White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

I posted this recipe a few years ago on my blog but during these dull days of winter these scones would be the perfect pick me up with a cup of hot tea.  Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2.  Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3.  Stir in buttermilk.
4.  Add chips and cranberries.
5.  Turn onto floured surface and pat into approximately one inch height thickness.  Cut scones with a circular biscuit cutter.
6.  Bake at 400F for about 15 minutes.

'Tis the Season

'Tis the season for...making wreaths!  This is a wreath that my sister made with branches, pinecones and berries she found outside on our property.  She did a great job!  It adorns the wall by our front door.  Warmest wishes to all this holiday season.

Vichy Normaderm Routine for Acne Prone Skin

I was sent these Vichy Normaderm products to test on my acne prone skin.  Acne has been something I have battled for over 25 years!  I thought as I got older it would significantly improve.  I have tried everything from over the counter treatments to prescription pills and creams.  I even gave Proactiv a try with no effect.  While my acne has become more manageable, I still suffer from pesky breakouts.  I was happy to give these products a whirl, because why not, it can't hurt after all the products I've tried over the years!

Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel

This cleansing gel contains salicylic acid, glycolic acid and LHA. Together these ingredients work to remove excess oil on the skin, minimize the look of large pores, reduce acne scars and fight pimples and blackheads.

My Thoughts
I have used many anti acne cleansers over the years. This Vichy Normaderm cleanser rates up near the top of my favourite cleansers. The scent was fresh and clean. It lathers well which is an absolute must for me in a cleanser. The texture was perfect--not too runny and not too thick. I appreciated the pump dispenser as it made for a quick and easy way to dispense the product. I used this product in the morning. My skin is quite oily after waking up in the morning and this cleanser cut right through the oil to leave me with normal feeling skin. I noticed that after using this cleanser my skin feel soft and smooth. 


Normaderm Purifying Pore Tightening Lotion

This product contains the same active ingredients as the cleanser: salicylic acid, glycolic acid and LHA.  This product is like a toner that is applied to the skin after cleansing and is not rinsed off.  This toner mattifies the skin leaving it shine free, tightens pores, and fights breakouts with its antibacterial action.

My Thoughts
I always use some sort of toner/astringent after cleansing my face. I used this product after cleansing with the Vichy Normaderm cleanser. The product easily dispenses onto a cotton ball. To me this toner has a floral scent which is very pleasant considering the medicinal ingredients in it. I have found that while using this toner my pores look smaller than usual. I am very pleased about that!  I also find that it makes my skin look matte and keeps the oily shine away. My skin also feels softer and smoother. I'm pleased with the positive effects I have seen from this toner.


Normaderm Corrective Anti Acne Treatment

This product is a moisturizer but oh so much more than just a moisturizer.  It contains salicyclic acid + LHA to unclog pores and eliminate acne causing bacteria.  It also has Phe Resorcinol which helps to reduce the appearance of acne scars.  Finally it has Air Licium which helps to reduce oil production and minimize large pores.  

My Thoughts
I loved the pump dispenser as it makes it easy to pump out just the right amount of product.  It is also a more sterile way of dispensing the product as my fingers won't contaminate the product as it would in a jar.  The lotion has a fresh clean scent to it.  The texture is perfect--not too runny or too thick.  I used this lotion as the final step in my routine, after the cleanser and toner.  I found that the lotion takes a little extra time to absorb into my skin compared to other moisturizers.  It definitely does tighten my pores and make my skin look matte.  I do tend to get shiny skin within a couple of hours of washing my face and this lotion kept my skin matte a little longer than usual.  I also found that while applying my foundation with a brush, there was a little drag after I had used this lotion.  My brush didn't glide over my skin as smoothly as it usually does.  This is not a big issue and I have gotten use to it.  I do have multiple acne scars and some new scars from recent breakouts.  With this lotion I found that the new scars were less intense in colour but it had no effect on the older scars.   

Overall, I am happy to add this trio of products to my acne fighting routine.  While I continued to develop pimples while using these products, the pimples were smaller than usual and healed up much more quickly.  They were also less likely to leave a scar.  I am so happy with the results that I have swapped out the products I was using for these Vichy Normaderm products.

Do you suffer from acne?  Have you tried the Normaderm line of products from Vichy?




I received these products free of charge for review purposes.  #trywithtopbox  #freesample #freeproduct

Garden Goodies

The garden is still producing an abundance!  Lots of peppers, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes.  Even a cantaloupe!  It has been a good season despite its late start.

Love Beauty & Planet Smooth and Serene Shampoo & Conditioner

I received this shampoo and conditioner set to test from Chickadvisor a while back.  The scent is argan oil & lavender.  The lavender scent is a very realistic scent.  

This company is very committed to producing natural based products and having a near zero carbon footprint.  From the back of the packaging it says, "Our goal is a carbon footprint so small, it's like we weren't even here."  The bottles are actually made with 100% recycled plastic.  

This brand also uses no silicones, parabens or dyes in their shampoo or conditioner.

Shampoo

In the past, I haven't always had the best experience with more natural based hair products so I wasn't sure what to expect from the Love Beauty and Planet shampoo. I was pleasantly surprised however! First off, the packaging is beautiful and makes my shower look like a spa. Next, even though I am not a fan of the scent of lavender, I found the scent to be subtle and not too overpowering. 

The shampoo lathers really well and rinses easily from the hair. I really felt that my hair got a thorough clean with this product. The consistency of the shampoo is perfect: not too runny and not too thick. After my hair had dried and throughout the day, I could smell the subtle scent of lavender in my hair. So it has lasting scent power.

My hair tends to be frizzy and this shampoo calmed the frizzies and left my hair soft and manageable. Sometimes products that control frizz can weigh the hair down but not this product. My hair felt light and airy.

Overall, I am impressed with this shampoo and would definitely recommend it to others. Since I'm not a huge fan of lavender, I would love to try other hair products from this brand in another scent.


Conditioner

This conditioner has the same lavender scent as the shampoo. The scent is subtle and not too overpowering as I found with the shampoo. The consistency of this product is great. It is not too thick that it won't spread and not too runny that it won't stick to the hair. 

After shampooing my hair, I applied the conditioner and left it on my hair for 3-4 minutes. It rinsed cleanly from my hair and left no residue behind. 

I did find that while using my pick comb on my wet hair that my hair had a few more tangles than usual. Maybe this conditioner is not as moisturizing as my usual products? However, after my hair dried, it felt soft and smooth. My frizzy hair was controlled and easy to manage. I also had the subtle scent of lavender in my hair throughout the day.

Overall, this is a product I would be pleased to use in my hair care routine and would recommend it to others to try.

You can learn more about this brand on their website: lovebeautyandplanet.com

I received these products free of charge for review purposes.

Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

I love making these muffins when strawberry season is in full swing.  They are quick and easy to whip up and make for a great snack.

Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups fresh strawberries
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Topping:
1 1/2 tbsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Slightly smash strawberries using a fork.
3. Combine sugar, oil and eggs.
4. Add smashed strawberries.
5. Stir in flour, soda, salt and cinnamon
6. Spoon into muffin liners.
7. Mix cinnamon and sugar for topping.  Sprinkle over muffins.
8. Bake for 15-18 mintues.

Yield: about 10 large muffins

Fresh Radishes

We have been enjoying radishes fresh from the garden for the last week or so.  They seem to be in abundance this year despite the slow start the garden got.