Tag: food blog
Part II – Exercise
Then there is that other part – exercise- Uggghh! I know, I imagine all of those young, fit women wearing spandex clothes, working out and smiling at the gym with their makeup perfect. And I am not one of those!
Them! Me
Even I Exercise Regularly
Now in all fairness, that used to be my response, but over the past 10 years, I have gotten to the place where I exercise at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week and I really do feel better. There are two crystallizing factors – I don’t want to be like many grandmothers and aunts whose falls in older age can be the precursor to their demise. We’ve learned enough to know that exercise keeps bones strong.
Then, our health plan started giving a discount for healthy learning. The measure was 10,000 steps a day. Do you know how much that really is? That’s about 5 miles a day. While I know running up and down the stairs with laundry feels like that, it really isn’t.
Start Walking
It turns out that for me to take 10,000 steps a day on a relatively regular basis, I have to do 5,000 steps on the elliptical in 35 minutes in the morning.
Also, I learned I can cope with stress and everything else better thanks to exercise – plus I’m helping the old heart muscle. My attitude now is “have sneakers, will exercise” (but I still hate running). I travel a lot, but exercise clothes are always in my carry on – believe me, it makes me a nicer, happier person to work with.
Find what you like to do and what works best for you. Walking starts with a single step, and it’s a great way to keep up with friends. I have some who make it a habit to go walking with their friends after the bus stop or around the parking lot at lunch. If you actively try to move, you will find a way. But there are other options – classes, swimming, kayaking, nature walks with your children– why not make it a family event?
Exercise at any age!
And you know the energy part? Doctors are right! You get more when you exercise. And it’s never too late – my mom is 88 years old and started going to the gym last week so she could move better and be more stable. She’s noticing a difference! You’ll be interested to know that studies have shown that with exercise, older people (even starting at age 85) can improve their muscle tone significantly in only six weeks. Of course, everyone should check with their physician before starting a rigorous exercise program.
I know I’m personally dieted, exercised and stretched to the point of exhaustion on a bad day. But in my heart of hearts, I know the answer is very simple. Move it or lose it!
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January 18, 2010
I can’t count the nights that I don’t begin to think about dinner until I open the refrigerator door and everyone starts asking me “What’s for dinner?” Of course with TSG, we like to think you can add a little excitement to any meal you make by going to the Recipe Box and looking up your favorite TSG products…..
But if you aren’t that fortunate, we have found some help. At My Fridge Food, you can actually click on your favorite ingredients and it will pull up recipes for you to choose from. I put in cheese, salt and pepper, eggs, milk, pasta and chicken and it pulled up nearly 100 recipes ranked by the percentage of required ingredients I had on hand. It also gives the number of ingredients, time and number of calories in the dish. Truth be told, I probably had the missing ingredients in most cases…..but it’s fun to see what creative things you can make with so little!
Tell me, what’s in your ‘fridge and what do you do with it?
At the end of the holidays, I don’t know about you, but my fridge needs a good cleaning – so I can see the shelves again. If you feel the same after weeks of treats and leftovers, you might enjoy this. On the lighter side, here is a photo essay on what your fridge says about you! For a good laugh and some self awareness!
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January 5, 2010
We’ve made it through Christmas and New Year’s is upon us. We celebrate and vow to do things better in the New Year. We get to start with a clean slate!
New Year’s Celebrations Around the World
When we were living in different countries, one thing I learned is that New Year’s isn’t always on January 1. In one year as we moved from Europe to Asia, we were able to experience at least 7 different New Year celebrations – we started with ours in January, with our favorite bubbly and good cheer. Then there was Chinese New Year in the beginning of February with its fireworks, gifts and dragon dances. Nyepi in primarily Hindu Bali where noisy celebrations scare away the evil spirits followed by a day of silence. Songkran in Thailand where we were soundly doused with water to wash away the past. Hari Raya in Malaysia, although not technically the Islamic New Year is a great time of celebration at the end of Ramadan. Rosh Hashana with good friends in many countries. Deepavali (Diwali)Festival of Lights. Each had it’s own sights, sounds, traditions and foods. Yum! We had a lot of fresh starts that year!
Dragon Dancers for Chinese New Year
In fact, that is one of the great lessons learned from our travels – whatever our celebrations, we are much the same. Whether it involves new clothes, cleaning house – sweeping away the old – new year’s is much the same. Everyone gets a chance for a clean slate and to start anew.
