Those of us who enjoy cooking, are always on a lookout for new gadgets, cookware and kitchen appliances, and other useful tools which would make the job easier, faster and still result with a scrumptious meal to put on the table.

I am on that list as well, and even though I already enjoy using my pressure cooker and a slow-cooker/crockpot, I came across yet another very useful kitchen appliance, the rice cooker.

Since I still do not have that one, I read about it on this blog, and it sounds like something I should add to my wish list, and you might find it useful as well.

Don’t let the name fool you, since it is not only for cooking rice.  According to Leah Ingram from Suddenly Frugal, this appliance may also be used to:

steam vegetables

cook seafood

make pasta–as in heat it up in the absence of a pot on a stove, not actually “make” pasta

act as a stockpot for making soup

cook and steam dumplings

Don’t you agree that it is a must have kitchen appliance?

I have a Flavor Scenter Steamer,  made by Black & Decker, which I use for steaming rice and vegetables.

This steamer may also be used for steaming fish, clams and chicken breast, but these are not my favorite foods to steam.

I love using it for steaming my rice, since it is such a clean way to get the job done (no overflowing all over your pot and stove)….what a mess that creates…which is my problem lots of times with cooking rice on the stove.

My daughter does not seem to have this problem, because she actually follows directions when cooking rice, and I seem to skip over some very vital parts in these directions…oh well…this way I had a good reason to own a steamer, and help the economy, at the same time.

I will continue to share posts about my other  favorite kitchen tools/gadgets, but as always, I would love to hear about your favorites as well.

photo credit: Right About Me

Today is an International Women’s Day. It is an occasion marked by women’s groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday.

This is a very special day for women who are treated with dignity, love and appreciation, but hardly carries the same value for numerous women, mostly in underdeveloped counties, who struggle to survive.

When I came across this article about a very intelligent, enthusiastic, and driven to make a difference, young lady, Rebecca Kousky, I just had to spread the word.

Hopefully I will be able to reach many others who will do the same to help Rebecca continue her mission, and reach out to the less fortunate women around the world, to help them find opportunity, happiness, freedom, and independence.

Here is a short introductory for you about Rebecca Kousky and her invaluable mission, taken from her post:

“When–after graduating with a masters in Social Work from Washington University–I had the inspiration of starting up a nonprofit organization that would provide microfinance loans to women in developing countries so they could begin or maintain art- or craft- based businesses”…

to continue with this story, please visit her site.

Women worldwide are connected through arts and crafts, which creates opportunities for them to start their own businesses and improve their own living standards, as well as the lives of other women who assist them.

If you have been searching to purchase something very special, and unique, please check out the links below, as this is your place.

Not only will you find so many beautiful items made with precision and love, you will alsomake a difference and improve the lives of many struggling women around the world.  What a beautiful thing to do on International Women’s Day.

Special Sale – (check out ALL their departments…such cute stuff for children…)

Shop Designers – (look for store locations near you)

Gift Certificate – (Best thing for someone hard to shop for)

If you do not wish to shop, but would like to help out, you may make a donation to a very good cause:

Get involved in supporting women in developing counties:

HAPPY  INTERNATIONAL  WOMEN’S  DAY!!!!!

photo credit: joannapoe

Super job!!!!

We are about to complete the Construction Phase of The Fat Smash Diet.

Time to compare notes with our conscience, and pat ourselves on the back for doing a great job, eating healthy and keeping in motion, and most of all feeling so much better.

We have been doing so well with all the fruits and vegetables, and controlled food portions, so in this phase it is time for some rewards.  Enjoy some of the SWEETS we have been avoiding.  However, we still need to keep in mind the portion size.  Instead of eating 5 cookies we should allow ourselves only 2-3.

Also, those of you who missed their alcohol, check out the selection below….surprise….you can now enjoy a glass of wine, or a beer, or a mixed drink.  Watch the volume!

Now that we trained our body to require smaller portions of food, but receive it more often (4-5 times per day), there is no need to go for the super-sized portions, seconds, or fill our plate to the rim.  Now we need to keep up with everything we learned and discipline ourselves not to fall back into the trap of bad eating habits.

If for any reason, you had some weak moments, and stopped following the plan, thus gained some weight back, do not panic, it can be fixed.

All you have to do to get back on track, is to go back to Phase I until you have lost the weight you gained back, then go an extra day on Phase I, then go back to Phase III.  Can’t get any easier!

