Free Body Lotions and Soap Samples!

If you are anything like most people, you will enjoy free soap and body lotion samples from the Best Bath Store. Does it get better than this?

And if you are ready to order, get your 15% off coupon code for the Best Bath Store from HERE. Another nice feature of the store is that they offer free shipping and handling for orders of $69 and more.

I just ordered the samples myself and will write a review about them shortly.

Creative Ways to Use Your Business Cards

1.Leave a business card or two in any ladies room that you visit! (Or mens room)

2.Tuck a business card in with every piece of correspondence [...]

Martha Stewart's October Twecipes (or Twicipes)

Best Popovers Ever! (2 tweets) - Place 12C popover pan in oven/heat 350F sift 4Cflour + 1T&2t salt heat 4C milk whisk 8 eggs...
3:17 PM Oct 13th from HootSuite
slowly + milk & flour spray hot pan w/cooking spray fill w/batter top w/10oz grated gruyere bake 15min turn+bake 35 min invert to remove
3:21 PM Oct 13th from HootSuite

Martha Stewart making cocktails by NYBG, on Flickr


Pickled Beets - Wrap 2lb sm beets in foil 1 hr @350 cool + peel toss w/ .5C rice vinegar 2T brown sug T caraway seeds S+P more @everydayfood
8:00 AM Oct 9th from HootSuite

Pesto - In food processor .5C pinenuts 4 clvs garlic 4C basil leaves 1/2C parmesean 1.5C EVO S+P. Delish!
2:04 PM Oct 6th from web

Follow MarthaStewart on Twitter.

Martha Stewart's September Twecipes (or Twicipes)

bake omelet preheated 400 oven until puffed and cooked thru-add salt and pepper serve hot or room temp very good
6:47 PM Sep 20th from web
made a baked omelet for lunch-2 lg onions sauteed,8 new potatoes,boiled,peeled,sliced,1/2 cup grated shp chedr,10 eggs bten,1/2 c sour cream
6:44 PM Sep 20th from web

Martha Stewart and the cupcake bloggers by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake, on Flickr


Saute Fennel - Saute 6T EVO w/4 small fennel bulb cut into strips + 4 sun-dried tomatoes julienned. Saute for 7 minutes add S+P ENJOY!
12:39 PM Sep 15th from web

Patterns by Patrick Moberg

113 Recession-Proof Money and Energy Saving Tips

Phew. It's finally done! I got my act together and put my list of 113 tips on saving money and energy into writing. Besides 113 short and concise tips on how to save money and energy the .pdf file contains useful additional links to free downloads and complimentary information. The 16 page ebook is absolutely FREE and can be immediately downloaded. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it.

Please click on a Google ad before downloading this book. That's how I get paid. Thank you.

Pear Soup with Crunchy Bacon

1 onion
1/2 cup celery
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
3 1/3 cups vegetable bouillon
4 Williams pears
1 lemon (juice)
1 twig rosemary
1/2 cup light cream
salt
pepper
4 bacon strips

Chop onion and celery and saute in butter.
Sprinle flour over onion and celery and continue to saute.
Add vegetable bouillon.
Cut each pear 2.5 inches below the stem and dunk the top part in lemon juice. Save for decoration.
Peel remaining lower part of pear and cut in quarters, deseed and cut in pieces.
Add pears with rosemary to bouillon. Boil for approximately 20 minutes.
Remove rosemary. Puree soup until viscid.
Add light cream and bring to a boil.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Keep warm.
Fry bacon in a frying pan and drain on paper towel.
Pour soup into warmed plates. Cut a wedge sideways into pear tops and fill with bacon strip. Put into soup for decoration.

Toxins: Hand-me-downs Can Protect Your Baby

Parents who buy hand-me-downs or used articles for their baby don't need to be ashamed - Buying or accepting second hand articles is not just great for your budget, in fact it is great for the health of your little one too.



German pediatrians at the institute of risk assessment warn that brand new products often contain toxins that infants are exposed to with little or no protection.
Therefore, parents are advised to find an intelligent mix between used and brand new products for their offspring.
Particularly problematic are newly built and furnished nurseries, where babies can be exposed to a multitude of toxins found in new cribs (varnish fumes), rugs and carpets (fumes from glues) and of course paint (fumes).
The same can be said for textiles; pesiticide leftovers in the fiber, toxins in the dye. And just think through how many machines and hands those fabrics went before they reach your home. Since second hand clothing has been washed several times before it reaches the skin of your baby, it is actually the healhier choice.

