Category Archives: food

Caffeine Lovers~ There’s A Free Starbucks Card Online to Everyone [Jonathan's Card]

Posted on
Reply

You’re on your way to work and realize as you start dozing on the bus that you really need a coffee.You stop at Starbucks to get a caffeine hit, but then you angrily discover you just spent your last buck on your bus ticket.

Fear not, coffee lovers. A new social experiment launched by Providence, Rhode Island-based mobile-app consultant Jonathan Stark aims to clear out those early-morning cobwebs even if you don’t have the cash.

Stark has made his Starbucks card available to anyone who has access to the Internet, and is inviting people to have a coffee on him. Or, if you’re in a giving mood, you can go online and add a few bucks to the card so that other sleepy-heads can give themselves a much-needed jolt in the morning. The experiment is called “GET A COFFEE, GIVE A COFFEE” .. It’s just like the “take a penny, leave a penny” concept common at convenience stores.

All you have to do is go to Stark’s website, download the image of his card’s barcode to your smartphone (android and iPhone), and give that to the cashier to scan when you order your coffee. (The scanners must be the hand-held type; regular scanners don’t work.) Since Stark launched the project last month, more than $9,000 in anonymous donations has been added to the card. A Twitter account linked to the card announces any balance updates every few minutes, so you can check before you order that venti that Jonathan’s card has enough on it to pay for it. Have fun… GETTING A COFFEE for you, GIVING A COFFEE to a stranger

Today’s Recipe ~ Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Posted on
1
“Shrimp marinated in lemon, garlic, and parsley for 30 minutes, then grilled. Can be used as an appetizer or main dish. This recipe also works well with scallops.” By Holly Murphy

Prep Time: 30 Min  | Cook Time: 6 Min  | Ready In:1 Hr 6 Min 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

  1. In a large, non-reactive bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and black pepper. Season with crushed red pepper, if desired. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat grill for high heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard any remaining marinade.
  3. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: AMOUNT PER SERVING Calories: 173 | Total Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 173mg

Photos of The Day~ The Royal Cake

Posted on
Reply

The Royal Wedding Cake

The eight-tiered Royal Wedding cake decorated with 900 symbolic sugar-paste flowers on Kate’s request.

Flowers featured on the cake
Rose (white) – national symbol of England
Daffodil – national symbol of Wales, new beginnings
Shamrock – national symbol of Ireland
Thistle – national symbol of Scotland
Acorns, oak leaf – strength, endurance
Myrtle – love
Ivy – wedded love, marriage
Lily of the valley – sweetness, humility
Rose (bridal) – happiness, love
Sweet William – grant me one smile
Honeysuckle – the bond of love
Apple blossom – preference, good fortune
White heather – protection, wishes will come true
Jasmine (white) – amiability
Daisy – innocence, beauty, simplicity
Orange blossom – marriage, eternal love, fruitfulness
Lavender – ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck Continue reading →

Cabbage Soup Diet~ 7 Day Plan

Posted on
4

Have you tried this diet called Cabbage soup diet? If eating a bottomless bowl of cabbage soup, along with a few other low-calorie foods, for a solid week appeals to you, the Cabbage Soup Diet is sure to lead to quick weight loss. The 7-day Cabbage Soup Diet plan promises all you can eat — as long as you stick to the small list of allowed foods on alternate days, along with two daily bowls of fat-free cabbage soup. Other specific foods that must be eaten including fruit, vegetables, skim milk, and meat. Dieters are also advised to drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.

Remember: This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least two weeks in between.

Day One:

Fruit: Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks- unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water. Continue reading →

Today’s Recipe~ Autumn Tea

Posted on
Reply

This blend features flavors we associate with fall – apple, cranberry and pumpkin pie spice. Serve it either warm or cold.

