Homemade Deodorant

I have has issues with deodorant since I started wearing it. All during middle school, I would switch brands every time I bought it to prevent it causing me any problems. Usually, I would break out in a red rash under my arm, the lymph node there swolling, getting hot and painful. Definitely the pits.

In high school I avoided all invisible solids, all frangrances and found one that worked! Dove solid, the one with added lotion. Too bad they discontinued it.

I'm not the only one in my family with this problem. My sister also has trouble, though she has reactions to different kinds. She once brought me deoderant home from ireland that was a frangrance-free, roll-on Godsend! Too bad nivea doesn't make the same kinds in the US as Europe. I've been using natural, store bought stuff for at least a year and its okay. But the homemade works so much better for me! No reapplying during the day!

With all the aluminum and suspect ingredients in regular deodorant has caused people to start testing their own this one works for me:

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
Coconut oil to mix

I'm still mastering the art of applying it. I still sweat, but even on a beautiful, sunny today, its doing its thing and allowing my perfume to be a solo performer. Yay!

twd: Thumbprints for Us Big Guys

Thanks to Mike of Ugly Food Dude for this week's TWD pick. Considering that he is one of the only guys on the TWD blogroll, I love it that he picked Thumbprints for Us Big Guys.

I'm not sure what thumbprints for little guys are like. I know people make them, sometimes around the holidays, but I've never been a big jam cookie person.

I used hazelnuts and blueberry jam. I was afraid the cookies wouldn't be sweet enough for me, but the powdered sugar and blueberry jam covered that alright. I ended up really liking the nutty cookie part, similar to shortbread.

Instead of using your thumb, Dorie's instructions say to use your pinkie or the end of a wooden spoon. I used my pinkie, and was happy the way the indentions grew in the oven. I wasn't happy though with the lopsided nature of most of them. I think I needed to make more uniform pinkie holes, straight down.

I have yet to conquer the art of pinkie hole making. Or taking good photos of food at night. Sometime, there's just no more daylight left. And then, we the sun is back, there's just no more cookies left. :)

Sweet Pepper & Hazelnut Pesto

In the midst of all this wintry mayhem, when a lovely day happens upon us, there is nothing else to do but get outside and enjoy it. That is exactly why I found myself browsing in and out of all the nearby shops. As if I needed an excuse to shop.

One of these shops is an Italian gourmet shop with all sorts of pestos and pastas and olive oils and balsamic vinegar and chocolate. I decided to treat myslef to a pesto to go with some yummy flatbread crackers I bought, picked one out (very difficult!) But then it happened, the waiting. And waiting, as the chatty group of tourists went crazy with the chocolate. And as I was waiting, I started thinking of the lovely weather, and I put the jar back and went outside.

When I got home, hungry, I wanted pesto! So I decided to make my own. I even impressed myself. I was expecting okay since I was playing around with the hazelnuts and peppers. It turned out so much better than okay. Oh happy day!

Sweet Pepper & Hazelnut Pesto
1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup whole hazelnuts
1/4 cupe olive oil (I used extra virgin)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of cayenne and black pepper to taste
Two large pinches of rosemary

Add all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Grind and enjoy!

twd: Toasted Coconut Custard Tart

I have found there are two kinds of people in the world. Those that don't like coconut (aka 'them people') and those that LOVE it. Put me in the love category please. In fact, when a kid and asked "what's your favorite food?" I often replied "Coconut." I like it all kinds of ways, including toasted in and on top of yummy custard and sweetened whipped cream. Yum. Thanks to Beryl of Cinemon Girl for this week's TWD pick.

I had a really hard time keeping my fingers out of the custard before popping it into the fridge overnight. I probably lost a whole mini tart right there. I halved the recipe and put it on top of toasted oats instead of pastry. I just couldn't get myself to make a pie crust just for me, and I wasn't about to share coconut custard. Even if I planned to, I knew it would disappear. So I made two mini tarts in ramikins. The sweetened whipped cream on top is great. I left out the rum, which probably would have cut the sweetness. I didn't mind, but it was awfully over-the-top sweet.

twd: Honey Wheat Cookies - A Sweet Surprise

Talk about a sweet surprise - these cookies have wheat germ, honey, lemon, and no chocolate. It sounds more like a Tazo tea or an herbal cold remedy than a cookie. But let me tell you, I'm so glad Dorie included these in her book, and Michelle of Flourchild picked these.Besides being super easy to make, the cookies sprung up like little sponges. Following last week's flat-attack, it was nice to see these little babies emerge from the oven, wheat germ covered and all.Until today, I had no idea about wheat germ. It has protein and essential vitamins and is great for non-meat eaters and body builders. Well, at least that's what the ever-truth-telling internet revealed. I'm glad I know now, and that I couldn't resist tasting a little. Its not bad, kind of nutty, and will be great on my yogurt instead of oats.

Teriyaki Tofu and Vegetables

I'm going to try to use more tofu in my cooking. Why? Because I like it a lot, and there's no reason not to except that it's a little intimidating. It never quite measures up to the tofu I have in restaurants, especially in my favorite Thai and Chinese restaurants. Do they deep fry it? Because I can't quite do that at home - I can never knowingly use that much oil for consumption though I happily chow down on the same thing in a restaurant...just one of those things.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave syrup
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp ginger
1 Thai pepper, minus most of the seeds
1 package firm tofu
1/4 cup diced pineapple

Directions:

Drain tofu well, pressing between paper towels. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
Mix first five ingredients in a bowl. Beware of the pepper seeds!
Add the tofu, cover, and marinate over night.
Add one tablespoon of oil to a stir fry pan and add veggies. Cook for about five minutes until the veggies begin to get tender and add pineapple.
Cook another few minutes and add tofu. In the future, I'll probably pan fry the tofu separately, until nicely browned.

twd: Dorie's Fave Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanks to Kait, of Kait's Plate for this week's pick - Dorie's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These were good, especially with pecans because I love a chocolate + nut combo. I added a few teaspoons of cinnamon to the flour mixture that spiced it up a bit. When cooked, it was just a hint, not an overwhelming "that's cinnamon" taste. The edges of the cookies were a lovely caramel color and texture.

But chocolate chip cookies are one of those things...it's in the taste of the beholder. These were good cookies, but not my favorite. Why? Well, they were way too thin. The chips and pecans were sticking up and they started getting holes in them. Very thin.

Plus, very chewy. Chewy can be good, but I prefer soft, dense cookies. Of course, I snitched on the dough, which was also very good. I think these would be awesome baked in little ramekins as mini chocolate chip cookie cakes. Something to try.