Baking: Hawaiian Bread Loaf Recipe, Aloha Bread

Being tired of bread that reads like a science experiment gone wrong, I now just resort to baking at home. My experiments, at least when they fai,l are not filled with chemicals and the dog has benefited from a few "oopsies". Thankfully, this is not one of them and it's very easy to make....you don't even need a dough hook.

Hawaiian bread is suppose to have a little tropical flair with a touch of sweetness from the Pineapple Juice and is usually a nice soft texture. I love making ham sandwiches with it but also just eating it with a little butter.

Let's begin....

You will need:
3 cups of All-Purpose Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill), plus

• 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour (to be used after the dough rises)

1/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
2 Eggs (room temperature)
1 1/4 cups of 100% Pure Pineapple Juice (I used Langer's Pineapple Juice), and at room temperature
1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (depends on your taste)
5 tablespoons of White Sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
4 1/2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (melted), plus

• 1/4 tablespoon of softened Salted Butter (to grease the bowl the dough will rise in) and another 1/4 for the final rise and to grease the dish you will be baking in.

First mix your wet ingredients, this would be eggs, pineapple juice, vanilla, butter and white sugar in one bowl. Then in another bowl mix your 3 cups of flour, salt and yeast. Using the mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a spatula), start incorporating the dry ingredients to the wet. I usually do it by hand using a spatula and you will get a sticky dough that is ragged looking. It takes me about 2 minutes by hand to accomplish this. If the dough looks too dry, add a little more pineapple juice. If the dough appears too wet, start by incorporating a little flour until you are left with a moist dough that does not have a over sticky appearance/feeling.

I then allow the dough to rest one hour in a buttered bowl that is big enough to allow it to double in size. This is where I use the 1/4 tablespoon of Salted Butter and it helps keep the dough moist but also does not let it adhere to the bowl.

After the dough doubles in size, I flour the surface and dump the bread dough to start incorporating the 1/4 cup of flour. I begin to first punch down the bread and then slowly knead it for a minute and until the flour is incorporated. I just keep folding in until I get the right texture and if it's too moist, I slowly add a little more flour if needed. I then take the 1/4 tablespoon of butter and grease the loaf pan I will be baking in. I add the dough and again allow the bread to rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.

Set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown in color. I then take the bread out and allow it to cool 15 to 20 minutes and pop it out of the pan to further cool down. I give it a couple hours and then start slicing and enjoying. This bread makes great panini style sandwiches and I love how it also toasts up. Get creative and enjoy!

Beautiful Nooks and Crannies in the Bread!

Note- My recipe uses 100% Pineapple Juice that has no added sugars or sweeteners. I feel Hawaiian bread has a touch of sweetness but should not start off being a dessert style bread. It's suppose to be versatile and this why I control the sweetness by adding my own sugar and adjust my vanilla to fit my tastes or future uses.  You can also make buns for sliders using this recipe, versus just a loaf :)

Panini Ham Sandwich I made with the loaf.

Bolthouse Farms: Green is Good!

                                                                                                                                                                                 Bolthouse was gracious enough to send me a bounty of juices, like the carrot one I made a tasty treat out of, and the pomegranate one I reviewed recently. And there's a point beyond my love of cooking, and it's that turning up your nose at a juice because you think you might not like it is a shame.

Which is a segue into my next juice. Bolthouse Farms Daily Greens has a whopping 4 and 1/2 servings of veggies per bottle. Eat your heart out, Vitamix. Sadly, it's greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness. It has some serious green pa-power to it and it is NOT for the faint of heart. For hubby, it didn't even pass the sniff test. And I will say, as a lover of veggies in all their crisp, leafy freshness, this juice was tough to swallow. This drink hurts my feelers,  because with only the slightest of tweaks, it could be my favorite.

It's got so much good stuff in it, you want to find ways to use it. Kale, lemons, pears, celery, cucumber, banana, chicory, kiwi, romaine, green tea, wheat grass. It's like Bolthouse peeked into my fridge and saw everything in my crisper drawers and juiced it for me. High in vitamins A, B and C, high in calcium, iron, zinc and fiber, I want to love this juice. But there's too much going on in it for even this little bunny to just drink straight. So, I'd suggest maybe juice a sweet honeycrisp apple, or some pineapple juice to take some of that bite off. Maybe a base for pasta/pesto sauce (future recipe, maybe? ;-) ). Maybe reduced, with a little parm cheese. Boom, dip. All I'm lackin' is crackers. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.

Visit Bolthouse and their Countless Juice Selections, Juices from Blends to the Plain; to Cafe drinks and even Protein ones:

• Say hello to the Daily Greens online!
• Veggies and Fruits on Twitter
• Visit Fun Bolthouse Crew on Facebook
• Catch the pics on Instagram
• Save $1.50 off any bottle here!

I received the above product free of charge from Bolthouse Farms. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

7th Heaven Montagne Jeunesse Masques Giveaway!!

Easiest Giveaway because I know it's the holidays and 7th Heaven like their masques, does not complicate it. All you have to do is like their FB and follow them via Twitter. When you do, leave a comment below and that enters you! In one week
(12/20), I will announce the winner!  Told you it was easy :)

What does the winner get?

Well, 6 Masques to call your own!  Sent directly from the company to your door :) (smile again)

• First, please Like the Facebook!


• Secondly, please Follow via Twitter!


