spring cleaning

Since becoming a vegetarian, I really have not done the typical seasonal detoxes I used to do. Recently, I was required to do a liquid fast for a colonoscopy. It was such a great run of clean eating...and then Sunday came, and I ate cake, candy, caramel...lol.

I follow the Lemonade diet but sweetened this time with honey because it was all I had in stock. I did not use cayenne because the prep required that I avoid 'red'.

The point is, I will do the 24-48 hour clear liquid cleanses seasonally again. My colon received an herbal cleansing and this along with a clear liquid diet provided me a 'reset'. Since, I feel more efficient! Early morning detail...check!

I have more energy...even more than before!

As I have always stated, my diet is not perfect. I follow the 80/20 rule. However, this cleansing was marvelous on my colon and it certainly encourages me to stay on the 80 side of life!

my mom's caramel cake...sort of

Hot Cakes on Cooling Rack

My cousin absolutely loved my mother's caramel cake. She was always my mother's favorite niece and nary a moment went by that she wouldn't remind us 'kids'.

My mother's birthday is April 28th and she'd be 84 years old. In honor of her I decided to make this rich traditional favorite for the month of April, expecting it would be fitting for Easter Sunday. Instead I delivered it on today at my younger cousin's baby shower.

The recipe has been refined. As any cook would do, I made the recipe my own by tweaking a few elements. It is basically the same. My mom used Swan's Down Cake flour.
I was never a fan of purchasing 'special' items when you can simply make your own...that's scratch right? Well according to my cousin, it was delectable. And I am glad that it was because it was truly a labor of love. 

Liquid Gold...

Rules to baking: Room temperature for all ingredients unless told to do otherwise. For even cakes, divide batter and use a scale!

Ingredients:
Cake
2 sticks of unsalted butter or margarine
3 1/4 cup 'cake' flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 c sugar
2 t vanilla flavor/extract


Ready for delivery...

4 eggs
1 1/4 c milk

Caramel
3 1/2 c sugar
2 sticks of salted butter or margarine
2 12 oz cans evaporated milk
1 t vanilla flavor or extract

Cake Preparation...
Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Grease two 9 inch cake pans with 1 T unsalted butter and dust with flour. Tap out excess and set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside. Beat remaining unsalted butter for cake with 2 1/2 cups of sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately in three batches, beating smooth after each addition. Divide batter between pans, and scale for evenness. Bake until golden brown 30-35 minutes. Allow them to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Prepare Caramel...
Cook 3 1/2 cups of sugar, salted butter, in a pot over high heat stirring constantly until light brown. 7-8 minutes. Carefully stir in evaporated milk and reduce heat to medium low. Cook stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir constantly for 1/2-1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla flavor and beat with a spoon. As it cools, the icing will become thick and glossy. Allow caramel temperature to cool before spreading on bottom layer. Place top layer and spread evenly and on sides. Chill to set. Enjoy!

an addition to my healthy hair journey of 2014

I am not a paid contractor, so you will not find me endorsing products. However, when I find something that works I do not mind sharing the knowledge. For the past two years I have been virtually off of vitamin supplements as well as my one/day meal shakes. I never want to supply my body with an abundance of supplements it will not absorb. I decided to rely on bi-annual blood tests that suggest to me where my nutrition level falls and make adjustments where needed.

There are many suppliers who boast the same factors of hair, skin, and nail growth. They are rapidly flooding the internet and even some YouTube gurus are becoming brand ambassadors for these products. Some are endorsed by stars who have always adorned beautiful hair and skin.

 

I choose to not follow any BS! I am not saying their particular product is not working or that it will not produce satisfactory results for me. I am saying, I will not pay a fortune for something and its results when I can pay less and obtain the same results.

 

Considering no harm/no foul, I decided to try some supplements for my Hair, Skin & Nails. This past winter was brutal and even though I am LOC METHOD fan, we're not promised anything less than a humid summer. It's called Midwest climate...so suck it up!

 

I typically do not hibernate in the winter since I walk a lot. This places me right at the forefront of the wind/cold. I am armed now. 

I ordered this brand from Lucky Vitamin, which has been one of my favorite online shops over the past three years. The dosage is 2/day. I am enjoying 1/day and really find no reason at this time to increase. This is roughly a three month supply if I remain taking 1/day.

I see a noticeable difference...all over!

vegetarian fish filet

1/5 block of extra firm organic tofu (thawed)

2 T chopped celery
1 T minced garlic
1 T finely chopped carrot
1 T chopped red onion
1 T ground flax
3 T corn starch
whole wheat cracker crumbs

^Old Bay/Seafood Season, ranch seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, dill weed

^^Lettuce/tomato/mozzarella cheese/tartar sauce/whole wheat roll

Preparation:
Sautee vegetables in vegetable oil. Crumble tofu with a fork. Season lightly. Form flax egg with hot water. Combine veggies, flax egg, corn starch, and tofu. Mix with a fork. Separate into two 'filets' and coat each with cracker crumbs. Fry in vegetable oil on medium heat until golden brown.

Dress your sandwich as you wish and serve with your choice of sides. Enjoy!

relocated...to boost mobile

For the past three years I was loyal to Virgin Mobile. Steering clear of the Big Box telecoms I was happy to receive the same billing amount monthly and rewarded Virgin with a Paypal Automatic Payment option. I had no complaints. As a consumer who shops for price, I became a little anxious about Boost Mobile's Shrinking Payments. Around Christmas 2013, they boasted 4G LTE phone service at $35 for 6 months. Wait!

I realized that it was time to shop for a phone. I recently focused on WARP ZTE 9510. After checking online to verify the specials were still offered, it only took me to two Best Buy stores to find 'my' phone in stock.

For the record, I was starting to salivate over the HTC ONE at Virgin. The final draw for me was the cost of that phone. It was a no-brainer. Not only is Boost offering a great phone, but it is doing so at a reduced price at Best Buy. So far, the service is comparable. I simply transferred my number, waiting patiently for the rep to install the phone and now officially, I am a member of Boost.

Best Buy has made some updates to their phone service plan that now includes a deductible. Well, I have 15 days to bring my phone into a store if I decide to purchase it.

So...what do I love about my new ZTE warp LTE 4G phone and the service carrier?

• rapid speed
• large display
• 6 month/$35 unlimited plan
• Shrinking payments: 6 months on-time/monthly charge reduces by $5