Category Archives: inspiration

Sunday Spa Feature – Pampering Body Oil Spray

Posted in beauty, Health & Wellness, inspiration, lifestyle, Rosewater, Scent, Skin Care, Skincare, spa treatment, Wellbeing by

Jojoba Pampering Body oil with aloe vera

With the recent haul of Jojoba and Argan Oil, I’ve been working on a new skin care recipe that is rich, packed full of ingredients to moisturise and pamper dry skin.

The ingredients that made it into this Body Oil:

Aloe Vera.  The version I have is 99.9% pure. It is packed full of nutrients that are great for the skin such as beta carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A, (found also in carrots). It also includes Vitamin C and E which improves skin tone and firmness. It is chosen by skin care brands for its ability to reduce wrinkles associated with aging. I keep a small jar of this in my medicine cupboard, as it has many uses and apply it neat to the kids skin to soothe bug bites and sunburn.

Rosewater and GlycerineGlycerine has been used traditionally in many skin care preparations, such as a facial toner. I’ve been using it in a skin care recipe as an alternative to Micellar Water. It’s a handy all in one facial cleanser and toner, that is great to take make-up off when I’m in a hurry.

As it’s used in cosmetics as a carrying ingredient and will work to carry Aloe Vera so that it can be absorbed into the skin.

Jojoba Oil is a premium oil used in aromatherapy and is used for dilutions of rare and expensive essential oils such as Rose and Jasmine, as it has no odour. It’s also packed full of Vitamin E and contains a substance called Oleic acid which is great for skin, you can read more about its benefits on the Jojoba oil site. As it’s also a non-greasy oil, it will leave a soft satiny feel to skin.

I use Rosewater in a lot of skin care, it’s so mild and gentle to use for the whole family, and is lovely drizzled over a fruit salad with some honey. You can read about some of its benefits in this Rosewater and Glycerine Toner recipe. Mostly, I love its floral fragrance.

Geranium Essential Oil has a floral fragrance similar to rose, its uplifting and keeps summer bugs away. I take a bottle of this with us when ever we go on holiday as it’s a much healthier alternative to commercial air fresheners. As it’s such a small bottle, it’s so easy to pack. Dispersed in a cup of water, it will freshen up any room, particularly useful in hotels that have had smoking guests stay.

It has antibacterial properties, balances skin that’s prone to acne and helps fade scars and marks. As it’s an all-rounder, I’m using it to help towards firmer looking skin.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, is one of my favourite fragrances, it’s heady and supposed to have aphrodisiac properties. A discovery whilst on honeymoon. For me this is bottled paradise and I’m always looking for ways to include it in skin care. It’s great to include in massage oils to revive and rejuvenate.

Lemon Essential Oil, another of my favourite fragrances. As Geranium and Ylang Ylang will make this body oil intensely floral, I have added this to balance out the fragrance of this body oil.

Vodka – for dispersing oil in water (it’s great as it’s odourless and natural, I like it in a cocktail too.)Jojoba and Aloe Vera Gel

The mix is simple, in a 100ml spray bottle add the following:

15 ml (1 tablespoon) Aloe Vera

15 ml (1 tablespoon) Rosewater

15 ml (1 tablespoon) Glycerine

30 ml (2 tablespoons) JoJoba Oil

15 ml Alcohol – plain vodka as this has no odour and will help disperse/mix oil with water

10 drops Geranium Essential Oil

10  drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

15 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Add the Jojoba oil into the bottle first, (I use a funnel to make this easier) and then add the Essential Oils, to blend together, (just swirl the bottle around), once blended, add Aloe Vera, I did this by putting in a small amount into the funnel and adding a small amount of Rosewater, until both were in the bottle then add the Glycerine.

Finally add the alcohol and put the mist spray top on and shake to combine all the ingredients.

The spray can be used immediately, to fully appreciate the fragrance, the scent from the essential oil will take about a week to fully develop. You can of course vary the essential oils to suit your own preferences.

