Bourbon renewal: books looks at rousing recipes in time for Mardi Gras
The stories, the recipes, the photos and the anticipation make Fred Thompson’s book a treasure. “Bourbon: 50 Rousing Recipes for a Classic American Spirit” puts a light spin on the spirit Americans take so seriously.
Enjoy the elixir in concoctions such as hot chocolate nog and beach punch or in a mint julep sorbet or turkey brine. Here are two that seem designed for Mardi Gras/Valentine’s Day:
Southern Love
Ice Cubes
1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce amaretto
6 ounces cola
Fill an oversized cocktail or old-fashioned glass with ice cubes. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes to chill the glass.
Holding the e ice so it doesn’t fall out, discard any melted water. Pour in the bourbon and amaretto and top with the cola. Stir and serve immediately.
Cajun Comfort
Ice cubes
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Southern Comfort
2 tablespoons honey
4 or 5 dashes hot sauce
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the bourbon, Southern Comfort, honey and hot sauce. Shake slowly, allowing the honey to incorporate, until the shaker is frosted.
Pour the mixture, ice and all, into an old-fashioned glass. Serve immediately.
Honey, come here
Just saying the name Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur, or seeing it in print, puts me in a by-the-fire mood. An Eastern Prussian bear trap company introduced “bear hunter” in the 15th century as sweet stuff to lure bears from their dwellings. Remember this Valentine’s Day that honey is considered an aphrodisiacs, derived from the Greek goddess of sensuality, Aphrodite. Sidney Frank Importing Co., Inc. is doing the reminding that many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey, including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with mead, a fermented drink made from honey. Lovers on their "Honeymoon" drank mead and it was thought to "sweeten" the marriage. I have tried and enjoyed this honey liquor and the silver topped Jacques Cardin Cognac VSOP in Jasmine (my daughter’s name). It’s enough to make me want to try their regular and apple cognacs. Watch out bottle collectors: You’ll love the woven basket wrap and hive lid on the honey liqueur. I fancy the following would be warm drinks for cheering your Olympic favorites in snowy Vancouver:
Hot Honey Crisp
1 Packet Apple Cider Mix
2 1/2 Cups Hot Water
3 ounces Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
2 ounces Jacques Cardin Apple Cognac
Garnish w/ Cinnamon Stick and Whipped Cream
Makes 2
Frisky Whisky
1 part Michael Collins
1 part Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1 part fresh orange juice
1/4 part simple syrup
2 Dashes angostura bitters
Between The Sheets
2 parts JC Jasmin VSOP
1/2 part Cointreau
1/2 part Tommy Bamaha White Sand Rum
Freshly squeezed lemon Juice
Garnish with an orange twist in a chilled martini glass
Hire a CADDi
Beverage CADDi is a holster collar with strings designed for people like me, who lug purses, cases, bags, coats and books to the car, with a steaming, hot cup cradled in the recesses of spare elbow room. These necks, adorned with black beans, quotes, stripes, gumdrops or a deco pattern that makes me long for the ‘80s, allow coffee lovers to manhandle all their gear and swing that coffee from a pinkie while opening doors, texting, etc. It’s so cool, you’ll wish you’d thought of it, but you have to go to getthecaddi.com for yours.
Snuggling old school style
For centuries, robes have warmed young and old, rich and modestly-meaned people. You slip them on, close them in front and don’t have to wear a backwards blanket with sleeves, Cypress reminds these creatures of comfort. The brand supplies spas and hotels and has an affordable line of plush pastel and shawl robes and poolside cover ups. I plenty snug in a lightweight short robe in a bright Mardi Gras/lime/green color. My mother jokes this is a morning robe, because that color sure perks up the spirits. It’s as bright as the orange juice and sunny-side-up eggs. Check out Cypress online or at Belk department stores. I’ve been to one Belk in my life, during Hurricane Ike evacuation to Sherman.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
My bubbly Valentine: Try Kiss from a Rose
Sunday is a Mardi Gras date, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. I’ll have to spread jambalaya, noodles and chocolate throughout the day.
I’ve already tried one of the best casual champaigns I’ve ever experienced, the playful Barefoot Bubbly Rosé Cuvée, a slightly sweet sparkling wine, with hints of strawberry and citrus, designed to pair with sweet treats and such. At $10, it could cost less than a box of chocolates. I inhaled the bubbles while viewing actors whip up French cuisine dreams in “Julie & Julia.” Try the drink alone, or like this:
Barefoot Bubbly's Kiss from a Rosé
1/2 oz raspberry liqueur
1/2 oz créme de cassis
4 oz Barefoot Bubbly Rosé Cuvée
1 raspberry, 1 blackberry
Combine the raspberry liqueur, crème de cassis and berries in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into champagne flute. Top of with Barefoot Rosé Cuvée. Or, simply add the liqueurs in a champagne flute and top with Barefoot.
Chinese long bean
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, you could eat long, uncut noodles to symbolize longevity. Frieda’s produce company can help you go one better. I tried their long beans, measuring 12- to 20-inches each, over chow mein noodles. They overflowed the bowl, resembling writhing, geen snakes. Sooooo good.
Eat up: The 15-day celebration begins on the first day of the first lunar month according to the Chinese calendar – Feb. 14, and ends on Feb. 28.
