What To Expect When Planning With A Catering Event Coordinator

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Whenever an important event is approaching, it's a relief to work with an event coordinator that has catering experience so they can help you plan (and realize) every culinary detail
you've envisioned. So what should you expect when working with an experienced event planner?

Expert Consultation:

The initial step in planning an event is to understand the client's overall vision and goal for the party. Event Planners should spend time with clients discussing the theme, type of party, and what the client has already envisioned
i.e. dcor, catering menus, food preferences, alcohol preferences, equipment, etc.

Customization:

A professional event coordinator should be able to take you from the proposal stage to the day of the event, working with you on even the most minute of details. You won't be passed from one person to another; instead, you'll value the undivided attention you receive from a single collaborator. Basically, professional catering event planners should be able to seamlessly lead you through every step of the process.

Familiarity With Your Venue:

Established event coordinators that are familiar with catering events will know the in's and out's of your city's popular venues. They can provide great advice on what works well while suggesting
alternatives that will save you money on catering and other associated costs.

Trusted Vendors:

Most of us aren't familiar with the top local vendors or the most popular caterers. Your event planner, however, should be, and their experience grants them the ability to recommend a trusted and reputable caterer.

References:

It's smart to ask for them, and can't do any harm. A good caterer will have plenty of clients happy to give them a favorable recommendation. It is also good to ask for a customer who had an event that was similar to the one you will be having.

Planning the Event Layout:

Professional event coordinators often create a room diagram to scale, allowing
you to make sure you're aware of what the room will look like before the event. This ensures that everything (including the food) will fit in your chosen location.

Complete Proposals:

All too often, a hazy or vague proposal can create confusion. What is and what is not included? The best event coordinators make sure that all catering costs are predetermined and clearly defined. Let your event planner create a customized preliminary proposal complete with all possible options including food, labor and rental costs. Are the dishes included? Is gratuity included? Where is the charge for the staff to serve the meal? Make sure you're comparing "apples to apples" when reviewing proposals. You don't want any surprises after you have chosen your caterer. The best event planners pride themselves on giving you a complete quote that leaves nothing to the imagination. This way, you'll never be surprised when the bill comes!

Detail Selection:

Experienced Event Planners will use often utilize catering photos and catalogs to help you gain a visual image of the event. At this point the client will choose linens, and a possible tasting might be arranged to finalize the menu. During this step, the Event Planner and client will also walk through the event location and smooth over the final details and/or concerns.

In the end, the job of your event planner is to take the stress off you so you don't have to worry. True professionals have developed and refined a unique catering event planning process that applies to small intimate parties as well as large events. Experienced event planners will remain committed to a philosophy of value and quality by giving you the event you have envisioned at a cost that fits your budget.

Wave Introduces Two New Product Innovations That Will Revolutionize The Messaging Market

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LOTUSPHERE, ORLANDO, FL. January 17, 2010 - Just in time for their five year anniversary this month, Wave launched the Smartphone app MyLink for Android devices and will be conquering the messaging migration market with the unique migration tool WaveBox.

MyLink enables the synchronization of Lotus Notes, Domino, MS Outlook POP3 and Exchange emails, calendars, contacts, tasks and notes with Google Android phones.

The product range includes MyLink Advanced, MyLink Desktop and MyLink Enterprise. The products are designed to suit users' individual needs. MyLink Advanced provides users with the possibility to directly synchronize their PIM data via USB, whereas MyLink Desktop & Enterprise support the OTA synchronization of all data (Client-based for Desktop, server-based for Enterprise). Wave implements a Point-to-Point Synchronization System that cuts out the need for a third party server completely without processing the data through Google or any other server portal.

Statistics show that employees are increasingly showing the desire to synchronize their private phones with their work data (Information taken from "The Device Dilemma", report by market research firm Vanson Bourne). This was long not possible due to security risks. Thanks to Push Mail, Point-to-Point Synchronization and Remote Wipe, MyLink makes it possible to provide employees with their work emails on the road and also via their private Android phones.

The implications for businesses are significant. There is no need for additional servers, as the software can be installed directly on the existing mail servers. The easy set-up, intuitive user interface and low maintenance result in a reduction of support queries. MyLink also means that companies won't have the need to provide their employees with the latest gadgets anymore, as users' own devices can be utilized without the fear of data breaches.
This essentially transforms the Android devices into smart, business friendly phones, bringing Google that one step closer into the corporate market.

The MyLink products are available for individual users on the Android Market and online at www.waveglobal.net. Corporations looking to license several users through a server platform can enquire directly via email to contact@waveglobal.net.

The clever innovation in WaveBox will change the way messaging migration is carried out. The tool is using Cluster Technology to migrate users from Microsoft Exchange to Lotus Notes and Domino. This enhances the data processing speed. Therefore, where a project previously was carried out within a six months time frame, the duration of the project is cut to a fragment of its previous processing period, meaning days, rather than months.

This new technology enables Wave to reduce time and man power spent on messaging migrations, and thus, allows significant price cuttings, bringing numerous advantages to corporations migrating servers. This innovation helps Wave to be more flexible in serving the requirements of their clients. Not only will the project be carried out faster, releasing company internal resources earlier, but also the rate of error will be reduced drastically and therefore increasing the efficiency throughout the project.

Corporations can now look forward to smooth running projects in the area of messaging collaborations, from consolidations to migrations without the worry of spending too much time and valuable resources.

Further information about the product can be found online at www.waveglobal.net. Consultations and quotes can be enquired via email to sales@waveglobal.net.

For their 5th anniversary, Wave is running a special anniversary promotion unique to Lotusphere, offering the first five companies free consultation on their messaging migration when deciding for WaveBox.

About Wave
Wave is a leading messaging specialist providing innovative solutions and software for the Lotus Notes, MS Outlook and Android markets.

As Migration Specialists, Wave serves companies large and small around the world. Wave products are dedicated to help IT Administrators and Architects to completely manage and maintain existing applications, migration, upgrades and consolidation projects.

Visitors of Lotusphere 2010 can learn more about Wave and their products at pedestal 520.

Top 5 Qualities of a Great Chef

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Almost anyone who steps into a culinary arts career aspires to become a chef. Since the competition in the industry is truly fierce, its not a childs play to become a chef with a high-end restaurant or national restaurant chain. It required adequate educational qualification, experience and a wide range of skills. Without having the essential qualities of a chef, you can never expect to achieve professional success in the field of culinary arts.

Lets have a look at some of the most important qualities that make a great chef.

A lot of Passion
Passion is the foundation stone for becoming a great chef. Before you step into this career, you need to make sure that you are truly passionate about working as a chef. The cooking industry is characterized by a fast-paced environment. You should be able to stand the kitchen heat. You should be able to stand on your toes round the clock. You can do it all only when you have a strong passion for working as a chef.

A Keen Eye for Minute Details
One of the most important qualities of a great chef is their ability of paying attention to every minute detail. Your attention-to-detail skills come into play when you start working with tons of cooking ingredients. You need to pay careful attention while mixing a variety of ingredients.

Capability to Experiment
A great chef is distinguished by their quality of experimenting. If you dont love to experiment with new delicacies, you should not be in this profession. While working as a chef, you face new challenges every day. Its your job to keep customers happy and coming in. Innovative skills play an important role in establishing yourself as a great chef in the cooking industry.

Efficiency to Multi-task
If you want to become a great chef, you need to be a great multi-tasker too. While you are in the kitchen, youll be required to handle a wide range of tasks in an efficient manner. Its only possible when you are comfortable with multi-tasking. Apart from cooking, you also need to ensure that customer orders are delivered in time. You may also handle the kitchen supplies. In addition, you will be required to supervise the assistants. There are many more things that you may be required to handle in the kitchen.

Strong Decision Making
Among other qualities of a chef, the decision making ability also has a major role to play. The cooking industry is quite fast-paced. If you are not capable of providing quick solutions to problems, you can easily get yourself into trouble.

Without having the above mentioned qualities, you can never expect to become a great chef. If you want to pursue this cooking career, you should start focusing on these skills as quickly as possible. So, are you ready?

Tamales - Five Fun Facts!

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Tamales---Did You Know..

Aside from tamales having a very colorful history that dates back thousands of years to the ancient Aztecs, Mayans and Incas; aside from tamales being enjoyed in many parts of the world as a delicious, nutritious meal; and aside from hundreds of varieties of tamales existing in Mexico, alone, I'll bet there are still some things about tamales you just might not be aware of. Sit back, relax and enjoy some fanciful facts concerning the tamale that most people don't know--

Fun Fact #1:

Tamales, though almost 9,000 years old, didn't become introduced to America until the turn of the 20th Century. Migrant Mexican workers and African Americans would work side by side in cotton fields; and it was here that Mexicans shared their tamale favorites with their African-American co-workers. The African Americans, in turn, introduced the food to others who introduced it to others, etc . It took a while for the idea to spread throughout America, but once it did, vendors on the streets of larger cities such as New York and Chicago would sell their goodies to locals. The tamales being sold on the streets were affectionately dubbed, "Red Hots".