Hmmm, there’s just one thing more, if you’d like to make this a completely indulgent experience, you might like to try the Lavender and Ylang Ylang bath soak before using this body spray.

If you enjoyed this post, please stop by often for more natural skincare and food ideas

Banana Loaf with Sour Cherries and a Cinnamon Crunch topping

Posted in At home, baking, Food, inspiration, Kitchen, lifestyle by

Banana Loaf with Sour Cherries and a crunchy topping

I’ve been clearing out our grocery cupboard. Every few months, I make an effort to purge our groceries to make sure there is nothing lurking in the back of the cupboard that is going out of sell-by date.

It sometimes reveals some interesting finds.

Today, I found these dried sour cherries. I don’t remember buying these, so it must have been my hubby. At any rate they are about to reach the end of their shelf life. Rather than waste them, I decided to put them to use in a cake.Sour Cherries, bananas, dried apricots

Since I also had some bananas which were going very brown, they were now not so great looking in the fruit bowl but would be perfect for this Banana Loaf.

Ingredients:

75g Dried apricots (dried squishy fruit such as apricots if you have them)

75g Sour Cherries

Zest of 1 lemon

100g Unsalted Butter (softened but not melted)

125g soft brown sugar

2 large eggs (free range if possible)

2-3 large ripe bananas

200g self raising flour

Loaf tin (13x23x7cm)

Loaf tin paper case (optional)

For the crunchy topping: (this is optional)

1 tablespoon soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon of Rolled Oats

1 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

To make the cake:

In a bowl, mix together the Sugar, Butter and eggs. Combine them until it is a soft batter. Add the chopped fruit (apricots and sour cherries) along with the zest of 1 lemon.

Mash the bananas until they are gloopy and runny and add these into the bowl and stir gently.

Add sifted self-raising flour gently, I tend to put the sieve over the bowl and gently tap in the flour, folding in the flour into the mixture. It should look a little lumpy, (making sure that there are no pockets of flour in the mix).

Spoon into the loaf tin as evenly as possible (it will spread out as it cooks).

My eldest made the crunchy topping at school during one of the cookery lessons and she showed my how to make this delicious topping.

To make the crunchy cinnamon topping:

In a Saucepan, gently melt the soft butter and soft brown sugar, add in rolled oats and ground cinnamon, making sure you coat all the oats with the cinnamon and buttery sugar. Once golden brown take off the stove and add small dollops of the mixture over the top of the cake mix that is in the loaf tin. As it cooks the small dollops of oats mixed into the butter and sugar will turn cook with the loaf and give a wonderfully fragrant cinnamony crunchy texture to the cake.

In the pre-heated oven, bake on 160c for about an hour (check around 50 mins to see if the cake is ready). It’s ready when you can put a skewer into the cake and pull it out clean.

This cake can be eaten hot from the oven but can be stored for a couple of days in an air-tight container to keep it moist.

Banana Loaf with sour cherries
Crunchy rolled oat cinnamon topping
Melted butter, oats and brown sugar with cinnamon
Cake mix in loaf tin
cake mix with mashed bananas
lemon zest
dried fruit added to cake mix
Chopped soft dried apricots with sour cherries
brown sugar and butter creamed
Loaf tin cake cases
Over ripe bananas, apricots and sour cherries

Sunday Spa Feature – Rice and Lemon Skin tone brightening face mask

Posted in At home, beauty, face mask, inspiration, Skin Care, Skincare by

You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” Gabrielle Chanel

Rice Powder facemask with honey and lemon

Skin Brightening Rice Powder facemask with honey and lemon

My skin is what can only be described as mature, I am fortunate in that I have Chinese skin which doesn’t wrinkle so much, but the signs of age are starting to show. Since Chinese skin is more prone to pigmentation and age spots, I have always used a sunscreen and kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible.

Yesterday, though, in spite of all the sun protection, the little dark marks on my skin seemed more noticeable and there were a few more freckles which must have appeared while we were on holiday. Even though I have been using Clinique’s dark spot corrector and day cream, it looks as if my skin needs more help.

