Category — Drinks

Strawberries are a delicious way to add more antioxidants and fiber to your diet.  According to the California Strawberry Commission, a serving of strawberries, just 8 berries, contains more vitamin C than an orange, and 2 grams of fiber!  What’s even better, is that a cup of strawberries contains just 50 calories.

I’ve found that the best and fastest way to get my daily intake of fruits and veggies is to make a power-packed morning smoothie. Here’s a strawberry smoothie recipe to get you started.  It also contains blueberries–another superfood!

Strawberry & Blueberry Smoothie

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana, peeled
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 individual size container of yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, or smoothie maker, and blend until mixture reaches desired consistency.  To add a little zip, replace some of the milk with orange juice.  Yogurt can be any flavor, depending on what you like.  I’ve also added a handful of uncooked quick oats to this recipe for increasing my whole grain intake.

After munching on all your favorite Halloween recipes, all the ghosts and goblins at your Halloween party are going to be thirsty.   A tall glass of Halloween punch or homemade witches’ brew will certainly hit the spot.  At my Halloween party, I like to fill up a big punch bowl and let guests serve themselves.

Here are a two Halloween punch recipes that will keep even a big crowd of monsters happy.

Bewitching Fruit Punch

• 4 cups ice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 can (12 oz.) frozen cranberry juice drink concentrate
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 cans (12 oz.) lemon and/or lime flavored soda or sparkling water

Combine ice, lime juice, water, and cranberry drink concentrate in a blender, and blend on high speed until ice is finely chopped.  Pour mixture into punch bowl, and add lemon/lime soda. Garnish with fresh lime slices. Source:  Land O’ Lakes.

Ghoul-Aid

This recipe makes a spooky black Halloween punch.

• 1 packet of powdered grape drink mix
• 1 packet of powdered orange drink mix
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 quarts of water
• 1 liter of ginger ale

Combine sugar, water, and drink packets and stir until well blended. Pour into punch bowl, and add ginger ale just before serving.

Add a frozen hand:  If you want to add a floating ice hand to this Halloween punch, simply fill a clean rubber glove with water, knot the end to close it, and freeze.  Remove ice hand from glove, and float it in the punch.

Like the punch bowl in the photo?  I found it at Neiman Marcus.

Coffee makers can be a minor purchase, or a major purchase depending on how many “options” you need.  I’ve been through a few, and have finally settled on this one: the Cuisinart Grind and Brew.  I’ve been brewing coffee every day, often twice a day, with this coffee maker for the last 2 years, and it still seems to be holding up very well.  Here are the pros and cons:

The Pros: I like this coffee pot because it grinds and brews the coffee in an enclosed unit.  If you’ve ever fumbled around with a coffee grinder at 6AM, spilling ground coffee on the counter and floor- you’ll appreciate this too. I also like the thermal carafe, because it eliminates that scorched taste you can sometimes get with coffee makers that have burners and glass pots, and it keeps the coffee hot for hours.

In addition, the Cuisinart Grind and Brew has a built in charcoal water filter, something which I think makes a big difference in the quality of the coffee brewed.  And, if you don’t want to use coffee beans for every pot, you can just add ground coffee to the basket.

The Cons: Although it’s my favorite coffee pot of all time, I would change the following things if I could. First, the grinder mechanism has to be cleaned every time you grind coffee beans, because it steams up when the coffee brews.  This means a few extra minutes of prep time.  Second, the Cuisinart water filters for this model are a little bit expensive.  They’re around $5 each, which is higher than the water filters for other coffee makers.

The Cuisinart Grind and Brew is available at 1st in Coffee for $129.

I have almost all the risk factors for contracting skin cancer: pale skin, blue eyes, freckles, an immediate relative who has been diagnosed with skin cancer and a history of being burned several times over.  To add fuel to the fire, I live between Southern Cali and Australia, I love the outdoors and I hate putting on sun block!  All this considered, I still have a fantasy that I can not only eat to protect my skin, but also perhaps, ingest my way to reversing the skin damage I already have!  Here’s what the experts say I’ll have to eat if there’s any chance of making my dreams reality.

• Vitamin A - Found in carrots and low-fat dairy products such as yogurt.  A vitamin A supplement is also recommended for it’s dramatic benefits to the skin, however use caution in taking it if you’re pregnant - it can harm the baby in large doses.
• Antioxidants - The best sources are berries: blueberries, strawberries and blackberries.  These protect skin cells from DNA damage.
• Essential Fatty Acids - Found in salmon, walnuts and flax oil.  Some women prefer to take fat from their butt and shoot it into their face to look younger.  I think I’ll try eating more salmon first.
• Oils - Make sure it’s cold-pressed, expeller processed or is extra virgin.  Commercial oils are full of crap and heated when processed which ruins the good stuff.  Oil is high in calories however so you only need two tablespoons per day.
• Selenium - has been proven in some studies to prevent skin damage.  Brazil nuts are a high in selenium.
• Green Tea - can be useful if put on the skin as well as digested.  Green tea has been proven to prevent and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
• Water - An oldie but a goodie.  Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses per day.  Your skin will thank you!

Check ou WebMD for a full report on healthy foods for skin.

Ever just want one quick cup of coffee with out all the trouble of making a whole new fresh pot?  When I was in the mood for just that, I remembered these plastic gadgets from a trip I took to a cabin run on solar power in St. John’s.  Two weeks of morning coffees made from what I now know to be called, the aptly named, “coffee filter holder” and I’m a believer.

These are great because they’re so easy to use and clean up is a sinch.  All you have to do is put a cone coffee filter in the holder, boil water, put coffee in the filter and pour the hot water through over a coffee cup.  Then you just toss the filter out, give the holder a quick rinse and you’re done.  Hot coffee, no mess.  And compared to the prices I saw online for single cup coffee maker machines from $40-100, this beauty above definitely beats the pack at $2.99.  For less than the cost of one coffee at Starbucks, you could have a kitchen supply that will perk you up for a life time.

