Recipe: Creamy Sausage Pasta

This is the recipe that I lost.  I did eye ball it, and get some help from my mom (She was there when I made it) and I think I got it right.  I'm a little iffy of the water and the mozzarella cheese. But we all know I like to add more cheese than called for.  I do know that this was supposed to be a one pan dish, but I had to use two.  There was no way I was going to fit a cup of water and pasta into my pan.  But other than that, this dish is pretty good.  Very creamy.  

Ingredients: 

1 box  of Ziti 

1 lb of Italian Sausage 

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 

1 cup Water

1 Tbsp Olive oil 

1 (28oz) can  Crushed Tomatoes 

2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced 

2 cups Mozzarella 

Parmesan for topping 

Directions: 

Combine the olive oil and the sausage, and wait for the sausage to brown. 

Add the Tomatoes.  Mix until bubbly.  

Add in a cup of water, if it looks like it needs more, put a little bit more in.  Stir until the pasta is ready.  About 10 minutes.  

Add the heavy cream and the mozzarella cheese, mix until combined. 

Serve hot topped with Parmesan cheese! 

Enjoy!

xx 

Cargo Northern Lights eye shadow palette:

I've had this palette for a few weeks.  I got it for Christmas, from Khols, and it cost $39.00.  It's the most expensive palette I own. I fell in love with this palette the second I swatched it in the store.  The pigmentation was so high, I got super excited.  Every color in this palette is true.  It looks exactly like in does in the pan as it does on the eye.  I love it.  And the brush that came with it is a really nice brush. That doesn't usually happen, not for me at least.  Every time I go out, this is the palette I use.  

My favorite color is "Aurora."  It's a pink shimmery color, and it's perfect I feel for an every day look.  My second favorite is "Glacier."  It's a dark blue with light blue shimmers.  I haven't used that one yet, because I haven't really had an occasion for it, but I love it so much.  "Osetra," a grey shimmer, is another perfect for every day wear for me.  I don't know when I'll ever use "Finland," or even if I'll ever wear "Finland."  Yellow is not my color.  It's my least favorite color.  Maybe I'll try it, just to see what it looks like on, but I don't see that day coming any time soon.  Other than that, I'm sure all of the other colors will be used.  

The palette itself is a really nice palette.  It doesn't feel cheap, and it closes with a magnet, which at first was a little hard to open, but now that I understand it, it's quite simple.  The mirror inside is the perfect size, and I like using it.  I don't have to put the palette down while I apply like with others.  I'm sure it will travel well, I don't really see a problem coming up while traveling.  

What's your favorite color?  Let me know! 

xx 

Recipe: Honey Mustard Chicken

Today, I've gone with something a little bit different.  I'm not one for touching raw meat, it grosses me out, and I just really hate it, but I've been getting better at using raw chicken.  The recipe calls for four chicken breasts, but since there are only three of us, we used three.  

I wasn't really sure what  I was expecting from this dish.  I know that I like chicken, and I know that I like honey mustard, and I know that I like cheese,  so I figured why not try it?  It turned out pretty good.  If I remake it, I'll probably use less Dijon mustard.  It wasn't over powering to myself, but to my sister it was a little bit.  

Ingredients: 

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts

3/4 cup Honey

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Lemon Pepper

4 Tbsp Bacon Bits

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375

I went really light with the lemon pepper because I wasn't really sure if I would like it, turns out it's alright.  Haha. 

Season, to taste, the chicken with the lemon pepper.

Combine the Dijon mustard, paprika, lemon juice, and honey.

Pour over the chicken in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes,

Top with the cheese and bacon and put it back into the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy! 

xx 

Instanatural's Moroccan Rose Water Ultimate Facial Toner:

This is the third and last product form Instanatual I received, and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite.(Seaweed Powder & Argan Oil)  But, I'm biased.  If you've been here long, then you'll know that anything and everything rose is my jam. If you haven't been here long, well, now you know! (Except for Herbal Essences Color care Shampoo, that was not rose.) 

I'm not really sure what toners do.  It says minimize pores, but you can't really do that...I guess it's just a temporary thing.  I don't know.   I use a toner here and there, when I remember that I have a toner.  I've used two toners, this one, and one from Simple.  Again, I like this one more.  

There are a few things that you can use this toner for.  The first, is as a toner. (Duh!)  On the label it says that "To maintain the pH balance of skin and tighten pores apply rose water with a cotton ball to a clean and dry face and neck in upward strokes."  When I do this, my skin feels firm and slightly tight, but not a bad tight.  If that makes sense.  It's a total plus that I can smell roses for a few minutes after, until I put on my moisturizer.  

Another way to use this is for hair care.  I have yet to do this, because I want to keep this toner around as long as possible.  I've got a big head, and it's not a never-ending bottle. Haha.  It says, "For soft shinny hair, apply rose water directly to your scalp in a gentle manner.  Let it sit for 20 minutes before you wash your hair with shampoo.  You may also mix it with your shampoo."  Maybe I should do that, mix it in.  I read somewhere that rose water is supposed to help with an itchy scalp.  That would be good during the colder months. 

The last way to use this rose water (with directions) is in the bath.  "To experience a scented and relaxing bath mix a little bit of rose water into the bath water."  I have done this.  At the beginning there was a soft hint of rose, but as the bath proceeded, it faded.  If my memory is correct, it lasted about 5 minutes.  I won't be using it in the bath again.  

Then there is a list of ways to use it without direction,  those ways include: aftershave, acne, sunburn, blemishes, aromatherapy, and more.  Maybe I'll keep this long enough to use it against a sunburn.  I usually get a sunburn in the spring time.  If I do, I'll get back to you, probably when it's empty.

