joy of food

My newest thing lately is to watch the food network. I was never a big fan of cooking yet now I see all these amazing recipes and want to try them out. My only issue is so many of them require skill. I know they say that it is for the everyday person but I find recipes often call for items I don't keep on hand or to do some technique that I don't even know what it is. My issue is not wanting to buy an item for just one recipe and then the rest goes to waste. I also cook for one person as I am home by myself during the week and recipes always seem to be family portioned. So my goal was to find recipes that are provided by the average person and if not portion sized are able to be froze. I found a really good blog that provides from what I've seen some really good recipes. I have yet to get a chance to try them out but am going to in the near future. The blog is http://feedingtheravenoushorde.blogspot.com. The recipes look they would taste good and there is a quick response from the blog writer if you have any questions. If anyone knows of some good reciped sites feel free to comment and let me know.

double standards

If anyone saw the AMA’s or clips of the AMA's you know the controversy was regarding Adam Lambert’s very sexual performance. In this case there was male on male kissing and imitation of sexual acts on the stage. His argument from my understanding was based upon if it was a female performer doing this would it be questioned? At this point does the entertainment industry take things too far sexually, my answer would be yes. I think in this case that if it was a female singer’s performance people would not have made such a big deal about the issue. I think of certain celebrities that wear almost no clothing on stage and are very provocative and no one has any major problem with their actions. In our society I don’t think being gay or male should make your actions judged differently but sadly they are. I’m not saying I agree with his choice of performance but I think it is a double standard. If you want to eliminate sexual content from one person’s performance on television then it needs to be drawn across the board that entertainers need to clean up their acts. I don’t think they will do that, let’s be honest sex sells. If the entertainment industry is willing to exploit that fact to draw an audience base then they need to be willing to accept the consequences of that choice.

Books to Movies Good idea or not??

With the release of the latest Twilight movie it makes me think of how good a job they really do making a book into a movie. I enjoyed Twilight and I happen to really enjoy the books in the series. With the first movie I read the book after seeing the movie, and then when I watched the movie again I was disappointed a little. I am hoping that it is not the same with this case but I fear it will be. I find Hollywood remakes of books very often disappointing. I understand you can't get all the details of a book into the movie however I do not see the need to change the story completely. In many cases such as My Sisters Keeper or The Notebook they change the ending completely. After hearing about the changes in My Sisters Keeper I am not willing to watch the movie yet, that may change in the future but I doubt it. As for The Notebook most people I know love the movie, however after reading a sequel to the book I can't like a movie that has someone die who is in the sequel. If you want to make a movie version of a book and you drastically change the story you are defeating the purpose. I get they sensationalize aspects and want to add interest but I don't like it. In the case of The Lovely Bones which is now a motion picture I enjoyed the book so much I am afraid to see the movie in case it is yet another bad job. Maybe it is because I enjoy reading so much but movie versions are such a disappointment to me.

My favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter flavor Crisco all vegetable shortening
2 eggs
¼ light corn syrup or regular pancake syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups plus 4 tablespoons all purpose four, divided
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red food color
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Combine sugar and shortening in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla. Beat until well blended and fluffy
Combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended
Divide dough in half. Add red food color and peppermint extract to one half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate several hours or over night.
Heat oven to 375F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
Roll 1 rounded teaspoon plain dough with hands into 6-inch rope on lightly floured surface. Repeat, using 1 teaspoonful red dough. Place ropes side by side. Twist together gently. Pinch ends to seal. Curve one end into the “hook” of a candy cane. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet with large pancake turner. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart.
Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375F for 7 to 9 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Do not over bake. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.

My own personal twist is that I dye one half of the dough red as instructed, and then dye the other half green instead of leaving it plain. My advice is to use rubber gloves when mixing color so you don’t end up with stained hands, and to rinse your bowl immediately. Don’t skip the refrigerate instruction if the dough is warm it is too sticky to work with easily. These cookies always seem to be a hit, but just a warning they are sweet.

