DIY Spa Pedicure

DIY Spa Pedicure!

Can you believe it? You can give yourself a fabulous SPA style pedicure in your own home with ingredients you already have. Yes, it's so easy!

***Note: If you are more than 6 months preggo, you might want to have a friend do this for you, lol***

First, make up your Sugar Scrub. My sugar scrub is 1/2 cup white sugar plus 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. You can add fresh squeezed OJ or essential oils if you like. I don't have anything special on hand so I just keep it simple.

Then, pour a little Listerine in a really large bowl. I read this on Pinterest I think. It doesn't matter what kind, but the blue one reminds me of the blue water they use for a professional pedi. Fill it up the rest of the way with comfortably hot water. (I don't see why you couldn't use something totally different like epsom salts or vinegar, so don't yell at me, I thought the idea of blue water was cool.)

Then, gather your supplies to be handy next to you in a comfortable seat. I grabbed:

washcloth, towels
razor (to shave, why not?)
Sugar scrub, soap, coconut oil (for lotion)
nail clippers, file, buffer block, nail polish
and... a cup of coffee. Ahhh.

Also I put the TV remote and computer handy, so I could edit my silly foot spa picture on PSE while my feet soaked.

Now you are TOTALLY READY.

Directions:

Soak feet in comfortably hot Listerine water for 15-20 minutes. Get comfortable and distracted.

Next, scrub feet and lower legs with Sugar Scrub. Rinse off with the washcloth and lather with soap or body wash of your choice. (At this point is when I shaved my legs. Totally your call.)

Dump out the bowl of water in the sink and rinse, refill with comfortably hot water. Dip an extra towel in the water and steam your feet and legs. Ahh... just like at the nail salon.

Now you are ready to scrub those feet. *Note: This is the hard part if you can't reach your toes.* Scrub dry areas with the pumice stone.

Clip your toenails, file, and buff. Rinse feet with washcloth, moisturize with oil or lotion, and you're ready to paint.

When it comes to painting, I'm no expert so I can't help you there. I apply two coats pretty messy so it's all covered, and clean it up with q-tips dipped in nail polish remover. There are tutorials on Pinterest and Youtube for cool nail designs if you want to take this further.

End note: Please make time for yourself to do this. Get a sitter, get hubby to watch the kids, get up early or stay up late. I got up at 5:30 this morning and I was already at the painting stage before my little one climbed out of bed. You can totally do this.

Beef Bone Broth

Oh, broth-y goodness!  My first venture into broth making was a few weeks ago when I made my first chicken broth.  Then I stumbled upon the whole foodie kick of making "bone broth".  Bone broth is regular broth that's long simmered to release minerals and nutrients from the bones.

If I could make chicken bone broth then by golly, I could make beef bone broth too.  I went to my butcher and asked for beef bones and the butcher asks, "for a dog?" and I reply no, I mean soup bones.  She hands me a frozen bag of bones, and less than $10 later I'm back at home ready to make broth.

Ingredients:

Beef bones (soup bones or bones of your choice)
Whole carrots, onions, celery and garlic
2 qt water

Apple cider vinegar

Herbs of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Arrange bones on your pan of choice and roast until browned (I'd say 20-30 minutes, but watch so they don't burn!)  Allow to cool and arrange in crock pot.

Add about 2 qts water and 2 tbs-1/4 c apple cider vinegar.  Let soak for at least an hour.  The acid is supposed to help draw minerals out of the bones, either way, you don't really taste it in the end!

Add roughly chopped onion, 2-3 carrots and 2-3 celery stalks, leaves, ends and peels included.  Also add about 5 smashed garlic cloves.  Add in your favorite herbs; I like bay leaves, black pepper and a little Italian seasoning and parsley.  You can add salt too, or you can wait to salt it as needed.

Add additional water if needed to cover, and simmer 24-48 hours on LOW.

Cool the unfiltered broth overnight in the fridge and scoop out solidified fat, discard.

Reheat until warm, remove the bones, and filter.  I poured the broth first through a strainer to remove the vegetables and herbs, and then filtered a second time through a reusable coffee filter fitted inside a wide-mouth jar funnel.

Voila!  Homemade beef broth :)

Buttery Yellow Cake

This is a rich, dense, buttery yellow cake.  It goes pretty well with chocolate buttercream frosting and a glass of cold milk.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 13x9 baking dish and flour lightly.

First, separate the eggs.  Place egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside.  Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Set aside.

In another bowl, sift the flour.  Stir in baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, cream softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Add one egg yolk at a time and continue to mix until all 4 yolks are incorporated.

Measure buttermilk and whole milk together in a liquid measuring cup. 

Add the flour mixture and milk mixture alternately into the creamed butter mixture, a little at a time, until all combined.  Add the vanilla and mix.

Gently fold in egg whites.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve with your favorite chocolate buttercream frosting.

Eggless Banana Pancakes

This quick recipe is great for people with egg allergies, vegan or just don't have an egg and are craving pancakes (which was my reason)!

Mix together:

1 c flour
2tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Add in:
1 mashed banana
1tsp vanilla
1 cup milk, stir till combined and fry up as pancakes.

I topped mine with Nutella and strawberries- it tasted like I was having fondue for breakfast.

Pepper Steak

I love my Grandma Becky's cooking.  She's one of those old-school cooks with a knack for flavor combinations and good timing.  For years my whole family has loved her Pepper Steak and perfect Mashed Potatoes.  I finally broke down and asked her for the recipe, only to have her admit she doesn't use one!  She recalled the ingredients to the best of her memory, and I came up with this recipe to share.  Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1-2 large steaks depending on your family size (for my family of three I used one Ribeye), semi-frozen
2 medium green bell peppers, seeds removed
1 large yellow onion, peeled
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 c red wine
2 tbs butter
2 tsp garlic powder (approximately)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tsp italian seasoning (or herbs of your choice)
Salt & pepper

Directions:
Slice the bell peppers lengthwise into 1/2" sticks.  Cut the onion in half and slice into 1/2" sections.  Combine with bell peppers and set aside.

Slice the semi frozen steak(s) into 1" thick pieces.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet med/high and melt in the butter.  Brown the steak pieces in batches, 3-5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, arrange half of the onion and bell pepper mixture in the bottom of a large crock-pot.  Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange half of browned steak over the vegetables.  Layer with remaining vegetables and end with remaining steak pieces.  Pour tomato sauce over top.

De-glaze the skillet with diced tomatoes and red wine.  Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and worcestershire sauce.  Simmer about 3 minutes.  Pour hot mixture over the steak and vegetables in the crockpot.

Cook on HIGH for about 6 hours and reduce to LOW for 1-2 more.  This serves well with mashed potatoes or rice.