Homemade French Toast

Over the past few weeks, Alex and I have been experimenting with different breakfast foods when we’re home on the weekends. We decided it was time to try out French Toast. We looked at a couple different recipes and finally decided on this one that we created. It combines several different types of spices to give it an incredible flavor combination.This recipe is entirely gluten free, you simply need to make certain to use gf bread when it gets to that step. Each slice of bread will need to cook for different amounts of time based on how much of the egg mixture they’ve absorbed. Cook them until they are browned on each side and there isn’t any visible moisture. This will keep you from consuming undercooked eggs.We like serving this with butter and maple syrup. It will really give it a fantastic deep flavor. You can use whatever syrup or topping combination you like. You could even top these with some fresh whipped cream to really make it special. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did![amd-yrecipe-recipe:116]

Relaxing Foot Soak

If you follow me on social media you will remember a couple months ago I was stage managing a community theater production of Carousel. After just the first week in Tech my feet hurt like crazy! I decided to make a foot soak to help soothe my tired feet.This soak is amazing! It not only calms those agitated foot muscles, it also smells amazing! I found that once I soaked my feet I could then go several days without doing it again. It relaxed my feet pretty completely and left them feeling very soft.You can make this recipe without the essential oils if you don’t have them on hand. You will still have some relaxing benefits. The EO’s simply provide additional relaxation to the muscles. I highly suggest using them if possible, especially the peppermint and rosemary. These EO’s will provide your tired feet with the most comfort.I used my laundry tub to soak my feet, I don’t happen to have anything smaller that I could have used. I put in ½ cup of soak into the entire tub. You can feel free to adjust how much you add based on the size of your container.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:88]

Homemade Caramel Sauce

I typically find making caramel sauce difficult. I don’t always have the best of luck getting it to turn out right. I often burn the caramel so I don’t make this often. However, I prefer knowing what is going into my caramel sauce when I bake. Especially since store-bought caramel sauce isn’t always gluten free. This recipe is completely gluten free and is fantastic for use in gluten free baking recipes.

This is my favorite homemade caramel sauce recipe that I’ve found to date. It requires the use of a candy thermometer or instant read thermometer. You will need to have one of these to make this recipe. If you don’t you won’t be able to tell when the caramel is done.Be very careful that you don’t burn the sauce. If you do you will be able to taste it in the finished product. The best way I’ve found the keep it from burning is to stir continuously. This keeps everything moving and doesn’t give it time to burn. You will want to let the sauce thicken and cool before using it in any recipe.

 

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Source: Adapted from: Annies-Eats

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How to: Make any boxed cake mix taste like it was homemade!

I’m sure we’ve all been there, we have people coming over soon, and they’re expecting a delicious homemade treat, and you have NO time to make anything yummy from scratch. I ran into this a couple weeks ago. We had people coming over the next day and it was 11 at night. I needed a delicious dessert but I had absolutely no time to make anything.I decided to make a boxed cake mix (gasp, I know!). I never make cake mixes because they are never as good as anything I can make from scratch. However in this instance I needed an amazing dessert and I needed it quickly so I could go to bed.I’ve done this several times in the past when I didn’t have time to make anything. The final result is a moist delicious cake that people will never believe came from a box mix! It simply takes a few alterations to the recipe to take it to the next level. This will work with just about any cake mix you might have in your pantry. I’ve placed the recipe below for the box I used this time around so you can get a feel for what a finished recipe looks like. Don’t hesitate to experiment on your own with the basics below.