H1N1

The controversy surrounding H1N1 this year is sickening. If it is the threat that they said it was then the government and medical officials should have taken things more seriously. Allowing for money and position in life to let people skip the process regarding the vaccine is disgusting. We are supposed to be a public health system, not two tiered yet money continues to make a difference. Does being rich or an influential person make your life more important than the next person? There was such a crisis about the rush for people to get the shot and people cutting the line to get their shot early. Then you read an article about how they are throwing away doses. The government has spent a large amount of money on this and now it is in the trash. If it does not have shelf life once it is mixed why mix it up in large quantities if you can not guarantee it will be used. So much has gone on the last month or so regarding H1N1 and a lot of it just scared people. Instead of sticking to the system that was laid out and enforcing what was decided people did what they wanted. I then saw an article in the paper saying that it has now reached its peak in Canada they believe and we are past that. They made such a big deal about the whole issues and pressed the importance of the vaccine and many people didn’t get it and now we are past the worst possibly. I think that sometimes pushing the issue in the media can do more harm than good. Most of what was done seems like scare tactic to get people to take the vaccine and caused a panic amongst people. Every person gets the slightest symptom and they think they have it. There are many flu strains out there and because someone is sick does not mean it is H1N1 yet that is what people are being led to believe. It is a tragedy when a life is lost but scaring people into a panic is not going to help. I think things could have been handled better and medical officials made some bad decisions.

diet foods good or bad?

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/healthy-eating/the-4-worst-foods-you-can-eat?slide=2

I don’t know many people who are not concerned to some level about eating healthy. For the most part I think it is easy to recognize what is unhealthy. Food that is processed, fried, or full of empty calories is easy to recognize and we know they are not healthy. But how many people choose to eat the diet foods. This slide show I found online discussed four foods that are unhealthy to eat. For the most part it is the highly obvious bad foods for you. The surprising one was the diet food. According to this if “you rely on diet products to keep your weight in check, you may be doing your body more harm than good. “Research shows that eating these products stimulates the appetite and can lead to weight gain,” Béliveau writes in Eating Well, Living Well.” I know a lot of people, myself included at times, that think low fat; calorie wise food is the healthy choice. Now this is saying that you need some of those elements to properly digest all the nutrients from other foods. I think this would come as a surprise to many people who are living off diets food trying to lose weight and be healthy. Personally I try to live by the rule of moderation; nothing is bad for you if only consumed in small quantities. In our house we don’t buy junk food, or processed boxed food but once a week we do get a snack food and maybe eat out on weekends. It satisfies that craving and during the week takes away the urge to cheat. From talking to a trainer a the gym she says that is the best way to do things and that if your forbid yourself from eating something you just want it more. So what I learned from this is diet foods aren’t always the best choice and you just need to be smart in your choices and there is nothing wrong with a treat once in a while.

The Gift that Keeps Giving

As the holiday season approaches people focus on family and friends and getting together. In my opinion many people take for granted the luxuries we have at the holidays, being able to share a good meal with people and the giving and receiving of gifts. There are so many people out there who cannot afford the holidays and so many deserving charities that need support. A new trend is buying gifts that give back in return. I think this a great way to teach your children about the gift of giving and how true holiday spirit is about helping others and good will. I found articles that feature gifts that keep on giving. They provide different options of gifts that will then give proceed to charities, buying gifts through charities that the proceeds go to the charity, or buy through a mainstream product where a percentage goes to a good cause. There are so many options there that make giving back to the community whether local or worldwide an easy option. Some of the gift ideas are very attractive and people would appreciate getting them and knowing that they supported a good cause. Some ideas where ornaments that proceeds go to sick kids foundation and are sold through their website, or purchasing a gift through the Centre for Addiction and Mental health in a friend or family member’s honour. Many of the charitable gifts are available through their websites and tell you how it will help a deserving individual. Another option is buying products offered through stores such as The Body Shop, Fruits and Passion or product websites where they offer a portion to a charity. Some cases it is a specific cause and in others the consumer may choose what charity their sale goes to. Realistically the holidays are very materialistic and people are not going to stop buying gifts so if there is a way buy gifts and support a good cause then it is a win-win situation. Many of the products I have seen are very attractive and something I would consider to buy for a loved one.