Martha Stewart's August Twecipes (or Twicipes)

tonight-no martinis. instead large dash Aperol,i/2 glass(full of ice) prosecco,top with club soda and add thick slice orange-refreshing!!!!!
5:34 PM Aug 25th from web

Pate Brisee In food procr 2.5Cflr tslt Ccold but in sm pcs/ mix10 secs + ice H2O til dough comestogthr/ flatn & chill in plstcwrp befrolling
9:45 AM Aug 11th from web



Fruit Salad - Toss 1pt raspberries + blueberries 1/2lb pitted bing cherries 2 oranges sectioned 2T grappa refreshing for a hot day!
11:12 AM Aug 10th from web

Shaved Golden Beet Salad - Toss 4 gold beets sliced very thin w/12 basil leaves 2tEVO S+P
9:31 AM Aug 5th from HootSuite

Jicama Slaw - Whisk 1t rice vinegar 3T chopped cilantro S+P Toss w/ 4C thin julienned jicama sticks.
10:00 AM Aug 4th from HootSuite

Pink Margarita Slushes - In blender mix 4C seedless watermelon 3T lime 2/3C tequila 5T sug makes 4 servings.
9:25 AM Aug 3rd from HootSuite

crisp topping 3/4 C ea brown sug,flour,butter crumble with fingers 1t cinnamon
7:09 AM Aug 2nd from mobile web

currant crisp:1C white,blk,red currants,1C yellow raspb, 1/2Csug in bking dish top with crisp topping bake 350 half hr
7:08 AM Aug 2nd from mobile web

Martha Stewart's July Twecipes (or Twicipes)

Ratatouille

1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 small eggplant
2 tomatoes
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbls olive oil
1 cup water
1 cube bouillon
pepper
Italian seasoning



Wash and cut the zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant into cubes.
In a medium seize pot warm up the olive oil.
Mince the onion and saute in olive oil, add the zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant.
Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, crush the garlic and add all to the pot. Season with pepper and italian seasoning.
Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil, add the bouillon cube and reduce the heat.
Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes.

Serves well over boiled rice or pasta with grated cheese.

Cooking Art Picture of the Day (2009)

Cooking Art Picture of the Day (8-7-2009): "Picnic Pleasure" by Rian Withaar
Cooking Art Picture of the Day (8-5-2009): Swiss Cheese Shop, Accordion Players
Cooking Art Picture of the Day (8-4-2009): Three Chefs by Alberto Godoy
Cooking Art Picture of the Day (8-3-2009): Array of Pots and Pans Used for Cooking Incl. a Baking Dish for Turkey
Cooking Art Picture of the Day (8-2-2009): Cooking and Cleaning

August 23rd 1792: Invention of the Camembert Cheese

Nobody wants to buy these little ugly yellowish greasy cheeses made by Madame Harel. And she is trying so hard to comply with her duty of making cheese as it was written down in her prenuptial. She just lacks the talent. In the evening of August 23 1792 somebody is knocking at her door. Abbe Gobert, a young priest, is running away from his followers. Rebellious priests live dangerously during the French revolution. To thank her for the asylum that she had granted him, the holy man shows her a few tricks.



Monks have always been gourmets, and Gobert grew up in an area where the monks know how to make good brie cheese.
As a result Madame Harel's little cheeses have become more flavourful and lighter until one day the today known "Camembert" cheese resulted from this agricultural-clerical co-production. The cheese with the silky mold outside layer is named after the little village of Camembert situated in the Normandy. And from this windy northern town the cheese started its triumphant culinary journey around the world.



By the way... a slice of freshly baked Basic 1/2 Whole Wheat Bread goes very well with Camembert cheese.

Smiley Proverbs

A smile is the shortest distance between two people. (German proverb)

A smile that you send out returns to you. (Indian proverb)

Satire recognizes a smile, irony invents it. (Helmut Arntzen)

A smile is the most elegant way of showing your opponent your teeth. (Horst Fink)

A smile on the face of somebody who is hungry is a lie. (Polish proverb)

One can't hit a smiling face. (Korean proverb)

A smile evokes another simile, just like love evokes love. (Mother Teresa)

Humor differentiates itself from a joke just like a smile differentiates itself from laughter. (Paul Alverdes)

The smile of a plant is its flower. (Peter Hille).