Southeast Texas is full of kumquat trees, and the little golden fruits symbolize wealth as “kum” means “gold” in Cantonese. If you can’t find a stash, Frieda’s sells them for recipes like this:
Duck Salad with Kumquat Dressing
1/2 cup red or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup Frieda’s Kumquats, chopped
1/3 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons honey
Romaine lettuce leaves
1 head Frieda’s Belgian Endive
1 1/2 cups cooked, chilled julienne slices of duck breast meat or chicken breast
2/3 cup green or red seedless grapes
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
Frieda’s Alfalfa Sprouts as garnish
For dressing, in blender or food processor bowl with blade, place the vinegar, kumquats, oil, and honey. Cover and process until nearly smooth. Chill. To assemble salad, line a large serving platter or individual plates with romaine leaves. Arrange Belgian endive, duck or chicken pieces, grapes, and nuts on leaves. Garnish with alfalfa sprouts if desired. Pass dressing with salads. Makes 2 servings.
Brewing goodness
We’re enjoying Good Earth Black Tea Tropical Peach here in the office and someone wanted milk, which normally don’t do. Then I started imagining a heavy dose of cream in a warm teacup and imagined it measuring up to a serving of peach cobbler. I can’t wait to get home and try it.
Through Feb. 28, the Good Earth Cares project will donate half of its after-tax profit to charity. Voters can visit the website to cast their vote once a day GoodEarthCares.com. Some of the options include: Wildlife Forever; Scholarship America; Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation; Cancer Research Inst.; and American Forests.
That feels as good as it tastes. I think I’ll plan for some hot tea on Chinese New Year.
Chia, now in chocolate
I’m of the opinion that chocolate makes everything taste better. I’m sure there’s not enough chocolate in the world to get some people to try Chia Goodness, a gluten-free raw blend of chia seeds, buckwheat, shelled hemp seed, organic cocoa, cocoa nibs, dates, almonds, cane juice and Celtic sea salt.
I say, try it. It sure is a conversation piece. Cody on the copy desk did, but he’ll try almost anything. A tiny, nutrient-dense spoonful expands with hot or cold water, or you can mix it in oatmeal, yogurt, etc. That having been said, I can’t imaging craving a bowl full, but I really love this stuff baked into bread. It’s one of those things you can haul out at a party and guests think they’ve had an experience.
Pick me
I love the idea of being prepared for a life of parties and intimate get-togethers that just spring up. Visit pickmepapers.com for really colorful pretty little gift tags ready to adorn a hostess gift. String images like a starfish, scooter or flamingo up with your own ribbon in seasonal colors. Keep them in the pantry and you’ll smile ever time they catch your eye.
Zero is delicious
Tricky waters sneak in calories. Zero is good, Ayala’s Herbal Water says. Take zero calories and preservatives and add flavors such as lavender mint, ginger lemon peel and cinnamon orange peel and you get a tall drink of refreshing. I’d never have thought to spice up water with clovs, cardamon and cinnamon. Love it.
ddoiron@panews.com
Sunday is a Mardi Gras date, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. I’ll have to spread jambalaya, noodles and chocolate throughout the day.
I’ve already tried one of the best casual champaigns I’ve ever experienced, the playful Barefoot Bubbly Rosé Cuvée, a slightly sweet sparkling wine, with hints of strawberry and citrus, designed to pair with sweet treats and such. At $10, it could cost less than a box of chocolates. I inhaled the bubbles while viewing actors whip up French cuisine dreams in “Julie & Julia.” Try the drink alone, or like this:
Barefoot Bubbly's Kiss from a Rosé
1/2 oz raspberry liqueur
1/2 oz créme de cassis
4 oz Barefoot Bubbly Rosé Cuvée
1 raspberry, 1 blackberry
Combine the raspberry liqueur, crème de cassis and berries in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into champagne flute. Top of with Barefoot Rosé Cuvée. Or, simply add the liqueurs in a champagne flute and top with Barefoot.
Chinese long bean
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, you could eat long, uncut noodles to symbolize longevity. Frieda’s produce company can help you go one better. I tried their long beans, measuring 12- to 20-inches each, over chow mein noodles. They overflowed the bowl, resembling writhing, geen snakes. Sooooo good.
Eat up: The 15-day celebration begins on the first day of the first lunar month according to the Chinese calendar – Feb. 14, and ends on Feb. 28.
Southeast Texas is full of kumquat trees, and the little golden fruits symbolize wealth as “kum” means “gold” in Cantonese. If you can’t find a stash, Frieda’s sells them for recipes like this:
Duck Salad with Kumquat Dressing
1/2 cup red or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup Frieda’s Kumquats, chopped
1/3 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons honey
Romaine lettuce leaves
1 head Frieda’s Belgian Endive
1 1/2 cups cooked, chilled julienne slices of duck breast meat or chicken breast
2/3 cup green or red seedless grapes
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
Frieda’s Alfalfa Sprouts as garnish
For dressing, in blender or food processor bowl with blade, place the vinegar, kumquats, oil, and honey. Cover and process until nearly smooth. Chill. To assemble salad, line a large serving platter or individual plates with romaine leaves. Arrange Belgian endive, duck or chicken pieces, grapes, and nuts on leaves. Garnish with alfalfa sprouts if desired. Pass dressing with salads. Makes 2 servings.
