Substance of Living

If you find yourself single for whatever reason on this Valentine's Day, send out thoughts of love and let the self-pampering begin.   Treat yourself special.  After all, aren't you the best person to be around? Whether February the 14th falls on a work day or not, enjoy some quality time throughout this month.  Here are some ways to luxuriate in your independence: Have fun! Make a Cuddle Basket the day before to enjoy during tonight's movie marathon or some good ol' binge watching of your favorite series.  Include items like a new throw blanket, hot chocolate ( here or here ), gourmet popcorn , and some semi-homemade cookies . Swaddle in your blanket and journal or read. Linger in your lounging wear. Dress up and go to a museum. Treat yourself to something at a spa. Try going tech-free; set your phone for emergency or to receive calls only from your favorites list. Go sightseeing in your own city or visit somewhere that's within a day's drive. Cook yourself a ...

There are times that we just don't feel like messing with the stove to make homemade hot cocoa but still want something hot and tasty.  Today's hot chocolate solves that problem and more. Pour milk (dairy or any non-dairy) into a microwavable cup, heat for about 1 1/2 minutes on high, open your favorite hot chocolate package, pour in cup, stir, and now add a 1/2 to 1 full shot of your favorite peppermint liqueur. You're done and the sensational sipping begins within two minutes! When you're hosting a gathering on a cold evening, try setting up a hot chocolate bar with instant as well as homemade.  Have hot milk, hot water, sprinkles, marshmallows, whipped cream, and of course alcoholic and non-alcoholic flavorings to add. Notes: We used non-dairy milk and of our favorites are almond milk or coconut milk.  Soy and rice would also be nice. We like dark chocolate and have found Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate to have a rich flavor. There are other varieti...

Take a look and drool over everything that came in the September Send Me Gluten-Free box!  I'm telling you, these boxes of goodies each month are AWESOME!!! Thanks to Pamela's , we enjoyed a pancake breakfast one morning. Had a romantic picnic, provided by gopicnic , Beanfield's , and Lovely , inside by the fire one evening. Breakfast and a snack on the go by Giddy Up & Go and SoyJoy . I'm telling you, these boxes are like a little surprise gift each month and the best way to sample all sorts of gluten-free items.  It's so much better and cheaper to enjoy new goodies each month than to go out and purchase items that you've never tried.  You and I both know how expensive a lot of gluten-free or specialty food items are to just to fill your grocery cart full of new items. Take a look at last month's box of SendMeGlutenFree and you'll know what I've been going on about.  There are some products I've tried before, which are...

I'm beyond excited to introduce you to what I'm calling "The newest sensation in eating gluten free" !  You can now sign up to receive a box in the mail each month packed full of gluten-free items from Send Me Gluten Free .    This is what my box looked like this much.  In addition to some full-size items, there were samples of tea, sweets, energy bars, lip balm, and coupons galore.  After your box arrives, you'll also receive an email with links to each of the products and if you complete a quick survey they'll send you additional discounts or coupons. Another email will come giving you recipes and ideas of how to use the items in the box.  For example, this month there was Sevierly Good: Garlic Bread , TeeChia: Blueberry Date Quickbread , and other recipes . Close up of Items in the August 2014 box. Close up of Items in the August 2014 box. Close up of Items in the August 2014 box. I don't know if I'm actually supposed to co...

This is a super exciting day for me.  Not only do I get to share with you the newest addition to Castello family - Burger Blue Cheese, but we are celebrating my fabulous husband's birthday and 4th of July!  (Although you've seen bits and pieces of him from time to time, he really does not like being in the limelight and yet he did an amazing job as Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls" musical. I can go on and on and on about how adorable and wonderful my husband is, but you really want to know about this new cheese that people are talking about. "Transform your burger into an epicurean delight" "Top burgers with a perfectly-sized slice of NEW Castello ® Burger Blue cheese to give them a bold and sophisticated taste found in the kitchens of gourmet chefs across the country. With perfectly sized and supremely meltable Castello ® Burger Blue cheese, the messy, inconsistent coverage of blue cheese crumbles is a thing of the past. T...

There have been so many diet plans that promised us weight loss.  And that's great!  What was it about that particular diet that was healthy or unfortunately unhealthy?  Did we really keep the weight off or have we found the "lost" weight and some of its friends? Comments I've heard through the years about various diets (can you guess which ones I'm talking about?): "You can eat all the meat you want!" "There's no fat so I can eat as much as I want and not gain any weight!" "All the stars are doing it and look how great they look!" "I can eat anything I want within a certain color." "All my food is prepared for me." "I can eat one of anything and still lose weight." The list of comments can go on and on and on.  You get the point. Diets are fantabulous for businesses and marketers.  Not so much for us. Getting back to my question about gluten-free being a fad.  For those of us who ca...

Skinny & Co. Coconut Oil in Sold and Melted Forms After my first conversation with Michael at Skinny & Co., I was super excited to try their coconut oil.  I didn't have to wait but a couple days and my coconut oil arrived in the mail. My initial thought was, "Which recipe do I try or should I create something new?"  That thought was blown out of the water when I began reading about the benefits of using coconut oil raw. Did you know that you can use coconut oil as a makeup remover, as a lotion for skin rash or reducing wrinkles?  I didn't.  In fact, I wouldn't have thought to use coconut oil in any other capacity except cooking.  I do use raw coconut oil to make my vegan butter.  I thought it would be too expensive to "waste" using it any other way than ingesting. I have since changed my mind. I now use a teaspoon in my morning coffee, use it to make vegan butter, lotion for my dry hands and feet, moisturizer on my face, and have be...

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil When I was asked to sample and review Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, I knew a special recipe had to be created.  Something everyone would enjoy, something for the holiday season, something new and something easy. These cookies hold their shape, slightly crunchy on the outside with a moist and crumbly interior that melts in your mouth.  Mini muffins were tried and they held up to the test of the cookies as well as the baking time.   Ingredients: 2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt 1 cup Brown Sugar 1/3 cup Sugar 3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil (room temperature or slightly melted) 2 teaspoons Vanilla 1 cup Pumpkin Puree (not pie mix) 1 cup Chocolate Chips  Directions: Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Combine wet...