So my cousins are coming over on saturday for a day of pampering... We'll do mani-pedi's, watch 80's chickflicks, and make truffles... well thats the plan anyway... here's more at home spa treatments that we may try on saturday...and a host of yummy truffles recipes!
Green Recipe: Oatmeal Apple Cider Mask for AcneThis easy-to-make and wonderfully inexpensive mask doubles as a quick scrub and a deep cleansing treatment. Apple cider vinegar, rich in tannins and fruit acids, helps fade post-acne brown spots and soothe active inflamed blemishes.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons raw plain oats
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (preferably organic)
1 drop tea tree oil
Method:
Grind the oats into a uniform paste and add the rest of ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Add tea tree oil and blend more.
You can scrub your face with this mask or apply it to a clean face to dry. Avoid the eye area.
Leave the mask on for about 15 minutes and wash off with lots of tepid water.
You have to use up the whole batch at once; this mask doesn’t store well.
Strawberry Cheese Cake Face Pack
This is a traditional European green beauty recipe that works wonders to breathe life into dull dry post-winter skin.
Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and gentle yet surprisingly effective AHAs, while the sour cream contains lactic acid and milk proteins which both help to whiten facial discolorations and hyperpigmentation.
Ingredients:
5-6 ripe organic strawberries
1 tablespoon full-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 drop lemon oil
1 drop vanilla oil
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
2. Apply to the face, neck and chest, and let set for about 10 minutes. Gently wash off with warm water. Follow with your organic toner.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Truffles1 package (6ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy) 1
/2 cup evaporated milk
Optional coatings: cocoa powder chopped nuts confectioner's sugar flaked coconut
Instructions:
Makes About 3 Dozen Truffles
1. Place chocolate morsels in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds. (The bits won't look as if they are melting, but they are.) Stir the bits around with a spoon, leaving a space in the middle. Microwave on HIGH another 30 seconds and stir again until smooth and creamy. If lumps persist, microwave another 15-20 seconds on HIGH, then stir again.
2. Add peanut butter to melted morsels and stir to blend. Add evaporated milk and blend well. Chill mixture one hour in the refrigerator.
3. Using a tablespoon, scoop mixture and form into balls. Roll in desired coatings. Refrigerate until serving.
OR
Peanut Butter Chocolate TrufflesThis truffle recipe was given to us by Brenda Hyde. You can find more old fashioned recipes, crafts and ideas by visiting Brenda's website at
http://www.oldfashionedholidays.com/. Truffles are easy to make, and are a wonderful romantic gesture when given to someone you care about. Whether you wrap them in a pretty tin, or serve them after a special dinner, they add to the festive atmosphere.
Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter chips 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup cocoa 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condense milk 1 tablespoon vanilla Coatings: crushed graham cracker crumbs, confectioners sugar or crushed nuts
Instructions:
Makes about 3 dozen trufflesIn a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with butter. Stir in cocoa until smooth. Add condensed milk and vanilla. Cook and stir until thickened and well blended, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Chill until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in desired coating. Chill until firm. Store, covered in refrigerator.
Strawberry Truffles
This recipe by Roxanne E. Chan of Albany, California was a the Grand Prize winning recipe in the 1997 Oxnard, California Strawberry Festival's Berry Off cooking contest.
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
5 ounces white chocolate
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
18 medium fresh strawberries
1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger (get it in a gourmet food store or well stocked supermarket)
1/2 cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
Instructions:
Makes about 18 Truffles
Melt white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, let cool.Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and ginger root until smooth. Add melted white chocolate and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour or until easy to handle. Use a small melon baller (or small spoon) to scoop out the center of each strawberry, half way down each fruit. Pat strawberry dry. Put a little crystallized ginger into each strawberry. Shape the cheese mixture around the fruit. Coat one end in the toasted coconut, the other in the pistachio nuts. Place truffles in candy cups and chill until serving time.
Orange Chipotle Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate with Chile is a Central American aphrodisiac combination dating back further than recorded time. We've added orange to augment both the bite of bitter chocolate and the chile's sweet sting.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon chipotle Chile powder
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped evenly
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon chipotle Chile powder
Instructions:
Makes Approximately 24 truffles
Heat the cream sugar, butter, orange zest and 1 teaspoon of Chile powder to a boil over medium-high heat. Be careful not to boil over. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, liqueur, salt, and vanilla until smooth.
Pour into an 8-inch baking pan, cover loosely, and refrigerate until firm.
Combine the cocoa, powdered sugar, and additional teaspoon of Chile powder in a shallow bowl. In batches, scoop out teaspoon or tablespoon-size portions of the truffle mixture; roll them into balls and coat them with the truffle mixture. Set the balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm. Store in an airtight container with the cocoa mixture in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze.
White Chocolate TrufflesThis truffle recipe was given to us by our friend Brenda Hyde. You can find more old fashioned recipes, crafts and ideas by visiting Brenda's website
www.oldfashionedholidays.com.
Truffles are easy to make, and are a wonderful romantic gesture when given to someone you care about. Whether you wrap them in a pretty tin, or serve them after dinner, they add to the festive atmosphere.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg yolk 8 ounces whit chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 cup chopped blanched almonds, lightly toasted
Instructions:
Makes about 2 dozen truffles
Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sugar, egg yolk and almond extract; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a shallow glass casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.Shape mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll in almonds. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Place in miniature foil cups at room temperature to serve. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
