Please your senses with olives! Did you know that you can do millions of things with olives, not just eat them? Here are some ways to fill your stomach, treat your skin and hair and smell nice with olives and olive oil.

Olive oil is great for many skin-care regimens and tackle numerous issues that bother people every day. Olive oil can be used for softer hands, preventing hang nails, strengthening nails, soothing itchy skin, and moisturizing skin.

Olive oil is a great, natural way to prevent hang nails. It makes the cuticles and hands extremely soft.You can lather your hands in olive oil several times a day. To moisturize dry skin, rub it on your body after you shower. It will take a few minutes for the olive oil to be absorbed into the skin. Applying aloe vera can speed up the absorption time and will allow the oil to penetrate the skin deeper.

For itchy skin, lather olive oil on after a shower. Using olive oil on your skin two to three times a week will alleviate dry, itchy skin.

Olive oil has antioxidant super powers that will treat face wrinkles. Use on the skin 1-2 times a week, and up to 2-3 times a week.

Many salons and hair professionals are adamant about the benefits of using olive oil for hair care and treatments.You can use olive oil for soft, shiny hair. Make a hot oil treatment at home with olive oil. Heat the oil on the stove or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds then drizzle it onto your hair and let it sit (covered) for a minimum of 30 minutes. Additionally, olive oil is great at treating dandruff..To eliminate dandruff and/or dry scalp, rub olive oil into your skin and hair a couple of times week until the problem goes away.

Olive is a great ingredient for homemade soaps because it has a lot of fatty acids in it. This helps to naturally create that lather that people love in a soap. You can add oatmeal and chamomile for sensitive skin.

 

Grilled Lamb Chops with Olive Tapenade

Lamb Marinade Ingredients

  • 8 to 12 (2-inch thick) T-bone lamb chops
  • 2 sprigs fresh mint, torn or roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley, torn or roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, torn roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, torn or roughly chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 lemon, cut in half and squeezed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 rounds freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for grilling

For the marinade: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, bay leaf, salt and pepper with the olive oil. Trim away excess fat and any bone fragments lamb chops. Place the lamb chops into large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the top. Marinate for up to an hour.

For the tapenade: Using a food processor, pulse together the olives, orange zest, parsley, anchovy and chile until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil and orange juice while continuing to pulse for about a minute, until the ingredients are incorporated and the tapenade is a coarse paste. Do not over process. Season with salt and pepper.  

For the T-bone lamb chops: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Using tongs and an oil-blotted paper towel, wipe down the grill grates to clean and create a nonstick surface. Remove the lamb from the marinade, wiping off excess, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chops onto grill, fat-side down. Grill for about 2 minutes and rotate 45 degrees to form a crosshatch mark. Continue grilling for another 2 minutes and flip. Rotate the lamb chops 45 degrees to finish and bring to desired cooking temperature, 5 to 6 minutes total for 135 degrees F internal temperature or medium-rare. Remove from the grill and allow to rest.

Arrange the lamb chops on a dish and garnish each with about 1 tablespoon tapenade and torn mint.  Place the remaining tapenade on the side.

(Recipe Courtesy of the Food Network)