Melt butter
on stove. Make sure it doesn’t boil. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add sugar,
vanilla sugar, milk, and an egg. Mix all the ingredients.
Start
adding dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. First mix with a whisk
and continue with kneading by hand. Add flour it the dough is too sticky.
Wrap in a
foil and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
In the
meantime, prepare the filling. Melt butter and add brown sugar with cinnamon.
Mix well.
Roll out
the dough between two baking paper sheets to prevent tearing.
Spread
filling evenly and form a roll.
Cut little
cookies and place them on a baking pan covered with baking paper.
Bake at 350
F for about 15 minutes.
Let them
cool a little before placing them in an airtight container.
This light
as air dessert is a mixture between meringue and soufflé. Traditionally, it’s
baked in the oven and is supposed to look like three mountain peaks of Austrian
Salzburg. Our version looks more like an omelet but is equally tasty. Some
prefer it to be well done but to me, the best part of this dessert is the
creamy center.
For 4
servings you will need:
8 fresh
eggs
4 heaping
tablespoons sugar
4
tablespoons flor
4 teaspoons
olive oil
1 teaspoon
jam or melted chocolate
Directions:
Separate
egg whites from egg yolks. Using a mixer, beat egg whites on fast speed until
stiff. You can also do this by hand but it will take longer. To test if the egg
whites are done, turn the bowl upside down. If the foam starts moving, continue
mixing. If it stays put, it’s done.
Add half of
the sugar to egg whites and mix for 30 seconds.
In a
separate bowl, mix egg yolks and the rest of the sugar until creamy.
Add yolks
to egg whites and mix gently. Add flour and mix on lowest speed or by hand very
carefully. Don’t rush!
Put some
olive oil in a pan and heat it on a medium heat. Pour about two scoops of
mixture in a pan and wait for the bottom to start to brown. Using a spatula
quickly turn the sides upwards to form a cylinder. Do not overdue it so the middle
stays soft and creamy.
Put it on a
plate. Add a teaspoon of chocolate or jam, you can dust it with powdered sugar,
or even add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy still warm. Voilá.
Do you also
feel that this year bug situation is worse than usual? We are using mosquito
and insect traps at home, we put mosquito nets on windows, and still here and
there, they manage to find a way to come inside and give as a hard time. So
far, the traps have turned out to be pretty effective but when you leave the
house you also need protection. This is why a natural spray is a must.
Especially if you want to avoid toxic chemicals.
We use it
on skin as well as on clothes. It’s best to spray your neck behind your ears,
wrists, and ankles; that is, areas where you can feel your pulse.
It should
also be noted that various perfumes, fruity (except citrus scents) shampoos and
lotions attract mosquitos and ticks so try to replace them with other scents,
such as lemon or lavender.
How to make
a homemade tick and mosquito repellent spray
You will
need:
-spray
bottle
-½
cup water
-6
drops rose geranium essential oil
-4
drops cedarwood essential oil
-5
drops lemongrass essential oil
Instructions
Mix all the
ingredients together and pour in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.
Safe to use
on skin and clothes.
Before you
leave your house, just shake the bottle and spray on your neck, wrists, and
ankles and you are good to go. You can spray on your clothes and shoes too for
extra protection.
If you want
to use it on your children, dilute the mixture by reducing the essential oil
drops in half.
Cook
macaroni. Boil some water, add salt, and cook macaroni for 10 minutes.
While pasta
is cooking, prepare white sauce. Melt butter in a pan and add flour.After 2
minutes, pour milk and stir well. Salt
and pepper to taste.
Sauce must be smooth, thick and without any
lumps. Add more milk if needed.
In another
pan, cook onion with some olive oil. When it starts to brown, add bacon and
cook it until golden and crispy. Mix in macaroni, white sauce, and cheese and stir
well.Put it on a plate with some cherry
tomatoes and basil for garnish. Enjoy.
These
magical little fizzing bombs are all you will need to clean your toilet and
make your bathroom smell good. They fizz, clean, remove stains, disinfect, and
aromatize.
All you
have to do is drop one or two in the toilet and wait a minute to do its thing.
