Tasty Kitchen

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I have been looking for healthy recipes to cook over the weekend so I can be strict with my diet next week, besides I need hcg diet info for a friend. I have fallen off the diet wagon and though I have been moving more and improving my time, if I don’t lessen my food intake, it really would not matter.

If you don’t know Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen site, you need to go and pay visit right now. She has a lot of recipes from appetizers, breads and entrees and I have it in good authority that her recipes are delicious! A number of my scrapbooking friends swear by her recipes – it’s easy to do, takes less time, and is eaten immediately by their families!

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So if you need recipes, go to Tasty Kitchen!

Four Foods On Friday 114

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Before I look for Hinkley lighting for a friend’s newly renovated house, I need to answer this – I’m a fan of fast food!

  • Who makes the best hamburger/cheeseburger? Wendy’s. Their burgers are better and they have real (and lots of) veggies!
  • Who makes the best french fries? It’s a toss up between Wendy’s and McDonalds, the twister ones. I love TGIF’s and Chilli’s fries too.
  • Who makes the best shake? Big Chill!
  • Who makes the best chicken? Jollibee! :)

Do You Have Bad Breath?

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Halitosis, or bad breath, is a very embarrassing thing to have. Bad breath, morning breath, breath odor or halitosis are all terms used to describe a noticeably unpleasant odor exhaled on the breath. It usually happens when there are food particles left in the mouth, having dental carries is another factor. That’s why brushing and flossing your teeth is so important, but don’t forget to gently brush your tongue to get rid of even more bacteria.  Saliva actually helps sterilize our mouths too, they are considered a natural bad breath treatment!


Ways to Fight Against Bad Breath

  • Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth thoroughly after every meal to remove food particle from the mouth.
  • When you are brushing your teeth, also brush your tongue. The tongue is covered with thousands of tiny hairs that can trap bacteria.
  • Have regular check-ups with your dentist to rule out gum disease and to correct any faulty restorations, overhanging fillings or leaking crowns, all of which can trap food in the mouth.
  • Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless lozenges to increase the flow of saliva.
  • If your mouth is dry, drink plenty of water. Try swooshing it around in your mouth for at least twenty seconds to loosen any food particles the bacteria can feed upon.
  • Avoid breath mints and mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Instead of helping, they can make things worse. They only temporarily cover the smell and tend to dry the mouth, creating a more favorable environment for bacteria.
  • Snacking on vegetables such as raw celery or carrots can keep plaque from forming.
  • If you are going to an important meeting or on a big date, avoid foods that can cause bad breath, such as onions and garlic.
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine consumption, which can dry the mouth.
  • Quit smoking. Tar and nicotine can build up on the surface of the teeth, tongue and cheeks. It can also dry the mouth and inhibit saliva flow.
  • Chlorophyll is a natural breath freshener and is found in leafy green vegetables like parsley.
  • A few drops of peppermint or tea tree oil can be applied to the tongue or toothbrush to help freshen the breath. In addition to its refreshing nature, their antibacterial properties will kill the bacteria found in the mouth.
  • Baking soda has a long history of being used to maintain good oral health and for fighting bad breath.
  • A mixture of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water can be swooshed around in the mouth and used as a mouthwash. Hydrogen peroxide can kill many of the bacteria that can cause bad breath.

Big Brunch Tomato Eggs.

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I saw a delicious picture of an egg meal for breakfast. My kids are big lovers of anything that has eggs. We actually consume two dozen eggs usually in one week. My daughter loves hard boiled eggs that sometimes her lunch bowl looks like a nest! She is really stocking up on protein, I wonder if she aims to write on personalized soccer balls in the future (budding athlete)!

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
A good handful of spinach, roughly chopped
A small handful of basil, roughly chopped
4 large free range eggs
A little grated Parmesan cheese to serve
A generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper

In a large frying pan heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic slowly for 7-10 minutes until soft but not coloured.
Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Stir through the basil and spinach until it has wilted.
With the back of a spoon make four wells in the sauce and then crack the eggs in.
Cook the eggs in the sauce until the white is cooked through and the yolk is still soft.
Season with sea salt and black pepper and a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Serve the eggs in tomato sauce on top of some crispy crusty bread for a hearty brunch!

~via http://www.thegoodmoodfoodblog.com/.

A Woman’s Guide to Coping With Erectile Dysfunction

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A man has been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, or ED, and this time, it’s your man. It’s a straightforward situation, right? All he needs to do is visit the doctor, buy Viagra, and everything will go back to normal. At least that’s what happens on the commercials. Television fails to illustrate how deep the pain and suffering is for a woman whose man has ED. Consider a few tips to help you get through this challenging time and come out the other side with a stronger relationship than you had before.