Granted my history with resolutions isn’t very good. I make them (usually to lose weight, see Diet and Exercise (next week)) and then need to start over again a few months later. Instead of feeling guilty about making and breaking New Year’s resolutions, I prefer to think that I start every day with a resolution
At least I know this is a universal trait of all people – we are just human. You don’t need six new years celebrations to get it right. Resolve to make each day a little better than the last.. Make everyday New Year’s Day – embrace the future and start to make it a little better.
Happy New Year!
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December 29, 2009
Be prepared for unexpected holiday guests, have some extra snacks!
Well, it’s official, we are again in the holiday season. Lights are up and expectations are high to be jolly, happy or oozing with extra good cheer – it’s enough to make you crazy. As a Mom, you feel like the happiness of everyone around you is dependent on what you do! But give yourself a break – if you are not happy, neither will anyone else be.
There are now three days before we leave to visit my mother for the holidays. I’m a little stressed. So I will do what I always do – make lists. If I can take a big task and break it down into little ones, I feel much more successful and things will get done. I will make Christmas lists, and hit the internet. I will make shopping lists and store them on my phone. I will make packing lists, so that I can keep things in one suitcase – and I will put them all on the calendar so that as I get closer to THE DAY, the list will shrink instead of grow and I will feel better not worse.
But more importantly, I need to realize it is not my job to make everyone happy. True, it’s easier now that the children are grown and I can realize that much of the struggle we had during those teenage years was as much my problem as theirs. They were trying to show me they were responsible for themselves, and I had to learn to let them be responsible.
This year my family is beginning to scatter around the U.S. as we become part of other people’s families and celebrations. They each have a desire and responsibility to contribute to everyone’s happiness – and they want to. The joy of making others happy is now the gift they have to share - that and a few recipes from home. Let me know how you and your family share the holidays.
Still there is that central role you have to play – so make it easy for yourself, at least on the food front.
5 Steps to Making Holiday Cooking Easier
1. Put out a plate of fresh, ready to eat fruit for the day. Let them help themselves. In many European countries it’s a tradition that they put out a plate of food for the 12 Days of Christmas – one for each day. It includes dried fruit (like apricots), cheese, nuts, fresh fruit (like clementines and grapes) and some wrapped candy.
2. Prepared food is good food. – Make a pot of soup – only twice what you would normally prepare – freeze half for the day so that you’re ready for guests coming at odd hours or those running late. If you don’t have the extra time now, a roast chicken from the grocery store is a great, warm dinner.
3. Keep It Simple – As much as I love to cook, I am always humbled by the fact that the family seems to love easy comfort food as much if not more than things I slave over. We had a week full of delicious dishes – but my son, Scott was happiest with the easy mac he made for himself. It was inexpensive and easy, and reminded him of being a kid again.
4. Let People Help!! - I’m always guilty of this one. I invite people over, they say “what can I bring?” and I say “Just Yourself!” What was I thinking? I am learning to say, “Thank you, yes” and everyone feels better.
5. Keep some “extras” on hand! – The one thing I have trained the family to do, is put something on the grocery list when they use up the last one. Particularly around the holidays, there should be some no thought food around. For a late night meal, I take a can of tomato soup, add a can of minced clams and a little milk and I have a wholesome meal. When people drop by, I have some mini-bagels, frozen pigs in a blanket, TSG Cheeseballs or a jar of Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly over cream cheese – and everyone is happy!
If you are relaxed and happy, so will be those around you. Give up control and enjoy the holidays.
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December 20, 2009
Ok, so today I will be unabashedly commercial. After all, without Two Sisters Gourmet I wouldn’t get to blog. Today is the culmination of a year long journey of integrating Two Sisters Gourmet into the PartyLite family. With the new Winter/ Spring 2010 Catalog available today, we are finally national!! The one thing I know for sure, is that once you have tasted it, you’ll be hooked!
We’ve had lots of help over the past year, beginning with our PartyLite Consultants– thank you Gina Fletcher and Tammy Martin for being our pilot Regions. And in the PartyLite Home Office – thank you Karen Conkey, Liz DiPaolo, Joyce Elven, Mary Brunelle, Christa Silvieus, Debbie Holmes, Dana Harrell, Marye Cozzens, Rachel Kane, Cindi Ford, Kim Beson and the rest of the U.S. team for taking me under their wing and adding Two Sisters Gourmet into their product line.
Now it’s up to you to find you favorites and send me feedback for the future shape of this collection. Become a PartyLite Facebook fan and see if you can win TSG product!
