Cleaning Out Your Fridge? Try These Recipes

Mark your calendars: Saturday, November 15^th is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Do it the Charlotte way—make a few masks and tasty treats! Tons of common leftovers make wonderful glow-enhancing skin treatments and healthy recipes. Here are a few of our favorites:

Cranberries: Create a radiance-boosting face mask

 Even though cranberry dishes are a must-have at every holiday spread, there always seems to be a bag leftover in the crisper. As an alternative to slaving away over cranberry sauce for months to come, whip up this antioxidant-rich face mask, courtesy of Indie Lee. Vitamins A and C in cranberries slow cell turnover rate, while Vitamins B3 and B5 moisturize. Plus, cranberries have an acidic nature that makes them a secret weapon against oily skin. Here’s the recipe:

• ½ cup cranberries
• ½ cup yogurt
• Green clay or honey (optional)

Puree the cranberries in a food processor and then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt and stir the ingredients together until the mixture is creamy (for a thicker mask, add green clay or honey to the mixture). Apply to skin, let sit for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Voila—healthy, refreshed glow.

Pumpkin: Exfoliate or indulge? Why not both? 

Plowing through pumpkin pie during holiday meals is inevitable. But, getting stuck with leftovers can add up quickly. Pumpkin contains an abundance of radiance-boosting enzymes and skin perfecting vitamins. Take advantage of these powerful nutrients with a great DIY pumpkin face mask. Or, for a more decadent means of indulging in pumpkin, whip up this Pumpkin Pie Shake from The Milk Shake Factory:

• 2-3 cups vanilla ice cream
• slice of pumpkin pie
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 1-2 cups milk (optional)
• Whipped cream and chocolate covered graham crackers for garnish

In a blender, combine the ice cream with pumpkin pie and a pinch of nutmeg. Blend until the mixture reaches the desired consistency (smooth or with pieces of pie remaining intact). You may want to add milk for a creamier texture. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed chocolate covered graham crackers. And, enjoy!

Fruit & Veggies: Just shake it up

Cooking up huge holiday meals often leads to a lot of fruits and vegetables leftover in your fridge. Transform these perishable leftover into a nutrient packed smoothie by simply tossing them into your blender, suggests integrative health expert Dr. Frank Lipman. Avoid all fruit combinations, which are loaded with too much sugar. Instead, Lipman suggests including more vegetables, as well as an added source of protein, like in this recipe:

• 1 large pear, diced
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a pinch of ground ginger
• ½ lime juice
• ½ cup of almond milk
• ½ cup of water
• 1 packet RECHARGE shake protein
• 1-2 cups ice

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and pulse until the mixture reaches the desired texture. Add more ice for a colder, slushier consistency. Drink and recharge!

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