In order to make a boxed cake mix taste like a homemade cake you want to first replace the oil with melted butter. This will give you a better crumb to the cake. However if you are running short on butter or want less calories you can skip this step. If you skip this step the cake will still be incredible, just slightly less incredible. If I had to pick one step to leave out this would be it. If you do leave it out simply use the amount of oil the recipe calls for.The real way to take a boxed cake mix from drab to fab is instead of adding water to the mix is to substitute milk and sour cream. Take the amount of water call for in the recipe and halve it. Add that much both milk and sour cream. So if you recipe calls for ¾ Cup of water add ¼ Cup and 2 Tablespoons of both milk and sour cream.Add the exact amount of eggs called for in the recipe. Eggs help the structure of the cake to remain intact and so you need to make certain to keep that portion of their recipe the same. This will insure your cake has the correct structure, not to dense and not too crumbly.The final way to make these cakes amazing is to add a little bit of extract to the batter. This will fill out the taste of your cake. I chose to add vanilla extract to my chocolate cake. Depending on what type of box mix you start with you can choose the extract that will best compliment your cake. The same goes for chocolate chips. You don’t have to use them but if you do your cake just has a little more pizazz to it.I always love to bake cakes in a bundt pan. I feel like this really gives the cake a flair it doesn’t get with a regular pan and it also makes it look WAY prettier with minimal effort.  A lot of cakes baked in a bundt pan will be perfect if paired with powdered sugar as a simple dusting. Happy baking!

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Homemade Tasting Boxed Cake1 Box Madhava Organic Chocolate Cake Mix½ Cup Sour Cream½ Cup Milk½ Cup Butter (melted)3 Eggs2 Teaspoons Vanilla ExtractWhite Chocolate Chips (optional)Powdered Sugar (for garnish)Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 12 cup bundt pan.

Mix together the cake mix, sour cream, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir until no lumps remain.Stir in the chocolate chips if using.Transfer to the prepared bundt pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.Sprinkle with powdered sugar once the cake has cooled.

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Easy Pretzel Bites

My Mom and I were talking the other day about making homemade pretzels. When she asked how I made them, I mentioned that I typically use my breadmaker to prepare the dough. She doesn’t have a breadmaker anymore so she was slightly disappointed that she couldn’t prepare them the same way. That conversation got me thinking, how did I made pretzels and pretzel bites before I had a breadmaker?I remembered that I used Rhodes prepared dinner rolls. I decided to put together a little post on making these since I happened to have a bag of rolls in my freezer. They are super yummy and VERY easy! The most time spent is waiting for the dough to defrost and rise. While I use Rhodes rolls you can use any prepared raw dough you like. Just make sure it is fully defrosted before you start, or else you’re going to end up with a nasty finished product.

There are several different schools of thought on using baking soda to make homemade pretzels. Some people think you can simply soak the pretzels in a baking soda bath. However, I’ve never had good luck with this. I prefer to boil the raw dough in the baking soda bath for approximately 1 minute. I feel like this gives it time to fully absorb what it needs to nicely brown.I like brushing the butter onto these just after they’ve come out of the oven. This gives them that buttery flavor you’d get from a mall pretzel. I only use salt on these, however if you wanted to use cinnamon sugar instead you could have sweet pretzel bites. Just make sure you sprinkle whatever topping you use generously. In my opinion you can never have too much flavor on these!

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Easy Pretzel Bites:12 Unbaked Rhodes Dinner Rolls or other raw prepared dough2 Cups Water¼ Cup Baking Soda2 Tablespoons Butter (melted)Kosher Salt

Defrost the dough and allow it to rise until doubled.Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using greased scissors cut the dinner rolls in quarters.Combine the water and baking soda in a small saucepan on high heat. When you reach a rolling boil begin to add the raw dough.

Cook until the dough has inflated, approximately 1 minute per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon, shaking off the excess water.Place the dough on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough chunks.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the dough is lightly browned.Remove from the oven and brush generously with the butter.

Sprinkle liberally with the kosher salt and enjoy!

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Homemade Dulce De Leche

Dulce De Leche is a smooth caramel flavored sauce popular in Latin countries. This caramel is very easy to make if you have a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk on hand.  Most recipes I’ve seen call for you to use a crockpot to boil the can of milk for several hours. I didn’t want to do this because it can be dangerous and create rust lines in the bottom of your crockpot.I decided to do essentially the same thing, but with baking pans in the oven. Make sure that you put in enough water so that the pans don’t dry out. If your pans dry out they can shatter in the oven. I put in water about half way up my pans, and next time I think I’ll probably put in more. By the end there was very little water left in my pan.

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Homemade Dulce De Leche:14oz Can Sweetened Condensed MilkPreheat the oven to 425.

Pour the condensed milk into an 8x8 baking pan. Cover with tin foil.Put the 8x8 pan into a 13x9 baking pan. Fill with water, about halfway up the sides.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the milk is golden brown.Remove from the oven, uncover and transfer to the bowl of a food processor or the cup of a stick blender.

