Agua Fresca

Mexican watermelon drink

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Ingredients:

2 cups cubed and de-seeded chilled watermelon

1/2 cup chilled water

1 1/2 tbsp sugar (adjust according to the sweetness of watermelon)

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Mix it all with a mixer and voila: done. 

For dessert

Chocolate Mousse 

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sweetener to taste (I used a little stevia, but any dry sweetener will do.)

Open the coconut milk, and leave the can (or transfer to a bowl) uncovered in the fridge overnight, unless it’s already thick like mousse. (Don’t shake the can before opening.) It should get very, very thick. (If it doesn’t, you’ve gotten a bad can that won’t work for the recipe. I highly recommend Thai Kitchen Organic, because I’ve had the most success with that brand.) Once thick, transfer to a bowl (you can opt to leave out the watery bit at the bottom of the can, if you want it even thicker) and whip in your cocoa, vanilla, and sweetener with a fork, or even beaters if you want to be fancy. (For the photos on this page, I didn’t use beaters. But I did pipe the mousse out using an icing tip.) Stored uncovered in the fridge, the mixture gets even thicker.

Homemade Maraschino Cherries

Ingredients

• 1 pound Bing cherries
• 1 bottle maraschino liqueur
• 1 large mason jar

Instructions

1. Fill your mason jar with cherries, and cover completely with the liqueur. Refrigerate for at least two weeks; and up to four weeks if you can wait that long! These should keep okay stored in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

Serve this with icecream a warm evening now in August, on beach or at least outside under the stars...:)

Rosewater

Learn how to make your own rosewater! This method can be used to produce other types of floral waters as well. HERE is the link.

Yum

BUTTERY POPCORN ICE CREAM

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole or 2% milk, divided
6 cups popped buttered popcorn
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat cream and 1 cup of the milk in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat until just scalded. Add the popped popcorn to the pan and let steep for one hour. Strain the popcorn milk through a fine mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup. Add enough of the remaining milk to make 3 cups total (about one more cup, give or take).

Return the milk to the sauce pan and return heat to medium. While the milk is heating, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. When milk is hot but not scalded, add a cup to the egg mixture and whisk vigorously. Pour the tempered (warmed) eggs back into the sauce pan with the remaining milk.

Reduce heat to low/medium-low. Cook, whisking constantly, until the custard reaches 185°F on an instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to just coat the back of the spoon. (You can stir occasionally at first, and more constantly towards the end, watching carefully to make sure the eggs don't scramble). Remove pan from the burner, stir in vanilla extract, and continue stirring for another minute or so to release some of the heat. Strain the cooked custard through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until completely cool, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Freeze the custard according to your ice cream maker's instructions. For sundaes, serve with caramel sauce and homemade Cracker Jack.

Summer Cupcake With A Sting

Sometimes I make my own perfume. I mix and match in total craziness (sometimes) but today I made this really sweet perfume, perfect for the summer. I call it Summer Cupcake With A Sting and here is how to make it:
2 tablespoons almondoil
15 drops of vanilla essence
5 drops of ylang ylang
Just mix it all together. This perfume turn you into a diva a la vanilla!

Coconut pie

OLD FASHION COCONUT CUSTARD PIE
1 c. sugar 3/4 stick butter 4 lg. eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. white vinegar 1 can (8 oz.) angel flake coconut 2 (9 inch) pie shells Mix butter and sugar until creamy, add eggs one at a time mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and vinegar and mix, fold in coconut. Pour into 2 (9 inch) pie shells and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy.

Flavoured salt

How to make flavoured salt, HERE.  Just check their additional notes: Additional Notes:
A few great combinations to try: 
• Chile-Lime Salt: 1/4 cup salt + 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes + 1 teaspoon dried lime zest + 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Citrus-Rosemary Salt: 1/4 cup salt + 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon zest + 1/2 teaspoon dried orange zest + 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Lavender Salt: 1/4 cup salt + 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds
• Saffron-Fennel Salt: 1/4 cup salt + 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads + 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• Vanilla-Cinnamon Salt: 1/4 cup salt + seeds from 1 vanilla bean + 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

---- and the rest is just as good :) I´m gonna make at least a couple of those today and keep them at the diningtable for anyone to try on.

Time for blueberries

Old Fashioned Blueberry pie 4 cups  blueberries 2/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Prepared pie crust dough for one 9-inch double-crust pie 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons cream or milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (or 200 C.)

Rinse and drain the fresh blueberries or drain the frozen blueberries. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch and mix well until all lumps disappear. Add the blueberries and lemon juice. Toss to combine.

