G Fuel, won't kill you: an unboxing

Because of my allergies & everything else, I have to be 

(or I'm supposed to be.....)

 very careful about what I eat & drink.

But, I 'm finding in my old age that I need a 

little bit of something

 in the morning to get up & running.

  & of course there is a lengthy list of traditional morning bev that are on the No-No list 

& for the most part I choose to ignore it,

 fall off the wagon & feel like death.

Sometimes, I try to get on the wagon

 & go for the current fad coffee replacement 

& those have  tried to kill me too......

After trying one of those well know peppy drink mixes this summer & feeling like my heart was going to beat out of my chest, both from caffeine & price, I decided there had to be a better way! 

So, I did what I do.

I googled.

I amazon-ed. 

I read reviews. 

& I found.......

It's funny to me that after all these months, after finally liking all their social media, the G in G Fuel, stands for GAMER! 

If you know me, you know I fairly well loathe video gaming  It's a bad word.

So, I'm going to dwell in my ignorance 

& pretend the G stands for GREAT.

The short version of a long story that gets us to the point: my most recent amazon order got lifted off my porch. I was sad. 

I emailed GFuel, because amazon was being 

shady about fixing stuff. 

& they sent me a replacement order, & some groovy samples! 

It comes in a boring brown box.

with boring brown paper.

There are no frills, & this is clearly not marketed to girly-girls.

No floofed sparkly tissue to be seen.

I do like that all the packaging is super 100% recyclable 

& not wax/paperboard.

These 40 serving tubs retail for about $35, which if you do the math is less than $1/serving.

(you can make a custom sample box to try flavors, 

or have handy single serves)

I couldn't get a good picture, but the included scoop has a built in funnel so you don't spill it everywhere if you are adding to a bottle of H2O.

What I enjoy the most, besides their excellent customer service, is the taste! 

We can all agree that sometimes "supplements" can be chalky & have a horrible after taste.

OF the 5 flavors I've tried, 

I'd have to say I agree with the reviews 

that compare the taste to Jolly Ranchers.

They offer a wide variety of delicious & popular favorites- some caffeinated & some not.

There is something for everyone. 

& I am super excited that the artificial sweeteners used don't give me a raging headache.

Cup by COOL GEAR

FIND IT HERE

• 0 Sugar - Unlike our “competitors” who rely on loads of sugar to provide you with a false sense of energy, we don’t – Which means zero “crash” 

• Energy Complex - Caffeine is a natural stimulant consumed worldwide. The primary benefit is that of cognitive function stimulation - Essentially giving your mind a "jump start" when it needs it most

• Focus Amino-Fortified - Our addition of a focus amino provides you with a unique edge that most other drinks on the market cannot

• Packed with Antioxidants - Just the right balance of antioxidants that work in tandem with our vitamin complex to promote healthy cell production

• Vitamin-Fortified - Our formula contains the perfect combination and subtle ratio of 

Vitamins C + E + B12 + B6

Cheater Enchiladas

Work Smarter, Not Harder 

Who remembers a time when they could sit & watch any TV show they wanted without

A) any distractions

& 

B) having cable (is that still a thing?)

I can remember the afternoons of the Food Network- 

Rachel Ray, Alton Brown, & my personal hero-

 Sandra Lee, of Semi-homemade Cooking.

I have previously mentioned the long line of

 cookingly challenged people  I am descended from, 

& it must be genetic. 

No ones gotten food poisoning lately, so that is an improvement.

Reheating is my game.

This magical creation comes to us, because I forgot to thaw out the roast for the crock-pot......

The crock-pot that is meant to make cooking easier- 

no muss, no fuss.

No lie, I struggle.

If I do manage to thaw the meat, 

I either forget to plug the darn thing in, or turn it on.

On those really special days, both.

Fortunately, I do plan meals for two weeks, 

& keep a stocked pantry....

which brings us to 

CREATIVE COOKING

& That, I excel at! 

Because it's stupid, never ending, freezing, arctic winter, 

I have been keeping the freezer full of quick & easy stuff 

the kids can eat 

(ie: blow through like starved wildebeest) 

on the never ending snow days. 

Also, I've received constructive comments 

that pictures are appreciated. 

So, in breaking with tradition, there will be food pictures.

 TO DO or TO NEED

1 can of enchilada sauce of your choosing 
Frozen burritos of your choosing
Cheese, also of your choosing
A baking dish 
An oven 
(though I wonder if these could be microwaved in a pinch?)

Step 1- put a layer of sauce into the bottom of the pan, before you put in the burritos.....

Step 2- Put the burritos back into the prepared baking dish.

Step 3- more sauce

Step 4- If you are using a glass baking dish, make sure the oven is cold. If you put a cold pan into a hot oven the glass can explode. Don't ask me how I know........

Step 5- AFTER putting your pan into the oven, heat to 375 & bake until burritos are hot & sauce is bubbly (potentially 35-40 minutes)

Step 6- Turn oven off & sprinkle your "enchiladas" liberally 
(or not) with your cheese.

Step 7- let rest in oven until cheese is melted (about 5-7 minutes)

That's it kids. 

Gourmet enchiladas.

They might not impress company, but they'll feed growing boys.

The night my daughter made moonshine

Just Kidding, shes 10.

Separately, she did make some glittering soap....

Back to the point.

She did ferment rice water.

But not to drink. 

Maybe you've seen things floating around about 

FERMENTED RICE WATER HAIR RINSE

or, like me......not.

The baby woman is suddenly on a quest to grow 

her usually bobbed hair 

into long flowing Rapunzel locks.

There has been much YouTube watching of

folk, home & pretty random remedies.

This one was not

1. expensive 
2. or
3. overly smelly 
4. or
5. hazardously flammable (ie: counterproductive)

You can google the specifics, but apparently fermented rice water is acidic 

& that balances the PH of the hair. 

Also, obviously the water would absorb some of the starch, which we can assume would coat the hair, helping to prevent breaks, helping it to grow.

It was also suggested to pair with a vigorous scalp massage 

(pssst! that increases circulation = increases growth)

& as we learned, a few squirts of this starchy goodness to the roots, really perks them up- be it through bulking them up or freezing them like hairspray.

I don't really care about the particulars.

TODO

Firstly, find the spray bottle you will be using. 

Friendly reminder, if you want to add some essential oil so you don't smell like cooked rice, you need either a glass bottle or stainless steel. 

Bottle from GROVE COLLABORATIVE
Thanks MOM! 

Fill the bottle up, measure the amount, & pour into a bowl. 

add 1/3 the amount of water in rice.

she used jasmine, its what we had.

Cover & let sit overnight, up to 24 hours, agitating occasionally.

Drain your fermented water into a sauce pan, bringing to a boil for 3-5 minutes, let cool.

Funnel into your handy-dandy squirt bottle.

add some essential oil you like

(She picked citrus )

That's it. Spray hair liberally. Comb through.

Look like you paid a whole bunch for a blow out.

I found conflicting next steps- some said to use like a mask & wash out after 15-20 minutes.

Others said to use like a volumizing, root boosting hair spray, leaving in for the day/s.

I don't know that it will necessarily help, but I'm not worried about her hair falling out either.

BEFORE 

AFTER

I was so surprised how this actually turned out, I wasn't planning to take pictures.........

But, I thought it was too amazing not to share.