Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender - You’re In Blending Heaven


As I said before, I love cooking and I love my gadgets. One gadget I use daily is my hand blender. This is the reason for my interest in the Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender. If the one I have now goes, I’ll definitely have serious look at this one.

Happy owners swoon about perfectly blended soups and more! One owner says she blends a VERY chunky broccoli soup in two ticks, well that is the kind of thing one wants to hear about a hand blender.

This makes me think back to YEARS ago, long before such luxuries as a hand blender existed, when my son had mouth surgery and what a battle it was getting his food pureed! In the end the glass bender’s jug broke and a sat with a kitchen full of soup! So, believe me, a hand blender and especially the Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender is blending heaven!

This nifty little gadget has a long stem so you can easily blend in pots and jars, no extra unnecessary dishes to wash afterward. What is even better, the shaft and blades can be washed in the dishwasher.

Even though the Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender is powerful it is light and can be held with one hand and the controls work very easy. Do not be misguided by it’s looks, it is beautiful, yes, but it can also do the job with easy.

OK, so this is enough of my ramblings about the Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender! Go and have a look for yourself and remember, if you buy it from Amazon you will get a wopping 36% discount. So Go And Have A Look At The Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender, Now!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

How Can I Lose Fat?


In today’s life with its plenty, unfortunately too many of us has to ask this question: “How Can I Lose Fat?” we simply do not know how it is done.

The main reason for our problem is not always, as everyone including me, says. It is true that fast food and convenience food play a big role, but what we so often forget is that proper portion control is also important.

So if you want to know “how can I lose fat?” it very often starts with portion control. You can be on the best diet in the world, if you do not exercise proper portion control it is going to be of no use to you. A little bit extra here, and a little bit extra there and before you know it, the pounds have started piling up again.

When you are wondering “how can I lose fat?” it is important that you take a close hard look at the portion sizes of what you are eating. Very often, if you only have a little weight to lose, exercising proper portion control is all that you have to do.

Of course, if you have to go onto a serious weight loss program you will have to get a good diet and follow it religiously that is the only way. Make sure you choose a good well balanced diet and not one of the fad diets as no good can possibly come from them!

So, the best answer to your question “how can I lose fat?” is, exercise good portion control, get yourself a good diet and do some burn fat exercises and you will have the slim body of your dreams.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Cuisinart 1200; Cusinart DCC-1200 12 cup-brew central coffee maker


This Cuisinart 1200 coffee maker, the Cuisinart DCC-1200 12 cup-brew central coffee maker is an amazing machine. It 24 hour programmable and has a brew pause function and brew-complete beep.

The Cusinart DCC-1200 12 cup-brew central coffee maker has a beautiful pebble textured black metal finish that does not show any finger marks. This is a big PLUS for a busy mom like me! No time to be shining the coffee maker all the time. I know it is not really important for the making of the coffee, but every little bit helps is what I say.

You only have to read through the reviews on Amazon to see that everyone who has one of these Cusinart DCC-1200 12 cup-brew central coffee makers love it! That is not to say anything about the BIG discount you will get for buying it through Amazon, you save $66.05, and in my view it is a substantial saving!

Have a look at what Pawel Fludzinski has to say:

Two weeks ago, I needed a new coffee maker. The Krups Aroma Control maker is in all the stores and catalogs, so I bought one in the local mall BEFORE reading the Amazon reviews. BIG MISTAKE. Lesson learned - read the reviews - many negative comments. I used it for 3 days, and readily understood the description (...) of "eye candy" (looks nice, but seems like cheap plastic) and weak coffee (what they describe as a feature - allowing the coffee to steep - is really a euphemism for a poorly designed system that is guaranteed to give you a weak cup of coffee). One redeeming feature - the carafe is very nice.

Within 2 days of having the Krups, i was on Amazon looking for a replacement coffee maker (a good cup of coffee is critical in the morning!). I went out on the risk curve and ordered the new Cuisinart - no reviews yet. The Cuisinart has a more classic brewing system (water goes through grinds via gravity), yields a delicious cup of HOT coffee, has a variable temperature hot place, and looks and feels solid. We happen to have stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, freezer, stove), and it matches beautifully. Best news - excellent coffee! I would highly recommend the Cuisinart.

So, Go to Amazon Now And Have A Look At The Cuisinart ADCC-1200 12-cup-brew central coffee maker.

Read more about other Cuisinart 1200 Coffee Makers

Friday, September 25, 2009

Cuisinart 7 Cup Food Processor - Cooking Made Easy - And A Slow Cooker Recipe


Cooking is a lot of fun, but all that chopping is not! So that is why I love food processors and as Cuisinart is synonymous with food processors I though giving them a look might be a good idea. You can go to my site My Kitchen Online and have a look at the range of Cuisinart 7 Cup Food Processor I have there.

