My Easter table…

One of my most cherished memories since childhood are the Easter 🐣 eggs. Not your ordinary colored eggs but hand painted with old world charm. The Polish and Ukranian neighborhoods made them, sold them and displayed them at art festivals. Oh how gorgeous they were. And even as a make-up artist I could never draw or painted the way they did.

The most beautiful hand-painted Easter eggs!

The art is called Pisanki… which means to write. A centuries old tradition and still created and celebrated today.

You can also find them at online stores and art walks in wooden form. You can decorate your home or holiday table with them on Easter 🐣 🥚 or year round.

Today I am making an Easter meal with Polish kielbasa, pierogi,glazed beets and rye bread (since I don’t have that sweet bread babka).

My mom will be celebrated in my heart 💜 today. She was a wonderful mom and lovely and Polish. I’ll toast to her with a shot of blackberry brandy.

My southern husband enjoys all kinds of food and I’m lucky for that because he’s not just a meant and potatoes man on a daily basis. We dine out, pick up take-out or cook with international bites and delights. Some recipes we get online but others are discovered from our ✈️ travels.

How about you? What are some of your favorite memories from Easter growing up or now?

Happy Easter, Passover or Ramadan… wherever you are in our beautiful world.

To the female heroes of Ukraine today … I salute and celebrate you!

I celebrate International Women’s Day and toast to the strong & beautiful women of the Ukraine today!

You are fierce, brave and fabulous!

AND let’s not forget those women in Poland welcoming all the women and their babies & children. Some who fed them with a warm soup. Others who dropped off baby strollers for moms once they arrived in Poland to help them with their children on their journey from Ukraine.

Sending the women reading this and the woman of Ukraine 🇺🇦 & Poland 🇵🇱 lots of love!

One day at a time.

Bless you!

Bathe yourself (mentally) in soothing light!

The magic of salt lamps!

I’m lining myself up for a better, calm and stress free new year. Adding to my decor. I’m not all about making new year resolutions anymore. How about you?

I have added more salt lamps to my spaces from a mini one by my computer 💻 to ones in other rooms of my home.

Salt lamps and Pink Himalayan salt lamps are so cool to look and calming to the spirit. Especially after a stressful or long day at work! You know what I mean.

Do you know many salt lamps are imported from ancient Polish salt mines? Poland was on my bucket list in spring 2020 until Covid arrived in our lives. Since my mom is of Polish descent I really wanted to travel ✈️and visit that part of our beautiful world.

Did you know there are salt spas in Poland that have wonderful powers for our health?

I have grown to love ❤️ the beauty of surrounding myself with salt lamps in my business and in my home. They illuminate your room or corner of the room with peachy, golden yellow and slightly red hues. The benefits are endless. Purifying and clearing the air in your space is just one of them. I love the ambient light they give a room. And so relaxing to gaze at in a room. Maybe it’s time you added a salt lamp or two to your home. They used to be pricey. But not anymore. You can find them now even at big box discount stores.

I have read about the healthy benefits of salt therapy and about the spas and salt mines in Poland. I so wanted to go! There are a few salt caves and spas that are in Poland and the one I hope to go to one day and visit is in a town …Wieliczka, Poland. They say spas and resorts offer therapeutic treatments like breathing salt infused air and incredible facials.

They say… Salt lamps also may help with people with allergies, aging skin, respiratory issues and so much more.

Let the light 💡 envelop you and take it all in with this calming therapy for your space, mind and spirit.

Merry Christmas! 🎄

I wish you a Merry Christmas 🎄 and hope you are enjoying a beautiful day with family ❤️ and friends.

I’m remembering the real reason for the season. And loving the customs and traditions of a Polish Christmas. My mom taught me so much and I cherish everything.

Wesolych Swait ! Merry 🎄 Christmas and many more!

COOL Summertime Strawberry Soup & more!

My Polish side of the family has some delightful recipes this soup is one of them. It is so refreshing in the summertime and while strawberries are in season especially.

What makes it special are these ingredients: (and the Polish FAMILY memories)

1 lb fresh strawberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp of good quality vanilla extract
2 cups of vanilla Greek yogurt
*whipped cream
*fresh mint leaves

Clean and hull strawberries and place in a blender,combine the rest of the ingredients except whipped cream and mint.Blend until smooth.
CHILL for a few hours or overnight.Serve in pretty bowls and top with dollop of whip cream and garnish with a few mint leaves.

Yummy,creamy and dreamy taste of a recipe from Poland.My mom would be proud I still keep close in my heart and continue these traditions.