A smile is nothing but a well-dried cry. (Albert Paris Gütersloh)

A smile is the chub change of happiness. (Heinz Rühmann)

It's possible to produce a fake smile with real teeth. (Gabriel Laub)

The one who chooses to smile over to rage is always stronger. (Japanese proverb)

A smile of a beautiful woman can ruin an entire castle. (Japanese proverb)

Humans smile until they understand each other. (Erich Kästner)

A friendly smile is worth more than a fine feast. (African proverb)

Men talk their soul out of their bodies, women smile their soul out of their bodies. (Karin Michaelis)

Humor is to endorse life smiling with a tear in one eye. (Friedl Beutelrock)

One smile rarely stays single. (Klaus Klages)

A smile is as important to beauty as salt to soup. (unknown)

One smile can let the sun rise. (Else Pannek)

Our faces should always be a runway of a smile. (Thomas Romanus Bökelmann)

If you encounter somebody who doesn't own a smile, give him one of yours. (Jörg Rothe)

A day without a smile is a lost day. (Charlie Chaplin)

A smile is often the whole point. In life one is revitalised or rewarded by a smile. (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

If a greeting is not accompanied by a smile, it is pointless. The smile is the radiance that gives the handshake its blaze. (unknown)

In each of us is a beautiful smile just waiting to appear. (unknown)

A smile is a light showing itself in a face's window and when it does, it's a sign that the heart is home. (unknown)

A friendly smile can warm up three winter months. (Japanese proverb)

Whenever you meet somebody, ensure that when the person parts he is richer by your smile. (Romana Prinoth Fornwagner)

The smile of a mother is a blessing to the house. (Konrad Lorenz)

Smile when it rains, because if you don't... it still rains. (Karl-Heinz Söhler)

Our weaknesses should cost us a smile, not our humor. (Oliver Tietze)

Beautiful days; don't cry that they have passed, but smile because they happened. (Rabindranâth Tagore)

Sample Burgers

1 lb hamburger meat
1/2 lb bread
milk
2 eggs
chives
1 clove of garlic
salt
pepper
flour
oil or fat
beer

Break bread in crumbs and soak briefly in a little milk.
Mix hamburger meat, soaked and drained bread, eggs, minced chives and crushed garlic, season and kneed well.
Form small (sample) burgers and flip briefly in flour.
Put the burgers on the grill, after the first flip brush them with beer. Keep brushing them with beer until well done (or done to your liking).

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Juggling a 17 month old toddler, a husband, a full-time job which includes commuting, hobby-blogging and of course maintaining a household makes me sometimes wonder how in the world can I keep all of this together.





The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey. It has sold over 15 million copies in 38 languages since first publication, which was marked by the release of a 15th anniversary edition in 2004. The book lists seven principles that, if established as habits, are supposed to help a person achieve true interdependent effectiveness. Covey argues this is achieved by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles of a character ethic that he believes to be universal and timeless.

The chapters are dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:

Habit 1 - Principles of Personal Choice: Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as coined by Victor Frankl. You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you respond to certain things. When you are reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Being proactive means taking responsibility for every aspect of your life. Initiative and taking action will then follow. Covey also argues that man is different from other animals in that he has self-consciousness. He has the ability to detach himself and observe his own self; think about his thoughts. He goes on to say how this attribute enables him: It gives him the power not to be affected by his circumstances. Covey talks about stimulus and response. Between stimulus and response, we have the power of free will to choose our response.

Habit 2 - Principles of Personal Vision: This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true north" principles. Covey recommends formulating a "Personal Mission Statement" to document one's perception of one's own vision in life. He sees visualization as an important tool to develop this. He also deals with organizational mission statements, which he claims to be more effective if developed and supported by all members of an organization rather than prescribed.

Habit 3 - Principles of Integrity & Execution: Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance, rather than on prescribing detailed work plans. Habit three is greatly expanded on in the follow on book First Things First.

Habit 4 - Principles of Mutual Benefit: An attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought that satisfy the needs of oneself as well as others, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved.
Habit 5 - Principles of Mutual Understanding: Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in that advice being rejected. Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns instead of reading out your own autobiography is purported to increase the chance of establishing a working communication.

Habit 6 - Principles of Creative Cooperation: A way of working in teams. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth that when synergy is pursued as a habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have achieved on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Habit 7 - Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal: Focuses on balanced self-renewal: Regain what Covey calls "production capability" by engaging in carefully selected recreational activities. Covey also emphasizes the need to sharpen the mind.

