
You can’t make pancakes without breaking eggs. — Spanish Proverb
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I know, it has been almost a good one week that I have not written or posted anything . This has been a very hectic week for me, but I am doing ok and everything is back to normal now. I wanted to share couple of photos we took today and the other day and also would love to invite you to visit our new photo blog infn8photography.blogspot.com for more beautiful photos. I am just an amateur ( with my husband’s help) learning on how to take great professional looking photos while trying to understand this new world of DSLR .. I absolutely love taking photos, to me photographing is therapeutic and I think every photo tells a story ~ life stories. I will be posting more interesting stuff soon. Its good to be back blogging again. Stay well everyone!
Photos taken by Alex(hubby)
This protein-rich dish virtually swims in antioxidants and niacin, which keeps skin healthy.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Dressing
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
Juice and rind from 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (tail intact)
4 chunks watermelon (1 lb each), cut from the rind, cut into cubes
1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
PREPARATION
For dressing
Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender.
For salad
Fill a 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil; add lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Add shrimp, cover, remove from heat and let stand until shrimp is cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool 10 minutes, then refrigerate 30 minutes. Line a large platter with watermelon and tomatoes. Top with shrimp, feta and basil. Drizzle with dressing.
Source~selfdotcom

Today was one of the coldest day since we started the new year. Surprisingly, we also had some few snow flakes, here and there.Despite these temperatures and the unpredictable snow, the beauty of Pacific Northwest was still there and it was hard to miss.These are some of the few photos I took while walking my dog out earlier today. Most of them were found just right outside our place and some were from around the neighborhood. I love the outcome and I cant wait to take more photos when the weather get nicer outside. Enjoy!
Today March 8th, is International Women’s Day (IWD). It is a major day of global celebration of women.This day is meant to appreciate those who have the biggest influence in our lives. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements. Below are some of the women who have influenced us in one way or another. Happy International Women’s Day!!

So yesterday we predicted who we thought might win the Oscars tonight. Lets see if our predictions were right or wrong.. or see how close we came …

The Oscars are here! Tonight is the night that we all have been waiting for! Upon much deliberation and analysis, Mxdthingz is pleased to present its final winner predictions in all categories for the 2010 Academy Awards.
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Best Original Screenplay: Hurt Locker
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Foreign Language Film: El Secreto de Sus Ojos
Documentary Feature: The Cove
Animated Feature: Up
Art Direction: Avatar
Cinematography: Avatar
Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Documentary Short Subject: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Film Editing: The Hurt Locker
Makeup: Star Trek
Music (Score): Up
Music (Song): “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart
Animated Short Film: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Live Action Short Film: Kavi
Sound Editing: Avatar
Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Visual Effects: Avatar
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Aromatic caraway seeds lend a delicate nutty flavor to the chicken and balance nicely with a side of tart, sweet shredded cabbage.
Saturday’s Chile earthquake was so powerful(devastating 8.8 magnitude) that it likely shifted an Earth axis and shortened the length of a day and that it might actually shorten our days on Earth NASA announced Monday.
Don’t worry, we are not going to lose a day or two of each year, but the change is permanent: Each day should be 1.26 microseconds shorter, according to preliminary calculations. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.When an earthquake hits, it moves a lot of rock under the ground, and this caused the Earth’s axis to slightly shift, which is the cause of the shortening. And the spinning of the earth is how we calculate how long a day is. Scientists use the analogy of a figure skater…as they pull in their arms they spin faster. So, because of Saturday’s rocking of the globe, your day will be 1.26 microseconds shorter.
The wait is over, the lineup of the Dancing with the Stars 2010 and the pairings of Dancing with the Stars this 2010 was officially announced and revealed.The pairings for this year’s Dancing with the Stars is also a sizzling hot topic in the US. We can’t deny the fact that this year’s pairing for Dancing with the Stars 2010 is indeed magnificent. So if you’re looking for the official list of Dancing with the Stars 2010 pairings, check it out below:
» Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough
» Aiden Turner and Edyta Sliwinska
» Niecy Nash and Louis Van Amstel
» Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas
» Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani
» Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
» Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa
» Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya
» Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower
» Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke
» Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood.
So who’s your bet to win this year’s Dancing with the Stars? I know you have your bet, but let’s wait to see how they all perform on stage!
While the acronym MUFA does not sound too appealing, the MUFA diet and MUFA foods are popular diet trends for the New Year and beyond. MUFAs (pronounced moo-fah) are “Monounsaturated Fatty Acids”, plant-based fats found in some of the world’s most delicious foods. Studies show that these good-for-you fats enhance heart health and protect against chronic disease. And now the latest research shows that these dietary superstars may even target fat where it’s hardest to lose–in your belly!
What are MUFA foods?
MUFAs are — a class of healthy fats found in foods like tea seed oil, Avocado, Canola oil, Olive Oil, Nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans, and peanuts, Olives, Peanut butter and peanut oil,Sesame seeds,macadamia nut oil, grapeseed oil, groundnut oil (peanut oil), sesame oil, corn oil, popcorn, whole grain wheat, cereal, oatmeal, safflower oil, sunflower oil and tea-oil Camellia.
Basically, try to add: Avocado, Canola oil, Olive Oil, Nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans, and peanuts, Olives, Peanut butter and peanut oil, or Sesame seeds to your diet.Trying to add MUFA to your diet, helps with loosing weight. Here are some of the ideas.
MUFA Breakfast Ideas for weight loss
MUFA Lunch & MUFA Dinner Ideas for weight loss
MUFA Snack Ideas for weight loss
All skin tones represent various shades of beauty. There are beautiful people in all racial and ethnic groups. We should not devalue people because of their skin complexion being different from ours. Many people feel that they are lower because they skin complexions are darker.
Nothing annoys me more than seeing these beautiful young Black and surprisingly Asian women changing their skin colors so they can appear whiter, or lighter than they were before. Obviously they dont understand the side effects of bleaching their skin and the significantly increasing risks of skin cancer.Did you know that Black skin and Asian skin have thicker and more compact dermis than white skin. This is also explains why blacks and Asians have fewer facial wrinkles than whites. I bet you didnt know that!
Most of these whitening products contain a lot of harmful ingredients for your skin.
Mercury – poisons the bloodstream, therefore toxic when used in cosmetics. You’ll have an idea more or less what happens if your blood is infected with a deadly toxin, which can cause kidney or brain damage.
Hydroquinone – has been banned in Europe and Asia because it has been found to be carcinogenic, makes the skin hypersensitive to the sun, and thus can cause skin cancer.
Steroids – can lead to thinning of the skin and produces stretch marks. It isn’t good because a thinned skin is also prone to skin infections.
Our solution to the problem lies in our need to increase and inspire confidence about the beauty of the black skin. Do something positive to counter your low self-esteem. Take advantage of the good parts of your body or talents. Girls/Women .. you are beautiful the way you are! Be proud of your heritage.
Read More here about the dangers of skin whitening/lightening