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Think Beyond the Salsa With These Cilantro-Centric Recipes

December 8, 2015 by

When you think of salsa, you likely think of the zesty flavor added by cilantro. Cilantro is also a great addition to many other dishes, however, even those outside of Mexican cuisine. These three recipes will have you rethinking the way you view cilantro in the most delicious ways possible!

Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cilantro [Martha Stewart]
Instead of the usual Southwestern cuisines, try cilantro in an Asian-cuisine-inspired dish for a change. This noodle salad requires no cooking at all to create a fresh, interesting meal with a traditional Vietnamese sauce. Top it with cucumber and cilantro for a bit of added flavor.

Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Tacos with Coconut-Cilantro Sauce [The Kitchn]
There are so many delicious flavors in this taco dish, your taste buds will hardly know where to begin. Tender sweet potatoes covered in a miso and maple syrup glaze take the place of the usual taco meat, and avocado, cilantro, and toasted pepitas make a tasty garnish. The cilantro comes in at the end, when it’s blended with coconut to create a uniquely flavorful sauce for topping.

Zesty Quinoa Salad [AllRecipes]
If you want to eat healthily without sacrificing taste, you’ll absolutely love this quinoa salad. Fresh vegetables and black beans make it bright and nutritious, while cilantro and black pepper add major flavor.

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Just Like Mom Used to Make: Chicken Pot Pie Recipes

November 10, 2015 by

With its light, fluffy exterior and its thick chicken stew inside, chicken pot pie is a classic recipe that will make you feel warmer and cozier with every bite. If you want to adapt this time-honored dish for your own friends or family, here are three great recipes to show you how.

Ina Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie [foodnetwork.com]
You can be sure that the Barefoot Contessa herself will have a few things to add to such a classic dish. Ina Garten’s pot pie gets an elegant makeover with the addition of fresh parsley leaves and chicken bouillon cubes, and serving it in miniature bowls makes it even more chic.

Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie [bettycrocker.com]
If you’ve been dreaming of chicken pot pie but you’re short on time, this six-ingredient recipe is the perfect solution. It uses frozen vegetables, cream of chicken soup, and biscuit mix to make pot pie easier than ever.

The Epicurious Chicken Pot Pie [epicurious.com]
When you have the time to make the crust, chicken, and filling all from scratch, this is the recipe to use. This pot pie is perfect for a dinner party with your foodie friends, as it incorporates complex ingredients like black peppercorns, dry white wine, and dried chanterelle mushrooms along with the usual meat and veggies.

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How to Add Mixed Patterns to Your Apartment’s Decor

October 13, 2015 by

Think it takes a decorator’s eye to mix patterns? Think again! With a few smart tips and some simple rules to keep in mind, you can mix patterns like the pros in any room in your home.

  1. Choose a color scheme. First, pick a color scheme that you’ll stick with throughout the room. Whether it’s basic black and white or something brighter, like yellow and blue, this will make your pattern mixing much easier.
  2. Limit the number of patterns. While it may seem overwhelming to mix a dozen different patterns, even the most novice home decorator can work with three or four. Keep things simple, but still incredibly impactful.
  3. Decide where you’ll mix your patterns. Adding a variety of different throw pillows on the sofa or the bed is one of the most popular ways to incorporate a few different patterns in a room, but you might also want to add even more fun prints. For even more depth and dimension, try a temporary wallpaper in a big, bold pattern, or use a funky rug with simpler throw pillows and curtains.
  4. Make your own. If you’re having a hard time finding pillowcases or curtains in patterns that go together, try creating your own! It’s very easy to sew these items at home, and some tutorials don’t even involve any sewing at all.

How to Mix Patterns in a Room [For Dummies]
Learn How to Mix Patterns [BHG]
10 Easy Ways to Mix and Match Patterns in Your Home [Freshome]

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How to Get More Vitamin A in Your Diet

September 15, 2015 by

Vitamin A provides a number of wonderful eye health benefits, from minimizing dry eyes to helping to absorb light in the retinal receptors. In addition to improving your eye health, it also supports cell growth and improves the health of the kidneys, heart, and other essential organs. Here are just a few surprising food sources for beneficial Vitamin A.