Fun Fact #2:

Preparing tamales isn't like grabbing a ready-made taco kit and whipping together some tacos for a quick family meal. The time it takes to create authentic, home-made tamales is time-intensive and traditionally involves an actual assembly line of family and friends. Preparing the meat, alone, can take hours, not to mention preparing every other ingredient. Many times, tamales are the highlight of Mexican and Latino holidays or special events where a tamale-making party becomes something very special to look forward to, and is referred to as la tamalada.

Fun Fact #3:

If one happens to be the wife of the United States President, you have access to any type of food imaginable. One such wife, Michelle Obama, happens to think tamales are pretty darn yummy. She loves this food so much that her husband jokingly warned guests at one of the White House's Cinco de Mayo celebrations that if one is wise, one will make sure he or she doesn't come between First Lady Michelle and her tamales. So step aside sushi, lobster tail, prime rib and seafood gumbo---tamales are at the top of the White House menu. In fact, Mrs. Obama seems to have her own version of tamales that she prepares in the White House kitchen on a regular basis--green chilies with Jack Cheese and hot chilie sauce.

In the same vein, if you happen to be in Texas, home of former President George Bush, you can visit Mother Shuckers Tamales! Or just visit them online at http://mothershuckerstamales.com

Fun Fact #4:

Though tamales originated from South American cultures, the ingredients have become varied and quite interesting depending on what country one might live in or visit. In some Central American countries, iguana is added as a delicacy; in Japan ahi tuna is a main ingredient with ponzu. Ahi tuna is a certain species found in tropical waters and ponzu is a thin, citrus-based sauce. If you happen to be in Shanghai, one can order tamales with roasted duck and bok choy which is an oriental white cabbage; and in case your next vacation takes you to Saudi Arabia, check out eateries where tamales contain chocolate and other goodies--topped with real flecks of pure gold!

Ah, yes, the tamale has certainly evolved since the days of Mayan traditions where ants, gopher meat, frogs and tadpoles, wild honey and bees, armadillos and even xulo--an ancient dog no longer in existence-- were packed inside as lip-smacking fillings. Moving right along....

Fun Fact #5:

If you happen to visit Newport Beach, California at any time, take a side trip to an art museum in the area that pays special tribute to the tamale. "And what is the name of the museum?" you might ask. It's The Tamale Museum, of course! Permanent exhibits at the museum delve into fascinating displays that depict Pre-Columbian cooking and ancient culinary methods for tamale preparation. One can even enjoy a hands-on activity and literally get a feel for how tamales are created from cornstalk to table.

Tamales--it's what's for dinner!

T-34 vs Tiger The Greatest Tank Battle

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The lengendary Tiger tank...Hitler's super weapon of the WW2 battlefield. So superior to all other tanks of the enemy that the Battle of Kursk was delayed to allow the Tiger 1 to spearhead the attack that would drive the Russians back and bring victory back to the Germans on the eastern front...or so they hoped. "The Last Citadel" by David L Robbins is a fictional novel based on this premise and this is my review.
The Last Citadel by David L Robbins, is a fictional book based on historical events surrounding the epic tank battle at Kursk Russia in 1943 during WWII. The German forces were bogged down by the Russian winter, the Russian victory at Stalingrad and then the subsequent spring rain and mud. In the summer of 1943 the Germans had amassed a huge force to attack Russia and regain lost ground. This would lead to the largest tank battle in history and also lends a dynamic backdrop to this book. There are 4 main characters that drive this story. The first is a Spanish officer Captain Luis Ruiz de Vega serving with the SS Liebstandarte Panzer Division. He was wounded in the Battle of Leningrad and is but a shell of his former greatness. The next 3 are all from the same Russian Cossack family. Dimitri Berko, a private driving the T-34 in the Soviet 3rd Mechanized Division. He is commanded by Sergeant Valentin Berko, Dimitri's son, and Katya Berkovna, Dimitri's daughter, a night bomber with the famous all-female bomber squadrons of the Red Air Force, so-called the Night Witches by the Germans that they bomb. The 3 main story lines follow de Vega being assigned to escort the new super panzer of the German Army, the Tiger 1 Panzerkampfwagen VI, via train to the front and assure that the Tigers are delivered intact. He then starts itching for action to command one of the Tigers at the Battle of Kursk. He soon realizes how the Tiger is most effective in battle. With Demitri and son Valentin in the same T-34 there is much of the father/son tension along with the tank battles that ensue. The author keeps all entities separate into what seems like 3 different stories revolving around the build up to the tank battle at Kursk. Each character has there own well detailed back stories that are fleshed out through memories, flashbacks and boastful story telling during the lulls in the battles. The best aspect of this book is the historical detail and accuracy of the Tiger tank and the Battle of Kursk. This book was very close to being non-fiction in the level of detail, but also very engrossing character development. After reading about David L Robbins amount of research that was conducted, I knew just how realistic this book was. He had spent 3 weeks on the battlefields of Kursk in the middle of summer getting a feel for the heat and sun of the Russian steppes. He also trained in how to derail a train using explosives as the Partisan Russian fighters attempted in destroying the shipment of the Tiger tanks in the story. Time was also spent in pouring over accounts from German and Russian tankers' first hand battle accounts. "Hands on" equipment training was given to him ranging from firearms to the tanks at the Aberdeen Ordinance Museum in Maryland and being taken around in a restored T-34 in Virginia. David L Robbins certainly did his homework for this book and you will feel it when you read it. If you like WW2 tanks, then this is a must read for you.

About the author:

William Snyder has a passion for World War 2 German panzer tanks...so much so that it inspired him to design and create t shirts based on these armored beasts. To see his designs goto: ACHTUNG T SHIRT and BLOG.

Romantic Weekend Getaway to Washington, DC

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Washington, DC and cherry blossom trees are the perfect ingredients for a romantic weekend getaway. Spring is finally on its way. After months of waiting for the sun to come out and the temperature to be warmer, it is finally here. Join the hundreds of thousands of other people and welcome spring with the blooming flowers at the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event that commemorates the 1912 gift of Japanese cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC to enhance the relationship between the United States and Japan. To accommodate all the prepared events, the festival has stretched into a 2-week event from March 29 until April 13 this year, scoping three weekends - that gives you three chances to go to Washington, DC and have your romantic weekend getaway while the festival takes place.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in the city, surrounding the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin. One of the first things you might want to do for your romantic weekend getaway is to go for an early morning walk and picnic on the Tidal Basin to avoid the rush of the crowd. You can bring your own breakfast and enjoy each other's company and the beautiful weather. After this, rent out a 2-passenger paddle boat for only $8 per hour and view the Jefferson Memorial and Japanese Cherry Trees from the water. Or, if you want to know more about the history of the cherry blossom trees and the festival, you can have a Cherry Blossom Tour with a National Park Service Ranger for free! If you still have enough time before the scheduled event in the morning commences, take the 3-hour City Scooter Tour to see the memorials and monuments along the Tidal Basin and National Mall.

From the first to the very last day, the National Cherry Blossom Festival has special events for everyone to enjoy. The Opening Day Festivities is a day-long event with dozens of activities, special performances and ceremonial speeches by the city officials and other dignitaries. Other activities include sports competitions, tree planting, art shows, concerts and cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, the Washington Savoyards' rendition of The Mikado, fireworks display on board the Spirit Cruises, marching bands, a Gala Dinner Cruise and more! Whatever weekend you choose to have your romantic getaway, you are both sure to find something interesting for you to do together.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is the largest event of the year in Washington, DC. It will be a great romantic weekend getaway to actually experience it. The parade consists of decorated floats, huge colorful balloons, clowns, antique vehicles, horses, marching bands from different schools across the nation and celebrity performances or appearances.

Experience a different kind of street party at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. It is one of the major events of the National Cherry Blossoms Festival, and the biggest Japanese street gathering in the whole country. Have a look at the one-of-a-kind Japanese gardening display and floral arrangement from the exhibits of Japanese bonsai trees and more. Through this street festival, your romantic weekend getaway will allow you to learn some culinary techniques with a cooking demonstration of Japanese cuisine. Some highlights of the Sakura Matsuri are koto music, classical and folk dances and taiko drums performances, martial arts demonstrations of disciplines that originated or are developed in Japan, Japanese arts and crafts, Japanese Beer Gardens featuring the Kirin Ichiban beer and more.

Of course, romantic weekends are not complete without romantic dining. Enjoy special meals at any of Washington's Cherry Picks, a number of restaurants around Washington, DC that add cherries to their menu and to their recipes during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Then, take your partner for a horse-drawn carriage ride. A lot of couples specifically choose this romantic way to enjoy the cherry blossoms, that is why reservations are highly recommended for this.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an experience to remember. The scent of the cherry blossom trees and all of the other flowers that bloom in springtime are the kind of aroma perfect for a romantic weekend getaway.

Popular Fusion Family Oriented Fine Dining

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Imagine guacamole, margaritas, and the finest Latin fusion food you can stand to eat - that's something pretty impressive for a fine meal, and it doesn't have to be something that you aren't used to. If you have Latin food favorites - like burritos, mofongo, coconut shrimp, etc - you are sure to find an exciting and delicious variation of one of these classics in the form of a fusion food menu item. Now, what exactly makes these menu items any more special than the traditional foods that you know and love? Well, they're the future of modern Latin cuisine - and that's incredibly exciting to be a part of.

