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Archive for the ‘In The Kitchen’ Category

Eclair Cake

Posted in Entertainment, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2011| 3 Comments »

What’s not to like about a cake that has all the delicious components of a bakery-fresh eclair, but is easier to make? The rich chocolate sauce, the fresh whipped cream, the creamy vanilla custard, and the light, cream puff pastry each, in their own right, are special, but combined they are divine! I made this scrumptious Eclair Cake for my son’s birthday and everyone loved it from top to bottom – as evidenced by some serious, post-devouring, fork licking!

Adapted from a recipe in the 50th Anniversary Best of our Favorite Recipes – Maui Association for Family and Community Education cookbook:

Ingredients:
Crust-
1 cup water
1 cube of butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Filling-
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
2 small packages of vanilla instant pudding
2-1/2 cups fresh milk

Toppings-
1 (8 oz) container of whipped topping or freshly whipped cream
Chocolate sauce or syrup
Toasted sliced almonds, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and stir in flour all at once. Keep stirring until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
4. Remove from heat and stir in one egg at a time, beating well after each one is added.
5. Spread evenly into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until puffed up and golden. Cool.
7. While crust is cooling, prepare filling by mixing the cream cheese and the dry pudding mix together. Slowly add the milk. Batter will be thick and smooth.
8. Spread filling on cooled crust.
9. Spread whipped topping or whipped cream over filling.
10. Drizzle chocolate syrup on top.
11. Refrigerate to set and until ready to serve.

Serves about 15.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. The base layer or crust is made exactly like cream puff shells are made. The only difference is that the batter is spread out in a pan instead of being dropped by teaspoons onto a baking sheet.

2. For the whipped cream layer, I used 50 percent whipped topping and 50 percent fresh whipped cream. First I whipped the cream and then gently folded in the thawed whipped topping.

3. Instead of using a chocolate syrup, I used a hot fudge sundae sauce that was not overly thick or too heavy.

4. I lightly toasted almond slices in the oven and let them cool before sprinkling them over the cake top.

5. Another way to decorate the cake top would be to drizzle the chocolate sauce in rows over the whipped cream and then drag a knife or toothpick through the rows of sauce to create a marbleized appearance.

Enjoy!

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Using Lemons – Ordinary and Extraordinary Ideas

Posted in Creativity, Entertainment, Gardening, Health, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Picture smooth, thin-skinned, lemons swaying seductively in the breeze. They temp you with their fresh fragrance and their bright eye-catching color. Heavy with juice, that begs to be released, the luscious fruit cry out “Take me! Use me! Squeeze me now!”

A while back I wrote a short piece called Got Lemons? for a Friday Fresh Five! post that started me thinking about this fabulously versatile fruit. If your lemon tree graced you with a bounty and you’re trying to figure out what to do with them, you’re in luck. I searched the internet and created a list of thirty ordinary and extraordinary uses for lemons. If you are fortunate enough to have Meyer lemons, which are slightly sweeter than regular lemons, there are some wonderful culinary suggestions to try. Limoncello, anyone?

Using Lemons – Ordinary and Extraordinary Ideas

1. Make homemade lemonade with this basic syrup recipe: 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water. Dilute syrup to taste with water or soda water and add ice. For added flavor, include a bit of chopped crystallized ginger or fresh mint leaves or some fresh fruit.

2. Highlight your hair by mixing the juice of one lemon with one teaspoon of salt and apply to your hair with a comb. Get out into the sun for a couple of hours. Because of the drying effects of this mixture, do not use this too often.

3. Infuse your favorite olive oil with Meyer lemon peel: Warm a cup of olive oil and the peel from 2 lemons over very low heat for 15 minutes, then allow to cool for half an hour. Strain and pour into a bottle with a stopper.

4. Exfoliate and clean your feet – mix up some lemon pulp and brown sugar and rub. Rinse and moisturize. Repeated use of lemon juice can whiten toenails that have been yellowed by nail polish.