Brewing goodness
We’re enjoying Good Earth Black Tea Tropical Peach here in the office and someone wanted milk, which normally don’t do. Then I started imagining a heavy dose of cream in a warm teacup and imagined it measuring up to a serving of peach cobbler. I can’t wait to get home and try it.
Through Feb. 28, the Good Earth Cares project will donate half of its after-tax profit to charity. Voters can visit the website to cast their vote once a day GoodEarthCares.com. Some of the options include: Wildlife Forever; Scholarship America; Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation; Cancer Research Inst.; and American Forests.
That feels as good as it tastes. I think I’ll plan for some hot tea on Chinese New Year.
Chia, now in chocolate
I’m of the opinion that chocolate makes everything taste better. I’m sure there’s not enough chocolate in the world to get some people to try Chia Goodness, a gluten-free raw blend of chia seeds, buckwheat, shelled hemp seed, organic cocoa, cocoa nibs, dates, almonds, cane juice and Celtic sea salt.
I say, try it. It sure is a conversation piece. Cody on the copy desk did, but he’ll try almost anything. A tiny, nutrient-dense spoonful expands with hot or cold water, or you can mix it in oatmeal, yogurt, etc. That having been said, I can’t imaging craving a bowl full, but I really love this stuff baked into bread. It’s one of those things you can haul out at a party and guests think they’ve had an experience.
Pick me
I love the idea of being prepared for a life of parties and intimate get-togethers that just spring up. Visit pickmepapers.com for really colorful pretty little gift tags ready to adorn a hostess gift. String images like a starfish, scooter or flamingo up with your own ribbon in seasonal colors. Keep them in the pantry and you’ll smile ever time they catch your eye.
Zero is delicious
Tricky waters sneak in calories. Zero is good, Ayala’s Herbal Water says. Take zero calories and preservatives and add flavors such as lavender mint, ginger lemon peel and cinnamon orange peel and you get a tall drink of refreshing. I’d never have thought to spice up water with clovs, cardamon and cinnamon. Love it.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, February 8, 2010
Troika: prepare for tri-celebration next Sunday
Mark your calendars for … everything … on Feb. 14.
We used to look forward to this day for little paper hearts in our mailboxes at school. This year, we can also take our Valentine to Mardi Gras, and celebrate Chinese New Year.
My mother says the Russian word Troika, for three of a kind, sums up the situation. In this column, I’ll begin with a guy’s version of Valentine treatment, and also share something purple, green and gold.
“Sweeping Her Off Her Feet With Food: The Ultimate Guide to Romance & Seduction in the Kitchen”
By Eric S. Lee
Lee used to own restaurants. Once you read his book, he could own your heart. He gives guys simple, valuable advice on what makes a woman feel special. It doesn’t cost much to dress nice, send some sweet messages about the date. Try a scavenger hunt, and lead her right back to your house for a home-cooked meal, like this:
Salmon with Fresh Mango Salsa
2 Six – eight ounce Salmon filets (do not get steaks!)
1 Fresh mango peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes (some grocers carry fresh
Mango already skinned in jars—produce dept)
1 Jalapeño seeded and diced (1/8 inch)
1/2 Red bell pepper diced (1/4 inch)(save the rest for roasting)
1/4 cup diced red onion (1/4 inch)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
lime
salt & pepper
Mango Salsa
Cut lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into a midsized mixing bowl whisk in half of the oil. Add the rest of the ingredients except salmon, remaining oil, salt and pepper in a midsized bowl and gently toss until well mixed. Be sure and stir using a large (wooden if possible) serving spoon, from bottom using your spoon in an upward, over and down folding motion to get all of the juice from the bottom mixed in with the rest of the ingredients. Add a dash of salt and pepper and gently mix again. Cover and refrigerate. Can be made one-day ahead.
Grilled Salmon
Turn outside grill on to medium high to heat up the grates. Place the salmon filets on a platter skin side down and rub remaining oil onto the meat until completely covered. Try and get some of the oil onto the skin. Feel free to use a bar-b-que sauce brush for this. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
When grill is hot place filets on the grill, flesh side down and let cook for 5-7 minutes. Turn over and let cook another 3-4 minutes until salmon is just cooked through. Some like their salmon medium rare. If this is you cook a little less. If you need to check for doneness, though I try to avoid this, take a knife and gently slice into the top of the fish to ensure it is cooked to your preference. If it “flakes” all the way through but is still moist it is done. Since you will be topping it with the beautiful salsa you’ve made it won’t matter if you have “butchered” it a little.
Optionally, when salmon is done, take a metal spatula and insert it into the crease between the skin and the flesh and slide it all the way through until the skin is removed. Place each filet on top of a bed of sautéed spinach (page 39) on a beautiful plate.
Top with Mango Salsa and serve.