Taken from Wikipedia.com

Prices for a brand new copy:
BookCloseOut: $7.99
Amazon: $9.57
Barnes and Nobles: $10.36 Online price, $9.32 Member price

First Meals

Have you ever thought about cooking for your baby instead of buying baby and toddler foods? At least that way you know for sure, what is in your baby's food. And needless to say, it is very inexpensive. The importance of learning how to eat right and which foods to choose can not be stressed enough. The earlier we start to make healthy food choices, the better it will be.
I was turned on to cooking for my son by the owner of my son's day care who had been cooking for her own daughter and she gave me the book "First Meals - Recipes little kids can sink their teeth into." The book is filled with fast, healthy and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers and needless to say, I was immediately hooked.
Annabel Karmel does a wonderful job to provide the reader with information about how to wean your baby and how to prepare meals for different baby/toddler ages. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is to cook in batches. I designated one day a week to cook all of the foods and then froze them. Ice cube trays are just the right size for each portion for the first 12 months. Another handy tool is of course some basic food processor or blender.

The book is well structured and divided in chapters based on age groups starting from 0 all the way up to 7 years.
One simple baby breakfast my son enjoys up until today is
Banana Yoghurt Muesli:
Mash 2/3 of one ripe banana, add 2 tablespoons of whole milk plain yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of baby rice powder (can be any grain powder for that matter).

And another one of my son's favorites is
Avocado with Cottage Cheese:
Mash 1/2 of a ripe avocado and mix with 1 tablespoon of small curd whole milk cottage cheese.

That's how simple it is. Well, other meals can be cooked in advance and frozen. Here are just a few of the most delicious recipes:
Fish with Carrots & Orange Juice
Annabel's Pasta Salad
Fruity Chicken with Carrots
California Chicken
Baby's Bolognese

A wonderful recipe book for the little ones!

Additional reading suggestions by the same author:

Super Foods for Babies and Children ($6.99)	Lunchboxes ($4.99)

Summer Food Quiz Answers

Is it true or false?

1. Green Salad is very healthy.
False. In comparison to other vegetables salad contains a lot of water but very little vitamins and minerals.

2. Salt increases the blood pressure.
False. According to the "Intersalt" study which took place in 26 countries and 10000 participants no clear correlation between salt consumption and higher blood pressure could be established.

3. Bacteria causing food related illnesses thrive in temperatures over 104 degrees.
False. Most bacteria thrive in temperatures between 68 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Teeth shouldn't be brushed immediately after a meal.
True. Better to wait for half an hour until the acidity in the saliva has neutralized.

5. Citrus fruits contain the most vitamin C.
False. 100 g oranges contain 50 mg vitamin C, 100 g black currants 177 mg, 100 g peppers 120 mg or 100 g broccoli 115 mg.

6. Eating late causes weight gain.
False. For weight gain it's not important when you eat, but how much you eat. A ten year old American study with 7000 female and male participants showed that there was no difference in weight gain between early and late eaters.

7. Rose wines are a mix from red and white wine.
False. Rose wines can be made from either red or white grapes. The coloring of the wine is dependent on how long the juice was exposed to the skin of the grape during processing.

8. Sherbet (or Sorbet) has practically no calories.
9. Cockroaches like it warm and dark.
True. A small sherbet (or sorbet) consists practically of sugar, water and food flavoring which adds up (depending on brand and seize) to about 50 calories.

10. Oysters increase you sex drive.
False. Oysters contain a lot of iron, calcium, vitamin A and B and zinc. However, an increase in sex drive has not been proven scientifically.

11. Raw fruits and vegetables are healthier.
False. Some vegetables such as potatoes can't even be eaten uncooked because they contain poisons that are being neutralized through the cooking process.

12. The number one place to get food poisoned is a restaurant.
True. Most likely one gets infected in restaurants, followed by hospitals and nursing homes.

13. Hamburgers contain more fat than sausages.
False. A sausage contains about 30 grams of fat per 100 grams, a hamburger only 12 grams per 100 grams of fat.

14. Ketchup contains the same amount of sugar than many sweets.
True. The sugar content in ketchup can reach up to 23% (varies with each brand).

15. Grilled meat can be carcinogenic.
True. If the meat juice drops on to the hot grill while BBQing, carcinogenic elements can develop and rise with the smoke which then attaches itself onto the meat. This risk can be reduced by catching the juices in a grill pan before it reaches the hot grill.

16. The effects of freezing temperatures kills bacteria.
False. Lower temperatures don't kill bacteria however bacterial growth is slowed down. In frozen foods bacterial growth comes to a complete stand-still.

17. Bread, pasta and potatoes make us fat.
False. Carbohydrates such as found in breads, pasta, potatoes, etc. are very filling (particularly if whole grain) and contain only have as many calories as fat.

18. Green tomatoes are poisonous.
True. Green tomatoes contain solanine which is poisonous if eaten in large amounts.

19. Salmonella is the most common cause of food related illnesses.
False. Salmonella are often talked about however Escherichia coli (e-coli) and staphylococcus enterotoxin (staph) are much more common.

