Top 10 Most Influential Chefs On Twitter

Just found an interesting blog post online about the Top 10 Most Influential Chefs that are on twitter.

Some of the names I recognize, like Paula Dean and Gordon Ramsey, but some of them I haven't heard of before.

Top 10 Most Influential Chefs On Twitter

8 Healthy Foods You’re Not Eating, But Should Be

Found this interesting article online that has a list of healthy foods that one should eat.

As I am getting older I realize that I now have to eat a lot more healthier.

Here is a link to the list.

Did You Know That You May Be Able To Get A Grant To Help Study Food?

I found this article online about a possible government grant to study food! Here is more information about it:

Food and Agricultural Fellowship Grants

These grants are to be used to encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete a graduate degree in an area of the food and agricultural sciences for which there is a national need for development of scientific expertise. Money can be used to support a student completing a graduate, masters, or doctorate degree. Students must apply to those institutions that received the money.

To find out more about this grant program you can visit the blog, Grant Basics 101.

Beauty foods for younger-looking skin

I found this interesting article online about what kinds of food you should eat to get younger-looking skin.

I won't give away the specifics but I was interested in this article because - as always - I am trying to eat more healthy!

You can view the online article by clicking here.

Yes I Am Going To Make A Turkey For Thanksgiving!

I am so very excited about cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving!

I bought my turkey over the weekend and it's in the freezer right now! It's a ten-pound turkey which will be more than enough for Thanksgiving Day!

A few years back I blogged about making a turkey for the first time. I don't think I made one last year but this year I am going to be making one!

Since I haven't done it a lot I'm still going by the instructions that I have gotten by watching cooking shows. I still have the notes and will be following them to the letter!

I will definitely let you know how it turns out!








Thanksgiving Update!

My turkey came out excellent! It was nice and juicy and as of December 15th the turkey is now down to the bone - which I'm now using to make turkey stew and turkey soup!

Foods To Make You Happier?

So what are the perfect foods to eat for making you happier?

Well, almost ALL types of fish and nut work wonders. You can also try turkey, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, pineapple, tofu spinach, bananas and lobster. These foods are high in tryptophan, an amino acid the body converts into serotonin, bringing about greater states of wellbeing.

8 Foods That Fight Stress

8 Foods that Fight Stress

By Sara Reistad-Long

Chow down on eats that tame hunger and reduce anxiety

Eat It to Beat It
We all know that tension can wreak havoc on our eating patterns. But the right (healthy!) foods can often help tame mindless munching and cravings and, better yet, actually lower overall anxiety and its symptoms. Eight of our favorites:

Dark Chocolate

High in flavonoids, which are lauded for their relaxing properties (chamomile tea is another great source), chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances your mood. The darker the chocolate, the more healthy substances you're getting in your diet, so look for bars that are 70 percent cacao or higher.

Skim Milk

Turns out that a glass of warm milk really is calming. One study found that women who drank four or more servings of lowfat or skim milk every day were about half as likely to experience stress-related PMS symptoms than those who drank less than one serving a week.

Oatmeal

Carbs help you produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fight anxiety's negative effects-which is probably why many of us crave them when we're stressed. Go with the craving and choose healthy sources. Oatmeal is high in fiber, which means that your body will absorb it slowly. In one fell swoop, you'll prolong the serotonin boost, keeping yourself feeling full for longer (and on less) and making sure your blood sugar's in check.

Salmon

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids-abundant in fish like salmon-can help reverse stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels, and that an omega-3-rich diet can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Walnuts

They've been shown to help lower blood pressure, which is critical for those whose hearts are already working overtime thanks to high adrenaline levels. In fact, research so strongly backs their health benefits that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes so far as to recommend 1 1/2 oz per day.

Sunflower Seeds

A good source of folate, which helps your body produce a pleasure-inducing brain chemical called dopamine.

Spinach

Studies show that magnesium, which you'll find in leafy greens like spinach, improves your body's response to stress.

Blueberries

Their antioxidants counteract the effects of stress hormones like cortisol on your body.

I Have Been Eating A Lot More Healthier Lately!

I notice that I have been eating a lot more healthier lately! And believe me this is not by accident!


I have been eating a lot more vegetables and salads.

