DIY Sea Salt Body Scrub

This gritty DIY salt scrub turns your shower into a blissful beauty spa and leaves your skin clean and rejuvenated.

Put coarse sea salt into a bowl.

Stir baby oil into the salt until it thoroughly coats the salt grains.

Stir in almond or vanilla extract to add a scent to your DIY Salt Scrub.

• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt 
• 1/4 cup baby oil 
• 1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract 

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir the sea salt and oil together until the oil thoroughly coats the salt. Add the extract and stir it in completely.
2. Hop in the shower. When skin is thoroughly wet, apply with your hands, a washcloth, or a puff scrubber. Massage in and be sure to rinse off thoroughly.

TIP

Be good to yourself and the environment by taking a Navy shower (it was developed on ships, where fresh water is at a premium). This simple technique can cut the amount of water you use for a shower by up to 80 percent!

1. Turn on the shower.
2. Wet your body and hair.
3. Turn the water off.
4. Soap up your body, then shampoo your hair. (Save the shampoo for last so it doesn’t get in your eyes.)
5. Turn the water back on and rinse off.

DIY Salt Scrub Photography by Lori Foy.

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Make Your Own Marshmallows

ingredients

• Vegetable oil for brushing pan
• About 1 cup confectioners' sugar for coating pan and marshmallows
• 3 (1/4-ounce) envelopes powdered unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Special equipment:

• Pastry brush; 1 (9-inch) square baking pan; small, fine-mesh sieve; 4 1/2-quart or larger stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; candy thermometer

preparation

Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil. Using a small, fine-mesh sieve, dust the pan generously with confectioners' sugar, knocking out any excess.

Put 1/2 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin into the bowl and stir briefly to make sure all the gelatin is in contact with water. Let soften while you make the sugar syrup.

In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water. Place over moderate heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Put a candy thermometer into the boiling sugar syrup and continue boiling (the mixture may foam up, so turn the heat down slightly if necessary), without stirring, until the thermometer registers 240°F (soft-ball stage). Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand briefly until the bubbles dissipate slightly.

With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar syrup into the softened gelatin in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the marshmallow is very thick and forms a thick ribbon when the whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.

Scrape the marshmallow into the prepared pan (it will be very sticky) and use wet fingertips to spread it evenly and smooth the top. Let stand, uncovered at room temperature, until the surface is no longer sticky and you can gently pull the marshmallow away from the sides of the pan with your fingertips, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Dust a cutting board with confectioners' sugar. Use a rubber spatula to pull the sides of the marshmallow from the edge of the pan (use the spatula to loosen the marshmallow from the bottom of the pan if necessary) and invert onto the cutting board. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Brush a long thin knife or a chef's knife with vegetable oil and dust with confectioners' sugar to prevent sticking; continue dusting the knife as necessary. Cut lengthwise into 8 strips, then crosswise into eighths, to form a total of 64 squares. (For larger marshmallows, cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then crosswise into sixths, to form a total of 36 squares.) Coat marshmallows, one at a time, in confectioners' sugar, using a pastry brush to brush off any excess. DO AHEAD: Marshmallows can be stored, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment in an airtight container in a dry place at cool room temperature, for 1 month.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Homemade-Marshmallows-51152000#ixzz2aCrSEfuV

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Easy Chocolate Covered Ice Cream Bon Bons

Ingredients

serves Serves 8, active time 20 minutes, total time 2 hours

• 1 pint vanilla ice cream (or your favorite flavor)
• 12 ounces best quality dark chocolate, melted in the microwave or double boiler
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  

Procedures

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a melon baller to make mini scoops of ice cream adding them to the parchment lined tray. Freeze scoops until firm, about 2 hours.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together melted chocolate and coconut oil until thoroughly combined. Let cool slightly.
3. Prepare a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove ice cream from freezer. Working quickly, use a spoon to place ice cream scoops in the chocolate and roll it around until coated. Carefully remove the bon bon with a fork and place it on the second baking sheet. If at any point your ice cream scoops start to get overly melty, return them to the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to allow them to firm up. Store in freezer until immediately before serving.

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Lemon Chicken Romano

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally*, and pounded to 1/2-inch thick
• 2 oz shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
• 2 oz shredded Provolone cheese (1/2 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 oz finely shredded Romano cheese (1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• Zest of 1 lemon (2 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon slices or wedges for serving (you can just use the one that was zested)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle each side of the chicken cutlet lightly with salt (about 1/16 tsp per each side), let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Combine Mozzarella and Provolone cheese in a bowl, set aside.
• In a shallow dish, whisk together flour and egg until smooth. In a separate shallow dish, toss together Panko bread crumbs, Romano cheese, oregano, lemon zest, garlic powder and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with 1 chicken cutlet at a time, dredge chicken in egg mixture coating both sides and allowing excess to run off, then immediately transfer to Romano mixture and coat both sides with mixture, while pressing gently to allow crumbs to adhere. Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat process with remaining chicken cutlets. Pour 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and vegetable oil into a 10-inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add 2 coated chicken cutlets and fry without moving them until bottom is crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes, then using metal tongs rotate to opposite side and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer fried chicken to a large plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat process with remaining 2 pieces of chicken.
• Place cutlets on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle tops with Mozzaralle cheese mixture and transfer to preheated oven to bake until internal temperature registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometor, about 12 minutes (you can broil during the last 1 - 2 minutes if desired). Remove from oven and garnish with lemon slices or wedges, serve warm. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from lemon slices over chicken just before enjoying.
• *freeze chicken breasts for 15 minutes to help slice easier, then lye breast flat and trim into two pieces through the thickness of the breast.

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