One Love – The Konjac Sponge

The Clairsonic Mia was life changing to my facial cleansing routine, talk about a deep love, I mean clean – deep clean. I did not regret that pricey purchase one bit, until recently, as I was starting to feel it was a bit abrasive and began the hunt for a more natural exfoliating product. And then she died on me, RIP Mia.

Luckily and coincidentally, during one of my regular stops at The Cure I was introduced to this amazing alternative. One Love Organics Konjac Sponge. For those of you who are not familiar, please allow me to introduce you to this must have product.

Made from the root of the Japanese potato-like plant, Konjac. This sponge is a natural, fully sustainable, biodegradable, preservative free product that is used as a calming, exfoliant for all skin types. Helping to dislodge dirt, oils, blackheads, while balancing the acidity of the skin’s impurities.

Once wet, the stiff sponge transforms to a soft and pillowy sponge. I like to think of it as the loofa for your face, it feels so good! Once wet, apply your favourite cleanser (I am loving Skin Essence Organics, Fresh Facial Cleanser right now), massage onto your skin using circular motions, and rinse.

There are three sponges types to choose from (to test my decisiveness or lack thereof):

  • Rose Clay: for rosacea, sensitive, mature and dry skin
  • Bamboo Charcoal: for oily, combination and problematic skin
  • Original: for normal and all skin types

Even though I have sensitive dry skin, I decided to go big or go home and went with the Bamboo Charcoal. Naturally antibacterial and antifungal, the Bamboo Charcoal contains activated carbon and minerals which absorb toxins, remove excess oils and fight hard to reach bacteria. I’m on week three and no regrets!

If you are looking for a new way to perk up your skin regime, grab yourself a Konjac Sponge.

One Love Organics

 One Love. xx

Exposed Shoulders

With warmer days ahead, there are many Spring trends that are warming the heart as we brave this -30 degree polar vortex.

This Spring we are baring all – shoulder wise! We felt a bit of cool, sexy, and class with a variety of styles hitting the runways.  With styles that are strapless, off-the-shoulder, slashed to reveal just a peek of shoulder, and bold one-shoulder necklines, it’s time to make shoulder’s part of your daily fitness routine. (Stay tuned for a blog post to help you on that)

I for one can’t wait to pack away the sweaters and bare the shoulders; be inspired with some of these gorgeous looks.

Fashion1/2/3/4

Dream of Warmer Days. xx

 

 

 

Coconut Hummus

Two obsessions combined to make a new favourite, how did I not see this coming.

I could eat hummus all day everyday, literally. Dipped with veggies, crackers or used as a spread, I always have a tub in the fridge best used for a quick snack or lunch. Roasted garlic, basil, spicy, avocado, beet, olive, lemon dill, caramelized onion, roasted red pepper, the varieties goes on and on. It’s so tempting to pick up the newest tub at the local grocer but trust me when I say that you can easily whip up a batch that’s healthier for you and in my opinion, more delicious.

Take these staple ingredients to make a regular hummus and then add in something above and beyond to jazz it up. Have fun with it, you really can’t go wrong!

The staples:

  • 1 can of rinsed chickpeas
  • juice of a half-full lemon
  • 1-3 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • water for consistency
  • salt and pepper to taste

With this recipe, I decided to try and mimic My Little Chickpea Thai Coconut Hummus (yes I sometimes buy hummus out of sheer laziness or to be inspired). And I did better than! 🙂

Coconut Hummus Ingredients

Coconut Hummus is quite similar to my regular hummus, except I reduced the olive oil to 2 tbsp and added 3 tbsp of coconut oil + 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes + 1 tsp of cayenne for some heat. Throw everything into a blender or food processor and you’re done. Finish it off with some chopped jalepeno and coconut. Yum!

Coconut Hummus

Nutrient Fact: Adding hummus to your diet can help regulate your digestive system, reduce risk of heart disease and cancer, and help with weight management.

xx!

 

 

Juice it Up

Happy Friday Friends! I know another juice post (#sorrynotsorry), but these two juice combinations are must shares, I promise I’ll keep it short!

Kiwi’s are a favourite snack of mine and not once did I ever think to add kiwi’s to my smoothie or juice, until now. I can’t believe I missed out on such a flavourful combination for so long. This Green Zinger will definitely leave you wanting more.

Green Zinger1 bunch of kale, 1 cucumber, 2 pears and 5 kiwi’s – best served on ice (my preference anyways!)

Next up, is my Sweet Beets combination loaded with antioxidants. Note- this one can get a bit messy, especially with a white kitchen!

Pomm, Beet , Carrot, Ginger Juice2 carrots, 2 beets, a knob of ginger and 1-2 pomegranates – Voila Sweet Beets!

Juices

 Happy Weekend. xx

 

Get Juiced

I wasn’t completely on board with getting a juicer; it deemed a bit unnecessary in my eyes. After all, my blender was working just fine, I was getting the full nutrient value of using whole fruits and veg, and a juicer seemed like such a pain to clean. However, as with any new gadget, I let down my guard and welcomed this new toy into our home and the shift to juicing has been quite refreshing.

While I won’t convert to juicing 100% of the time, I have enjoyed the switch up between blending and juicing; it’s surprising how different the recipe combinations can taste.

Obviously, I have been experimenting with many different recipes while also enjoying my favourite tried, tested, and true go-to’s. It has basically been the “battle of the juices” at CasaDelSal and let me tell you, there have definitely been some interesting combinations. Stay Tuned!

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your favourite go-to combinations, please share!

First off, this Blue Potato recipe doesn’t fail. Whether you blend or juice it’s a win-win.

Blue Potato

  1. Simply blend or juice sweet potatoes, pears and blueberries (measurements don’t make much difference here)
  2. When blending you may need to add some water to thin it out
  3. Yield ~4 servings

Next up, this Sweet Greens combination is much sweeter as a juice, but equally delicious in smoothie form + you get maximal nutrients from the kale and spinach when blending.

Sweet GreensSweet Greens

  1. Blend or juice 1 cucumber, 2 apples, 2 pears, 2.5 cups spinach and a bunch of kale
  2. For blending you will need to add some water to thin it out
  3. Yield ~ 4 servings

Now something a little more adventurous and definitely a juice only type of combination.

Veg Out, as  I like to call it. Essentially this is your make at home V8 alternative. This juice is best served right away and is a great way to get a ton of nutrients in one glass.

Veg Out

  1. Juice together, 2 carrots, 5 celery stalks, 1 cucumber, 4-5 tomatoes
  2. Yield ~ 4 servings
  3. Best served cold

 

Keep Calm & Juice On. xx