Ah, when music was actually music and you could understand the words!
Loved the yellow Cadillac!
It Never Rains in Southern California
Sunday Song ~ Paper Lace
Those of you who don’t remember 70’s music have missed so much!
The Night Chicago Died…
Tuesday Tips ~ 12 March (on Wednesday!)
Yes, I know…I’m late…again!
Let’s get on with it, shall we?
And here is today’s yesterday’s tips………….
🙂 To rescue overcooked meats, slice thinly and cover slices with a salsa made from olive oil, lime juice, chopped tomatoes, onions and chilli. The acid and oil replace the moisture in the meat.
TT: Sounds good to me even if you don’t overcook the meat!
🙂 Don’t add soy sauce to the wok until right at the end of the cooking time. if added earlier it will cause the food to stick to the pan and may give a bitter taste.
TT: I’ll have to try this next time I make a stir-fry.
🙂 Clingfilm/plastic wrap can sometimes be very difficult to handle. Try keeping it in the fridge ~ it also helps with finding the end.
TT: Sorry, but I’m not keeping it in the fridge….too inconvenient. My rolls of foil and clingfilm, plastic bags, etc. are in a drawer right at my work area.
🙂 Whether planning a dinner party or a meal for someone special, never try a new recipe and/or a new ingredient at the same time.
TT: Instead, test it out on your family first!
🙂 If a recipe calls for self-raising flour and all you have is plain flour, use 1 level teaspoon of baking powder to every 110g/scant 4oz of flour.
TT: Tried and tested and yes, it works.
🙂 Coffee grounds, filter paper, teabags, egg cartons and scrunched-up paper wrappers can all be added to the garden compost.
TT: Raw egg shells can also be added. Just crush them up first and with the egg cartons, tear it up into pieces.
🙂 Put fresh tomatoes into boiling water for one minute to loosen skins before peeling and adding to sauces.
TT: I usually score an ‘X’ on the bottom first as it helps to start the peel coming off.
🙂 Drain foods cooked in oil on an empty brown grocery bag rather than paper towels, as this will retain the crispness.
TT: Well this is fine IF YOU LIVE IN THE U.S. WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THESE!! This country does not have brown grocery bags…everything is PLASTIC! I wish we had brown grocery bags as at least they could be recycled. I have a real problem with this tip considering it’s from a UK calendar! (as a side note: We bring our own reusable canvas bags when we go shopping so that we do not add to the already-full-of-plastic landfills areas)
OK kids, there you go. I will try not to be late next week with my tips, but you know, sometimes life just….happens!
♥♥ Terri ♥♥
Sunday Song ~ Bobbie Gentry
Ode to Billie Joe…
Food and Fitness Tips
Happy Thursday All! It’s Friday Eve!
Chef P has the day off tomorrow so we’re heading to Borough Market in London by train! We were there just before Christmas last year, so at least I know what to expect and what I can get there!
I’ll talk about that in another post, but for today, I’m going to give you some food and fitness tips and just some general well-being tips; well probably more food tips, but it’s nice to throw something different in once in a while. 🙂
¤ Stop Smoking! Probably the number one thing you really should do. Women who stop smoking by the age of 30 reduce their risk of dying of tobacco-related diseases by 97%. Quit by 40 and your risk is reduced by 90%. Stop Smoking Day here in the UK is March 13….next week. What a perfect time to give it up for good!
¤ Drink your H2O. Water is a secret weight-loss weapon. Dehydration slows your metabolism and stops fat burning. But 10 minutes after drinking 500ml/17fl oz. of cold water, your rate of calorie burning rises by 30% and peaks after 30 minutes. Nearly half of that comes from your body trying to heat the water.
¤ Enjoy your food. Don’t just woof it down! A recent paper published in Obesity found those who chewed their food properly, keeping it in their mouths for up to eight minutes(!) before swallowing, ate less. Chewing properly also helps release nutrients from the food, so you don’t need to eat as much to absorb the right amounts.
