Thursday, September 25, 2014

Goodbye Common Cold




Cold season is upon us, and we do not want to get sick. There are many things you can do to prevent colds. Apartment Therapy has put together five tips to keep the colds away. Check out the list below and see what tips you need to add to your routine.


1. Wash (and dry) those hands (a lot) — Go for both quality and quantity with your hand washing routine. Wash frequently (more than you think you need to) and scrub for at least 20 seconds a pop. Make sure to dry hands completely on a clean towel to prevent immediately picking up more germs with damp hands.

2. Sanitize your surfaces — Everything you touch is a potential germ catalyst so be extra diligent to keep your frequently used items clean, especially if other people are touching them as well. After all, germs can live on many surfaces for up to 48 hours so they have plenty of time to nab you. Your cell phone? It's probably filthy. Your keyboard? Germ factory. Take a few minutes each day to sanitize some key things and you could be saving yourself weeks of sick days.

3. Sleep is your best friend — Just do it. Treat your body right and it'll return the favor. Sleep is the most restorative thing you can do to keep your body functioning optimally so log plenty of sleeping time between the sheets and hopefully you'll wind up logging fewer miserable sick days in bed.

4. Boost your immune system — Keep your defenses in good shape so that the germs you do encounter can be deflected. Reduce stress through meditation (or any way that works for you), try acupuncture which has been shown to boost immunity and think about beginning a regular probiotic routine which can help strengthen your gut and ward off problems. Bonus: My best addictive cold weather habit? Regular use of my nettie pot helps me rinse my sinuses before colds can set in.

5. Stock up on medication (just in case) — Even though you're doing everything in your power to stay well, if you do succumb to a bug, the last thing you're going to feel like doing is making a drugstore run. Keep necessities (and maybe a few extra sick day treats) in the house and maybe, just maybe, Murphy's law will work in your favor for once.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

A Delicious Breakfast Every Morning


What is your breakfast routine like? If you are getting sick of the same food and coffee everyday, we have found a new recipe for you to try. These baked apple donuts are perfect for fall and will taste delicious with your favorite coffee. You can find more great recipes at The Kitchn.



What could be better than sitting around a morning fire, listening to the pop and crackle, while dunking an apple cider donut into a mug of spiced tea? Not much in my book. It's the simple act of sharing a special treat with friends that makes this time of year just precious—especially when you're tucking into something so quintessentially "Fall" like an apple cider donut! Here's an easy recipe for a seasonal favorite. No fryer required.

These doughnuts are baked instead of fried. Some purists may argue that these aren't "donuts" at all, merely cupcakes dressed in a ring–shaped form and I wouldn't entirely disagree. However, they are so much fun to eat and very reminiscent of a traditional, fried apple cider donut, that I say bake on!

When considering the preparation of a big batch of fried foods at home, the task just seems too messy and inconvenient for an impromptu morning project. By layering the apple cider flavors into a quick bread and baking them in donut form, you really get a similar effect without the fuss of large quantities of oil. These donuts are also much lighter, yet still packed with spice and apple flavor. After eating them I don't feel heavy and stomach achey as I do after the real thing.

Have you ever worked with a donut pan? Usually found in non-stick, they come in two sizes - mini and regular, they are handy to have on hand for occasions such as this. I used the regular size this time, but I find the mini donut pan to be pretty darn cute. You can pour any type of cake or quick bread batter into one of these and bake according to your original instructions and voila, a round of donuts is born!

Whether you are tired of cupcakes or just want to add some humor and fun to your baking repertoire, I highly recommend experimenting with a donut pan. A tray of these apple cider donuts make for great conversation and delight!

Baked Apple Cider Doughnutsmakes about 8 donuts, depending on size of your donut pan



2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canola oil (plus a little extra for greasing your donut pan)
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a donut pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (these are all your wet ingredients). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Don't over-mix! A few lumps are okay; they won't show in the final product.

Spoon the batter into each donut mold until about 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with tea, cider or black coffee.
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