I have been using a lot of garden vegetables and they do require some preparation when you cook them. For instance I have been cooking kale (which is similar to greens) which requires adding additional ingredients as well. In my particular case I wash / rinse the kale thoroughly and add it to the saucepan and then fill the pot half-way with water. I then add a slice of uncooked bacon to help with the flavoring. I then cut up half an onion, about 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves and some other herbs as well including some "crackled" pepper! (I soon hope to be adding ingredients from my own garden soon! Once I have included all of my ingredients I will let the pot simmer all day! (Word of advice here though - if you plan to not be home I would suggest that you turn off anything that you are cooking! Since I work from home I can let the pot simmer all day and check on it about every 2 hours. I'll usually eat this with a nice piece of meat like baked chicken (and last week I even had some steak with it!.

I have also been eating a lot more salads lately as well! You know lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers - also celery. This also takes some time to prepare but the preparation process is something that can be relaxing as well.

Do I feel healthier? - Yes I do! - LOL!

Made A "Potluck" Stew Today!

Cold, winter weather here in Philly for the past few days! So I decided to make a stew out of what I had on hand!

It's a good thing that I work from home because Philadelphia is right in the middle of another snowstorm!

I really don't like anything going to waste so I decided to make a stew out of what I had in the kitchen. I wanted to use the foods that had been here a while so that they wouldn't go to waste.

What did I have? Some ham, beans and some onions and garlic. I also had some spaghetti that I wanted to use as well! I put all of that into a pot and let it simmer all day and about 5 hours later I had a delicious and nice hot stew (and crackers) for supper! - LOL!

Gordon Ramsey Is In Financial Trouble?

It seems that popular restauranteur Gordon Ramsey is in financial trouble! If there ever was a way to make money doing something that you love to do then Gordon Ramsey is a perfect example of someone who can make money doing something that they love to do!

Gordon Ramsey has a couple of successful cooking related shows on television including Kitchen Nightmare and "The F Word". He also has several successful restaurants as well.

But according to an online article Gordon Ramsey is in serious financial trouble! It seems that some of the eateries that he owns are in serious financial trouble. It is reported that he has even closed one of them. Also reported is that he defaulted on a large loan.

I am a big fan of Gordon Ramsey - although I do think that he can sometimes be a little too harsh on people. But I did like one of the scenes from one of his tv shows where he berated a customer when the customer complained that the food was bad and Gordon Ramsey thought that she was wrong! It just goes to show you that the customer is not always right!

Gordon Ramsey has a lot of potential to make money! His tv shows are highly successful and I'm sure that he earns a lot of money from them! He can also make money with his books as well.

I hope that this is only a temporary thing that is going on with him and I wish him all the success in the world!

My First Baking Project - Corn Muffins!

Well I already see that I blogged about my first baking project! Did I mention that I bought the semi-made muffin mix - LOL! I had to start with something simple because it has been a very long time since I baked anything. With this semi-made corn mix all I needed to add was eggs and milk!

I loved the way that my muffins turned out and it made the house smell so good! I also found out how delicious muffins are when they are hot!


Now maybe its just me but while thinking about baking I'm sure that I mentioned here that I had to get some baking pans - especially muffin pans because I didn't have any.
So guess what happens the next time I'm at the grocery but I see some muffin pans selling for 99 cents! Well that was something that I definitely had to "break the bank" for! I have been using them quite often but I have come to find out that cleaning these aluminum pans is proving to be difficult - especially when you want clean in those cracks and crevices!

My First Bakery Concoction (in a long time - LOL!)

Well, I finally did it! I baked something - for the first time in a very long time!

I just got finished baking a batch (half-dozen) of corn muffins and they came out great! I even had a couple of them for a snack!

Mind you the muffin mix was pre-packaged but it did require me to add some other ingredients - eggs and milk. Actually I was nearing the ending date for the rest of the milk that I had and I wanted to put it to good use!

It just occurred to me that I could have taken a photo of my muffins and put it on here but I'll remember to do that the next time!

Mind you, I do want to start this whole baking and cooking thing slowly and the corn muffin mix was on sale and I figured that this would be something easy that I could handle as a first start to baking!

I have to say that I loved the way that the house smelled as the muffins were baking in the oven and that's a smell that I could get very used to! Plus I have a few left over that I can have as a snack before I rush out the door in the morning!

So my first baking attempt came out very, very well!

Back To Baking!