Suggested Wine - Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
Purple mat is really green
I’d have never guessed a yoga mat could bring me such peace, since I don’t practice yoga. But, I’ve been rolling up this new purple Manduka mat and tucking it under the coffee table after I’m done with various floor exercise. I used to spread a towel out and wonder what all the mat fuss was about. Now I love the padding and the way this environmentally-friendly mat made with “closed-cell rubber and comfortable sea grass texture” keeps me and the stability ball in place, so I can watch TV and exercise. It doesn’t move around like the towel, so I believe I do stay centered. Imagine what a real yoga fan could do with it. So here’s the cool part. You can mail your tired, old eKO and eKO Lite natural Manduka mats back and they’ll become shoes, rubber flooring and even new yoga products for others, instead of muck in a landfill. Look for the company’s organic mat wash, recycled mat slings and bolsters.
Gold Bond
Years ago, when hand sanitizer was still novel, I was talking to a friend in health care about loving that clean feeling in emergencies. She scrunched up her face and said she had a love-hate relationship with the stuff, because repeated use mader her hands dry.
Times have changed. The product is now common, not something you hide for fear of looking like a germ freak, and now Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Santizer Moisturizer offers a tube that kills 99.9 percent of germs in a non-drying formula that actually feels good going on. More stats: it has seven hydrating moisturizers and five essential vitamins. Take yours to Mardi Gras. You never know where all those beads have been.
Mark your calendars for … everything … on Feb. 14.
We used to look forward to this day for little paper hearts in our mailboxes at school. This year, we can also take our Valentine to Mardi Gras, and celebrate Chinese New Year.
My mother says the Russian word Troika, for three of a kind, sums up the situation. In this column, I’ll begin with a guy’s version of Valentine treatment, and also share something purple, green and gold.
“Sweeping Her Off Her Feet With Food: The Ultimate Guide to Romance & Seduction in the Kitchen”
By Eric S. Lee
Lee used to own restaurants. Once you read his book, he could own your heart. He gives guys simple, valuable advice on what makes a woman feel special. It doesn’t cost much to dress nice, send some sweet messages about the date. Try a scavenger hunt, and lead her right back to your house for a home-cooked meal, like this:
Salmon with Fresh Mango Salsa
2 Six – eight ounce Salmon filets (do not get steaks!)
1 Fresh mango peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes (some grocers carry fresh
Mango already skinned in jars—produce dept)
1 Jalapeño seeded and diced (1/8 inch)
1/2 Red bell pepper diced (1/4 inch)(save the rest for roasting)
1/4 cup diced red onion (1/4 inch)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
lime
salt & pepper
Mango Salsa
Cut lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into a midsized mixing bowl whisk in half of the oil. Add the rest of the ingredients except salmon, remaining oil, salt and pepper in a midsized bowl and gently toss until well mixed. Be sure and stir using a large (wooden if possible) serving spoon, from bottom using your spoon in an upward, over and down folding motion to get all of the juice from the bottom mixed in with the rest of the ingredients. Add a dash of salt and pepper and gently mix again. Cover and refrigerate. Can be made one-day ahead.
Grilled Salmon
Turn outside grill on to medium high to heat up the grates. Place the salmon filets on a platter skin side down and rub remaining oil onto the meat until completely covered. Try and get some of the oil onto the skin. Feel free to use a bar-b-que sauce brush for this. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
When grill is hot place filets on the grill, flesh side down and let cook for 5-7 minutes. Turn over and let cook another 3-4 minutes until salmon is just cooked through. Some like their salmon medium rare. If this is you cook a little less. If you need to check for doneness, though I try to avoid this, take a knife and gently slice into the top of the fish to ensure it is cooked to your preference. If it “flakes” all the way through but is still moist it is done. Since you will be topping it with the beautiful salsa you’ve made it won’t matter if you have “butchered” it a little.
Optionally, when salmon is done, take a metal spatula and insert it into the crease between the skin and the flesh and slide it all the way through until the skin is removed. Place each filet on top of a bed of sautéed spinach (page 39) on a beautiful plate.
Top with Mango Salsa and serve.
Suggested Wine - Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
Purple mat is really green
I’d have never guessed a yoga mat could bring me such peace, since I don’t practice yoga. But, I’ve been rolling up this new purple Manduka mat and tucking it under the coffee table after I’m done with various floor exercise. I used to spread a towel out and wonder what all the mat fuss was about. Now I love the padding and the way this environmentally-friendly mat made with “closed-cell rubber and comfortable sea grass texture” keeps me and the stability ball in place, so I can watch TV and exercise. It doesn’t move around like the towel, so I believe I do stay centered. Imagine what a real yoga fan could do with it. So here’s the cool part. You can mail your tired, old eKO and eKO Lite natural Manduka mats back and they’ll become shoes, rubber flooring and even new yoga products for others, instead of muck in a landfill. Look for the company’s organic mat wash, recycled mat slings and bolsters.
Gold Bond
Years ago, when hand sanitizer was still novel, I was talking to a friend in health care about loving that clean feeling in emergencies. She scrunched up her face and said she had a love-hate relationship with the stuff, because repeated use mader her hands dry.
Times have changed. The product is now common, not something you hide for fear of looking like a germ freak, and now Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Santizer Moisturizer offers a tube that kills 99.9 percent of germs in a non-drying formula that actually feels good going on. More stats: it has seven hydrating moisturizers and five essential vitamins. Take yours to Mardi Gras. You never know where all those beads have been.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Make uber crunch, salty-sweet part of your Super Bowl snacking
Doctor Kracker (didn’t he used to play with that Muppet band?) reports that studies show the average American consumes more than 1,200 calories during the Super Bowl — a full days worth.
