Peanut Sauce

adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-thai-peanut-sauce/

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 tsp crushed garlic

note that I reduced the amount of peanut butter to 1 cup from 1.5 cups. I also added 1/4 cup of coconut milk because it was very thick. More probably could have been added. If using as a dipping sauce, maybe stick to 1/2 cup but could probably use up to 1 cup if using as a sauce for a stir fry.

Cadbury Mini Egg Butterscotch Blondies

from blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/04/12/cadbury-mini-egg-butterscotch-blondies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed (This is approximately 1 whole 1-lb box)
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 8 ounce bag Cadbury mini-eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter or spray a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

2. In a double boiler, or glass bowl placed over simmering water, and add the butter and sugar. Allow to melt slowly and whisk until completely blended. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. While butter mixture is cooling, whisk together flour and baking soda in a small bowl or measuring cup.

4. When the butter mixture has cooled whisk in the eggs, vanilla, corn syrup and salt. Fold in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until completely combined.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Pour the mini eggs over the top and distribute them evenly over the surface. Bake for 40-42 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean and edges of the blondies are slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely, then cut into bars and serve.

before baking

Homemade Tend Skin

If you don't know what Tend Skin is, it's an after-shave product for men and women that treats and prevents razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and razor burn. Tend skin works so well, but it is SO expensive! And, if you look at the ingredients, you'll discover that it is mostly just 2 things - aspirin and alcohol. It is actually super easy and CHEAP to make with ingredients found at your local drug store. An 8 ounce bottle of tend skin retails for about $34.00 at drugstore.com. This homemade version costs just $1.59 for an 8 ounce bottle. The cost analysis is as follows:


Cost Analysis:
These prices are all found from the CVS pharmacy website, and can vary.
Uncoated Aspirin - 99 cents for 120 tablets - ~21 cents per 8 ounce bottle of homemade tend skin
Witch Hazel - $4.69 for 16oz - ~59 cents per bottle
Isopropyl Alcohol (70%) - $2.79 for 32oz - ~52 cents per bottle
Glycerin - $5.49 for 6oz - ~27 cents per bottle (based on using 0.3 ounces per bottle. you may use less)

GRAND TOTAL: $1.59 per 8 ounce bottle - A 95% discount!


Things you will need:
1 empty 8 ounce bottle (I used an empty bottle of tend skin)
25  (325 mg) tablets of uncoated aspirin
~6 ounces Isopropyl alcohol (70%)
~2 ouncesWitch Hazel
few squirts of Glycerin

Instructions:

Crush aspirin tablets to a powder. To do this, I put aspirin tablets in a snack sized ziploc bag and crushed them to a powder with the butt of a screwdriver (be careful not to puncture the bag). Pour aspirin powder into an empty 8 oz bottle (I used my empty tend skin bottle - just carefully use a knife to pry off the top and pop it back on later).

Next add the isopropyl alcohol to the bottle, filling it a little less than 3/4 of the way. Then fill the rest with witch hazel. If using glycerin, leave a little room at the top and add a few squirts. Put cover on the bottle and shake to mix. Let the aspirin dissolve for a few minutes before using (although some will never dissolve as there are fillers in the aspirin-there will always be some powder left at the bottom). Always shake before using.

TIPS:
- Apply to affected areas (prone to razor bumps) twice a day by squirting on to a cotton ball (especially after shaving). Or put in a roll on bottle, and roll on directly.

- If you are allergic to aspirin, do NOT use this product (obviously). if you are unsure if you are allergic or sensitive to aspirin, test a very small area of skin before applying it to a large area.

- Because of the aspirin, this mixture can get a vinegary smell after sitting for too long. It will still be effective, but the smell might be unpleasant. If you find that you cannot use the 8ounce bottle fast enough before this happens, then make smaller batches at a time and scale down the recipe.

- If you wish to buy the ingredients such as aspirin in bulk, make sure you check expiration dates first so that you don't end up wasting the ingredients. Expired aspirin will probably not be as effective.