Party Punch

Are you getting things ready for Mother's Day?  I am trying to put together a menu for our dinner on Sunday... and I decided to make this yummy- very pretty punch.  So if you need somethig special for your Mother's Day Dinner give this one a try- I know you will use it again! 

How to re-use melted chocolate

Here's what I do after I have melted chocolate or candy melts...

I take the left over and pour it into a cupcake liner, allow it to cool...

when it has completely cooled you will be able to pull it out of the cupcake liner in one piece.. put in back into the bag, and it is ready to use the next time you need it.  This way you don't have any waste.
                                                      Happy Dipping!!!!

How to wash fresh Berries so they last longer

I had read about cleaning your fresh berries so they lasted longer & so I decides to try it.  We buy & grow a lot of strawberries, and they always seem to go bad before we can eat them.   Usually we just eat what we can & then put the rest in the freezer before they spoil-- but this is GREAT and it works.

I poured 1/2 cup of white vinegar into a large bowl & added 5 cups of cold water to it- rinsed my cartons of strawberries and put them stem & all into the mixture.  I let them set 5 minutes (well one time I forgot about them and they were in there for about 20 minutes) and they were still fine....  

then took them out of the water and vinegar mixture and placed them on a dish towel to air dry.
When they were dry I put them in the fridge- they have been in there 2 days & still look great.
The vinegar kills the bacteria- and stops the mold from forming, it doesn't affect the taste at all-- so there you have your tip for the day!! 

A little bit of SUNSHINE

Oh how I LOVE this.... it's a bit of SUNSHINE on my counter top!! 

My daily detox drink

Today I am going to share with you a "concoction" or drink I make 2 times a day.  I have been drinking this in the morning & at night for almost 9 months now and I have been amazed at how much better I feel.  I have been using coconut oil for a couple of years- and encourage you to research it to learn all of the bennefits it has. The same with apple cider vinegar & lemon-- there's a lot of information out there that can help you decide if this is something you would like to start doing too.  I will explain a little bit about the benefits of each ingredient here in this post also.  First let me tell you what it is that I do... I fill a cup with about 1 cup of water and put it in the microwave for 1 minute.  Then I add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil- this oil is solid @ 72 degrees & then starts to turn into a liquid form when it is stored above 72 degrees, so the oil will melt when you put it into the hot water, then add about 2 1/2 teaspoons of honey & a 1/2 inch thick slice of lemon -squeeze the juice into the water & then let the slice steep in the cup for 4-5 minutes while the oil melts.  Make sure you have scrubbed the outside of the lemon & it's clean before slicing it, to prevent getting any bacteria that may be on it.  When the drink it is cool enough to drink I take 1 tablespoon full of Braggs apple cider vinegar & mix it with a little water- drink it quickly & chase it with a drink of your lemon drink.  The apple cider vinegar is very strong, so never just take it by it self, always dilute it. You can just pour the vinegar into your drink- but I prefer to taste it all at once instead of in every swallow of your drink.   

So now let me explain WHAT all of these things do-- first some of the benefits of LEMON JUICE are:  it helps cleanse impurites out of your body, it's an antiseptic, prevents bacteria, helps your digestive system, regulates your bowels, purifys the liver, is great for your skin- teeth & gums, helps with weight loss, respiratory disorders, controls blood pressure, helps with nausea, provides relaxation to the mind, reduces mental stress & depression-- there are more things it helps with too so read up on it.
Some of the benefits of COCONUT OIL:  you can take coconut oil internaly or apply it topical- you can take up to 4 Tablespoons a day.    It can be used as a conditioner for your hair or to moisterize your skin, you can even cook with it just like you would with any oil. It's great for your hair & skin, relives stress, maintains cholesterol levels, helps weight loss, digestion, metabolism, increases immunity, helps with kidney problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, it helps your body absorb important minerals like calcium & magnesium, it helps thyroid function, boosts energy, it can be used for 100 different things- so I really encourage to do your research.
Some of the benefits of APPLE CIDER VINEGAR are: First let me say you need to use an organic apple cider vinegar to get the benefits, so I suggest Braggs brand because it is raw- organic and has the Mother floating in it which means it has living nutrients & bacteria (the good kind) so it has anti bacterial & anti fungal properties.  It helps a myriad of health issues- it helps maintain the bodys Ph acid-alkine balance, helps the immune system, bowels, weight control, joint pain & stiffness, skin, digestion, high cholesteral, removes toxins and boosts metabolism-- so they all have alot of the same benefits.  I have felt such a difference in the way I feel, I have more energy.   I hope you will research & study up on all of these things and give it a try, you will not regret doing it.    

I have been cleaning my house like crazy lately. I am trying to organize everything and I came across this little crate I forgot I had. It was a normal wood color and just plain. I liked it and didn't want to get ride of it so I decided to paint it black. Then I had some green plants that I was taking out of my living room and didn't know what to do with them. So all I did was put them inside the crate. It turned out way cute and I put it on my shelve in my family room. I love when you have things in your house that you can change to make look totally different.

Can you say CUPCAKE?

Holy Cow!!!! Cupcake city--- that's what my basement looks like today.  300 cupcakes and the best part-- I didn't bake one of them!!! Thank-You to all of you who did that part for me, I'm not sure who alll of you were..... I only know I  got to do the fun part-- thanks to Karen & Stacy for helping me frost 1/2 of them lastnight-- you saved my guts!  haha  Fun night ahead!