Doctor Kracker is a brand of “artisan baked nutritious, satisfying and organic flatbreads and crackers.” My tasters have been crazy for the flavors in these beautiful, thick, seed-dusted crackers: Apple Crisps, Cherry Semolina, Fire Roasted Crisps, Hummus Maximus, Klassic 3 Seed, Pumpkin Cheddar, Seeded Spelt, Seedlander and Sunflower Cheddar. Billed as “home of the uber crunch,” they urge you to “ Stick that in your dip and eat it.”
Sweeeet and more
“Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt”
By Christie Matheson
Salt — fine or course sea salt, sel gris, fleur de sel or Hawaiian pink — can seriously amp up your sweets, the author recounts in this fun-to-read book. Her treats include salted caramels, perfectly imperfect pecan pralines, dark chocolate and sea salt crostini, coconut rice pudding and cornmeal peach crisp.
I know we’re supposed to watch our sugar and salt intake, but the author points out that a little bit of the good stuff goes a long way and keeps you from mindlessly munching flavorless cookies. Makes sense to me. Now you tell me if these two selections don’t sound fantastic for Mardi Gras hedonism:
Drunken Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the rum and vanilla. Serve immediately.
Toffee Sauce
This is for sticky toffee pudding, vanilla or almond ice cream. The author might also add, anything that begs for toffee.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, water and salt. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil; stir occasionally, cooking until the sauce is thickened slightly and reduce to about 2 1/2 cups. Keep the sauce warm over very low heat until ready to use it.
Fiber fan
Here’s an endorsed-by-Darragh snack: Fiber One is introducing Fiber One® 90 Calorie Chewy Bars in chocolate and chocolate peanut butter. It’s a little bit crispy, a little bit sweet, and the chewey-gooey sensation of it all helps keep you satisfied. Love ‘em.
Texmati
I’m so proud of my husband, who used to shun most things healthy. I nearly wept when he mentioned he hadn’t had brown rice in almost a week. RiceSelect’s new Texmati offerings in the boxy jars have him spoiled. Six newbys are: Vegetable Medley, Pilaf Medley, Mushroom Medley, Original Pearl Couscous, Tri-color Pearl Couscous and Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous. Pearls are fun and take 10 minutes to prepare. Try it with kids in the kitchen.
You will be full; you will feel healthy.
ddoiron@panews.com
Doctor Kracker (didn’t he used to play with that Muppet band?) reports that studies show the average American consumes more than 1,200 calories during the Super Bowl — a full days worth.
Doctor Kracker is a brand of “artisan baked nutritious, satisfying and organic flatbreads and crackers.” My tasters have been crazy for the flavors in these beautiful, thick, seed-dusted crackers: Apple Crisps, Cherry Semolina, Fire Roasted Crisps, Hummus Maximus, Klassic 3 Seed, Pumpkin Cheddar, Seeded Spelt, Seedlander and Sunflower Cheddar. Billed as “home of the uber crunch,” they urge you to “ Stick that in your dip and eat it.”
Sweeeet and more
“Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt”
By Christie Matheson
Salt — fine or course sea salt, sel gris, fleur de sel or Hawaiian pink — can seriously amp up your sweets, the author recounts in this fun-to-read book. Her treats include salted caramels, perfectly imperfect pecan pralines, dark chocolate and sea salt crostini, coconut rice pudding and cornmeal peach crisp.
I know we’re supposed to watch our sugar and salt intake, but the author points out that a little bit of the good stuff goes a long way and keeps you from mindlessly munching flavorless cookies. Makes sense to me. Now you tell me if these two selections don’t sound fantastic for Mardi Gras hedonism:
Drunken Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the rum and vanilla. Serve immediately.
Toffee Sauce
This is for sticky toffee pudding, vanilla or almond ice cream. The author might also add, anything that begs for toffee.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, water and salt. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil; stir occasionally, cooking until the sauce is thickened slightly and reduce to about 2 1/2 cups. Keep the sauce warm over very low heat until ready to use it.
Fiber fan
Here’s an endorsed-by-Darragh snack: Fiber One is introducing Fiber One® 90 Calorie Chewy Bars in chocolate and chocolate peanut butter. It’s a little bit crispy, a little bit sweet, and the chewey-gooey sensation of it all helps keep you satisfied. Love ‘em.
Texmati
I’m so proud of my husband, who used to shun most things healthy. I nearly wept when he mentioned he hadn’t had brown rice in almost a week. RiceSelect’s new Texmati offerings in the boxy jars have him spoiled. Six newbys are: Vegetable Medley, Pilaf Medley, Mushroom Medley, Original Pearl Couscous, Tri-color Pearl Couscous and Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous. Pearls are fun and take 10 minutes to prepare. Try it with kids in the kitchen.
