It is only two weeks before Christmas. And that means it is a perfect time to make some cute gifts for your friend. This year I chooses to experiment with different body scrubs because I truly believe that exfoliation is the number one procedure to make your skin glowing. Personally I exfoliate my body every day: twice a week with a scrub and other days with natural bath sponge. Thereby my skin is in a perfect condition whole year round. After a long research and lots of experiments, I came up with this DIY orange scrub. It is loaded with precious oils, vitamins and minerals that will transform your skin and make it smooth, soft and hydrated. Oh, the smell is irresistible too.

Just give this scrub a try and make it either for yourself or your girlfriends. I am would love such a lovely handmade gift! But remember, before you use a scrub, do a patch test on the inside of your arm to see how your skin reacts, because you can never be too careful when it comes to your skin!

DIY Citrus Salt Boby Scrub

By voloshyna, December 11, 2014

Ingredients:

• sea salt - 1/2 cup
• orange zest - 1 tablespoon
• orange or any other citrus oil - 8-10 drops
• vitamin E oil - 2 tablespoons
• coconut oil - 2 tablespoons
• olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• honey - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Instructions:

In a plastic bowl mix all the ingredients together. Stir well until incorporate. Place your DIY scrub in airtight half-pint mason jar. You can store it in a dark, dry place up for a few months.

Everybody knows that moving to a new place is always stressful. But for me it was not just a stressful event, it was almost a tragedy (fortunately only for the first two days). Our landlords, nice and sweet people, by the way, decided to sell the condo we were renting, and we had two months to find a new home for us. I freaked out and decided to find a new place before the Thanksgiving and all the holiday season madness. The thing is I loved my old apartment so much that I thought we would never find a place as good as that one. Everything was perfect there: the pool, the price, the location, not to mention that our neighbors became our best friends. So I wanted to take my time and choose the best market could offer. I was so busy with all the searching and packing, and moving that I had no time for cooking and blogging. Actually, I think the nearby restaurants made a decent money on our everyday takeouts. Long story short, one month and 25 boxes later we are finally settled in a wonderful 2 bedroom condo in the heart of lovely Menlo Park. And I am peaceful, happy and ready to start blogging again.

After almost three weeks of takeouts and junk food my husband and I decided to watch our diet and eat healthy. That is not easy I need to say, you know old habits die hard. But anyway, we are doing pretty good. MyFitnessPal app helps a lot. Now my motto is – New healthy habits in a new sunny apartment!

From December 1st Sasha and I try to eat healthy, cut alcohol and count our daily calories. So, today I came up with this Sweet Potato Fries snack idea, which he loved very much. The best part is this avocado sauce, which in my opinion is absolutely delicious. Just try it folks and tell me what you think!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Avocado Dip

By voloshyna, December 2, 2014

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• sweet potatoes - 3 medium, washed
• olive oil - 1/2 tablespoon
• sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
• paprika - 1 teaspoon
• chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• lemon zest - 1 teaspoon
• sea salt - 1 teaspoon
• dry garlic - 1/2 teaspoon
• For the Avocado Dip: -
• ripe avocado - 1, peeled and cut into wedges
• lemon juice - 1 teaspoon or to taste
• grape seed oil - 1/6 cup
• parsley - 3 table spoon, chopped
• grated parmesan - 1/4 cup
• chili powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
• salt - to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Cut the potatoes into slim french fry shaped pieces. Try to cut them into even In a small bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Lay the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil all over. Season with the spice mix. Bake for 10 minutes then gently flip with a spatula to cook evenly and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 2 more minutes until crisp and golden brown. Be careful your fries might burn very fast. Arrange the fries on a platter. Meanwhile make the Avocado Dip. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl.

If you are looking for a dish to surprise your guests, you have found the right one. I can bet that most of them have never tried chicken that was roasted in milk. But believe me they will love it! This chicken is incredibly juicy and tender, and the meat is falling off the bones. Serve it with potatoes roasted with herb butter to develop a complex main course.
The recipe was adapted from Jamie Oliver

Chicken Cooked in Milk

By voloshyna, September 29, 2014

• Total Time: 01h 45min
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 01h 30min

Ingredients:

• whole chicken - 3-4 lb.
• kosher salt - 1 tablespoon
• freshly ground black pepper - 1 teaspoon
• butter - 1 tablespoon
• olive oil - 1 tablespoons
• cinnamon stick - 1/2
• fresh sage leaves - 10
• garlic cloves - 8, skin left
• lemon zest - 2 tablespoons
• milk - 2 1/4 cups

Instructions:

Season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan and brown the chicken on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Place the browned chicken into an oven proof pot, breast side up. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover and roast for 1 1/2 hours, removing the lid for the last half an hour if you like to brown the top a bit more. To serve, pull the meat off the bones and drizzle with sauce.