Blend until smooth. Refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour.If not using right away cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator

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Honey and Shea Lotion

I created this lotion a few weeks ago as a present for a few ladies who came down to visit us. This is honestly the best lotion I’ve ever used. It takes care of my extremely dry hands and smells heavenly! I’ve used several different base oils to make it moisturizing. When you use this lotion, as with any homemade lotion, it is slightly greasy. However, once you let it dry it doesn't leave any trace of the oil.

When making this lotion you want to make certain to remove the oil/beeswax mixture from the heat just before the beeswax is completely melted. You will need to continue stirring until everything has completely melted together. This will keep your lotion from burning and becoming ruined.

I used canning jars to store the lotion. I glued a piece of scrap-booking paper that I had cut to size to the jar lid and then glued the lit to the band. This creates a beautiful little gift.

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Honey and Shea Body Lotion:½ Cup Sunflower Oil½ Cup Fractionated Coconut Oil½ Cup Sweet Almond Oil½ Cup Safflower Oil½ Cup Beeswax3 Teaspoons Raw Honey2 Teaspoons Vitamin E Oil4 Teaspoons Shea Butter¾ Cup Distilled Water25 Drops Lemon Essential Oil30 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil15 Drops Clove Bud Essential Oil20 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil10 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil7 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil

Combine the oils, beeswax, honey, vitamin E oil, and shea butter is a medium saucepan, set over low heat.Gently stir until the beeswax has melted.

Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Pour in the distilled water.

Using a hand mixer mix together the oil and water until it resembles lotion.

Let cool to the touch then stir in the essential oils.

Once the lotion has completely cooled spoon it into clean jars. (This recipe will make approximately three 8oz containers.)

Homemade Dryer Sheets

In my quest to find more ways to save money I decided that I wanted to do something about my dryer sheet problem. They were just so expensive I was having a hard time justifying purchasing them. So after I made my own laundry detergent I decided to try my hand at dryer sheets.I was skeptical at first that this would actually work, but wikihow knows its stuff! This softener is economical to make and will last you a very long time, especially if you are just making dryer sheets. I can’t speak to how it works in the laundry since I never actually use fabric softener in my loads.The dryer sheets work just as well, if not better than the store bought ones. I also really love the fact that I can use one sheet in more than one load.

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Homemade Fabric Softener:6 Cups Water3 Cups Vinegar2 Cups Conditioner OPTIONAL: 25-50 Drops of Essential Oils that compliment your scentMix ingredients being careful not to make suds. Store in an airtight container.If you want to add this straight to your wash use about ¼ of a cup per load. You can use any type of conditioner you have on hand. You also do not need to use the essential oils, they will simply intensify the scent of the softener. (I used Suave Rosemary Mint conditioner and Rosemary/Peppermint EO’s because I saw the scent combination on another blog and thought it would be good.)  If you’re looking for an unscented dryer sheet just use an unscented conditioner and don’t add the oils.

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Homemade Dryer Sheets:Squares of fabric – These can be washcloths, small squares of fabric or just about anything you have on handHomemade Fabric Softener Soak the squares of fabric in the softener.Squeeze out so they are just damp.Let them sit out until they are completely dry.Use as normal in your dryer. One sheet will last you approximately 12-15 loads. I’ve used extra homemade potholders that I had on hand. They were the right size and easy to use. I’ve also found that adding a safety pin to the dryer sheet helps prevent static cling!

Homemade Mascara

Mascara is the final touch for me when I decide to wear makeup. I was unhappy with the types I was buying at the store since they are full of chemicals. When I was researching mascara recipes on the internet I came across a lot that had a coconut oil base. Since coconut oil is liquid above 76 degrees I didn’t feel that this was the right base for me.I decided to use Aloe Vera Gel since I use it for hair gel when I need it. This has been a great alternative for me. I think that it sticks better. This is NOT waterproof mascara by any means. I have also found that it flakes slightly after a long day of wear. Do not leave out the cosmetic clay, this will help it adhere to your lashes, and you can add more activated charcoal to get a darker color.