Here’s a fun idea for Halloween.  A real witches brew with bubbles and steam.  This recipe serves a party of thirty (12 quarts) so cut back if it’s just a few of you.  Or you could do it minus the alcohol for a kids event.  Either way, make sure nobody touches or drinks chunks of dry ice - you could get burnt!   You will need:

• four 48 oz cans pineapple juice
• one 96 oz bottle orange juice
• four 2 liter bottles Mountain Dew
• one 1.75 liter bottle vodka
• one 1.75 liter bottle of rum
• dry ice

All measurements are approximate. Adjust to your own taste.  Mix well. Pour into your cauldron with chunks of dry ice to create the bubbling steam effect.  Remember, don’t eat the dry ice or you will get burnt!

For more Halloween recipes like this one check out britta.com

Want to know my vote for the most healthy and refreshing drink ever?

A chilled, fresh coconut. If you’ve never tried one, you’ve got to experience the bliss. They are so sweet and delicious you can’t believe it’s pure nature. And whatever you’ve heard about coconut being fattening or bad for you in anyway is completely wrong. I’ve read so much about coconut water, it’s meat and oils that it’s got me believing it’s a super food. I’ve heard testamonies from people that claim that eating a spoonful of cocnut oil every day has not only improved the look and feel of their skin and hair, but also helped them lose weight! These were not quacks or salesmen, but real live friends standing in front of me with glowing skin and svelt bodies. For a full list of the benefits of coconut check out the coconut research center.

Coconuts can be found at health food and grocery stores. They are also popular at Thai restaurants. You should be able to buy them for $1-4. If you can have them pre-cut, I recommend you do. If you don’t have them prepared in advance, you’re going to need a butcher knife to hack into it. Once you drink the juice, the meat can be scooped out and eaten. Make sure you serve them chilled.

Imagine a Tiki-style party this summer. Or just enjoy the benefits yourself after a long day’s work. The coconuts can be a fun drink for kids and adults alike, so get one for each member of the family.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neloqua/328041456/

So what’s been stirring up in the kitchen? Well, apparently a super secret spy has. Many may wonder how this came to be, so here goes.

Julia Child, born in 1912 didn’t exactly know what she would be doing 30 years from then. After graduating from college, she went into business as an advertising writer. When World War II broke out, she felt the urge to serve her country, but since she was 6’2” (imagine that – very easy target), she wasn’t qualified for the army. So instead she volunteered her services at the OSS Headquarters; Office of Strategic Services (previous version of CIA). She hoped to become a spy, but at first she was assigned clerical work.

Later she worked with the OSS Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section and developed the infamous shark repellant for the Navy. It was between 1944 and 1945 when she was stationed in China that she gained access to top security clearances. She dealt with lots of classified information and messages.

So how does Julia go from this to a chef? Well, after meeting her husband, Paul Child, another OSS officer, she fell in love and soon married him in September 1946. He was stationed to France, she came along then fell in love with something else…French cuisine. From then she attended Le Cordon Bleu and became a chef with a national TV audience (this may be how you know her).

There was always speculation that Julia Child was a spy, but they were always dismissed – until recently when documents were shown of her employment with the OSS. Unfortunately, she died two days before her 92nd birthday in 2004, but her recipes definitely still live on. See one of her infamous entrees below:

What you need:

· 4 cups sliced leeks, white part only
· 4 cups diced potatoes, old or baking potatoes recommended
· 6 to 7 cups water
· 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
· 1/2 cup or more sour cream, heavy cream, or crème fraîche, optional
· 1 Tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, minced

If you won’t be using pureeing methods, you just need to chop up the veggies neatly. You will also need a 3-quart saucepan that has a lid. First you place the leeks, potatoes and water into the pan, then bring to a boil. Add a little salt and cover the plan slightly – simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes when the veggies become tender; this is when you will taste it and decide whether more seasoning is needed. Once it tastes fine, let it chill and add a bit more cream if you’d like. Taste again; make sure it has enough seasoning. Once okay, sprinkle the soup with chives or parsley and serve!

I asked for a French press three years ago for Christmas. My parents bought me one that I love and use every day. It’s by Frieling and I highly recommend it. It’s very sturdy and has stayed completely functional over the years. It has a thermal system that keeps the coffee hot all morning. The design is comfortable to use, modern and chic looking, and I’m not the only one who shares this opinion. I was out at one of L.A.’s hippest restaurant, the Phillip Stark designed Katsuya, and they serve coffee in the same pots. I felt so cool when I saw that. And to think that my parents were the ones that picked it out in the first place… they upped their hip-factor by leaps and bounds with that single move!

Red wine has been credited with health attributes from slimming down to lowering cholesterol. Imagine my surprise when I read in an article in Mother Earth News that it may also fight cancer. That’s because the most powerful cancer-fighting compound we can get from food is resveratrol, found in the skin and seeds of red grapes. Apparently, resveratrol not only protects the heart but also has been proven to help fight cancer in it’s early reversible stage by preventing cancer cells from developing and growing.

Red wine might be the most fun way to get these amazing benefits, but eating the grapes or drinking plain grape juice is just as good. A tip when buying grapes is to choose the seeded variety for maximum health benefit. If you chew and swallow the seeds as well as the skin and pulp you get the added plus of an antioxident called oligomeric proanthocyanidin which researchers claim slows the aging process and protects the skin and internal organs from the bad effects of stress and toxins.

I love when my evening relaxation habits turn out to have proven health benefits. We can all rest assured that there are some things that are fun and taste good that are also good for you!