Category: Foods & Crazy Recipes

Sometimes we find ourselves ‘pigging out’ and taking in a ton of food. Probably, it’s your way of amusing yourself. You may have experienced something quite depressing. Therefore, you feel the need to divert your frustrations towards food. This is actually not a bad case. However, one should remember that doing this could lead to your waistline getting wider. You will have a bigger belly if you are not careful. You can also bet that the weighing scale will show that you’ve gained yourself extra pounds.

Gaining some weight is acceptable. Be cautioned though that too much gain weight will do you no good. You are risking a heart disease if you put on too much weight. Therefore, it is suggested that you take a diet if you realize you’ve put on a lot of weight because of your habit of eating comfort foods.

It may be observed that plenty of people nowadays engage themselves in different kinds of diets. A diet is followed by some people because they feel that they are overweight. Some ladies think that they are horizontally challenged. Taking a diet is no light matter. A person who wants to go on a diet must first know the different diet programs that are available to him/her before he/she commits to a diet plan. It is possible that a person might choose the wrong diet for himself/herself. Therefore, it is suggested that a person see his/her doctor before engaging in diet programs.

People with certain diseases should ask their doctors if a certain diet program will be harmful to him/her. Their doctors can give them advises regarding diet plans that these people would like to have. Different types of diets approach a weight loss issue in various ways. Some diets advise people to choose the type of carbohydrates that they eat. Other diets say that carbohydrates must be avoided all together. Thus, it is not advisable for a person to just pick a diet program that he/she thinks is right for her. A second opinion is very much needed especially if a person is sick. This is to ensure that the sick person will still be receiving the nutrients that he/she needs while at the same time, he/she will be able to lose a few extra pounds here and there.

A body needs all the nutrients that it can get. A person can’t function well without these nutrients. It’s not unusual for a person who eats too little to feel cranky. He/she will have little energy flowing through his/her veins if he/she doesn’t eat right. Life can get really tedious for someone who doesn’t eat much. Soon, a person might find himself/herself spending his/her time in bed. He/she has gotten himself/herself sick because of the very small amount of nutritious food that he/she takes in. Going on a diet and taking very little food intake is absolutely wrong. A person should take good care of his/her body. In conclusion, it can actually be said that people should take their diets in moderation.

There are several diets that a person can engage in. One of these is the Atkins Diet. This diet was developed by Doctor Robert Atkins. This diet is about taking in plenty of protein and fat food. However, people are told to eat just a small amount of carbohydrates for their meals. As one can assume, this diet is pretty controversial. But then again, it is a famous diet program that works for people who have tried it.

The Atkins Diet is actually established on the premise that people become overweight because they eat too much carbs. Therefore, this diet advises its followers to reduce their carbohydrate consumption. This diet is actually very different from the other diets that some dieting people follow. How come? It is because the Atkins diet allows its followers to eat food that are usually regarded as causes for people gaining extra weight.

Some of the foods that you can eat using the Atkins Diet include regular cheese, mayonnaise, butter, eggs, fowl, red meat, and fish. The foods that must be avoided in this particular diet are milk, white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. Basically, 3 cups of loose salad are eaten in the 1st two weeks for the diet program. Also, there is no need to count the number of calories you consume for this diet. Some vegetables are allowed after the 1st two weeks. A person will be surprised to know that one day, he/she has lost weight despite eating lots of fats and protein.

The Atkins Diet makes it possible for the human body to burn fats instead of burning carbohydrates. Weight loss happens when body fats are burned. Your belly, waist, thighs, and hips won’t have the bulges it used to have. You must admit that this is a delightful idea.

Some of you might be wondering how the body will function if it is lacking nutrients. Where does the body take its energy from if there is just a small amount of carbohydrates stored in a person’s body? You might be surprised to know that a person engaged in Atkins Diet enters a phase of ketosis.