This wonderful pasta has rich, well balanced and delicate taste that mushroom lovers will definitely appreciate. For the sauce you can buy any exotic mushroom blend, a combination of shiitake, cremini, and oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms, is sold in eight-ounce packages. If it is unavailable, you can use regular cremini mushrooms and the dish will be still fantastic.

Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

By voloshyna, September 23, 2014

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• farfalle (bow tie) pasta - 1 lb., fresh or dry
• butter - 1 tablespoon
• olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• shallot - 1/2 cup, chopped
• mushroom blend - 12 oz, thinly sliced
• dry white wine - 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon
• whipping cream - 2/3 cup
• kosher salt or porcini salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
• thyme - 1 teaspoon
• freshly grated Parmesan - to taste
• chopped fresh parsley - 2 tablespoons

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and shallot. Cook 5-6 minutes or until soft and transparent, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and sauté for 8 more minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta in a boiling salted water until al dente. Add the wine to the mushrooms and deglaze the pan, then pour the cream and thyme, bring to a boil. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to, cook for another 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add the cooked pasta, cheese, and 2 tablespoons parsley, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.

This absolutely amazing recipe I’ve found in the March issue of Savuer Magazine. OMG this chicken is so good! It has a perfect combination of different flavors which create a very bright and remarkable dish. I’ve made some changes in the ingredients, but you know, I do this with every recipe.

After I’ve tasted my home cooked Cuban-style chicken, I’ve started dreaming about travel to Havana someday, and stay there at least for a week. I definitely know what I would do there, just drink mojito, eat delicious food and learn how to dance rumba. Thats funny, what a nice dream poped up in my mind after just one bowl of hearty chicken stew. So try to cook this dish dear fellows, it definitely worth the efforts!

Cuban-Style Chicken Stew

By voloshyna, April 14, 2014

• Total Time: 02h 35min
• Prep Time: 01h 15min
• Cook time: 01h 20min

Ingredients:

• fresh lime juice - 1/4 cup
• orange juice - 1/4 cup
• garlic - 2-3 cloves, minced
• chicken - 4 lb. quartered (backbone discard)
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• olive oil - 1/3 cup
• large red bell pepper - 1, roughly chopped
• small jalapeno - 1, roughly chopped
• large shallot - 1, quartered
• dry white wine - q cup
• small potatoes - 1 lb., peeled and quarteed
• kalamata olives - 1/3 cup
• capers - 1/4 cup
• raisins - 1/4 cup
• tomato sauce - 8 oz
• chicken stock - 1/2 cup
• smocked paprika - 1 1/2 teaspoons
• frozen peas - 1 cup, defrosted
• parsley - 1/3 cup, finely chopped

Instructions:

In a big bowl mix lime and orange juices, garlic, and chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for about 1 hour. Heat an olive oil in a big cast iron sauce-pan. Remove chicken from the marinade; pat dry with a paper towel; reserve the marinade. Cook chicken, flipping once until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate. At the same pan cook onion and peppers until soft, about 7 minutes. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Simmer until reduced by half. Reduce chicken to pan and add reserved marinade, olives, capers, potatoes, raisins, tomato sauce, smoked paprika and. Bring to a boil an dredge heat to medium-low. Cook covered, until chicken and potatoes are tender. Season to taste, stir in peas and chopped parsley.

This is the first homemade frittata in my life! Now I have one more super nice vegetarian breakfast recipe in my collection!

Ready in a half an hour.

Cheesy tomato frittata

By voloshyna, February 23, 2013

• Total Time: 23 minutes
• Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
• Cook time: 13-15 minutes

Ingredients:

• medium boiled potato - 1, roughly chopped
• olive oil - 2 tbsp
• small shallot - 1, finely chopped
• eggs - 4
• freshly grated Parmesan - 1/4 cup + more for serving
• graded Provolone - 1/4 cup
• grated Cheddar - 1/4 cup
• medium plum tomatoes - 2
• salt - to taste
• chili powder - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• chopped fresh dill - 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Fry potato and onion until golden brown. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in cheeses and season with salt, chili powder and pepper. pour egg mixture into pan; arrange tomato slices on top of egg mixture. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, until frittata is puffy and golden. Remove from oven and let cool for several minutes. Sprinkle with fresh dill and grated Parmesan.

If you never cooked veal, you should start with this dish. This is one of my favourite veal recipes and no doubt you’ll like it. I cooked it for my husband and he said this stew is incredible. At first the veal is searing and then braising with dried fruits, that gives a terrific flavor and of course super tenderness.