  1. Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes are some of the best sources of Vitamin A out of any food, offering a staggering 561% of the recommended daily amount in just one whole potato. Better yet, the delicious sweet potato offers all of its priceless nutrients while adding only 103 calories to your diet. Simply bake one in the oven for a healthy side dish that’s absolutely packed full of A vitamins.
  2. Carrots. This other favorite orange food is equally as rich with Vitamin A. The carrot has been known for its eye health benefits for quite some time, though many people don’t realize that it’s because of the numerous A vitamins inside. One medium carrot offers a full 200% of the recommended daily intake, and it’s a great source of the Vitamins C, K, and B that your body also needs.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin A [Healthaliciousness]
Vitamin A [NIH]
26 Foods High in Vitamin A for Healthy Eyes [Bembu]

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Silence Your Cell Phone for a Stroll Through These Scenic Washington, DC Parks

August 11, 2015 by

If you’re starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of city life, Washington, DC is home to a number of relaxing parks that can help you to de-stress while being surrounded by nature. Leave your cell phone at home, take a break from emails, and go for a stroll in one of these urban green spaces.

Meridian Hill Park
With a stunning multi-level fountain that flows into a large duck pond, Meridian Hill Park is certainly a sight to see. This European-inspired park is conveniently located minutes from the popular U Street stretch, but it offers respite from the crowds and noise. There is also a grassy knoll perfect for picnics, a number of historic statues, and even some ducks that call the park home.
2400 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20008

Gravelly Point Park
There are few things more relaxing than watching planes fly through the sky, and Gravelly Point Park offers the perfect opportunity to do just that. The park is situated just across from Regan International Airport, which means that visitors can watch the planes take off while lounging on the grassy hillside. There are also a few wooden picnic tables, a jogging path, and fields where you can join a pick-up game of soccer or football.
George Washington Parkway, Arlington, VA 22202

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Delicious Uses for Lavender Beyond the Garden

July 14, 2015 by

Lavender is a purple flower that smells just as beautiful as it looks, creating a heavenly aroma when found growing in the wild. In addition to its incredible look and scent, lavender is also becoming a very popular addition to many recipes. The floral taste adds something special to desserts, drinks, and even dinners, as you can see from these delicious dishes.

Lemon Lavender Fizz [Saveur]
The fizzy blend of gin, lemon juice, and club soda in this cocktail sparkles on your tongue, while the lavender-infused simple syrup adds a fragrant, floral taste that’s truly unique.

Honey Lavender Ice Cream [Martha Stewart]
Lavender lovers will tell you that there are few things the herb tastes better in than sweet, creamy ice cream. This honey lavender ice cream recipe incorporates both the warm taste of honey and the soft flavor of lavender into one decadent dessert that’s worlds away from your usual Neapolitan.

Lavender Lemon Chicken [Food.com]
If you want to try incorporating lavender into a more savory dish, this chicken recipe is a wonderful place to start. A whole chicken is roasted in a lemon butter sauce seasoned with thyme and lavender, creating a tender, juicy inside and a perfectly golden browned exterior.

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Essential Beauty-Enhancing Products You Already Have at Home

June 9, 2015 by

The next time you want to try a new beauty product, you might want to start by browsing your kitchen cabinets instead of heading to the drugstore. Many common foods and oils can double as creams, scrubs, and skin treatments! Here are a few beneficial beauty products that you likely already own.

  1. Tea bags. Instead of investing in a pricey eye cream to get rid of those dark circles after a night out, use some tea bags instead. Soak two green tea bags in warm water and lay them on your eyelids. The caffeine will shrink the appearance of blood vessels, while the antioxidants reduce inflammation.
  2. Oatmeal. Make your own face treatment by using your favorite breakfast oats. Place a handful of whole oats inside of a washcloth and secure it closed with a rubber band. Soak the whole thing in a sink of warm water until the water turns cloudy, and then splash it onto your face. This will create a protective barrier on the skin that seals in moisture and provides anti-inflammatory properties.
  3. Oranges. Use oranges to get rid of pesky dry patches on the skin. Squeeze half of an orange into a bowl and mix in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Rub the other half of the orange on dry knees or elbows to loosen the dead cells, and then rub on your homemade scrub to slough them away.