5. Roast quartered slices of Meyer lemon with olive oil, rosemary and whole shallots; serve simply, with slices of grilled bread.

6. Sooth a sting by mixing the juice of half a lemon with water and apply to area.

7. Stuff the cavity of a chicken with lemon and onion wedges before roasting it.

8. Freshen up your dishwasher by placing half a lemon onto one of the spikes before you run a wash cycle.

9. Squeeze the juice from lemons and freeze it in an ice cube tray; once frozen, store the cubes in plastic bags in the freezer.

10. Freeze lemon zest. Zest lemons before juicing them; freeze zest in a small, plastic bag or a small, airtight container. Use in salad dressings, soups, roasts, pasta dishes, seafood, dips, baked goods and more!

11. Make Meyer limoncello by steeping lemon peel in a bottle of vodka for two weeks. Then strain the infused vodka, mix with simple syrup and more vodka, and bottle the result.

12. For the perfect cold remedy, add the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of cayenne to a strong pot of tea.

13. Make a lemon candlescape: Cut lemons in half crosswise. Cut a small bit off the ends to create flat bottoms. Carefully ream out juice; scrape shells clean with a spoon. Place a small votive or tea light in each shell, carefully set in a pretty bowl, fill with a small amount of water, and light candles.

14. Relieve dry and achy hands by massaging them with a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil.

15. Make Meyer lemon vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, Meyer lemon juice, a splash of champagne vinegar, sea salt, cracked black pepper and a little lemon zest.

16. Slice a few lemons and put them into your bath with a sprinkle of lavender and rosemary.

17. Perfume your sugar bowl by stirring strips of lemon peel down into the sugar.

18. Dry lemon slices for decorations or potpourri: Cut lemons crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Leave any seeds in place. Discard ends. Place on wire rack in baking sheet. Dry in 170-degree oven 4 hours. Remove; leave on rack to air dry.

19. Rinse your mouth with lemon juice and then swallow it for longer-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing the bacteria that cause bad breath. Rinse with water after a few minutes, because long-term exposure to the acid in the juice can erode tooth enamel.

20. Make a lemon Bellini with Prosecco, Meyer lemon juice, a little simple syrup and strips of peel.

21. Hollow out the interior of whole Meyer lemons, fill them with Meyer lemon ice cream or lemon sorbet. Freeze.

22. Ant-proof the kitchen with lemon juice. Squirt lemon juice on thresholds and window sills. Squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks that the ants are entering. Scatter small slices of lemon peel around door entrances. Ants do not like the lemon fragrance and will not enter your home. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas. Reader’s Digest suggests a mixture of ½ gallon (2 liters) of water and the juice and rinds of four lemons. Wash the kitchen floor and the counters with this mixture and watch the insects leave.

23. Make a dipping sauce for grilled fish or shrimp from Meyer lemon juice, fresh chopped cilantro, basil and mint, minced garlic, ginger and chilies, and fish sauce.

24. Lemon juice is a mild alternative to bleach. Soak colorfast garments in a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice for ½ hour prior to washing. Lemon juice is much safer than bleach for whitening delicates.

25. Top blueberry pancakes with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and grated Meyer lemon zest.

26. Remove tough food stains from your cutting board by rubbing with lemon juice and baking soda. This will also kill germs and freshen the board.

27. Remove warts by applying lemon juice to the site daily until the wart falls off.

28. Potatoes, rice, and cauliflower will stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into the cooking water.

29. Make those dull aluminum pots and pans sparkle. Rub the cut side of half a lemon all over them and buff with a soft cloth. For copper pots, rub them with a paste of juice and salt; rinse well with clear water; dry with a clean, soft cloth.