12 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 15 min.
Ingredients

5 individual tea bags
5 cups boiling water
5 cups unsweetened apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Place the tea bags in a large heat-proof bowl; add boiling water.
Cover and steep for 8 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add the remaining
ingredients to tea; stir until sugar is dissolve. Serve warm or over
ice. Yield: 3 quarts.
Nutrition Facts: One 1-cup serving (prepared with reduced-calorie cranberry juice and sugar substitute) equals 66 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fruit.

Recipe credits to TasteOfHome

How To Care For A Sick ~ It’s All About T.L.C

Posted on
Reply


I have been sick today and stayed in bed all day. Still in bed, in my pajamas, but feeling much better that I am able to write something. We all respond well to a large dose of that magic ingredient, known as Tender Loving Care right?A nice hot cup of tea with cookies,a nice warm bowl of tasty soup and warm bed surrounded by cute living teddy bears (Hubby and Coco) constitute the ideal prescription for speedy recovery.Thanks you two…xoxo Continue reading →

My Birthday Week!

Posted on
Reply

I have had such a wonderful week, full of events and celebrated the best Birthday, ever! Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday on Facebook, Twitter, email, text and phone calls and if October 17 was your birthday too, Happy Birthday to you! My birthday week was all about doing fun things and just enjoy pretty  much each and every moment.

On Monday night, my husband and I, went to The Pink Door restaurant for dinner date and a trapeze show. Continue reading →

Today’s Recipe~ Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

Posted on
Reply

These banana bites make a fun snack or end to a meal. Use your favorite nuts, candies, or cookies to coat the bananas.

Idea: slice bananas, dip in chocolate (see how to melt chocolate here), roll in toppings from your pantry (crushed Oreos, pretzels, Corn Flakes, nuts, chips, cookie crumbs, whatev.), place on a cookie sheet/plate and freeze.The simple and inexpensive treat is the perfect little nibble to keep in your freezer for the days you need something sweet, is a cute gift to bring a hostess (I like putting them in candy boxes like this one or this one) and they’re just down right delicious to serve when people are over.

Source~ Epicurious.com
Makes about 36 ~~ Prep: 45 minutes ~~ Total: 3 hours 45 minutes (including freezing time)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • Assorted toppings for coating bananas (such as crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, toffee bits, chopped Butterfinger candy bars, chopped salted peanuts, or toasted shredded sweetened coconut)
  • 3 ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Preparation

  • Stir chocolate and oil in heavy small saucepan over low heat just until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes to cool.
  • Place each topping in separate shallow dish. Line baking sheet with foil. Arrange banana slices on foil. Using fingers, dip 1 banana slice in chocolate, coating completely. Shake off excess chocolate. Drop dipped banana in 1 topping. Using clean hand, sprinkle more topping over banana to coat; transfer to foil-lined sheet. Repeat with remaining bananas, chocolate, and toppings. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours, then serve.

Nutrition Information

One bite contains the following:

  • Calories (kcal) 78.1
  • %Calories from Fat 58.9
  • Fat (g) 5.1
  • Saturated Fat (g) 1.9
  • Cholesterol (mg) 0
  • Carbohydrates (g) 8.8
  • Dietary Fiber (g) 1.0
  • Total Sugars (g) 6.4
  • Net Carbs (g) 7.7
  • Protein (g) 1.2

“Sassy Water”~ A Flat Berry Diet Jump Start

Posted on
2

You’ve probably heard that you need about eight glasses of water a day for adequate hydration.Drinking water and even eating “watery” foods like melon, greens, and other fruits and vegetables has enormous health benefits, including warding off fatigue. But perhaps the most important belly benefit of proper hydration is how it helps maintain your body’s proper fluid balance and guard against water retention. It also helps prevent constipation, which can cause bloating. My take for this “SASSY WATER”  is to encourage you to drink more water throughout your day. Some people don’t like to drink plain water so, I guess, this jazzes things up a bit.The ingredients in Sassy water aren’t just for flavor~ for example : the ginger helps calm and soothe your GI tract .The ingredients are supposed to help reduce bloating (hence the name, anti-bloat diet).But all in all, in order to loose weight,there are no magic solutions! Calories IN vs. calories OUT…it’s pretty simple.

