How to Enjoy a Summer Staycation at Home

Related To:

Sunny's Sweet and Spicy Korean BBQ

The Kitchen

A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on July 8, 2014. Photo: Jeffrey Neira/Watershed Visuals ©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by: Jeffrey Neira ©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

Jeffrey Neira, 2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

For one reason or another, you may not be indulging in a lavish getaway this summer, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon the idea of finding quality time to relax. The key to turning your home into a vacationlike setting is switching up your usual routine for a few days; during your staycation, try treating yourself to different meals and re-creating some of the common experiences you may have had, if you had traveled. For the co-hosts on The Kitchen, that meant creating international-inspired recipes and sharing ideas for DIY spa treatments on this morning's all-new episode. Read on below to get some of their best recipes for favorite eats and drinks, plus tips on fashioning at-home spa services.

Eats:

Perhaps the best part about Korean barbecue is the customizable element that takes the guesswork out of catering to your family's individual appetites. Sunny Anderson's Sweet and Spicy Korean BBQ (pictured above) features versatile lettuce wraps; after marinating beef in a sweet and salty brown sugar-soy sauce mixture, she grills the meat and serves it in Bibb lettuce cups with an array of toppings. Set up a buffet of carrots, bean sprouts, radishes and kimchi, and let everyone build their ultimate wraps.

Katie Lee and Jeff Mauro showed off chicken two ways with their Moroccan- and Caribbean-inspired recipes for Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives and Jerk Chicken, respectively. While Katie's big-batch recipe turns out a deliciously fragrant citrus sauce, Jeff's meaty dish is boldly flavored and subtly spicy.

Lobster Roll

The Kitchen

A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on July 8, 2014. Photo: Jeffrey Neira/Watershed Visuals ©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by: Jeffrey Neira ©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

Jeffrey Neira, 2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

For Geoffrey Zakarian, it's all about the coastline as he reinvents the classic Lobster Roll (pictured above). His easy-to-do recipe lets fresh steamed lobster shine, while highlighting it with a creamy mayonnaise-mustard sauce.

Drinks:

With only a handful of ingredients, Jeff and Katie create simple, refreshing sips with their recipes for Aloe Vera Drink and Cantaloupe Coconut Water, and Geoffrey puts a next-level twist on an adults-only daiquiri. His Strawberry-Ginger Daiquiri boasts juicy fresh berries, plus splashes of lime juice and rum, and it balances the bite of ginger with sweet syrup.

Sunny Anderson and Jeff Mauro

The Kitchen

A photo from the production of "The Kitchen" in Montclair, N.J., on July 8, 2014. Photo: Jeffrey Neira/Watershed Visuals ©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by: Jeffrey Neira ©2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

Jeffrey Neira, 2014 Watershed Visual Media. All Rights Reserved.

To-Do:

If you can't get away to luxuriate at a fancy spa, make your favorite treatments at home. Find out how Marcela and Katie reinvent the traditional face mask, foot soak and tea water using everyday ingredients and products.

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