Then give it a little scrub with the toilet brush and wipe it clean with a
cleaning cloth. Flush. That’s it. You’re done. It’s that easy.
And best of
all, there are no toxic chemicals or fumes. The only smell you will notice is
the clean and fresh scent of the lemon essential oil.
You will
need:
silicone
ice cube tray
airtight
container
40 drops lemon
essential oil
½ teaspoon white
vinegar
1
tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
½ cup citric
acid
1 cup baking
soda
Directions
Using a spoon,
mix baking soda and citric acid with a spoon. Add essential oil drop by drop
and mix well. If any clumps start to form, break them up with the back of your
spoon.
In another
bowl, mix together white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Slowly and sparingly
add the mixture to the baking soda until you get slightly damp (not wet)
mixture.
Do not over
damp the mixture or you will activate the fizzing process. It’s ok if they
start to foam a little but they should not lose the form when you squeeze it.
Fill the
silicone ice cube tray and press firmly.
Let dry
overnight. You can place it on a window shelf or a warm place to speed up the
process.
Store in an
airtight plastic container.
How to use
toilet cleaning bombs
Drop one or
two fizzing bombs in the toilet bowl. Let fizz and soak for a minute or two.
Scrub the toilet using a toilet brush and wipe with a cleaning cloth. Flush.
How do they
work?
Baking soda
– naturally cleans and eliminates odors. It’s also a mild abrasive so it
whitens and helps with scrubbing the toilet.
Citric acid
– combined with baking soda and water starts fizzing and helps with cleaning.
It removes hard water stains, lime, and rust.
Lemon
essential oil – disinfects and deodorizes.
White
vinegar – is antimicrobial and a natural disinfectant.
Instruction video on how to make a simple and effective DIY mosquito trap.
Mosquitoes are one of the most annoying pests every summer. Their bites cause itchy welts and they can carry diseases.
One can try to use repellents to keep mosquitoes away from but it is even better to get rid of them completely.
It’s best to trap mosquitoes and kill them so they don’t get a second chance to bite or have any offspring.
Commercial mosquito traps often contain chemicals which are not only harmful to mosquitoes but also to humans.
This is a natural and eco friendly mosquito trap everyone can make at home.
You will need:
One 68-ounce bottle
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
3-4 banana peels
Cut the top third part off the bottle. In the bottom part of the bottle pour water, white vinegar, and add sugar. Mix well until sugar dissolves in the mixture. Add banana peels.
Remove the cap from the top part of the bottle, turn the pointy part down and place it on the lower part of the bottle. Tape both parts together so there is no air coming out at the side of the bottle.
Cover the whole bottle with some paper or other dark material to make the trap more appealing and cozy to mosquitoes.
Place it on a shelf or hang it on a tree between 4 to 6 feet high.
The idea is to attract mosquitoes and other flying pests with this specific scent and once they enter the trap, prevent them from coming back out.
Tips for catching mosquitoes:
- They like humid, cool and shaded areas so don’t try to catch them in the hot sun.
- They are attracted to dark colors. That’s why it’s more effective to use bottles with dark colors and cover them with tape and paper.
- You have best shot at catching them between 4 to 6 feet above ground level because they are most active in this height range.
Traditional
Sunday lunch of every Slovenian starts with a plate full of beef soup also
known as goveja juha (go·wɛ·yayou·ha) in Slovenian. It’s what represents home for us. The comfort and
warmth of a family meal when everyone comes to the table to enjoy food and each
other’s company.
Beef with
vegetables is cooked for several hours or until the meat is cooked on low heat,
gently simmering all morning. Soup is then strained and the liquid is used to
cook noodles in. Homemade noodles are best. Use the thinnest you can find and
no more than 2 inches long. Cut carrots into small circles or half circles and
add them to the noodle soup. Cooked beef is sliced but not served with soup.
Usually, it is eaten after the soup, with some potatoes and green salad.
