Fall season can be a time for harvest, new growth
Now that it’s dark so early, consider curling up with a stack of new self-improvement books that can help you deal with everything from offensive coworkers to the pushy relatives you’re about to see at Thanksgiving dinner. Get cozy with these:
“Ordinary Greatness”
By Pamela Bilbrey and Brian Jones
When an internationally-recognized violinist dressed down and set up a concert in a Washington, D.C. metro station, virtually no one noticed. Rushing people weren’t expecting greatness in their busy day. Anecdotes, including how ordinary Mother Teresa seemed to a woman in line to meet her and how Steven Spielberg sneaked of a studio tour tram to meet movie makers, authors share how business leaders can make small changes to help employees unite and grow. It seems too few people realize how much praise is worth.
“Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat”
By Michelle May, M.D.
Doc May says the latest trend in diets is not being on a diet, and eating healthy food when … drumroll … you are hungry. There’s a lot about determining when you are hungry, as opposed to just bored, and how to truly enjoy your food. Minimize distractions and concentrate on ambiance, flavors and textures are some tips. You will thank her for including recipes such as cinnamon apple pockets and basil pesto. Here’s an easy one for fruit kabobs:
Ginger Yogurt Dip
1 cup nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Stir ingredients together and chill or serve immediately.
“The Upward Spiral: Breakthroughs to Joy”
By Janet Cunningham
You may feel like you’ve been on retreat — speakers, snack table and after-presentation chatter included — when you finish this book. The meet-up, attendance and follow-up is told from three perspectives. Overweight Sally is a please-all mom with an unsupportive husband who gets fired up about making her craft hobby into a business. Pat and Nora get their say in three-separate stories that involve everything from tarot cards to cheating spouses. It’s part novel and part inspiration.
“Fulfillment Using Real Conscience: Practical Guide for Psychological and Spiritual Wellness”
By N.S. Xavier, M.D.
Jesus enjoyed several feasts and avoided arguments, and some good humor alleviates stress, the author points out. Anecdotes from the Bible, Zen masters and other cultures put life into perspective in this book. I like the one about an overflowing tea cup. It seems you have to let some (knowledge) out before you can allow more in.
“Make it Rain 101: How to Grow Your Client Base & Maximize Your Income”
By Patrick D. Kelly
It’s not all about the networking, but if you’re good at it, it pays off. Kelly explains how in easy, digestible short chapters that suit workers of any age range.
“Yes You Can”
By Stacey Hanke and Mary Steinberg
“What’s wrong?” When I get this, it’s a clue I could be sending a different body language message than I’m feeling. It’s a friendly reminder in this book, subtitled “Everything You Need From A to Z to Influence Others and Take Action.” Don’t fear, try little humor and remember to make eye contact are other reminders in this handy guide to speaking and presentation.
“The Power of Thinking Differently”
By Javy W. Galindo
Edgar Allan Poe paired words from a dictionary into ideas for stories and choreographer Twyla Tharp tossed coins into the air to imagine how dancers could interact. These anecdotes, along with the saga of an island where people had only pickles and doughnuts to eat and use as building materials, are designed to help readers get a new perspective on just about anything. Readers should be warned to be ready for change.
ddoiron@panews.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Interactive parties call for bold personalities, flavors
I’m a little shy. It’s true! But I was part of two interactive productions in one week. I knew I’d get picked on at Port Arthur Little Theatre’s production of “The Altos: Like the Sopranos, Only Lower.” I was dubbed Sally Somersault, a dancer who got out of the business. The audience truly becomes part of this show, so check your weapons, and wallflower ways, at the door. Remember to dress as your favorite gangster and save room for “just desserts” at the Courtyard Café. The production has two more weeks in Groves.
I “played” an Aztec medicine woman in a mystery game at a wonderful hostess’ party. With an amulet and basket of herbs, I shook my gourd for emphasis. Between breaks, guests headed for an elaborate fiesta designed to match the game’s Mexican theme.
Ironically, chips, the hit dish of the party, seemed to frustrate generious hostess K.G., who claimed it was so easy to make. She wanted everyone to try the food she’d spent hours preparing. Don’t worry, we got to it all.
It was the crazy kettle chips that drove everyone to distraction. It’s easy as this: spread kettle chips in a casserole dish, sprinkle on bleu cheese and brown sugar. Bake. Serve and watch guests go crazy.
Snickers salad
If you were good enough to save any Snickers from Halloween, try a snicker’s salad. The general directions are to mix cut up candy bars and apples with Cool Whip and cream cheese.
How could you go wrong?
