Keep Cool as a Cucumber with this Spa Treatment and Recipe

There’s a reason people say “cool as a cucumber.”

Cucumbers have been keeping us cool for hundreds of years.  During these hot days, pick up some cukes and these ideas a try.

Create Your  Home Spa  

1.  Make beautiful, refreshing spa water. Scrub the outside of a cuke and slice into about 1/4-inch thick slices..  Put aside two slices for your eyes (supposed to reduce puffiness and soothe your eyes.)  Put the rest of the slices into a pitcher of ice water. 

Add some slices of lemon and/or lime if you like.  (Be sure to scrub citrus well as those peels can be some of the germiest items from the market.)

2.  Make a healthy fruit plate.  Cut fresh fruit into bitesize pieces and arrange on a plate. Perhaps add a small bowl of Greek yogurt to use a dipping cream. (Just stir it to get a creamy consistency.)

3.  Change to comfortable, loose cotton clothing. A caftan made from smooth 100% cotton is perhaps the most cooling garment in the world. Click here for an easy way to make a comfy caftan that can also be used as a swimsuit coverup.

4.  Create spa ambiance. Play some soothing music. Pour yourself a tall glass or cucumber spa water. Put your feet up. Arrange pillows below your knees and behind your head. Perhaps you nibble on chunks of cantaloupe. Place the reserved cucumber slices on your closed eyes.  Aaaaahh . . . you sip your cucumber spa water and smile at how much you are saving.

5.  Enjoy a healthy, cooling spa meal. Use more cuke slices for the start to a quick meal.  Put some cooked salmon atop each slice for a cooling supper or appetizer.  We use canned wild salmon for this and it’s delicious. We remove the bones and skin, but some people eat those too.  You can provide crackers for those who prefer salmon on crackers.  To round out the meal you can add cheese, hard-boiled eggs, pickled beets, cold cooked whole green beans and raw vegetables and dip.  Everything in this meal is cold and cooling!  You could also try this with tuna salad or chicken salad.  It’s good when you want to skip the carbs in bread or crackers.

Enjoy your spa day!