Whilst I like the idea of aging gracefully, with the signs of age acting as markers that define who you are, I think it’s equally important to do as much as possible to maintain healthy looking skin,

Thinking back to a time when I was at home with my mum, she would use rice in many of the beauty treatments she made at home. I think history must be repeating itself, my daughter calls me a hippie because of my enthusiasm for all things home made. I used to think the same of my mum.

So back to the ingredients for the skin tone brightening face mask – Rice is the staple food in Chinese cooking. It is also an ingredient that features in many beauty products. My mother used to keep the rice water (soaking the rice removes the starch to help improve the texture as it cooks), rather than throwing away the starchy water, she would save this and use it as a toner.

Use Hand Blender to make Rice Powder

It contains PABA, (Para Aminobenzoic Acid) an ingredient you find in expensive skincare products, as well as ferulic acid, (an antioxidant), allantoin (anti-inflamatory) as well as vitamins C and E. In recent studies, it has been proven that rice and ricewater can improve and brighten skin. Some have even reported it can give skin a translucent glow.

As I want to use Rice in a facial, the best way to do this is a face mask using the rice in a powder form, so that all the goodness in the rice can soak into my skin.

I have simply put a small handful of Jasmine white rice into a hand blender pot and whizzed this until the rice has become a fine powder.

Once the powder is ready, add a teaspoon of honey, this is great for skin as well. I like to use this in masks because it will bind and hold the rice powder in place on my skin and act as a moisturiser.

I’ve included a very small amount of lemon juice and grated the skin of the lemon peel, both of which will also have a lightening effect on skin. But on their own, I think would be too harsh on mature skin, so just a teaspoon of lemon juice.

I’ve included some rosewater to make the paste the right consistency (You can add more if the paste is too thick),

Spread the facemask on your face and leave for 15-20 minutes. I love using a face mask on a Sunday morning soaking in a bath whilst the kids are still asleep – there’s just enough me time before the house awakes.

Once you’ve finished with the facemask, wipe away with a warm towel and follow with a facial toner and moisturiser as usual. There’s just one last thing, if you’d like to make your own  Rosewater cleanser and toner in one, click on the link for the recipe.

Sunday Spa Feature – Hot Oil hair treatment for dark hair and healthy scalp

Posted in beauty, hair treatment, inspiration, spa treatment, Wellbeing by

Hot Oil Treatment for healthy hair and scalp

Lately my hair feels like straw. I think it must be the combination of feeling under the weather and the chlorine in the swimming pool on holiday.

In my teenage years, I came across VO5 hot oil treatment and would use this on my hair every Sunday as I was convinced by the marketing that it was necessary for long hair.

With all the natural ingredients I have in my cupboard however, it would be simple to make up a batch of hot oil treatment for my hair, without the hassle of having to go shopping.

To condition and put moisture back into my hair, I have chosen to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, well-known for its health benefits, full of antioxidants. It is also a great hair restorer, it contains vitamins A and E and works to treat damaged hair and promotes a healthier scalp.

Since I also have fresh Rosemary growing in the garden, I have taken a sprig of this herb to use with the Olive Oil. Rosemary tea and Oil is widely used in hair treatments and is known as a traditional treatment to darken hair and slow the appearance of grey hair. Since I now have a sprinkling of white showing through my black Chinese hair, this will be great to slow down the rate at which my hair is going grey. The herb is also great at regulating and re-balancing dry itchy scalps.Rosemary and Sage (1)

One of the most used essential oils I have is Tea Tree, this essential oil has fended off the dreaded head lice that most school kids come home with. Whenever, I receive a note from our kids schools advising of Head Lice, I make sure to add tea tree oil when my kids are washing their hair. In fact they now don’t need reminding to add a few drops into their shampoo.

The oil helps unclog pores that may be blocked due to use of shampoos and hair products that contain fillers and polymers. It’s also great at getting rid of dead skin cells, to help healthy new hair to grow.