30. To clean cheese off of a grater, rub half of a juiced lemon over the grater.

For more information about lemon usage, read the original articles from which these tips were collected:

LA Times

Hippy Shopper

Gomestic

Reader’s Digest

Crunchy Betty

Local Foods

Cooking Junkies

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/25/11)

Posted in About me, Health, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Jewelry, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Outside there’s nothing but rain. But, metaphorically speaking, rain falls inside too – it falls into each of our lives, sometimes in “drizzles” and sometimes in “downpours.” How we weather our storms depends on our outlook. We can choose to simply drown or we can let the waters cleanse our perspective and refresh our purpose.

#1 – Gift of Hope Update
My friend Laura, whose inspirational story I wrote about in Laura’s Gift of Hope, just received the most wonderful and miraculous news – she is in remission! Thanks to all who sent prayers and positive energy her way! But let’s not forget about the others who continue their fight against cancer. For as little as $25.00 you can spread cheer and give hope by donating a Gift of Hope (a bouquet of daffodils) or a Bear of Hope (a Boyds Bear stuffed animal for pediatric cancer patients), both of which are delivered anonymously to someone undergoing cancer treatment during the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days, the week of March 22nd. Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “Be the difference you want to see in the world.” The last day to donate online is Monday, February 28th. To be the difference to someone, click here to donate.

#2 – Words and Images
More photos with food-for-thought quotes – check out the slide show at Pix Placcebo. My favorite slide? It has to be, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Mother Teresa

#3 – Oatmeal at McDonald’s?
Since I eat oatmeal every morning and know that it’s been a factor in lowering my blood cholesterol, I was happy to see that McDonald’s is advertising and selling “healthy” oatmeal for breakfast. Then I read this article, How to Make Oatmeal . . . Wrong and was shocked to learn that “. . . the McDonald’s product contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger or Egg McMuffin.”

#4 – Baking Soda Is Not Just for Baking!
One of the major ingredients in my Fizzy Bath Bombs recipe is baking soda. It’s the component that softens the water. There are many, many other uses for baking soda – 57 to be exact, according to an article in Everyday Wisdom. For example, entries 1, 2, and 3:

1. One of the most popular uses for baking soda is to deodorize your refrigerator. Just place an open container inside, stir every couple of weeks, replace it every couple of months.

2. After you have used the baking soda in the refrigerator, don’t throw it away! Put it in the sink drain or garbage disposal. Add a cup of vinegar and let it stand overnight. Run hot water through it in the morning; it will help keep drains clean and smelling fresh.

3. One of the more important uses for baking soda: Keep a box of baking soda near the stove. In case of a grease fire, you can sprinkle baking soda on the fire to extinguish the flames. This will not damage counter tops or the pans. It is safe for use on electrical fires.

#5 – Two Quotes That Make a Difference

The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.
~Leo Rosten

Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Linnell’s Notes on Her Design Concept for Laura’s Layered Necklace
In order of bottom layer to top:

The Swarovski crystal: Pink represents the color of breast cancer awareness.
The base layer: “Hope is an anchor for the soul.” Hebrews 6:19
The oval ring: Faith is constant and frames our hope.
The heart: Love makes us whole.

Make a difference to someone this weekend!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/28/11)

Posted in About me, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Organization, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2011| 3 Comments »

“Enough birds,” my mom says. “What?” I confusedly reply. “Enough birds,” she reiterates. “Okay,” I say as her meaning sinks in. My mom thinks I’ve posted too many photos of birds in my blog recently. Admittedly, I have become a bit bird crazy. Today’s photo of a Black-chinned Hummingbird is one that took great patience and a little luck to capture, so I have to share it! But I’ll try to give the little creatures a rest and aim my camera elsewhere for a little while . . . .

#1 -A Giving Challenge
“Give one thing away each day for 29 days. Share your stories about how it impacts your life to focus on giving. Join the 29-Day Giving Challenge today. Why? Because to see our world change, we have to do something to change our world. Plus, the best way to attract abundance into your life is to be in a perpetual state of giving and gratitude. Be an important part of the global giving movement that inspires more generosity on our planet.” These are the words on the 29-Day Giving Challenge: Changing Lives One Gift at a Time website that I learned about at a workshop I attended last weekend. Take on the challenge and see if your life doesn’t change!

