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It's March break and I'm sure you've thought of a whole bunch of fun activities to fill up your free time. What about staying home and learning to cook? Sounds like the perfect time to pick up a new skill!

So grab the kids, head to the grocery store and pick up all the ingredients you need to make the following beginner-friendly breakfast, lunch and dinner. Get ready for a fun day of whipping up some yummy food!

Best Buttermilk Pancakes - Photo courtesy of www.bonappetit.com


best buttermilk pancakes

Recipe by: bonappetit.com


Ingredients:


  1. 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

  2. 3 tbsp sugar

  3. 1 tsp baking powder

  4. 1 tsp baking soda

  5. 1 tsp kosher salt

  6. 2 large eggs

  7. 1¼ cups buttermilk

  8. 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

  9. ILIOS Vegetable oil (for griddle)

  10. Pure maple syrup (for serving)


Recipe

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

  2. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and butter in a medium bowl; stir into dry ingredients until just combined (some lumps are okay).

  3. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium; brush with oil.

  4. Working in batches, scoop ⅓-cupfuls of batter onto griddle. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through and other side of pancakes are golden brown, about 2 minutes longer.

  5. Serve pancakes with maple syrup.


Spinach and White Bean Soup - photo courtesy of www.damndelicious.net

spinach and white bean soup


Ingredients:


  • 1 tbsp ILIOS olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)

  • 1 onion (diced)

  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme

  • 1/2 tsp dried basil

  • 4 cups ILIOS vegetable stock

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 cup uncooked ILIOS cocciolette pasta

  • 2 cups ILIOS spinach (thawed)

  • 1 jar ILIOS white kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Recipe

  1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

  2. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

  3. Stir in thyme and basil until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  4. Whisk in vegetable stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil.

  5. Stir in pasta; reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender, about 10-12 minutes.

  6. Stir in spinach and white beans for about 2 minutes.

  7. Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

  8. Serve immediately.


Sweet and Spicy Sausage and Farfalle - photo courtesy of www.thekittchen.com


Sweet and Spicy Sausage and Farfalle

Recipe by: thekittchen.com


Ingredients:


  • 2 Sweet Italian Sausages (raw)

  • 1/4 cup chopped White Onion

  • 2 cloves Garlic

  • 1/2 can of ILIOS Crushed Tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

  • 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

  • 2 cups ILIOS Farfalle

  • 2 cups ILIOS Spinach (thawed)

  • 2 tbsp. Parmesan

  • 1 tbps ILIOS Olive Oil


Recipe

  1. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Slice the ends off the sausage, and push the meat out of the casing, and loosely crumble it up.

  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, add the pasta. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until al dente. Then drain the pasta and set aside.

  3. As soon as you put the water on the boil, start to prepare the rest of this dish. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté. After 2 minutes, add the sausage and red pepper flakes. For a mild spice add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or add more for extra spice.

  4. Brown the sausage, while using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces.

  5. Once the sausage has browned, add the garlic, crushed tomatoes, and cream. Stir together. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

  6. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, along with the spinach. Let the pasta and spinach simmer in the sauce for 2 minutes over medium heat. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.


Some would argue that there is no better love than self-love. And what a better place to start than showing some serious TLC to your skin?! ILIOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is not only an excellent kitchen staple, it can also be used in many ways to help brighten up your lovely face! Read on for many different ways you can use ILIOS EVOO that aren't in the kitchen.

ILIOS extra virgin olive oil is a great addition to your beauty routine!

Benefits of ILIOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the skin and face:


Olive oil has been used throughout history not only for cooking but as part of daily beauty routines. Olive oil is full of antioxidants which, when applied to the skin, is said to help prevent signs of aging. Some research even says that it can help fight off cancer-causing cells in the skin.


Olive oil is also chalked full of healthy vitamins including Vitamins D and E which are known to be great for your skin! Vitamin D is used in anti-aging treatments and helps in skin cell growth and Vitamin E is a great way to help reduce the visibility of scars and helps treat psoriasis and eczema.


Last but not least, olive oil is an amazing moisturizer! Whether used on your skin or in your hair, it can help refresh any dullness or dryness caused by out long, cold winters.


Eye makeup remover:


Apply ILIOS EVOO directly to cotton ball or facecloth to remove any eyeliner, eye shadow or mascara. It even works on waterproof! Try to avoid getting directly in eyes but it is very gentle so should not cause any irritation.


Wrinkle and scar treatment:

Dab ILIOS EVOO around the eye area, on forehead or around the mouth (basically any of the main wrinkle areas where you face is known to show the most expression). Apply ILIOS EVOO mixed with lemon juice directly to scars and stretch marks to help them fade away.


ILIOS EVOO Hair and Skin Mask


Ingredients:

1 large, raw egg

1 tsp honey

1 tsp ILIOS Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Hair Mask:

Mix all ingredients into a bowl and apply to hair from roots to end. Leave on for 15-30 minutes and then rinse off in shower. Shampoo and condition as usual.


Face Mask:

In addition to ingredients listed above, add baking soda or fine-grained sea salt for extra exfoliation. Mix all ingredients together and gently rub onto face in a circular motion. Leave on for 15-30 minutes and then rinse off. No need to wash afterwards, just let any remaining oils soak into your skin.


CLICK HERE for more homemade spa treatments.











Hummus is such an important food staple in today's society. It goes great with crackers or veggies, can be used as a dip or a spread, and is a great way to get added protein into your diet.


Many may not know that it is also SO EASY to make! Check out our recipe below!

ILIOS Homemade Hummus is so good and so easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 jar of ILIOS chickpeas

1 large lemon

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup of tahini (well-mixed)

3/4 tsp. of kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

1/4 tsp. of ground cumin

3 tbsp. of ILIOS extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. of water

1/2 cup of mint leaves (chop them up or keep them whole)

Recipe:

  1. Drain your chickpeas in a strainer and rinse thoroughly. Rinse and drain a second time while you prep the other ingredients.

  2. Cut your lemon in half, remove the seeds, and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. (makes about 3-4 tbsp.)

  3. Smash your garlic clove with the flat side of your knife and remove the peel. Continue to mash with the side of the knife until it forms a paste.

  4. Combine drained chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, salt, pepper, cumin and water in a food processor.

  5. Process until smooth (about 1 minute)

  6. With the processor still running, add olive oil and then continue to process until the hummus is light and creamy (about 1 minute).

  7. Garnish with mint leaves and season with additional salt if needed.



RECIPES AND TIPS

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