See, these foods are drawing on amazing traditions that vary from country to country and region to region within those countries. It's pretty amazing to think about - we are witnessing modern cultural evolution unfold in the spotlight of the country's culinary stage. Fine family dining is already being transformed by these brand new and unique establishments, providing an environment that celebrates all the different kinds of culinary variations possible in a fusion environment. Can you see what makes this such a great environment for large families? The bigger the group is, the more difficult it can be to accommodate everyone's different tastes. If your family is into celebrating birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions together at restaurants, you might be familiar with this problem. Booking a restaurant that has enough diversity in its menu to please the crowd is hard - Latin fusion restaurants make it easy.

The whole philosophy of fusion is what makes this possible. It's dedicated to creating a synthesis of recipes, spices, and food preparation techniques from all across different subcultures under the Hispanic and Latin culture banner, infusing the new with the familiar in what is sure to be an exciting new meal experience. Don't take my word for it, though.If you love trying new things and value all the different palates and flavor combinations made possible by different Latin culinary traditions, fusion is the next step in expanding your taste experience. You're almost guaranteed to discover a new favorite meal. With so many different options, how could you not?

What's most amazing to me is that this isn't a localized thing. No, these places aren't just popping up in New York City or Los Angeles, catering to a very small and very rich clientele. Latin fusion food is experiencing popularity all over the states, from Appleton, Wisconsin and beyond, and the prices are not out of average range for a middle class family just looking to go out and bond over great food and even better company. This is making a huge dent in the American fine dining industry, carving out a long lasting place in the public culinary consciousness of the country itself. Don't take my word for it - go find out why this is making such a "splash in the pan" - and why it's proving to be more than just a trend.

Ken Research re-launches the B2B E Commerce Portal Kenresearch.com

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Ken Research is pleased to announce the launch of their redesigned website, www.kenresearch.com. The new website offers extensive content and new features such as discount coupon schemes, pre paid client option, subscription services, market updates through newsletters and many others. For the very first time, a user will have an option to compare reports on a single screen.

The re launched website is featured in a contemporary design. Changes have been introduced in the navigation especially offering better search option to assist clients in finding the right information in less time.

"We have been in this business for some time now serving clients needs, helping them out with their Research needs and by building relationships. We believe that in this dynamic business environment, innovation and convenience are two ways of doing business. We recognized the needs of thousands of our clients and have incorporated the same by putting across in the website to make it convenient for them to search what they are looking for"- says Ankur Gupta, Director Marketing.

Ken Research has now diversified itself and will also become an aggregator of research reports and is currently vying to add global publishers to be a marketplace. The company is also in advanced conversation with various companies engaged in preparing Equity Research Reports / Company Reports. The valuable reports will also be available on Ken Research's platform in the coming months.

The company will leverage its core strength of preparing market intelligence into reselling as well with the first time innovative option of Enquire before Purchasing Option. The core team of the company will assist a buyer by understanding their requirement and then offering the best research report from their repository. This will reduce post purchase dissonance for a client who decides to purchase any research report from Ken's platform.

The highlight of the new website will be discount offered to pre paid clients along with various discount coupons / schemes available for registered users. Ken Research's Website is designed to assist Private Equity Firms, Venture Capitalists, Corporate Clients, Government Organisation, Consulting Firms and Investment Banks to make well informed decision before purchasing any research report from their repository.

Ken Research provides bespoke industry intelligence, equity research reports and business consulting services on gamut of sectors across the globe. The company is engaged in data analytics and aids clients in due-diligence, product expansion, plant setup, acquisition intelligence to all the other gamut of objectives through our research focus. We use advanced information management tools, sophisticated analytical systems and methodologies to help our clients with crucial industry information for decision making.

Source: https://www.kenresearch.com/press/ken-research-relaunch-b2b-e-commerce-portal/579.html

How to Steam Food in Culinary College

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Welcome back to culinary college! Todays lesson is How To Steam Food. Im glad you are punctual to class because youll want every minute of this four and one half hour lecture and laboratory class.

The students at Stratford University in Baltimore aspire to careers as professional chefs, hospitality managers, and entrepreneurs of many different kinds. One particular graduate of the Baltimore culinary college actually became a cooking instructor on the internet! He now helps thousands of people all over the world improve their lifestyles through food.

Today, that graduate is at the front of the class helping to examine the basic cooking method of steaming. Steaming is a moist convective cooking method because heat is imparted to food indirectly through moisture in the form of steam.

In the previous lab class, we explored the differences between boil, simmer and poach. Items are poached at 165F, simmered at about 185F, and boiled at 212F. In my opinion, boiling is not a cooking method, its a terrible way to treat your food. The large violent motion of liquid in a full, rolling boil tears up protein products and makes them shrink and toughen.

When you discover the secrets of how to steam food instead of poaching it, then you help retain nutrients and texture of the item. Nutrients can leach from vegetables when they are immersed in poaching liquid. However, the indirect contact of moist heat through steaming means you can retain much of the texture and nutrient quality of foods.

Another advantage of a steaming method is that you can cook items that are assembled or composed. In todays assignment, well make a stuffed Flounder pinwheel by spreading herbed cheese along with sliced raw shrimp onto a fish filet, roll it into a log and cut in slices. This type of composed item would disintegrate in a poaching liquid. But, suspended above steaming liquid helps it retain its shape.

A disadvantage of steaming is that you may not have the most visually appealing item through moist convection. Those grill marks on a steak, or nice brown color on a sauteed chicken breast come from caramelization of sugars at 320F. Since steam is never hotter than 212F, a steamed item will never be brown. However, you can bet it will be moist and flavorful.

Steaming takes advantage of the highest moist heat without boiling and subjecting your food to violent motion. This type of cooking method is the best to make vegetables even your children will want to eat. The gateway to healthier eating goes through steam.

The correct Steaming Procedure is:

1) Compose Your Item If its a simple chicken breast, season it with salt and pepper. If youre steaming asparagus spears, trim the ends. If youre steaming a Flounder and Shrimp Pinwheel as shown in the video, create the item and get it ready for the steam.
2) Lay the Item On a Rack - The key to steaming is that your food is suspended ABOVE simmering liquid, and never touches it. So, this rack should have holes that allow the steam to penetrate.
3) Bring a Flavorful Liquid to a Full Boil - In a cooking vessel in which the rack will fit, create a flavorful broth, or use chicken stock, but never water. Water is flavorless.
4) Lower the Rack Into The Steamer And place a lid over it to create the convective motion of moist heat.
5) Your item is done with a digital thermometer. 165F is generally the final finished temperature.
6) You can use the steaming liquid to create a sauce by reducing or thickening it.

When you know how to steam food correctly, youll be using this basic cooking method more often than in the past. Its fast, its simple, its low-fat, its flavorful, and you can never burn something that youre steaming. Its fool-proof, whether youre in culinary college or not.

How to Make Italian Ham Panini

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Italy is one of the best places in the world to produce the finest cuisines and fantastic dishes, not to forget the good wine, of course. Remember spaghetti and pizza treats that no one could resist? Well, Italy has definitely become very well known for that, but there is more to Italian foods than these things. And what about those enticing Italian sandwiches called Panini such as Ham Panini or Turkey Panini?

Panino, or Panini in plural form, is a famous sandwich made of a small loaf of bread that is cut horizontally, stuffed with your choice of meat products, cheese, herbs and spices, vegetables, and other ingredients. Panini sandwiches vary: some would have it served without the sauce or topping, as their tradition dictates; some would prefer to add sauce to fit in with their local taste. In whatever style you want your Panini to be, keep in mind though that the best way to cook Panini is to cook it in a Panini grill or press.

To help you get started here's a sample recipe for the Italian Ham Panini, which is good if you have ham leftovers in your fridge.

You will need to prepare the following ingredients:

-Thinly-sliced ham; leftovers are good
-Italian loaf bread
-Fresh mozzarella
-Provolone cheese
-Fresh basil leaves, or fresh spinach, rinse and pat dry
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Red wine vinegar
-Salt and pepper

Then follow the steps below:

1-Cut the Italian loaf in half. On each side of the cut bread, place thin slices of mozzarella to keep in tact the bread halves together when placed in Panini press.

2-Put a topping of fresh spinach, or fresh basil leaves, on the mozzarella.

3-Sprinkle it with a good amount of vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to get the best flavor from it.

4-Next, layer it with provolone cheese.

5-Then top it with thinly-sliced ham. Shower some more salt and pepper.

6-Put together the two halves of bread and close it up.

7-Lastly, brush some olive oil before putting it on the grill.

8-Let it grill until the cheese is seen to melt.

9-Remove it from the grill. Let it cool for a few minutes until it's not too hot to hold anymore. Slice it into your desired cuts.

10-Then serve and enjoy your Panini!

Panini sandwiches are not only healthy and delicious treats for everyone; it is the most preferred food-to-go these days by busy bodies. While they can easily be prepared at home and brought to the office, they can also easily be ordered from your favorite restaurant; this option is more expensive of course.

While some people question the calories and fat found in Panini sandwiches, there is nothing to worry about if you make your own, because you control the ingredients. To resolve this issue, always opt for low-fat or low-calories ingredients to fill up that Ham Panini sandwich.

