Food Hospital-Best New "Cooking" Show

I don't know about you, but there are times ( more than I'd like to admit) that I feel totally guilty checking out at the grocery store. I try to put the healthy food on the conveyor belt first so the cashier will forgive the junk food that follows. The only trouble with that technique is the person behind you only sees the junk food and not the healthy stuff you sent out first as a decoy! OY!

Even my TV playlist is full of calorie laden and guilt ridden food shows.

I love food, all of it, the good , the bad AND the ugly. I'm just as happy with a crunchy, sweet piece of romaine lettuce as I am a potato chip. It's just that the potato chip keeps longer in my cupboard and is much easier to eat than making a salad. The other problem I have is that the store is an hour away so you can only go twice a month since gas and time are at a premium.

 

However, I have recently been inspired by a new "cooking" show on The Cooking Channel called the Food Hospital. It is filmed in the UK and is very interesting. They definitely seem to be helping people. What I like best about it is, no drama! We have too much drama in our lives these days, so who needs to watch it on TV too? Watching the show has been very inspiring. They show people how to make changes, even small ones, that can make a huge difference.

 

Check it out sometime and see what will inspire you! It airs Mondays at 9pm.

P.S. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds are totally healthy, don't start!

These are the doctors and nutritionist on the show.

Best Milk Frother Hot or Cold

Nespresso Milk Frother

Do you love rich, frothy milk to top your hot or cold beverages? Do you hate the milk frothers you have seen or tried that are a pain to use and clean? Get yourself the Nespresso Milk Frother and you will be enjoying rich frothed milk in literally seconds.

The foamer uses magnetic force to spin a whisk inside that froths your milk for you. It looks like an English tea kettle, but it is much more fun! It is fast and a breeze to clean too.

One word of advice: Store the base detached from the top as this will give your frother a longer life. It must have something to do with the magnet deal.

You and your guests will love this appliance!

New Technology for Sheet Music

Paperless Music

Here's one from my sister Melanie...

Are you a musician? Do you play an instrument for fun? Do you participate in jam sessions? Do you have several notebooks full of music but never seem to have the right book or piece with you? The technology exists to help you!

 

You can view your sheet music on your tablet.

 

To get started, you will need to obtain or create a PDF of each piece of music. Then, download an app for your device. IPad will use Forscore and Android will use Mobilesheets and Mobilesheets Companion for your PC. These apps are under $10.

 

Follow the instructions to batch load your PDF music and the program will even alphabetize it for you! You can create set lists, mark and highlight and much more. Then, for the Full Monty, get yourself an Airturn BT105 foot pedal page turner and you will be in music heaven!

 

No more forgetting music or carrying around heavy notebooks.
Problem Solved!

Bar Keeper's Friend

BAR KEEPER'S FRIEND

I discovered this product when I was working in an old fashioned, family owned hardware store. The store is Dawson's located in Beverly, MA. They carry all kinds of great products that are hard to find but really work.

BKF works a LOT better on glass cooktops than any other cleaner I have tried. It is also great for stainless steel sinks and getting marks off Pfaltzgraff dishes. It also cleans the inside of your expensive Le Creuset cookware quite nicely.

I like BKF because it is, as Alton Brown says, "a multi-tasker". I keep it out on my sink with my sponge and use it almost daily.

I think it is in the midst of a comeback because I see it in more and more stores. I even saw it at Williams Sonoma when I was there a few months ago.  Try it and you will find it will become your friend too!

 

True Lemon, Lime and Orange

NEWS FLASH 2/21/13  They now have

TRUE GRAPEFRUIT!!! Yippee Ki Yay!!!

So the blog is not letting me upload pictures. GRRR

How is the water consumption for 2013 going? Put a packet of True Lemon, Lime or Orange in your water and it will taste terrific. The product is actually real fruit that has been crystallized. It is pretty amazing. I sprinkle it on the seltzer I make with my Soda Stream and I think it is actually better than fresh fruit.

 

You can cook with it as well. The lemon comes in a shaker and there are lots of choices out there as far as combos of flavors offered. I also think it is economical because how many times have you wasted half a lemon? There is no waste with these packets and I find myself adding citrus to my cooking and beverages a lot more!

 

Sprinkle the lemon on fish, or in a dip. Use the orange with chicken and soy sauce. Use the lime with shrimp and cilantro, yum!

