recipe of coffee orange body scrub and getting rejuvenated at R The Spa, Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi

Few weeks ago I went for a spa treatment at R The Spa, the huge spa facility at Radisson Blu Plaza and got myself pampered with one of their winter package. They have new comforting winter packages suited for everyone and their Hammam bed with Vichy shower is a superb way to ease out the sore muscles and relax the body.

I got myself a rich chocolate massage and scrub on the hammam bed, soothing sounds of water bodies feel very comforting while your body is being slathered and massaged with smooth and gentle chocolate scrub. The Vichy shower is a device where multiple warm showers are directed towards the spinal column and limbs to ease out the stressed muscles and joints. The masseur chooses the pressure and temperature suited for you and you come out completely rejuvenated. However cliche it sounds.

Coffee and chocolate are two pick me ups that work instantly when you are bored, tired or just want a break from stressful work. I like my hot chocolate with cinnamon and sometimes nutmeg or even a hint of hot chilly in it but otherwise chocolate remains just another thing for me. Chocolate is known for being a mood enhancer thanks to serotonin and serotonin precursors found in it, good quality chocolate is a great skin food too and when applied directly on skin. The flavonoids and cocoa butter nourish the skin and make it supple.

I could actually feel my skin getting supple and all tiredness gone after this treatment called Cosy Cashmere at R The Spa. The treatment involves a warm shower or a sauna first to make the blood circulation more receptive for the massage and scrub, sauna is known to lower blood pressure. That is followed by a chosen body scrub on the hammam bed, the Vichy shower follows and then an hour long massage leaves you with a spring in your steps. Literally.

Coffee is one comforting drink that we associate with waking up, getting refreshed and alert. A freshly brewed cup of coffee is a delight when enjoyed with friends and the same cuppa becomes a savior when one needs to concentrate on work. There is a reason why a coffee machine is a must have fixture in offices.

Aroma of the freshly brewed coffee is quite an inviting prospect and one feels comforted almost immediately. It is another matter that coffee must not become a habit to fuel everyday work and a double espresso not a way to wake up. While caffeine is the most widely use psychoactive drug, it also works as a vaso-constrictive agent, a property quite useful when coffee is applied topically.

Yes, coffee makes a great body scrub and make skin smoother and supple. The coffee grounds used in a scrub polish the skin lightly while the caffeine tightens the skin temporarily. When used as a scrub, coffee smoothens the cellulite and reduces any puffiness. When applied as an eye mask it also smoothens puffy eyes.

I make this scrub with coffee and orange rind which is really good even if used at home. I add Epsom salt to it so it relaxes sore muscles too, even without a Vichy shower facility at home.

Recipe of coffee orange Epsom salt scrub

Ingredients
(one application for the whole body, to be made fresh)

60 gm coffee powder (not instant coffee)
fresh peel of one large orange
50 gm Epsom salt
30-40 ml coconut oil or olive oil
60-80 ml orange juice (from one orange)

procedure 

Grind the orange peel along with Epsom salt and coconut oil to make a smooth paste.
Transfer to a jar, add coffee powder and orange juice to make a paste that can be applied on skin.
Use fresh or refrigerate for a couple of days.

To use, apply all over wet skin and massage lightly all over using circular movements.
Let the scrub be on the skin for at least 30 minutes to ease out muscle fatigue.
Massage over cellulite areas well to smoothen the skin.

Wash off with warm shower. Do not use bath soap after this, wipe dry with towel.

The good thing is that this coffee orange Epsom salt scrub will now be available at R The Spa as well. You can choose to get this scrub along with any of the winter packages available at the spa.

Isn't it great to get a personalised treatment at a spa with such great facilities. I am planning to have this coffee orange Epsom salt scrub along with Vichy shower when I go there next.

The chocolate indulgence was great, next is coffee.

Read more »

chilled fruit soup for summer | papaya and orange soup with feta cheese and hint of star anise

I know you would say why not a smoothie. But you know a soup is different and this papaya and orange blend makes a real soup with a hint of spice and a tang of kala namak. A chilled soup with fruits makes a nice raw soup, much like Gazpacho but a bit different. You can make gazpacho with whatever combination of vegetables and fruits you like, I often add chucks of papaya or half ripe strawberries to smooth or chunky gazpacho for my meals.

But this soup is totally fruity with a hint of spice. You can add a bit of marmalade for a deeper flavour but it tastes great even without that.

ingredients
(2 servings)

papaya cubes (over ripe is the best) 2 cups
deseeded orange segments 1.5 cups
kala namak (black rock salt) 1/4 tsp
star anise powder a pinch
white pepper powder a pinch
citrus marmalade (optional) 1 tbsp
feta cheese or sour cream to top 2-3 tbsp

procedure..

Chill the fruits before peeling and chopping. Or put them into freezer for 30 minutes if in a hurry.

Blend everything together till really smooth. Adjust seasoning and pour in soup cups, top with feta cheese and serve immediately.

Take a picture if you wish and send it to your parents to tell you are eating your fruits alright. It is important :-)

This chilled fruit soup is a really refreshing meal on a hot summer day. You know it had got a bit hot 2 days back here when I whipped up this soup, but it rained again and the summer heat is gone. I am still using the bathroom geyser and we are eating our hot soup dinners too sometimes, in mid April for a change. There is some serious climatic change to be seen definitely.

The cold fruit soup of Hungry looks interesting too, this cold fruit soup I came across is partially cooked. Making completely raw cold fruit soups or cooking them partially to get more depth of flavours is a personal choice. But be assured this soup is very different from a smoothie though technically it might be a smoothie flavoured and plated differently.

One more way to eat your fruits. Just blend it, pour it, top it with sour cream or feta cheese or even hung curd if you please. And devour in it for a quite lunch staring at the signs of spring in the garden, summer gone totally confused in Delhi.

Read more »