Noodle time
I was flipping through a book thinking there were enough noodle dishes to eat every day for weeks, then I remembered, the book is called “Noodles Every Day.” Corinne Trang guides noodle lovers (there are many in my family) through egg, buckwheat, wheat, rice and cellophane noodle intricacies with mouth-watering recipes. I want some of everything. Here’s a very easy starter:
Japanese Kelp Stock
2 ounces dried kelp, wiped clean
5 quarts spring or filtered water
To make kombu dashi put the package of kelp in a large glass bowl and add the spring or filtered water. Let steep for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature. The longer the kelp steeps in the water, the more concentrated the stock. Strain the stock and discard the solids.
Bio bags
I am the customer Belief Beyond Bags is appealing to on the label, “today’s environmentally conscious shopper.” Denver area women started the company, tenderly known as 3B, that makes, among other things, fine mesh nylon bags with drawstrings you take to the store for your produce. Use your bag and not the store’s plastic bag and help preserve the environment. Visit 3bbags.com to see the line’s shopping bags, and these clever mesh bags that can even hold bulk bin buys like beans. Thank you, 3B ladies.
Fashion is still important to the earth conscience, and EnV Bags has an amazing line of fold-into-a-pouch recyclable bags with eye-popping designs. The Road to Hana series of City Shoppers is the latest, with flowers, ferns, dots and stripes. The Eifel Tower model looks as good as an overnight bag as it does toting apples home from the grocer. Americans apparently use and average of 800 bags a year, so this is one handy way to look good and keep the volume down. Go green with EnV.
Brew for the kids
Natural Brew is hand crafted and the pleasure of consuming goes way beyond old-fashioned brown bottles. Ginseng Cola could be my favorite for the bubble and snap but Outrageous Ginger Ale is a close tie. My daughter has tried her share of root beer and this company’s draft version is different from the typical carbonated can. It simply tastes more sweet and natural and I can’t help drinking it without imagining little boys playing with marbles and slingshots. They use good stuff like Panax (all-healing) ginsing and bourbon vanilla. The Vanilla Crème should be reserved for dessert so that nothing else will compete for your culinary attention.
ddoiron@panews.com
I’m a little shy. It’s true! But I was part of two interactive productions in one week. I knew I’d get picked on at Port Arthur Little Theatre’s production of “The Altos: Like the Sopranos, Only Lower.” I was dubbed Sally Somersault, a dancer who got out of the business. The audience truly becomes part of this show, so check your weapons, and wallflower ways, at the door. Remember to dress as your favorite gangster and save room for “just desserts” at the Courtyard Café. The production has two more weeks in Groves.
I “played” an Aztec medicine woman in a mystery game at a wonderful hostess’ party. With an amulet and basket of herbs, I shook my gourd for emphasis. Between breaks, guests headed for an elaborate fiesta designed to match the game’s Mexican theme.
Ironically, chips, the hit dish of the party, seemed to frustrate generious hostess K.G., who claimed it was so easy to make. She wanted everyone to try the food she’d spent hours preparing. Don’t worry, we got to it all.
It was the crazy kettle chips that drove everyone to distraction. It’s easy as this: spread kettle chips in a casserole dish, sprinkle on bleu cheese and brown sugar. Bake. Serve and watch guests go crazy.
Snickers salad
If you were good enough to save any Snickers from Halloween, try a snicker’s salad. The general directions are to mix cut up candy bars and apples with Cool Whip and cream cheese.
How could you go wrong?
Noodle time
I was flipping through a book thinking there were enough noodle dishes to eat every day for weeks, then I remembered, the book is called “Noodles Every Day.” Corinne Trang guides noodle lovers (there are many in my family) through egg, buckwheat, wheat, rice and cellophane noodle intricacies with mouth-watering recipes. I want some of everything. Here’s a very easy starter:
Japanese Kelp Stock
2 ounces dried kelp, wiped clean
5 quarts spring or filtered water
To make kombu dashi put the package of kelp in a large glass bowl and add the spring or filtered water. Let steep for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature. The longer the kelp steeps in the water, the more concentrated the stock. Strain the stock and discard the solids.
Bio bags
I am the customer Belief Beyond Bags is appealing to on the label, “today’s environmentally conscious shopper.” Denver area women started the company, tenderly known as 3B, that makes, among other things, fine mesh nylon bags with drawstrings you take to the store for your produce. Use your bag and not the store’s plastic bag and help preserve the environment. Visit 3bbags.com to see the line’s shopping bags, and these clever mesh bags that can even hold bulk bin buys like beans. Thank you, 3B ladies.