Veal stew with figs, dates and apricots

By voloshyna, February 4, 2013

Ingredients:

• veal for stew - 3 lb. (cubbed)
• olive oil - 2-3 tbsp
• carrot - 1 (roughly chopped)
• chopped big yellow onion - 1
• fresh thyme - 1 tbsp
• sea salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• fresh rosemary - 1 sprig
• dry red wine - 2 cups
• beef broth - 2-3 cups
• dry apricots - 8
• dry figs - 5-6
• dates - 4-5

Instructions:

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof saute pan over medium high heat, add olive oil, and sear 8 to 10 cubes of veal in a single layer until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer the seared meat to a plate and sear the remaining veal. Preheat oven to 300 F. Reheat the same Dutch oven (do not wash it). Add the onion and carrot and saute for about 10 minutes. Add the seared veal, season to taste with a salt, black pepper and herbs. Pour the wine and water an simmer for 30 min. Then add dried fruits and cover pan with a tight lid. Roast in the oven for about 1,5 hour, or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven. Serve with rosemary roasted potatoes.

If you are looking for a good baked potato recipe, this is the one. This potato will be crispy outside and really fluffy and tender inside, exactly the perfect balance. You can stuff it with any fillings you like – super easy and tasty dinner.

Perfect baked potato recipe

By voloshyna, October 18, 2012

• Total Time: 01h 08min
• Prep Time: 3 minutes
• Cook time: 01h 05min

Ingredients:

• large russet potatoes - 2
• olive oil - 1 tbsp
• salt - to taste
• butter - 1 tbsp
• grated sharp cheddar - 1/2 cup
• sour cream - 2 tbsp
• finely chopped chives, for serving - 1 tbsp
• chilli powder - to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash and scrub the potato, grease with an olive oil. Wrap each potato in a foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the potatoes meets no resistance. Slice the potato down the center and fluff the insides of each potato with a fork. Then add butter, salt, Cheddar and sour cream. Sprinkle with a chive and chili powder.

I know that the lamb meat is not very popular in US. For my opinion it has quite specific smell and not every one can like it. But personally I convinced, that you just need to learn how to cook it right. This recipe of grilled lamb rack just melt my heart. I decided to experiment and cook it with sweet maple syrup, cider vinegar and couple table spoons of whiskey.  Well, now this lamb is one of my husband’s favourite dishes.

Grilled lamb rack with maple glaze

By voloshyna, September 24, 2012

Ingredients:

• 1 American rack of lamb - 8 chops
• maple syrup - 2/3 cup
• cider or apple vinegar - 2 tsp
• whiskey - 3 tbs
• salt - 1- 1 1/2 tsp
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• olive oil -

Instructions:

Mix together all the ingredients for the glaze. Place the lamb rack in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over them, turn the rack to coat both sides. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours. After that let the rack come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 320 F. Then preheat grill and oil it. Place the lamb on the grill over high heat and cook turning only once, about 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer lamb rack on a baking sheet and grease with remaining glaze. Slide it into he oven for about 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast without touching bone reads to 160 F. Put the rack on a platter and tent loosely with aluminium foil, let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

This dish is not complicated and very budget. Usually chili cooked with beef, but if you like pork – go ahead. The main thing  is to add the four basic ingredients: ground meat, red kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili pepper, the rest may very. Nothing complicated, but so delicious!

Chili con carne

By voloshyna, July 19, 2012

• Total Time: 01h 30min
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• ground pork - 1 lb.
• bell pepper - 2 (red and yellow)
• chili pepper - 1-2
• diced tomatoes - 1 can (undrained)
• tomato sauce - 1 cup
• applewood smoked bacon - 3 slices
• red sweet onion - 2
• olive oil - 2 tbs.
• lower-sodium chicken broth - 1 cup
• no-salt added kidney beans - 1 can (rinsed and drained)
• garlic - 4-5 cloves (minced)
• chili powder - 1 ts
• salt - 3/4 tsp
• worcestershire sauce - 3 tbs.
• For serving: -
• sour cream - 3-4 tbs.
• sharp cheddar - 3/4 cup (shredded)
• fresh cilantro leaves - 1/4 cup
• finely chopped red onion - 1/2 cup

Instructions:

Heat a big pan and fry chopped bacon for a couple minutes then add the ground meat. Fry stirring, until lightly browned. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Fry the diced onion, bell pepper and chili until onion is soft. Add the chopped garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Mix the fried beef and vegetables in a saucepan or deep skillet. Add canned tomatoes, broth and tomato sauce. Season with salt, chili powder and worcestershire sauce. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, for a 45 minutes. Then add the drained beans, simmer for another 15 min. Serve hot chili with chopped sweet onion, cheese and cilantro, and don't forget the sour cream.