July 2020

Mixing It Up at the Spa

Have you jumped on the baking bandwagon? If you have had enough of sourdough, we have a fabulous – and fabulously easy – banana bread recipe that one of the amazing massage therapists at our Chicago spa found.

The recipe is from Holly at Spend with Pennies and it has a surprising ingredient… mayonnaise! “I know it may sound a little bit strange, but mayo is made with oil and eggs which are basically staple ingredients in any quick bread,” Holly says. Her tip: “Be sure not to overmix or it’ll be dense and chewy instead of soft and moist.”

(BTW she also has a recipe for a Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. We‘re going to try that next!)

Easy Banana Bread

PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 1 hour
TOTAL TIME 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium bananas mashed
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or dressing
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a bowl mix together mashed bananas, mayo and egg. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and pecans
3. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir just until combined. Note: The mixture will be very thick, do not over mix
4. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

You really want your bananas to be super ripe. If yours aren’t covered with spots, Holly says, you can ripen them if you, “Quickly bake at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using.”

She also says:

• Avoid adding extra bananas, this can make the bread too dense.
• As with all quick breads, do not overmix. Stir just until incorporated.
• Check your bread at least 10 minutes before the bake time is up.
• Line the loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about 3 inches of paper folded over the top of the pan for easy removal.
• To Make Muffins divide over 12 muffin wells and bake 14-18 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Enjoy! Let us know if you make it and what you think. And we’d love to hear about any recipes you’ve discovered during lockdown!

And we want you to know that your friends at Chicago’s Spa Space are thinking of you!

Treat Yourself to a Spa Day at Home

We have heard from so many of you, telling us how much you miss visiting our day spa in Chicago. We miss you, too! And we are looking forward to the day when we can invite you back safely for a spa massage or facial in our downtown Chicago day spa.

But just because we can’t welcome you through our doors at the moment, it doesn’t mean we aren’t thinking about you or that we have stopped caring about you and your wellbeing.

That’s why we encourage you to treat yourself to a spa day without leaving your Chicago area home

How to Have a Spa Day at Home

Enjoying a spa day shouldn’t be a complicated production. That would totally defeat the purpose. Your spa day can be as simple as lighting a few deliciously scented candles and relaxing in a bath generously sprinkled with Epsom salts to ease tense muscles. For an added element, treat yourself to a face mask. (And maybe a glass – or two – of wine!)

Your sense of smell is a powerful tool. Put it to good use. You can skip the scented candles and evoke the essence of our Chicago spa with Spa Space Essentials. Not only will the essence of sage and lemongrass take you back to those spa visits you have enjoyed in the past, our signature scent was developed using botanically based products to revitalize your spirit, provide deep cleansing and nourish your skin.

The Spa Space Essentials line of products includes:

• Shower Gel
• Shampoo
• Conditioner, and
• Body Lotion

We also recommend the luxurious, naturally inspired skincare products from Privai, a woman-owned company based in Asheville, NC.

Whether you use the products you know and love from Spa Space of Chicago or simply pick up some indulgent skincare offerings from your local drugstore, we hope you enjoy your Chicago spa day at home!