Sabrina Rocca
Author: Easy Panini Recipes
Visit http://www.easypaninirecipes.com and sign up for a FREE newsletter and receive a copy of "Cooking Mastery" as well as panini recipes and tips. Easy Panini Recipes contains over 50 easy to follow, step-by-step panini recipes that will make anyone look like a gourmet chef!

How To Make Any Guy Fall In Love With You - It's No Secret!

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I'm sure you've heard your mother or grandmother say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I bet you never thought they were right!

True, you need more than culinary skills to pull off a successful relationship, but trust me, no guy would ever complain about his girlfriend cooking too well!

Believe it or not, most men want a women who takes care of him in a motherly way without being too much like his own mother. He wants you to do his laundry, buy his toilet paper, and yes, cook for him. Looking to start a new step in your relationship?

Give cooking a try to help your main man fall madly in love.

1) Where to Start

If you never baked bread with your mom, or even learned how to boil water on the stove to make pasta, cooking may be a bit of a challenge for you. Luckily, you're not on your own.

You can us a variety of techniques to start learning the basics of maneuvering around a kitchen. Once you've learned the first few skills, the rest won't seem very difficult at all!

Check out your local bookstore. Cookbooks come in all shapes and sizes, and there are even some for beginners or young adults.

Choose a book that has recipes that sound tasty to youif you won't taste-test, you shouldn't serve to a guest; that's my rule. Make sure you start with recipes for meals. Desserts can be fun to make (and eat), but baking is more difficult than cooking, so if you're new to this game, don't try to bake a cake from scratch on your first day!

While in the bookstore, you can check out some great food magazines as well. These come with recipes as well as handy articles containing numerous hints for new chefs.

Television is a great place to learn as well. Check out the networks solely devoted to food, as well as other channels that showcase the preparation of recipes. When you see something being done, you can get a feel for how to do things.

You can even TiVo or record the show so that you can follow along at your own pace and make the same meal!

For advanced beginners or those who completely want to dive into the world of food, check out the classes at your local community center or at a junior college. Sign up for some that sound fun and interesting! You'll shell out a little more money this way, but you'll get one-on-one instruction from some great chefs.

2) The Menu

Of course, when you've cooking for another person, like your sweetie, it's always best to find out ahead of time what he likes to eat!

If your boyfriend is allergic to chocolate, for example, taking a chocoholic baking class may not be very helpful. If you want your new culinary skills to be a surprise and really make your man melt, simple take notice to what he grabs off of a buffet line or orders at a restaurant.

When in doubt, call his mother. She may even be able to share the exact recipes he loves best.

3) The Big Day

When you learn to cook, you can continue to please your man daily (or every once in awhile at least, if you aren't ambitious enough to cook dinner every day).

However, after learning a new skill, you can really get your honey's mouth to drop if you plan a very special meal just for him. Set the mood for lovebuy some candles, pop open a great bottle of wine, and have a little mood music ready.

Make the setting even more romantic by keeping the work you've done under wraps. Who wants to stare at a pile of dirty dishes as they eat?

You probably won't have time to clean up before serving dinner, so if you don't have a separate dining room, set up a card table in the living room. With the lights dimmed and rose petals sprinkled around, it'll seem like a four-star restaurant.

Remember, however, that you boyfriend will be focused the most on the food. Prepare everything to perfection and be sure to keep courses hot. Enlist a friend to help you prep during the day if you're still a little nervous.

Don't worry too much thougheven if you burn dinner, it's the thought that counts.

When your boyfriend get that first bite, he'll see how much effort you're putting into making the relationship work. Love is only a pork chop away.

How Cooking Shows Influence The Common Kitchen

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Every season, men and women from all across the globe, are glued up to watch every episode of Master Chef. Master Chef is a cooking reality show based from a British original. The show captures the hearts not only of aspiring chefs but of everyone who enjoys fancy and highly-advanced fashion homewares. What explains the surging rating of reality cooking shows? Is it because of peoples genuine interest in how they design their homes? Or is it merely because cooking shows now give viewers the same thrills that we get when watching glamorous celebrities on the tube?

Researches have proved that only 12% of the total adult population dislikes cooking at home. This means that over 50% enjoy fussing at the stove many of them enjoy the activity and others see it as a necessary task. Over 58% watch food programs on TV. They read the food section of newspapers and magazines and visit food websites. Given this, we can fairly say that media is a great influence not only in how homes prepare their food but also on how homeowners purchase home decor and decorate the kitchen.

According to studies, the average households kitchen is primarily influenced by friends and family. But food programs come in second. Viewers watch food TV shows because they want to learn new recipes. But given the fancy kitchen equipment and the convenience that these kitchenware offer, people no longer just watch cooking shows like Master Chef merely for cooking techniques but also to get the latest scoop in lifestyle homewares.

Expectedly, because men and women who love to cook also enjoy decorating the kitchen, high-end brands in kitchen homeware use these top-rating cooking shows to advertise their products. Even celebrities like Jamie Oliver, Donna Hay, and Maggie Beer who already have kitchen branded products take advantage of the high ratings of cooking shows. Now, people do not just watch food programs to explore new recipes, they do so as well to seek inspiration on how to decorate their kitchen.

The cooking show phenomenon has made everyone believe that in order to make good food, it is not enough that he has the right ingredients and knows the step-by-step cooking techniques, people have developed the belief that in order to cook great recipes, they need to have the right and the latest kitchen equipment, visually enticing kitchen interior, and a kitchen space conducive to cooking. In short, viewers want their kitchen to look as pleasant and as functional like their favorite food programs.

Visit us at Pink Paper Rock http://www.pinkpaperrock.com for the latest in home fashion, bargains and treasures for the home. Join our Pink Mail for the latest information on where to buy, competitions and more... It's all at http://www.pinkpaperrock.com ...we'll put the kettle on...

History of Italian Cuisine

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Most people will recognize pasta and pizza - two of the most popular dishes that form part of the Italian cuisine. However, Italian cuisine has a lot more to offer than just these two well known dishes. Most importantly, Italian cuisine also has a rich and tempting history - just like the different dishes that form part of its offerings.

All over the land of Italy, all the Italians always maintain a distinctive cooking habit or style that shines in their eating habits, their styles of preparing a meal and the way they select local ingredients. Right from the pre-Roman era till date the Italian food history has gone through a considerable change.

In the ancient times, the preparation of food was very important. One of the ancient and surviving cookbooks is known as the Apicus. The Apicus dates right back to 1st century BC.

It was after the downfall of the Romans that the spread of the Italian cuisine began. Individual states started to uphold their separate traditions and identities. Every region started its own special and unique method of cooking, from the very basic preparation of the meatballs to characteristic varieties of cheeses and also the wine produced in any locale.

For example Northern states developed the Tuscan beef, on the other hand black truffles was prepared in Marches, and the very famous Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses developed in South, simultaneously being the host of a lot of citrus fruits.

There were varieties in bread, pasta, and other different food preparation methodologies according to the region. The eating habits were also a total contrast as the people in Southern Italy loved hard-boiled spaghetti, but those from the North preferred the soft-egg noodles.

Different cities started to become famous for their specialties like Milan for Risotto, Bologna for Tortellini, while Naples for Pizzas.

In these past few years the Italian cuisine evolved greatly due to the wealth from outside influences which added a flavor and an appeal. The ancient Greeks with their wealthy imports from various places added an exotic ingredients and spices to the Italian cuisine.
The Coastal regions of Italy are popular for delicious seafood and fish. For example, while Sardinia has a traditional style of cooking that includes foods such as Swordfish, anchovies, lobster, sardines, etc, Sicily has heavy North-African influences.

Even today the varieties in Italian cooking show distinctions between the northern and the southern style of cooking. Each and every region carries their traditions reflecting deeply in history. This wonderful culture with never-ending preparations of appetizers, main-courses, and desserts that will always continue to tempt our taste buds.

CulinarySchoolsU.com provides the opportunity to research and request free information from top culinary schools and culinary colleges for potential students looking to start or expand their career in the culinary arts.

Free Cooking Recipes

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Cooking food is actually something which many people complete. A few undertake it like a career, many undertake it regarding entertaining, and some undertake it because they need to. Most people cook because having anything at all fresh is actually unappetizing and also uninteresting. We cook since it is actually entertaining and also virtually hypnotizing in this way i grow to be virtually unaware for you to my personal surroundings. Regretfully, many periods We write about the opinion of most people, why e the reason must i possess make an effort to achieve this. h Nevertheless even though arranging a plate regarding themselves, people are likely to find involved and also just forget about anything else that is being conducted. Whenever people will be the people that will end up being savoring this plate, this cook appears to experience a experiencing regarding planning to make them amazed as well as impressed in her or his culinary arts expertise simply by arranging an even better food knowledge. This can be a regular challenge regarding perfection and also imagination.

Inside the specialist atmosphere regarding preparing, this surroundings is actually exigent. This can be a fast paced and also demanding atmosphere. Whenever doing work in that position, the first is soon for you to your investment time period that is moving. Because product or service of the chief cook is actually acquiring appearance, this seems increasingly more like an item of art work, with the incredible assortment of color capped using surprising garnishes. Chefs are usually people endlessly exploring this continuous horizon regarding imagination in which the foods can certainly multiply in any direction regarding living space atop a dish. One more wonderful a part of preparing may be the faces, remarks, and also reactions of the diners. His or her faces are usually filled with this appearance that addresses this taste of the foods as well as the thoughts and opinions of the people themselves. A photo may be valued at lots of words and phrases. I usually understand that time period once the foods is actually dished up while you're watching diner. And also from then on these people converse. His or her words and phrases convince and also motivate you for a higher level regarding good results. Very well at the very least most of the time. These are why culinary arts martial arts is an incredible field for anyone.