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Mascara:2 ½ Tablespoons Pure Aloe Vera Gel½ Tablespoon Bentonite Clay6 Capsules of Activated Charcoal

Thoroughly mix, store in a clean empty mascara container (I purchased a new one on Amazon).

You can easily fill the container by turning an empty egg carton over, slicing small holes in the spots where the egg goes and putting the container inside. This will keep it upright and easy to fill. I filled it by putting the mascara in a ziplock and cutting off the edge. I then squeezed it into the tube until it was full.

Homemade Lipstick

Lipstick is one thing that I love to wear all the time. This homemade lipstick gives you a very light coloring. It is also very hydrating for your lips. I chose to go with pink since it is what I normally wear, but if you wanted something darker you could add cinnamon or cocoa powder to get a dark shade. You can also add some Vitamin E oil to make it even more hydrating for your lips.I found a very easy way to fill the empty tubes. I cut an empty egg carton in half and turned it upside down. I cut small holes in the bottom of the carton and stuck the tubes inside. This held them upright and made them way easier to fill. I did have a little trouble with them overflowing but it came off the tube easily with a warm damp washcloth.

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Natural Pink Lipstick:1 Teaspoon Beeswax1 Teaspoon Shea Butter1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil¼ Teaspoon Beet Root Powder

Melt the beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil over medium heat.

Once everything is melted add the color.

Pour into empty containers.This is a bear to clean but putting soap and water in the pot immediately will help with that.

Homemade Eye Shadow

Eye shadow is one of my favorite things to wear. You can totally change your look by simply changing the color of your shadow! I tend to stick with neutral colors though when I do wear makeup.  You can use different spices to get different color shadows.If you’d like to get a pink shadow use beetroot or hibiscus powder, if you want a yellow color use ginger or turmeric. Cinnamon will give you a reddish brown color and cocoa powder will be pretty dark. Use arrowroot powder to get a silky smooth base and bentonite clay to help it stick.I’ve use a combination of the spices listed below to come out with three different neutral colors that work for my coloring.

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Eye shadow:Arrowroot PowderCinnamonGinger½ Teaspoon Bentonite

Mix until you get the coloring you want. Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Blush and Bronzer

The other two powders I use aside from foundation are blush and bronzer. These recipes use the same natural premise as the foundation.  You can create whatever shade you want by adding additional beetroot powder (for blush) or cocoa powder (for bronzer).The Bentonite clay helps the makeup adhere to your skin and stay longer. You can use any type of cosmetic clay you may have on hand.

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Blush:2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder½ Teaspoon Bentonite Clay1 Tablespoon Beetroot PowderMix until you achieve the color you are wanting. Store in an airtight container.

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Bronzer:2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder2 Teaspoons Cinnamon1 Teaspoon Bentonite Clay½ Teaspoon GingerMix until you achieve the color you are wanting. Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Foundation

After converting my shower products to all natural I decided to try and make my own makeup.  I don’t tend to wear a lot of makeup mostly because a lot of makeups tend to irritate my extremely sensitive skin. I decided to try making my own makeup to try and help keep my skin from getting irritated. I also wanted to take out the nasty chemicals that are in the makeup.Each person’s recipe for foundation will be different. I have super light skin so this mixture works for me. If you have darker skin you can add more cocoa powder, if you have more of a yellowish tint you can add additional ginger.You can use any type of cosmetic clay that you have on hand. The clay will help the makeup adhere to your skin and stay. This can also be turned into concealer by taking some pure aloe vera gel and some of your foundation mixture and mixing until you get the correct consistency.

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 Foundation:5 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder1 Teaspoon Bentonite Clay1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder1 Teaspoon Cinnamon½ Teaspoon Ginger

Mix until the color matches your skin. Store in an airtight container.

Lavender and Lemon Shower Gel

One thing I’ve had trouble finding an alternative to has been my Bath & Body Works shower gels. I have used shower gels for years and I love their ease. I tried using Dr Bronner’s Soap in bar form for a while but I just didn’t like the final feeling it left on my skin.After not finding anything that quite fit what I was looking for I decided to create my own. I used Dr Bronners bar soap as the base to keep the shower gel all natural. I added Coconut Milk for a moisturizing element and Vegetable Glycerin in order to get suds. I used the same essential oils as my lotion so that I have a cohesive scent throughout my body products.