Ingredients
2.2 pounds
beef
3 carrots
½ onion
1 bunch
parsley
1 small
cabbage leaf
1 bunch
celery leaves
5 bay
leaves
½ cup dried
vegetable mix (parsnips, carrots, celery, leek, lovage, parsley)
1 teaspoon
pepper
2 tablespoons
salt
1 bunch
chives
Directions
Put beef in
a big pot and top it with water. Clean vegetables, peel carrots and put them in
the pot with beef and water. Add spices. Bring the mixture to a boil and then
lower the temperature to the lowest level and let simmer for at least an hour
until the meat is cooked.
Use a fork
and stick it into the meat to test if it is cooked.
Strain the
soup into a medium sized pot. Save carrots and meat.
Cook
noodles in the golden strained soup as per instructions, about 5-10 minutes,
depends on the noodles you have. Traditionally, very thin and short noodles are
most commonly used. Usually, half a handful of dry noodles per person is
enough.
Cut cooked
carrots into circles and add them to the soup.
Sprinkle
some chopped chives on top and serve hot.
Cut beef in
slices but save it for later when you make potatoes and serve them with green
salad.
Clear soup
does not have to be served with noodles. You can make semolina dumplings, croutons,
or some prefer just a slice of home baked bread.
If you ask
kids what they want for lunch or dinner, the answer is almost always PASTA! We
eat pasta every week. Sometimes it’s macaroni, other times spaghetti, we cook
it with soups, or make ravioli. And they taste extra special when we make them
at home from scratch.
Here it the
basic recipe.
Ingredients
3 eggs
300 g(2 cups) flour
Directions
Sift flour
and add eggs. Mix well until a smooth and very thick dough forms. Put dough
onto a work surface and knead for a couple of minutes. Let dough rest for 5
minutes.
Divide
dough into smaller chunks (6-8) and use a manual pasta machine to roll and cut
dough into desired pasta shape. You can also use a rolling pin and a knife. It
will just take a little longer to make.
Boil water
in a medium pot. Add a teaspoon of salt. Cook pasta for about 4 minutes and
serve with your favorite sauce.
This
typical Slovenian dessert is often served with fruit compote and eaten as a
main dish. You can also eat it as a dessert but you have to make them smaller
and only use ¼ of an apricot. They are very filling and a serving size is 1 to
2 dumpling, depending of the size of the dumpling or the guest’s appetite:).
Ingredients
2.2 lbs
potatoes (8-10 medium potatoes)
2 ½ cups
flour (You can switch 1 cup flour with semolina flour)
1
tablespoon butter
1
tablespoon salt
2 eggs
8 apricots
8 sugar
cubes (or teaspoons of sugar)
½ cup
butter
½ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
Wash
potatoes but don’t peel them. Put potatoes in a medium pot, pour water to cover
them and add a little salt. Bring the water to boil and let potatoes cook until
soft, approximately 30 minutes.
When done,
peel them and put in a mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes.
Add flour,
1 tablespoon butter, eggs, salt, and mix quickly. Don’t let the dough cool too
much or it will get sticky.
Half
apricots and remove pits.
Flour your
hands and place a scoop of dough in one hand and flatten it using the other.
Place 1 apricot half in the middle and add a cube of sugar. Form a ball so the
apricot with sugar is completely covered with dough. You can also use a
teaspoon of sugar instead of cube. Just be careful not to sprinkle it too much
on the outside of the ball. Repeat until you run out of dough.
This recipe yields about 15 dumplings.
Fill a
bigger pot with water, add salt, and bring to boil. Place dumplings in the
boiling water and cook for 20 minutes.
Melt butter
in a saucepan, add breadcrumbs, and cook until golden brown.
When
dumplings are done, place them on a plate and pour a tablespoon of breadcrumbs
with butter. You can also sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on top if you wish.
You can
cook some and put the rest in the freezer (just formed into balls but not yet
cooked).
It’s a
delicious meal either as a dessert or as a main dish.
Do you have
raspberries in your garden but can’t eat them all at once? Make some homemade jam
and save them for the winter. There are many recipes but this one is my
favorite because it’s easy and only takes a few minutes make. Plus, it’s delicious
and it lasts forever. Seriously, I opened a 4-year old jar and it still tasted
as new.
Instructions
8 cups
raspberries
4 cups
sugar w/ pectin
First,
weigh the raspberries. Put them in a pot and mix while cooking on a medium
heat. After about 5 minutes of bubbling add sugar with pectin. Follow the
directions on the box. Some have different fruit to sugar ratios. Our said 2:1.
