Guest contributor: The Chefanies

I just got back from a week long cruise vacation to Mexico. I know, I know, poor me.  But after a week of sun my hair was in desperate need of a good moisturizer.  As I live in San Francisco where the weather never seems to elevate above 65 degrees I wanted to relive my warm sunny vacation through my hair treatment.

This easy Papaya Banana Coconut Hair mask will bring you back to the tropics with its intoxicating scent and highly moisturizing properties.

The coconut oil, with its anti-fungal and antibacterial properties is high in protein which helps to prevent hair breakage and loss.  In addition, when applied to the scalp it can help to stimulate proper circulation to keep your scalp moisturized and free of dandruff.

Papaya helps to maintain the natural shine and keeps your hair super soft.  It is rich is proteins and Vitamin B6, Vitain C, Iron and Magnesium. It’s high content of vitamin B6 helps to prevent hair loss.

Bananas are high in potassium which also promote hair growth and circulation.

This is an all around vitamin rich mask that will leave your hair silky soft and shining like the tropical sun.  You will love it!  And it tastes good too.

Recipe:

Yields 2 uses

1 banana

1/2 papaya

3 Tbs Coconut Oil

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (Full Fat)

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients together and apply to your hair.

Let sit for 20 minutes.

Rinse with shampoo and conditioner.

The Chefanies is the blog of 2 Stephanies cooking up a healthy storm using fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients. We focus on everyday cooking that is impressive enough for entertaining and hearty enough to enjoy solo. Go to thechefanies.com for more!

Guest contributor: The Chefanies

Hi and welcome to the first post of Spa Foodie! We are The Chefanies, two Stephanies whose goal is to bring you the freshest and best spa cuisine that is both easy enough to make at home, while at the same time delicious enough to be served in your favorite restaurant.  Each week we will be keeping you up to date onnew recipes and beauty regimens that you can create with organic produce and ingredients that you most likely have in your refrigerator already.

This first recipe is an adaptation of a dish served at Neiman Marcus’s restaurant.  We aren’t going to lie—ours is better.  By combining grilled shrimp, tangy Feta cheese, crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, exotic artichokes and heart healthy garbanzo beans this meal is sure to satisfy.

WHY WE LOVE IT…

As we mentioned before this dish contains cucumbers, the ultimate spa food. They’re great for reducing swelling under your eyes during a facial – but did you know they work your skin from the inside too? Cucumbers are rich in silica, which is a mineral that contributes to the strength of your connective tissue, which holds your body together.

It also contains quinoa, a whole protein.  That means it contains all the amino acids necessary for our nutritional needs, which is quite rare in the plant world.

This salad is high in dietary fiber.  One appetizer sized serving packs in about 25% of our daily need.  And the addition of artichokes not only helps to welcome spring, but artichokes have been reputed to help in the cure of liver diseases, liver cancer and to cure hangovers!

With under 300 calories per serving you can feel great about eating and sharing it with others.   To your health!

Mediterranean Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Quinoa

Serves 4 appetizer sized portions or 2 main dishes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa
1/4 cup Red Onion
10 Cherry Tomato
1 cup Red Bell Peppers
1/2 cup Cucumber
1 cup Arugula (baby)
8 oz shrimp
1 oz Feta Cheese
3/4 cup Artichoke Heart (Frozen)
1/2 cup Garbanzo Beans

DRESSING

1/2 Lemon Juiced
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Olive Oil Lb

DIRECTIONS

Cook Quinoa according to the box.  Set aside and let cool.

Slice Red Onions, halve cherry tomatoes, chop red bell peppers, cucumbers, arugula and artichoke hearts.

Drain the garbanzo beans and set aside.

Meanwhile whisk together the oil, lemon, dijon, and red wine vinegar to form a dressing.

Mix all the ingredients together with the dressing.

Grill the shrimp until just lightly pink.  About 2 minutes on each side.  (Overcooked shrimp is the worst.)

Plate each shrimp on top of the salad and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Enjoy!

The Chefanies is the blog of 2 Stephanies cooking up a healthy storm using fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients. We focus on everyday cooking that is impressive enough for entertaining and hearty enough to enjoy solo. Go to thechefanies.com for more!

We’d normally encourage wearing SPF 30 and advise fervently against baking in the heat for hours on end… but you’re not a turkey.

