Work It Wednesday: Homemade Sugar Scrub

Recently I fell in love with sugar scrubs. Not only do they exfoliate, but they moisturize like crazy! So me being me, decided I would try to make my own. 

Simply combine coconut oil & sugar until you get a Sno-cone-like consistency.

*Warning: This smells dangerously delicious. But luckily it is edible, so if you just have to try it, it's OK.

Tasty Tuesday: Stuffed Pepper Soup

One of my favorite comfort foods, are Stuffed Peppers. But my family only cares about what's inside the pepper. And that's only if i don't go crazy on the onions, which I usually do. So I decided to make it a soup instead. The result, aside from my oldest daughter & son whining that they didn't want any green peppers, they loved it!

 

•hamburger, cooked & crumbled

•tomato sauce

•diced tomatoes

•long grain white rice

•water

 •beef bouillon cubes

•onion, chopped

•green pepper, chopped

•salt & pepper

•brown sugar

•paprika

- Add desired amounts to a pot (I would give the measurements I ended up using, but I made enough to last a couple weeks - oops!) & bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat & cook over med.-low heat until rice is cooked through, 30-45 min.

*Don't forget, you can always taste & alter it as you go. So be sure to start out with smaller amounts of seasonings, including the beef bouillon.

 

Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates & a Giveaway!

Hi. My name is Melissa. I'm a chocoholic. That about sums me up in a nutshell, as I'm sure some (is not most) of you can relate. But I can honestly say, that I have never had chocolate as indulgent as Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate.

In 1958, Guy, a Belgian Chocolatier who crafted handmade chocolate truffles, married his love, Liliane. The same year, they joined their names again in their company, Chocolaterie Guylian. Today, Guylian crafts the finest Belgian Chocolate Truffles for sale in countries all over the world.

The Belgian Chocolate Truffles with Signature Hazelnut Filling are masterfully marbled masterpieces. The marbling thoroughly combines the flavors of white & dark chocolates and white & milk chocolates. The Signature Hazelnut Filling is actually still made in small-batch copper kettles by Guylian's master chocolatiers in Belgium, giving it the most decadent taste. I thought I was going to need an intervention to keep me from eating every single truffle in one sitting!

Extra Dark Belgian Chocolate Truffles are sinfully delicious. I've had dark chocolate before & that alone is amazing. But Guylian's extra dark chocolate with 74% cocoa, filled with a chocolate truffle center...I have no words. And that speaks volumes.

Vanilla Belgian Chocolate Truffles are perfect for those who like to keep their chocolates pretty basic. These Belgian milk & white chocolates are filled with a vanilla & white chocolate truffle center. I had the hubs not so daring grandma try these, well, she ate half the box so I think they were a hit!

Then there was the No Sugar Added Belgian Chocolate Bars. I was really eager to find out how these would taste. Well, they tasted like chocolate! Seriously, I couldn't tell the difference. These chocolate bars are sweetened with Maltitol, a 100% natural alternative to sugar. Major plus about these, is that they're even diabetic friendly.

View this photo on Instagram!

I know by now you have to be wondering what's up with the seahorses & seashells. I mean, that's not exactly what you picture when you hear "Belgian Chocolate Truffles". But there is a wonderful reason for them. Since 1999, Guylian has been the major sustaining sponsor of Project Seahorse, an organization committed to the conservation & sustainable use of the world's coastal marine ecosystems. Who knew eating chocolate could help seahorses?!

Be sure you sign up for the Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate E-Newsletter to get the latest news on your favorite Belgian chocolate delivered to your inbox.

As an added bonus, you can use the coupon code:Chocolate10, to get 10% of when shopping in Guylian's webstore.

One lucky winner will receive the following Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate Products (or similar).

 

•One – 22 piece marbled chocolate seashell truffles

•One – 22 piece extra dark chocolate seashell truffles  

•Two - 6 piece marbled chocolate seashells truffles

•Four - 2 piece marbled chocolate seahorse truffles

•One - No Sugar Added Milk Chocolate Bar

•One - No Sugar Added 54% Dark Chocolate Bar

 

The giveaway will conclude on at 12:00 a.m. est on Friday 1/3/14. Winners will be announced via rafflecopter & in a separate blog post which will be published no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday 1/3/14. Winners will also be notified via email & announced on the Smith and Blessings facebook page. Winners will have 48 hours to submit shipping information, which will then be passed on to Merlot Skin Care for distribution of product. If 48 hours has lapsed, a new winner will be picked & then will also have 48 hours to submit their information. *Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Keep up with the latest from Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate on Facebook & Twitter.

 **Disclaimer: I received these products to try from Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate & am simply sharing my personal opinion which may vary from yours. I was not compensated for this review.

 

Messy Monday: How to Clean a Shower Head

Don't you hate it when you're in the shower, but you have a few stray streams of water? And is it just me, or do they always seem to end up going straight for your eyes? Well, there's a simple solution to that you know...clean the shower head. 

Just take a sandwich bag, pour a bit of vinegar in it & tie it to your shower head. Let it sit overnight & voilà!

Simple Sunday: Baking Cookies

Let the fun begin!

Snacktastic Saturday: Minty Milk

I used to work in a cafe & on occasion would make a steamer, which was nothing more than a shot of flavored syrup & steamed milk. Of course steam always makes warm milk taste better, but after my kids & I fell in love with Vanilla Milk from Laugh With Us Blog, I decided to combine the two. 

•Creme de Menthe syrup

•sugar

•milk

•marshamallows

- Combine desired amounts of milk, sugar & Creme de Menthe syrup in a microwave-safe cup. (A shot or two of syrup & a tsp. or 2 of sugar should be good for about 2C. of milk.)

- Microwave 3-5 min. 

- Top with marshmallows & enjoy!

Fun Friday: Glitter Pinecones

You know you're crazy when you break out the glitter for your kids to craft with. 

 

But I just had to do it! I randomly pick up pinecones throughout the year & save them for crafts. My mom does the same so we usually have a ton by Christmas. I needed a way to keep the kids from fighting with each other for at least 15 min., so pinecones, glue & glitter it was! 

What's great about these is that you can tie a string & turn them into ornaments, glue them together on a cardboard ring to make a wreath, or just lay them around for a festive touch.