Fashion is still important to the earth conscience, and EnV Bags has an amazing line of fold-into-a-pouch recyclable bags with eye-popping designs. The Road to Hana series of City Shoppers is the latest, with flowers, ferns, dots and stripes. The Eifel Tower model looks as good as an overnight bag as it does toting apples home from the grocer. Americans apparently use and average of 800 bags a year, so this is one handy way to look good and keep the volume down. Go green with EnV.
Brew for the kids
Natural Brew is hand crafted and the pleasure of consuming goes way beyond old-fashioned brown bottles. Ginseng Cola could be my favorite for the bubble and snap but Outrageous Ginger Ale is a close tie. My daughter has tried her share of root beer and this company’s draft version is different from the typical carbonated can. It simply tastes more sweet and natural and I can’t help drinking it without imagining little boys playing with marbles and slingshots. They use good stuff like Panax (all-healing) ginsing and bourbon vanilla. The Vanilla Crème should be reserved for dessert so that nothing else will compete for your culinary attention.
ddoiron@panews.com
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ray’s is scary good in Houston
Artistic cakes heavy with buttercream frosting and plump, spicy tamales are typical fare for my brother-in-law, Jose Sainz. We always hoped he’d open a restaurant and he has. With all his authentic Mexican recipes and flair for the exotic, we just never expected it to be called Ray’s Franks & More.
The “more” is this: The family has put their horror movie-lovin’ brains together to come up with a scary good menu. The Mummy is an all-beef weiner wrapped with bacon and the American Werewolf is a burger with American cheese. Visit yourself to try The Blob, Leatherface, The Birds, and the ChupaCabra.
The brick building, abundant with personality, is at 1302 Nance St. is in downtown Houston. Office workers have been giving the goods great reviews; there was a flash mob. It apparently was a Chinese restaurant and a bank at one time. Red accents the counter and the menu has old movie poster themes.
My family went over to help out one day and assembled terror-misu desserts after serving a lunch rush with The Blob, The Freddy Krueger and The Dracula. Regulars love a curry ketchup and guana-mole.
Ray is what Jose’s family calls him. His wife and children are often on site and cooking for the masses. I hear there’s a party going on for Halloween. For info, call (713) 224-6441 or go to Raysfranks@gmail.com.
Go granola
Just a sprinkle of GrandyOats organic Goji Agave granola will crunch up your yogurt, banana, ice cream, etc. I tried it as it was probably intended, in dairy, but I’m loyal to the crunchy sprinkle. Now that the company uses non-BPA recyclable cups, you can keep it fresh in the pantry for a long time. I’m betting it won’t last through Thanksgiving, because I’m topping dessert dishes of canned pumpkin with it for a healthy evening bite. The Main company uses walnuts, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, and other amazing healthy items in Cranberry Chew, Classic Granola and Mainely Maple. Seek it out and crunch.
What KIND do you want?
I liked the Almond & Cashew plus Omega-3, but the KIND PLUS Mango and Macadamia won the best new product award at the Natural Product Expo. What to pick? KIND Fruit + Nut bars were touted as a healthy treat for the kids, but I’m thinking grownups may have trouble sharing. They boast an ingredient list you can pronounce, with highlights such as premium almonds, Brazilian nuts, walnuts, peanuts, and chunks of all-natural dried fruits held together with honey. Made in Australia, it’s from PeaceWorks, and it’s the KIND of snack I’ve been craving.
Campbell’s adds Mediterranean-inspired soups
Just because my Aunt Anne went to Tuscany, my family clamors to try foods with that label. Chicken Tuscany, Chicken with Egg Noodles and Minestrone are three varieties of Campbell’s Select Harvest soups my family tried and loved on the same night. I served one bowl to each of us and we all tasted from the range and we all argued that the one in front of us was the best.
Campbell is introducing 12 new 100 percent natural varieties of Select Harvest soups. Five boast ingredients key to the Mediterranean diet with vegetables, whole grains and extra virgin olive oil. They include two additional Select Harvest Light soups, with 80 calories or less per serving: Light Minestrone with Whole grain Pasta and Light Roasted Chicken with Italian Herbs. The have sea salt. Others in the line include: Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla, Italian-Style Wedding, Roasted Chicken with Rotini and Penne Pasta and Light Roasted Chicken with Italian Herbs.
ddoiron@panews.com
Artistic cakes heavy with buttercream frosting and plump, spicy tamales are typical fare for my brother-in-law, Jose Sainz. We always hoped he’d open a restaurant and he has. With all his authentic Mexican recipes and flair for the exotic, we just never expected it to be called Ray’s Franks & More.