You will be full; you will feel healthy.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, February 1, 2010
Texas savvy and Valentine finds
I recently shared an exciting glow-in-the-dark Texas star guide from Waterford Press. Other water-repellent pocket Texas guides help you find a funeral duskywing butterfly, beardtongue flower, yellow-rumped warbler and bark scorpion. Wildflowers, moths and butterflies, wildlife, seashore life and birds are the categories. Maybe now visitors and residents can realize those long-legged pink birds in our skies are not flamingos, they’re roseate spoonbills.
Armed with these guides I can tell you I’d rather run into a botta’s pocket gopher than a Norway rat. Next time I go to the beach I can enjoy the now-obvious distinctions between the Southern quahong and turkey wing shells. Boy, do I feel smarter.
Valentine finds
Ladies, my lips are feelin’ fine with Mint Glaze FX and I think I could be snacking less because of it. Cover FX Fortifying Lip Treat Mint Primer SPF 15 will keep your lips fit for the Mardi Gras seawall. The minty flavor of peppermint oil makes me think I just had a candy, and there’s no way I’m going to ruin the look with chip crumbs. The liquid is clear and paints on with a velvety tip promising to smooth, soften and provide time-relese hydration and the look of fuller, smoother lips. That’s a big promise, but Mint Glaze can handle it. You get to shop at one of those amazing Sephora stores in Houston, or Nordstroms, to pick up a tube.
It’s probably no accident the shiny lid on Relastin Ultra Emollient makes it look like a pot of gold. Revance Therapeutics Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., distributes this cream with zinc firming complex to promote elastin formation. I’m not sure how to measure improvements, but I can tell you that after smoothing on this stuff, I’m done with winter blahs.
Romantic hair
When is it okay to appear “loose” on Valentine’s Day?
Loose curls sweeping waves and long-flowing hair are perfect for this holiday’s hairstyles, says Philip Pelusi, celebrity hairstylist, product expert/developer and owner of Tela Design Studio in New York City’s Meatpacking District.
Pelusi’s step-by-step tips for achieving the look involve his own products. I just had a birthday, so I was already feeling old when I tried Longevity. Now my curls are more spry. Here’s the artist’s tips:
• Shampoo and condition - Use a strengthening and weightless moisturizing formula to leave hair in top condition but full of body. Try P2 Longevity Shampoo and Longevity Conditioner to strengthen, detangle and condition hair.
• Apply a volume and curl boosting product (like P2® by Philip Pelusi Recurl) - Comb through with a wide tooth comb. If you have natural waves and curls, gently push them into place and either air dry or blow dry with a diffuser. If hair is straight, follow the same instructions but gently scrunch hair with your fingers while diffusing.
• Curl - The trick to keeping this look sexy and romantic is to curl the hair in opposite directions. Roll some curls going forward and others going back, and tousle the curls with fingers using a product that gives that “just from the beach sexy hair texture.” The line’s BeachComber does it with a citrus scent.
Put Grandma in your nightlight
Seriously…Light Affection takes you photographs then “sculpts” it into an amazing 3D work of lighting art. If you’re an even semi-decent photographer, and you have even the most average-looking of relatives, you will still get an amazing piece of art that inspires memories and double takes. I’m imagining a child enjoying having his photo or a grandparents’ photo in the light. Visit www.lightaffection.com for details.
ddoiron@panews.com
I recently shared an exciting glow-in-the-dark Texas star guide from Waterford Press. Other water-repellent pocket Texas guides help you find a funeral duskywing butterfly, beardtongue flower, yellow-rumped warbler and bark scorpion. Wildflowers, moths and butterflies, wildlife, seashore life and birds are the categories. Maybe now visitors and residents can realize those long-legged pink birds in our skies are not flamingos, they’re roseate spoonbills.
Armed with these guides I can tell you I’d rather run into a botta’s pocket gopher than a Norway rat. Next time I go to the beach I can enjoy the now-obvious distinctions between the Southern quahong and turkey wing shells. Boy, do I feel smarter.
Valentine finds
Ladies, my lips are feelin’ fine with Mint Glaze FX and I think I could be snacking less because of it. Cover FX Fortifying Lip Treat Mint Primer SPF 15 will keep your lips fit for the Mardi Gras seawall. The minty flavor of peppermint oil makes me think I just had a candy, and there’s no way I’m going to ruin the look with chip crumbs. The liquid is clear and paints on with a velvety tip promising to smooth, soften and provide time-relese hydration and the look of fuller, smoother lips. That’s a big promise, but Mint Glaze can handle it. You get to shop at one of those amazing Sephora stores in Houston, or Nordstroms, to pick up a tube.
It’s probably no accident the shiny lid on Relastin Ultra Emollient makes it look like a pot of gold. Revance Therapeutics Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., distributes this cream with zinc firming complex to promote elastin formation. I’m not sure how to measure improvements, but I can tell you that after smoothing on this stuff, I’m done with winter blahs.
Romantic hair
When is it okay to appear “loose” on Valentine’s Day?
Loose curls sweeping waves and long-flowing hair are perfect for this holiday’s hairstyles, says Philip Pelusi, celebrity hairstylist, product expert/developer and owner of Tela Design Studio in New York City’s Meatpacking District.
Pelusi’s step-by-step tips for achieving the look involve his own products. I just had a birthday, so I was already feeling old when I tried Longevity. Now my curls are more spry. Here’s the artist’s tips:
• Shampoo and condition - Use a strengthening and weightless moisturizing formula to leave hair in top condition but full of body. Try P2 Longevity Shampoo and Longevity Conditioner to strengthen, detangle and condition hair.