You’ll notice in the new catalog that there are four tasty new offerings: Swirled Cheddar Merlot Cheese Mix, Sun-Roasted Red Pepper Seasoning, Bursting Blackberry Cabernet Preserve and Ripe Pear Chardonnay Preserve. These were designed to bring the feel and freshness of wine country to your table.
When you have TSG in your pantry, remember to check out the recipe box for mouth-watering ideas on how to use each item at least three different ways! TSG brings extra excitment to your everyday cooking and helps you prepare dishes that are quick, easy and delicious.
I had a great time tasting and refining products with you. My tasting cart is becoming a welcome sight here at the office. We’re currently finalizing the new items for the next catalog – plus, I can’t wait to get new ideas at the Fancy Food Show in January!
Please share your favorite TSG items and how you use them. I know a lot of you are just as excited as me, spread your enthusiasm and write a guest post for the blog.
Thank you for welcoming Two Sisters Gourmet into PartyLite and now onto tables nationwide!
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December 16, 2009
In the afterglow of Thanksgiving dinner, we began to be ready to think about Christmas (a little late if you ask most retailers). We saw a special on how they decorate Disneyworld for Christmas – and had the bug. While it had all the usual stories about trees and lights( over 1000 65 foot trees) for us, the story that resonated most was about food of a sorts – gingerbread houses!
Everyone Can Decorate a Gingerbread House
At Disney, they even make a complete store out of gingerbread, a huge display at a monorail station. We have seen the White House constructed in gingerbread too. It can be a real art – or a great party.
Since the children were little, we have made gingerbread houses every year – some elaborate, some in a hurry, some very original. It started in England where my very talented friend Jeanne, brought the three familes with six kids together for a wonderful two day exercise. Jeanne lovingly handcrafted the gingerbread pieces, taught us how to make royal icing that worked better than superglue, and laid out a spread of candy and other items to decorate with that would leave the children full of sugar for days. Camille lovingly donated her house for what is a sticky adventure on its best days, and we all settled in to learn how to turn shredded wheat into roof tops and clear mints into reflecting pools.
As the children grew older, and we moved away from our friends, the tradition remained. We went through a phase of great creativity where Scott made gingerbread submarines and air craft carriers, and our imaginative Laura decorated everything just so with a pretty story.
In college, when trips were shorter, we migrated on to pre-made kits, with extra candy for décor. Grandma learned how – even though the dog stole it off the kitchen table. Guests away from home had to take part too. The good news is, if you live in a dry climate, you can even store these masterpieces in a bag in the attic for a couple of years.
How to Make a Gingerbread House or Christmas Ornament.
Gingerbread for houses is not your run of the mill gingerbread – it has to be stiff for good walls! There are some great recipes and patterns available, or to cut down on prep time, most grocery stores will have a kit with pre made pieces. You can make ornaments too! Just use your favorite cookie cutter and make sure you pike a hole at the top so it will hang. If you are really pressed for time – you can use graham crackers for structural pieces.
When you are ready to assemble – be prepared for icing glue.
Putting on the roof with a home made pastry bag
It goes everywhere!! And it sticks like glue, so cover your tables or counters. We have always found it works best with extra sugar and cream of tartar for extra sticking powder. And powdered egg whites work too – you really aren’t going to eat too much of it! Make twice as much as you think you will need – extra always helps, and if you want a snow covered scene, you will go through a lot. When you put the roof on, leave it for a few minutes to set so it doesn’t go sliding down to the ground.
If you’ve never used a pastry bag for icing – this is not the time to panic. Think of it as an easy way to squeeze in tight places. Grab yourself a plastic sandwich bag and fill with the icing. Cut a tiny diagonal corner off the bottom and squeeze out through the hole. If you’ve ever had whipped cream, icing or cheese in a can, you know what to do! The best part is, it’s disposable – no washing up.
The next most important thing are your decorating options. Kits come with some candy for decoration and a picture for suggestion, but let your imagination run wild. We have found the most useful things are small frosted wheat cereal biscuits, red licorice whips for paths and roofs, striped candy canes and peppermint, gumballs and red hots – but go wild!
When you are satisified with the results, or your children run out of concentration put them on display for the family, friends and neighbors. Some towns have a contest between Scout troops or children and display the results in the store windows. But take a picture first, while they can last for a couple of years cared for, accidents happen – including the one the dog took from the kitchen table, or the building that fell down when it was cleaned and you want a record forever!
