Food & Beauty Thrills – How To Kill Two Birds With One Stone

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Don’t you love food that addresses both your health and beauty needs?  Are you ready to find out which foods will help you look and feel beautiful without costing you a fortune?  Then let’s find out!

Cool cucumber  

It’s gorgeous in a salad and is an amazing hunger buster if you need something to munch on but haven’t really got the calories to spare.  Have no plans this evening?   Perfect – set up a date with cucumber for your lids, alongside fragrant scented candles and soothing music for that much needed pick me up.  Ah – heaven..

Cleopatra honey and yoghurt

What an amazing combo contributing antioxidants and minerals such as calcium for your bones.  Either pour them on your breakfast cereal or layer it on your face for a Cleopatra themed face mask.  You could also use agave nectar but I would suggest reading ‘The Sickly Truth About Agave Nectar’ first.  What’s more, throw in some oats and you’ll be wondering whether to eat it, or use it as a face mask or both!

Aloe vera shots

Have a shot a day if you are pursuing inexpensive remedies for fighting off wrinkles and signs of ageing.  What have you got to lose?  If you are intrigued then read Aloe Vera - A Fun Step Towards Anti-Aging?

Appetizing avocado & olive oil

Unbelievably creamy and satisfying in salads, you can’t go wrong with avocado or olive oil.  Did you know that it is just as perfect as a face mask for dry skin?  The richness of avocado is ideal mixed with olive oil for a much deserved pampering session.  Olive oil that has been gently warmed and applied to hair is also wonderful as a pre-wash conditioner.  You’ll be amazed at how glossy and shiny your hair is afterwards.  A perfect Sunday morning ritual, wouldn’t you agree?

Beautiful Banana

Finally, my favourite – the basic banana.  Or is it really?  It’s an excellent pre-exercise snack but what you may forget is that bananas like other fruit are packed with polyphenols and carotenoids important for their role in anti-aging.  Did you know that in India, banana leaf based dressings have been developed as an excellent, cheap, non-adhesive and pain free form of dressing material?

Let’s not forget Superfood Cinnamon, Mighty Mango, , Berries, Garlic - To Kiss Away Wrinkles, or Onions & Turmeric..  The list truly is endless but since it’s nearly the weekend, let’s celebrate with Ravishing Raspberry Cocktail for anti-aging goodness from berries.

Happy Thursday lovely readers, and do let me know if you think of other magical beauty foods to share.

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Baking With Xanthum Gum: When Less Is Moreish

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I wanted to bake a gorgeous strawberry cake (that is if I could stop myself from eating the strawberries first).  I do love strawberries, they photograph beautifully and possess a fabulous red colour that instantly makes you happy with every viewing.

Berries are abundant in vitamins and antioxidants and so really do make the perfect snack as outlined in 8 Perfect Reasons To Indulge In Berries.  Fruit can be a useful way of reducing the amount of added sugar required in baking as explained in Can You Have Your Cake & Keep Your Waistline Too?  

When it comes to natural binders that are egg free, bananas are by far my favourite.  This lovely yellow fruit is accessible all year round, cheap and has a pleasant flavour even as a binder.  It works wonderfully well every time.  The only problem?  It can get a little bit boring.  That's where alternative binding agents can become useful.

Baking with xanthum gum for the first time was indeed a very memorable experience.  I tried it for the first time today and I was very impressed that only a small amount was required for binding action.  In the strawberry cake that I wanted to try, I only ended up using 1/2 teaspoon along with 1/4 teaspoon of arrowroot powder.  I needed more wet ingredients therefore instead of milk, I used mango puree, strawberry jam and half of a small banana.  The other half, I ended up eating of course!

It is difficult to describe the effect of xanthum gum, except that it really does scoop up absolutely every bit of powder in the bowl.  The final result was a thick custard type mixture that was almost jelly like.  It binds so well that I had to loosen up the loaf from the cake tin with a butter knife, before turning it over to cool.  Perhaps greasing the tin beforehand would have been helpful, but I usually never find the need to.

The final product did not have a lot of 'height' to boast about yet it pleasantly maintained the gel type consistency out of the oven.  It was definitely going to maintain its shape but missed the satisfying 'crumb' that you would expect from a cake.  Xanthum gum may work best in a biscuit or bread recipe.  The final verdict?  It performs its duties as a binder, but I personally prefer bananas or alternative fruit puree.  However, if you need to follow an egg free diet, it's great to know that you have options.

Have you baked with xanthum gum?  If so, do share your experience and words of wisdom.  I love hearing from you lovely readers!

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