20. Chocolate makes you happy.
True. Cocoa contains analeptic substances such as caffeine and amino acid which are being metabolized in the brain to serotonin. And serotonin puts us all in a great mood!

21. One should never drink water following eating cherries.
22. Mushrooms should never be reheated.
False. It's no problem if the leftovers of a mushroom dish are being cooled properly in a refrigerator and consumed within 24 hours.

23. Too much beer causes beer bellies.
False. A "beer" belly can also originate from consuming too much wine. In fact, wine has twice as many calories as beer. And I haven't really seen a "Cabernet light" lately.

24. Frozen French fries contain more vitamin C than fresh potatoes.
True. German chemists have found that previously frozen fries contain more vitamin C than fries made from fresh potatoes.

25. Green asparagus is healthier than white asparagus.
True. Green asparagus grows above ground and can therefore develop chlorophyll which makes green asparagus richer in flavor and vitamins. I still like white asparagus better...

26. Brown eggs are healthier than white eggs.
False. The egg color depends on the chicken species.

27. Sugar is a vitamin killer.
False. It is true that our body needs a lot of vitamin B1 to get rid of the sugar, however a healthy adult usually has no problem replenishing with vitamin B1.

28. Coffee withdraws water from the body.
False. This effect can only be observed if the individual consuming the coffee is not a regular coffee drinker.

29. Always drink beer before wine.
False. Important is the amount of consumed alcohol, not the succession of the consumption.

These food facts can be found in the book "Lexikon der populaeren Ernaehrungsirrtumer" (encyclopedia of popular food errors) by Udo Pollmer and Susanne Warmuth. Unfortunately the book is not available yet on Amazon so I listed an other book with similar topics by the same author.

Food Summer Quiz: Test Your Food Knowledge

Is it true or false?

1. Green Salad is very healthy.

2. Salt increases the blood pressure.

3. Bacteria causing food related illnesses thrive in temperatures over 104 degrees.

4. Teeth shouldn't be brushed immediately after a meal.

5. Citrus fruits contain the most vitamin C.

6. Eating late causes weight gain.

7. Rose wines are a mix from red and white wine.

8. Sherbet (or Sorbet) has practically no calories.

9. Cockroaches like it warm and dark.

10. Oysters increase you sex drive.

11. Raw fruits and vegetables are healthier.

12. The number one place to get food poisoned is a restaurant.

13. Hamburgers contain more fat than sausages.

14. Ketchup contains the same amount of sugar than many sweets.

15. Grilled meat can be carcinogenic.

16. The effects of freezing temperatures kills bacteria.

17. Bread, pasta and potatoes make us fat.

18. Green tomatoes are poisonous.

19. Salmonella is the most common cause of food related illnesses.

20. Chocolate makes you happy.

21. One should never drink water following eating cherries.

22. Mushrooms should never be reheated.

23. Too much beer causes beer bellies.

24. Frozen French fries contain more vitamin C than fresh potatoes.

25. Green asparagus is healthier than white asparagus.

26. Brown eggs are healthier than white eggs.

27. Sugar is a vitamin killer.

28. Coffee withdraws water from the body.

29. Always drink beer before wine.

I will publish the answers in tomorrow's blog.

These questions and many others can be found in the book "Lexikon der populaeren Ernaehrungsirrtumer" (encyclopedia of popular food errors) by Udo Pollmer and Susanne Warmuth. Unfortunately the book is not available yet on Amazon so I listed two other books with similar topics by the same authors.

Martha Stewart's June Twecipes (or Twicipes)

Braise Escarole & Broc Rabe - lb escr & rabe 4" saute .25TevOIL 4T buttr 2t garlic 4 chp scallion + greens/toss/3min/s+p srv w/lemon wedge
11:30 AM Jun 30th from HootSuite

Broccoli W Pasta Blanch lb broccoli 2" Saute T butr 2 scallion .25" 1t garlic + 2T whtwine +4T butr & .25C EVOOil Toss W lb al dente pasta
11:57 AM Jun 29th from TweetDeck



TRY#2 BestSugarCookies beatLBbut &3Csug+2egg+tvanil& 1.5tSalt+5CFlour /into2wrap&chillRoll.25"Cut/15m@350F @Everydayfood for good recipes
1:42 PM Jun 25th from TweetDeck

Cream but+sugs+eggs+vanX sift dryingred addtowet + chocchip. Silpatonpan 2T dough 2” apart bake375F8-10min. ENJOY!
5:01 PM Jun 24th from web

