Life + More

Meal Prep Before Baby | What I Stocked the Freezer With

July 9, 2020

chicken fajita bowl with sour cream in a white bowl

These are the best dinners, breakfasts, snacks, and desserts that are freezer friendly that I prepped before our first baby was born!

One of the biggest things that I noticed while learning about bringing home a newborn was how many people talked about the struggle to make time to eat, but also the struggle of being really hungry. I knew I needed to do some sort of pre-baby meal prep if I was going to have a chance at successfully feeding myself during a really new chapter of our lives.

Obviously, I love food and I love to eat. I’m a food blogger! But, I struggle just as much as the next girl on some nights to get dinner on the table or to get a healthy breakfast in my system before the day begins. My husband, Jared, and I share most of the household duties but seeing that he often works well past 6 pm and I often have food from a day of shooting or recipe testing, I do most of the cooking.

I knew the key to pre-baby meal prepping for me was going to be homemade, healthy meals + snacks that were easily frozen and reheated.

I actually found meal prepping freezer meals to be really easy. What I mainly did was make double batches of some of our favorite dishes. When I would make that favorite dish for dinner, I would divide the recipe in half. half would get eaten right away and half would be frozen. That way, I wasn’t spending a day or two slaving in the kitchen in the heat of July.

I’d say I started doing this about 1-1.5 months before my due date, so again, nothing felt rushed and I didn’t have to really give this much “extra” time.

So, let’s get to it! I made dinners, breakfasts, snacks and some cookies to make sure we had plenty of meals on hand. I’ll also tell you about some of our favorite things that I stocked up on the week before my due date to have on hand in the freezer.

Dinners

I wanted to have about 2-3 pre-made frozen meals per week. Jared does cook, but he only gets about a week for paternity leave and often works later at night. With limited takeout options, it feels good to have homemade meals we love to fall back on!

Venison Bolognese (could also do beef, elk, bear, or bison)

I often serve this with zoodles!

Chicken Noodle Soup

mango chicken curry on a plate with limes

Mango Curry Chicken

Just freeze the curry mixture after cooking

Enchiladas (recipe coming this fall!)

Cowboy Lasagna

Southwestern seasoned ground meat (I used bear meat but beef, venison, bison and elk work!), salsa, and cheese layered between potatoes.

Stuffed Peppers

I actually froze a new recipe, but this taco style instant pot stuffed pepper recipe is also a hit!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Venison Burgers

I froze uncooked, shaped patties on a parchment lined baking sheet and then vacuum sealed them

Fajita Chicken for Fajita Chicken Bowls

For these, I just prepped the chicken, onions and peppers and froze them. We’ll add rice, lettuce and toppings later.

Breakfasts

I’m not a huge breakfast person, but I know the importance of starting the day off with enough calories. I only like eggs when they’re cooked fresh or hard boiled (so pre-made egg bakes aren’t really my jam) but below are a few things I have on hand. Usually, if I have a sweeter breakfast, I’ll follow that up with some hardboiled eggs or a meat stick for my mid-morning snack.

Waffles

Linked is the recipe for my sourdough waffles. I actually used Simple Mills baking mix this time, but the sourdough waffles are to die for.

fresh produce in a blender for a smoothie

Kefir Smoothie

I prepped individual smoothie portions for myself to throw in the blender. Sure, smoothies are fast, but the first couple of weeks I’m trying to rest as much as possible so any time saved pulling out ingredients is great.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

You can make these in individual portions or bake in one large dish!

Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

I actually made my apple cinnamon flavor, but baked it in a baking dish as shown here.

Snacks/Desserts

I have a few fun snacks/desserts in the freezer that I’m excited to nosh on. I always like to have cookie dough in the freezer for guests. It’s nice to be able to throw cookies in the oven and have a few fresh baked ones on the counter.

The Best Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies by Restoring Radiance (I make the dough, scoop, and then freeze the balls) – just check the recipe for specifics!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Energy Balls by Fit Mitten Kitchen

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies by The Toasted Pine Nut (I haven’t made these yet, but planning on it!)