• Then please Comment on the Post Below to enter!!  Thank you :D

Swaggable: YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans

Being a Swaggable member, my newest item to review was the YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans. The company advertises these little guys as the Jelly Bean with Attitude. Made with real fruit juice and is a gluten free product. This Jelly Bean packs 100% of your daily Vitamin C but is also fat free....who doesn't want that when it comes to candy?

I have always loved Jelly Beans but I am an addict of the sour stuff, from the ropes, candies, to just dipping my finger in a sour powdered mess, I shall have it! Being such an addict, I was overjoyed when I was picked to try these. I love how they look and being that it was just in time for Easter, they looked like mini Easter eggs for me and they just got me into the whole "Welcoming Spring Feeling!" These little buddies have no artificial dyes and if your little ones (or your big self) have allergies, they are also Soy-Free, Peanut-Free, and Tree Nut-Free. No MSG and I really so not want to know why someone would poison a little Jelly Bean with such things, but I know they do!



The Taste Test:

I started off with the intent to share. I poured part of the bag onto a plate and then had a pink colored jelly bean and my husband did too. He liked them and I had a second one but I must admit the rest is a fog. I will speed up to the ending and it pretty much was me asking if he wanted the last Jelly Bean and he thought I meant the one on the plate and not the last...LAST Jelly bean. I gulped them and I'm not a midday snacker. They were the perfect sweetness and that tartness just smacks your taste buds but in a good way. I then with fear turned the package over because I feared that this fog of goodness was going to end but to my surprise, one pouch that is 7 ounces is a mere 69 calories. I now did not feel bad at all for having them......well I still feel bad I gobbled them up but let's say the guilt was lifted .

I have been a fan of YumEarth from the Pomegranate hard candies, lolly pops to now these cuties called Sour Beans. I have purchased them at Sprout's but also Amazon carries a great selection at good prices. I love that they make the simple stuff the good way, so you can smile while you eat because their products not only taste great but they do not punish you for rewarding yourself. You can check them out at www.sourbeans.com and I highly recommend you pick up anything from YumEarth because you will not regret it. Have a smile with me because I am so picking up a bag of these Sour Jelly Beans but I promise to share....promise!

I was provided the product above free of charge from Swaggable.  I am not obligated in providing a positive/favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My opinion is based on my experiences with the product that may differ from yours.

Montagne Jeunesse: 7th Heaven Million Year Mud Masque

So, what exactly is the Million Year Mud Masque?

I received the masque from Swaggable, a program which lets you sample products in exchange for an honest review. I have used many of the masques that are part of the Montagne Jeunesse family, also known as "7th Heaven" (www.organic7thheaven.com). I had not used the Million Year Mud masque from this company, so I was excited when I received it.

What's in it?
You have Rhassoul Mud, which is a mineral rich clay from Morroco. The clay helps soften the skin and aids in reducing acne, sebum secretions that result in break-outs, clogged pores, black heads and all those unlikable bumps. Other benefits that this magical clay provides, is regeneration of new skin cells and you know this results in a fresh looking but also feeling skin. It's that glow we seek! The mud aids in re-balancing the surface of the skin and you get pores that are tightened and diminished in size.

Think of it as a cleansing and nutrition for your face that has zero calories but there is more in this buffet. You have Organic Manuka Honey and as we have heard, it's medicinal properties help in healing to even having antibacterial components that help disinfect.

Next you have Organic Shea Butter. Shea Butter is not only a great agent that helps soften the skin because of it's nourishing properties found in the oil, but it's also packs anti-inflammatory power. You get that soothing relief you will see and feel. You can start seeing the balance this mask creates, you have the clay that cleans and strips dead cells and then comes the other ingredients like the Manuka Honey and Shea Butter, that feed your skin!

The next item is Organic Juniper Berries. I know, I said, "what"? too. I could not recall or even know of a time I read Juniper Berries in a beauty product so I looked it up because I only know how to cook with them. From what I gathered, the Greeks used these berries for their medicinal properties and they were ahead of the times because there are studies regarding arthritis, rheumatism to even appetite suppression. From what I concluded, the berry aids with inflammation and because of it's pepper like properties, it may help with the tightening of the skin. I also found that the natural fragrance they emit is considered to be aromatherapy and I like that being used over some synthetic ingredient that really just damages your skin.

You then have Organic Elderflower, Organic Ginseng and Organic Clove. The aforementioned ingredients did not have spectacular benefits but small things about Ginseng slowing the aging process (even though I could not find conclusive studies), to clove oil having antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

Does it Work?
YES! I love this masque and it's my favorite so far because I saw visible changes after removing. I even used the left-over as a spot treatment and it worked better than other major brands I have spent more money on. At about $2.50 a packet, you can't beat it! My pores were smaller and I did get the results listed, a temporary tightening of the skin that gave me a smoother look. I will be repurchasing this one immediately. I also like that the product starts with Aloe juice and not water like so many beauty products. It's packed with benefit after benefit and this clay is magical. My skin had it's best week after I treated it to the Million Year Mud masque. No bumps of any kind or clogged pores (even clear around the nostril area).

I recommend you "Feed your Skin" with this masque and you will be thankful you did!  You can connect with Montagne Jeunesse on-line at www.montagnejeunesse.com ; via FaceBook at www.facebook.com/MontagneJeunesse; or via Twitter at https://twitter.com/MontagneJeuness