¤ Eat Pasta! White pasta has an undeserved bad image: The Mediterranean diet uses white pasta and is one of the healthiest diets in the world. It proves you don’t have to give up your favorite foods to eat healthy. Pasta is high carb, but low on the Glycemic Index, because the starch molecules are encapsulated in a unique way in the pasta dough. However, don’t overcook it as this breaks down the structures, raising the GI.
¤ Keep a food diary. Keeping a food diary can help you lose weight. If you’ve had a bad week, you can go back and pinpoint where you screwed up it went wrong.
¤ Cut down on the saturated fats. Yes, we’ve heard this before, but this is great for keeping your heart healthy. Even though you cut out the saturated fats, your body still needs fat so you need to consume the good ones, in particular the oils found in avocados, nuts, sees and evening primrose oil.
¤ Try coconut oil. Coconut oil is great in food and has so many benefits. It doesn’t degrade at high cooking temps, unlike many other oils and you can even use it in smoothies. It’s high in lauric acid – a good thing (a type of saturated fatty acid – also a good thing), which can speed up metabolism and great for your joints. Go for an extra-virgin, raw, cold-pressed oil to really benefit your health.
¤ Crave a dessert after dinner? Brush your teeth after eating. The taste of the toothpaste and the time it takes distracts you, so your craving goes away. Pop a toothbrush in your bag if eating out.
¤ Avoid drinking water with dinner. Too much fluid can dilute the digestive enzymes in your mouth and stomach, making them less effective. Aim to drink 30 minutes either side of your meal. An occasional glass of wine with dinner is fine, but sip it slowly to make the most of it.
¤ Get some sleep! Lack of sleep contributes to obesity as it affects the amount of calories we eat the next day. Different hormones affect men and women after a poor night’s sleep. The hormone ghrelin rises in men, increasing their appetite, and the satiety hormone GLP-I falls in women, so they don’t feel full after eating.
Terri’s Tuesday Tips ~ Mar 5
What a gorgeous day we have here today in southern England! The sun has been shining brightly most of the day, albeit it’s a tad on the cool side. Come on, Spring!
Here are today’s tips. Has anyone tried any of the past tips yet? Would love to hear your comments or experiences.
ξ Cheat with a ready meal (once in a while), but add a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of olive oil to pep up the flavors.
TT: Sorry, but no. I don’t touch ready meals and haven’t eaten one in nearly 8 years. I can add fresh herbs and lemon juice just as easily to freshly prepared food and prefer to do just that!
ξ Heat dish cloths or sponges in a microwave for 30-40 seconds to kill all bacteria.
TT: I prefer using a sponge over a dish cloth. All my dish towels, rags, counter wipe cloths, etc. are put into the hamper at the end of each day and are washed in temps of 60°c(140°f) or above with bleach added every second or third wash. The sponge is replaced every other week.
ξ Before squeezing citrus fruits for recipes, microwave 15-30 seconds to double the amount of juice you get.
TT: This absolutely does work! Cut the fruit in half first before microwaving. I zap a lemon for 30 seconds and it’s just enough.
ξ Wrap celery in foil before storing in the fridge. It will keep for weeks.
TT: Can’t say that I’ve ever tried this as we go through a good bit of celery so usually end up buying it every other week. It doesn’t get a chance to go bad!
ξ Sprinkle empty waste baskets and kitchen bins with a little baking soda/bicarbonate of soda from time to time to absorb any lingering smells and odors. Pour the old baking soda down the kitchen drain to keep it sweet smelling.
TT: I do this all the time and it does appear to help.
ξ Certain varieties of potato can go gluey when mashed. This can happen as a result of using cold milk. Instead, try warming the milk before adding and grate some nutmeg over top for a touch of added flavor.
TT: I usually get the milk out ahead of time so it’s not actually cold, but it’s room temp. Nutmeg on taters is yummy!
Your kitchen tips for the week!
♥♥ Terri ♥♥
Sunday Song ~ Cher
Always loved this song!
Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves
One Lovely Blog Award
And here we are again folks, with another award! I’m VERY, VERY late in doing my duty for this as this goes back to October that I was given this, so let’s just get on with it…
The first and foremost thing to do is to always thank the person who gave it to you.
I have now received the One Lovely Blog Award and would like to thank Cooking with Corinna for the nomination. You might want to check out her blog…she does some lovely recipes!