Alexis's choc chip cookies 1lb unsaltbut rm tmp 3 C ltBRsug 1 C wtsug 4eggs 2 tsp vanX 3.5 C flr 1.5 tsp salt 2 tsp bksoda 1.5 C chocchip
5:00 PM Jun 24th from web

And here do Martha's twecipes end or begin... I wonder if June 24th was the official birthday of the twecipe. Martha began twittering on February 19th 10:50 pm. So it took her a bit over four months to find her "true" form. :) There is already a website and the name has been copywrited © 2009 Niall Harbison and Contrast. Twecipe is a conjunct of the words Tweet and Recipe, hence Twecipe, TWEet + rECIPE. One could derive a different spelling "twicipe" from TWItter + reCIPE. I have seen both spellings on Twitter and the internet. As of today, twecipe seems to have won the race.

Great July Recipe Tweets from Martha Stewart

Bruschetta - Toss 1/2 lb cherry tomato halved W/ 1/2C mixed fresh herbs 2t EVO S+P Serve grilled with bread.
10:40 am Jul 31st from HootSuite

Spoon Mash Spuds - Toss 1lb sm red spuds w/ 1t EVO 1t salt roast 40min @425F into bowl smash w/spoon +3T butter milk S+P.
10:05 AM Jul 30th from HootSuite

Chive Vinaigrette - Mix 1/4C minced chives 2T wht wine vin 1T Dijon 1T water 2t honey S+P whisk in 4t EVO. Toss with mixed salad and enjoy!
9:30 AM Jul 29th from HootSuite

cuke soup puree 3 cukes peeled + seeded + 1.5C ygurt & milk + 2T frsh dill + 1/2t grnd corinder + 1t lem J + 2t parsly + T mnt chill + srve
10:40 AM Jul 28th from HootSuite

CAREMELIZED CORN into pan 1T butter + 3C corn kernels +4 sliced shallots + 1/4t sugar s+p ~ cook + stir til corn lgt brown + 2T fresh thyme
10:25 AM Jul 27th from HootSuite

RACK OF LAMB rub 1 rack of lamb w/T balsamic vinegar + 2T evoil + 4 sprigs thyme ~ grill 5 min each side until 165F.
9:25 AM Jul 24th from HootSuite

ZESTED SUMMER BERRIES gently combine 2pt strawberries hulled and cut 1/2 + 1C raspberries + zest of 1 lemon & 1/2 orange
11:25 AM Jul 23rd from HootSuite

PICO de GALLO chop 4 tomato & 1/2C scallion & 3 jalapeño & 1 clove garlic & 1/2C coriander & 1t oregano + 1/4C lime juice + s+p mix
10:20 AM Jul 22nd from HootSuite



PINA COLADA Fill blender 1/2 w/ice + C pineapple juice, ¼ C Coco Lopez (coconut cream), 1/3 C rum ~ blend til frothy.
10:25 AM Jul 21st from HootSuite

GUACAMOLE Mix juice 1 lime, 4t crushed garlic, 5 chop scallion, 1C chop cilantro, 1 mince jalapeño + 3 ripe avocado.
8:25 AM Jul 20th from HootSuite

TOMATO RED ONION BASIL SALAD slice 5 tomato .5" + 2 red onion thin drizzle 1/2C balsamic vinegar + 1/4ev oil s+p +basil leaves.
8:20 AM Jul 17th from HootSuite

Blueberry Crisp - Mix 3/4C Flour 1/2C Sugar 1/2t cinnamon 6T butter until crumbly sprinkle over 5C blueberries in baking dish 20 min 375F.
9:30 AM Jul 16th from HootSuite

Slaw - Combine 4C shredded cabbage julienned 1red+1yellow pepper 2T chop dill T dillseed 1/2C mayo S+P Serves 4.
11:30 AM Jul 15th from HootSuite

Crab Cakes - Mix T flour 2 egg lb crab 3 slicd scallin C frsh breadcrmbs T chop parsley&dill s+p melt 7T but/frm cakes cook 4min each side.
10:25 AM Jul 14th from HootSuite

Stewed Rhubard - Cut lb rhubarb 1/2" +3/4 C sug/simmer 15 min + T corriander &grated orange rind + 2T buttr serve w/creme fraiche
10:05 AM Jul 13th from HootSuite

Endive + Walnut salad - Slice endive .25" strips heat 3T walnut oil + toast 1/4C walnut pieces stir in 1.5T balsamic pour over endive/s+p
12:45 AM Jul 10th from HootSuite

Grill Leeks + Red Onions - Simmer 6 sm leeks w/2T but &1t salt & 1Cwater 10 min Grill leeks + 2 red onion quartered Brush w/herb buttr 5 min
11:40 AM Jul 9th from HootSuite