Plus, you know me and the gift thing. Put this with a Tervis Tumbler for a great gift. The person will thank you for giving such a healthy gift!

Tervis Tumblers: Best Insulated Glass

http://www.tervis.com/

 

Tervis Tumblers are great to carry around all that water you resolved to drink in 2013. They are double insulated and come in a huge variety of sizes and designs. Because of the double insulation, beverages stay hot or cold for a long time. It is great for bringing water to bed as they have covers and it will stay cold all night.

They are also a great gift idea. They have so many designs , you will definitely find the right one for the person you are shopping for. I have given them as gifts on many occasions and they were well received.

You can also personalize them, which I have done and I love them! I have done them up for party favors and they were a big hit. I use the largest size and it fits lots of ice and tons of water. They have styles you can take on the go too.

They are not cheap, but they are MADE IN THE USA, dishwasher safe and have a lifetime guarantee. There are definitely cheap imitations out there, so beware.

 

 

Need to drink more water?

I love water, it is what I drink 99% of the time. However, if you are not a big fan of water but want to resolve to drink more of it in the coming New Year, the Soda Stream is for you. It is a nifty carbonating device that sits on your counter top. No more lugging cans and bottles from the store or bringing empties to be recycled. You can add just the amount of bubbles you like and any flavor you like. You can leave your freshly made seltzer plain, add just essence or soda flavor, it is all up to you. I use the essence pack and it only takes 1/4 tsp to flavor the water so the 3 pack lasts a long time. They have diet soda, regular soda and lemonade flavors. You can customize the strength on these by adding a little, a lot  or even mix flavors, you are in control!

You buy the CO2 cartridge and once it is used up, you bring it back and exchange it for a refill which is less money than the first bottle. I bought 2 the first time so I have a back up when one runs out.  I usually make 3-4 bottles a day as I generally drink one whole bottle at a time. I also would buy extra bottles so you have plenty in the fridge or if you like to have different flavors on hand.

There, New Year's Resolution Problem Solved!

Dawn for Soap Scum

News Flash!

 

My sister Melanie heard about using Original Blue Dawn Dish Liquid to hand wash hand dyed fabric, but more importantly to clean the soap scum off faucets and showers! Some recipes call for adding vinegar, but she just put some on a scrubby sponge, wiped it on, then used the scrubby to take off the scum. She said it was amazing and so did a bunch of on-line reviewers! Try it for yourself and cut down on all the cleaners that are useless, woohoo!

Some recipes call for 2 0z Dawn to 12 oz vinegar to spray on. Some say equal parts Dawn and vinegar. Sounds like you can experiment and see which concoction works best for you. Vinegar is already a known cure for calcium deposits, in the bathroom and in coffeemakers, so it all makes sense to me.

Fast Fret and Picks for the Mountain Dulcimer

My sister got myself and our other sister addicted to playing the Mountain Dulcimer. I am in the process of getting my sister-in-law addicted too. It is so fun and easy to learn to play this instrument. I have learned that these 2 items will definitely improve your Dulcimer playing.

The Fast Fret is a must, it keeps your fingers gliding over those strings. You should use it every day.

 I also love these yellow Herdim picks. They are just right, not too soft, not too hard.

Curry Chutney Cheese Spread

This spread is a little different, but even timid eaters like it. The curry powder makes it smoky, sweet and the chutney on top compliments the curry flavor perfectly. Make it the day before to marry the flavors. Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before serving to let it soften and spread easily.

 

Spread

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1/8 cup sherry

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp grated onion

 

Topping

1 jar chutney

2 scallions sliced fine

 

Mix all spread ingredients in a food processor and store in the fridge.

You can use a microplane to grate the onion and get more juice out of it.

To serve, top with chutney and scallions.

If you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free on this microplane.

Best Waffle Mix

Growing up in Rhode Island, we went to Newport Creamery a LOT! They had such yummy treats like Awful Awfuls (Awful good, Awful big and of course it had to be coffee), Cowlick cones and the best waffles.  I finally found a waffle mix that tastes like the ones only restaurants serve.

The secret?  MALT

Malt gives the waffles a sweet, caramel undertone that ordinary mixes do not have. This is an excellent price for this too as other high end retailers charge a lot more.

It is quick to make and the waffles come out perfect every time, crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.

I have a co-worker hooked on this too, so now she gets a can each time the 3 pack arrives. Sharing is always a good thing.