Rain

For the more than a week we've experienced our fair share of rain. It has rained so much, everything is drenched and muddy. It's just messy and our roads turn into rivers, literally. Just Saturday night I went out with a friend and she offered to pick me up at home, and I had to politely refuse that she did because our roads are such a mess. It was much easier for me to drive out than it would have been for her to drive in. I don't want to subject anyone to these waterways unless it's absolutely necessary. 

Yesterday there was a break in the rain just before it was time to pick the kids up from school but it was a challenge getting to my car without getting my feet and  the bottom of pants completely soaked. By the time we got home there was a little concrete left above water so that we could get into our gate. The kids love when our road turns into a river, they like to throw small objects like sticks and leaves into the stream so that they can watch them get carried off into the field. They were very excited to pose for a picture with all of this water yesterday. (pretend you don't see the junk food!) 

About 20 minutes after we were home the water rushed down and took over the whole road. It's a good thing that we got home when we did because it would've been extra messy if we all had to wade through this  to get to our gate. 

And, when I say the whole road was a river, I mean it. It took about 4 hours for the water to clear. 

The kids ran inside to put on their rain boots so that they could splash around a bit. It was very exciting for them. I don't know how exciting it will be at the end of winter, but it is now. 

Here's Izabella showing me how much water accumulated in the wheelbarrow-again. This amount of water is from yesterday. It seems we've emptied it almost every day. 

And here's a picture of some pomegranates in the rain. Today the sun is shining and it's fairly warm-a welcome change.

What a difference a day makes. 

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I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.~Maya Angelou

Pomegranates Used As Skin Care

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about pomegranates. As I was searching for more information about the jewel of autumn, I learned that pomegranate juice can be excellent for skin care. It is said that using pomegranates on the skin can prevent skin cancer from forming as well as reduce the signs of aging.  So with these benefits in mind, I decided to try for myself.

For almost 2 weeks I've been ending my nightly cleansing ritual by applying pomegranate juice to my face. I just soaked a cotton round with the juice and applied. The first time that I applied the juice it was sticky and my face seemed a bit more pink so I rinsed it off after 20 minutes or so. On the second night that I applied the juice, I fell asleep before I could rinse it off. When I woke I didn't feel sticky at all since my face had plenty of time to absorb the juice. So, on the third night I decided that I wouldn't wash my face again until the morning in order for the juice to be fully absorbed by my skin once again. I have to say that the appearance of my skin has improved. My husband has even noticed the difference.

What's the difference?

 Well, my skin appears more radiant and firm. The crows feet that are forming around my eyes seem less dramatic and my skin feels much softer. I'm definitely impressed and will continue this ritual as long as pomegranates are available.

A Breakdown of the Steps:

- I picked one pomegranate from a tree and dug out my hand juicer. It's a lot like this one:

-I cut  the pomegranate in half and squeezed about 1/4 cup from it. It was probably a little less that 1/4 cup, I'm estimating.

-Finally, I simply poured a little juice on a cotton round and  applied it liberally to my face. That's it!

I stored the remainder of the  juice in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. Applying the cold juice to my face was refreshing! This amount of juice that I squeezed lasted me for nearly 2 weeks. So, if you want to add it to your skin care regimen I highly recommend it. It's so incredibly simple!

**If you do try feel free to let me know, I'm interested in hearing your results!**

Related Links: 

Pomegranates

Pomegranate Skin Benefits: Can This Amazing Fruit Prevent Skin Aging? 

Pomegranates

It's autumn and the pomegranates are ripe. They're beautiful, luscious and incredibly sweet. We have two pomegranate trees that are heavy with fruit. It's time to give. We're lucky enough to receive from our over generous neighbors & friends throughout the year so I love when it's our turn to reciprocate...

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Adriane & I 

Friends Never Leave Empty Handed...
Early last Sunday morning I was lucky enough to have a visit from one of my very best friends, Adriane. She lives in the city and it's hard for us to spend time together, so when she said that would stop by I was ecstatic.

We spent a few hours sipping coffee and talking when we decided to take a walk around. The first thing that she did was grab a pomegranate from one of our trees. She said, "I hope you don't mind". Seriously? Of course I didn't mind, she's one of my best friends and I have way more pomegranates than I know what to do with. So, there we under the tree enjoying pomegranates. I clipped a bagful for her to take home.
I think that she said that she had planned on using some pomegranate in a salad later that afternoon, delicious.

Adriane presents a sumptuous pomegranate. 

As we enjoyed pomegranates we discussed their many health benefits and also how wonderfully delicious they were. I also told her that I made a pomegranate liqueur last year and offered her a bit, but she declined since it was so early in the day. I used Iosifina's recipe last year. I need to try it again because although mine turned out beautifully, there's room for improvement.  I'm making more so I can make it even better!

Adriane enjoying a few pomegranates. 

Alexandra eating a pomegranate.

 Our children love snacking on the fresh fruit from our trees.

Often, I juice the pomegranates for the kids since they love it. I add sugar from time to time, depending  on the sweetness of the fruit  that I juiced. Sometimes they can taste bitter and tart.

I know that there many different ways to use pomegranates in cooking and I'm ready to explore. I'm also going to start applying the juice to my skin after cleansing my face as I've recently discovered that it could reduce the signs of aging as well as prevent skin cancer.    This year I'm really enjoying our bounty, can't you tell?

Health Benefits of Pomegranates

-Fights Breast Cancer

-Lowers Blood Pressure

-Lung Cancer Prevention

-Slows Prostate Cancer

-Keeps PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) Levels Stable

-Protects Neonatal Brain

-Protects Arteries

-Alzheimer's Disease Prevention

-Lowers Cholesterol

-May prevent development of dental plaque

-Prevention of Osteoarthritis

-May reduce the formation of skin cancer

-Stimulates production of collagen & prevents breakdown of collagen fibers

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Sources: Eat This! 11 Health Benefits of Pomegranate Juice

              Pomegranate Skin Benefits: Can This Amazing Fruit Prevent Skin Aging?

              Pomegranates: The New Super Food

              Pomegranate-Wikipedia