#2 – Great Quotes and Great Images
Many of my favorite inspirational quotes have been paired up with some great photo images or artwork on the Present Outlook site. Check them out and print some up.

#3 – Get Organized!
According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, January is the official Get Organized Month.

As I sit here in my office, I am surrounded by piles of junk. I impulsively decided to clean my study yesterday. Cleaning and organizing are my favorite forms of procrastination! After spending half a day pulling everything off the bookshelves to sort and dust, I now have a bigger mess than I had before. What to do? Well, right now I’m procrastinating by writing this post instead of choosing to clean up my newly-created mess. It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it?

If mail clutter seems to be taking over your living quarters, then here’s a tip from a book I found yesterday while cleaning. Sheree Bykofsky author of 500 Terrific Ideas for Organizing Everything says, “Never let your mail sit around. Read your mail as soon as it arrives and sort each envelope into the following categories: pay, answer, file, dump. Then do it. Be selective about what you choose to file; think about whether you’ll ever need to locate that paper again, and if you do, will you really be able to find it? Your time is too valuable to spend constantly filing; and your home shouldn’t resemble the archives of the Library of Congress.”

#4 – Got Lemons?
Got lemons? Do what I do when I’ve got lots of lemons. I freeze some of them, so I can enjoy their flavor throughout the year. One way I like to freeze them is in round slices. After washing the lemons, I slice them with a sharp knife into thin rounds. Then I place the slices in a single layer on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and put them in the freezer. After the slices are frozen solid, I transfer them to a freezer-safe container, alternating layers of wax paper and lemon slices. When I have company over and want to serve them a refreshing pitcher of water, I just reach into my freezer and grab a couple of frozen lemon slices and toss them into the water. I also keep lime slices, quartered orange slices, cucumber slices, and melon chunks in my freezer just for that purpose, too!

# 5 – How Do You Say Thank You?
How do you say “thank you” for sunshine or health . . . for clear days or gentle rains . . . for happiness, joy or love? You say it by sharing what you have. You say it by making the world a better place in which to live.
~Thomas D. Willhite~

May you experience joy this weekend!

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Pumpkin Mousse in Puff Pastry Shells

Posted in Holidays, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 16, 2010| 1 Comment »

Want a simple, yet elegant fall dessert recipe? Like the flavors of pumpkin pie, but don’t have the time to make and bake a pie? Don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but want a pleasing pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving? Want a dessert that you can pretty much make a head of time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to check out this recipe! Using store bought puff pastry and canned pumpkin puree, the only hard part about this recipe is waiting the two hours it takes to chill the pumpkin mousse!

Pumpkin Mousse in Puff Pastry Shells
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Claudia Fleming, Gramercy Tavern

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 cup canned, unsweetened pumpkin puree
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup heavy cream, divided use
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of cloves
Whipped cream for garnish, optional

Directions:
1. Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions. Cool. Remove centers.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water in a microwave-safe cup. Let stand 5 minutes to soften. Microwave on HIGH 10-15 seconds or just until dissolved.

3. Mix pumpkin, granulated and brown sugars, 2 tablespoons cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Heat to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin. Cool completely.

4. Beat remaining cream in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Refrigerate until mixture is set, about 2 hours.

5. Spoon pumpkin mousse into pastry shells. Serve with fresh cranberry sauce, if desired.

Serves 6.

Linnell’s Notes:
The pumpkin mousse can be easily made ahead, but the pastry shells will taste better and have a flakier texture if baked the same day as serving.

Although, you could spoon the mousse into the pastry shells, I chose to pipe it in. Instead of using a pastry bag, I used a sandwich-sized, zip-type plastic bag. By cutting less than a half-inch off one of its corners, I was able to insert a coupler and a pastry tip into that corner of the bag. After filling the bag half full with the pumpkin mousse, I piped the mousse into the shells.