How to Deal

Have you ever been in a situation where you have something on your mind about someone but you just can’t say it to that person? A simple easy solution is to write them a letter and then get rid of it. I had heard about this technique as ways to help get rid of unresolved feelings. There are just times when maybe something was left unsaid but you don’t talk to that person, or maybe it would just cause more problems or damage to say what you want. There are times when the best option is just to stay quiet. But then you have all the unspoken thoughts and feelings running through and eating at your mind. I was sceptical when I had first heard about this. How is writing a letter that no one will ever see going to help a situation? Then I decided to try it. I had a past situation where so much was left unsaid but I no longer have contact with this person and it would not be in my best interest to contact them again. However my feelings and not having gotten closure left all the unspoken filling my mind. I chose to write a letter to this person. I have no intention of ever mailing this letter and no one will ever read what I wrote. I used it as a chance to say everything I never got a chance to and to let go of any regrets I may have had regarding my own actions in the circumstances. I was not sure how well this letter would work and thought maybe I was wasting my time. Then after I wrote the letter I found that I no longer thought about the person and situation the way I had. It was a sense relief and as if a heavy load was lifted off my mind. It sounds like a crazy idea at first but once you try it you feel relieved and are amazed at how well it works. Apparently the person who came up with this idea knew what they were talking about and I can see why they have people use it to help in situations.

The Dangers of Tanning Beds

How many people consider tanning beds a healthy alternative to the sun? I know many people who tell me that it is ok to tan in a bed as it doesn’t damage your skin the way the sun does. I just read an article “Scary Truths Tanning Salons Deny” which states that tanning indoors before the age of 30 increases your chance of skin-cancer risk by 75%. I won’t deny that as a teenager I not only used tanning beds but would lie in the sun with baby oil on. I then started looking at my mother’s skin, she loved tanning whether in the sun or using tanning beds, and saw the damage and aged look it gave her skin. I decided that I would rather be pale then chance skin cancer or prematurely age my skin. A professor at Yale was quoted in the article about the fact that there is no debate anymore about UV radiation causing cancer and tanning salons deny this they are misstating information for their own benefit. ABC’s 20/20 and Cosmo teamed up to do an undercover investigation to find out what tanning salons were telling consumers. The article gave a sneak peak at some of the lies that were told to the investigators when they went into salons asking questions. It just amazes me that they are able to operate while telling such blatant lies to their customers. At the same time so many people are uneducated regarding the issue or even with the knowledge don’t seem concerned. They have that mentality that they are young and it’s not going to happen to them. Or their grandparents where outside all the time in the sun and did not get cancer. I think people prefer to ignore facts such as the ozone layer has been damaged and it is not the same to be outside as it once was. More people are concerned about having a healthy glow to their skin then the fact that in another 20 years they may see the permanent damage to their skin. I think people need to think about the risks and read articles such as this one to get facts and make an informed decision. If having a tan is that important to you go to the pharmacy and buy a bottle of self-tanner and skip on the UV damage.

Job Hunting

As a student doing my post graduate degree searching for a job in my chosen career is something regularly on the mind. When it comes time to find a job come May after graduation you want to make sure you are doing everything you can to make sure you are chosen for the position. I recently read an interesting article about the new rules for a getting a job. I find it very interesting and also at times quite surprising. The article was in Cosmo magazine and they teamed up with Human Resource Management and surveyed 500 members to hear what increases applicants chances. I think one good tip is to wait a day or two after a job is posted as HR reads the last resumes first. Another good tip which I have heard many times before is to go on an untagging spree. Of those surveyed ¼ said they Google applicants and 86% of those said if they find evidence of unflattering behaviour it would reduce your chance of being hired. I think too many people think social media sites are just for fun and connecting with friends but once you post something on the internet it is out there for good and may damage you in the future. So next time a drunken photo looks funny at the time think if you would want your coworkers or executives at your job to see that photo or read those comments. I found it shocking that many said you have about 5 seconds to make a good impression and by that point they basically know whether you will get the job or not. So it is important to make eye contact and be polite and confident when you first meet your interviewer. It also comes down to simple things such as not wearing jeans, and not coming across as too sexy in an interview. Most said bare legs and tights are too much and even sometimes heels too high look too provocative. I think that some people are concerned about looking good and being in style and don’t really think about if what is trendy is professional. The article had ten tips in total which contain a lot of good information to consider when applying for a job. I would recommend reading the article to anyone who is considering looking for a job now or any time in the near future.