Fresh Rosemary and Sage herbs to use in hot oil treatmentFinally, as I have fresh Sage growing in the garden also, I will combine this along with the fresh Rosemary and use it as a herb infusion in the olive oil. It is also known as a herb that helps to darken hair.

Making the hot hair treatment is very simple.

In a pan, gently heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Gently bruise the fresh rosemary and fresh sage with a pestle and mortar and add to the hot olive oil, leave to steep for as long as possible (overnight is preferable) but if you are stuck for time, you can use immediately.

I have simply heated the herbs through in the olive oil, then left to cool until it is comfortable to touch with my finger.

With the oil warmed through (be careful that it is not so hot that it will scald – you should be able to put your finger in the oil without it feeling uncomfortable to touch.)

Add 2-3 drops of tea tree essential oil.

If you also have Rosemary essential oil – 2-3 drops can also be added to the hot oil to give the properties of Rosemary an extra boost.

To apply the hot oil

In a bowl, using fingers massage the warm oil into your scalp in circular motion, until all your scalp has been massaged thoroughly, add the remaining oil and run through the entire length of your hair. (1 – 2 tablespoons should be plenty to cover shoulder length hair).

If you have a disposable shower cap, cover your hair and wrap in a towel so that the warm oil can penetrate your hair.

Leave for as long as possible.

Wash with your usual shampoo and condition as necessary.

Once dried, my hair, which felt dry and brittle, has regained some of its bounciness and shine.

Hmm definitely will need to do this on a regular basis.

If you have lighter coloured hair and want to try this hot oil treatment, try Calendula,  chamomile and lemon peel added to the olive oil, as I’ve read these herbs will help to lighten and add highlights to hair.

Escape to the 90’s

Posted in 90s music, inspiration, Perfume by

Escape to the 90s

By the 90’s, my career was in full swing and we had moved into our first house together. This was a time when we were enjoying life to the full.

The scents and perfumes I preferred during this period were fruity florals – Im not sure if anyone remembers these, Calvin Klein’s Escape, Clinique’s Happy, Ralph Lauren’s Polo Sport. Strong scents with fruity top notes.

You could say in the 90’s we were a typical couple of the time, which in marketing terms was called Dinkies – Dual income no Kids.

So I guess it was only appropriate that much of this time we spent thinking and planning our escape from the UK with holidays, long and short stays to as many destinations as our salaries would permit.

What defined this period was a sense of escape, from the power hungry 80’s sharp suits to a more relaxed feel. Fashion became less formal, suits of the 80s were ditched in favour of smart casual dress code for work.

I still like Escape as a perfume, it’s being discontinued so if you like this throw-back to the 90’s, better get your hands on it now as it won’t be around for much longer.

With top notes of peach, apricot and roses, at it’s heart was Ylang Ylang and base notes of vanilla and musk. It had staying power, lingering on my clothes well into the evening.

I didn’t wear it for long. During this decade, I tried lots of different perfumes, some enjoyed as a passing fashion trend of the time, with a growing taste for luxury cosmetics as well. Does anyone remember Prescriptives, a make-up designed to be fool-proof, colour coded so that you could pick out the colours that complimented your skin tone. This was before Mac and Nars came on the scene and had a comprehensive pallet of neutral eye and lip colours for every skin tone, sadly, no longer available.

The perfumes that I do remember, is Ralph Lauren’s Safari and Sport, though the latter has now been discontinued.

There was also a brief fling with Elsabeth Arden’s Sunflowers which gave way to Clinique’s Happy. It didn’t exactly make me feel happy, it was a very strong citrus scent that I am sad to say smelt a little to artificial for my taste.

Some of the music of the time, selected because they remind me of various vacations I’ve included here, if you’d like a moment of distraction.

There was an unspoken way of dressing at work and by the late 90’s everyone it seemed dressed in black jeans and slim fitting shirts, I’m not sure why, but perhaps it was just a period when it seemed the floaty florals were no longer appropriate as the century drew to a close.

By this time, I had swtiched to Ralph Lauren’s Romance and though I might not have openly admit to it, I was caught by it’s notion of love and it’s headiness.