Ketosis means that the body is getting the energy from carbon elements. The carbon elements are results of burned fats in the body. There is a lesser chance of an individual getting hungry when he/she has ketosis. Therefore, an individual won’t experience the urge to eat since he/she isn’t feeling any trace of hunger. However, it is important to know that ketosis has some side effects on the individual. A person may feel constipated. He/she may also experience halitosis. Halitosis is when a person has foul smelling breath.

It is suggested that some people might want to do some exercises before ketosis works for them. Followers of the Atkins Diet are also advised to take vitamins for the duration of the program. Vitamin supplements are needed since fruits and vegetables are not included in the diet plan.

When you attend a party, gathering, or any social event, you may notice that barbequed foods are always served anytime of the day. One reason for this is that barbeque is a versatile way of cooking your food and the taste is always delectable, given that the person really knows how to cook it. You may barbeque fish, meat, poultry, vegetables, and a lot more.

You may want to try this cooking technique but you are having second thoughts because you think it is difficult to do. In addition, you may even be convinced that this is dangerous because the fire may get out of hand and burn you. Contrary to what other people think, barbecuing is an easy way to cook your food. All you need is a good fire, grill, and your food. Of course, some tips also come in handy to make sure that your food will not be burned and the taste will be maximized. As such, here are some useful barbecuing tips to help you in cooking your food.

Fire Up the Barbeque

The first key to a yummy barbeque of any kind is a great fire. Do not use gas, alcohol, or any fluids of these kinds when you start a fire. Aside from giving your food a disgusting taste, it may even poison you because of its hazardous components. Just stick to charcoal lighter fluid when making a fire.

When you are choosing your grilling place, stay as far away from any house, patio, camper, or any structure. Also, make sure that your fire is nowhere near grasses, bushes, or anything that burns easily. This is just a safety precaution to avoid big fires that can result to great damages.

Working with Briquettes

If you have a charcoal grill, you have to decide the right coals to use. As much as possible, do not buy those that light up easily. These coals burn really fast so you will just waste your money buying more of these. In addition, these also do not settle on a good cooking temperature for your barbeque. As such, your food may get really burned or will still be half-cooked.

The best coals to use in barbecuing are called briquettes. Even though these might take you at least one hour before reaching your cooking temperature, these can burn longer. Unlike fast coals, these also settle on a decent temperature needed to cook your food. Even if you have already finished your first batch of barbeques, you will still have enough heat to cook more food.

To hasten the heating time, one trick is to line up the sides of your grills with tin foil. These will reflect the heat from the fire and will even double your cooking time. However, make sure that you put some holes in the foil to let air pass.

Be Smart About Your Fire

When you are grilling, make sure that your fire has enough ventilation. This is to prevent dangerous carbon monoxide, which is caused by the fire, from contaminating your food.

While you are barbecuing your food, it is important to note that flare ups are common occurrences. It just means that your fire becomes big and uncontrollable. As a result, you will burn the food you are grilling. To be on the safe side, always make sure that you have a water sprayer beside you. However, use this only as your last resort. Remember that water sprays will cause the ashes to rise up and stick to your food, making it inedible. If you can still manage a flare up, do not spray it with water. But if it has become unmanageable, forget the food and do not hesitate to kill the fire. After all, your life is more important than the food you are cooking.

To maintain fires at a minimum, do not put so many coals on it or make it too big. Try to keep it near 375 degrees Celsius. When you are checking for the temperature, you do not need a thermometer. You can just use your palms to test the heat. It is above 375 if you can hold your palm near the fire for two to three seconds, above 300 you can hold it four seconds, above 200 if five to six seconds. These temperatures are considered as hot, medium, and low. If the heat is too low, push the charcoals together; but if it is too hot, spread them out or raise the cooking grill.

In order to avoid flare ups, it is vital to know the foods that may cause it. Among these are greasy foods. When your meat or pork barbeques have too much oil on it, it may drip and cause the fire to become bigger. To prevent this from happening, you can lessen the grease you spread on the food. In most cases, you can just put the food on a foil or raise the cooking rack away from the fire. When a flare up occurs, remove your food first before you spray it with water.