2 cups fruit, 1 cup sugar with pectin. Mix and cook for a couple minutes until
the jam starts to thicken.
Before you
pour the jam in jars test it by using a plate and putting a small amount of jam
on it. Wait a minute. If it’s still runny, you need to cook it a little longer
or add more sugar with pectin. If it jiggles, it’s done.
Pour into
clean jars and close with lids.
You can
spread it on your pancakes, eat it in a sandwich with some butter or peanut
butter, or even warm it on a stove and pour over your ice cream or other
desserts.
Don’t
preheat the pan. Put 3 eggs and butter in a cold pan.
Turn on the
stove on medium heat. Stir all the time. Don’t put stove on high heat. If
you’re using cast iron, you should really use minimal amount of heat. Cast iron
holds heat really well and when you turn stove off, pan will remain hot for
quite some time. When eggs start to form chunks, add sour cream, salt, and
pepper.
Make sure
you don’t overcook your eggs.
You can
serve some bacon and toast with your eggs. Add garnish with parsley and cherry
tomatoes.
Three ways
to get rid of ants naturally and safely without any toxic chemicals. First we
make them go away, then we don’t let them back in. With this natural paste and
spray trio you will get rid of ants for good.
1
Ant Paste –
Natural Ant Killer
Mix equal
parts of baking soda, powdered sugar, and water. 2-3 teaspoons of each should
be enough. Mix well and place in areas where ants enter your building. Usually,
windows and doors are a good place to start.
It’s
important to note that regular sugar is not as effective as powdered sugar. If
you mix regular sugar with baking soda, ants can tell the difference between
them and only eat sugar. Powdered sugar is similar texture as baking powder and
ants get confused and eat both. You want them to eat baking soda, sugar is just
for bait. Adding water turns it into a paste ants can’t resist. They also take
it to their home and this way you get rid of the source of the problem as well.
Once you
get rid of unwelcomed visitors it’s time to make sure they don’t come back.
The
following ant repellents do the job well.
2
Peppermint
Essential Oil Spray
Put a
teaspoon of sea salt in a bowl and add 15 drops of peppermint essential oil.
Wait 10 minutes for the salt to absorb all the oil. Pour half a cup of warm
water and mix until all the salt dissolves. Pour it into a spray bottle and spray
all ant entrances. I like to use this spray even when we don’t have an ant
problem because makes your house smell nice and refreshing.
3
Vinegar Spray
Mix 2 cups
of apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Careful, it get
bubbly so it’s best to add baking soda gradually, about half a teaspoon at a
time. Then add 2 tablespoons of dish soap, mix, and pour into a spray bottle.
Spray all ant entrances.
This
mixture can also be used as a natural cleaner for all surfaces.
The immune
system is like a defense system that protects the body from infections. A
healthy immune system protects our body against viruses, bacteria, and foreign
bodies so it’s important to keep it in good shape.
I found
that this golden immunity booster drink works best for me and my family. I
prefer to take my supplements made from food ingredients over those in pill
forms that almost all contain at least one harmful ingredient. I do realize
that pills can have more concentrated amount of an active ingredient as well as
be more convenient on a daily basis. However, from my experience I can assure
you, taking small amounts over longer periods of time works just the same, at
least for me.
I should
also note, that it is ok to adjust the drink to your preference. It took me a
while to get used to this taste, so I added more honey and less lemon at first
couple of weeks, and drank only a shot glass a day.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 teaspoon
turmeric
1 pinch
cayenne pepper
1 lemon
(juice)
4 drops
olive oil
Mix
everything together and drink daily. Mixture can last up to 3 days in the
fridge.
Careful if
you have any kind of stomach issues.
Some say
drinking it first thing in the morning gives best results but I suggest eating
a full meal first.
The
combination of all of the ingredients makes this a super powerful health bomb.
Let me
explain.
Turmeric is
a strong antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory spice that kills
viruses. It is linked to curing various cancer, helps with depression, improves
digestion, cures lives diseases, gives you energy, and is like a personal body
guard to your health.