Instead of using fresh cranberry sauce as garnish, I whipped up a little extra whipping cream (adding a little powdered sugar while I was whipping it to sweeten the cream) and put a dollop of it on top of the mousse. I finished it off with a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Chopped candied ginger sprinkled on top of the cream would also be a nice finishing touch.

The next time I make this I will add a little orange zest to the pumpkin mousse mixture and perhaps add a little less nutmeg.

Enjoy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/8/10)

Posted in Health, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

18,969 was the number displayed on the screen of my pedometer yesterday. My goal of walking 10,000 steps every day has been made so much easier by the delightful fall weather we’ve been experiencing. Some people run for fun, but I walk to talk. Walking with my husband or my friends is amazingly therapeutic for me and it’s provided me with some of my best brainstorming, problem-solving sessions yet!

#1 – Pictures of the Week
The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” was never more true than in this collection of photos posted by the Denver Post. The site reads, “Each week, the Denver Post compiles some of the week’s most poignant photos from around the world.” They indeed will tug at your senses and are most definitely worth viewing.

#2 – Black is the New Brown
We probably all know that brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, but now brown rice is being bested by the antioxidant-containing black rice. Not my usual source for health information, but according to an article in Elle Fashion, “black rice may be the next big superfood, boasting more antioxidants, fiber, and Vitamin E than blueberries.”

#3 – Boost Your Brain Power
“Researchers found that a woman’s memory can be impaired for at least a year after giving birth, although the effects are minor.” Well, too bad my kids are beyond the age where this excuse could work for me! In an online article titled, 14 Research-Proven Ways To Boost Brain Power by eMedExpert, I learned a few new things about keeping my brain “nimble.”

#4 – More Games
Speaking of brain power – the Bitsong site has some interesting activities to play at your computer while you take a short break. Some are more of the relaxing-distracting type and others are the brain-boosting sort. Some of the activities have music (think harp) or sound effects, so turn down the volume if you don’t want people to know you’re playing games instead of working or studying! Instead of writing this post this morning, I played these: Star Rescue, Sunroom, a flower arranging activity, and Match Flowers, a concentration-memory game.

#5 – The Purpose of Life
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.”
Leo Rosten

Make a difference to someone this weekend!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (9/3/10)

Posted in Health, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

School buses roaring down the street combined with the high-pitched symphony of chirping birds act as my alarm clock these days. Kids are back in school now and daily routines for some get needed adjustments. Hard to believe that summer is almost over. Finally turned the page on my calendar today – so September’s officially here! In the back of my head, though, I know that Halloween is just around the corner, Thanksgiving is just a ways down the stretch, and Christmas is only 16 weeks away!

#1 – Self Portrait
This cartoon made me both laugh and think, thereby qualifying itself for inclusion in today’s post. How accurate would your self portrait be?

#2 – Recycling Books for a Better World
Better World Books is a business that collects books from colleges, universities, and libraries and sells them for profit to help fund literacy programs throughout the world. The website states, “BetterWorldBooks is a for-profit social enterprise that collects used books and sells them online to raise money for literacy initiatives worldwide. We offer great bargains on used books – over 6 million used and new titles, with free shipping anywhere in the U.S. and just $3.97 worldwide. What’s more, you love cheap used books and so does the environment – when you buy used, you save books from landfill and conserve resources.”

#3 – Is It Skin Cancer?
I’ve known a few people who developed Melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, and who sadly lost their battle with it. Having my share of beauty marks and freckles, I’ve always been concerned with their appearance. Here’s an iVillage article that contains the ABCDE photo guide that helps to differentiate harmless moles from the more dangerous ones. Take a look at the photos and the study the ABCDE’s of moles – this information could save your life or the life of someone you know.

#4 – Don’t Fork It Over!
Never use a fork to turn over a piece of meat on the barbecue. A fork will pierce the meat and let natural juices escape, causing a loss in flavor and moisture. Use a pair of tongs instead!

