Margarita Fruit Salad

I originally got this recipe from Vegetarian magazine. I thought it looked delicious so I ripped it out and hung it in my kitchen where it's been collecting dust for almost a year. Finally I have attempted it and have not been disappointed! It's as delicious as it looks! 

Serves Two
Ingredients:
3 Tbs Tequila 
3 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Orange Juice
1 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
pinch of salt

1 Mango, peeled&diced
3 Kiwi, diced
1/4 of a fresh pineapple, diced
40 blueberries

Instructions:
Mix the liquids in a large bowl. 
Add fruit and mix. 
Chill for an hour, mixing occasionally. 
Serve chilled. 
Optional: Add a slice of lime or pineapple or rim the serving glass in salt or sugar

Nutrition Facts: Margarita Fruit Salad Portions: 2
Total Calories	391 Calories (Per Portion)
Added Sugars	72 Calories (Per Portion)
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	3 g
Carbohydrate	86 g
Dietary Fiber	10 g
Total Sugars	68 g
Added Sugars	18 g
Total Fat	1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1 g
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	74 mg
Potassium	766 mg
Sodium	590 mg
Iron	1 mg
Magnesium	51 mg
Phosphorus	76 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	52 µg RAE
Vitamin C	209 mg
Vitamin E	4 mg AT
Vitamin K	73 µg

Strawberry Jello Shots

I originally found this idea from a buzzfeed article. After attempting this recipe twice, I have some tweaks and tips. This recipe is a great sweet fix for people who don't like the taste of alcohol. It's also a refreshing snack perfect for hot summer days.

You Will Need:

-melon baller or small spoon

-knife

-liquid measuring cup

-30-40 large strawberries

-1 packet jello mix

-1 cup boiling water

-i cup cold alcohol (tequila)

How To:

1) Rinse strawberries. Make sure they are large enough to hold a jello shot. Cut off the tops.

 2) Carefully cut the strawberry bottoms so they can stand up on a plate. 

3) Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop a hole in the strawberry. Be careful! It's easy to scoop out too much which will make the jello leak out

  

4) Boil 1 cup water & add jello mix. Stir until completely dissolved.

5) Add 1 cup cold alcohol 

6) Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Optional: 

Grate fresh lime zest over coarse sugar to rim the strawberries before serving. 

My Tips:

Freeze for 10 minutes right before serving for ultimate refreshment.

If you have extra jello, make regular jello shots or cut up chunks of strawberries that were too small and add them to the jello in a bowl. 

Vegan Brownies

Recipe for Delicious Vegan Brownies:
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 cup Oil
1 cup Almond Milk

Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes

Some of the Ingredients:

Finished Brownies:

Nutrient Analysis:

Vegan Brownies Portions: 8 Large Brownies
Food Groups	Amount Per Portion
Grains	1½ ounce(s)
Refined Grains	1½ ounce(s)
Oils	3 teaspoon
Limits	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	318 Calories
Empty Calories*	98 Calories
Solid Fats	3 Calories
Added Sugars	95 Calories
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Protein	3 g
Carbohydrate	46 g
Dietary Fiber	2 g
Total Sugars	27 g
Added Sugars	24 g
Total Fat	14 g
Saturated Fat	2 g
Monounsaturated Fat	10 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	2 g
Calcium	85 mg
Potassium	90 mg
Sodium	241 mg
Copper	150 µg
Iron	2 mg
Magnesium	21 mg
Phosphorus	62 mg

Remember, you can do your own nutrient analysis of your recipes or daily diet at SuperTracker.USDA.gov

DIY Lip Scrub

I first saw this at LUSH. They had testers so I tried it. Its a little messy but you can literally eat it after and from what I hear, most people do just lick it off. The scrub exfoliates your lips which is something I know my lips don't normally get. It leaves them really soft. Usually these lip scrubs are sugar based but there's a wide range of recipes out there now. I saw recipes that used coffee beans, salt, or brown sugar instead of sugar.
With the cold weather we've been having in New York this year, my lips have gotten really chapped. I thought a lip scrub would probably help. I found recipes that used honey, olive oil, pumpkin, peppermint, vanilla or ginger. I used what I already had in my apartment, some regular white sugar, some blue sugar candy I ground up, a tiny bit of coconut oil and a few drops of grapefruit oil. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

For more recipe ideas:
Checkout this article with step-by-step pictures