homemade Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Simply Happenstance

DIY Hair Mask + Body Scrub

January 14, 2014

:: DIY Hair Mask + Body Scrub ::

The harsh coldness of winter brings about DRY hair and skin! I for one, have grown weary of my flaky skin and brittle ends! How about you? Do you happen to have a jar of organic coconut oil in your home? There are so many uses for coconut oil… in fact, you can cruise on over to Wellness Mama to view 101 uses for the magical stuff! One of my favorite ways to apply coconut oil is to my hair and skin. Nightly, I actually smooth it all over my face. {It helps to moisturize and has natural anti-bacterial properties that help fight against acne and dreaded breakouts.}

Since coconut oil is so versatile and healing, I came up with two simple DIY beauty recipes you can make on a whim, to help nourish your lovely locks and moisturize your thirsty skin. {I used all Trader Joe’s ingredients for my mixtures.} Enjoy, and please let me know how else you use coconut oil!

The Hair Mask:

[Read more…]

Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

November 14, 2013

:: Pumpkin Nutella Muffins ::

Oh my goodness, you guys! This is the BEST muffin combination… pumpkin + Nutella! During this time of year, I typically make plain pumpkin muffins and occasionally add in chocolate chips… but let me tell you, swirling in a dollop of creamy Nutella made an incredibly decadent difference! The pumpkin is flavorful and moist, while the Nutella creates a rich, chewy, chocolatey muffin top!

I doubled the recipe below and it made 18 muffins and one loaf to give away to a neighbor. This is the perfect baked treat to give to friends and family! If preparing this recipe as a loaf for others… you may want to buy a few of these darling paper loaf pans from Sur la Table. Wrapped in cellophane and tied with a simple bow… it makes for the perfect hostess gift or sweet treat for neighbors for the holidays! Enjoy! [Read more…]

Black Bean Chili

October 29, 2013

:: Black Bean Chili ::

Can you believe that Halloween is this week? We are still waiting on costumes {delivery takes a bit longer now that we are living in the mountains}. It looks like we have a super girl, batman, a werewolf, and obi wan kenobi! Ha! An eclectic bunch, for sure!

I thought I’d share with you one of our favorite Halloween traditions…. chili! I don’t think we are alone in this one. I have lots of friends that make a big pot of warm chili for a quick and easy dinner on Halloween night! This recipe is one of my favorites, as it is loaded with healthy vegetables and hearty black beans. I also like that it’s hard to mess up. Measurements aren’t really a necessity {as long as you don’t go overboard with the optional hot peppers and spices}. Also, you can adjust the recipe as needed to suit your own taste… even adding in ground turkey or beef, if you’d like. The best part about this recipe is that it’s ALL IN ONE POT! That’s right! Way less clean up, my friends! With four kids… I am completely over the clean up process…. plus less time cleaning up, means more time enjoying your sweet littles!

So, without further ado, here is the dream dish…. easy, healthy, and completely delish! [Read more…]

Perfectly Homemade Pizza Dough

October 10, 2013

:: Perfectly Homemade Pizza Dough ::

Believe it or not… I actually went about two years without eating pizza {Gasp! I know!}. During my first pregnancy, I didn’t experience food cravings as much as I experienced food aversions. Unfortunately, pizza… was the enemy. I couldn’t handle the taste, smell, or even the word P-I-Z-Z-A. Thankfully with time, the aversion passed {I think Husby was especially grateful for that}! Now… like most of you, I completely savor a good slice of pizza… especially if it’s homemade. Typically my husby picks up some of Trader Joe’s premade pizza dough, on his stop at the market before making his way up the mountain to our home. However, this week, he was home from the fire station for a few days and we didn’t have any dough on hand. I decided to mix up an easy homemade pizza dough {from one of my faves… The Pioneer Woman}, and top it with fresh, organic veggies from my mom’s garden. Yum!

The best part about making homemade pizza dough, is that there are literally only a few key ingredients needed…. flour, salt, olive oil, water and yeast. It honestly took me less than 5 minutes to make, and only an hour to let rise.