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December 15, 2009
Bubbles make me happy and I think they add to every occasion. Our family is a great fan of sparkling wines and champagnes: They’re fun, taste good, complement most foods and you can serve them in fabulous looking glasses. One of the first pair of wine glasses Rick and I bought when we were engaged had hollow stems so you could watch the bubbles flow!
Sparkling Wine or Champagne for New Year’s?
When the holidays roll around, we make our list – full of new types of sparkling wines and champagnes! Just to be clear- a real champagne only comes from a particular region in France. But almost all countries make sparkling wines of some kind. In Italy, it’s Prosecco, in Spain, it’s Cava and in the U.S., it’s just sparkling wine.
How to Choose a Sparkling Wine
If you don’t know what to choose – like us most of the time, it’s best to get a wine that’s rated, if you can. Wines are rated from 0-100 for the type of wine and the price bracket in which they fall. Or ask your seller to make a recommendation.
Some Sparkling Favorites
Recently, the younger crowd in our family has found a Cava favorite called Cristalino (about $10). In Prosecco, you could look for Riva di Rocca (under $20), or Jeio (also under $20). As a native Californian, I like most of what’s grown there. Mumm Napa Brut Prestige is the California offshoot of a French house (about $20). Many of the French houses have set up California vineyards. Costco actually has a surprisingly good Kirkland Sparkling wine that’s rated. Then, of course you can climb the price ladder to the truly atmospheric. The most expensive champagne ever was a bottle of 1928 Krug sold at auction for $21,000!
Our Favorite Champagne Flutes
We love serving champagne in various, sparkling flutes. My personal favorite is a tall blue cut crystal flute. We also have some modern tapered flutes, hollow stemmed in assorted colors, flat champagne’s (sorbet style) and our very favorite from the year 2000 – Micky Mouse flutes.
So pop the cork and cheers to good food, friends and another great year! What’s your favorite type of Champagne?
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December 8, 2009
I’m cruising through the blogosphere looking for inspiration (my favorite hobby) and came across a blog with a title and claim I can relate to called, Working Girl’s Kitchen . The description went on to read, “a corporate girl finds balance and fulfillment through her culinary journeys.” I know what she’s talking about!
The Working Girl posted an article, “10 Things Cooking Taught Me About Life” by Kim O’Donnell that not only touched her, but resonates with the cook in all of us. BSVCZRN9VZA6
What Cooking Means to Me:
It made me reflect on what cooking means to me.
1. I find it therapeutic. If I’m cranky I will chop a little harder. If I’m moping around I can conjure up smells that take me to the happiest of times – a fresh apple pie to remember apple picking afternoons filled with smiling faces.
2. Cooking connects me with the cycles of nature. Think about the day-long pot of spaghetti sauce project necessary to soak up that whole case of tomatoes from the farmer’s market (what was I thinking!). The trip to the Farmer’s Market was a delight – a warm sunny Saturday, pouring over fresh produce, seeing friends and neighbors, and knowing that the piles of tomatoes will bring summer memories during a cold evening.
3. Cooking gives me time to step out of my daily routine and think. When I get to cook on one of these leisurely sessions, I turn on classical music and contemplate the more important things in life. I’m frequently thinking about the kids visiting for a holiday, when I can see my Mom 2,500 miles away and how lucky I am to have family who loves spending time together.
4. Cooking let’s me show I care. To me and to many, cooking is a universal display of love and concern. Sometimes words just aren’t enought. There’s always the “cheer you up from the lost game” dinner or a “friend hurt your feelings, so here’s comfort food” dinner. One of my favorites is “let me fix your favorite meal to bribe you to come home” dinner. The fact that they come and are cheered up are my greatest rewards.
What have you learned about life through cooking? Or describe whose life you have touched with your cooking. After all, cooking is all about bringing friends and family together!
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December 1, 2009
Family Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Food Thoughts on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving dinner is the one time no one in the family will ask me “What’s for dinner?” Like families all over the country, we have a ritual dinner. Every year I am tantalized by all the great and interesting recipes in the food magazines that find their way into my mailbox, but I am NEVER allowed to indulge in them. The only time I get to vary the menu is when we open our doors and include traveling waifs who can’t go “home” for Thanksgiving. We want everyone at our table to have something that reminds them of home, so I get to expand.
Thanksgiving may be officially the fourth Thursday of November, but in our house, and I believe many houses, it’s really at least a four day affair. This year, we will be having Thanksgiving at the beach, which sometimes means that all the Edwards gather and we have a large and noisy bunch. That’s when I get to try different things, we have multiples of everything, turkeys, stuffing , potatoes, pies – you name it.