Pre-Made Goods I Have on Hand

I have a few store-bought things on hand for laid back nights. Some of them aren’t the healthiest, but for us, that’s OK! We’re all about balance in this house. We’ve also got:

Frozen pizza (from ALDI – we froze the take and bake one from the deli section)
Frozen BBQ chicken flatbread (from ALDI)
Pizza dough, bought fresh and frozen (from ALDI)
Jarred pasta sauce, pasta, and chickpea pasta
Potstickers
A few bags of frozen veggies + riced cauliflower
Organic Italian Chicken Sausage (from ALDI)

My Favorite Sourdough Recipes + Resources for the Beginner Baker

June 11, 2020

Recipes, tips, tricks, and more from one beginner sourdough baker to another!

I love sourdough bread. Is there anything quite like that tangy flavor, crunchy exterior, and soft middle? So, a few years ago, I decided to try my hand at sourdough baking. I still consider myself to be a beginner, but I’m compiling all of my favorite recipes here for quick reference along with some things I’ve learned along the way.

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Let me say this off the bat…sourdough baking is more advanced and time-consuming than yeast bread baking. I’ve dabbled on and off over the past 3 years and even though I consider myself to be an advanced cook, I’m still a beginner sourdough baker.

Before you begin your sourdough journey, it’s important to know that it’s a commitment, you have to be consistent with feeding your starter, and you want to plan ahead before you start baking a loaf of bread.

Another thing to note, bread baking is not the time to try out substitutions. The first few times you bake something, follow the recipes EXACTLY. If then, you feel like you could make some tweaks, go ahead, but beware. Sourdough recipe developers are precise, exact, and experienced. There’s a science and reasoning behind every ingredient.

All of that said, the extra effort is 100% worth the bit of labor involved. The best way to get started is just to get started. You may have some flops, but the process can be really fun!

The best way to get your starter going

I haven’t had great luck starting directly from flour and water. A lot of people do, but I find that it’s best to get this dehydrated sourdough starter and follow the directions exactly, OR get some starter from a baker friend.

How I feed my sourdough (hint: weight is best)

Once I have a healthy sourdough starter (it’s bubbly, doubling in size within 4-12 hours of feeding), I feed it once a day if it’s on the counter or once a week if I’m storing it in the fridge (note – if your starter has a lot if liquid – also known as hooch – on top of it, you may want to feed it more often).

I used to feed it by volume (for example – 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of flour) but my starter was often too runny or too thick. I now feed by volume and use my small kitchen scale.

If I need to discard (I do once a week so I don’t have an overflowing jar), I remove starter from the glass jar I store my starter in. Then, I add 75g water and 75g flour back into the jar. I always use unbleached, all-purpose flour. When I stir it together, it looks like shaggy, thick-ish pancake batter.

Now that I have my sourdough going, I usually feed it once a week like that, and bake with the discard. It gets stored in the fridge between feedings.

What does my baking process look like?

Say I want to have fresh bread for dinner on Saturday night, which is usually the case for us. Here’s what the process looks like:

On Friday night (or the night before I want to bake), I take my starter out of the fridge and remove about 75g of starter.
I place the starter discard in another glass jar or a glass bowl.
I feed my original sourdough starter (by weight like I explained above – 75g water, 75g flour), stir it up, loosely screw on a lid and place it back in the fridge until next week.
If I’m baking sourdough bread the next day, I add an additional 75g water and 75g flour to the discard, mix it up, and let it activate on the counter overnight. (note – for my sourdough, one feeding is usually enough for it to be active before baking. If yours needs 2 feedings to really get it going, do this process 2 nights before you want to bake) .
The next morning, I use the fed discard to make bread, or I use it in a discard recipe (like my waffles or muffins).

The best basic bread recipe

When I’m talking about baking bread, this is the recipe I use. The Easy Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread by Simple Life By Kels is hands down the best I’ve tried.

If I start this recipe before 9am, I usually have a baked loaf cooling by around 4pm. There’s a moderate amount of steps in this recipe, but it’s pretty foolproof and the flavor is unreal (I think it’s the honey). It’s MUCH easier than some of the recipes I’ve read through, I don’t see a reason to complicate things when I’m just baking for our enjoyment.