The “more” is this: The family has put their horror movie-lovin’ brains together to come up with a scary good menu. The Mummy is an all-beef weiner wrapped with bacon and the American Werewolf is a burger with American cheese. Visit yourself to try The Blob, Leatherface, The Birds, and the ChupaCabra.
The brick building, abundant with personality, is at 1302 Nance St. is in downtown Houston. Office workers have been giving the goods great reviews; there was a flash mob. It apparently was a Chinese restaurant and a bank at one time. Red accents the counter and the menu has old movie poster themes.
My family went over to help out one day and assembled terror-misu desserts after serving a lunch rush with The Blob, The Freddy Krueger and The Dracula. Regulars love a curry ketchup and guana-mole.
Ray is what Jose’s family calls him. His wife and children are often on site and cooking for the masses. I hear there’s a party going on for Halloween. For info, call (713) 224-6441 or go to Raysfranks@gmail.com.
Go granola
Just a sprinkle of GrandyOats organic Goji Agave granola will crunch up your yogurt, banana, ice cream, etc. I tried it as it was probably intended, in dairy, but I’m loyal to the crunchy sprinkle. Now that the company uses non-BPA recyclable cups, you can keep it fresh in the pantry for a long time. I’m betting it won’t last through Thanksgiving, because I’m topping dessert dishes of canned pumpkin with it for a healthy evening bite. The Main company uses walnuts, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, and other amazing healthy items in Cranberry Chew, Classic Granola and Mainely Maple. Seek it out and crunch.
What KIND do you want?
I liked the Almond & Cashew plus Omega-3, but the KIND PLUS Mango and Macadamia won the best new product award at the Natural Product Expo. What to pick? KIND Fruit + Nut bars were touted as a healthy treat for the kids, but I’m thinking grownups may have trouble sharing. They boast an ingredient list you can pronounce, with highlights such as premium almonds, Brazilian nuts, walnuts, peanuts, and chunks of all-natural dried fruits held together with honey. Made in Australia, it’s from PeaceWorks, and it’s the KIND of snack I’ve been craving.
Campbell’s adds Mediterranean-inspired soups
Just because my Aunt Anne went to Tuscany, my family clamors to try foods with that label. Chicken Tuscany, Chicken with Egg Noodles and Minestrone are three varieties of Campbell’s Select Harvest soups my family tried and loved on the same night. I served one bowl to each of us and we all tasted from the range and we all argued that the one in front of us was the best.
Campbell is introducing 12 new 100 percent natural varieties of Select Harvest soups. Five boast ingredients key to the Mediterranean diet with vegetables, whole grains and extra virgin olive oil. They include two additional Select Harvest Light soups, with 80 calories or less per serving: Light Minestrone with Whole grain Pasta and Light Roasted Chicken with Italian Herbs. The have sea salt. Others in the line include: Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla, Italian-Style Wedding, Roasted Chicken with Rotini and Penne Pasta and Light Roasted Chicken with Italian Herbs.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, October 26, 2009
Oktoberfest
I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the Oktoberfests I have attended, but the snap of cool fall air, the scent of amazing German food and the lure of The Chicken Dance had me at oom-pah.
I was way, way too young to enjoy the dark beer, and I still have fun with my parents at tables under huge, colorful sycamore trees.
Several reasons merge to make October one of my top 12 favorite months (I confess, I love them all). The family moved the chiminea to the front walkway and burned our yard clippings while enjoying a festive glass of wine that’s apparently designed for the season. Clean Slate Riesling makes a pairing for German cheese, breads and ham, with its “ripe peach flavors, mineral notes and vibrant acidity all hallmarks of Riesling from Mosel.” It’s a supermarket find at $10.99 and feels crisp like an October apple in your mouth.
Seattle-area chef Tony Ruegg has created a recipe for eight using the wine.
Buy 8-10 Bratwursts from a German butcher. If not available purchase bratwurst from grocery. Make 2-3 small cuts with a sharp knife across the sausage. Put on medium hot grill, cut side up and grill until golden brown. Turn over and finish grilling.
Onion Sauce
2 medium onions finely sliced
1 package Knorr demi glace or brown sauce mix
1/2 cup Clean Slate Riesling
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt and black pepper
Sauté onions in small amount of olive oil until carmelized. Add Clean Slate Riesling and cumin and bring to a slow boil. Dissolve brown sauce mix in 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cold water and add to onions. Simmer for a few minutes (2-5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
Serve bratwurst with onion sauce.