In this phase, Dr. Smith is suggesting to dedicate one day per week to foods from Phase II, just to shake your body from its comfortable routine, which may also contribute to a greater weight loss.  He also suggests to do a “two-a-day” routine, which means double your daily exercise routine, one in the morning and one in the evening, to burn more calories.

In case some of you still did not decide to buy the book, I am providing you with a new list of foods for this phase.  Just remember that all the foods from previous phases are staying, and we are adding new ones.  That is the whole beauty of this Fat Smashing Diet.

Here are the additional selections of daily servings:

MEATS:
(portions are 5 oz, which is equivalent to a deck and a half of playing cards.  All these meats and fish are baked or broiled, NOT FRIED)

• Chicken without the skin
• Turkey  without skin
• Ground Beef:  EXTRA lean or ground sirloin
• Sirloin steak
• Lamb
• Turkey Sausage – 1 link
• Turkey Bacon – 2 slices
• Regular Bacon – 1 slice

SEAFOOD:

• Halibut, Tuna, Salmon, Snapper, Striped Bass, etc. – 3 oz. servings
• Shrimp – 4 large
• Mussels – 3 oz
• Oysters – 6-12
• Clams – 3

EGGS:

• 4 egg whites or
• 2 whole egg- scrambled, boiled, or poached

MILK and CHEESE:

• 3 cups of low-fat, skim, or soy milk
• 2 oz. of cheese (2 slices)

PASTA and BREAD:

• Whole wheat pasta – 1 cup
• Whole wheat/whole grain/pumpernickel bread – 4 thin slices
• Whole wheat/multi-grain English muffins – 1

DESSERTS:

(one dessert per day.  Cookies at the silver dollar size)

• Chocolate chip cookies – 3
• Gingersnaps – 4
• Oatmeal raisin cookies – 2
• Peanut butter cookies – 2
• Whole graham crackers – 2
• Low-fat ice cream – 1 scoop
  

AlCOHOL

(one choice of one serving per day )

• Wine – 6 oz
• Beer – 12 oz
• Mixed drink – 4 oz

SNACKS:

• Small brownie – 1
• Licorice – 1/2 of small pack
• Sherbet – 1/2 cup
• Chocolate Pudding, sugar-free, made with low-fat milk – 1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbs whipped topping
• Melba toast – 4 slices

EXCLUDED FOODS:

• White rice
• White Potatoes
• WhiteBread/English muffins
• White pasta
• White flour
• Pasties, donuts, Danish
• Cake
• Regular Soda
• Milkshakes
• Frappucinos or cappuccinos
• Cafe latte

photo credit: Ashutosh Khandha

There are

two

excellent theories

for

arguing

with women.

Neither one works.

photo credit: sweetonveg

The Great Lent began about two weeks ago, which means that those who follow this tradition, abstain from eating meat at least on Friday of every week, or some even do it on Wednesdays as well.

If you are like me, and are used to having meat at least once or twice per day, preparing meatless meals a couple of times per week might create a challenge.  I used to really stress out about this during my early years of cooking, but after a while I built quite a long list of meatless meal choices, and could easily be a vegetarian, if I could only win my family over to that eating style.

I have been posting some of my  meatless recipes during this past year, so if you are searching for ideas, here are the links to these posts:

Palushky (Potato Dumplings)

Halushky (Pasta with cabbage)

Vegetarian Holubtsi (Cabbage Rolls)

Varenyky (Pierogies)

Homemade Pasta (in the lower section of the linked post)

Crepes

Tuna Melts

Veggie Burgers

Tomato Soup

Red Beet Soup

Sorrel Borsch

If you are interested in a rather quick meal, there is always Macaroni and Cheese (you can add in some steamed broccoli, or any other of your favorite vegetables), Tuna Fish Salad, Egg Salad, Shrimp Scampi, any other fish which may be fried or broiled, pasta with steamed veggies, pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, PBJ, etc.

With so many different choices, the few meatless days during the 40 days of lent, pass by so quickly, that before you know it, you are back to the old meat cooking routine.

Sometimes  I actually miss a meatless meal, so I whip one up for a change, just to add a new twist to my meal planning.

As always, please share your favorite meatless meal idea with all of us.

photo credit: biffyboy

If you have been using Gmail as your email provider, like I do, you already experienced Google Buzz.

It sure was a surprise to me, when one day I noticed an unfamiliar icon named “Buzz” in my inbox.  I also noticed that there was a list of all my contacts who communicate with me through Gmail.  In addition to that, I found out that all the comments I leave on other blogs via Google Reader,  were also posted in the Buzz section, and visible to all my contacts.

