Tag: autumn

41 Yummy Pumpkin Recipes



Chocolate-glazed pumpkin pie cheesecake, pumpkin pecan tassies, pumpkin latte coffee cake….the all sound so delicious. But how about pumpkin mac and cheese? Or pumpkin shrimp bruschetta? Better Homes and Gardens has compiled a list of 41 mouthwatering pumpkin recipes to tempt even the most finicky of taste buds. Enjoy!

http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/recipes/pumpkin-recipes/

Bake An Apple Pie…In An Apple!



Sometimes I bake. Well, it’s not really that often. If I bake something, I tend to eat it and since I’m forever trying to lose weight it just seems counter-productive. But I came across this recipe on Pinterest and thought it was cool, so I decided to share. Enjoy!

Apple Pie Baked In the Apple
Serves 4

5-6 Granny Smith Apples (make sure they can stand upright on their own and not topple over)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. brown sugar
pie crust (I used pre-made but you can certainly make your own)

Pre-Heat Oven to 375 Degrees F

Step 1: Cut off the top of 4 apples off and discard. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon or melon baller very carefully, as to not puncture the peel. If you’re a skilled interior apple excavator, salvage as much as you can so you can use it for Step 2. If not, you can chop up additional apples for filling.

Step 2: Remove skin from remaining apple(s) and slice very thinly. These apple pieces will give you the additional filling needed to fill the four apples you are baking.

Mix sliced apples with sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. If you prefer more or less cinnamon make adjustments as desired. Same goes for the sugar.

Scoop sliced apples into hollow apples.

Step 3: Roll out pie crust and slice into 1/4 inch strips. You can also add a strip of pastry inside the top of the apple almost like a liner to add a little more texture/sweetness to the pie.

Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern with pie crust strips.

Step 4: Place apples in an 8×8 pan. Add just enough water to the cover the bottom of the pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft.

They look pretty cool when you’re done, and the entire dessert is edible. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. And since they’re just apples with a little bit of extra stuff, they can’t be a diet breaker.

Fall 2012 Make Up is All About Bold Lips and Bright Eyes

It’s my job to pay attention to trends in fashion and cosmetics. I weed out the ones I don’t like, don’t think are practical or don’t think would stand the test of time, which accounts for about 90%. Let’s take a look at the 10% I think are worthy.

Rich Lipstick – The trend this year is to pair natural colors for the face with a bold pop of colors on the lips. I’m seeing unexpected harvest shades like pumpkin and eggplant. Deep plum shades are huge. Think Superstitious, Aztec, Vintage Merlot and Risque. Don’t be afraid to try it. I actually wore Superstitious at the trade show last week and got so many compliments that it’s now a mainstay in my cosmetic bag (and I normally wear very neutral shades like Bombshell, Seduction and Cherokee).

Flawless Skin – I sort of hate this one because who really has flawless skin? All we can do is try. My favorite technique? Twice weekly face scrub, followed by a light moisturizer. I use the kabuki brush to apply just the right amount of our Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation, focusing more coverage on my cheeks, and less on my nose and chin. I love it because this foundation is so customizable meaning you can wear it as lightly or layered as you want without it ever feeling heavy or clogging your pores. You want to keep your complexion matte, so carry blotting papers (or a tissue) if you tend to get oily late in the day.

Bright Eyes – Greens, ocean blues, and glam rock purples are all the rage. And it’s not just one color; fashionistas are combining three and four bright shades in one look. Our answer to this trend: The Party Girl eye shadow palette. The still-popular Smokey Eye goes a step further by adding a metallic sheen to the look. Also hot on runways is the brown smokey eye. Try combining Sedona, Satin Sheets, Passage to India and Chai PowderColors to achieve this look. Eye liners are bold and colorful. Heavy winged eye liner and shadow is all the rage, as is graphic boxy and dotted eye liner (which I don’t like). Well-defined natural brows continue to be popular. Brows a bit sparse? Try our Brown Sugar Eye Liner as a fill in, or our Chai PowderColors Mineral color (or a combination of both).

