The Sacrificial Tuna

I didn’t grow up in a religious house. We were “High Holiday Jews,” which, in layman’s terms, are Jews who only attend synagogue on the most sacred Jewish holidays. On those days, we would solemnly pray and rend our garments and starve ourselves in worship of the Lord. But every other day of the year the Lord could go fly a kite.

As a child, I particularly liked Yom Kippur, when adults are not allowed to have anything to eat or drink all day. The official reason for the fast is to cleanse our souls of the sins of the previous year. I suspect the actual reason for the fast is to give Jews another reason to complain.

I used to make wagers with myself as to which elderly parishioner would faint each year from dehydration, starvation, or Metamucil withdrawal. After the first one dropped, the rest of the parishioners often gave up on their own efforts, viewing the unlucky victim as a necessary sacrifice to a merciless God.

“Oy, I’m not going like Ida, someone get me some rugaleh!” Continue reading “The Sacrificial Tuna”

Advantages of Cupcakes

More and more often people are using elaborate cupcake displays rather than traditional cakes for special occasions such as weddings, baby showers, birthdays, parties or festive holidays. Cupcakes, being little miniature cakes are becoming extremely popular because they have so many great qualities that set them apart from everyday regular cakes.

Cupcakes are so simple to make, they are easy to eat, look cute, taste wonderful and can be decorated creatively to match the theme of your event. In fact it now seems that more and more people are fast becoming cupcake fans due to their wonderful qualities and truly inspired designs.

Cupcakes have been around for a long time, yet now it seems that they are making a welcome reappearance in today’s world. This could be due to the fact that they are so simple to make, appeal to people of all ages and can be decorated in many different ways that makes them highly versatile.

They make a great dessert treat as an alternative to traditional desserts such as cakes and chocolates. They also work really well when served at special occasions such as large parties and functions as its very easy to plan exactly how many to make, something more difficult with cakes. Continue reading “Advantages of Cupcakes”

5 Diet Myths Exposed: Start Losing Weight the Healthy Way!

This can be the year you finally drop those excess pounds, achieve a strong, streamlined body, and give your health a huge boost with a commitment to sensible eating.

But in order to reach your healthy weight and keep it there, you’ll have to sidestep a lot of diet minefields. So many nutritional myths and faddish ideas are out there, you could easily wind up sabotaging your weight loss efforts and compromising your health, without even knowing it.

NEWSFLASH:

58% of consumers are actively trying to lose weight to improve either their appearance, health or both, according to the Natural Marketing Institute’s Health & Wellness Trends Database.

MYTH #1: YOU HAVE TO GO ON A DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT. Continue reading “5 Diet Myths Exposed: Start Losing Weight the Healthy Way!”

Pasta Bella – Great Italian Food

Italian pasta recipes vary according to regional cuisine. Northern recipes, for instance, from the Piemonte, Calabria and Liguria regions feature readily available cheeses, cured hams and pancetta, a kind of smoked bacon. Most notable of these recipes is pasta carbonara.

Pasta Carbonara

This Italian pasta recipe requires, 3-4 strips of pancetta or bacon, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of cream and an aged grated cheese. Now, the variations to this Italian pasta recipe are enhanced by using a fresh pasta or spaghetti. Cook the pasta until desired doneness and drain. Meanwhile, saute pancetta for about 5 minutes or until crisp, if preferred. Crush one clove of garlic until flattened and rub inside of bowl for extra flavor. Whisk together, egg and cream. Place drained pasta into garlic-rubbed bowl. Pour egg and cream over pasta. Briefly toss to coat. Add pancetta and cheese. Toss to evenly coat pasta. Serve with curls of Parmesan or Romano cheese. For an extra flair, try a native cheese like Fontina. Garnish lightly with freshly ground pepper.

The Central Region Continue reading “Pasta Bella – Great Italian Food”

Nightwear for a Good Night’s Sleep

One of the biggest changes in the fashion industry in the past few decades has been in the realm of lingerie and sleepwear.

With the changes in the perception of the woman’s body as an object to be lusted over to a creation that should be celebrated, there have been many changes in the nightwear design from the simple satin robes of the previous decades to the modern styles.

Again, there has been a change from the styles of nightwear that are deemed to be more “feminine” to incorporate a few styles that are perceived to be more suited to men.

Some of the most common types of nightwear that are found in the industry are babydolls, nightwear sets, sleep shorts and camisoles.