This whole experience made me very uncomfortable, so I asked my son about it, searched the net for more information, and also came across a great article about Google Buzz , by Melanie Nelson, which provides further clarification about Google Buzz, and will share it with you, so please check it out if you are still searching for answers.

I also found an article which explains the three things everyone should know before they use or continue to use Google Buzz, so here is the list, but check out the post for more details:

1. The people you follow and who follow you back is made public by default.
2. You can expose private email addresses to everyone who follows you without meaning to do so.
3. Your Most Frequent Contacts In Google Buzz Have Access To Your Reader Contents By Default.

So those of you who have not heard of Google Buzz, you probably are curious to know what it is.

Here is Melanie’s description of Google Buzz:

“Over past few months Google has been trying to secure their spot not just as the go-to search engine, but as a real player in social media. Google Wave and the Google Nexus One phone were cool options to the norm and just last week Google unveiled yet another new social media tool: Google Buzz. Buzz is one more way to share your thoughts, pictures, favorite articles, etc. with your friends. Unlike Wave and Nexus One, Buzz has not been well-received for one reason: privacy.”

The most annoying thing about Google Buzz is the privacy issue.  I feel that Google should have given everyone the option of accepting or rejecting their offer of this new social media.  I definitely do not care for having it rolled into my email, so I was searching for a way to turn it off, to get rid of it, however the turn off button does not help much.

If you are in the same predicament, here is some help to check out for details, but I will just post the headings of the steps to disable your Buzz, to give you some idea of what it takes:

• Step 0: Don’t disable Buzz–yet
• Step 1: Purge your profile
• Step 2: Block your followers
• Step 3: Disable Buzz in Gmail

Hopefully you found my research helpful, and will be able to make a decision about keeping, or ditching, Google Buzz.

It’s time to celebrate yet another birthday at the office.  I have volunteered to be the  “cake baker” , but the birthday celebrant has to select his/her favorite cake.  Sometimes I even ask them to provide me with their favorite recipe, and I will do my best to create a cake.  This time the selection was a chocolate cake with lots of frosting.

Since I really love this Cocoa cake with Peanut Butter frosting, which several years ago my manager made for my birthday (she loved gourmet cooking), I decided to use that recipe.

It is the combination of the chocolate cake and the peanut butter frosting that makes this cake so decadent, as it reminds you of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Ingredients for Cake:

• ¾ cup butter

• 1 3/4 cups sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cups Hershey’s Cocoa

• 1 ¼ tsp. Baking Soda

• ½ tsp. salt

• 1 1/3 cups water

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup Peanut Butter

• ¼ cup butter, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions for Cake:

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 round baking pans.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and vanilla.
5. Beat 1 min. at medium speed.
6. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
7. Add alternately with water to creamed mixture, beating after each addition.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans.
9. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for 8 inch rounds, or 30 to 35 min. for 9 inch rounds, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Cool 10 min.
11. Remove from pans.
12. Cool completely.
13. Frost the cake with creamy peanut butter frosting.
14. Cover and refrigerate.

Directions for Creamy Frosting:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and butter, until creamy.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, and vanilla.
3. Mix well until well blended and creamy.

photo credit: FreeRangeLife

Mornings could be a very hectic time in any household, especially if everyone is on a very tight schedule, and in a hurry to get ready as fast as possible, and to move on.

It is even worse if you are not a morning person, and you have to drag yourself out of bed, even after the alarm goes off, and the snooze button is hit few more times (this is not a good idea).

Here are some of my suggestions to make the best of your busy morning, but it requires good planning the night before:

• Prepare a list of things to do in the morning, and follow it for a while until the routine is somewhat mastered by everyone  (This will work for  any household; singles,  married, families, or even retired couples)

• Keep the list  posted on the fridge, or any area in the house, where it can easily be viewed by everyone

• Delegating daily tasks, and engaging the whole family, is  another great idea to get tasks accomplished as a team

• Get as much accomplished as possible the night before (well began, half done…there is a lot of truth to that expression)

• Empty your dishwasher

• Fill it up with dirty dishes sitting around (much more pleasant to be greeted in the morning by an organized kitchen)

• Prepare the next day’s lunch bags, by at least putting in the drinks, snacks, and napkins

• You can even make the PBJ sandwiches, but spread both pieces of bread with PB then put the jelly in between the two, to prevent the bread from getting soggy

• Making a meat sandwich, place the meat on each piece of bread, then put the mayo or mustard between the meat, also to prevent the bread from getting soggy