• Apply a volume and curl boosting product (like P2® by Philip Pelusi Recurl) - Comb through with a wide tooth comb. If you have natural waves and curls, gently push them into place and either air dry or blow dry with a diffuser. If hair is straight, follow the same instructions but gently scrunch hair with your fingers while diffusing.
• Curl - The trick to keeping this look sexy and romantic is to curl the hair in opposite directions. Roll some curls going forward and others going back, and tousle the curls with fingers using a product that gives that “just from the beach sexy hair texture.” The line’s BeachComber does it with a citrus scent.
Put Grandma in your nightlight
Seriously…Light Affection takes you photographs then “sculpts” it into an amazing 3D work of lighting art. If you’re an even semi-decent photographer, and you have even the most average-looking of relatives, you will still get an amazing piece of art that inspires memories and double takes. I’m imagining a child enjoying having his photo or a grandparents’ photo in the light. Visit www.lightaffection.com for details.
ddoiron@panews.com
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Food police, you have met your match
I’m not with the “splattered microwave” police at my office, but I am on the “get your moldy food out of the fridge” force.
Pyrex has something new to please patrols at any office or home: Pyrex® No-Leak Lids™, a new storage line of round and rectangular dishes with leak-proof, air-tight sealing lids for storing liquid and dry foods. It’s just the right size to pack a lunch. I tested it with brown rice and cherry tomatoes, notorious for popping into a hot mess. I released the snap vent to reveal a tiny steam hole and was soon enjoying my hot meal.
I didn’t have to stop and clean the microwave. Now I wish everyone had these instead of leaving a crusty residue for someone else to find.
Neat freaks can rest assured that the bowls nest and the metallic gray lids are engineered of BPA-free plastic with “embossed, oversized and easy-to-read cup capacities for quick identification — plus lid tabs for easy opening and closing of the air-tight covers. The No-Leak Lids are conveniently top-rack, dishwasher safe. The eco-friendly, non-degradable, reusable storage dishes, like all Pyrex glassware, are made in the U.S.A. and are oven, microwave, refrigerator and freezer safe.” They don’t absorb food odors, flavors or stains and wash up well, the company says.
Babies!
I’ve heard that in some countries, people associate the photo on the label with what is in the jar or can, so they’re not impressed by little jars of baby food with smiling infant faces. I’m thinking of this as I view tiny Innobaby containers with baby illustrations on them. The buyer should have images of these sweet, stackable containers full of dry cereal, home-pureed vegetables or even breast milk. These are the coolest products, and also good for adults who would like to transport snacks, salad dressing, etc. to work. I noticed that four tabs lock the lids in place, then figured out the reason: You can hold a squirmy baby in one arm and, by steadying a container on a table top, open it with the free hand. If you have a baby to feed, I’m volunteering.
ddoiron@panews.com
I’m not with the “splattered microwave” police at my office, but I am on the “get your moldy food out of the fridge” force.
Pyrex has something new to please patrols at any office or home: Pyrex® No-Leak Lids™, a new storage line of round and rectangular dishes with leak-proof, air-tight sealing lids for storing liquid and dry foods. It’s just the right size to pack a lunch. I tested it with brown rice and cherry tomatoes, notorious for popping into a hot mess. I released the snap vent to reveal a tiny steam hole and was soon enjoying my hot meal.
I didn’t have to stop and clean the microwave. Now I wish everyone had these instead of leaving a crusty residue for someone else to find.
Neat freaks can rest assured that the bowls nest and the metallic gray lids are engineered of BPA-free plastic with “embossed, oversized and easy-to-read cup capacities for quick identification — plus lid tabs for easy opening and closing of the air-tight covers. The No-Leak Lids are conveniently top-rack, dishwasher safe. The eco-friendly, non-degradable, reusable storage dishes, like all Pyrex glassware, are made in the U.S.A. and are oven, microwave, refrigerator and freezer safe.” They don’t absorb food odors, flavors or stains and wash up well, the company says.
Babies!
I’ve heard that in some countries, people associate the photo on the label with what is in the jar or can, so they’re not impressed by little jars of baby food with smiling infant faces. I’m thinking of this as I view tiny Innobaby containers with baby illustrations on them. The buyer should have images of these sweet, stackable containers full of dry cereal, home-pureed vegetables or even breast milk. These are the coolest products, and also good for adults who would like to transport snacks, salad dressing, etc. to work. I noticed that four tabs lock the lids in place, then figured out the reason: You can hold a squirmy baby in one arm and, by steadying a container on a table top, open it with the free hand. If you have a baby to feed, I’m volunteering.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, January 25, 2010
How was your Healthy Weight Week?
I don’t know who deems these weeks, but we’ve just wrapped up Healthy Weight Week, where the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reminds us Texans that some 28 percent of us are considered obese.
This next week doesn’t have a name to it, but can you still commit to the New Year’s Resolutions you so happily made just a few days ago? The Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club shares these tips:
• Just Move Something! Spending just 30-60 minutes a day on physical activities can make a big difference.