Add an extra dose of laughter to your festive meal of gratitude with these 5 simple steps, and have a sexy turkey time!

1. Size up your bird and become a swim wear designer. Using a scissor, cut aluminum foil in the shape of a bikini. Channel Rosa Cha for a couture-key.

2. “Dress” your turkey by smoothing the aluminum foil on flat.

3. Season with your favorite Thanksgiving herbs and spices and be heavy on this one ingredient: paprika. That’s the tanning oil. Pat on the “oil” and all the herbs, and make sure none gets under the bikini.

4. Bake in the oven as usual until half-done. Take her out, strip her down like a Greek in Saint Tropez, and shove her back in the oven nude for the rest of the cooking time.

5. Don’t tell your guests a thing! Watch their faces as you unveil your masterpiece, and ask the question every host and hostess across America will ask at that very same moment: “So… who wants a breast?”

Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you’re spending it with a large family, a few friends, or you’re grabbing a turkey sandwich at the deli in between work shifts, always remember to appreciate what you’ve got, know that the best is yet to come… and laugh as much as possible.

Forget Russell Brand... Katy Perry is certainly most excited about Organic foods!

Guest Contributor: Healing Lifestyles & Spa

Live mindfully, eat joyfully, and travel consciously is the motto of our newest weekly columnist, Healing Lifestyles & Spas. Each day the publication dedicated to showcasing the best in eco-living and delivering tips on travel, food, beauty and nutrition will bring forth new topics and ideas expanding on the spa lifestyle.

The big O. Nope, we’re not talking about Sex & The City here, we’re talking organic produce. When budget is a concern (and when is it not?) but you want to feed yourself and your family right, it helps to know when that heftier price tag is really worth it.

Here’s Your Primer:

Often catalogued into the ‘dirty dozen’ these are the 12 foods to ALWAYS buy organic:

• celery
• apples
• peaches
• blueberries
• strawberries
• nectarines
• bell peppers
• spinach
• kale/collard greens
• potatoes
• grapes (imported)
• cherries

On the flipside of the coin, here are the ‘clean fifteen’ foods are generally lowest in pesticide exposure, so you can feel good about going conventional:

• onions
• avocado
• sweet corn
• pineapple
• mangoes
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwi
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• sweet potato
• honeydew melon

Leave it to the folks at Environmental Working Group to come up with a downloadable pocket guide and cell phone app available for free download here. Don’t leave home without it!

And while you’re out and about grocery shopping for the holidays, pick up ingredients to make this truly organic cocktail. Cheers to your health!

Detox Tip:

You’ve greened your home, dry brushed your skin, and do seasonal detox diets to boost your overall health, but how about your relationship? Could it use a little detoxification as well? Click here to give your love life a little much needed cleansing.

Images Courtesy of sodahead.com and guardian.co.uk

Lost in translation through many generations of cultural blending the Italian Wedding Soup or “Minestra Maritata” as it is truly called is thought to be a dish served at Italian weddings. In Italian, Minestra Maritata translates to “married soup” and many assumed that this soup is a traditional Italian dish for weddings. The real meaning behind the soup is that it contains a mixture of meat, heavy broth, green vegetables, and pasta which go together so well they seem to marry. Today, many Italians swear by the misconstrued definition and serve Italian Wedding Soup at weddings. Facts and traditions aside, this soup is so good that if you wanted to serve it at a wedding no one would stop you. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

MEATBALLS:
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork or turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
SOUP:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or 1 small box of frozen
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces soup pasta, acini de pepe or orzo pasta are good choices

Serving Size: 1 cup
Servings: 6
Enter desired servings:
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes

MEATBALLS:
Add all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together using your hands until evenly distributed.
Form meat into small meatballs by rolling in your hands.
Place the meatballs on a lightly greased shallow baking pan. Place in an oven preheated to 350°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.
Note: The meatballs can also be browned on the stovetop if desired.

SOUP:
Cook soup pasta as directed on the package. Do not overcook. The pasta should be firm when added to the soup.
Drain the pasta after cooking.
While the pasta is cooking add the chicken broth to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
If using fresh spinach, add to the boiling broth and cook for 5 minutes or until spinach is tender. If using frozen spinach, drain well before adding to the broth.
Add the meatballs and pasta. Bring the soup back to a simmer.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Image Courtesy of recipetips.com