Fresh summer peaches + a friend's birthday party + Smitten Kitchen's peach shortbread recipe = a perfect occasion for a baking project.
Shortbread, in my mind, has always been associated with dry cookies that come in tins and ten sticks of butter. So I apprehensively approached this recipe, fearing that it would come out too rich for my and others liking. The pictures on the recipe page reassured me that they would be more like a peach bar with crumble rather than a dense, dry shortbread. And the ingredients and instructions made it seem simple enough to whip up two hours before a party.
Summer weather is now in full swing, which means even those of us with camel-like drinking habits are in search of refreshing sources of hydration. What started a year ago as the search for the perfect mojito in the city of Boston (verdict: blueberry or mango mojito at Top of the Hub) has transformed into a quest for the perfect mojito recipe and finally evolved into this "recipe" for a refreshing summer spritzer. Just as the key to the perfect homemade mojito lies in the mint-infused syrup, this drink also calls for mint-infused simple syrup to sweeten.
Follow the instructions loosely, and change and substitute according to your preferences. (You can even turn this into a spritzer-mojito hybrid by adding rum.) After all, it's summertime and living is easy.
When it comes to personal care products such as shampoos and conditioners, I rarely stick to one particular brand. I have tried a few products from lines carried in salons such as Pureology, Bumble and Bumble, but most of my commonly used shampoos and conditioners hail from drugstore brands including Tresemme, Herbal Essences, Dove, Organix, L'Oreal, Aussie, etc. This is why my hair dressers (yes, I switch hair dressers as often as shampoos and conditioners) probably hate me. They have all recommended ditching my drugstore shampoos to expensive, non-sulfate salon brands, but even these products do not necessarily lack other chemicals that could be harmful to not just your hair but your health. So the search continues!
While grocery shopping at Whole Foods a few months ago, I picked up two packs of the Whole Foods 365 brand lavender blend shampoo and conditioner for normal + dry hair. Whole Foods also carries the lavender scent in formulations for normal + oily hair, as well as sets in an herbal mint scent. Each set (both shampoo & conditioner included) normally sells for $7.98, but I believe on sale, it was $4 - a ridiculous steal! I snagged two sets for stocking up my bathroom cabinet so I'll be using this for awhile.