Now I need to share 7 things about myself….
1. I love looking at spiders in their webs up close, especially if they’re in the process of spinning one! I had the pleasure of watching one spinning back in the Fall.
2. I prefer red wine over white wine.
3. I enjoy entertaining and having people over, especially at the holidays.
4. When I was young, we had various animals as pets: dogs, chickens, hamsters and rabbits, although not at the same time!
5. I’ve never been on a cruise although I’m hoping one day…..
6. When I bought my first car, I played the price of the car on the daily lottery….and won $100.
7. I’m left handed.
And now, I must nominate 15 other bloggers (in no particular order) for this prestigious award!
The Scrumptious Pumpkin transforming fresh, healthy ingredients into everyday delicious meals
Tixeertne It’s amazing what you see when you look at things differently
Bits and Breadcrumbs where all trails lead to good food
Picahling want to save our environment? Start at home.
Create it Yourself A diversion from the monotony of life with a refreshing distraction of simple discovery and resourcefulness
Culinary Arts and Crafts Food, fun and misadventures
Beauty with Bunny A fairly new blog, but I like what I see so far!
Appleblossom Another new blog featuring arts and crafts
Balloon Whisk Lots of nice recipes from Charlotte in Edinburgh
Utterly Scrummy Budget friendly, tasty, easy to prepare, nutritious food for busy families – and treats too.
The Little Loaf Lots of sweet goodies
Bread et Butter Tasty looking recipes and photos
DeliciousDeliciousDelicious Because life is too short to eat bad food
Body Flourish Fitness for a new Era
Heather’s Homemade From my kitchen to yours
Well I think that about covers it all! Thanks again to Corinna and again, my apologies for being so late! And a big THANK YOU to all my readers and followers!
♥♥ Terri ♥♥
Terri’s Tuesday Tips ~ 26 Feb
Yes, yes, I know….it’s Wednesday and I’m a day late. Better late than never, they always say!
Without further adieu….
Φ To stop a pan boiling over, insert a wooden toothpick between the pan and the lid.
TT: Personally, I think this is a waste of a toothpick and also, there’s the possibility of the toothpick falling into the pan if you happen to forget that it’s there. Or worse, if you have a gas stove as we do, it falls out and under the pan and starts a fire! I usually just cock the lid up a bit when putting it on to allow some of the steam to escape.
Φ It’s simple to stop cabbage smells while cooking ~ don’t overcook it and don’t cover the pot with a lid.
TT: We cook a good bit of cabbage but never seem to have a problem with smells. Perhaps because we usually add other flavorings to the pan so we smell the flavorings instead. I always have the lid on too.
Φ Cut any green parts of a potato away before cooking ~ the green part contains an unpleasant-tasting poison called solanine. It won’t kill you, but you’re better off without it.
TT: I ALWAYS do this! Who wants to eat green potato anyway? Unless you’re Dr. Seuss! Oh wait, that was green eggs…. 🙂
Φ When heating cream, use a heavy-based saucepan and a low gentle heat, allowing the cream to come to a simmer slowly. Avoid boiling rapidly.
TT: I don’t cook with cream very much except if I’m making a dessert. However, I do follow this mantra and heat it up gently.
Φ Clean a stainless steel sink by wiping with a bit of pasty toothpaste (gel won’t work). Rub in then rinse well (for a sparkling sink with fresh breath!)
TT: You can also use baking soda and get the same results.
Φ Defrost your freezer when the layer of ice inside has reached a thickness of 1cm (1/3 inch). Switch off the freezer, remove the food and thaw the freezer. Run the freezer for 1/2 an hour before refilling.
TT: I think it’s time for me to defrost the freezer….
Φ When cooking pasta, use as big a pan as possible to prevent sticking as it needs room to move around freely. Don’t add the pasta until the water is boiling rapidly.
TT: I do this all the time. Make sure you stir the pasta occasionally while cooking and add salt to the water before you add the pasta.
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So there you go, your kitchen tips for the week!
♥♥ Terri ♥♥
Sunday Song ~ Vicki Lawrence
The Night the Lights went out in Georgia…
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