Do you have a YUMMY or unique recipe you’d like to share with me?
I’d LOVE to hear from you!

*Yummy photo from the website Cool Photo Projects.

While strawberries are still in season,you might also want to enjoy my recipe for a Refreshing Strawberry Face MASK for your skin.

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons of local honey

Mash the strawberries with a spoon and add in the honey. This will make a fruity honey filled face mask. The strawberries contain Vitamin C and alpha-hydroxy acids that exfoliate the skin gently in a natural way.
If your skin is looking dull,tired,sun damaged or prone to a blemish you will LOVE what this mask does for your skin.

Leave on your face for at least fifteen minutes and rinse with luke warm water and a wash cloth.Follow with your moisturizer and eye gel.
They say that Hollywood Celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones use strawberries in their beauty rituals.
This fresh mask will last up to a week in an airtight container. I prefer to store in glass NOT plastic container.

*As I have mentioned before always do a spot test on the side of your cheek or neck to see if you are allergic to any of these ingredients. If you know you are do not use this recipe.

Get cooking and enjoy these two delicious delights one for your body and one for your face. YUM!

Allergies got you down?

ME TOO!My voice sounds like a sexy 900 line phone gal!

As a beauty therapist I am always on the hunt for healthy beauty too. I have found relief for my allergies and to stress less.
It is a salt lamp.

Like the salty ocean air,salt lamps are an amazing generator of negative ions. Simply put they clean and purify the air. They also ease a person into an alpha state, a state in which you feel completely in the moment and not distracted by stress. When on they illuminate your space with a beautiful array of colors. A glowing golden amber,light pink and soft orange illuminates your space and relaxes. You have to see it in person and FEEL it to truly believe in it.

Great for your office near your computer, a bedroom, hallway,living room or create your own meditation room or corner and enjoy some spa like music too.

If you have pets this really helps clean your air. It also helps to improve the quality of smokers air.Especially helpful if you don’t smoke and someone in your house does.

LIFE in the 21st century as well as the economy has become so stressful for your body,mind and spirit. Light up your world and feel better by surrounding yourself with this amazing creation. rich in history from the Himalayan mountains to salt spas in Poland…FEEL the mystical powers they convey and the healing energy.

While I am not a doctor and not trying to make any health claims EXCEPT the facts they say about these lamps…I do feel better and am stressing less.
Simply had to share with you!

Light up your world with a healthy twist.

My soul & spirit lifted with MEMORIES and My Polish Easter in the USA

Good Friday, Holy Saturday are sad days and I was filled with memories of my Polish Easter as a child and teen. My mom would not allow us to watch TV, listen to the radio nor enjoy any sweets during the 40 days and 40 nights of lent. But when Holy Saturday came…she would put together the most amazing and beautiful Easter food to bring to the church the day before Easter. She and my babci (grandmother in Polish) would mold softened butter into the shape of bunny rabbits and add fresh cloves for the eyes.She’d dye the eggs and prepare ham with cloves and sprinkled in brown sugar. She’d go to the Polish bakery for fresh rye bread and pick the prettiest and most delicious pastries. It was so beautiful to watch. She and my twin would go to the church with all of these treasures and have the priest bless our food for Easter.

I miss my mom,babci, family,Polish church, Polish school and the Polish immigrants who I would later teach and prepare with Religious classes  for them to receive their first holy communion.

I loved this life that shaped me into the woman I am today. I’ve  brought the same traditions and share them with my Southern husband. He gets a kick out of me being Polish and Chinese! And so do I. I hope you had a beauty filled Easter.

Memories and delicious food and culture that will always be with me and in my heart forever. How about you?

Share with me your story too~

SZARLOTKA

 As you know I am Polish and Chinese descent and we are about to celebrate the holiest of holy days… Easter and Spring.

Here is A DELIGHTFUL recipe for a delightful cake made with fruit from my dear friend Anetta who also is the photographer of MY blog  photo. Check out her beautiful work www.anettaphotography.com

I am going shopping for the ingredients tonight and will post recipe results and photo! Happy Baking!

“Szarlotka” 

Place slices of or pieces of fresh fruits like plums, apples, or peach on the bottom of grease pan 9×9.

Mix together 1cup sugar, 1-cup flower, 1-teaspoon baking powder and 4 eggs.

Pour over fruits and bake about 50-60 min in 375 deg.

Smacznego !

(DELICIOUS yummy in Polish)

 Since you know I love Peeps…I will probably have Peeps on the side.