Citrus Body Scrub - Bath Blend of the Month

Dried citrus peel makes a wonderful face and body scrub.  You can make your own easily by saving the peels from citrus as you eat it, then running it through the blender or food processor.  If you want you can also purchase already dried and ground orange and lemon peel.

Citrus Body Scrub

1 Tbls dried citrus peel
2 Tbls plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp honey

Mix together all the ingredients and stir until smooth. Makes 1 ounce or about 1/8 cup of scrub.

To Use: Massage into damp skin and rinse well with warm water.  Pat skin dry.

Storage: Store any left over scrub in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

Cucumber Mint Salad - Weekend recipe

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Turkey.  It goes well with chicken, lamb and salmon.  It is fresh and bright and slightly minty and perfect to brighten up your summer fare.

Cucumber Mint Salad
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbls fresh spearmint leaves, minced
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
dash of salt and pepper to taste
3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

Mix all ingredients, except cucumbers in a medium bowl and refrigerate.  Slice cucumber and stir into bowl just before serving and garnish with additional mint.

Weekend Recipe - Cucumber Mint Salad

Cucumber Mint Salad

The mints in my garden seem to have been affected the least by this summer’s drought.  I have been able to harvest them steadily and as a result I have made a number of recipes with mint that I would not normally have crafted because the other herbs were not ready for harvest. 

Cucumber and mint are used to craft a traditional salad in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries.  It is used as both a condiment as well as a side dish.  This recipe is a creamy cooling cucumber salad.

3 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 cup plain yogurt

2 Tbls. fresh peppermint, minced

1 Tbls. lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

dash of salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except cucumbers together and place in a bowl in the refrigerator to meld overnight.  Stir in cucumber just before serving.  Garnish with additional mint leaves.