Two things; first of all, how is it basically the second month of the year?? Not sure how that happened, I know for many it feels like the 74th day of January, but for me definitely not! Second of all, it’s almost the month of love! What a time, am I right!?

I think this is my first ever recipe that i’ve posted to the blog, 2019 is making things happen!

This recipe is my take on Niomi Smart’s “Healthier Ginger Bread Man Recipe“, I absolutely love her recipes and for those who are vegan – her recipe is the recipe for you! Now I know they’re not the healthiest but the base of the cookie actually isn’t too bad – it’s the icing that has all the naughty but nice stuff in it. If you are wanting a healthier icing alternative, head over to Niomi Smarts recipe and she had a vegan/healthier version of my icing! 

These delicious oven baked goods are the perfect sentiment to give to your friends, family, significant other – it’s so cheesy, I know but to be honest with you, I freaking love it! So here I am, taking full advantage of Valentine’s Day / Month of love to bring you a delicious recipe for healthy (kind of) ginger cookies, heart shaped at that. CUTE!

Ps. If you eat them all in one sitting, don’t be alarmed – I did too!

Some recipe hacks I’ve figured out whilst making these gems;

1. When you take the dough out of the fridge, be sure to roll it out on a flour-based wooden board and throw some flour over your rolling pin. I find that it sticks less when doing so and is easier to cut with the cookie cutter this way! 
2. I like to outline my cookies with icing before filling them, this way it dries a little and creates a sort of ‘barrier’ so the icing doesn’t leak out. 
3. To outline my cookies I used a medium sized zip lock bag, got a tall-ish glass, put the corner of the bag into the glass and folded the rest over – this makes it easier to pour the icing in. Then cut the tiniest little hole, when I say tiny I mean tiny then you have a DIY piping bag! 
4. You know when you go to fairs or sports day, they always have tomato sauce and mustard in those plastic bottles that you can squeeze out? I went to the plastic store and got two clear ones (only R8.00 each, bargain!) and used one for each colour then used it to fill the centre of my hearts. 

Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

If you try them out, please do tag me on instagram, my facebook page or twitter so I can see how they turned out!

Disclaimer: The ginger cookie recipe was not made up by me, it was created by Niomi Smart – I just took the base and changed a few things to my preference. I am not trying to take ownership of her recipe, I have used it many times and love it so much, I wanted to share it with you all! 

If there is one thing I have come to know about Cape Town, it’s the seasons. Sometimes we will have Summer in Winter and Spring in Autumn and if we are REALLY lucky we will get all 4 seasons in one day!

Which is the exact reason I thought it was fitting to write up a post on my 3 homemade body scrubs for when my skin isn’t feeling so hot no matter what season it is that day!

Although it is admittedly a tedious task, exfoliating is an essential part of any skin care routine, whether it be for the face or the body. It’s so important to stimulate circulation through your skin and get the blood flowing.

I do sometimes use body scrubs bought from a supermarket or a beauty store, the one thing I love about making my own is that there is full control over what goes into the scrubs and onto my skin. It can be tailored to your skin type, It’s a cost-effective hobby and also reduces the amount of chemical build up onto your skin which is a bonus!

In my previous skincare post (Prepping for a special event) I mentioned that I enjoy using my homemade body scrub to exfoliate my skin when it’s feeling a bit poor or when I want my skin to look and feel extra good for an event. Here are some of the easy body scrubs I make:

Soothing peppermint scrub:

1 Cup | Granulated sugar/Brown Sugar

4 Spoons | Refined coconut oil

10 Drops | Peppermint oil

Refreshing lemon scrub:

2 Cups | Granulated sugar/Brown Sugar

¼ Cup | Almond oil

10 Drops | Lemon oil

Once all your ingredients are out, mix your oil and sugar until you get the desired consistency that you are looking for then add the essential oil drops.

Once you are happy with the consistency and all the ingredients are combined well, store it in a cute little jar or container and use for your feet or body.

I absolutely love these scrubs (not only because they smells like peppermint chocolate and sweets) but also for getting rid of those dead skin cells around the elbow, knee and foot area. My skin feels so nourished and moisturized after I use them.

Handy tip: Sugar is not always the best thing for your health and to put inside your body but it can be an amazing exfoliant for your skin.

I would recommend using the peppermint and lemon body scrub in the shower or bath just because once the skin is damp the scrub sticks to the skin more making the whole exfoliating process easier as opposed to dry body brushing then hopping into the shower – also less of a messy situation.

Photographer / Ashley Tapsell

Design & Layout / Jeanna Kenchington

Exfoliating and moisturising hand treatment:

2 Tbsp | Sunflower oil

2 Tbsp | Lemon juice

3 Tbsp | Brown sugar

Mix the ingredients equally and leave on for 10 – 15 minutes then rinse and moisturize with your favorite hand cream. How easy was that?

The only difference between brown and granulated sugar is that brown sugar is a bit softer for use on the skin.

The best part about these homemade scrubs is not only do they benefit your skin but you can also tailor them to your skin type. You can change the essential oils or add something extra, it’s completely up to you. Make it to how you like it! Consider this a base to your creation.

It’s always important to stay cautious of what you are putting on your skin, Remember the skin is the body’s biggest organ that leads into the bloodstream. You wouldnt rub chemicals on your liver so why would you rub it onto your skin? Just some food for thought.

If you make any of your own homemade body scrubs, comment the recipe or tweet me pics. I’d love to see!