I know secrets
Messages of love lost, childhood beatings, crossword puzzle fantasies and queries on faith make up the world’s artful messages to PostSecret.com. If you haven’t heard, people mail anonymous postcards to Frank Warren and many go on the internet. I’ve shown Frank Warren’s new book to several people since I met him at the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Distinguished Lecture Series. Most everybody is immediately hooked and says the project is “different” than how they thought it would be. See what you think about “POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God.
Skull or sweetpeas?
Kaycee Binns is a varied artist. A shiny skull or mud flap girl pick may tempt the Halloween shopper while her tiny sweet pea spoon is the ideal baby gift. The Metal Morphosis Inc. brainchild says there’s a childhood story behind every piece, so if you’re in Atlanta, you may want to meet the pewter worker. There’s some silver in her works, to give it shine. You would in no way call me a spoon collector, but I somehow have amassed an impressive set of tiny, baby spoons that I love to use for dessert (to make it last longer). My grandma called me sweet pea, so I love Binns’ vine-covered spoon by the same name. Visit www.metalmorphosisinc.com to learn more.
ddoiron@panews.com
I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the Oktoberfests I have attended, but the snap of cool fall air, the scent of amazing German food and the lure of The Chicken Dance had me at oom-pah.
I was way, way too young to enjoy the dark beer, and I still have fun with my parents at tables under huge, colorful sycamore trees.
Several reasons merge to make October one of my top 12 favorite months (I confess, I love them all). The family moved the chiminea to the front walkway and burned our yard clippings while enjoying a festive glass of wine that’s apparently designed for the season. Clean Slate Riesling makes a pairing for German cheese, breads and ham, with its “ripe peach flavors, mineral notes and vibrant acidity all hallmarks of Riesling from Mosel.” It’s a supermarket find at $10.99 and feels crisp like an October apple in your mouth.
Seattle-area chef Tony Ruegg has created a recipe for eight using the wine.
Buy 8-10 Bratwursts from a German butcher. If not available purchase bratwurst from grocery. Make 2-3 small cuts with a sharp knife across the sausage. Put on medium hot grill, cut side up and grill until golden brown. Turn over and finish grilling.
Onion Sauce
2 medium onions finely sliced
1 package Knorr demi glace or brown sauce mix
1/2 cup Clean Slate Riesling
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt and black pepper
Sauté onions in small amount of olive oil until carmelized. Add Clean Slate Riesling and cumin and bring to a slow boil. Dissolve brown sauce mix in 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cold water and add to onions. Simmer for a few minutes (2-5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
Serve bratwurst with onion sauce.
I know secrets
Messages of love lost, childhood beatings, crossword puzzle fantasies and queries on faith make up the world’s artful messages to PostSecret.com. If you haven’t heard, people mail anonymous postcards to Frank Warren and many go on the internet. I’ve shown Frank Warren’s new book to several people since I met him at the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Distinguished Lecture Series. Most everybody is immediately hooked and says the project is “different” than how they thought it would be. See what you think about “POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God.
Skull or sweetpeas?
Kaycee Binns is a varied artist. A shiny skull or mud flap girl pick may tempt the Halloween shopper while her tiny sweet pea spoon is the ideal baby gift. The Metal Morphosis Inc. brainchild says there’s a childhood story behind every piece, so if you’re in Atlanta, you may want to meet the pewter worker. There’s some silver in her works, to give it shine. You would in no way call me a spoon collector, but I somehow have amassed an impressive set of tiny, baby spoons that I love to use for dessert (to make it last longer). My grandma called me sweet pea, so I love Binns’ vine-covered spoon by the same name. Visit www.metalmorphosisinc.com to learn more.
ddoiron@panews.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Vampire’s Kiss Cocktail
Antioxidants don’t have to be anti-fun, say some mixologists who jazz up cocktails with fruit and fruit juices like pomegranate, blueberries, cranberries, pears and kiwis for brain-boosting and disease-fighting antioxidants.
Make enough Vampire Kisses, and you can have a set of stylish black Freixenet sparkling wine bottles to make a set of candle holders for your Halloween party.
I tried what makers call the “black bottle bubbly” in the recipe below and loved the colorful presentation and sparkling taste. It’s a looker and a taster:
Vampire’s Kiss Cocktail
3 parts Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
1 part pomegranate blueberry juice blend
Sliced strawberries and pineapple chunks
Orange peel twists (optional)
Ice
Starting with all ingredients well chilled, mix 1 part pomegranate and blueberry juice blend with 3 parts Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut sparkling wine. Stir in ice, sliced strawberries and pineapple chunks. Garnish with dangling orange twist.