• Pick a cardio activity that you enjoy, whether it’s tennis, running, walking, swimming, etc. Finding something you enjoy will make exercise a lot easier, and a life-long habit.
• Make it a social hour. Invite friends to the gym or schedule a tennis date or morning walk with neighbors. They’ll help you stick to it, and make exercising fun.
• Combine healthy eating with a consistent exercise routine to get the most effective results. Doing just one or the other will only get you halfway there. Once you grasp one component you can then focus on the other.
• Tell everyone you know about your fitness goals — even blog, tweet and update your Facebook status about it. Friends and family will/could serve as great sources of support, and the accountability will keep you motivated.
• A personal trainer serves as a great support structure as well. It is much easier to commit to and achieve your fitness goals when you know that you have someone in your corner 100 percent of the time, with positive reinforcement.
• Be realistic with your goals and keep true to yourself.
Here’s some more on lookin’ good:
Super hero shirt
Equmen sells super hero shirts that don’t even have an “S” on them. Instead there’s a Helix-Mapping System embedded in T-shirts snug, slimming, moisture-wicking shirts that form to a fella’s body and instantly make him stand up straight and take notice of his own muscles. Go ahead and call it what it is … shape wear for men. It’s amazing, and women have been taking advantage of this for years. I fully expected my husband to balk, but he tried it and liked it, quite a bit. Results are immediate. The line has several shirt styles and underpants, too. These are apparently the rage in the UK and I think American men will take right to them.
Makin’ up not hard to do
Valentine’s Day falls on our Mardi Gras weekend, and the Jessica Red Alert Manicure Kit is the way to go if you’re flashing colors other than purple, gold and green. A base and top coat flank a black nail polish with two reds, each one competing for more brilliance. I like the one that reminds me of a boat’s candy apple gloss, but my daughter asked for alternating nails of red and black. I told her she looked like a deck of cards and she began planning for a viewing party on the upcoming Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp.
Jessica also makes three romantic pink glosses — Kiss me in the Rain, Prelude to a Kiss and It’s in His Kiss — in pastels to merit a second glance.
OleHenrikson’s new sugar glow face scrub is hands down the most aromatic scrub I’ve ever enjoyed. African red tea, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin and sweet honey are just a few ingredients to “awaken” the skin. Mine had been asleep all winter.
I’m aiming to try Cover FX Fortifying Lip Treat Mint Primer SPF 15, a pout primer, just because it has such a cool name.
ddoiron@panews.com
I don’t know who deems these weeks, but we’ve just wrapped up Healthy Weight Week, where the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reminds us Texans that some 28 percent of us are considered obese.
This next week doesn’t have a name to it, but can you still commit to the New Year’s Resolutions you so happily made just a few days ago? The Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club shares these tips:
• Just Move Something! Spending just 30-60 minutes a day on physical activities can make a big difference.
• Pick a cardio activity that you enjoy, whether it’s tennis, running, walking, swimming, etc. Finding something you enjoy will make exercise a lot easier, and a life-long habit.
• Make it a social hour. Invite friends to the gym or schedule a tennis date or morning walk with neighbors. They’ll help you stick to it, and make exercising fun.
• Combine healthy eating with a consistent exercise routine to get the most effective results. Doing just one or the other will only get you halfway there. Once you grasp one component you can then focus on the other.
• Tell everyone you know about your fitness goals — even blog, tweet and update your Facebook status about it. Friends and family will/could serve as great sources of support, and the accountability will keep you motivated.
• A personal trainer serves as a great support structure as well. It is much easier to commit to and achieve your fitness goals when you know that you have someone in your corner 100 percent of the time, with positive reinforcement.
• Be realistic with your goals and keep true to yourself.
Here’s some more on lookin’ good:
Super hero shirt
Equmen sells super hero shirts that don’t even have an “S” on them. Instead there’s a Helix-Mapping System embedded in T-shirts snug, slimming, moisture-wicking shirts that form to a fella’s body and instantly make him stand up straight and take notice of his own muscles. Go ahead and call it what it is … shape wear for men. It’s amazing, and women have been taking advantage of this for years. I fully expected my husband to balk, but he tried it and liked it, quite a bit. Results are immediate. The line has several shirt styles and underpants, too. These are apparently the rage in the UK and I think American men will take right to them.
Makin’ up not hard to do
Valentine’s Day falls on our Mardi Gras weekend, and the Jessica Red Alert Manicure Kit is the way to go if you’re flashing colors other than purple, gold and green. A base and top coat flank a black nail polish with two reds, each one competing for more brilliance. I like the one that reminds me of a boat’s candy apple gloss, but my daughter asked for alternating nails of red and black. I told her she looked like a deck of cards and she began planning for a viewing party on the upcoming Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp.
Jessica also makes three romantic pink glosses — Kiss me in the Rain, Prelude to a Kiss and It’s in His Kiss — in pastels to merit a second glance.
OleHenrikson’s new sugar glow face scrub is hands down the most aromatic scrub I’ve ever enjoyed. African red tea, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin and sweet honey are just a few ingredients to “awaken” the skin. Mine had been asleep all winter.
I’m aiming to try Cover FX Fortifying Lip Treat Mint Primer SPF 15, a pout primer, just because it has such a cool name.
ddoiron@panews.com
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