Honey & Coffee Facial

This is one of my favorite recipes for a quick and simple facial. It requires only two ingredients, both of which are commonly found in kitchens.



Pour 2 Tbs. of honey into the palm of your hand. Rub gently all over the face(be sure to clean off any make-up first), avoiding the delicate eye area. Let sit for up to 10 minutes.

Take a handful of used coffee grounds(no older than 15 minutes), and use them to scrub the honey off of your face, along with warm water. Pat face dry with a towel.



That's it! Your face should feel smoother and slightly taut. This facial is beneficial due to the antibacterial and nourishing qualities of the honey, which is excellent for those who suffer acne or other similar skin problems. The coffee contains a high amount of antioxidants, which reduce stress and the signs of aging, as well as caffeine that naturally smooths, tightens, and closes pores. Plus, the rough texture of the grounds are a great exfoliant. You may use this facial up to three times a week to reveal a radiant complexion. Try doing it right after breakfast, when the coffee grounds are fresh~a morning pick-me up for your skin!

Recipe: Antipasto Salad

With summer in full swing, I have been getting a lot of practice making new salads. Salads are one of my favorite dishes because they are so simple yet filling and very tasty.

I came up with this recipe after going to the commissary and raiding the olive bar.



1 lb. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
2-3 fresh mozzerella balls(about 4 ounces), crumbled into small pieces
1/2 cup marinated mushrooms, quartered(save marinade)
handful of black olives(I used about four), pitted & finely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 bottle of Kraft Sundried Tomato Vinegrette dressing(or you can substitute your favorite Italian type dressing)
Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil seasoning blend

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour into a large mixing bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until pasta is fully coated with dressing & mushroom marinade, adding more dressing if needed. Sprinkle with the Mrs. Dash blend(just a few shakes will do), and stir. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours so that all the flavors can marinate.

Add in ideas:

--chopped salami
--grilled chicken breast pieces
--drained canned tuna

YUM! Enjoy. :-)

New beginnings...

I have not updated my blog for a long time! The last time I updated this was in December of 2007--that's about 7 months ago. Oops. ;-)

Since that last entry a lot has happened!

First of all, we are no longer located near Savannah, GA. Since my husband is in the army, we PCSed to Ft. Leavenworth, KS. It is quite different here. We used to be stationed in the midwest when we first got married, almost 5 years ago. We lived on post at Ft. Leonard Wood. So, it almost feels like home again here.

We have expanded our little business a lot in the past 6 months. We are offering a more variety of products, our main focus being on the completely natural product spectrum. I have been working with more essential oils than fragrance oils, and getting creative with natural ingredients like sugars, salts, herbs, spices, etc. It's a lot of fun to see what I can create from the earth! I still enjoy using fragrances though, that is a hard habit to beat. Hopefully though, as I collect more essential oils I can eventually stop relying on fragrances...I just hope someone makes an essential oil from cookies...mmmm...lol.

This summer has been a fun one so far. I am enjoying spending more time with my husband since we have moved. He used to work a lot, normally having a 24 hour shift once a week or more! We also live on post, as opposed to 20 miles away, so he is home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Very nice. Since I've been spending more time with my family, I have slowed down my production rate, but once the weather cools down I will probably get back into my crafting mode.

Well, I hope to keep my blog updated more now too. I have a lot of things I want to talk about here. Hope you all are having a fun summer! :-)