These forms are not only designed for the basic comfort of women while sleeping, but also to provide a more positive feeling of self image by accentuating their sensuality. Continue reading “Nightwear for a Good Night’s Sleep”

Beef Recipes: 3 Dishes That Meat Lovers Will Go Crazy About

Beef is one of the most widely used meats around the world. Like chicken and pork, it is used in millions of recipes from different cuisines. It is flexible and easy to prepare. Those that are big fans of steak or burgers would say that beef is the heaviest type of meat, the most satisfying when it comes to appetite. Compared to chicken and fish, beef contains a higher amount of iron.

Here are mouth-watering beef recipes you can try at home:

Melt-In-Your Mouth Butter Beef

What you need:

1 1/4 kilograms cubed beef stew meat
1/2 cup butter
1 small pack dry onion soup mix

Continue reading “Beef Recipes: 3 Dishes That Meat Lovers Will Go Crazy About”

Give Yourself a Present – Live in the Present

In the Disney movie, “The Lion King”, Simba is whining to Rafiki claiming he is a victim of things gone wrong in his life. Rafiki counsels Simba to not focus on the pain of the past because it cannot be changed. “It doesn’t matta, eets in dee pahst”, is Rafiki’s advice. Simba listens to his advice and runs off the make amends in the present moment.

The Past Can Hurt

As human beings we have the amazing ability to think about past, present and future. From early man until now, this skill has helped us survive. If primitive man saw a tiger, his experience in the past could help him determine the striped animal was a threat. Thinking of the future, he would foresee an escape plan. And in the immediate here and now moment, his brain would activate and he would run. This process ensured his survival. Continue reading “Give Yourself a Present – Live in the Present”

If I Omit My Extra Nutrisystem Meals, Can I Double Up On The Dinner?

I sometimes hear from people who want a little more flexibility with their Nutrisystem meals. A common comment would be something like: “sometimes I have a really hard day at my job and I come home and am particularly hungry that night. What if I wanted to eat two of the Nutrisystem dinners? Could I just load up on the larger meals and then skip the dessert and snack for that day? I’d rather have something more substantial. Is this possible?”

Before I attempt to answer, please know that I’m not an expert. It’s very easy to contact Nutrisystem and ask someone from the company about this topic. But here is my take. While I’m not sure that you would want to make a huge habit out of this because eating two dinners is going to take in more calories than two snacks or desserts, I don’t think it needs to be a huge deal on a particularly difficult day. And in my view, it’s certainly much better than cheating with a non diet dinner. I think that it makes sense to make small tweaks that allow you to stay on the diet from time to time instead of just going off of it and eating whatever you want. Continue reading “If I Omit My Extra Nutrisystem Meals, Can I Double Up On The Dinner?”

How To Lose Weight During The Holidays

Holidays and special events are full of great things to eat, but those great things to eat sometimes aren’t the same things that help you lose or maintain weight. It’s that age old question for all weight conscious people. How am I going to get through this next holiday without gaining weight?

Take a breath, and I don’t mean so you can get your belly into the waist of your pants! You can get through the next big day without putting on those extra pounds if you just make some easy but sensible decisions before the next big day arrives.

1.) On those holidays where candy is a major focus of the day, buy or make your own stash of sugar free candy in advance. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy the day as everyone else without feeling deprived. Be careful not to eat too much sugar free candy at one time though. Some sugar free ingredients can cause gas, bloating, or diarrhea when eaten in excess. (I look at that as a natural reminder to eat everything in moderation.)

2.) When you are invited to someone’s house for a holiday meal, offer to bring a dessert to help your hostess out or at least to have in addition to the dessert your hostess is planning. There are so many simply wonderful low carb, sugar free, or natural fruit dessert recipes around that it is easy to find a dessert you can take that will be tasty to everyone while making sure you have something special but workable in your own diet. Continue reading “How To Lose Weight During The Holidays”

Pineapple Rice Pudding

Everyone has an aunt or grandmother who makes the world’s greatest rice pudding. It’s a simple dessert with simple ingredients; milk, sugar, rice, cinnamon, and vanilla, with or without raisins, the debate rages on. It’s always served at Thanksgiving in my family. There’s something about the warmth of the cinnamon that makes it perfect for that time of year. It ignites the senses, kindling warm memories of Christmas cookies and evenings spent gathered around a fire.

This recipe brings the creamy taste of rice pudding into the summer. The coconut gives the pudding a lighter texture and exotic flavor. The pineapple adds the perfect amount of tropical sweetness. This dessert is to be eaten poolside whilst working on your tan and sipping iced tea. Play Calypso music and make use of tiny paper umbrellas for maximum enjoyment. The cinnamon and vanilla won’t even be missed.

Pineapple and Coconut Rice Pudding Continue reading “Pineapple Rice Pudding”