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Daily Archives: December 10, 2012
Dinner Shows & Concerts Post-Holidays
With two weeks before Christmas, dinner shows are farther in between as most would be busy shopping for gifts. There are so many sales in malls that I dread going out already. But post holidays, I am sure there will be a lot of dinner show concerts for couples which feature singers accompanied with musicians using affordable orchestral instruments and family shows.
My daughter and I are scheduled to have a mother and daughter date after Christmas with my cousin and her daughter. We are going to watch the Disney Princesses and Heroes! I am so excited – much more than my daughter, truth be told.
My Favorite Coffee: White Coffee
This has got to be my most favorite instant coffee. I haven’t found this in local stores yet so everytime my brother-in-law goes home from Singapore, this is my one and only request. Some people say that it is too bitter, some say it is too sweet. I really cannot classify it as extremes. I just love that it doesn’t make my heart palpitate so I can drink it three times a day!
Guarding your Health and Appetite during the Holidays
If you have leather wallets at IDStronghold.com, then you have safeguarded your wallet from robbery and thieves especially during the holidays. But there is one thing you should also guard – your health and appetite.
“Everything in Moderation.â€
“You can have stuffing and pie but not seconds or thirds–if you REALLY want the pie, you need to stay intelligent–maybe skip the stuffing or sweet potatoes and cut a bigger piece of pumpkin pie.â€
PREPARE AND TRAIN TO BALANCE OUT YOUR INDULGENCE
“Everything in moderation, enjoy yourself, don’t go into it full of dread. Especially this year, after this horrible storm we had where tens of thousands of people are homeless, have lost everything, there’s so much reason for us to take time to reflect on why we are thankful, and what we have in our life. Focus on that and you’ll enter the holiday with a much fuller spirit and a much cleaner heart.â€
Orange Chicken Vegetable Stir-Fry
Source: jujugoodnews.com via Jennifer on Pinterest
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
Sauce:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
optional sweetener like sugar, honey, agave, etc.
Stir-fry:
1 pound chicken tender cut into cubes
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons corn starch
4 cups chopped vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, celery, mushroom, snap peas, etc.
olive oil
1/2 cup medium yellow onion, chopped
Directions
1. Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor for 10 seconds.
2. Taste the sauce and add your choice of sweetener to your liking.
3. Blend again for a few more seconds.
4. Heat the sauce in a large skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the sauce to a heat proof bowl.
5. Rinse the skillet clean.
6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
7. Add the corn starch and massage the chicken with your hands.
8. If using fresh broccoli or green beans, boil the broccoli for 3-5 minutes until soft enough to pierce with a fork yet firm.
9. Transfer the vegetables to a plate lined with a paper towel.
10. Wipe down the skillet until dry.
11. Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet on medium-high heat.
12. Cook the onion and chicken until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.
13. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry them together for 2 minutes.
14. Slowly add a few tablespoons of sauce while stirring the vegetables and chicken.
15. Continue to add the sauce a few tablespoons at a time, allowing about 15 seconds between each addition to allow sauce to slightly cook down.
16. Spoon the stir-fry over a bowl of hot rice. Serve immediately.
Get Out & Dance: Why Concerts Help With Circulation and Depression
With benefits like self-expression, burning calories and boosting your mood, dancing is a positive whole-body experience. Where better to get your groove on than at a concert?
Burn Calories and Ramp Up Your Metabolism
Dancing is an effective aerobic exercise to burn off all those extra cheeseburgers, and it brings a little fun into what can be an otherwise mundane workout. In fact, dancing is so popular as a means of burning calories there are numerous fitness DVDs and applications for game consoles based on dancing as a workout. Dancing at concerts can tone your muscles, improve your balance and even boost brain health. Aerobic exercise is the best kind of exercise for burning fat.
Maybe you’ve heard of that little show, Dancing with the Stars? Even if you’ve never watched, you’ve likely heard about the massive amounts of weight celebrities lose on the show. Kirstie Alley, for instance, lost an astonishing 38 inches during two and a half months of filming during her first stint on the show. Clearly, there’s a fitness benefit to dancing.
Socialization for Improved Emotional Health
Image via celesteh.com
It’s one thing to dance like wild alone in your living room, but concerts offer a whole new level of fun—with friends! Don’t be embarrassed to get your groove on in the crowd. Trust me, no one’s checking out your dance moves; they’re too worried about perfecting their own.
Concerts make a great night out with friends and family, offering an opportunity to let loose and relieve some stress. It’s better than spending the evening as a couch potato.
You Kinda Like the Music
Image by por Carla_Lopez via Arte & Fotografia
Let’s face it; you’re not going to shell out a few hundred bucks for Bruce Springsteen tickets if you don’t like his music. So assuming you’re going to see an artist you enjoy, the excitement will boost your adrenaline which is good for your heart.
The adrenaline rush motivates you to get up and move. All the while, your circulation is imporoving. All those cells in your legs, arms, feet and belly need energy to do all that moving around, so your heart picks up the pace to bring the necessary nutrients and oxygen to them. This is what makes dancing a useful and fun form of aerobic exercise.
Music Therapy: A Mood Booster
Image via Gatilho
Music is becoming a therapy tool thanks to its ability to give listeners a general feeling of well-being. Music is used therapeuticaly in senior living facilities to lift seniors’ spirits and sometimes in adolescent treatment settings to lift depression. Dancing releases endorphins, which are a natural mood enhancer.
Concerts allow the audience to feel the music in its truest form: Live. Combined with the excitement you’ll feel about the opportunity to see a favorite artist in person, the general positive vibes your favorite tunes always give you will be amplified.
If you needed a few additional reasons why it’s a good idea to check out your favorite band next time they’re in a town near you, look no further. Who can argue with an activity that makes you feel good, lifts your spirits and is good for your body and overall health?