Ways to use up discard

If you don’t have time to bake a loaf of bread but you don’t want to waste your weekly discard, here are a few great recipes that I’ve found and tried. Discard recipes usually don’t have a rise time, the discard just gets mixed in and adds flavor and good for you natural yeast.

Sourdough Waffles

Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread by The Clever Carrot

Sourdough Cornbread by Homestead and Chill (this one does need some time to sit before baking but no active time is involved)

Healthy Sourdough Banana Bread Muffins

I’m dying to try these sourdough cinnamon buns, I’ll report back when I do!

Favorite sourdough bloggers

How does the saying go, again? If you can’t sing, share someone else’s music? That doesn’t seem right, but the point is, I’ve learned a lot from fellow bloggers about sourdough baking. These are my favorite bloggers with sourdough resources. I encourage you to browse their recipe indexes and give them a follow, they know their stuff!

Simple Life by Kels

The Clever Carrot

The Gingered Whisk

Homestead and Chill (vegan & gluten free recipes here!)

I hope this post is helpful & it inspires you to get baking!

The Best Ways to Store and Defrost Venison

April 21, 2020

Learn the best ways to store and defrost venison so that your meat stays fresh for a long time and is safe to cook and eat.

sliced smokey venison meatloaf on a wood platter with a knife

You just brought home a bunch of deer meat and it’s time to stock the freezer. But, what are the best ways to store and defrost venison so you can have some in the months (and maybe years) to come?

Storing and defrosting venison is very easy, but there are a few simple tips and tricks that will make your life a lot easier and result in fresher meat when it’s cooked. If stored properly, venison can last up to 2-3 years!

How to properly prep and store venison in the freezer:

There are a few tools that I find most handy when storing meat in the freezer. They make the process more streamlined and there’s less guesswork when you find yourself wanting to cook some meat.

These are the tools I find most helpful when preparing venison for the freezer:

Vacuum sealer
Kitchen scale
Permanent marker

While your first thought might be – do I really need a vacuum sealer, it depends on your goals.

When my husband and I primarily got ground meat from his deer, we used to eyeball portions out and store them in zip top freezer bags. Storing meat in freezer bags only preserves them for about 6 months-1 year.

If you’re savings precious cuts like tenderloins, back-straps and roasts, you’re going to get a lot more freezer burn if you don’t use a sealed bag.

Using a vacuum sealer prolongs the life of venison in the freezer by at least a year (less food waste!). If you’ve ever had dried out, freezer burnt meat…you know how important it is to properly store your meat and vacuum sealing is the best way to do that.

Before I seal my bags I like to weigh them on a kitchen scale and write down exactly what is in each bag. This way, I know how long to cook roasts, I can easily grab 1 lb. portions of ground meat for burgers or meatloaf, and I know how much meat I need to serve the crowd I’m feeding.

That’s where the permanent marker comes in hand…I use it to write on the bags after their weighed.

All of this may seem pretty self-explanatory, but I guarantee you that it will make your life MUCH easier in the long run.

How to best defrost venison for cooking:

The BEST way to defrost venison is to plan ahead and let it thaw out in the fridge. For a pound of meat, this usually takes about 2 days for me. I always place a paper towel under the meat in the fridge to collect any water (or sometimes blood) that comes off the package during freezing.

If you’re in more of a hurry, you can defrost venison safely by submerging it in cool/cold water. Be sure to use cool/cold water to prevent the temperature of the meat from spiking, potentially resulting in food-borne illness.

You may need to change the water ever 30 minutes or so (like when you defrost your Thanksgiving turkey) to make sure the meat and water doesn’t start to climb to room temp.

I don’t recommend thawing meat in the microwave. While this is technically safe to do, I have never been able to do so effectively. The edges of the meat always thaw first and they start to toughen up and cook. This isn’t ideal, especially because you’re working with a leaner animal that can easily toughen up if it isn’t handled properly. However, if you’re really in a bind, use your microwave on low power and do this as gradually as you can.