Presentation: To add some mystery to your ghoulish concoction, use ice-blocks in Halloween shapes – try jack-o-lantern, ghosts or bats!
For more antioxidant cocktails and other great cocktail recipes, visit
www.freixenetusa.com/cocktail-recipes.php
Spice forecast calls for ginger and molasses
Every day of my life is filled with herbs and spices, but the cool weather seems to increase the cravings. I’ve noticed the McCormick Flavor Forecast is always accurate. Reading their 2009 Holiday Edition should put you ahead of what everyone will be talking about this season:
• Ginger & Molasses - The duo behind timeless gingerbread is cleverly reinvented from a childhood classic into contemporary goodies for all ages.
• Warm Spices & Pumpkin – The aromatic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice unites with creamy pumpkin to inspire remakes of its namesake pie.
• Peppermint & Chocolate – This refreshing yet sweet combination comes together in everything from a festive martini to a chocolate tart.
• Vanilla & Red Food Color – The lush, alluring flavor of vanilla and the joyous hue of red transform the show-stopping qualities of red velvet cake into updated indulgences.
• Nutmeg & Rum – The unforgettable essence of eggnog comes out of the punch bowl as inspired treats from breakfast to the dessert table.
McCormick has additional tips:
• Convert a traditional sugar cookie to a nutmeg spice cookie by adding ground nutmeg to the dough before baking. Top baked cookies with cream cheese frosting enhanced with a few drops of rum extract.
• Crush peppermint candies in a small bowl or food processor. Melt semi-sweet Chocolate in a sauce pan, cool slightly and flavor with a few drops of peppermint extract. Dip one half of a large marshmallow into the melted mint chocolate and then in the peppermint pieces. Place on parchment to dry. Serve on a festive candy platter or float in a cup of hot cocoa.
• Transform vanilla milkshakes into a taste of the season. Add a generous spoonful of pumpkin puree and a dash of pumpkin pie spice to vanilla ice cream and milk to create a smooth ice cream treat.
Measure Up Bowl
I remember my mother used to pack portions into a measuring bowl and dump them onto her plate, leaving food in a perfectly round cylinder. Now I’m a Weight Watchers lifetimer who supports measuring, so I can actually eat more of what I want. I’m loving the Measure Up Bowl in the snack size, a chic white number with discreet measuring lines on the inside, so you know just how much of that mocha ice cream you have served yourself. No cheating or innocent mistakes. It’s just in time for holiday indulgences. The “classic” is for soups, cereals, fruits, pasta, etc. My smaller one is designed for “foods that are calorie dense, high fat (my fave).
Visit www.buygrilldaddy.com for a peek. I know for a fact that this bowl can help you keep your weight down in a very satisfactory way.
ddoiron@panews.com
Antioxidants don’t have to be anti-fun, say some mixologists who jazz up cocktails with fruit and fruit juices like pomegranate, blueberries, cranberries, pears and kiwis for brain-boosting and disease-fighting antioxidants.
Make enough Vampire Kisses, and you can have a set of stylish black Freixenet sparkling wine bottles to make a set of candle holders for your Halloween party.
I tried what makers call the “black bottle bubbly” in the recipe below and loved the colorful presentation and sparkling taste. It’s a looker and a taster:
Vampire’s Kiss Cocktail
3 parts Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
1 part pomegranate blueberry juice blend
Sliced strawberries and pineapple chunks
Orange peel twists (optional)
Ice
Starting with all ingredients well chilled, mix 1 part pomegranate and blueberry juice blend with 3 parts Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut sparkling wine. Stir in ice, sliced strawberries and pineapple chunks. Garnish with dangling orange twist.
Presentation: To add some mystery to your ghoulish concoction, use ice-blocks in Halloween shapes – try jack-o-lantern, ghosts or bats!
For more antioxidant cocktails and other great cocktail recipes, visit
www.freixenetusa.com/cocktail-recipes.php
Spice forecast calls for ginger and molasses
Every day of my life is filled with herbs and spices, but the cool weather seems to increase the cravings. I’ve noticed the McCormick Flavor Forecast is always accurate. Reading their 2009 Holiday Edition should put you ahead of what everyone will be talking about this season:
• Ginger & Molasses - The duo behind timeless gingerbread is cleverly reinvented from a childhood classic into contemporary goodies for all ages.
• Warm Spices & Pumpkin – The aromatic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice unites with creamy pumpkin to inspire remakes of its namesake pie.