Absolutely no regarded clear archeological research to the very first preparing regarding foods has survived. Most anthropologists think that preparing that will fire started out directly about 300, 000 in the past, any time hearths began listed. Phylogenetic investigation simply by Bob Body organ, Charles Dunn, Zaria Chanda, and also Richard Wrangler suggests that human being forefathers could possibly have created preparing dating back to 1. 8 million for you to 3. 3 million in the past.
Wrangler offers that preparing had been instrumental in human being progress, because it diminished time essential for foraging and also concluded in an increase in mind dimension. He / she quotations this portion decline in instinct dimension regarding first individuals directly correlates to the increase in mind dimension. Other anthropologists, nonetheless, are at odds of Wrangler, revealing that archeological research suggests that preparing that will fire started out in solemn directly about more than two hundred, 000 in the past, any time historical hearths, globe cookers, burned pet your bones, and also flint appear throughout The European union as well as the Center Far east. A couple of million in the past, the one signal regarding fireplace is actually burned globe using human being stays, that the majority of anthropologists take into account being simply coincidence rather than proof of deliberate fireplace. The core anthropological watch recognizes this improves in neural dimension developing prior to this introduction regarding preparing, caused by a transfer far from the consumption of loco and also all types of berries for you to the consumption of beef.
In addition to improvements in foods, a number of improvements in dietary suggestions possess took place. Because 1916 America federal government has supplied distinctive healthy eating plan suggestions, ultimately prior to their food pyramid. With 1916, "Food For Youthful Children" in conjunction with its follow up regarding older people, "How to select Foods" had been the initial USDA information to provide unique diet suggestions. Updated from the 1920s, most of these books gave shopping tips for different-sized people as well as a Major depression Years revising which included 4 price tag levels. With 1943, this USDA created this "Basic Seven" information to be sure that people got this encouraged vitamins. That integrated this first-ever Encouraged Day-to-day Allowances from the Countrywide Academy regarding Sciences. With 1956, this "Essentials of the Ample Diet" delivered recommendations that reduce more effective because of 4 teams that school young children would likely learn about for many years. With 1979, helpful information named "Food" had been publicized, that tackled the link between an excessive amount of certain foods and also chronic illnesses. This book additionally included "fats, skin oils, and also sweets" to the 4 essential foods teams and also informed moderation. With 1992, their food pyramid debuted in the us. The USDA presented this kind of, that manifested ratios regarding ingredients in a very well-balanced eating plan. With 2005, this pyramid got a facelift and also had been renamed My Pyramid. Last but not least, in 2011, "My Plate" came about.

Eating out in Milan

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Rome may be Italy's political capital, but Milan is the country's cultural and financial capital. In short, Milan is a dynamic city that is to Italy what New York is to the US. And like New York, it's a culinary hotbed, attracting much of the best talent from throughout the Peninsula and beyond. This may be good for those with a taste for the exotic and innovative. It's less good for the traditional cuisine, which often gets taken for granted by the newest chefs. Luckily for travelers hoping for a more authentic taste of Italy, however, Milan is currently touting its own traditional cuisine as the new black.

Traditional Milanese cuisine has its own distinctive flavor and many travelers may be surprised by how the northern regions of Italy fail to live up to their expectations of Italian food. Olive oil is less frequently used in cooking than butter while pasta is passed over in favor of rice or 'polenta'. Luckily enough, the initial surprise is soon to be replace by a inner sense of satisfaction as the local dishes of Milan and Lombardy, when prepared well, can make for some wonderful eating experiences.

A typical Milanese meal may start with a traditional antipasto, made of 'nervetti' (boiled calf shank and knee cartilage cut into strips) and mixed with thinly sliced onions. As a first course you cannot miss the classical 'Risotto alla Milanese', made with a full-bodied beef broth (the original recipe includes bone marrow) and flavored with saffron. As a second course, a classic Milanese dish is 'cassoeula', an extremely filling dish made with various parts of pork meat (tail, ribs, rind, feet and ears) cooked with green cabbage and other vegetables. If you are not feeling so courageous, go for a Milanese cutlet that is probably nothing like you've ever tasted in other places: Milan restaurants actually serve a very tasty, crunchy cutlet, made with a veal chop, including the bone. If you are lucky enough to be in Milan during the holiday season, you could end your meal with a huge slice of 'Panettone', the typical local Christmas cake, that is even tastier if you eat it with traditional Mascarpone cream.

Even though the Italian riviera is a hundred miles away, Milan has a well-deserved reputation for offering the freshest fish in Italy. 'Branzino' (sea bass, known elsewhere as 'spigola') and 'orata' (gilthead) are the most common offerings, but you can also find 'San Pietro' (John Dory) and 'dentice' (seabream). 'Scampi' and lobsters are plentiful here, too, and an antipasto of turteaux (Normandy crab), rare on Italian menus, can be found easily as well. If you like seafood, however, be advised as a seafood dinner in a proper place may cost you an arm and a leg. If you are looking for something more typical and cheaper, head for the city surroundings where you may find plenty of places serving freshwater fish and even a number of frog based dishes, starting from the unfailing 'risotto'.

Milan is an important business centre, so expect all of the restaurants in the centre to be very expensive. An average complete dinner costs around 35 Euro per person. Prices are only slightly lower in pizzerias. In order to have a cheap, non-fast-food dinner, join the young Milanese crowd storming local pubs every night for Happy Hour.. Between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm, for 5 to 8 Euro you can have a drink and enjoy an open buffet with a large variety of food. The higher density of such places can be found in corso di Porta Ticinese, Corso Como, Brera, Isola and the 'Navigli' area.

Despite the steady flow of foreign businessmen, the city's restaurateurs are not waiting to fleece the occasional guest. There are not the usual tourist traps you may find in other Italian cities. Also, contrary to popular belief, do not take for granted that the hotel where you stay is not a great place to eat either. As a matter of fact, many hotels in Milan have excellent restaurants run by some of the city best chefs. If you are not confident about your choice, take a look at the menu before entering a place. Be careful if you see an overuse of salmon, arugula and 'carpaccio' (thinly sliced raw beef or fish) as this is is a common sign of the uniformity affecting many mid level restaurants.

Not all products of Milan can be found in restaurants, so a little food shopping may be in order before leaving. If you ask a local where to buy some specialty food, chances are you wull be directed to Peck, a fancy grocery store laid out on four elegant floors not far fron the Duomo. Here you will find a stunning wine cellar and at least 25 local variations on salami including the thin 'luganega' and 'zampone' (a pig's foot stuffed with peppery, coarsely ground pork meat). In late fall and winter, you will also find a very special treat: a terrine layered with four creemy cheeses (gorgonzola, mascarpone, stracchino and taleggio) and slivers of aromatic white truffles.

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This article is part of a series covering the most important italian travel destinations and regional cuisines. You can find similar articles about eating out in Rome, Naples, Florence and Venice.

Diabetes FoodsA Realistic Approach to Diabetic Menu Planning

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If you are diabetic, you must learn all about the food for diabetics and how to incorporate the same in your regular meal plan. One of the best ways of treating diabetes is by controlling your food intake; it helps in relieving the symptoms of the condition. It is imperative to know what you must eat and what you must avoid when you are diabetic.

Scientists have cited that in the next two decades the global rate of patients with Type 2 diabetes would be twice the present number, which indeed is alarming. It is only through a proper diet for diabetics that you can actually control the condition and relieve yourself from the diabetes symptoms.

Ideally a diet containing higher amounts of fiber and lower amounts of fats is what is recommended for a diabetic patient. One has to cut out saturated and trans fats from their diet and also reduce the use of sugar and sweet foods. Saturated fats include animal fats like lard, butter and cheese, cream, chocolate and milk.

Foods for Diabetics - What You Can Eat

A diabetes menu can include adequate portions of carbohydrates. However, there is a measured portion for every individual which is better recommended by the doctor. Carbohydrates are the valuable sources of energy, minerals and essential vitamins. It provides you body with healthy fiber as well that helps in maintaining the blood glucose levels. Peas, beans, barley, oats and other foods belonging to these groups are loaded with fiber. You can include whole grain products like bread and some diabetic cookies for the purpose. These foods are very much a part of the regular American diabetes diet.

You must include a lot of vegetables in your regular diabetic diet plan; vegetables are the perfect foods for diabetics. You can include a wide variety of vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, spinach, cucumbers and cabbage. You can have them raw as salads or cooked with very little oil.

Fruits are good foods for diabetics as well, but as they contain natural sugars it is better to choose fruits with caution. Although diabetics need at least 2 servings of fruits regularly, you must avoid canned fruits as they are packed with sugary preservatives. Instead you can have whole fruits.

Proteins are a must for every diabetes meal. You can include lean meat, tofu, peanut butter, egg whites, fish, poultry, nuts and bans as some of the richest sources of proteins.