I hope you’ve found these tips for storing and thawing venison helpful! Make sure you head to THIS PAGE to check out my top healthy venison recipes and grab a copy of my FREE guide full of Venison Cooking Tips and Tricks!

Why Does My Deer Meat Taste Gamey? | The Top 5 Biggest Venison Cooking Mistakes

March 10, 2020

Do you wonder why your deer meat tastes gamey? Find out what cooking mistakes you might be making to make delicious meals with venison.

venison stew in a terra-cotta bowl with a thyme leaf

Why does my deer meat always taste gamey? Have you ever wondered this?

If you’re anything like me 4 years ago, you definitely are. You might have a stash of venison in the back of your freezer, collecting freezer-burn, and every time you try to make something with it, it has this weird, metallic taste to it.

I might be an expert on working with wild game now, but when I started out, that sure wasn’t the case. I grew up in a household where we ate mainly pork, beef and mostly chicken. Sure, I’d had deer jerky at a BBQ, but we never ate it at home.

When I met my husband Jared, who is an avid hunter and fisherman, I suddenly found myself with pounds of deer meat in the freezer that would get wasted every year. This REALLY bothered me because I believe that if you’re going to hunt, you should respect your harvest. For my husband and I, this means consuming as much of it as possible.

Over the past 4 years, I’ve learned a lot about cooking with venison. So much so that I’m actually coming out with my first all venison cookbook and my wild game recipes are some of the most popular on the internet. Click HERE to get on the waitlist to pre-order my book!

venison stir fry on a light blue plate with a fork

I think the biggest overall mistake I find people making is cooking venison like you would cook beef.

In this post, I’m going to break down the 5 biggest mistakes you might be making. A common theme I see is home cooks swapping venison directly for beef. This may work in very few cases, but in most it won’t.

Venison is leaner than beef and it has a different flavor profile, so they aren’t exactly interchangeable. They’re both red meat types, yes, but just making a few simple switches when subbing or working with venison will make a huge difference.

Here are the biggest venison cooking mistakes you could be making:

Overcooking your meat
Not using fat
Not using acid
Under-seasoning the dish
Not cooking tough cuts of meat long enough

Overcooking your meat

I know a lot of people like medium to well-done steaks. But, with venison (and elk) when you cook the meat past medium-rare, you get a metallic flavor and tough texture.

You should only be cooking your steaks, tenderloins, and backstraps to 120-125F (130F at the MAX) and then you should rest them tented under foil for 10 minutes before servings.

This helps preserve the tenderness of the meat and the natural flavors can shine, and are much milder.

Not using fat

Venison is a lean meat. It needs fat to be tasty. That’s why restaurant food tastes so good, because chefs use plenty of fat. I’m not saying you have to down your meat with melted butter or fry anything, but you want to make sure you’re mixing some sort of fat (like ground bacon fat) in with ground meat and using plenty of oil (I like good quality EVOO) in marinades.

Not using acid

This is my favorite cooking tip/hack and it works wonders. Adding acid to dishes, marinades or cuts of meat is a game changer.

Acidic foods, like citrus juice & vinegars, brighten up the heavy flavor of venison, bring out the best tasting notes, and cut through a bit of that “gamey” flavor.

I make sure to use acid in all of my marinades (it also helps to tenderize the meat), and in almost every single dish I make with deer meat. Adding some acid to a dish you normally make with beef if a good first step to changing a recipe to work with venison.

Under-seasoning the dish

Food that lacks salt, pepper and flavor just doesn’t taste good! It’s important to properly season venison dishes because having enough salt and seasoning makes you want to go back for more!

Not cooking tough cuts (like leg, neck & rump roasts + shanks) long enough or with enough liquid

Tough cuts of venison, like roasts (from the neck, shoulder, or rump) or shanks have a lot of sinew or connective tissue running through them. In order for these cuts of meat to be tasty and tender, they need to be braised (or slowly cooked in liquid) for enough time that the connective tissue can melt.

