Supernatural Botanicals

Try whipping up this simple frittata for breakfast this weekend and look like a rockstar in the kitchen.  With only five ingredients, this super-simple spinach frittata is perfect for a quick, no-fail egg dish.  If you are cooking for a crowd, this recipe gives you a lot of bang for your buck.  It takes very little prep work, and you can turn out dozens in a matter of minutes.  It’s heavy on the “wow” factor if you are cooking breakfast in bed.  It looks complex, but it’s so easy.  Buy some croissants at the market, pair with some fresh fruit, and have plenty of orange juice on hand.  Instant rockstar!  Then kick back and take in the compliments.

Ingredients:   Eggs + milk + cheddar cheese + onion + spinach = Personal Spinach Frittatas

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine 8 eggs, whisking well. Add 1 cup 1% low-fat milk and 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese to eggs; set aside.

3. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add 1/4 of a medium red onion, chopped; cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add 2 cups baby spinach; cook until wilted (about 2 minutes).

4. Drain water from pan; cool. Add spinach mixture and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to egg mixture.

5. Pour mixture into prepared muffin pan; bake until tops are puffed and golden (about 30 minutes).

If you have lots of wood surfaces in your home, you know that the costs of furniture polish has skyrocketed.  And when prices start to soar sky high, so does our creativity.  How can we do it cheaper, better, and to boot….all naturally?  While there are numerous “green” recipes for homemade furniture polish, they all have the two basic ingredients…oil and lemon.  And as luck would have it, it’s all you need.

To make homemade furniture polish, simply whisk together olive oil with an equal amount of lemon juice (you can also use vinegar, but lemons smell so much nicer).  Simply leave it in the bowl you mixed it in and dip a rag in, or put the liquid mixture in a spray bottle.   The bowl method is easier and less wasteful, as you can mix only the amount you’ll need for the days’ chores.

Use a dry rag, dip the rag into the oil mixture, and buff down all your wood surfaces.  It brings the wood back to life in an instant, and makes it appear brand new.  All natural, less expensive, and oh-so-crafty!    We love this!

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.

 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!

Delicious herbs from our Supernatural Garden.   Fresh chives, Rosemary, Dill and peppers.  They are so easy to grow, and there is always an abundance of fresh herbs from the garden.  Not only are they fab for adding kick to your meals, but there are multiple at home spa recipes you can try to even use more of your herbs.  Brilliant!

Flavored waters are popular at high end spas, and they are so simple to make at home.  Jasmine flowers are perfect for making a fragrant and refreshing drink to enjoy as you pamper yourself. 

Jasmine water is especially popular in India, China and Southeast asia. 

Simply place jasmine flowers (or lavender or rose) into a glass pitcher and cover with filtered water.  Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flowers to perfume the water.  Strain the liquid, discarding the jasmine, lavender or rose.  Of note, make sure the flowers you are using are organic to be sure you are not drinking pesticides with your water.

Teresa Giudice (Real Housewives of New Jersey) has just written an incredible book on the art of Italian cooking.  More than just a cookbook, this is more like a great book with recipes, because there’s lots of dialogue and pictures to go along with the amazing recipes.  I especially love the pictures she shares of her house and family (four darling little girls and her juicy husband, Joe.) 

I was so impressed with Teresa’s book.  I mean, who doesn’t want to have access to a girlfriend whose parents are straight from the old country and taught her everything they know about old-school Italian cooking?

I adore that she believes so strongly in her heritage.  I adore people of any culture that maintain their roots and are deeply proud of being Italian, Swedish, German, etc.  I love tradition.  It’s something I wish I had in my own family.  Truth be told, I really have no idea where I came from.  I’m blonde, blue eyed, and not exactly what you’d call dark complected.  I know that originally my family came from France.  Beyond that,  it’s a bit unclear.  I’ve always found it to be so interesting to listen to people who have deep heritage.  I need to visit Ancestry.com. 

Teresa shares recipes in her new book, Skinny Italian, that have gone back many generations.  She shares all of her bag of tricks…all the while doing it with her Jersey-Girl attitude and sass! 

I have literally not been able to put this book down for two weeks.  Teresa has even inspired me to try my hand at canning this summer (there’s a whole section on this in her book along with step by step instructions.) 

Admittedly, the Real Housewives franchises have tried to market almost every one of their ladies into a brand…(think Vicki Gunvalson with her new book or LuAnn the Countess with her singing.)  With all the personal branding  promotion, I admit I looked at Teresa’s book with a side-eye, ala Tardy For the Party. 

But Skinny Italian is the real deal.  Real authentic recipes taught by real authentic Italians.  Teresa, I love, love love your new book.  Super-impressive work, Jersey-Girl!

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.

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