when topically applied.  Try a fresh fruit peel for your face and body.  A simple kitchen basting brush (either silicone or with very soft bristles) can be used to “paint” your body in the shower to exfoliate and moisturize every inch of your skin.  Pineapple and papaya contain natural enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids that remove dead skin cells while the honey moisturizes the skin.  At home spa treatments are closer than you think.

• Gentle Fruit Peel

• 1 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/2 cup fresh papaya
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Puree fruit together then add the honey and mix into a smooth paste
• Apply to skin and let dry for approximately 5-10 minutes, rinse clean