SASSY WATER RECIPE~ Straight From The Flat Belly Diet Member Site

SERVES: 1; 1 Serving = 1  Glass

PREP TIME: 5 min; Chilling time: Overnight

TOTAL COOK TIME: none

Ingredients

2 liters water (about 8 and 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves.

Directions ~Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight. Drink the entire pitcher by the end of each day.

GOODLUCK

NEXT TOPIC ~ A FLAT BERRY DIET JUMPSTART WITH SASSY WATER

An Hour Goes By So Fast on the Weekend

Posted on
Reply

Have you ever felt like weekdays goes by so slow and weekends goes too fast? The only explanation I think,weekends seems to whizz by so quickly because you’re actually doing something you enjoy.It seems to me while you are working, working hours feels like an eternity. It always takes too long to pass that 6+ hours a day at work. While at home, time goes so fast, and 24 hours a day at home seems not enough for me. Don’t you feel the same? Anyways ,my weekend was filled up with Ikea shopping,house chores,friends came over and we hung out~ today,we went to pick up our friends’ sister from the airport and wrapped up our weekend with great conversations,watching movies,drinking and eating.How was yours?


Today’s Drink~ Saracco Moscato d’Asti

Posted on
Reply

A friendof mine got me a bottle of Moscato D’Asti, she said once you taste this, there’s no going back to regular wines. Oh my, I LOVE IT. ! It’s the best.Saracco’s Moscato is perfumed with notes of fresh lychee, pear and white flower floating from the glass. On the palate, the fruit is lifted by the sparkle, and touches of residual sugar add candied essence to the fresh fruit. Saracco’s Moscato can be enjoyed as an aperitif. Or at the end of the meal, Saracco will refreshingly match with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Don’t struggle against the heat, when you can sit by the pool and sip this great Moscato d’Asti. Enjoy

Today’s Recipe~ Spelt Bread

Posted on
Reply

Spelt Bread
Yield: Two 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaves
Spelt is a bread wheat in use since Biblical times. Spelt is highly water soluble, which means the body can easily absorb its nutrients. Hold a few spelt kernels in your mouth and—unlike other wheat varieties—they immediately soften

Spelt bread has a pleasing, nutty flavor and a substantial texture. It makes great breakfast toast, canapés and sandwiches. For a lighter flavor and texture, use up to 50% white spelt flour.
Note: it is important that you don’t over-knead spelt dough.
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105° to 110° F)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 cups spelt flour (use any combination of whole or white spelt)
Combine the yeast, water and honey in a large warm bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes or until the yeast softens. Stir in the butter and salt and 3 cups of the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining flour in increments until the dough becomes too stiff to stir, then place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 6 minutes, adding any remaining flour as necessary, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Do not overknead.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
Grease two 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pans. Punch the dough down to deflate it and divide it in half. Form each half into a smooth loaf and place in a prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1 hour or until the dough has risen to the top of the pans.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Uncover the risen loaves. Place the pans on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until the tops are light brown and crusty. Remove from the oven and tap out of the pan into the baking sheet. Turn the oven off and return the breads to the oven to crisp for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.Enjoy your nutritious bread!
Recipe Source~Rebecca Wood
var _sttoolbar = {}stBlogger.init(“http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=cbff7dd1-cd57-4e95-9535-e6ff09d7ed38&type=blogger”);

Today’s Meal ~Grilled Jerked Chicken Skewers With Mango Salsa

Posted on
Reply

Serves 6
Caribbean Jerk Rub adds Jamaican flavor to chicken in this recipe. Pork, lamb, steak, and seafood would all be good substitutes for chicken.