• Peppermint & Chocolate – This refreshing yet sweet combination comes together in everything from a festive martini to a chocolate tart.
• Vanilla & Red Food Color – The lush, alluring flavor of vanilla and the joyous hue of red transform the show-stopping qualities of red velvet cake into updated indulgences.
• Nutmeg & Rum – The unforgettable essence of eggnog comes out of the punch bowl as inspired treats from breakfast to the dessert table.
McCormick has additional tips:
• Convert a traditional sugar cookie to a nutmeg spice cookie by adding ground nutmeg to the dough before baking. Top baked cookies with cream cheese frosting enhanced with a few drops of rum extract.
• Crush peppermint candies in a small bowl or food processor. Melt semi-sweet Chocolate in a sauce pan, cool slightly and flavor with a few drops of peppermint extract. Dip one half of a large marshmallow into the melted mint chocolate and then in the peppermint pieces. Place on parchment to dry. Serve on a festive candy platter or float in a cup of hot cocoa.
• Transform vanilla milkshakes into a taste of the season. Add a generous spoonful of pumpkin puree and a dash of pumpkin pie spice to vanilla ice cream and milk to create a smooth ice cream treat.
Measure Up Bowl
I remember my mother used to pack portions into a measuring bowl and dump them onto her plate, leaving food in a perfectly round cylinder. Now I’m a Weight Watchers lifetimer who supports measuring, so I can actually eat more of what I want. I’m loving the Measure Up Bowl in the snack size, a chic white number with discreet measuring lines on the inside, so you know just how much of that mocha ice cream you have served yourself. No cheating or innocent mistakes. It’s just in time for holiday indulgences. The “classic” is for soups, cereals, fruits, pasta, etc. My smaller one is designed for “foods that are calorie dense, high fat (my fave).
Visit www.buygrilldaddy.com for a peek. I know for a fact that this bowl can help you keep your weight down in a very satisfactory way.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sabine Pass lighthouse lovers get their tasty read
The mere mention that the Sabine Pass lighhouse would be mentioned in a book drew lots of reader attention. We love our lighthouse.
“The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America’s Shorelines” is ready for your purchase from Sourcebooks. Look online for your copy, or maybe a better plan would be to visit the 47 lighthouses included and perhaps many have the book at a giftshop. Becky Sue Epstein and Ed Jackson remind readers that house keepers were isolated, had to work around the clock and cooked with bulk supplies. There were supermarket runs for a missing ingredient.
Try a peanut soup representing St. Simmons Lighthouse in Georgia or Thai fried rice representing Lahaina Lighthouse in Maui, Hawaii.
As for Sabine Pass, writers say keepers could augment their meager pay by living off the land, and the menu created to represent this area is grilled oysters in the shell, smothered okra, crab bake, alligator gumbo and pralines that authors “could not stop eating.”
“Death Lore”
A new book on death is anything but creepy. A tombstone cover sets the mood for October reading of “Death Lore: Texas Rituals, Superstitions and Legends of the Hereafter.”
Kenneth L. Untiedt edits the University of North Texas book full of the kind of stuff that could happen only to Texans. Cowboys want to be buried with their guns and rich women with their sports cars. Cats can get the last word from their graves and ministers can embellish the good deeds of a dead man so much that the widow could question if that’s really her own husband in the box. Writers tell of spiritual connections, growing up in funeral homes and funeral humor.
Death happens to all of us, so we might as well try to have a good time with it, seems to be the message.
“Inherited Sins”
This novel by Paula Paul, with a puckered apple on the cover, sat on my shelf too long. A modern woman finds herself with a metal box belonging to her dying mother. Inside she finds ‘40s-era journals of a West Texas preacher and his battle against sin with church member Johnnie Marie, the mother in question. Then the reader gets Johnnie Marie’s journals, which offer a different perspective. There are lots of juicy surprises, but I also like the details, like the fuss over the church youth seeing “Gone With the Wind,” which had been released years earlier but just got to the Muleshoe area.
ddoiron@panews.com
The mere mention that the Sabine Pass lighhouse would be mentioned in a book drew lots of reader attention. We love our lighthouse.
“The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America’s Shorelines” is ready for your purchase from Sourcebooks. Look online for your copy, or maybe a better plan would be to visit the 47 lighthouses included and perhaps many have the book at a giftshop. Becky Sue Epstein and Ed Jackson remind readers that house keepers were isolated, had to work around the clock and cooked with bulk supplies. There were supermarket runs for a missing ingredient.
Try a peanut soup representing St. Simmons Lighthouse in Georgia or Thai fried rice representing Lahaina Lighthouse in Maui, Hawaii.
