Vitamix Butternut Squash Soup (vegan)

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This little gadget is amazing..it will make a soup from scratch in five minutes.  I was at Wegman's the other day and the vitamix  guy made us this...came home and made it again.

Vitamix Butternut Squash Soup

In the vitamix, throw in:

four carrots
Half red onion
2 stalks celery
clove garlic
half avocado
1/2-3/4 of 20 oz package of cubed butternut 

10 peppercorns
8 oz rice milk
1 T cinnamon
big squeeze blue agave (about 4 tablespoons)
1 tsp salt (tweak it out if you want)
2 cups hot water (approximately, until vitamix is almost full, just hot tap water)

Okay, this is the hard part....turn on the vitamix..and wait 5 mins...
After the five minutes, its ready to pour into mugs/bowls and piping hot.

My son's culinary class made a sauce for drizzling on top of theirs with sour cream, maple syrup and ceyenne pepper.  Also they used a sweet potato to thicken theirs, this recipe uses avocado.

Note, you can totally unveganize this. I have made this many ways.  its great with whole milk roasted red peppers, crabmeat and sauted shiitake mushrooms added at the end to give it body. I also love a fresh hot pepper in it, added during the vitamix blend.  The cinnamon and hot pepper go well together.


   

Margaritas Luscious Chocolate Body Scrub ♥

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Margaritas Luscious Chocolate Body Scrub

I love sugar scrubs. Salt scrubs seem to dry my skin and hurt too much.   I know Hershey has its own chocolate spa, but I don't have the time or money to get there, so here is what I came up with.   I washed my face with this and licked my lips...omg LUSCIOUS!

1 C sugar

1½ T Cocoa Powder (not hot chocolate mix, real cocoa)

½ C coconut oil (warm so its liquid to be able to mix it easier)

2 T honey

Mix the sugar and cocoa first with a whisk, in another measuring cup or small bowl, mix the honey and coconut oil...than add the dry to wet.  

I'd store this in the fridge but its not necessary if you are going to use it up in a day or two

You can also use an oil if you prefer, olive, grapeseed, but I am a coconut oil lover for body products.

This will harden when its above 76° but its easy to melt it back down if you prefer to have it liquid, your warm bathroom will bring it right back to liquid or put it in the hot shower a min or two. 

Disclaimer:   I use brown wash rags and towels (I live with all men and brown is my fav masculine color so its what we have) so I can't say what this will do to your pretty wash rags. Use a dark one. It did rinse right off of my cloth shower curtain. 

Homemade Cheese-its

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I came across this awesome homemade cheese-its recipe.  They are so cute, and if you are going to eat junk food, making it yourself is one sure what to make sure you are not getting awful ingredients you can't even pronounce.
The ingredient list is so short and simple....Here is all you need.

Cheese-its

(adapted from “Ready Made” and a few other sources)

8 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded

½ stick unsalted butter,  room temperature

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 c flour

2 T water, iced

See the full recipe with picture details on A Golden Afternoon.

Recycled Wine Bottle Torch.

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I am always in search of ways to reuse all of the wine bottles that appear in my recycling container (must be my darn wino neighbors hehe)
Here is a really cool garden use for them.
For the website I found this on, with full directions, click here
Here are some pics from the site to give you an idea of how easy it is...

Click on the picture to take you to the details and sizes of the parts. 

Homemade Modge Podge

Homemade Modge Podge

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Modge Podge is simple to make, and the homemade version costs a fraction of the cost of the store bought stuff.

All it is, is 50-50 white elmers type glue and water. This will give you a modge  podge with a matte finish...If you want a shiny finish, add a T of clear Varnish to your jar.

Fill a jar halfway with Elmers type glue and the other half with water.  Add your varnish (optional)  and you are ready to go.

Here are some ideas to use your modge podge

Modge Podge Rocks

Homemade Nutella !

Okay Nutella fanatics..I know there are tons of you out there...I personally do not care for it, but my kids and sisters are huge fans.  Here is a healthier version of it, you can make at home...There are a few variations to this recipe, so if you don't have the ingredients for this one, see links below. 

Homemade Nutella

The original recipe instructs to strain the spread at the very end, but I don’t mind a little nut texture in mine. Adapted from the Encyclopédie du Chocolat, by way of David Lebovitz.

1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp. mild-flavored honey
pinch salt
1 heaping cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or chips
1 scant cup chopped milk chocolate, or chips

See the rest of the recipe on Babble

Another version...

Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Homemade Nutella)

adapted from the LA Times

2 cups raw hazelnuts

1/2 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa powder

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons hazelnut oil, more as needed

Full Recipe

And one more version..this one looks the best, but not real healthy....but then again, ya can't always eat healthy.
The Eccentric Cook 

Homemade Nutella

makes for 3 jars

200 g Hazelnuts

1 can Condensed Milk

255 g Chocolate - the darker the better

1/2 cup hot Milk

Full Recipe with detailed pics

And while you are at it...make some Nutella Pudding.

How To Cut A Glass Bottle Using A String

This is really cool.  Great for if you are recycling your wine bottles...to make candle holders out of them for the garden.


great idea from smashgamr