Foods to Avoid

There are certain foods that diabetics must not take. If you want to control the rising and falling blood glucose levels, you have to be strict about what you are eating.

1. Carbohydrates as stated above are good for diabetics when eaten in moderation. However, there are certain carbohydrates that you cannot eat, such as corn and potatoes. They are harmful.

2. Fruits are not recommended for diabetics due to high sugar content. Although natural, sugar has the same effect in any form. Less sugary fruits should be chosen in this respect.

3. Milk and milk products are strictly restricted, especially full cream milk. The skimmed version should be fine if taken in moderation.

4. Sweets and fats are better avoided. They have no nutritional value and they only add up to your tension and anxiety and increasing blood glucose numbers.

Culinary Tools of the Trade

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Mastering food is good, but in order to stun everyone with your kitchen is to get the best culinary tools. Learn about the different tools of the trade. Make an impression.

Being a chef makes you crave for perfection, and you seek this perfection in whatever tools you use in the kitchen as well. After working in the kitchen for quite some time, you might not have realized but there are certain knives, utensils, pots etc. that you prefer compared to others.

Many of the famous chefs have in fact brought their own brand of cutlery and cookware as in case of Jamie Oliver. There are companies that are dealing with restaurants, catering companies etc. and providing them with the best culinary tools ever. Every professional chef is very particular about the uniform, knives, pots and pans he uses, and thus it makes perfect business sense to provide such people with the best pieces of equipments and tools. The business can be expanded by providing the restaurants with exceptional bakeware, serveware, cookware, cutlery, etc. that will not only assist them to make the food good but make its presentation even better.

For a chef the vital culinary tool is the set of chef knives. A Chef is so used to his own set of tools and knives that he even teaches with his own set of tools. Even the cutting board is chosen with utmost care.

Some cooks love to cook the food in their own traditional unique way, while others use many different gadgets to get a meal prepared. Cooking a meal takes a lot out of you, so after all that labor, presentation of the dishes is also equally important for a chef.

Thus, the professional chefs have their own professional culinary tools that are developed in premium factories. These tools are very expensive for the public to buy and hence are directly sold to the restaurants, catering services etc. The very basic from among a variety of these culinary tools that are required in a kitchen are: zesters, graters, timers, Spices graters, Cutting as well as chopping boards and related items, Silicon products, Chef Knives, Pans, Pots, Food Processors, Meat Grinders, Marinade equipments, Bamboo tools, accessories, pounders, tools for garnishing, cups for measuring and many more.

Professional chef or a simple cook, one must always keep the kitchen well stacked with fresh and good quality food, cook well with good culinary and cutlery sets. Finally, you should always try and cook the best meal and then present it in an even better way. And when you are armed with a set of professional culinary tools of the trade, then you will be sure to impress everyone who also appreciates your culinary skills.

CulinarySchoolsU.com provides the opportunity to research and request free information from top culinary schools and culinary colleges for potential students looking to start or expand their career in the culinary arts.

Culinary Team Building Provides Recipe For Success

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Building a strong team that can work together is paramount to the success of any company. Much like the ingredients in a recipe, each employee performs a unique role within the organization, yet is dependent on other employees to achieve both short-tem goals and long-term objectives.

In order to find the recipe for team building success, many companies are serving up culinary team building programs. Since food is a common denominator for all people, these programs are a great way to build effective relationships between employees while having a lot of fun. In a culinary team building session, each team draws upon the ideas and skills of its members to create unique and inventive culinary creations.

Culinary Team Building Get It While Its Hot

Culinary team building is currently one of the hottest trends in the field of employee performance improvement. Both conference planning and cooking schools offer a wide selection of culinary programs for organizations. Many of these programs focus on the development of cooking skills and serve up team building tips on the side. The most effective programs are those which encourage teamwork and build camaraderie while using the culinary activity as a tool for exploring group dynamics.

What results will a culinary team building program provide? By uniting people through interactive, fun activities, a culinary team building program can help employees:
-Bond with colleagues and build stronger working relationships
-Learn to better communicate with one another
-Practice creative thinking and problem solving in a team environment
-Boost team spirits and create a unified sense of accomplishment

A successful program will energize your team and teach its participants to rely on each others strengths to produce results.

Fun, Effective And Delicious!

So how does culinary team building work? Again, it depends on the type of program you choose.

Some culinary team building programs are structured similarly to cooking classes. As a group, participants are tasked with cooking a gourmet meal. A chef will provide instruction on food preparation and will guide the team as needed. Throughout the session, the group must work to find common ground while stretching their culinary skills. The group is typically asked to document its strategy for preparing the meal. At the end of the cooking session, participants share the food theyve just made while evaluating how well the group worked together. By teaching participants new skills in a rewarding and friendly atmosphere, programs of this style are excellent for building camaraderie and enhancing team communication skills.

Other culinary team building programs turn up the heat by turning the event into a competition. Participants are divided into teams and assigned to cooking stations. Each group is given a few minutes to get acquainted and to create a unique team name. Instead of sticking to a pre-planned menu, each team is challenged to invent a new food creation during the allotted time.

A chef provides basic instruction and hands-on assistance during the competition. A professional facilitator may be pought in to help run the show and serve as a mentor. In addition to providing instruction throughout the high energy event, professional facilitators ping a wealth of team development expertise to the table and help integrate the teams goals and objectives into the event.

At the end of the competition, the final culinary creations are evaluated by a panel of judges. Winners are announced and feedback is provided. While the judges take into account the taste and presentation of the food entries, the teams are evaluated on their ability to work together as well. Typical judging criteria include:

- How well did everyone participate in the group?
- Did the group plan in advance as a team or did they just jump into it?
- How creative was the team? Did they use a variety of ingredients or do something unique?
- Did the team have fun with the competition?

As a finishing touch to the program, the professional facilitator will lead the group in analyzing the team building activity. This discussion session helps to reinforce the organizations objectives and goals.

Culinary team building programs provide the resources to help organizations foster positive group dynamics while letting participants flex their creative and problem-solving muscles. For participants, you could say its like having your cake and eating it too! Take your next team-building session to the kitchen. Your employeesand your stomachwill thank you.

About Q Center

This article was provided by Q Center, which is dedicated to providing premier learning and conference facilities equipped for total productivity and supported by a quality-focused team. Q Center has the facilities and technology to create virtually unlimited meeting scenarios. More than an ordinary conference center, Q Center is a conference complex. Located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Q Center is conveniently accessible to both of Chicago's major airports and to the many organizations with headquarters and major offices in Chicago. Visit http://www.qcenter.com for more information.

Cooking classes in Delhi

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An accidental click on Youtube let to an arrival of a video on the not so girly girl, where the character playing the aforementioned role was being chided for her not knowing how to cook. The mother is heard saying ,The way to a mans heart is through his stomach which is implausibly absurd because it is not only men but the human race even animals which can be won-over with Yes! You guessed it right..food!
Our best education starts from the one place we call home which includes all the fundamental activities necessary as a human being. However, there are a misfortunate few who do not have the prospect of having being taught. That is when a saviour in the guise of a website like Aaugritaa caterers, a brain child of Shiv Shankar Ghosh happens. Although, they as a platform deal with caterings, mostly public events, they also provide classes for food gourmets out there. The cooking classes in Delhi of Aaugritaa caterers deal with a lot of culinary from all over the world with Mr.Ghosh having had an experience of eleven years in expertise such as Italian, French culinary which are known for their rich food culture. have increased tremendously over the years, with demand and even though the manifold reasons for the increment of cooking classes in Delhi are many we will be talking of only a few of them.
EXPOSURE is the one main reason why cooking classes in Delhi have increased so much, food like any culture gets circled and people as varying as can be learn to love or try food away from the accustomed. The good thing about being exposed is that it gives every individual with the zeal although crammed-up have the chance to do the thing they love by having themselves enrolled to cooking classes in Delhi. Children wanting to take cooking as their professional goal are in luck with the multitudes of cooking classes in Delhi sprouting, Aaugritaa caterers being one. The list would be endless to keep continuing about the rationale of having to take cooking classes.
The perks of being in a metropolitan city such as Delhi is, it is the always the first recipient to the newest drift from all over the world. Hence, cooking classes in Delhi do not fall sort of any culinary if one so love to learn from all over the continent. Yes, no one makes meal better than our angel of the house, mums, but it is also no harm to repay her the same by taking advantage the city provides us with the various cooking classes in Delhi for all the ages.
Apart from the unsounded savour food gives us that make us live life it is also a respite, a refuge to a whole lot of the masses. The cooking classes in Delhi does just that with professionals from all over the world catering to food of our allurement with the slices, the various smells, the taste, the texture, etc.
They say you are what you eat, which cannot even for a minute be refuted. In a swamped monetary world with very little or no time for oneself food should serve as a refuge and cooking classes in Delhi opens the way to that.
Reach out us at:
http://www.aaugritaa.com

Carbon Steel and Other Kitchen Knives

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When you're looking out for a great kitchen knife set, you need to take under consideration cost, the material of the knives, the types of knives that come with the set, and the maintanence of the knives.