Chicken Ingredients :
3.5 oz (1 jar) Raptor Caribbean Jerk Rub
3 Chicken Breasts
2 oz. Olive Oil
18 Bamboo skewers *soak in water*


Mango Salsa Ingredients:
1 cup Mango (small diced)
½ Red Onion (small diced)
1 tsp. Red Jalapeño (minced)
1 tsp. Ginger (minced)
3 Sprigs Cilantro (chopped)
6 Mint Leaves (chopped)
2 Scallions (chopped)
1 tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste


Meat Preparation
Cut the breast into six cubes per breast and brush the meat with olive oil. Rub with Raptor Caribbean Jerk Rub and skewer the chicken. On a medium-high heat BBQ grill the meat until cooked through….*Soaking the bamboo skewers in water will help them from catching on fire while cooking.*


Mango Salsa Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season.

var _sttoolbar = {}stBlogger.init(“http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=cbff7dd1-cd57-4e95-9535-e6ff09d7ed38&type=blogger”);

Today’s Meal ~Chile Garlic Shrimp

Posted on
Reply

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish)
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 dried red chiles (plus more for garnish, if desired)
2 teaspoons brandy
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
Process:
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Sauté garlic until browned, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and chiles; sauté until shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add brandy and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Transfer to a platter or divide equally among 8 small plates. Sprinkle with parsley, add salt to taste and serve.
Makes 8 servings
Pop a few of these to feel lively all night long—they supply energizing iron and protein. And capsaicin, the compound that gives chiles their fire, may kick up your metabolism.

var _sttoolbar = {}stBlogger.init(“http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=cbff7dd1-cd57-4e95-9535-e6ff09d7ed38&type=blogger”);

Tip~Chopsticks Are A Really Good Dieting Trick

Posted on
Reply

Watching others using chopsticks can make it look so easy, but when you try it, you end up asking for a fork. Here’s how to say goodbye to that fork for good and put those chopsticks to work! I have always wanted to eat with Chopsticks, but I was too lazy / scared / discouraged to learn because everytime I tried to use them, the result were really bad. So I gave up trying.One day I was reading an article about how Chopsticks can be a really good dieting trick,it continued on saying, with Chopstick you eat more slowly and are more engaged with concentrating on your food, versus just shoveling it in. After I was done reading that particular article, I decided its about time for me to try again. My friends at work, walked me through on how to position my fingers and chopsticks to make it work. Finally tonight, I had an opportunity to put my skills into use.. We had Sushi for dinner, and I tell you, I was so impressed with the results…( be gentle ..lol… I am still in the learning process .. but I can now hold chopsticks and be able to lift food without dropping..)


The easiest way to explain how to hold chopsticks is to hold almost like holding pencil… Well, it’s not quit the same, obviously because you are holding two sticks, rather than one pencil. But if you can use a pencil, you can learn to use chopsticks.
First, rest one of the chopstick on the bottom on the thumb, at about 1 inch from the end (thick side) of the chopstick, and rest the middle of the chopstick on the side of ring finger at about 1/2 inch from the tip of the finger. This stick will remain stationary. Then hold the other chopstick with three fingers, thumb, pointing finger and the middle finger. This is the stick that moves to pick up food. Make sure the tip of both sticks meet. 


~~So how about you?Have you mastered the art of eating with chopsticks? What do you think? Does eating with them make a diffference in your perception of the meal?~~

Chopstick Rules
~~Do not hold the chopsticks when you are not eating. Rest them on a chopstick rest or a plate closest and directly in front of you, with the tips facing your left. Only rest the tip of the chopstick on to of chopstick rest or a plate, and the thick end should be on the table. You will do the same when you are done with the meal.
~~Do not drag a plate or bowl with your chopsticks.
~~Do not point with chopsticks or talk animatedly with chopsticks in your hand. Do not walk or run with chopsticks. (You’ll be surprised to hear how many people are injured by chopsticks!)
~~Never leave chopsticks stuck vertically into your food, especially into a bowl of rice. (At funerals, Japanese present a bowl of rice with chopsticks standing in the middle at the altar.)

var _sttoolbar = {}stBlogger.init(“http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=cbff7dd1-cd57-4e95-9535-e6ff09d7ed38&type=blogger”);