I still have a bottle of this perfume, though I’ve not worn this for a very long time. It’s an easy scent to wear, fresh and summery full of roses with some lovely citrus undertones to give it a refreshing feel as if there’s a gentle summer breeze around you.

And ofcourse, this post wouldn’t be complete without some classical music of the Romantic era:


Hmmm – pure escape, I’m going to put Romance on now.

Sunday Spa Feature – Balancing Almond Face Mask

Posted in beauty, Health & Wellness, inspiration, Skin Care, Skincare, Wellbeing by

Home Made Balancing Face MaskWe’ve been away on holiday soaking up the last rays of the summer sun before we head into Autumn.

As my skin care routine usually goes out along with any thoughts of beauty and cosmetics when we are away, the most I do is to put a face moisturizer on and some protective sunscreen during the day.

I have returned home to find that the skin on my face is shiny and I feel as if I’ve returned to teenage days with blemishes about to erupt.

Looking in my cupboard, which has few fresh ingredients to hand, I can make this simple face mask recipe to help soothe and re-balance my skin.

Ground Almonds (a soft flour that we keep for baking purposes) is the perfect base.

As almonds are a highly nutritional, they are a rich source of vitamin E, calcium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium. In terms of diet, they  also contains zinc, selenium, copper and niacin and make a great healthy snack between meal-times.

In baking, we like to use Ground Almonds in certain cake recipes and always keep a bag in the cupboard to whip up an Orange and Almond cake.

Used in a face mask, the vitamin E part of the ground almonds can improve wrinkles. It also good way to brighten the complexion and reduce age spots and other blemishes on the skin.

As I also have some Sweet Almond oil, I have chosen to combine this with the ground almonds as it will act as a great moisturizer and will increase the potent effects of the Almonds.

Essential Oils of bergamot, Geranium and Sweet Almond OilGeranium Oil – is known to help balance skin, it has toning properties that will help tighten skin and prevent breakouts.

Orange Blossom Honey

Apparently, using honey in a face mask will help destroy bacteria and clear the pores.

With high concentrations of glucose, it kills bacteria and is the reason why honey does not need any preservatives and can be kept out of the fridge.

The antibacterial qualities can help prevent bacteria from re-forming in pores so that any skin that’s prone to acne will benefit from this ingredient. With all the glucose, it works like glycerine in that it acts by attracting moisture to the skin.

As I have Orange Blossom honey, this will work well combined with Orange Blossom Water, since this floral water acts as a mild astringent is also useful for oily and acne prone skin. It’s also great for mature skins as it works to promote healthy new skin cells.

Bergamot Essential Oil, is known for its stress relieving properties, it is a lovely natural sweet-smelling essential oil that works to help protect skin from infection and reduce hyper-pigmentation, fades scars, stretch marks and promotes even skin tone. Orange Blossom Honey and Ground Almonds

Ingredients

2 tablespoon of Almond Flour

1 teaspoon of Orange Blossom Honey

1 teaspoon Sweet Almond Oil

2 drops Geranium Essential Oil

2 drops Bergamot Essential Oil

1 tablespoon of Orange Blossom Water

How to make:

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together to form a paste. Add more orange flower water or honey to make the paste into your preferred consistency.

Smooth onto clean face with gentle circular motion to stimulate as you work the mask into your skin and leave for 15 minutes.

Relax in a bath soak with the scent of oranges, whilst the facemask gets to work, if you want to make the spa experience more indulgent – simply splash Orange Blossom Floral Water, along with oatmeal in a muslin bag tied to the taps for a moisturising batch soak.

Wash off the face mask with a towel with warm water after 15 minutes and use the Orange Flower water as a toner and apply your usual facial moisturizer.

Ahh I’m in orange heaven

Sunday Spa feature – A luscious lip remedy

Posted in beauty, Health & Wellness, inspiration, Skin Care, Skincare, Wellbeing by

LEMON BALM lip salve

Lipsalve mix starting to solidify
Lipsalve mix starting to solidify
Finished Lipsalve containing lemon balm oil, with sweet almond, coconut and honey

Luscious Lemon Balm and Honey Lip Salve

We recently brought home some lemon balm to plant in our garden. Since this is a herb that is new to me, I looked up all the things you can do with it for natural skin care as well as in food.