Roll out half of the dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Fill with the blueberry mixture. Dot with the butter. Roll out the remaining dough. Moisten the edge of the bottom crust with water. Fit top crust over the filled pie. Trim and crimp edges. Make 2 or 3 vent holes in the top crust.

Brush the top crust with the cream or milk. Place the pie on a baking sheet with sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F ( 175 C). and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. And yes, picking blueberries do give you purple fingers :)

From Mississippi

Comeback-sauce


1 cup mayonnaise , 1/4 cup ketchup,  1/4 cup chili sauce , 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard,  1 teaspoon onion powder,  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder,  2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce,  1 teaspoon ground black pepper,  1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce,  1/4 cup light olive oil juice of one lemon.  Mix all ingredients well and store in refrigerator overnight. Serve to hamburgers, salads, sandwiches.

Homemade

The mouth and gums are the superhighway to EVERY system in your body. Everything that goes into your mouth stays in your body…even if not ingested. As well as absorbing oral bacteria, your gums absorb each and every chemical that is included as “ingredients” in our commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes.
Having a healthy mouth is a major key to assisting your body in maintaining overall health.

And HERE is the recipe of Calamine lotion.

coffee

Free Starbucks coffee recipes HERE

I love being out in the woods, or at the beach, in the mountains, on the river. My friend, she can see your angel and the souls around you, told me I have this green angel, the nature-angel, following and leading me. So no wonder I keep running away from citylife out to the wilderness.
I also have this heritage to pick mushrooms, berries, wild fruits. Every summer and autumm I pick and preserve, and it is not only smart but yummie - chanterelles, wild strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries, black currants, you name it.

These pics is from my walk today. I brought home chanterelles and blueberries. For dinner it´ll be a stew with mushrooms, meat, potatoes, carrots and onion. For dessert: blueberrypie with icecream.

Recipe Frozen Blueberry Smoothie:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2-3 ice cubes (optional)

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth or to desired consistency then serve in glasses.

Oh yum, Mexican grilled corn..mmmm! Recipe HERE

And the fantastic Watermelon punch and bowl recipe HERE

Southern style sweet icetea

Ingredients:
4 tea bags
a pinch baking soda (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 to 1 1/3 cups of sugar

Directions:

Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil. Add a pinch of baking soda to the water and add 4 tea bags. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to sit for at least 10-15 minutes. Pour into gallon pitcher and add sugar. Then fill with cold water. Refrigerate.

*the soda takes out the bitterness and darkens the tea....this small amount doesnt change the taste.

Making your own liqueurs? See how HERE

Yogi Tea

1 Gallon Water
30 cloves
30 whole green cardamon pods
30 whole black peppercorns
1 lg finger of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
5 sticks cinnamon
1 teabag, Black Tea
Milk and Honey to taste (optional)

1. Bring water to boil.
2. Add all spices except black tea bag. Boil 30 -45 min. Longer is stronger.
3. Finally, add black tea bag and boil another 5 min. The black tea is added last because it amalgamates the spices and sort of seals them. Also the tannins help assimilate the spices into the body.
4. If adding milk & honey, do so after adding the tea bag and letting it steep– OR BETTER add milk and honey to individual cup or a small batch. That way you can store the raw tea in the fridge and prepare with milk and honey as you go.
5. If you go cup by cup, you can leave the raw tea on the stove on the lowest flame to enjoy all day.

This is not only a tasty drink, it taste almost like gingercookies, but it´s also very healthy. Visit Yogi tea´s homesite HERE

This is a very simple but effective massage cream, or a moisturizing cream for your body. I just want to show you how easy it can be to make your own skincare. Melt solid coconut oil in a bowl over boiling water. When it´s all melted, take it away from the stove and add your favourite oil - I choosed sesame oil this time, but sometimes I take rapeseed or avocado it depends on what I shall use it for or what oil I´ve got at home. Stir, stir until it gets cold and add lavenderoil (or your favourite essence) and tadah it´s finished. Keep it in the fridge. It takes only seconds before it melts in your hand so even if it looks hard when you take it out from the fridge don´t worry.
And how much coconut oil and sesameoil do you need? I usually take half the amount sesame oil to the coconut oil, and just a few drops of the essence.

Here you go, a delicious but supereasy recipe of Literary Bohemian cake - and an inspirational photo of some indian cakes. Yes, this is real cake, not just jewellery! They inspire me so much, and never again I´ll decorate my cakes dull and pale.