First, don’t blame yourself. Women tend to do this and believe that the ED is their fault in some way. Maybe you feel like you’re unattractive or you didn’t do the right things to stimulate him. This is likely to be nowhere near the truth. Almost every man will experience some form of ED at some point in his life. It is caused by stress, depression, or other reasons that aren’t really known. For some men, the problem keeps happening. While ED is a sexual issue, most of the time, its causes lie in other physical conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

It’s very important that you don’t start grilling your guy with endless questions. Don’t trying to get him to admit that he’s cheating and that’s why he’s not attracted to you anymore. Any man will see this kind of action as an attack and will retaliate or withdraw, resulting in a vicious cycle that’s very hard to stop. Once this cycle starts, communication ends and the relationship’s demise may not be far behind. The best thing that you can do is listen to your partner and try to understand this disorder for what it is: a medical condition. Be supportive and understand his treatment options. Things will perk up.

School Lunchboxes

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I am on the lookout for bento boxes like these for my kids lunchboxes:

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I have a pre-schooler who would most likely just graze on her food so I need to give her options on what she wants to eat. I am actually surprised how expensive this lunchboxes can get – to think they are only a part of the whole package of the things your kid needs to have to go to school. The husband told me that his officemates were applying for payday advance loans already to anticipate the influx of expenses this June.

I saw this cute little thing online and I am wondering why I didn’t have the foresight to order this sooner:

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How about this cute insulated animal lunchboxes?

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Your child will love taking this cute lunch box with them wherever they go.

The lunch box itself is made of PVC making it very easy to fold and store. Cleaning is a breeze also. Just use a damp cloth and wipe clean.

It is very lightweight so it’s easy for your child to handle. There is a shoulder strap or a handhold to make it even easier for your child.

There are six different animal designs. They come in a duck, frog, dog, ladybug, elephant or penguin design. So, if your little one has a special animal they like you will probably find the right one just for them.

My grade 4 son wants to have something that can keep his lunch hot for hours. He also wants the whole deal – rice, soup and viand.

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This is like a stackable bento lunch box if you think about it.

You can buy one here.
It is also great for those first graders who can be a little skeptical about taking their lunch to school. Being able to take an “old friend” like a dog with them will relieve some of the leeriness they can feel.
It is also well insulated to keep things cold. That makes it great for taking snacks and drinks on a long drive or even to Grandma’s house. They are wonderful to take on a picnic too. Your kids will love this lunch box made just for them.

What You Should Have in Your Pantry

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I came across a news feature saying that the average single woman living along has one surprising feature in her pantry: instant noodles! How did this happen when women should be able to cook for herself? The answer is the modern career woman you see today, who might even be your boss. They spend so much time at work that when she gets home, the least thing she wants to do is cook for herself and clean up the mess afterwards. Eating would be the farthest thing off her mind when she thinks of chores. So instant-everything food it is! I should know this, because I was like this when I was a student and working full-time. To this day, I really cannot boast of good cooking skills too, but I can sure give you the mechanics of a payday advance loan, show you to do amazing things in Photoshop and give you a very graphic detail on how surgeries are done.

But you should always these in stock, because you never know who will come over (like your Mom!):

1. PASTA
Whether for a family dinner or when you need to serve friends a quick and hearty meal, you can’t go wrong with a pasta dish. It simply is the complete one meal deal! Simply cook the noodles in boiling water for 8 minutes. While waiting for the pasta to cook, chop some celery, onions and carrots. Saute the vegetables in olive oil, pour in a can of diced tomatoes, add a dollop of tomato paste, season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes and there you have a good basic marinara sauce you can use to top your pasta with.

2. CANNED TOMATOES
Canned tomatoes come in different varieties these days: stewed, diced, petite cut. But all these come in handy not just for pasta dishes but for pochero, afritada, and even for rice dishes like arroz con pollo or paella. This saves you time and money, especially when good, ripe fresh tomatoes cannot be found in the market.

3. TUNA
Tuna isn’t just catfood anymore. It certainly has come a long way and now we even have tuna na “lasang corned beef!" Not to mention tuna afritada, tuna paksiw, tuna adobo and the whole line of tuna variants in the supermarket. But really, flaked tuna is one of the most versatile proteins – it can be used in omelets, pasta, or as a healthier substitute to ground chicken and pork in dishes like eggplant relleno and even burgers.

