Strawberry Muffins

I love strawberries especially when they are fresh from the garden.  I adapted this recipe to use strawberries.  The result is a great tasting fruity muffin.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped strawberries

Topping:
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Cream shortening, sugar and egg.
2.  Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternatively with milk.  Stir until just combined.
3.  Mix in strawberries.
4.  Fill paper liners.
5.  Mix topping ingredients of sugar and cinnamon.  Spoon desired amount on top of muffin.
6.  Bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes.

Yield: 9 muffins

Strawberries! Strawberries!

These strawberries came from my sister's garden.  They were freshly picked today!  They look so yummy!!

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Review

I have been using the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep for a week now. This product comes in what looks like a high-end container. It is a dusty rose colour with a silver lid. The top of the lid is a mirror which is kind of neat!

The product itself is a pink colour and is fragranced. The fragrance reminds me of the scent of a green tea perfume. The scent is pleasant but not overpowering. The consistency of this product is a cross between a gel and a cream.

I found that the product does not absorb immediately into the skin and leaves a somewhat sticky residue on the skin. Since I applied this product in the evening before bed, I didn't mind this feeling on my skin. I also applied this product immediately after cleansing my skin which did cause a bit of a tingly sensation.

I have oily, acne prone skin and while my skin felt oilier to the touch with use of this product (mainly in the evening), it didn't cause an increase in breakouts.

After sleeping with this product on my face, in the morning I found that my skin looked refreshed, hydrated and plumper. I have some pitted acne scars and they didn't look as harsh. My skin also felt soft and smooth. Even if I didn't get a good night's rest, my skin looked rested and revived. I would say the results were noticeable but not overly dramatic.

This product is pricey at $52 for 50 ml.  

Overall, I do like this product for the results I saw and would recommend it to others to try.

I received this product free of charge from ChickAdvisor for review purposes.

Wordless Wednesday

My sister is raising chickens this year and the chicks arrived this morning!

Vichy ProEVEN Advanced Daily Dark Spot Corrector

I have been testing the Vichy ProEVEN Advanced Daily Dark Spot Corrector for over a week. I've had a positive experience with this product thus far. The product comes in a tube which is convenient and easy to use. The product is a white opaque lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin and is non-greasy. I have oily and acne prone skin and this product did not increase the oiliness of my skin nor did it cause a break out.

The product is highly fragranced and while I quite liked the scent, others who are sensitive to scent may not appreciate this aspect. I would describe the fragrance as a perfume like smell.

I used this product twice a day in place of my regular moisturizer. It mositurized well and I had no need for an additional moisturizer. I found that this product helped to brighten my skin in a few uses and made my skin feel really soft and smooth. I noticed my make-up went on much easier due to the smoothness of my skin.

My skin tone seems to be evening out as well and it looks more uniform in tone and texture. As for a dark spot corrector I haven't seen any significant improvement in my dark spots. I have multiple acne scars on my face and those scars that have been there for years are not disappearing. I do have some newer acne scars that are a few weeks old and I did notice that one scar has been shrinking in size and getting lighter. Whether that is due to the passage of time or use of this product, I'm not sure.

Overall, I would recommend this product for the improvement in skin tone, texture and brightness but for dark spot lightening I don't see this as being effective yet. Perhaps with more time I will see some improvements.

I received this product free of charge from ChickAdvisor for review purposes.

Rhubarb Buttermilk Coffee Cake

I remember my mom making this coffee cake years ago.  We were recently gifted some rhubarb and I decided to make this cake.  It is just as light and flavourful as I remember!

Ingredients:

2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar; divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1.  Combine rhubarb and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

2.  Cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.

3.  Add eggs, one at a time.  

4.  Stir in vanilla.

5.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

6.  Fold in rhubarb.

7.  Pour in a greased 9" square pan.

8.  Combine 2 tbsp. brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.

9.  Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.