#5 – Be In Charge of Your Attitude
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
Charles R. Swindoll (American Writer and Clergyman)

Have a safe holiday weekend!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/20/10)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Health, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 20, 2010| 2 Comments »

I was born on a Friday and somehow Fridays have become my favorite day of the week. Who could resist a day whose doorway holds so much promise for the weekend ahead? Plus, writing my Friday’s Fresh Five posts are always a fun challenge. Finding those helpful (and maybe a bit quirky) tidbits of information to present to you every week keeps me on my toes and nourishes my brain!

#1 – Apple Flavors
Ever wonder which apple varieties are sweet and which are tart and which ones can be baked with, but not cooked with? Print up this chart and post it in your pantry for quick reference.

#2 – Mosquitoes
Sitting outdoors and enjoying summer evening activities can often be ruined by nasty mosquitoes. Looking for a non-DEET repellent, I found a couple of posts that recommended using vitamin B1 or Thiamine as a mosquito repellent. It seems that after ingesting vitamin B1, it is excreted in your sweat which the mosquitoes find repelling. I guess plain old sweat isn’t repelling enough! I haven’t tried this, yet, so I can’t say if it works for sure and if you’re concerned about adding more vitamin B1 to your diet, please check with your doctor.

So that you can read about this yourself, here are a few links:
ehow
bigtravelclub
mothernature.com
dermnetnz

#3 – Body By Numbers
In an online article entitled 100 Very Cool Facts About the Human Body, amazing properties of our bodies are highlighted. If what the author states is true, then we should be darned impressed with ourselves! Here are a few snippets of information you probably didn’t know:

80% of the brain is water. Your brain isn’t the firm, gray mass you’ve seen on TV. Living brain tissue is a squishy, pink and jelly-like organ thanks to the loads of blood and high water content of the tissue. So the next time you’re feeling dehydrated get a drink to keep your brain hydrated.

The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades. While you certainly shouldn’t test the fortitude of your stomach by eating a razorblade or any other metal object for that matter, the acids that digest the food you eat aren’t to be taken lightly. Hydrochloric acid, the type found in your stomach, is not only good at dissolving the pizza you had for dinner but can also eat through many types of metal.

By 60 years of age, 60-percent of men and 40-percent of women will snore. If you’ve ever been kept awake by a snoring loved one you know the sound can be deafening. Normal snores average around 60 decibels, the noise level of normal speech, intense snores can reach more than 80 decibels, the approximate level caused by a jackhammer breaking up concrete.

The human body is estimated to have 60,000 miles of blood vessels. To put that in perspective, the distance around the earth is about 25,000 miles, making the distance your blood vessels could travel if laid end to end more than two times around the earth.

#4 – Craftster
Reading the words on a cartoon at the top of a Craftster.org page made me laugh. Unfortunately, this particular Craftster’s phrase, “Save everything – you might need it someday,” describes one of my better known behavioral patterns! What is Craftster? The website explains, “Craftster is an online community where people share hip, off-beat, crafty diy (do it yourself) projects. The term “Craftster” means “crafty hipster” and is also meant to be an homage to the pioneer peer-to-peer sites Napster and Friendster. Check it out if you “save everything” and are looking for ways to use all of your stuff!

#5 – Gracious Living
“Awareness, attentiveness, and appreciation are the energies that light our path toward gracious living.”
~Alexandra Stoddard, Author

Hope today is the start of a wonderful weekend for you!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/13/10)

Posted in Aging, Creativity, Health, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Marriage, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Originally the words embedded in the wall struck me as being cute, but after a little more consideration, I thought they were perfect. I spotted this sign in the village of Oia in Santorini, Greece – a no hurry and no worries destination. In Oia it’s okay to be slow and to rest. How many restaurants in America boast slow food? My guess is not very many, but maybe that’s what our country needs to return to – savoring our food and enjoying the company of others.