It works great as an alternative to mint added to Iced Tea, and as a herb to add into salads, it is a great herb with medicinal properties that include helping to calm down anxiety and sleeplessness and as an aid for digestive health.

I’ve also read that it is a great herbal remedy for cold sores, which gave me an idea to find a way to incorporate it into a lip salve.

To get the herb into the lip salve, I created an oil infusion, so that the goodness of the lemon balm can be transferred into the carrier oil. It is simple to make and the process of infusing oils with different herbs and flavours can be used for other purposes – such as creating a lovely lemon oil to use in salads. I picked a small amount of the leaves of the lemon balm, which I then bruised in a pestle and mortar so that all the goodness of the plant can be transferred into the carrier oil.

To keep things simple, I’ve used Sweet Almond Oil as it’s a good carrier oil for aromatherapy massage therapies.  As I have no patience (if you want you can use dried herbs and leave in the oil to infuse over 4-6 weeks, leaving the mixture in a dark place)  to speed up the process for the infusion, I have gently heated the oil with the lemon balm and transferred this into a clean jam jar and left it to sit on the windowsill for a few days.

Once the colour of the oil has taken the colour from the leaves, the oil is ready to be used.

For the lip salve recipe, I’ve used the following combination:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of beeswax

1 tablespoon Lemon Balm infused oil

1 tablespoon of Coconut Oil (organic cold pressed)

2 teaspoon of honey

4 drops lemon essential oil, 4 drop Peppermint essential Oil

The amounts above makes 60ml of lip salve mixture, which would fit into 2 x 30 ml pots shown in the picture.

Making the lip salve is very easy. In a simmering pan of water, put a glass jug into the water, add the beeswax and wait for this to melt. I use the beeswax pellets as this is much easier to use than the large blocks of beeswax.

Beeswax melting with sweet almond oil and coconut oil

Beeswax melting with sweet almond oil and coconut oil

Add the lemon balm infused oil along with the coconut oil and wait until this is all melted into the beeswax.

Add the honey and take the mixture off the heat.

Add the essential oils (I’ve chosen Lemon and Mitcham Peppermint essential oils to intensify the scent of the lip salve).

Pour into the pots of your choice and wait for the mixture to solidify before use.

As the lip salve is made with natural ingredients, I am keeping the quantities made up small so that it can be used straight away. It should keep for around 4-6 weeks, and is a great way to keep lips soft.

For a beauty ritual that helps to maintain the condition of your lips, gently exfoliate lips to remove any dry or flaky skin (I use a toothbrush with soft bristles to do this, but you can also try using a muslin cloth) before applying the lipsalve at night before bedtime.

Red colour pork Chinese style with braised vegetables

Posted in At home, Food, Home, inspiration, lifestyle by
Red Pork Chinese Style

Red Pork Chinese Style

This one is a favourite dish of ours. Whenever we cook this, it is with guilty pleasure as the belly pork isn’t something that is exactly good for those who are health conscious.

I think though a little indulgence sometimes is also good for the soul.

We tend to cook this dish when the kids are staying with their grandparents. (My eldest insists that she does not like Chinese food and so far nothing has worked to persuade her otherwise. It is one of my disappointment, so we don’t cook this one very often).

The dish is actually called Hung Shao Pork, and if you were to say this in Chinese, the translation would be equivalent to Red casseroled pork. The red being the colour that the pork takes on as it slowly cooks and releases its flavour in the glutenous streaky fat running through the meat.

Chinese red pork casserole

Chinese Red pork casserole

Once the onions, garlic and freshly sliced ginger have been gently fried in some oil (sunflower is best as this is odourless) small batons of the belly pork that have been cut into smallish pieces and lightly salted (the size is approximately your little finger) is added and gently fried with the onions, garlic and ginger.