In the early days, when a roast wasn’t falling apart with a fork, I would still pull it out of the oven and try to cut it. Now, I baste the meat with cooking liquid in a pan and keep roasting it low and slow until it is fork-tender. The slow cooker or an Instant Pot is a great tool to use here.

All of the venison recipes on Miss Allie’s Kitchen keep these exact principals in mind and everything is expanded upon in my cookbook.

Click HERE to get on my cookbook pre-order waitlist! Comment below if you have a question!

Manhattan Drink Recipe

September 5, 2019

This recipe for a Manhattan drink gives you the most well-balanced cocktail. It has bourbon or rye whiskey, vermouth, bitters, and a cherry.

manhattan drink cocktail with cherries in a coupe glass on a wood table

There are few things the men in my life (read: J, my dad & my brother) love more than a classic Manhattan drink or cocktail. The Old Fashioned used to be the drink of choice, but now it’s more…forget the ice, and serve it up with plenty of vermouth.

Apparently, it puts hair on their chest? Honestly, who knows what goes through their brains on a daily basis, but I do know one thing…my hubby can make a great cocktail.

man holding a drink by a window in a blue check shirt

This is actually J’s recipe. I had him write down what he usually does when he put on his fancy pants (aka his fave Nike sweats) on a Friday and makes these while we hang out at home (on the rare chance that we actually ARE home, lol).

All in all, this is a stout, well-balanced drink designed with serious bourbon lovers in mind.

pouring bourbon over ice in a cocktail pitcher

What’s in a Manhattan?

A good manhattan always has the following ingredients in some quantity:

Bourbon or rye whiskey – J usually opts for straight bourbon whiskey or rye whiskey. Quality is best here – we usually use Blanton’s, Whistle Pig, Bullit, or Angel’s Envy
Sweet Vermouth – this is actually a fortified wine that’s flavored with different aromatics. You’ll also see it in martinis, it gives the drink great flavor, interest and balance.
Aromatic Bitters – this adds additional flavor to the drink. You can get creative with bitters – we’ve had a wonderful variety with walnut bitters before!
Luxardo (or real deal maraschino) Cherries – you can’t skimp on the cherries! Luxardo makes the original maraschino cherry, and they’re delicious. Rich, sweet and syrupy – J always adds two and saves one for me to sample 🙂

dropping aromatic bitters into a cocktail pitcher

pouring vermouth into a cocktail pitcher

How do you make the cocktail?

You’ve probably heard the saying shaken or stirred when it comes to cocktails. The answer here is stirred.

pouring a manhattan cocktail from a cocktail pitcher

You want to stir or shake strong drinks before serving them with ice to cool down the liquor so it’s more pleasing texturally and the water from the ice cuts it just a bit.

We like to use this crystal cocktail mixing set. It comes with a cocktail mixer and spoon. You want to add ice to the pitcher and swirl it around quickly with the long spoon until everything is chilled and mixed well.

Then, place the strainer over the pitcher and pour into a glass. This filters out all of the ice. Don’t forget the cherry!

How is the Manhattan classically served?

A manhattan is usually served up in a martini glass or couple glass. I happen to prefer the coupe glass. Serving something up means serving it without ice in a glass with a stem (like a Manhattan or martini) and on the rocks means with ice, which is how an old fashioned is usually served.

Love whiskey and bourbon? Check out how to make an old fashioned, a mint julep or an Irish mule!

Manhattan Drink Recipe

Author: Miss AK
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail 1x

Print Recipe

Description

This recipe for a Manhattan drink gives you the most well-balanced cocktail. It has bourbon or rye whiskey, vermouth, bitters, and a cherry.

Scale

Ingredients

3 oz. straight bourbon whiskey or rye whiskey, depending on preference
1 oz. sweet vermouth
3–4 dashes aromatic bitters
2 Luxardo or maraschino cherries
cocktail pitcher, spoon, strainer, ice and coupe glass for serving

Instructions

Add the bourbon or whiskey, vermouth, and bitters to a cocktail pitcher with a handful of ice.
Stir in a circular motion for about 30 seconds before placing a strainer over the top of the pitcher and pouring the drink into a coupe glass.
Serve with 2 cherries & enjoy. Cheers!

