Pumpkin-coffee body scrub

Oh man, few things in life are better than emerging from a hot shower with silky-smooth skin.  Ladies (do any men really read this vastly feminine website?) will know what I mean; after shaving my legs, I can't stop rubbing my calves together to make sure I didn't miss a spot and because they just feel so darn wonderful!  I discovered this body scrub last week, and have already made it twice for myself and once for a friend as a little gift!  I'll list the ingredients below, but you'll most likely have them in your fridge or pantry right now, and can throw this together in about two minutes flat.
I'll let the video speak for itself about what exactly each ingredient does, but will give you this tip: coffee can stain, so be sure to rinse the scrub throroughly before getting out of the shower.  This is a great way to get rid of dry, winter skin and prep for the (hopefully) coming spring!

Pumpkin Coffee Body Scrub
1/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground coffee
1 Tbsp. olive oil (I used this in place of almond oil, which I couldn't get my hands on.  If you have some, definitely use!  I'm sure it smells heavenly.)
Juice of half a lemon

Combine everything in a bowl and scrub away! 

Fall Leaves Garland

This year, JP and I will be making the trek over to the great midwest to spend Thanksgiving with mi madre and Brent.  I've said it before, and will say it again, I love road trips!  We've got audiobooks, tasty treats, and I'm finishing up some knitting on the drive; what more could you need for a lovely day?

Because of the lengthy drive (somewhere between 12 and 14 hours, depending on traffic), we got out of food duties for Thanksgiving dinner.  Instead, I'm in charge of the table decorations, and bringing plenty of candy cane Joe-Joes (Trader Joe's makes CCJJ each year, just during the holidays, and we hoard boxes for the off-season.  They're so terribly delicious!).  This garland acted as my inspiration, although my colors aren't quite Thanksgiving-only; I bought felt last year for a Christmas craft, and didn't use it.  Regardless, I think they look cute together!

I've got two garlands, and I plan on using them as simple table runners down the middle of the table, and will also put together some napkin rings with leftover leaves.  Combine this with some squirrel placecards bought at Paper Source and a list of things we're thankful for, and we'll have a lovely table!  I'll post pictures next week of the final product.

Homemade Thin Mints

 

Is there anyone out there who doesn't like Thin Mints?  Let's save ourselves some time and not pursue this friendship.  If you do like Thin Mints, please read on.
These cookies are the most wonderful marriage of two delicious flavors: chocolate and peppermint.  Even better, they freeze well, so you can buy lots of boxes from Girl Scouts, and just eat the cookies for months!  Not that I would ever do that. 
However, have you  noticed the Girl Scout cookies are getting more and more expensive?  I decided to try my hand at making them myself, and save a few dollars in the long run.  I found this recipe on Baking Bites, and rolled up  my sleeves for the task.  The only change I would recommend it using twice the chocolate coating recommended; it's just too difficult to evenly coat the cookies without using more melted chocolate.  I doubled the amount, and it came out nearly perfectly.  This made about 60 cookies, so I gave half away and stored the other half in the freezer for later consumption.  They're really tasty!  Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time for the dough to freeze and then coat with chocolate; it took me a while.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Homemade, Healthy Granola Bars

If you're anything like me, you use road tripping as an excuse to pig out on junk food. I generally pick up beef jerky and mini powdered sugar doughnuts to power me through a long drive; incredibly nutritious, and also possible to eat with your hands, no utensils necessary. I know, I know, I should make the effort and cut up apples and pack up grapes and maybe even fat-free cheese to munch on.
As I was perusing Smitten Kitchen yesterday (something one should never do unless in close proximity to a kitchen to promptly make everything she lists), I stumbled upon these homemade granola bars. They're easy, don't require utensils, and gasp! are moderately healthy! There's no egg to bind it, a modest amount of sugar, dried fruits and nuts, and even oatmeal! Everything is held together with peanut butter (YUM), a bit of honey, and a dab of corn syrup. I made them for the driving portion of our weekend, and couldn't stop eating them even before they had baked. Seriously, if you need something healthy and handheld, you've got to make these bars. Infinitely better than those prepackaged granola sugarbombs.
(Says the girl who relies on powdered sugar doughnuts for energy.)

Homemade, Healthy Granola Bars (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1 2/3 c. quick rolled oats
1/2 c. granulated sugar (use more for a sweetness akin to most purchased bars; use less for a mildly sweet bar)
1/3 c. oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 to 3 c. dried fruits and nuts (I used 1 c. chopped walnuts, 1 c. chopped almonds, 1 c. dried cranberries)
1/3 c. peanut butter or another nut butter
6 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 c. honey, maple syrup or corn syrup (I used honey)
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. water
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8 pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, liquid sweeteners and water. Add peanut butter and toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, and press down firmly so everything molds to the pan.
3. Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges. They’ll still seem soft when you press into the center of the pan but don't worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.
4. Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. If you'd like, you can move them into the fridge to cool after 20 minutes.
5. Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares. Store in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.