A few new favorite things

BTW, I found out by reading the results of the race that my time was 5:25, not 5:35. I'll take every minute I can get, thank you.

So I got some lotion for Mother's Day which I LOVE. I'm kind of a connoisseur of skin care. Mainly because I have the worst skin ever.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion. It stays on! Not just for a little bit. AND it's got just the slightest bit of shimmer in it. Who doesn't love a little shimmer? Not like the usual shimmer lotions that make you look like you sprinkled glitter on yourself. Not noticeable. Just makes you glow a little. I love finding a favorite, especially for something that is so troublesome for me.

Another relief is finding a good recipe that people in my house will eat, AND that doesn't require extra trips to the store. We've got a little bit of a food storage, and when money is tight I try relying mostly on that and just go to the store for produce. Over the years I've collected quite a few great recipes from Relief Societies which just use basic food storage. It's gratifying to pull out those binders, go to my own pantry and be able to make a little something. Cold cereal is so expensive. This granola recipe can be stored in a container and my kids eat it as cold cereal or as a snack. (Some kids require adaptations. But really the things that make it work or not are the honey and oats. You can vary all the other things to taste. Or cut out some of the oil to make it a little lower fat.)


6 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. brown sugar (make it as sweet or unsweet as you like)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. toasted shaved coconut
1/3 C. sesame seeds
1/4 C. sunflower seeds
1 C. chopped nuts of choice

Mix well, then add:
1/2 C. olive oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. honey


Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 30 min.
Last five minutes add 1/2 C. raisins or other dried fruit.
Add chocolate for a sweeter version.


Another recipe... My husband loves artisan bread when it's fresh, but it's expensive and doesn't last more than a day. A friend of mine makes great home made/only from food storage Italian hard rolls or bread. I can't make it as well as she can, but it dresses up a food storage dinner. Make it as a loaf or rolls. It's a time consuming recipe with three rises. Start it early!

Beat until frothy:
3 1/2 C warm water
2 T. Sugar
8 tsp. powdered egg whites (or 4 regular egg whites)
1 T. instant yeast
Then add:
2 C. flour (whole wheat, white, or a combination)

Let sit 30 minutes to ferment, loosely covered with plastic wrap

Slowly add 6 C. more flour and knead for 6-7 min.
If using WW flour, ad 1/4 C. olive oil (optional)
At the very end of kneading add 1 T. salt
You can also add some herbs here. Like a little Rosemary, if you want.

Let rise in bowl for 1 hr.

Punch down, form into loaves, balls or whatever.
Sprinkle with a little flour
Let rise 1 more hour.
Just before baking, brush with beaten egg whites.
Bake at 400 for 20 min. (or 15 min. for rolls.)
Mid way through baking, slash the top with a knife a couple of times.


My son makes this for me. It's such an easy, cheap chocolate fix. Not to horribly fattening either.

4 1/2 oz dark chocolate (unsweetened is fine if you want to add sugar to the egg yolks. For me, the darker the better!)
4 large eggs separated

Melt the chocolate
Whip the egg whites to soft peak stage
Mix egg yolks (and sugar, if using unsweetened chocolate, to taste)
Add egg yolks to cooled chocolate. Mix quickly!
Add whipped whites to egg/chocolate mixture and fold until it's well incorporated.
Chill in individual serving cups.
Sprinkle white chocolate over the top, or more dark chocolate, because... why not!?

Ryan made a batch of this on Mother's Day and put it in 6 little cups. I go pick one out every day... such a great, perfectly sized chocolatey treat!