Category: Cocktail
Method: Stirring
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 drink
Calories: 299
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 g

Keywords: bourbon, whiskey, manhattan, cocktail, drink

Pantry Staples

August 8, 2019

Here is the list of pantry staples I make sure I have on hand at all times. I buy a lot of these items in bulk to save money at the store.

pantry staples bought in bulk in canisters with wood tops on a white counter with white walls

Pantry staples are really important to me. Having them on hand makes it easy for me to throw together meals and it saves me a ton of money when I used the same ingredients over and over and can buy them in bulk.

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I’m going to go over some of my favorite items to buy, where I get them if I buy in bulk, and what recipes I use them in so you can make a menu plan if you want! I store a lot of my bulk items in mason jars, these canisters on the counter or these canisters in the pantry!

You can also go to my recipe index and type and ingredient in and all of the recipes containing that ingredient will come up for you!

Olive Oil

I use olive oil in almost everything I cook. I use it to saute, marinate, drizzle – seriously everything! I’ll link a few of my favorite recipes where EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is the star. I always opt for quality here.

Quinoa (I also like sprouted quinoa)

Quinoa is by far my favorite grain. I’m obsessed with the texture and flavor. I like sprouted quinoa because it allows for easier digestion and nutrient absorption. If you are gluten-free and have trouble processing grains, this is a great solution for you.

Rice

My second favorite grain! I always get brown basmati. We often cook up salmon or another protein, a vegetable, and serve them with rice! Here are recipes that pair well with plain, cooked rice, and/or use rice!

Oats

I use oats all of the time for baking and breakfast!

Almond Flour

Almond flour is my go-to for healthy baking!

Gluten-Free Peach Crisp (this also uses oats!)
Simple Paleo Blueberry Tart
Paleo Pumpkin Bread
Grain-Free Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Coconut Sugar

My favorite sweetener for healthy baking!

Coconut Flour

This is used in a lot of my baked goods because it helps healthy recipes have texture and stay together!

Chia Seeds

I love having chia pudding or adding chia seeds to smoothies!

Coconut Aminos

I use this as a soy sauce replacement because it is paleo and Whole30 approved.

Chili Paste

Himalayan Pink Salt

My preferred salt that I keep in a salt pinch bowl next to the stove!

Peppercorns

I keep this in my pepper grinders for fresh cracked pepper.

Garam Masala

I buy garam masala in bulk because it used to be hard for me to find in the grocery store. It’s also rather expensive in the store, and most of my recipes call for a tablespoon or more, making it go quickly. In the cold months, I use a lot of it because it’s one of my favorite comforting spices.

Vegan Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry (can also use chicken!)
Whole30 Freezer Chicken Tikka Masala

DIY Face and Hair Masks with Kitchen Ingredients

July 18, 2019

Make these DIY Face and Hair Masks with kitchen ingredients. They’re all-natural ways to moisturize and clarify your desperate strands, scalp, and skin.

girl with brunette hair in overalls applying a face mask

Confession – I’ve always been kind of a beauty junkie. Actually, for a few years, the plan was to apply to cosmetology school/ get my esthetician’s license after college. I’m also kind of a mad scientist in the kitchen, so I just love to make DIY face and hair masks for all of my beauty needs.

Natural skincare is ALL THE RAGE. And rightfully so. For years, I’ve been kind of skeptical of the chemicals they put into mainstream and luxury beauty products. I’ve always tried to make my own to cut down on costs and chemicals, and it finally seems to be like the “cool” thing to do.

I’m always experimenting in the kitchen, so I want to share some of my favorite DIY face and hair masks for you to make to pamper yourself! Guarantee you have some of this in your home already!

*keep in mind, we’re all very different. I am by no means a doctor, esthetician, beautician, hairstylist, or beauty professional. these may or may not work for you, please see how these ingredients react to your skin by testing on your forearm if you’ve never used them topically before 🙂 *

My Favorite DIY Face Masks

The Sugar Yogurt “Peel” – pore tightening + anti-aging

I’ve read that some ingredients, like sugar and yogurt, can act as some sort of a peel. Of course, they’re not as intense as a chemical peel you can get done in a beauty spa, but I love that the yogurt helps tighten your pores, and it is said that the lactic acid can help reduce fine lines.