At this point, whilst it is sizzling away, dark soy sauce is added so that the rich dark flavour of the sauce will infuse and work its way into the pork. Add a splash of water and a splash of Chinese wine (if you have this to hand, If not, then some sweet sherry will also work in this dish). Honey added to sweeten the dish along with the saltiness of the Soy Sauce and Star Anise will make this dish rock.

You can use a saucepan or a casserole dish that can be used directly on the cooker, so no need for a wok if you don’t have one.

When the pork has been fried, turn down the heat to the lowest setting and then leave to simmer away for about 30-40 minutes, with the lid on, turning 2-3 times during the cooking time. The goal is to get the lovely pieces of pork to be slightly crispy, but also tender and juicy with the luscious red sauce coating it and making it sticky and oh so yummy to taste.

To balance the richness of the pork, we tend to cook some simple chinese vegetables – Pak Choi with some sugar snap peas, the crunchy sweetness of the sugar snaps are a great compliment to the pork. In fact any Chinese greens if these are available or in season. If not, then fresh brocoli or spinach also works well with this dish. The greens are gently braised in some water, lightly seasoned with salt, with the water not covering the vegetables completely, but as if you are using the liquid to fry the vegetables in.

Braised Chinese Vegetables

Braised Chinese Vegetables

Once the vegetables are just cooked, they can be just on the verge of being cooked, take off the heat and add a very small splash of sesame oil and soy sauce to taste, if you like (seasme seeds sprinkled over the vegetable at this stage will also be a tasty addition.

All of which is simply served with some fragrant Jasmine and wild rice.

Enjoyed with some light sparkling white wine as a balance to the richness of the pork.

Ingredients: 

1 pound of lean belly pork, including skin (bought as a whole large piece, cut into small pieces)

Approx 4 tablespoons of dark soy sauce

Approx 1 tablespoon of water

Fresh Ginger (small amount – roughly equal amount to the onion)

1 small onion

1 Star Anise

1 spoonful of honey (sweetness to taste – add more if you prefer)

Approx 3 tablespoons of Chinese wine (sherry if not available – taste and add more if you need to)

Sunday Spa feature – Luxury Shea Butter St Clements Hand Cream

Posted in beauty, Health & Wellness, inspiration, lifestyle, Scent, Skin Care, Skincare by

ST CLEMENTS HAND CREAM (7)

Orange Blossom Water mixed together with Shea Butter, with Acetic Acid and Emlusifying wax
Jar of St Clements Hand Cream
Jar of St Clements Hand Cream
Jar of St Clements Hand Cream
Jar of St Clements Hand Cream

This is a simple way to enjoy the enriching benefits of Shea Butter in a hand cream, with a lovely light non-greasy mousse like texture.

Making this hand cream couldn’t be easier.

Shea Butter comes from the Shea Tree and is helpful for many skin conditions, especially dry skin. It contains vitamins A and E as well as fatty acids, plant sterols that are good for you. You can read more about it’s amazing qualities at the American Shea Butter institute.unrefined raw organic Shea Butter

I discovered the benefits of Shea Butter in a hand cream made by L’Occitane, it was given to me as a gift which I used every time I washed my hands after every nappy change, and because there were quite a few of these, my hands became very dry. The L’Occitane handcream was the only hand cream that helped. I love this cream and have the smaller sized version in my desk at work, and in my bag to use everywhere I go.

But since, I also like to make my own skincare, I’ve been experimenting to see if I can create one that has all natural ingredients without any commercial chemical preservatives that are necessary to extend the shelf life of the products.

I’ve chosen to use orange blossom water to use with the Shea Butter, as this too is great for skin, it is a mild astringent with antiseptic properties, it can be used as a toner for combination, oily and skin that’s prone to break-outs. (I’ve switched to using it as a facial toner during the summer) It’s also great because it helps regenerate skin and has relaxing and calming properties, mostly though I love the lovely floral citrus scent it leaves on the skin.