But, back to the business of cooking. I think most of us are always looking for fast and easy, but tasty recipes. It is not possible to love healthily from fast food and convenience food all the time.

This is where my slow cooker comes in. I use it almost every day. Even if I do not cook the whole meal in it, I at least cook the meat in it or any of the dishes that needs a lot of time to cook, You chuck it in the slow cooker and you’re done.

So, for today I thought I’ll give you a slow cooker recipes, I hope you will enjoy it.

OXTAIL CASSEROLE WITH REDCURRANT JELLY

Ingredients;

  • 2 ¼ lb oxtail pieces
  • 4 oz streaky bacon, rinded and chopped
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, thinly sliced
  • A little flour
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups beef stock or half stock and half red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly (optional)
Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the bacon, onion and carrots.
  2. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to turn golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the slow-cooker.
  3. Toss the oxtail pieces in the flour, seasoned with a little salt and pepper to taste, shaking off the excess.
  4. Add them to the hot saucepan and brown quickly on all sides.
  5. Transfer to the slow-cooker.
  6. Stir the stock, tomato paste and herbs into the saucepan.
  7. Bring to the boil and pour over the contents of the slow-cooker.
  8. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-12 hours.
  9. When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon to lift the meat and vegetables on to a serving plate.
  10. Keep warm.
  11. Allow the juices in the slow-cooker to rise to the top.
  12. Either skim off the fat with a spoon or mop it up with paper towels.
  13. Add the redcurrant jelly into the remaining juices and stir until dissolved.
  14. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve on rice.
For more slow cooker recipes you can have a look at: Recipes For Slow Cookers

Do have a look at the Cuisinart 7 Cup Food Processor

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Improve Ballet Posture And Ways How To Improve Ballet Performance


When I think of this heading “Improve Ballet Posture And Ways How To Improve Ballet Performance” I long back for the good old days when I still danced and taught ballet. How I loved my ballet! Nothing else in life mattered at all. Everything, including school work played second fiddle to ballet.

Now I can very well remember how battled with these two aspects in the beginning as I started Ballet a little late in life and had a bad backlog when it came to technique. So how wonderful it would have been for me if I could get some extra help to improve ballet posture and if I knew more about ways to improve ballet performance.

Of course I managed in the end. I kept on taking as many classes as I could. I even danced with the classes of the kids in a lower grade than me. Today I know that that was my saving grace as that reinforced the basics that I did not have the time to pay attention to when I started.

Today I know that the only way to improve your ballet technique including the question of how to improve your ballet posture and ways how to improve ballet performance lay in the basics. If you have a specific problem, go back to where that specific step was introduced the very first time and start over making sure you practice the correct way.

These days, of course, you can even get dance videos to help you with these. There are also very good courses available that you can simply download on your computer. With these you almost have a ballet teaches 24/7!

One of these is The Ballet Bible. Go there now and have a look!


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Unique Baby Shower Ideas


looking for unique baby shower ideas can be quite a tall order. If I think back to all the baby showers I have attended in my life, I do not think there are any more unique baby shower ideas left. I mean, what can you still do? Everything has been done before!

Here it is time to put our thinking caps on and try and give the old ideas a new twist. why not use a fall theme with pumpkins and all. But do not make it a Halloween theme, I do not believe in Halloween in any case, use pumpkin painting to paint a baby face on instead of a Halloween mask. For this time of year a fall theme can work very good.

If you are thinking of a fall theme,as one of the possible unique baby shower ideas, you can also go with a harvest theme and make all your decorations from the symbols of the harvest. What you use will obviously be dictated by where you live. Make it really personal with produce from your region.

If it falls in with the mommy-to-be's color scheme you can also ask the guests to bring gifts in autumn colors to fit in with your theme. If these colors are going to totally clash with the mother's color scheme for the nursery, you ask the guests to wrap the gifts in autumn colors or gift wrap with autumn motifs on it.

Even the good old diaper cake can be dollied up  to fit in with your harvest theme. Decorate it with fake autumn leaves and branches. It may not be a good idea to use real leaves, grass and branches as some may cling to the diapers and then they cannot be used for the baby, that will sort of defies the object of the diaper cake!

I think what I'm trying to say here is, completely unique baby shower ideas may be difficult to come up with, but you can always give the good old ones a new twist and it will be something new.

this is just a few ramblings about unique baby shower ideas, but I hope I have at least given you some idea of how you can go about thinking of unique baby shower ideas.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Easy And Fun Ideas For Baby Showers Centerpieces


Sometimes when we try to think of easy and fun ideas for baby showers centerpieces, we forget that something simple can actually be very striking. There is no need for elaborate centerpieces, do something simple, add a few baby things and you’re done.

Another possibility is to use some of the food as part of the centerpiece. Why not bake cup cakes and decorate them with pacifier candy and place them on a tiered cake holder and you have a stunning centerpiece that can form part of the dessert.