#1 – Slow Food and Eco-Gastronomy
Coincidentally, I found an organization online called Slow Food that has a snail as its logo. Read Slow Food’s philosophy below and if you want to find out more about the organization, click on the link above.

We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to pleasure and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible. Our movement is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy – a recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet.

Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.

#2 – Slow Dancing
Do you remember the song you danced your first dance to as a married couple? Looking for a perfect song to slow dance to at your daughter’s wedding? Here’s a link to a D.J.’s list of his most popular and most requested slow dance songs. Is your favorite slow dance song on his list?

#3 – Slow Cooking
Most of us own slow cookers and enjoy the convenience of this type of food preparation. To remind everyone of food safety tips when using a slow cooker, here’s the link to the USDA’s article on slow cookers and food safety.

#4 – Slow Brain?
Is your brain a little sluggish these days? Sharpen them up with some brain games! I’ve posted links to sites with brain games before and here’s another one I just discovered.

#5 – Slow Down
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
Eddie Cantor

Enjoy a slow weekend!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (7/16/10)

Posted in Creativity, Gardening, Health, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 16, 2010| 1 Comment »

It’s the middle of summer already and a couple of 100+ degree days are coming my way. All this heat must be good for something, right? I’m taking advantage of the heat by drying my laundry in my oven-of-a-garage. I have five large drying racks out there and my laundry dries quickly and without wrinkles. Heat brings good and bad news for me; on the one hand, my vegetable garden is thriving in this weather, but on the other hand, it’s too hot to turn on my oven, so no baking for awhile. Haven’t yet convinced my husband that solar cooking is safe!

#1 – Desk Travels
Even though my international travels are done for the year, I can still see other parts of the world. The internet is filled with breathtaking snapshots of wonderful worldly sights, that for the most part, most of us will never see in person. Here are two photo essays that transport you to amazing sights without the need to leave your seat: The World’s Most Spectacular Roads, Vol. 2 and the World’s Most Extraordinary Swimming Pools.

#2 – Daily Limits
I’ve mentioned this before, but one of my favorite monthly reads is the Nutrition Action Health Letter. Once a month it provides easy to read, relevant articles about nutrition and health. For example, are you aware of what the daily limits of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar are for a basic 2,000-calorie diet? With today’s dining-out lifestyle it’s easy to exceed those limits. In an issue of the Health Letter there was an article called How Many Sugars? that provided a breakdown of several no-no ingredients found on menu items from popular dining spots. Here’s a quick look at daily limits and a sample menu item from the article:

Daily Limit of Sodium: 1,500 milligrams.
One McDonald’s Sausage, Egg, & Cheese on a Croissant contains 1,250 milligrams.

Daily Limit of Saturated Fat: 20 grams.
One Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee with Cream Coolata contains 22 grams.

Daily Limit of Added Sugars: 25 grams or 6.5 teaspoons.
One Starbuck’s Green Tea Blended Creme Frappuccino with whipped cream has 13 teaspoons.

Choose wisely when you dine out!

#3 – Thumping Watermelons!
According to several sources (my local newspaper, produce guides, and my dad, a former grocery store owner) to select the best watermelon you must consider these characteristics:
1. Shape – Look for a symmetrical shape (no flat sides or dents)
2. Weight – Since watermelons are over 90% water, select ones that are heavy for their size.
3. Sound – Several sources recommend lightly thumping the melon with your knuckle and listening for a hollow sound.
4. Appearance – Besides being firm and having a dull-colored skin, look for the spot where it sat on the ground. This area should be creamy yellow and it indicates the melon was vine ripened.

#4  – Mindless Computer Doodling
Sometimes when I have writer’s block, I look for interesting ways to refocus. I found this site that allows you to spend endless, mindless minutes doodling. The fun part is that the colors change on their own as you scribble and the squiggles move constantly. All you have to do is move the finger icon/cursor around. After doodling for a couple of minutes, I was back to writing!

#5 – Set Sail
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

Set your sails this weekend to explore, dream and discover!

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