Like I said, I'm a sucker for rose, and this doesn't disappoint.  It's exactly what a good rose scented product should be.  It's floral and light.  Think Grandma, I know I do.  I love it. 

Have you ever used a rose water product?  Let me know!  

xx 

Recipe: Sopailla Cheesecake Bars

I feel as if it has been forever since the last time I actually made something.  I took a little break, and now I'm back again, this time with dessert!  This dish is the perfect blend between cheesecake, lemon, and cinnamon.  It's amazing.  I actually thought that the lemon was going to be over powering, but surprisingly it's not.  Everyone in my house loved it.  I hope if you try it, you do too! 

Ingredients:

16 oz Cream Cheese

2 (8oz) Crescent Rolls

2 Medium Lemons, Zested

1/2 cup Butter, Melted

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.   Place one package of the crescent rolls on the bottle of a glass 9x13 inch pan.  Then stretch it to fit.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and the lemon zest.

Spread the cream cheese filling over the bottom dough.

Then take the other crescent roll package and spread it over the mix.

Mix the rest of the sugar (1/2 cup) with the 1 tsp of cinnamon.  Pour the melted butter over the dish and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar however you please.

It looks a little messy, but I was worried  I was going to burn it, later on it will mix up a bit. 

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and enjoy! 

 You can serve warm or cold, both are very delicious!

xx

Instanatural's Argan Oil Hair Treatment and Elixir:

Like I said last week, I received this product in the mail with three other products. The first is here.  

Oil treatments are so good for your hair, and this oil treatment is no different.  There are many different things that it can do to your hair, including re-hydration.  I love using oil in between hair cuts to make sure my hair stays as hydrated as possible.  Especially since I typically do use a lot of heat.

I wouldn't call my hair damaged, but it wouldn't mind a little love. Like I said above,  I do use heat on my hair often. This is exactly what this treatment is to me, a little bit of love.  In this elixir is argan oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and shea butter.  It doesn't really have a scent.  I guess it just smells like oil?  I'm not really sure.  

There are a few different ways you can use this argan oil.  A 10 minute treatment, a two hour treatment, an overnight treatment, and as a scrunching styling aid.  I've used it for the 10 minute treatment and for scrunching.  When I washed it out of my hair, there was no residue and it didn't effect my shampoo smell.  Which made me really happy, because not going to lie, I'm in love with my shampoo scent. Even though I only used the 10 minute treatment, my hair felt so soft and it was very shinny. I used it for scrunching for a Christmas party I went to, and it actually worked.  If you have been here a while, then you would know that my hair is straight as nails and nothing helps.  This did.  My hair held out for pretty much the whole night.  There is some residue, but it's a lot better than gel.  

I think my only problem with this argan oil is that I feel like I'm running out already.  I'm sure it's just because of the length of my hair. Haha. 

If you're looking for a new hair treatment, then I suggest this one.  It's really nice. 

xx

My two other Instanatural products:

Seaweed Powder 

Moroccan Rose Water Toner

Instanatural Seaweed Powder:

Last month I received this powder in the mail along with two other instanatural products.  I've decided instead of having a mile long posts that would probably get boring, I'm going to break this up into three posts.  

This seaweed powder is used to detox your body and smooth/soften your skin.

When I opened it up, the smell threw me back a bit. It smells like seaweed. On the amazon reviews some people said it smelled fishy, I don't get that.  I get salty seaweed, like I'm at the ocean.  It's not something that I'm used to smelling, but while using it, the smell wasn't as potent.  I actually felt like I was a the beach. (I was in the bath while using it.)  

There are four recipes provided, but I'm sure there are many different ways you can use this product.  

Cellulite Scrub: 

1/4 cup seaweed powder 

1/4 cup sea salt 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1-2 drops of essential oil (optional) 

Mix the ingredients together until a creamy mixture forms. Before showering massage into skin in a circular upward motion.  Rinse off in shower.  Can be used daily.  

Face Mask: 

2 Tbsp seaweed powder

2 Tbsp honey 

1 Tbsp aloe vera

Combine all of the ingredients until it turns into a paste.  Exfoliate your skin, then apply all over.  Let dry for 15 to 20 minutes.  Rinse with warm water.  Best if used 3 times a week.  

Face Scrub: 

2 Tbsp seaweed powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil 

2-4 Tbsp sea salt 

Mix ingredients in a bowl until a heavy mixture is formed.  Rub all over your face in circular motions.  Rinse with warm water.  

Body Seaweed Wrap: 

1 cup seaweed powder 

warm water 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1-2 drops essential oils (optional) 

Slowly mix the seaweed powder with the water until a thick paste forms.  Then stir in the olive oil and essential oils.  Apply the mixture to your body in upward strokes.  Once application is complete, wrap your body with plastic wrap then cover yourself with a light sheet or sweatpants/sweatshirts.  This will heat up your body and open up your pores.  Leave the treatment on for 20-30 minutes.  Then rinse with cool water in the shower.  Can be used 1 to 2 times a week.  

I have only used the face mask and face scrub.  Both were really nice.  My skin felt clean and very soft afterwards.  It is a little messy.  I at first used just a normal bowl, but decided to switch to an old plastic container that we never use anymore.  The face mask was very sticky and thick when I first made it, kind of like play-dough, but after I played with it a bit, and added a little bit of water it worked just fine.  The face scrub was perfect. 

I don't think I'll try the other recipes anytime soon.  The last one seems very intense, and I don't know if I can use that much plastic wrap. But if I do, I'll write another post!  

xx 

My two other instanatural products: 
Argan Oil 
Moroccan Rose Water Toner