Grill Veal Chops - Mix 4T soft butt 1.5T Dijon 1T chop shallot & parsly & tarragn&chive 2 chops on hot grill/turn+brush w/herb but til done
10:35 AM Jul 8th from HootSuite

Vanilla Ice Cream Sambuca - Scoop Ice Crm into serving dishes pour 2T Sambuca over each serv. Dust w/instant espresso Serve w/amaretti
10:05 AM Jul 6th from HootSuite

EasyGarlicBread - SliceCrustyBread 1" Rub both sides w slicedgrlic cloves brush w/4T EvOil 350F/turn once till crispy also can be grilled
10:20 AM Jul 2nd from HootSuite

Tetou Aioli - Food process egg 6clv roastedgarlic lg pinch saffron 1/2t cayenne&salt slowly + 3/4C Evo until thick stir in 1/2C mash potato
11:51 AM Jul 1st from web

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Martha Stewart's June Twecipes (or Twicipes)

Kohlrabi with Herbs and Cheese

The roadside stand up the road has fresh kohlrabi at the moment and it reminded me that I haven't eaten kohlrabi since I have moved to the States. I called my mom and asked her for the recipe she always used on her garden home grown kohlrabi.



1.5 lb kohlrabi with leaves
1.5 tbsp butter
1-1.5 tbsp flour
1 cup water
salt
pepper
nutmeg
1/2 cup cream
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley

Peel the kohlrabi thinly, cut in thin slices or grate it and boil in hot lightly salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Save the 1 cup of the cooking water.
Saute flour in hot butter, add the cooking water and season.
Pour cream slowly to the roux and add 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bring to a quick boil.
Add the kohlrabi and pour into a greased gratin dish. Sprinkle the 2 remaining tbsp Parmesan cheese on top. Put the casserole in the oven for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Garnish with a few kohlrabi leaves.

OpenOffice 3 - The Free Alternative to MS-Office

Have you heard of OpenOffice 3? OpenOffice 3 is a software suite comparable to Microsoft's Office. It has evolved tremendously during the past few years to where it can easily keep up with commercial software packages. Below are three compelling reasons why you should try it for yourself:

Great Software
OpenOffice.org 3 is the result of over twenty years' software engineering. Designed from the start as a single piece of software, it has a consistency other products cannot match. A completely open development process means that anyone can report bugs, request new features, or enhance the software. The result: OpenOffice.org 3 does everything you want your office software to do, the way you want it to. Oh, and a nice side feature... OpenOffice.org 3 let's you save your document as a .pdf file without having to purchase an additional extension. Mac and Linux users don't worry, OpenOffice.org 3 comes in many flavors: Windows, Linux RPM, Linux DEB, Linux 64 RPM, Linux 64 DEB, Linux IA64 RPM, Solaris x86, Solaris SPARC, Mac OSX Intel and Mac OSX PPC.

Easy to use
OpenOffice.org 3 is easy to learn, and if you're already using another office software package, you'll take to OpenOffice.org 3 straight away. The world-wide native-language community means that OpenOffice.org 3 is probably available and supported in your own language. And if you already have files from another office package - OpenOffice.org 3 will probably read them with no difficulty.

...and it's free!
Best of all, OpenOffice.org 3 can be downloaded and used entirely free of any licence fees. OpenOffice.org 3 is released under the LGPL licence. This means you may use it for any purpose - domestic, commercial, educational, public administration. You may install it on as many computers as you like. You may make copies and give them away to family, friends, students, employees - anyone you like.

Book Lovers Beware... A Bargain Might Bite!

Do you love to read? Of course, the most inexpensive way to get your hands on books is still visiting your local library.
However, if you are like me and always in need of books for gifts www.bookcloseouts.com is for you. I have many toddler aged nephews and nieces and books are one of my favorite gifts. They have a great selection of educational children books. I also buy arts and crafts and cooking books for a fraction of the original price. They make for a fantastic give-away for my small business.
For our wedding, I purchased 50 copies of a travel guide which featured our wedding location and added them to our wedding invitations. All books are at least 50% discounted. Some of the books are marked down 90%.
My philosophy always is, why pay full price if you can get it for half? And by the end of the day, nobody knows what you actually paid.

New Jersey Blueberry Bunch

I guess I have been in a cooking mood lately because I have mostly been blogging recipes... I have a couple of themes already in my mind but I guess the beautiful weather inspires me to eat.
The blueberry is New Jersey's official state fruit even though Maine is the leader of lowbush blueberry production in the United States and Michigan is the leader in highbush production. Go figure.

