Favorite Things Thursday: Knockoff Scrubby Bars

Are you fortunate enough to live near a Lush, but unfortunate enough to not be able to afford their fabulous goodies?  Look no further.

I decided to try my hand at making something similar to the Buffy, and I think it turned out pretty well!  I set an 8 cup pyrex measuring cup in a large saute pan filled with boiling water, and I melted the following together:

3 oz. organic cocoa butter
8 oz. organic shea butter
5 oz. organic coconut oil
lemon essential oil
lavendar essential oil

In the meantime, I pulsed a cup of rice and a cup of rolled oats in my food processor.

When the butters and oils were completely melted together, I added the rice and oat mixture.

Then I poured the whole thing into silicone muffin pans.

Pop them in the freezer for a few hours and you're good to go!  Just scrub 'em on at the end of your shower, rinse the foodie bits off of your bod, and air dry!  (Or towel off, if you're not inclined to prance around naked and drip water everywhere).

Favorite Things Thursday: Any New Books?

As someone who spends most of her time in either (a) the kitchen or (b) the library, I experience a great deal of joy when the two intersect.  One of my colleagues introduced me to Any New Books? and my life has never been the same.

Using the site, you can set up preferences to receive weekly emails about the latest and greatest titles in that subject area.  I have my account set up to receive boat-loads of alerts, but my favorites are in Cooking, Food, & Wine and Health, Mind, & Body.  I've found some great cookbooks in these weekly emails, and definitely recommend them for anybody who loves books and cooking!

New Year, New Direction

Hey Peeps, happy 2013!

I am so thrilled to be back to blogging in the new year, and hope to have big things in store for the blog (as well as personally and professionally)!  One big change you're going to notice right away is that my pictures are better . . . why, you might ask?!

Because the F got me a new DSLR camera!  (The Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens, to be exact).  I took TONS of pictures during my holiday forays into cooking WAY TOO MUCH, and I can't wait to share them with you!

In the mean time, I have a couple of old dishes to share, then it's off to the races.

I can't wait to share this year with you!

-ash

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming . . .

. . . to move.

I hate moving.  Specifically, I hate packing, unpacking, lifting heavy things, and stressing out the dog.  However, the new home comes with a VERY big perk (besides the pool, that is) . . . a BIG kitchen.  A big kitchen with nice countertops and natural light so my food photos won't suck.  I'll be gone for a few days, peeps, but when I come back I'll be back in a BIG way! 

Stay tuned . . .

Trying to Win

This minted giveaway!

Lovin' all of the great stuff on Merci and Minted, and would LOVE to win this giveaway!

Which Minted invites do you like, peeps?