As I’ve added Lemon and Bergamot essential oils, to intensify the scent, I’ve called this mixture a St Clements Hand Cream.

The mixture is very light and is instantly absorbed into the skin and leaves a wonderfully fragrant orange and lemon scent (please note that since citrus can be photosensitive, it’s best not to use this if going out in direct sunlight. If you are trying this for the first time, do a patch test first).

Making the mixture, is very simple, it forms a creamy texture, so best to put it into a glass jar, than in a pump bottle as it turns into a lovely light mousse like texture.

To make the hand cream, simply put the shea butter, along with the emulsifying wax into a glass jug (it needs to be heat proof), in a pan of water that’s simmering, to melt the shea butter and wax together, once this has been melted, add the orange blossom water along with the acetic acid. Sift in Corn flour (I’ve added this to lighten the texture.

Don’t worry if it looks very runny at this stage, as it will solidify when it cools down to room temperature.

At this stage, whisk  (use an electric whisk for this part) to get air into the mix, you can carry on doing this until the mixture has cooled down, watch it turn into a white mouse like texture and then transfer into the glass jar of your choice.

Since this mixture is all natural, it contains no artificial preservatives, so I have kept the mix small and should last about 2-3 weeks.

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon stearic acid*

1 teaspoon of Emulsifying wax*

1 teaspoon of Beeswax*

7 tablespoons of Orange Blossom Water

2 heaped tablespoon of Shea butter*

10 drops Lemon Essential Oil

5 drops Bergamot Essential Oil

2 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

1 teaspoon of corn flour

1x 100-150 ml glass Jar

Hmm I think I’m going to enjoy this as part of the Spa experience with the Indulgent Orange Blossom Hand Mask.

*I have included the product links here to where you can order the ingredients which you may find useful:

Stearic Acid for UK, Stearic Acid for the US

Emulsifying Wax for UK, Emulsifying Wax for the US

Beeswax Beads  for UK, Bees Wax Beads for the US

Organic Shea Butter Unrefined for UK

Organic Shea Butter Unrefined for US.

* Affliate links

Sunday Spa feature – Indulgent Hand Mask

Posted in beauty, Health & Wellness, inspiration, Skin Care, Skincare, Wellbeing by

Orange Blossom Water

Since all the gardening and washing up have taken their toll on my hands, this is the perfect indulgent treatment to bring some much-needed moisture back to them.

This indulgent hand mask is so simple and quick to make.

As I have some Rolled Oats in the cupboard, this made the base for the moisturising hand mask.

I have simply added a tablespoon of lavender flowers to 3 tablespoons of the rolled oats and blended them together with the electric hand whisk to produce a fine powdery mix.

Rolled Oats & dried lavender flowers

Rolled Oats & dried lavender flowers

If you don’t have an electric hand whisk, then grinding the oats and lavender flowers together using a Pestle and Mortar will also release the lovely lavender scent and infuse it with the oats.

Oats are known to help sooth and heal the skin, reducing inflammation and soften skin. They have been clinically shown to help heal dry itchy skin.  Together with the calming scent of lavender along with its healing properties, the blend can be stored as a dry mix to use whenever you need it.

To create the hand mask, I have added to the mix some Orange Blossom Honey, together with some Orange Blossom Water. The mix should be fairly thick so that it spreads over your hands and forms the mask to cover your hands completely.

As I wanted to make this a luxurious spa experience, to begin the treatment, I splashed some Orange Blossom Water into a bowl of chilled water to wash my hands.

With the mixture ready, this was applied over my hands.

Orange Blossom Honey and Orange Blossom WaterLeaving the mask on my hands for 10-15 minutes, I sat in a bath soak whilst waiting for the mask to do their magic.

As I rinsed the mask away, I rubbed the mixture so that it gently exfoliated the skin on my hands at the same time, leaving them feeling wonderfully soft and silky.

I have not used any hand lotion, just patted my hands dry on a soft towel. My hands have been left silky smooth, with the orange blossoms and lavender making them smell fragrant, refreshed and well, revived.

Hmmm heaven.