I can feel the fall season coming and I have been online and I have spotted a lot of scrumptious-looking recipies online and I'm dying to try out some of them!

It's been a long time since I did any baking and that was confined to baking cakes. But now that I want to get back to it again I'm anxious to get started.

First I have to gather my "tools" together because its been so long since I baked anything! - LOL! So far all I can find is the rolling pin! I also have a couple of cake pans that are smaller for baking layers of cakes but it will be fun to buy some more baking items! I'm leaning towards buying some off of QVC as I like the cooking products that they sell.

Then I'll have to decide on what it is I want to start baking with - probably something more simple in the beginning and I have a special affinity towards cornbread!

So wish me luck and I will post pictures of my baked goodies!

It Doesn't Hurt To Get A Little Help!

Yesterday I went to my local library with the expressed purpose of checking out some basic cooking books for beginners like me. Of course there were a lot of books to choose from but I'm starting off with the most basic of them!

I checked out two books and since I have three weeks to go through them that gives me some time.

As I said I'm starting off with the most basic of the cookbooks and I will work my way up from there.

If you're new to cooking or want to learn more about it don't be afraid to go to your local library and check out some of the more basic cooking books. They won't cost you a thing - except for maybe signing up for a library card - LOL!

I have also been taping some cooking shows on TV so that I can learn at my own pace as well - this is how I learned to make my first Thanksgiving Turkey!

Yuck!

Well I tried to make pancakes from scratch even though I did have some instructions in front of me - it didn't turn out too good!.

Actually the first time I tried to make the pancakes from scratch they just didn't look like pancakes! And they certainly didn't taste like pancakes either! So the second time that I tried to make them from scratch, while they did look like pancakes they certainly didn't taste like pancakes! And I could tell from the taste that I put too much baking soda in the batter!

I actually think that this is my first really bad attempt - but that just makes me want to make right! So I'm going to try again as soon as I have all of the right ingredients!

Winter Weather Supplies!

There's nothing more better than being able to have a warm, hot cup of hot chocolate on a cold winters day! And believe me this is a cold winters day! My area was hit with a major snowstorm over the last 24 hours and the wind chills are going to go down to zero!

I posted on my Homeowner's Blog about how cold it is tonight and how the rooms are drafty because of the gusty winds! So its great to be able to have a nice cup of hot chocolate to drink! This is one of my little pleasures in life!

However sad to say that I am running out of hot chocolate


I'm grateful that I have enough money to buy me some more hot chocolate but I have to brave those inches of snow to get it!


I named this blog post "Winter Weather Supplies" mostly to remind myself of all the things / groceries that I should be stocked up on just in case I'm snowed in - LOL!

• hot chocolate!
  
  
• tea (and sugar and lemon and honey and brandy!)
  
  
• coffee (and sugar and non-dairy creamer/milk)
  
  
• rock salt! - have to clear the sidewalk!
  
  
• soup!
  
  
• aspirin - when I feel a flu or virus coming on

I'm sorely lacking in supplies but at least I'm grateful that I have enough money to be able to stock up once again!

I'm Going To Be Baking Once Again - I Vow!

A long, long time ago I used to bake cakes! I even think I had one of those easy bake ovens as a child!

Thoughts of baking again have again entered my mind and I was recently reminded of it when I was watching one of Martha Stewart's shows!

I haven't baked in so long that I am sorely lacking in baking materials! I did manage to find my old rolling pin and found the sifter that sifts the flour. I have maybe one or two baking pans and I know that there is a mixer around here somewhere but I haven't found it yet - LOL! But it will be fun to buy some new baking tools and I look forward to that!

About the closest that I have come to baking in recent times was when I last bought some cornbread mix (they were on sale - 3 for a $1 - LOL!) I had bought the mix but I didn't have any eggs or milk to add to it and I had to wait. But once I did get the eggs and milk and made - it tasted great! - and this furthered my longing and desire to bake once again!

I have been buying my pastry items from the bakery at my local supermarket mostly because its quick and painless but I have been longing to get back to baking once again and its something that I really want to get back into.

Recent Salmonella Outbreak(s)

Unfortunately there is another case of a salmonella outbreak!

An Ohio peanut butter distributor issued a voluntary recall Saturday for two brands of peanut butter after health officials in Minnesota on Friday said they had found salmonella bacteria in a tub of peanut butter that is distributed to schools and hospitals..........

source

The Washington Post

There has been a peanut butter recall!