Cost is something that cannot be helped, to paraphrase, your position is your budget. However , keep in mind that a quality knife set will last for longer, perhaps 10 years, while a less expensive knife set will need replacement after perhaps two years. A set will cost between 50 US dollars, and up to a thousand greenbacks or more for a top of the line set.

kitchen knives are usually made of one of the four following materials : stainless-steel, carbon steel, laminated ( mixture of carbon steel and chrome steel ), and ceramic.
The carbon steel knife is 99% iron, and 1% carbon. These knives are prone to rusting, though, and are higher maintenance than stainless steel knives. They are most often sharper though, than chrome steel, though also more bittle. Famous top manufacturers of carbon steel kitchen knives are Sabatier, Kikuichi, and Forshner but these knives are being distcontinued and less common. Hardness on the C scale for Carbon Steel knives is between sixty and 62.

chrome steel contains around 11% chromium, and is very well known as a material used for cutlery manufacturing. Type 420 and 440 stainless-steel is used for cutley, 440 being harder. 440 has a hardness on the C scale of fifty five. Within 440, there are 3 grades of steel utilized in cutlery. Going from more less carbon, and softer, they're a, B, and C.
The famous stainless-steel makers include global and Kasumi among the Japanese makers, and EU makers like Wusthof.

Laminated knive blades will try to create a balance of the properties of carbon steel, and stainless steep by having a sandwitch of the knife materials. Ceramic knives are even sharper than ordinary knives, but they're more brittle. Kyocera and Yoshi knives are among the ceramic knives available on the market.

cook's knife - This is the most vital knife in the knife set and should be used for most general kitchen tasks.
cleaver - this is used to chop and pound food. This is a heavy knife.
Bread knife- this is a special knife that is helpful to chop tomatos, and bread without crushing it.
Filet knife - used to filet fish with a thin and flexible blade.
Paring knife - used to chop or peel tiny fruits and vegetables.
Steak knife - either serrated or straight, these are used on the table for serving steak.

Maintaining carbon steel knives is more time intensive than stainless-steel. After cleaning carbon steel knives, it is suggested to cover them with some vegetable oil, gently, to stop oxidation. Avoid putting knives in the dishwashing machine, with a high variability in temperatures and strong detergents, the steel blade and even the handle can get affected.
The sharpness of the blade may decrease if the knife is dropped in the dishwasher.

when you are done using the knife, clean it right away so that the quality of the blade is maintained. Once the knife is clean, it should be stored in a knife block made of polyurethane, or wood. Make sure to use a cutting board of the same material to protect the blade.

Knives can be sharpened with a sharpening steel which is like a circular rod, or a block of stone called a sharpening stone. Modern electric sharpeners are safe to use on quality knives. When using an electric sharpener, make sure not to grind away too much of the knife. You want to sharpen your knives every three to {{six months.
Victoria is the owner of Wusthof Kitchen Knives page - part of a cool site about kitchen knives

Blender, Food Processor, Crock Pot, And Healthy Recipes Kitchen Basics For A Healthy Diet

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Already grown dependent on instant foods and fast food chains? Well, these are convenient foods that don't require preparation at allall you need is money and everything's ready! But while you may think that these are the best options when it comes to your diet and that of your family, you might want to think again. If this habit continues, it might not be long before you suffer from all kinds of health problems. What you need at this point are healthy recipes to help you prepare satisfying and nutritious meals.

If you think that this is too much to ask with your busy schedule, wait till you discover the secret of quick-cook and quick-prepare healthy foods.

The Right Kitchen Equipment

Cooking paraphernalia are not only for those people who love the culinary arts. More importantly, these are for people who have little time in their hands but still want to feed their family and themselves with real good food. These equipment are real life savers. The most basic of them are:

Blender. It might be primarily designed for preparing smoothies and fruit shakes, but you can use it for many more preparations! You can make pie and even sauces by simply throwing in a few ingredients into the blender and pressing the blend button. In a matter of a few minutes, you'll have a delicious and nutritious food that your family will surely love.
Food processor. This processor is one of the cooking miracles ever invented. It does a lot of functions that you would otherwise do manuallywhich is, needless to say, time-consuming, tasking, and sometimes even messy. With a food processor, you can slice, chop, grind, grate, and mix ingredients with complete ease.
Crock pot or slow cooker. This cooking equipment is ideal for people who are often too stressed in the evening to do anything tasking or those who get home late in the night. By preparing all your needed ingredients in the morning and then plugging in the crock pot, you'll surely have dinner ready when you get home in the evening. It's that easy!

With all these equipment ready in your kitchen, there's only one more thing you need.

Healthy Recipes

They're in cookbooks, in magazines, in television shows, and in the internet. They involve different kinds of ingredients and varying preparation time. They also involve different processesfrom grilling to baking, and even simply combining and mixing ingredients together (salad, anyone?). But, they only have one objectiveto give you healthy foods that you can enjoy. These recipes are easy to follow and ideal for different occasionsnot only for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but as well as for your snacks and desserts.

With the right equipment and healthy recipes to help you with all your kitchen tasks, you need not rely on instant foods and fast food products anymore. These recipes and equipment will help ensure that preparing nutritious food will not be a dreadful experience but will instead be an enjoyable and fulfilling one that you can always look forward to.

For the past 10 years Marilyn Reid has been active as an advocate for Alternative Health Therapies, with an emphasis on healthy living and raw food diets. Marilyn has been fascinated with the work of the Healthy Lifestyle Nutritionist and Guru, David Wolfe and has a blog which keeps up with the latest in the world of Healthy Lifestyles at http://healthyfoodrawdiet.com/category/healthy-recipes

Birthday Parties in Austin, Texas

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Unlike childhood birthday parties of yesteryear, which revolved around a birthday cake and a small gathering of mostly family and a friend or two, today's parties require a bit more. Generally, all of your child's acquaintances from school are invited to the party, which should at the very least have a theme if not an exotic locale. What is a parent to do when faced with the monolithic task of planning the party of the century for their toddler, without the time or even energy to begin thinking about doing so? Fear not, Austin offers plenty of kiddie-party options.

If your kid is under the age of 10, Kiddie Acres makes a fun spot for birthday celebrating. Located on Howard Lane in Northern Austin, Kiddie Acres is a small amusement park with only age appropriate rides, all seemingly vintage and well maintained and colorful. The park includes a mini ferris wheel, boats, planes, cars, a carousel, a train, as well as a real pony ride. They sell packages of tickets that you can dispense to your guests and provide large picnic tables where you can set up the cake and lemonade.

If your party occurs in the heat of the summer, you could consider some of the excellent indoor options. Pump It Up, located in central Austin, boasts a wide variety of inflatables. Kids are ushered from room to room to try out all of the offerings before returning to a party room you can serve the requisite pizza and cake.

In the same vein, Inflatable Wonderland in Lakeline Mall provides a smaller scale selection of inflatables. While the party is less intimate, the space provides discounts during the week for the budget conscious as well as inflatables appropriate for kids under 3. Picnic tables are available to accomdate cake serving and present collection.

The Austin Park and Pizza also rents out private rooms for parties. Your room overlooks the arcade area, and included with the package are armbands for your guests that give them access to their arcade, laser tag, and outdoor attractions, including bumper boats, a teacup ride, and miniature golf. Guests can also help themselves to all-you-can eat pizza, salad, and dessert.

For a less pizza intensive gathering, RadiJazz Playnasium in the Lincoln Village Shopping Center is a good choice. The indoor playscape features a riverscape, volcano, lavascape, and a lounge area where you can prepare your party and later enjoy cake.

If you prefer a more active birthday, the Crenshaw Athletic Club on Fairview Drive can be rented for several hours, with facilitators leading children through age appropriate activities in the gym, such as an obstacle course, trampolines, swinging on ropes across a pool filled with balls, and other similar activities. A small cottage can be used to host the cake eating and includes bathrooms and a small jungle gym outdoors. There is even a handy tree for stringing up the ubiquitous piata.

If you are willing to go a bit further afield, the Little Buckaroo Ranch, located about 30 minutes outside of Austin on Hamilton Pool Road, offers a variety of party themes, pony riding, painting a pony, barnyard buddies, and a square dance party. Party participants can ride miniature ponies, pet farm animals, and then dig into cake. The ranch chuckwagon offers hot dogs, chips, punch and bottled water.

Ki helps buyers and sellers interested in the Austin Texas real estate market. They provide a search of the Austin MLS along with statistics on suburbs of Austin like the Cedar Park real estate market.

Best CPA tips about first time home buyer tax credit

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If you are a first time home buyer how can you benefit from this on your tax returns? As a CPA in New York, I can just tell you that whether you plan to build your home or you are ready to move into your home you will want to get all the benefits of being a first time home buyer and receive the credit due to you on your refund.

There is a lot of useful information about owning your own home or buying your home for the first time. Here are a few simple tips that will help you make the most of your first time home buyer credit.

If you are building your home in Manhattan and you plan to occupy it in the next year you will not be able to claim the first time homebuyer credit to use the money toward your down payment or building costs. In order to qualify for the first time homebuyer credit you will need to actually purchase the residence. If you are building the home you will need to have it completed so you can move in before you can claim the tax credit. Things can happen and plans do not always fall through so that is why you are not allowed to claim this credit until you are actually living in the home.

If you bought your home early this year and have already filed your last years' tax return New York you may wonder if you will need to repay the first time homebuyer credit. The answer to that is no, you don't'. If you qualify for the first time homebuyer credit the first day that you move into that home is considered your purchase date. You can use this date when you are filing your tax returns.