Have A Spa Day…At Home! 10 DIY Beauty Treatments! [Seventeen]
Our Favorite All-Natural Home Beauty Treatments [Fitness]
Crazy Beauty Tricks That Really Work [Whole Living]
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes [Woman’s Day]

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Molten Chocolate Cake, Reinvented: Try These Three Recipes

May 12, 2015 by

There may be no more indulgent dessert than molten lava cake, a combination of crumbly pastry and gooey chocolate filling. There are many ways to make this treat with a variety of ingredients, and each rendition is tailored to special tastes and diets. Here are three recipes for molten lava cake that you might want to try.

  1. Red Velvet Molten Lava Cake [Half Baked Harvest]
    Silence your sweet tooth with this delicious twist on red velvet cake. Mix in red food coloring, coconut milk, and melted chocolate for an elegant take on this classic recipe.
  2. Molten Chocolate Cake [Pioneer Woman]
    Real butter, fresh eggs, heavy whipping cream, and semi-sweet baking chocolate all get representation in this authentic molten cake recipe. Enjoy tantalizing step-by-step photographs while you prepare it.
  3. Molten Chocolate Cakes [Food and Wine]
    A mere seven ingredients and four steps; making a fabulous molten chocolate cake doesn’t get any easier than this recipe from Food and Wine.

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How to Style a Coffee Table Like the Pros

April 14, 2015 by

The coffee table may seem like a fairly standard piece of furniture found in any home, but by using a few designer-inspired home decor tips, you can transform yours into a statement piece that ties the whole room together. Try out these DIY decorating ideas made especially for your coffee table.

  1. Add a stack of books. Coffee table books got their name because they were designed for, well, the coffee table, so it only makes sense to use them as such! Place a stack of beautiful books right in the center of your table to provide visual interest and spur conversation.
  2. Place an accent piece on top. Once you stack your books, add something pretty on top, like a great smelling candle or a small figurine. This is also a great place for a lush, green plant.
  3. Add a tray. Next to the stack of books, place an attractive tray to corral small items. Something in clear plastic, natural wood, or chic metallic are all great options.
  4. Place knick-knacks inside. Fill the tray with smaller accent pieces, such as attractive ceramics, a flower vase, or even more candles. This tray can also serve a functional purpose if you use it to store remote controls or hold your keys once you enter the door.
  5. Choose a color scheme. Choose a color scheme such as natural wood and white, or forgo the color scheme for an intentionally mismatched effect.

How to Style a Coffee Table [The Everygirl]
How to Style Your Coffee Table [Style Me Pretty: Living]
8 Stylish Tricks to Dress Up Your Coffee Table [Good Housekeeping]

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Eat These Three Foods for a Boost in Fiber

March 10, 2015 by

Dietary fiber plays an integral role in regulating digestion and flushing toxins from your system. It is especially important if your are looking for ways to lose weight or maintain your current healthy weight. Finding ways to include more fiber into your diet is easy if you know which foods supply the most of this essential nutrient. Here are three sources of fiber that you might not know about:

  1. Peas. The littlest of the green veggies packs a huge nutritional punch when you add just a cup to your salad or soups. You’ll get 8.8 grams of fiber—plus omega-3’s and protein.
  2. Eggplant. This beautiful purple plant gives you 3 grams of fiber for every 13 calories, which makes it an excellent option if you’re watching your weight. Use it in lasagna to replace the carb-filled noodles.
  3. Raspberries. Deliciously sweet raspberries give you 8 grams of fiber per cup. Swap them in for your usual desserts and you might notice a difference in how you look and feel.

The 16 Most Surprising High-Fiber Foods [Greatist]
High Fiber Foods: 7 Surprising Sources [ Huffington Post]
4 Surprising Ways to Add More Fib Your Diet [Yahoo Shine]
The Most Surprising High Fiber Foods [Health]

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