4. OLIVE OIL
While olive oil is more expensive than the regular cooking oil, it is being used more and more by Filipinos in their dishes. It’s known to be healthier than the cooking oil we grew up with. And as we relish doing pasta dishes and salad dressings, a bottle of olive oil is a reliable kitchen mainstay.

5. OYSTER SAUCE
Oyster sauce can elevate the taste of your ordinary guisadong gulay into new gustatory heights. When mixed with sauteed onions and garlic, as little as two tablespoonfuls of oyster sauce and some water, a bit of sugar, and cornstarch slurry can be combined for a delicious sauce to last night’s battered fried chicken or a few strips of beef.

6. BROTH CUBES
At home, we prefer to do our own chicken broth with fresh ingredients, stored in the freezer and simply microwaved or heated up for use in our soups and dishes. We find it easy to make and totally without MSG. However, for those who don’t have the luxury of time to make fresh broths, some cubes or chicken powder are a convenient way to create a variety of comforting soups. As for our very own native dishes, a lot of us can’t find time to boil sampalok in our houses for our favorite sinigang. So a pack or two of sinigang mix is useful in every woman’s kitchen.

7. COFFEE or TEA
For most Filipinos, even if we drink them or not, keeping coffee and tea in our kitchen cabinets has become a habit. Having tea at home is good for a lot of things, not just for calming a rumbling stomach. A lot of our guests now prefer tea instead of coffee so we always have different types of tea in our pantry. Chilled teabags can keep eyebags at bay. But then, most of us are all still coffee lovers at heart, so we never run out of our favorite brand of ground coffee for brewing as pick-me-up for ourselves and our guests.

8. BISCUITS, CRACKERS and BREAD
Surprisingly, none of those who responded to my little survey listed chips as a pantry must-have. I would like to take that as a good sign of healthy eating. But still, a few biscuits, crackers and bread are good to keep in your pantry as they quell hunger pangs in an instant. Just remember to choose crackers and biscuits that have less sugar and salt. For breads, whole grain is better than white.

9. CREAM
Rich, thick, heavy cream has always been a delight to have at home for creamy soups and dishes as well as for making desserts and of course, the walang-kamatayang Christmas fruit salad. A pack of cream is, therefore, one of the things you need to have in your pantry. But the really good news is, the cream we’ve always known now comes in a reduced fat variety.

10. FLOUR
Flour isn’t just for baking cookies and cakes. The flour in our kitchen counter goes into soups, to act as thickeners instead of milk or cream. It also goes into making fresh lumpia wrappers, light pancakes and crepes. Flour is also a must-have for breaded porkchops and battered chicken and fish. So make sure you always keep a fresh box at home.

Coffee For Spouses

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I love coffee. I think I can blame consumerism and the trend of coffee shops (Starbucks anyone) for that. That and my three-year graveyard work stint. Anyhow, I’m hooked. Even if I work from home now, I still need to drink coffee (iced because of the heat these days) before I can work properly. I’ve heard of sad tales of employees needing to take payday advance loans to support their social activities, and that would be plain wrong. I take coffee everywhere (the last two years of working I take them from our free vendo machine!) and I do not need the label in a cup to drink one.

The husband is not a coffee drinker like me, but he indulges me every now and then. Recently I read an interesting article on how coffee can spark mornings, afternoons or evening in a marriage. Find out what the types of coffee mean:

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So what kind of coffee would you like today?

DECAF: Say “I love you” every day to your spouse. This sounds simple,
and it is—but it’s great to hear each day.

HAZELNUT: Take your spouse out on a date. Actually call them and ask them out. Don’t assume. Take care of the babysitting. Dress nicely. Show up at the front door, and head out together. Take your time.

100% COLUMBIAN: Talk. Talk about your day, the kids, work, what- ever. Just talk. Spend time listening to your spouse and sharing your thoughts and ideas along with theirs.

LIGHT ROAST: (Bet you thought this should be up higher on the list, actually this has more caffeine than dark roast). Change up your routine together. Sit at different places around the dinner table. Sleep on the other side of the bed. Small changes can provide big jolts to the system.

ESPRESSO: Keep your eyes open while kissing. Keep your eyes open during sex. Look at each other. See each other. Not just their body, their eyes, their spirit, their soul.

DOUBLE ESPRESSO: Eyes open orgasm. Connect with your eyes at the culmination of the encounter. Stay with each other after sex is over. Breathe together. Talk. Don’t rush to move on to something else.

Coffee is a great addition to a morning, afternoon, or evening.