If you are in the process of buying your home in New York, you may want to file for first time homebuyer credit for this tax season NY so you can take advantage of the down payment refund. Unfortunately you cannot take advantage of the credit this year. You must finalize the home purchase before you can benefit from the refund. But a New York CPA can help you with the tax preparation New York.

If you file for a home credit and was granted it this past year you do not need to pay the credit back unless you no longer live in the residence before 36 months is up from the day that you purchase the home. If this is the case then the full amount of your credit will become due. You need to occupy the home at least 36 months in order to keep the credit you were issued.

If you already own your home in New York and you are considering buying another one you may wonder if you need to sell your current home in order to qualify for the homebuyer tax credit. But as long as you meet the requirements listed you do not need to sell your home before you can receive this tax credit.

These are just a few of the most important home buyer tips that a lot of people question. If you want to learn ore about home buyer credits then you will want to speak to a CPA New York about them.

Jonathan Medows, CPA, MBA is the Managing Member of MEDOWS CPA, PLLC, a boutique New York CPA firm serving the needs of individuals, freelancers, self employed individuals & small businesses. To see how he can help you reduce your tax liability and keep you in tax compliance please visit his website:
Medowscpa.com

Baby Boomer Couples Cutting Health Care Costs

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Baby boomer couples cutting medical care costs by pooling resources to reduce the cost of long term care premiums. Rather than purchasing for one, advisers and analysts say you can often chop premium costs by approaching long term care insurance as a pair. For those prepared to shop around the following 3 techniques are worth exploring:

1. Shared care plans

In general, sharing long-term policies does not eliminate the requirement for both partners to buy separate plans. But unlike traditional policies, a special rider is tacked on to each to allow one spouse to dip into another's benefits. The main benefit of shared coverage is if you want more than your present plan allows. But what happens if both at last go over their allotted amounts?

Best suited for shared care policies could be couples that want to buy shorter-term plans but still need some suppleness to reach into their partner's pool of benefits, he said. Long term care partnership deals

Two years ago, Congress expanded to the majority of the country a program that had been running for years in less than a few states. It permits the total cost of long-term-care policies to be counted against Medicaid needs for drawing on private assets to pay health bills. But different states have different contingencies. As an instance, in the Big Apple shoppers must get a long-term-care policy that covers at least three years in a care home and 6 years of home run care. In return, the state pledges not to go after any private assets once somebody exhausts the benefits in their private policy, announces Gholson. "So Medicaid care becomes a free benefit without any strings attached," he explained.

States like California and Connecticut use what's named dollar-for-dollar protection. In those cases, authorities count the value of a personal insurance policy to figure out the amount of assets that are defended against pay-down needs in Medicaid. It saves the states money because they're shifting costs of long-term care to insurance companies. "If you live in a dollar-for-dollar state, you may want to buy enough insurance to guard your whole portfolio in a partnership program," Gholson expounded.

3. Ask insurance agents about kickbacks on bundled purchases

This might be the only way to savings.

Some carriers now offer promotional rates for two people that buy that purchase a long term care package at the same time. Those are marketed as spousal deductions and can range between 15% and 25% off regular premiums. And if you qualify as extremely fit candidates, healthy applicants, some carriers will even add another ten percent discount on top.

Some things to consider:

Each of the three options presents different provisos. "People need to recollect the shared care marketplace is a fairly new phenomenon," related Cheryl Matheis, a health strategist at AARP. "They have to ask a large amount of questions and fastidiously inspect all the details in each policy."

1. Check the insurers' history of changing prices and policy conditions. Just a few carriers haven't walked premiums.

2. Shared long term care benefits likely will cost you slightly more than standard long-term-care policies of an analogous term. The choice is that if two people are not sharing long-term-care insurance, they'll probably need to buy more in depth individual policies to get the same level of coverage. The big advantage to shared care is that you reduce the term of policies.

3. If you've got enough money, the best choice is always to buy separate longer-term plans.

4. If you are taking a more affordable alternative, then shared care is an option to at least consider.

5. If you choose a state partnership programs need to notice any loopholes may exist, Gholson announces. Even buying enough private care insurance to match asset levels isn't a warranted solution.

"Depending on where you reside or move, the different Medicaid eligibility and earnings necessities in each state, the govt Might still be in a position to come after your assets in certain cases," Gholson related. Spouses cutting medical care costs can produce heavy benefits with the correct quantity of study. Contact a Long term Care Professional that represents several carriers to see what your options are.

Tags : long term care insurance,ltc ins,long term care insurance costs,long term care insurance guide

5 Reasons To Reach For A Green Smoothie To Fast Track Your Health

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Not everyone would salivate at the idea of a green smoothie. If your one of these people then you're missing out on a fast track ticket to great health! This gloriously green smoothie is actually a simple blend of assorted fruits with green vegetables added to it. If your Mama never told you to eat your greens, then you're in for a BIG surprise.

Greens are essentially nature's most potent ingredient offered to heal our body.

Green smoothies are delicious, nutritious and by far the fastest and easiest way to jumpstart yourself to a whole new healthy revitalized YOU!

1) Fresh food

Problem:

We usually don't consume the amount of greens we need on a daily basis. Normally, we cook or make them into salads. Heat kills a large amount of live nutrients so the more greens are cooked, the more nutritional value it has as a cardboard! The same way goes for the pasteurized 100% fruit juices seen on your store shelf and most green supplements which are both prepared in high temperature. Green supplements can give some added nutrients if you can't cover the variety of greens, but it's not enough to replace the real thing. Salad is a healthier option, but dark greens are not so palatable. Tendency is we cover it with oils and creamy dressing, but there is just so much you eat before you get tired of the flavors. Some only eat the sweet greens such as Romanian lettuce which contain fewer nutrients then the dark greens. The less delicious the taste the more vital nutrients it contains.

Solution:

Green smoothies; Blending your favorite fruits can easily cover the taste of quite a large amount of greens. The smooth texture is also a given benefit because it helps the body to absorb it quickly without exerting extra energy to digest it.

2) Virgin source of protein and nutrients

This power health drink can pass off as a meal on its own. Depending on your imagination with fruits and greens it can cover the A to Z of minerals and vitamins. You may ask "Don't you need meat for protein?" Let me ask you, "Do powerful mammals like Oxen, Horses, Elephants and Gorillas eat meat to develop its muscles?" Green veges give us all the essential amino acids that our body turns into protein, just like any other animal. Meat is an overdose of second hand protein packed with high acids and animal toxins. Eating too much meat makes you fat easily and can lead to various liver and kidney diseases.

3) Alkalinity

As said earlier eating meat contaminates the body with acids. High acids deteriorates our blood cells, drains the body of energy, and pretty much is the route cause of our sicknesses. Greens and fruits are the strongest food sources of alkalinity and neutralize the acids in the blood. To give you an idea of how much alkaline food we should have each meal is around 80% alkaline based.

4) Antioxidants

Ever wonder why no matter how much you diet and exercise, you can't seem to remove those extra folds? It's because your body protects itself from excess toxins by wrapping fatty cells around it. Besides gaining weight, severe amount of toxins can lead to top silent killers such as heart diseases, diabetes and cancer. Let prevent ourselves from being part of these statistics!

Antioxidants in green smoothies such as Carotenoids - Lycopene, Lutein, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E and C, selenium, anthocyanins and many more are like magnets that collect toxins in our body and brings them down to our human sewage, the digestive tracks, where the fiber of the green sweeps it clean out of our system.

Being green helps you loose weight, boost the immune system, keep bones and muscles stronger, aid digestion, and have better mental clarity and high energy levels.

5) Increased Sex Drive

Reducing junk food and replacing it with healthy alternatives removes preservatives, refined salt and sugar, and other chemical downers that lower your sex drive. So far studies on this have shown that the majority of people that have replaced at least one of their meals a day with one of me green smoothie recipes have said that their libido has dramatically increased. A healthy body results to stronger cardiac and reproductive systems plus better regulations of hormones. A healthier body, better moods, added confidence and great stamina in the sack is what you can expect from green smoothies.

Jumpstart to health

Adding a green smoothie to your diet is an easy way to jumpstart your health. Take that step and replace one coffee (or beer or wine) for something this natural and you'll find your body slowly craving for more. You'll eventually unfold to healthier habits instead and spare yourself those forced guilt techniques. Share it with your family and friends. Live a refreshing green life! Cheers!

Recipes

Here are some recipes to get you started. Enjoy!!!

Spango Tango
Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
2 mangos, peeled and chopped
1 banana

Peachy Green
Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
2 peaches, seeds removed
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water (optional)

Tropical Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 head romaine or any green leafy vegetable
2 cups water
1 banana
1/2 pineapple, skin and core removed

Blue & Green hit the Scene
Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce or any green leafy vegetable
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 apple, roughly chopped
1/4 lemon or lime
2 cups water

Grape Cooler Smoothie
Ingredients:
Large handful of red seedless grapes, stems removed
Basket of fresh or frozen strawberries, stems removed
1 banana, peeled
1/2 head romaine lettuce
Put grapes at the bottom of blender to create enough liquid to blend the other ingredients; add a little water, if needed.

Copyright 2009, Brendan McCarthy. All Rights Reserved.