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Lavender and Lemon Shower Gel1 Cup Grated Soap Flakes1 Cup Water¼ Cup Coconut Milk (Not the stuff in the refrigerated aisle, the real stuff from the can)2 Tablespoons Vegetable Glycerin20 Drops Lavender Essential Oils10 Drops Lemon Essential Oils5 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oils1 ½ Teaspoons Xanthan Gum (Optional, this will thicken the shower gel so it is more like a shave gel)

Grate the soap flakes in a food processor.

You can store the left over soap flakes in a Mason jar for your next batch.

Put the soap flakes and water on the stove and stir until melted.

Once melted add the coconut milk, vegetable glycerin, and essential oils. (If you are adding Xanthan Gum to thicken it to a shave gel add this now.)

Once it is thoroughly mixed pour the cooling liquid into a container. (If you make shave gel put it into a wide mouth Mason jar, this will make it easy to get it out later.)

Wait until the shower gel has fully cooled to use!

How to Puree a Pumpkin

With the holidays right around the corner I’m sure you’re starting to plan your holiday baking. I know I am! One thing I’m sure you’re thinking about with Thanksgiving this week is the traditional pumpkin desserts. Now, these are great with the normal canned pumpkin, but have you ever considered taking them to the next level by pureeing your own pumpkin? My Dad has been doing this for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I remember helping out in the kitchen a few days before Thanksgiving while he prepped everything. It was always so exciting as a kid to have him cook the pumpkin because it meant the holidays and family gatherings were right around the corner!This year I picked up a GIANT pumpkin for $2.99 at Aldi back a few weeks before Halloween. I used it to decorate our porch for several weeks before I brought it inside to cook. So not only are you saving money by making your own pumpkin puree you can also use it as decoration for several weeks. Make sure you cook it before it starts to mold, although you can cut off portions with mold on them as long as it’s not invasive.To get started you want to bring a pot of water to boil on the stove. Do not salt the water, this will give the pumpkin a salty taste that you don’t want.Scrape all the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin. I find it easiest to cut the pumpkin into quarters and scrape from there. Then you want to cut your pumpkin into 6in (ish) chunks. Boil the chunks in the water until they are soft. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes per batch.Once they have been boiled you want to cool them so that you can touch them. I leave them on a baking sheet until they are cool enough to handle.You then want to cut the rind off. If you’ve cooked the pumpkin long enough the rind will pretty much come right off. I use a butter knife so there is less of a chance I’ll hurt myself.Once the rind is off, put the pumpkin in a food processor using the puree attachment. Puree until there are no chunks left. Store the puree in the freezer until ready to use. Because there are no additives the puree will only last a few days in the fridge before it molds. I like to store the puree in 1 Cup baggies so I can easily defrost as much as I need for a recipe.Use this pumpkin as you would the canned stuff in a recipe. The pumpkin has more water content than the canned stuff so make sure you take this into account when using it. You may have to add additional flour to a recipe to make it the right consistency.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Homemade Vanilla Extract is something I had seen all over the internet several years ago. I started making it myself and have never looked back.  In fact, I love it so much that last year I gave bottles to my entire extended family for Christmas. It is super easy to make and only requires that you have the time to let it sit.All you need are Vanilla Beans and Vodka. Use the least expensive you can find since it doesn’t make a difference tastewise. You can make the extract Gluten Free if you use a GF brand of Vodka. You need to let the extract sit for two months, so take that into consideration if you choose to make it as a gift.I purchase Vanilla Beans in bulk via Amazon. This is less expensive than getting them at the grocery store. They seem to store well in an airtight ziplock. I’ve never had a problem with them going bad and then I have them on hand for any other recipe that calls for them.Be sure to put the date you made the extract on the container somewhere so in case you’re like me and tend to forget you can know when the extract has sat for two months. Once it is ready, use the extract the same as its store bought counterpart.

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 Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe:2-3 Vanilla Beans8oz VodkaCut the Vanilla Beans lengthwise leaving a small portion of the top connected. Stick 2 or 3 of them in a container and add 8oz of Vodka. Let the bottles sit in a cool dark place for about eight weeks. Shake occasionally to mix.

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