Edible Spa TreatmentsWho doesn't love going to the spa? We do, but we don't always have the extra cash on hand to splurge on a day at the spa. So why not bring the spa to you? These edible treats sound like they taste good but are used as great spa treatments!

To rehydrate your skin after a long day in the sun, try our Avocado Mask. Mix 3T yogurt, 1T honey, 2T oatmeal and 1/4 avocado until they form a paste.  Apply to face using fingertips.  Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

To rehydrate your hair, try our Honey and Apple Smoothie. Combine 1 apple (peeled, cored and cut into large pieces), 2T baking soda, and 1/2 C seltzer in a blender and mix until smooth.  Apply to clean, dry hair.  Wrap hair in a shower cap and let sit for 30 minutes.  Shampoo and condition for soft silky hair.

Flavored Ice CubesWe'll come up with any excuse to add more flavor into our summer!  A great tip to keep your ice coffee cold and not diluted, is freezing coffee in ice cube trays and using that as your ice cubes.  This concept of freezing your favorite beverage and using that instead of ice cubes can be applied to almost any drink, even to just flavor a glass of water.  Freeze lemonade in ice cube trays and use in your iced tea instead of ice cubes adds the perfect amount of citrus flavor.  Freezing fruit inside the flavored ice cubes is an added touch to jazz up any beverage.  In our "A Taste of Summer" camp we make "Bug Juice" which is filling up ice cube trays with your favorite juice, and a couple blueberries!

Chef of the Month- AylaCongratulations to Ayla, winner of our August Facebook Photo Challenge and a longtime Cupcake Kids! budding chef! Ayla is a true cooking wiz who has been coming to our camps and classes for years, most recently at our Taste of Summer camp in June. You can find Ayla whipping up some amazing dishes in the kitchen in her chef's whites. When she's not in the kitchen, you can find Ayla playing with her friends, swimming, and traveling!

Name: Ayla
Age: 5 years
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, NYC & Charlotte, NC
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Whisk

Reducing Food WasteOne of our favorite parts of summer is getting to cook with all the fresh fruits and vegetables from our local farmers market. But have you ever found yourself a few days after a shopping trip staring at all your delicious produce as it dawns on you that you will never, ever be able to eat it all before it goes bad? We've all been there, even the most environmentally conscious (after all, that's why we rode our bike to buy the local fare!), and food waste is a big problem these days. Here are some helpful tips we use that will change the way you shop and store your produce.

1.  Always make a shopping list with your weeks meals planned out in advance, sticking to a list helps prevent impulsive buys at the grocery store.

2.  Use your supermarket salad bar.  Instead of buying an entire head of celery and using only 3 stalks leaving the rest to go bad in your refrigerator use the salad bar's pre-chopped vegetables.

3.  Keep track of expiration dates and inventory of you're pantry, this can prevent re-buying of items while also keeping you alert to what produce is nearing spoilage.

4.  Use your freezer wisely.  Fruit that is about to go bad can be frozen to make a smoothie out of.  Portion out tomato sauce and freeze in batches.

5.  Schedule a "leftovers night" into your weekly dinners.  This can also be fun and creative to use only whats in the back of the refrigerator and challenge yourself. Some great dishes for this are quiches, stir-fries, and stews.

Basil Is Growing Up!The Cupcake Kids mascot and our favorite herb, "Basil" the basil plant has quadrupled in size this summer so we had to come up with more basil recipes to keep up!  Salads are a great way to use basil and still keep that bright green color. One of our favorite ways to eat basil in the summer is in a fruit salad.  Adding basil to warm dishes releases the herb's flavor and scent, but be careful because it blackens fast.

Strawberry Basil Salad
1 Qt Strawberries
2 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar
5 Basil leaves
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

We like using strawberries but you can use any fruit.  Cut the strawberries into quarters and toss with balsamic vinegar, sugar and a handful of torn basil and you have a refreshing summer salad! 

Fun Fact: Basil is part of the mint family and goes great as a substitute in recipes that call for fresh mint leaves.

Drink A CoconutWe have been seeing coconut water everywhere these days, and had to find out what the fuss was all about!  Turns out that coconut water is not only delicious, but also really healthy for you too.  Coconut water is the liquid that comes from young coconuts.  When a coconut matures this liquid is replaced by coconut meat and air.  The coconut water is sweet and refreshing and a great way to hydrate yourself in the summer.  In South America, coconut water is packaged and marketed as a sports drink because it is high in potassium and mineral content.  In fact, one cup of coconut water contains more electrolytes than sports drinks (like Gatorade) and more potassium than a banana.  Coconut water is also a great way to boost your immune system, it helps detoxify and fight viruses and best of all, it's all natural.

Getting "Energy Ready" For SummerNow that hot weather is hear to stay, here are our Top 10 Kitchen Tips for saving energy and money.

1. Fix leaky faucets- 1 drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month.
2. Use the microwave when possible- it cooks faster and doesn't create as much heat as the stove.
3. Keep a lid on it! Covered pots retain heat and cook food more quickly.
4. Take advantage of residual heat. Turn off the oven or stove several minutes before the recipe indicates- both will stay hot enough to complete the cooking process.
5. Most of us eat a lot of pasta. Next time make extra, toss with olive oil, and keep in the fridge so you don't have to boil water next time.
6. Be sure your refrigerator seals shut. If you can pull a piece of paper out while the door is closed, your seal needs to be replaced.
7. Keep your freezer full. The fuller the freezer, the less the cold air escapes when the door opens.
8. Only run the dish and clothes washer when full. They use the same amount of water whether full or empty.
9. Air-dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher's heat drying option and hang your clothes on a line instead of using the dryer.
10. Unplug any electronics that aren't being used.

Bonus Tip: For a fun way to get your kids involved, make Iced Sun Tea (decaf of course!) on your sunny window sill instead of using a kettle. The kids will love it and it's a great way to start teaching them about saving energy. For a sweeter variety, mix in some lemonade to make an Arnold Palmer.