Colorful Nails – Nail polish sales leaped a whopping 23% this past year. More women are getting manis and pedis, trying new nail products and keeping their nails polished throughout the year. Bold colors are hot: bright blue, bright red, deep plums and rich wine shades are all the rage. Black is still hot as well, which surprises me because I thought that trend would die off after a year or two. I was wrong (hence the addition of Abyss to our color line). Colors we expect to see flying out the door: Oasis, Wild Fire, Tease, Vintage Merlot, and Renaissance.

Use common sense when trying these trends. If you’re going to do a bold lip, keep the eye color soft and neutral. And if you’re going to do a colorful peacock eye, tone down the lips using shades like Karma, Inuendo, Soft Kiss and Dream. But for heaven’s sake DO try at least one of these trends. You never know what’s going to work for you until you try it. And besides, make up is supposed to be FUN! Honeybee wants to keep the FUN in FUNctional cosmetics….okay that was just corny….I need more sleep.

Pumpkins and Scarecrows and Football, Oh My!



I’m starting to feel a chill in the air come evening, which could only mean autumn is right around the corner. I’m a summer kind of girl, so this makes me a bit sad. But there are some things about fall that you gotta love: pumpkins, apple cider, hay rides… So I’ve decided to get into the spirit this week and bring you some autumn-inspired DIY cosmetic recipes.

First, there’s pumpkin. It’s great for all skin types, especially environmentally damaged or sensitive skin. High in Vitamin A (skin healing), C (anti-oxidant) and Zinc, pumpkin soothes, moisturizes and acts as a carrier, assisting the other mask ingredients to absorb deeper into the skin and intensifying the results. Enzymes remove dead skin cells making skin glow. And it may also help get rid of and prevent blackheads.

Pumpkin Pie Face Mask

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed (or fresh if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon milk (or soymilk)

Optional Ingredients: For Dry Skin add 1/4 teaspoon heavy whipping cream or ½ teaspoon brown sugar (for exfoliation). For Oily Skin add ¼ teaspoon apple cider or ¼ teaspoon cranberry juice.

Directions: Combine the ingredients. Mix gently and apply to your face avoiding the eye area. Rest and relax for 10-15 minutes while your pumpkin pie facemask gently exfoliates, nourishes and conditions your face. Rinse with warm water and apply the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type.

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

This foot and hand scrub will help slough off rough skin, leaving it soft and moisturized.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
3 Tbsp oil (try jojoba, grapeseed, almond, or olive oil)
1 pinch cinnamon
1 drop natural vanilla extract

Directions: Blend ingredients thoroughly. Over a large bowl or in the bathtub, massage mixture onto feet, hands, elbows and any rough areas. Allow mixture to remain on skin for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

Next let’s look at apples which have been used in beauty products for centuries. Thanks to a high concentration of vitamins A and C and potassium, when applied as a facial toner, apple pectin can sooth and refresh all skin types.

Apple-Pectin Toner

Ingredients:
1 apple, cut up with peel, seeds removed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup witch hazel

Directions:
1.Place the cut-up apple in a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
2.Allow the mixture to cool completely, then strain out the apple chunks. Stir in the witch hazel and pour into a clean container.
3.To use, spray or apply to skin using a clean cotton ball. Keep in refrigerator and use within one week.

Lastly, we can forget cranberries. Cranberries are naturally rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and plenty of other antioxidants, which will keep your skin looking healthy and may even decrease dark circles. This power-packed berry also acts as a natural toner, and when combined with moisture-rich honey and yogurt, creates a soothing mask.

Cranberry Lip Gloss

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon organic sweet almond oil
10 fresh cranberries (organic if possible)
1 teaspoon organic honey
1 drop vitamin E oil

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Microwave for two minutes or until just boiling. You could also heat your bowl in a pan of water on the stove.
3. Stir well and gently crush the berries.
4. Cool the berries for five minutes. Strain with a fine sieve until there are no fruit pieces left in your mix.
5. Stir and set aside to cool completely.
6. When cool, transfer into a small portable plastic container or tin. Store in refrigerator and use within a week.

Wake me up when spring arrives.