Showing posts with label philly handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philly handmade. Show all posts

Friday, March 25, 2016

Foodie Recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde



Being from California, I love Mexican food and the side dishes, condiments, especially salsa because it is so incredibly easy to make. I personally prefer pico de gallo, chunky salsa with tomatoes, but tomatoes tend to give me heartburn; so the next best thing is salsa verde, made predominately from tomatillos, and actually requires less work in my opinion, and is harder to mess up. Here is my recipe. The numbers aren't exact, I mostly wing it to whatever way my tastebuds feel, so you can tweak as necessary. This last batch was a bit on the spicy side since I risked using two jalapeños. I encourage you to make and gauge, and adjust accordingly. I never actually looked up a recipe other than reading a jar of a store-bought brand (do you notice a trend here?). The hardest part might be finding tomatillos. Luckily I've never had that problem.

Equipment
Food processor or blender
Knife
Cutting Board
Colander
Cookie sheet (with silicone liner optional)
Oven
Container for salsa

Ingredients
Tomatillos (1.5 to 2 pounds)
Cilantro - 1/3 cup
Lime Juice (freshly squeezed 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
Onions (chopped 1/2 cup)
Jalapeños (optional 1-2 chopped)
Salt 1 tsp or more to taste
Pepper 1 tsp or more to taste


1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and discard.
















2. Wash the tomatillos well, usually they have a waxy feeling.
3. Place tomatillos on a lined cookie sheet.



4. Bake on 450F 15-30 minutes or until slightly brown and softened. Be careful not to spill any juice as you remove them.



5. Roughly chop the onions, cilantro, and jalapeños and add to the food processor/blender.



6. Carefully pour the juices from the tomatillos and the tomatillos into the food processor/blender.

7. Add lime juice and salt and pepper.

8. Blend until completely liquified.  Add more salt and/or pepper to taste and blend again.



9. Pour into container and cool in the fridge.

10. Enjoy. I usually keep mine for 5-7 days (if it lasts that long)


See our other recipes:



Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The BodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. 

Saturday, January 9, 2016

What are the Benefits of Activated Charcoal?




If you haven't noticed, activated charcoal has gained popularity as a natural skin care benefit. But what exactly are the benefits?

1. Detox & Anti-Aging
Activated charcoal is said to remove toxins and impurities from the skin, similar to clay.  It is known to absorb up to 200 times its weight in toxins. It is antibacterial, making it great for oily and/or acne prone skin. It is also said to have anti-aging properties as well.

2. Relieve comfort from insect bites
Because of the antibacterial qualities, applied repeatedly to bug bites it can alleviate itching. 

3. Reduces Body Odor
Some natural deodorants use activated charcoal to reduce the amount of body odor that results from sweating. However, used in large doses, it can of course stain anything it touches.

At the Body Buffet we LOVE to use activated charcoal as a natural colorant and a skin benefits. Please check out our natural soaps that have activated charcoal:






Bay Leaf Splendor


Marquita Bell is a self-care advocate and the owner of The Body Buffet which creates handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. Based out of Philadelphia, they aim to live healthier, more sustainable lives inside and out.





Friday, November 27, 2015

Philly Gift Guide


Thank you so much for viewing our hand-picked Philly artist gift guide. The majority of these artists we have met personally over the years of networking and buying their work. Please feel free to include any links in the comments to other locals you know and love in Philly. Bookmark our page and share with others to buy year round. Support these local artists and connect with them on social media to see their upcoming events.

Accessories


Carole Kyle Handbags
Beautiful handbags and totes with artsy prints.








Elegant Crochets
From knit hats to ponchos, this shop gives you an easy way to transform your wardrobe.
https://twitter.com/Elegantcrochets




 

The Pink Lapel
A new spin on ties and bow ties for those of style and flare.








Bath & Beauty
PiperWai Natural Deodorant
Makes are great personal gift to yourself or to friends who love natural products.
https://www.instagram.com/piperwai/

https://twitter.com/PiperWai






The Body Buffet
Handmade unique soaps, shampoo bars, whipped body butter and other natural products.
https://www.instagram.com/thebodybuffet







Clothing

Jawn Clothing
Nothing gets more Philly than “Jawn.” Shop here for Unisex Philly Gear.






Sowah Design
These colorful clothes are for those people who are full of life and joy.









Foodie

Affinity Confections
Divine desserts great for friends, parties, or yourself.
https://www.instagram.com/_affinityco/


Naturally Sweet Desserts
If you haven’t tried these divine vegan, dairy-free, low glycemic cupcakes, you are missing out!


Home

Don Yacovella Furniture Designs
Simply elegant furniture created that is customizable to match your decor.
https://www.instagram.com/dyfurniture/





Threet Ceramics
This beautiful stoneware makes for a practical gift that will suit those hard-to-please people.
 https://www.instagram.com/threetceramics/

Jewelry
Ilanation
Each piece is created with individual pieces of glass, semi-precious stones, and mixed metals.










Lovestruck Jewelry
This is great decorative jewelry that is also light-weight.







Metana Jewelry  
Stunning, bold pieces of jewelry that are unique and elegant.
https://twitter.com/MetanaJewelry
 
Real Fruit Jewelry
For the foodie and/or jewelry-lover, all of her pieces included real preserved fruit!
https://www.instagram.com/realfruitjewelry/






Unique Gifts

SheCre8s
Repurposed silverware makes for great key chains and jewelry.
https://www.instagram.com/shecre8s/









Make Pens Over Swords
Formerly local, this artist creates pens out of wood scraps in an act of peace-making.


Wrong World Ceramics
Handmade ceramic flasks from grotesque to decorative, it is great gift for those hard to please.
https://www.instagram.com/wrongworld/




Local Shops
Shop for wares from a variety of local artists and creatives.
Nice Things Handmade
1731 E Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia
https://www.instagram.com/nicethingsphila/
https://twitter.com/nicethingsphila







 
Vix Emporium
5009 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia
https://www.instagram.com/vix_emporium/
https://twitter.com/vixemporium








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The Body Buffet creates handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. Based out of Philadelphia, they aim to live healthier, more sustainable lives inside and out.