The Curiosities of S.Marie Bacavis

October's Three New Things I Love

2011-10-24T16:40:00.001-07:00

1.Turkish Bath towels (Peshtemals)

I bought a pair during the summer and my other towels have been cast aside forever. These cotton towels are BEAUTIFUL. They come in an array of colors, they're made by artisans on traditional looms, they absorb a ton of water and dry faster than a regular towel too! You can use them as towels, blankets, shower curtains, and even as window coverings. I'm currently waiting on a pair of red striped peshtemals to make a new shower curtain. Check out:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bathstyle for a wide variety of towels!

2. African Black Soap.

This amazing soap has been used FOREVER in Africa. They use the ashes of plantain skins, cocoa pods and various other plants to make the soap. I started using it recently and I'm in love. I wash my face with it and leave the soap on for a few minutes extra before rinsing. This allows the soap to work it's magic! My complexion is clear and my skin is so soft now! Before I go to bed I apply a little soap to any blemishes and by the morning they are gone.

I even like the smell of the soap. It's not perfumey or heavily scented.

I just bought a 1/2 pound of Black soap and a 1/2 pound of Shea Butter directly from Africa and I am so excited for it to arrive!

Black soap is known to cure acne, irritated skin, male pattern baldness, rashes, and dandruff. You can use it as face soap, a facial mask, shampoo, and body wash. The pure Shea butter is used afterwards as an all over moisturizer and it doesn't clog pores.

You can buy it in bulk here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AfricanHerbal

3. Rooibos Tea

This attractive red tea is another treasure from Africa, where they've been drinking it forever!

This tea is made from the needle shaped leaves of the plant Aspalathus Linearis.

The tea has a high level of antioxidants and it's caffeine free. Rooibos also contains a number of phenolic compounds. The flavor is pleasant and there's no bitter aftertaste.

They say the tea helps calm nerves and I find a cup to be very relaxing in the evening with fruit and tea biscuits. King Soopers sells a Private Selection brand of Rooibos tea that is very affordable.

Doro W'et (Ethiopian Spicy Chicken Stew)

2011-09-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Because of the extreme poverty and famine Ethiopia is known for, most People wouldn't even imagine the amazing spicy food that originates in Ethiopia.

Doro W'et is a simple and delicious recipe to make. Here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dried ground ginger

1/8 cup Berbere Ethiopian seasoning

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup tomato sauce

2lb chicken thighs cubed- OR Chicken legs with skin removed

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

1 hard boiled egg per person

Directions: In a large pot or dutch over, add butter and saute onions and garlic until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add ginger, Bebere, pepper, chicken stock, and tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken to pot, stirring to ensure pieces are fully coated with sauce, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove a small amount of sauce into a small bowl and combine with peanut butter to thin out. Then, return everything to the pot. Lightly score the eggs, so that the delicious juice can penetrate, and continue simmering until chicken is done (10-20 minutes depending on how big your chicken pieces are).

Serving Suggestion: With authentic Injera bread, flour tortillas, Partha or Naan bread and One egg per person.

Yields: 4-5 servings

Thanks to: Kate Wheeler, Savory Spice Shop Manager.

From Trunk to Table

2011-09-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

I bought this big red trunk at a goodwill for a mere $8.00. I really liked the bright red color and the roomy storage. We've been using it as a coffee table for about four years now. It's nice because I don't have to worry about people putting their feet on it and scuffing it up. It's incredibly durable and the additional storage is a big plus!

Just last week I found these amazing vintage feet on Etsy and I new they'd be perfect for the trunk. Now our Trunk has been transformed into a very unique table! I love how it looks as if it could just walk off.