As for Sabine Pass, writers say keepers could augment their meager pay by living off the land, and the menu created to represent this area is grilled oysters in the shell, smothered okra, crab bake, alligator gumbo and pralines that authors “could not stop eating.”
“Death Lore”
A new book on death is anything but creepy. A tombstone cover sets the mood for October reading of “Death Lore: Texas Rituals, Superstitions and Legends of the Hereafter.”
Kenneth L. Untiedt edits the University of North Texas book full of the kind of stuff that could happen only to Texans. Cowboys want to be buried with their guns and rich women with their sports cars. Cats can get the last word from their graves and ministers can embellish the good deeds of a dead man so much that the widow could question if that’s really her own husband in the box. Writers tell of spiritual connections, growing up in funeral homes and funeral humor.
Death happens to all of us, so we might as well try to have a good time with it, seems to be the message.
“Inherited Sins”
This novel by Paula Paul, with a puckered apple on the cover, sat on my shelf too long. A modern woman finds herself with a metal box belonging to her dying mother. Inside she finds ‘40s-era journals of a West Texas preacher and his battle against sin with church member Johnnie Marie, the mother in question. Then the reader gets Johnnie Marie’s journals, which offer a different perspective. There are lots of juicy surprises, but I also like the details, like the fuss over the church youth seeing “Gone With the Wind,” which had been released years earlier but just got to the Muleshoe area.
ddoiron@panews.com
Saturday, October 17, 2009
‘Strange But True’ a freaky October read
George Washington’s deathly bloodletting, war stories, whacky state borders and creepy tales of death and deception headline “Strange But True America: Weird tales from All 50 States.”
I didn’t know that Washington was home to the world’s largest waterfall or about New Mexico’s leaning tower, threatening rock. The fact that these tales are true makes them even more powerful. Chapters include Rogue Camels Haunt the Southwest, Feminine Touch is the Kiss of Death and Hanging Judge Dispensed Swift Justice. Texas gets a headless horseman recount. John Hafnor tells the stories and Dale Crawford illustrates them. Together they make riveting reading.
“Inherited Sins”
By Paula Paul
This novel with a puckered apple on the cover sat on my shelf too long. A modern woman finds herself with a metal box belonging to her dying mother. Inside she finds ‘40s-era journals of a West Texas preacher and his battle against sin with church member Johnnie Marie, the mother in question. Then the reader gets Johnnie Marie’s journals, which offer a different perspective. There are lots of juicy surprises, but I also like the details, like the fuss over the church youth seeing “Gone With the Wind,” which had been released years earlier but just got to the Muleshoe area.
Going anywhere?
My dad is a constant safety lecture. Even when you think you’ve heard it all, there’s more, this time from Intromark Inc. A slender, bent and forked piece of metal that can keep you more secure in a hotel room without damage to the door. The directions explain the SLO, Inc. better than I can. I reckon this ought to work in the kind of New York apartment I see on TV. Look it up on UnSeenOnTv.com.
ddoiron@panews.com
George Washington’s deathly bloodletting, war stories, whacky state borders and creepy tales of death and deception headline “Strange But True America: Weird tales from All 50 States.”
I didn’t know that Washington was home to the world’s largest waterfall or about New Mexico’s leaning tower, threatening rock. The fact that these tales are true makes them even more powerful. Chapters include Rogue Camels Haunt the Southwest, Feminine Touch is the Kiss of Death and Hanging Judge Dispensed Swift Justice. Texas gets a headless horseman recount. John Hafnor tells the stories and Dale Crawford illustrates them. Together they make riveting reading.
“Inherited Sins”
By Paula Paul
This novel with a puckered apple on the cover sat on my shelf too long. A modern woman finds herself with a metal box belonging to her dying mother. Inside she finds ‘40s-era journals of a West Texas preacher and his battle against sin with church member Johnnie Marie, the mother in question. Then the reader gets Johnnie Marie’s journals, which offer a different perspective. There are lots of juicy surprises, but I also like the details, like the fuss over the church youth seeing “Gone With the Wind,” which had been released years earlier but just got to the Muleshoe area.
Going anywhere?
My dad is a constant safety lecture. Even when you think you’ve heard it all, there’s more, this time from Intromark Inc. A slender, bent and forked piece of metal that can keep you more secure in a hotel room without damage to the door. The directions explain the SLO, Inc. better than I can. I reckon this ought to work in the kind of New York apartment I see on TV. Look it up on UnSeenOnTv.com.
ddoiron@panews.com
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