Even an easy variation of a diaper cake with pacifiers and small baby items added to it can be very striking. There is no need to make the diaper cake very elaborate if you are going to decorate it further with baby items.

I have even seen a centerpiece made from all the different gifts stack in an interesting pattern. Of course, if you want to do that, you will have to ask the guests to let you have the gifts before the party actually starts.

When you are thinking of baby showers centerpieces, always try and think of something that can be done easily. The mommy-to-be is the guest of honor and most of the attention should be given to her needs. The centerpiece must not overshadow that.

So, think about a color or what ever kind of theme you plan and then consider some fun and easy ideas for baby showers centerpieces to add the final touch.

Here is a little but of fun, some inspiration for you!





Sunday, September 20, 2009

Cuisinart 1200 Coffee Maker - Do You Love Your Coffee?

Oh, how I love my coffee! Truth be told, I think I’m addicted to coffee. This is how I started looking into the Cuisinart 1200 range of coffee makers. What I found is that people really fall in love with their coffee makers and that if they break it is a disaster!

Well, I know how thy feel. When my first coffee maker broke, many, many years ago, I went into hysterics. That was looong before the time when you could simply go online and look for a new one. I had to wait until I could fit a trip to the stores into a hectic schedule. That alone took me a few days.

What is even worse is then I decided on a coffee machine that did not turn out all that great. The heating plate was not good and by the time the coffee was ready, it was also cold. The lid on the jug did not fit well and it spilled coffee whenever you poured some. So, I ended up with a coffee maker that really is no good.

Well, today that need not happen. You can simply go online and search for a machine and any good vendor will have testimonials from happy and not-so-happy clients, making it so much easier to choose the right one for you.

Normally the descriptions on line will give you the features of the coffee machine and why those features are important so that you have a much better idea of what you are buying. I know that seasoned buyers out there know exactly what they want, but we are not all that well informed.

I have made a little blog post about the Cuisinart 1200 range of coffee makers and you can go and have a look at it if you are looking for a new coffee machine. You can very easily order your Cuisinart 1200 coffee machine from Amazon once you have decided on the model you prefer.

OK, so this is enough of my ramblings about the coffee machine. Keep a look out for my next post.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

I'm Hendrika - Here Are A Few Alternatives to Halloween Candy


Hello, my name is Hendrika and I am going to start this blog to speak about anything that I find interesting. I will probably give you recipes and cooking ideas, ideas for crafts, even some science fair tips and whatever I find I want to write about. Today I thought I’ll start With a Halloween article, as Halloween is coming and people are beginning to think about it.

Alternatives to Halloween Candy

If you’re a parent you may be worrying about how much candy your child will be bringing home this Halloween. Candy not only has very little nutritional value, it is bad for your teeth and can cause nasty tummy aches when eaten in excess. If you’re looking for something different to hand out to trick-or-treaters this year, here are some alternative ideas.

Nabisco has 100 calorie pack individual packages that trick-or-treaters will find enjoyable to their palates. Teddy Grahams and chocolate covered pretzels are my two favorites, but they have a whole line to choose from.

Individual packages of nuts or trail mixes are nutritionally beneficial to your ghosts and goblins. They not only taste good are good for you.

Microwave popcorn packages are a great option. You can buy them in many different flavors, but if you’re looking for healthier alternatives skip the extra or movie butter kind.  

Nabisco Handi-Snack offers a variety of healthy choices. A few examples that I particularly like are:
  • Breadsticks and cheese
  • Cheese dunk ‘ems
  • Ritz cheese and crackers
These individual packages are a tasty choice. Fairly inexpensive, they are a great fit for children.  

While not quite as healthy as some of the other options above, many restaurants, such as McDonald’s & Wendy’s, sell coupon certificates or books you can substitute with. You can purchase  gift certificates for your trick-or-treaters and by using your Arch card and following some simple guidelines at the McDonald’s website you can not only give a non candy gift, you can also earn college rewards.

Non-Edible Gifts

If you visit a dollar store or a store that sells children’s books inexpensively, you can find non-edible gifts too. Items such as coloring books, crayons or audio books and more are great alternatives to sugar laden candy. Not only is this a healthier choice, it is educational as well. Some people even shop throughout the year to help spread the cost out.

A visit to your local dentist may be just what the doctor orders this Halloween. He may be able and willing to give you toothbrushes and toothpaste samples at a reduced rate to hand out to children. If you wanted you could even hand out sugarless gum.
Small games like jacks and jump rope fit well into a trick-or-treater’s bag and will last for longer than one night.

While various different flash cards or games such as old maid and crazy eights are not what trick-or-treaters are used to getting at Halloween it is something they can use and re-use. Again, they are inexpensive and can be purchased throughout the year at dollar or general stores.

The choice is yours. Use some of these ideas to begin to change the suggestion that candy is the only choice for Halloween. Be creative and give your visitors something healthier this year!