Cayenne
pepper is a supreme internal disinfectant and protects from infections. When
combined with turmeric they become a super power. Their effectiveness is
increased by a hundred.
Vitamin C
in lemon also enhances the effectiveness of this natural immunity booster.
Plus, lemon cleanses the body and gives this drink a pleasant taste.
Honey is
rich in antioxidants and minerals and it also makes the drink taste less sour.
Olive oil
helps with the absorption of all the nutrients. It also protects your heart and
other organs, helps with digestion, makes your skin glowing and keeps you young.
If you have
any kind of health issues talk to your doctor if drinking this booster is right
for you.
Also, if
you experience any kind of side effects, such as nausea or stomach pain, stop
drinking it.
Personally,
I noticed that if I get sick it’s when seasons are changing, especially in
spring and fall, so I make sure I drink this golden booster daily for at least
three weeks in a row and so far it worked.
Let’s get
back to basics with this amazing bread recipe. Be patient and prepare yourself
for the best bread you ever tasted. Once you try it you will only want to have
homemade bread. Besides, you won’t add any additives or preservatives, so it
will also be much healthier for you than store-bought bread.
Ingredients
6 ½ cups
flour
1
tablespoon salt
1 yeast
cube (42 grams or 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon
sugar
3 cups
water
Prepare
flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle using your hand. Sprinkle
salt around the flour circle.
Proof
yeast. Pour 1 cup of warm water in a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and a
pinch of flour. Add yeast, mix and set aside for 10 minutes for yeast to make
bubbles and rise a little. You can use fresh or dry yeast. If after 15 minutes
you don’t see any changes in the mixture, this means the yeast is dead and you
have to repeat the process with a different package or cube of yeast. You can’t
skip this step or the bread baking won’t be a success.
Once you
activate yeast, prepare two cups of warm water and pour everything in the bowl
with flour. Start kneading. I used wooden spoon when mixing water with the
ingredients and proceeded with my hands. Add water if necessary.
The dough
is ready when it only slightly sticks to your hands. You don’t won’t it to be
too dry as it will make bread less soft and we don’t want that. Dust the dough
with flour, cover it, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume,
about 1 hour.
After 1
hour, punch it down, knead well, cover, and let rise again until double,
approximately 40 minutes.
Punch
again, form a round form, and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment
paper. Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife to allow it to rise. Cover
and let rise for another 30 minutes.
While you
wait for the dough to rise, preheat the oven to 390 degrees F.
Before
placing the loaf in the oven, brush it with 1 beaten egg.
Bake for 10
minutes at 390 degrees F then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake
for 50 to 60 minutes or until beautifully browned.
Transfer to
a rack to cool. Do not slice loaf while it is still hot.
Steak tartare (or Beef Tartare) is a classy dish served at fancy restaurants, but you can definitely prepare it at home. It is made with raw meat so you should be careful. Always use only the highest quality of meat. Organic and grass-fed beef tenderloin is best.
Make sure to always use fresh whole lean piece of meat. NEVER, under any circumstances, use ground beef unless you grind it yourself from a whole piece of meat! Ground beef contains various cuts as well as trimmings, and from various cows. This can mean more bacteria and it also affects the texture of beef tartare.
Ingredients
2.2 lb. fresh tenderloin
1 onion
2 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon French mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 pickles
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of cappers
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation itself is very easy. In principle, you only need a knife and a cutting board. If you like the meat pieces to be chunky, you chop it with a sharp knife until you reach the desired consistency. Our family prefers meat more finely chopped, so we grind it with a machine to get a pate-like texture.
Then finely chop onion, garlic, capers, pickles, and anchovy fillets.
Prepare salt, pepper, red paprika powder, mustard, and mayonnaise.
Mix everything with meat.
Form meat into a ball using your hands a spoonful of olive oil. Then flatten the ball and plate it. Draw squares with a sharp knife. For garnish, you can make flowers from butter, with a little sprinkle of red paprika powder and a leaf of lettuce.
Make toast. When still warm, melt some butter on in and spread a tiny layer (or thick) steak tartare pate and enjoy this delicious French delicacy.
