A Few of my New Favorite Things...

Look closely and you can see a bride and groom just after saying their vows!

Lovelies,

Beyond the absolute paradise that is EVERY moment here in Hawaii, I am gleaning new and fabulous insight from Jess about all things domestic.  Girlfriend not only throws down in the kitchen, she keeps the most spotless, organized house I have ever seen.  (That's with 2 kids, mind you-- including a very precocious toddler who is into everything!)

Now, for those of you who've been following my blog for some time, Mistress of Messy here, has a bit of a problem, um, keeping house.  I'm so untalented in domestic duties, that Badmuthafucka actually begged me to stop doing his laundry because I was turning all of his white wifebeaters various shades of pink.  Not a good look for BMF, by the way.  My mother once said, "Sweetheart, it's a good thing you're such a good cook, because your house keeping skills would drive any man out the door!"

So, I've taken the opportunity to ask Jess about how she gets-- and stays-- ORGANIZED.  She also has a ton of nifty little tricks-- from the best smelling laundry to the perfect soap that will clean your veggies and your makeup brushes.

Let's start with laundry:

RULE #1: NEVER dry on high.  Little Miss Impatient that I am, has never used any other setting!!!  No wonder I shrink and pill every piece of clothing I own.

RULE #2: Put 3 tennis balls in the dryer with pillows and comforters.  The balls will fluff the pillows and linens!

RULE #3:  ALL Free and Clear + Ultra Downy (April Fresh or Clean Breeze scents) + Downy Unstoppables Scent Boosters = The Best Damn Smelling Laundry EVER.

I have been burying my nose into my shirts like a motorboating sonuvabitch ever since Jess did a load of my laundry with her magic combo!

Jess also organizes everything into these neat little baskets so there's no clutter in the laundry room.  She even made this bad ass little curtain to hide the hole in the wall where the utility plugs go by using hem tape on some cute fabric.  Martha Stewart should take some notes-- seriously cute craftiness going on.

We've been starting our mornings with the decadent coffee I described earlier this week, with one heaping Tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk, also known as, sweet, creamy, delicious goodness in my mouth rought naw.  After the coffee has kicked in, Jess has been making us smoothies.  OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEE.

I have been having majah Vitamix LUST.

Here are some of her divine smoothie recipes which make between 2-4 servings.  Just add some ice and blend.  You can put the leftovers in the fridge for the next morning, by the way:

Goshdernitsgood Green Smoothie (pictured above)
3-4 cups spinach
handful of parsley (no stems)
1 1/2 inch slice of pineapple
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 banana
1 apple
1/2 English cucumber
1 Tb chia seeds

Blueberry Pear Perfection
1 1/2 - 2 cups frozen blueberries
2 pears
2 bananas
3-4 cups spinach
1 Tb. chia seeds
1 tsp spirulina powder
1 cup coconut water

Mango Coconut Paradise (my FAVE so far!)
3-4 cups spinach
2 cups frozen mangos
1 banana
1 tsp spirulina powder
1 cup coconut milk from the can
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 tsp cayenne

I've never had Spirulina before but it's good for the pooper, has ideal anti-aging benefits and you can't even taste it in the smoothies.  I'm stocking up on this before I leave!

Here are some other tips from my new fave Domestic Goddess:

1. Put Castille soap in a foamer pump and use it to clean fruit, veggies and your makeup brushes.

2. For those of you on the Apple Cider Vinegar kick, fill up a water bottle with filtered water, add 2 Tb. ACV, a packet of stevia and 2 Tb chia seeds.  The stevia makes the ACV palatable, and the chia seeds expand, so it's kind of like tapioca when you drink it--- and it keeps you super full.  OK, so it kinda looks like you're drinking a bottle of dead bugs when the seeds expand, but who cares if you're not hungry 2 hours later!

3. Need a gluten-free substitution for regular flour when you're baking?  Use quinoa flour!

4. Fastest, yummiest scrambled egg ever:  Beat one egg and put in a microwaveable container (uncovered) with a little pad of real butter.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 25 seconds.  Fluffy, eggy perfection.

And I haven't even gotten to our dinner collaborations yet.....Holy Shnikes.  Ya'll are in for a treat when I post our recipes later this week.  Serious, mouthwatering, fabulousness.

Love,

The Mistress

xxoo