• Check the weather forecast for the next day, and make sure everyone lays out their clothes out before going to bed  (this really cuts down on the morning confusion, not to mention the numerous outfits ending up on the floor)

• If you are sending off a child to daycare, pack their diaper bag and fill their bottle (store the drink it in the fridge of course),  and leave a reminder on your diaper bag to take the bottle

• Supervise your school age children to pack their school bags, special projects, instruments, sports equipment, before going to bed

• Replenish the water for your pet

• Schedule your children bedtime at least an hour or more before your own, to free up some time for yourself

• Insist that everyone places their dirty clothing in the laundry basket, not on the floor, after changing into their pajamas

• Everyone should have their own alarm clock set up with a wake up time. Best way is to get up as soon as the alarm goes off, rather than dragging it out and hitting the snooze button, as this may cause you to fall asleep again (you should try to get at least 6-7 hours of sleep, and 8 – 12 hours for children)

• Wake up time should be moved up, for days with inclement weather, which required earlier departure time, to allow for slower driving and traffic

• Don’t skip breakfast! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it provides your body with needed nutrition to start the day, even if it is only a piece of fruit and a glass of juice, it is better than not eating at all

Also, just like breakfast gives you the energy to start your day, organized morning contributes to an overall better day.  Speaking of a better day, check out these suggestions on how to free up some of your time during the day.

I know, this looks like a lot to accomplish the night before, but these tasks require only few minutes each to complete.  But the key factor is the planning, organizing, and  delegating, which requires to select one person to be in charge of this.   You will be surprised how smoothly this whole process will proceed, and I assure you that there still will be free time for family fun, and less grumpiness in the morning.

I can speak from my own experience, as a morning person, if I don’t complete most of my unfinished tasks the night before, and especially select my next day attire, my morning is very unproductive, time flies by, and I end up leaving the house with breakfast on the go in one hand, and the car keys in the other, and no prepacked lunch.  Not to mention the mess I made of my closet, before I decided on the outfit for the day.

I am sure that many of you have lots of wonderful ideas of your own, and we all would love to hear about them, so please share and leave comments.

Dips are still part of the “centerpiece” foods at parties. Everyone loves having a scoop of their favorite dip, surrounded by veggies or chips. It makes it easy to move around and socialize, while enjoying your food at the same time.

I already shared the ever so famous recipe for the original Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip, but recently I had an opportunity to taste a much lighter version of this dip, and I could not believe how great it tasted.

So, if you are still sticking to your New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier, here is a recipe for you to enjoy without feeling guilty.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
• 8 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
• ¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• ½ cup shredded Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cup Fat Free Ranch Dressing
• ¼ cup Fat Free Oikos Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unwrap the cream cheese, place it in a microwave safe dish, and microwave for 10 seconds, to soften it.
3. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl, and stir until smooth.
4. Mix in Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, Low Fat Cheddar Cheese, Low Fat Ranch Dressing, and Oikos Fat Free Greek Yogurt.
5. Add chicken, and mix until combined.
6. Scoop mixture into a casserole dish, and smooth the top with a spoon to even it out.
7. Bake it uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through (do not overcook, as it will begin to separate)
8. Stir well and serve.

TIP. Best served with cut vegetables (carrots, celery, peppers),pretzels, crackers or baked tortilla chips.

If you prefer less spicy version, you may cut the cayenne pepper sauce to 1/2 cup.

photo credit: miikkahoo

I never thought I would like the taste of a veggie burger, so at first I purchased some frozen ones, Veggie Medley by Gardenburger , and realized that they were not as bad as I thought.  Since I am not really a hamburger lover, veggie burger earned my approval.

I like making my own food at home, since it allows me to control what goes into it, and enables me to modify the recipe to my taste.

I looked up some recipes for veggie burgers, and came up with this modified version to fit The Fat Smash Diet.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
• 6 mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1 egg white
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.
2. Stir in corn, mushrooms, scallions, and bell pepper.
3. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
6. Add carrot and brown rice and stir to combine.
7. Add egg white and season with salt and pepper.
8. Add some quick oats or more brown rice, if the mixture does not hold together.
9. Shape mixture into 6 disks and place on a plate.
10. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
11. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in non-stick skillet and cook veggie burgers until golden on each side.

Tip: I like to eat these veggie burgers plain in Phase I and II, but in Phase III, there is a choice of whole wheat bread or whole wheat muffin to serve these on.  Veggie Burgers, just like brown rice, are now part of my new food list, which I learned to enjoy.