I like to apply this in circular motions to exfoliate, then leave it on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing. I like to add a bit of lemon to this mask, but some of the research for lemon on your skin is controversial. Make sure you avoid sun exposure directly after applying this if you use it.

Mix together:

1 Tbsp. plain yogurt (I use thick, Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice – optional

Apply in circular motions to exfoliate, then leave on a thick layer for 15-20 minutes before rinsing.

Raw Honey Face Mask – antibacterial, moisturizing, anti-aging

Well, this one is as it sounds – just raw honey! I like to get thick, raw honey, and use it as a cleanser/exfoliator or mask. Honey is kind of the boy wonder of natural skincare. It’s antibacterial, moisturizing, and the antioxidants are said to improve signs of aging.

Slather on:

1 tsp. raw honey

Rub the honey on in circular motions. Allow this to sit for about 15 minutes before rinsing with water.

girl with brunette hair mixing up DIY face and hair masks

My Favorite DIY Hair Mask

Avocado Oil Mayo – growth + scalp stimulant & moisturizer

It might sound gross but this is my FAVORITE mask of all time. I’ve tried a lot – blended avocado, honey, coconut oil, castor oil, avocado oil, vinegar – just about everything! I SWEAR by Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo because it has avocado oil, eggs, vinegar, and rosemary in it – all said to be AMAZING for your hair.

I love this mask because it’s really nourishing but it also washes out of my hair. I have fine hair, but there’s a lot of it. Oil treatments tend to be horrible to wash out and I end up stripping my hair from how many times I have to shampoo.

What you do:

Massage 1 Tbsp. avocado oil mayo into your roots and scalp. Work the mayo down the hair shaft a bit, but this is more of a scalp/root hair treatment, so don’t worry if that’s all that you cover.
Put your hair in a bun or pony and let it sit for 20 minutes before shampooing as usual.

I try to do this one at least once a week, or before each time I shampoo. My hair always feels so bouncy and thick!

What are your favorite DIY beauty hacks??

All images by Blythe Elizabeth Photography

Quinoa Tabbouleh with Basil and Mint

July 16, 2019

This fresh and easy quinoa tabbouleh salad is made with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and mint. It’s refreshing and easy to make!

quinoa tabbouleh salad with a mint leaf in a white bowl on a tan background

I feel so accomplished that I finally got this recipe up on the blog for you guys. Quinoa Tabbouleh is one of those things (kind of like pasta sauce and taco salad) that I make ALL of the time, but I always forget to write down the recipe.

I’m growing tomato, mint, and basil this summer, so I know this simple salad dish is going to be on the menu at least every other week.

Both Jared and I are obsessed with the freshness. AND versatility. I like to top it with grilled chicken for a full meal, or you could add some chickpeas for a plant-based option. Serve it as a side with meat, fish, chicken – whatever. OR, eat it straight out of the bowl at the counter like we usually do 🙂

What is in traditional tabbouleh salad?

Traditional tabbouleh salad is a Lebanese dish. It’s traditionally made with bulgar (not quinoa) tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and lots of fresh herbs like mint, parsley, and basil.

sliced cucumbers and tomato on a wood board with a knife

Why quinoa?

Quinoa is one of those things, like chickpeas and coconut milk, that I always have in my pantry. When I’m making simple dishes like this, I prefer to use pantry ingredients, and I think quinoa has the perfect texture and flavor for tabbouleh. It also packs a protein punch.

What makes this Quinoa Tabbouleh recipe sooo easy!?

This recipe is super flexible and forgiving. All you do is mix cooked quinoa with chopped veggies and herbs. All you need to dress it is some vinegar or lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have something, just sub it out!

I recently quadrupled this to feed a big crowd and it was a hit! Prep the quinoa beforehand or serve it hot or cold!