This is a recipe my grand mother always used to make with cherries but it can be beautifully adapted to blueberries. It cooks quickly (about 15 minutes).

2 lb blueberries
1 dash salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter

Mix blueberries, salt and sugar. Let the juice develop by simmering with low heat in a covered pot. Knead butter and flour together and add to the blueberries while stirring constantly, boil briefly.

Serve while still warm with Spaetzle (Tradtional German Egg Noodles)!

Basic 1/2 Whole Wheat Bread -- No Perservatives Added!

Indulge yourself with the invigorating scent of freshly baked bread! Sure, it may not be as cheap as some of the 99 cent wonder breads available in your local grocery store but definitely more inexpensive than freshly baked partisan bread.
The nicest side benefit may very well be that you know at least the ingredients that you added... and guess what, you can even read them out loud without twisting your tongue in some chemical "kauderwelsch."

I started making my own bread when my husband gave me a breadmaker for Christmas. Ever since I have been baking religiously once a week. I don't like stale bread so when the bread is done, I place it on a cooling rack and let it sit for an hour. Then I sliced it, put it into a large ZipLoc bag and put it in the freezer. As the week goes by my family takes the slices of bread they need out of the freezer and quickly defrost them for 40 seconds in the microwave. Voila, always crispy, fresh home-baked bread at hand.

Basic 1/2 Whole Wheat Bread (Makes a 2 lb. loaf)

Use the basic bread setting (approximately 3 hours)
1.5 cups warm water
2 table spoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat white flour
2 cups white unbleached flour
1.5 teaspoon salt
2.5 teaspoon active dry yeast

For immediate baking:
Add all ingredients as listed above, choose the basic bread setting (approximately 3 hours) and turn on the machine.

For timed baking:
Add all the liquid ingredients and the salt. Then add the flour, and at the end add the active dry yeast. Make sure that the yeast doesn't come into contact with the salt because this will cause the yeast to start reacting immediately.

Of course, I can never help it... I always have to cut off one of the ends immediately and spread butter with honey on the warm bread as soon as it comes out of the breadmaker. Delicious!

Tip:
If you are not scared you can obtain a breadmaker very inexpensively four a couple of dollars from your local 2nd hand store. Just clean it very thoroughly.

No More Mondays!

I woke up this morning and realized, that tomorrow will be Monday yet again. :( Then I remembered that I recently read No More Mondays: Fire Yourself -- and Other Revolutionary Ways to Discover Your True Calling at Work by Dan Miller and the sunshine and hope came back to my heart.

Ever since I have discovered Dan Miller and his work, I've been a follower and listener to his radio show.

The old traditional work place is disappearing. Over are the days where a Big Brother company took care of you. This book is a true encouragement of becoming who we are and actually enjoying everything we do.

All his work is a great and inspiring read and it is helping me setting up my own business on the side so I can hopefully move away from my day job soon and work from home full-time. You can sign up for his weekly newsletter and be informed about his activities and his new topics during his podcast radio show. Anybody can submit questions. In fact, in this weeks newsletter Dan Miller made a proposition. He recently purchased 5000 copies of the Spanish edition of 48 Days to the Work You Love and he is looking for new ways of thinking to sell those 5000 books with a profit. For more information check his blog http://48daysblog.wordpress.com/

Additional Dan Miller resources can be found at http://www.48days.net/ which was born out of his concern that people would talk about new ideas and opportunities – and yet he would see them two years later and nothing had changed in their lives.

Have a happy and enlightening day!

Arugula, Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Rotini Pasta

During these hot, humid and summery days we have a tendency of eating lighter. Living in Southern New Jersey I buy all my produce during the summer months from road side stands. There is nothing more tastier, than eating corn or a salad that was just cut earlier the same day.

Here is a quick recipe that combines all ingredients of the summer in one dish. It's as nice for the eyes as for the stomach:

Aruguala, Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Rotini Pasta
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 25 minutes

2 clothes minced garlic (remove greenish core before mincing)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated sea salt
5 1/2 ounces crumbled creamy goat cheese (or feta cheese)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bushel arugula
2 tomatoes
1 package multi-grain rotini pasta (14.5 oz)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Wash, drain, chop arugula coarsely, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and add to bowl.
Cook pasta al dente in lightly salted water (10-12 min.). Drain, add, toss everything. Serve immediately.

In my picture you'll see the dish with penne. I use whole-grain pasta when I cook, it's more filling. Personally, I prefer rotini (spirals) but I didn't have any in the house...