Almond Oil Hair Mask

BY Jen

DIY Almond Oil Hair Mask

I am pretty lazy when it comes to my hair. I rarely style it, usually let it air dry and go quite a long time without getting it cut (a year and a half last time, yikes!) My hair also tends to get pretty dry. Every once in awhile I need something super hydrating to add some luster and shine. Enter this DIY almond oil hair mask!

This isn’t even really a recipe. It has three ingredients, but two are optional…so really, it could be one ingredient. The magic ingredient is sweet almond oil. This stuff is great for your skin and hair and can be used for many homemade beauty products. I chose to add in peppermint and lavender essential oils. Peppermint and lavender can help with both dry and oily hair/scalp and promote hair growth (plus they smell really good!) This is a quick and easy way to get silky, shiny hair!

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Comb through dry hair and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Shampoo and rinse (you may need to do the old lather, rinse repeat to make sure all of the oil is washed out)

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

BY Jen

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I love gnocchi. There is something so comforting about a bowl of these fluffy little dumplings. And although they are a bit time consuming, they are really easy to make. If you ever played with play-doh as a kid, you can nail this recipe.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
My version gets a nutritional boost by subbing out regular potato with sweet potato. And I am a firm believer that goat cheese makes everything better.

This is a great dish to serve for company. You can make the gnocchi ahead of time (even the day before) and then boil them and toss them in the sauce at the last minute. And your guests will be impressed! If you are making them ahead of time, sprinkle them with flour and store in a single layer the fridge.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

Serves 6

Gnocchi:

  • 1 1/2 lbs sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4oz goat cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (plus some for boiling)

Brown butter sage sauce:

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
Directions
  1. In a large pot, boil cubed sweet potatoes in salted water until tender (test with a fork). Drain.
  2. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes until smooth. Let cool.
  3. Mix goat cheese, egg, maple syrup, garlic powder, nutmeg and salt into mashed potatoes.
  4. Add flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough is formed (you may need slightly less than a cup). The idea is to not add to much flour, or else they will be dense and chewy. You want the dough to be pliable but not too sticky. Knead dough and shape into a large ball.
  5. Lightly flour your work surface and divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll each ball into a 1 inch thick rope and cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece over the back of a fork to create indentations (this step is optional, but they look prettier that way).
  6. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. While you are waiting for the water, make the brown butter sauce (recipe below).
  7. Working in batches (to not overcrowd the pot) add gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until the gnocchi float to the top (1-2 minutes).
  8. Toss with the brown butter sauce.

Brown Butter Sauce:

  1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the sage leaves.
  2. The butter will start to foam. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter starts to brown. Remove from heat when you notice brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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