Origins of Thanksgiving Dishes and Wishes
This year will be a smaller, quieter retreat. The older the family gets, the more connections we have to other families, and the more we share the people, the customs and the time. Traditionally, most Thanksgiving foods are those native to American soil. Turkey is ubiquitous – over 91% eat turkey on Thanksgiving. They say if you look at your Thanksgiving table you can tell where your family originates within the U.S.
Click on the foods for some great ideas:
Sweet Potatoes – from the South
Corn Bread Stuffing – The South and New England
Creamed Corn – Pennsylvania
Dungeness Crab or Shrimp – The West Coast
Mole and Roasted Corn, - Hispanic Americans of Mexican heritage
Lefse and Green Beans – Midwesterners of Scandinavian heritage (lefse is Norwegian potato flatbread)
On our Table for Thanksgiving – In addition to the Cornucopia!
- Shrimp Cocktail and Fresh Hot Rolls
- Black Olives – lots!
- Fresh whole Cranberry Sauce (is your family whole berry or strained?)
- Turkey (don’t forget the Butterball Hotline!) link to other post.
- Aunt Ida’s Sage and Sausage Stuffing (not sure who Aunt Ida was)
- Giblet Gravy ( we had to wait till they were a little older for the giblets)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Pumpkin and Minced Pie
My Thanksgiving Wishes
What I love about Thanksgiving is that it is the most American of all holidays – everyone within our shores is invited to the table to celebrate. It’s a day of peace and promise as we gather to be thankful for the blessings we have. It’s a little island of calm before the holiday rush. Food is one of the most fundamental ways of connecting. I know at our table we will be thankful for family and friends (including those we don’t know yet). We wish the same for you at this time and hope you will share the season…
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November 24, 2009
I find it ironic that the month that kicks off the biggest eating binge of the year with Thanksgiving, November, is also National Good Nutrition Month. ( Mind you, it is also Georgia Pecan Month, National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, National Pepper Month, National Pomegranate Month, Raisin Bread Month and Vegan Month!). November 1 is National Deep Fried Clam. I live in a geography where it costs more NOT to have your food deep fat fried – what is wrong with this picture?
So I want to spend a little time talking about my lifetime obsession – that twisted relation of health/weight/food. The national obsession and information overload on health and weight management is confusing. I’m actually going to break it into two parts, and I bet you know what they are – DIET and EXERCISE.
Part I -Diet
Help Tracking your Diet
We all have good intentions – and most of us mom’s try to put balance of good food on the table (although many are tied to the old food pyramid). The government has put together a really good site to explain this, and plan and track your progress to eating well. Give it a look see and gets your kids involved in planning.
Reality is we will all eat a little of everything – and that ‘s the key – A Little!
When you look at the portions in quick serve restaurants, they are full of fat, salt and calories – even a salad can contain a whole day’s worth (we all watch morning TV and have seen the expos). And heaven knows on a cold day I’m the first to line up for Mac and Cheese, or a cup of steaming hot cocoa with whipped cream, and that’s ok as an indulgence. But you can’t really live that way.
Our nation has an epidemic of obesity, starting with our children. We owe it to them to improve. If you really knew what a portion was, you could probably cut your food budget down – the man at the fish counter is always trying to sell me a ½ pound per person, when a portion is 4-5 ounces – half the amount. And the right portion for a toddler is ¼ that of an adult.
I spend a lot of time on the road where I do my best to piece together something clean and simple to eat – and I succeed about 60% of the time. All you have to do is look at my wardrobe to see the yo-yo battle. I used to make excuses, but the only person I’m fooling is me.
Manage Your Family’s Diet and Budget
The good news for managing your family’s diet and budget in these time is:
- Cooking and eating at home is 1/3 less expensive than eating out.
- Fresher/less processed food is generally less expensive.
- Coupons are great, but are they helping you purchase the healthiest food for your family? Many processed foods are convenient, but may not have the best nutritional value – sodium and fat are two things to watch. (If you don’t know it – check this out for retailer coupons).
- Cooking and coming together for a meal is a great way to connect. –whether within your immediate family, or everyone bringing potluck for Thanksgiving.
Eat as many fruit and vegetables as possible, serve food that is as close to fresh as possible, exercise and you’ll be fine.
If you eat in balance and control your portions– you can eat almost anything! What’s your favorite way to stay in control? Pass the dark chocolate please, it’s good for my heart!
For more National Food Holidays click here!
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November 10, 2009
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