The King Nut Companies of Solon in Ohio, announced it had issued a recall of all peanut butter distributed under its label and manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America, of Lynchburg, Va. The company also recalled its distribution of Parnell's Pride peanut butter, which is also made by Peanut Corporation, according to a prepared statement by King Nut.

The company, in its statement, said it took the action after salmonella was found in an open five-pound tub of King Nut peanut butter.

King Nut distributes peanut butter through food service accounts and does not sell it directly to consumers, the statement said.

The statement added, "King Nut does not supply any of the ingredients for the peanut butter distributed under its label. All other King Nut products are safe and not included in this voluntary recall."

"We are very sorry this happened," said Martin Kanan, president and chief executive officer of King Nut Companies. "We are taking immediate and voluntary action because the health and safety of those who use our products is always our highest priority."

King Nut customers are asked to take all King Nut peanut butter and Parnell's Pride peanut butter out of distribution immediately.

The recall and the potential link to the multi-state outbreak come two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which had been linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.

Potato pancakes, also known as latkes or latkas (Yiddish: לאַטקעס, Hebrew: לביבה levivah, plural לביבות levivot), are shallow-fried pancakes of grated potato and egg, often flavored with grated onion. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory (such as sour cream) to the sweet (such as applesauce or sugar), or they may be served ungarnished. Potato pancakes are sometimes made from mashed potatoes to produce pancake-shaped croquettes.[1]

Potato pancakes are commonly associated with traditional Czech, Ukrainian, Yiddish, German and Polish cuisine, although other cuisines (including those of India and Korea) also have similar potato pancakes.[2] It is also the national dish of Belarus. In Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian cuisines potato pancakes are commonly known as deruny (Ukrainian: деруни) or draniki (Russian: драники, Belarusian: Дранікі). In Bavaria, Germany, potato pancakes are also very much liked under the name Reiberdatschi or Kartoffelpuffer, and they are eaten either salty as a side dish or sweet with apple sauce and cinnamon.

source
Wikipedia

Latke Recipe

Potato Latkes

Makes: 24 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 35 minutes

4 large russet potatoes, peeled

1 large onion

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Oil for frying

Sour cream or applesauce for serving

Using a food processor fitted with a large grating blade, grate the potatoes. Remove the grated potatoes and squeeze the water from them. Using a smaller grating blade, grate the onion. Set the grated onion aside to drain.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt and pepper and oil. Blend well.

Using a large skillet, heat about 1/4-inch of oil.

Working in batches, use a large tablespoon to drop the potato mixture in the hot oil.

Watch for the edges of the latkes to turn golden brown. Once browned, use two forks to gently flip over the latke.

When the latkes turn golden brown, with crispy edges, place them on brown paper or paper toweling to drain.

Yes, I Am Going To Make A Turkey On & For Thanksgiving!

Yes, I plan to make a turkey for Thanksgiving! - LOL!

I'm still quite in love with the turkey that I made last year because it came out so great! I was sad to see it go!

I didn't have hardly any experience with making a turkey but I wanted to do so so badly so what I did was watch some of the cooking shows and take notes. I watched both Rachel Ray and Emeril's Thanksgiving-related cooking shows to get ideas and help! I'm glad that I watched those shows because they gave (and showed) me a lot of good things to do!

I haven't yet bought my turkey for this Thanksgiving yet but hope to do so by next week! My local grocery store is having a promotion where you'll get a free Thanksgiving turkey if you buy a certain dollar amount of groceries!

The timing of buying everything gets me kind of stressed because I don't want to buy the produce and vegetable too early! Have you ever been at the supermarket just a few days before Thanksgiving? It's a crazy time!

I plan on having a Thanksgiving turkey, along with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beens, rolls and sweet potatoe pie! I'm not too much a fan of gravy but it seems easy to make so I may try to make some. I have never been a fan of cranberry sauce!

I just would like to take the whole day and spend it first by preparing my turkey and watching the Thanksgiving parade on TV.



Update!

I did manage to have everything that I mentioned above!

I I bought my turkey the day before Thanksgiving but I had a great time! Yes the supermarket was crowded and yes there were a lot of people shopping on the day before Thanksgiving but everybody seemed to be in a good and friendly mood! (Although I have to mention that I couldn't wait to get home and relax!)