Now Go Out And Cook!

Now that you know how to start and maintain a fire, you can start learning the basic recipes for barbecuing different types of food. When you use a grill with a lid, you can use it like a makeshift oven to cook patties, sausages, monkfish, etc. These can be easily bought in grocery stores and are already ready to cook. If you want to mix your own food, you can check out the internet or recipe books for ways to barbeque these.

With all the knowledge you have acquired, you can now start barbecuing whatever food you have inside your house and serve it to family and friends.

 

Wedding cakes come in all shapes and sizes and there is no limit to the creativity of the bride’s design. They have become long-standing traditions and are still being admired as the focal point of the wedding receptions today. Modern wedding cakes can be made of plain or chocolate sponge as well as the fruitcake (for the groom) and little cupcakes scattered around the bride’s cake gaining popularity since they are easier to dole out to the guests.

Wedding cakes have been a special part of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Perhaps the tradition of scattering rice or confetti over newlyweds had evolved along with the wedding cake; the Romans have scattered wheat in the belief that the bride and groom would be fertile. Wheat is a cake ingredient and symbolizes life – the abundant harvest and fertility that newlyweds must enjoy. The wedding cake back then was a special delicacy that the Ancient Greeks have eaten as part of their feasts.

During the Roman era it was a custom for the guests to give wedding cakes to newlyweds to simulate the gift of nature since wheat (also barley) as an ingredient of cake is a life-giving plant. Brides who bake their own wedding cakes were thought to be destined to face bad luck in the future.  The groom would break the gift cakes on the bride’s head. This was a quaint symbolism of the breaking of a woman’s hymen, signifying her surrender to the groom. The guests would then scramble for the fallen crumbs as they believe this would give them fortune. The evolution of the wedding cake has made breaking it less common, but in some parts of Scotland in the 19th century this tradition continued with certain variations.

By the Medieval Era the wheat cake had been replaced by the rolls and buns that were laid on top of each other. The custom was that if the groom and the bride were able to kiss on top of the tall stack of rolls they will receive the blessings of prosperity and fertility. Then during the seventeenth century a French chef added sugar frosting on the stack of cake so they would maintain their form. This was considered to be one of the precursors of the modern tiered cake with the extra frosting.

The tradition of preserving the top tier of the cake and eating it on the first anniversary could be traced back during the eighteenth century when the wedding cakes were actually fruit cakes blended with wine to keep them edible even after a long time. It was still an enduring myth that the cake must not break into slivers before it could even be eaten on the first anniversary; otherwise the newlyweds would be beset with marriage problems. Thus, they have taken great care not to let it crumble.

The bride’s pie, the cake that contains a hidden ring, could be traced back to the early seventeenth century until the nineteenth. It was believed that the woman who is able to find the hidden ring will be wedded next. The bride’s pie has evolved into the more elaborate cakes of the Victorian era. Queen Victoria adored ornamental cakes and bridal gowns that she had ordered a cake made for her weighing over 300 lbs. Since then wedding cakes had become intricately-designed and were eventually called bride’s cake.

The bride’s cake is the most common type of wedding cake, as opposed to groom’s cake, which is just a simple slab of cake that acts as a supplement for the more elaborate bride’s cake. Most bride cakes chosen by the bride are usually tall-tiered cakes with flowers and fruits. Most groom cakes are fruit cakes which traditionally were brought home by single ladies so they would “dream of their future husbands”.

Most brides’ cakes were decorated by the bride as a reflection of her decorating style. It could, for instance, have custom- made figurines on the top tier, a set of sugar flowers or fruits in season. For flower designs usually a bride can opt to lay it on the top of the cake or have it cascade around the tiers for a more ornate look. It can have the romantic appeal with one unifying motif. It can also have a symbolism such as gold, marzipans or swans.

The groom’s cake is more of a wedding favor and plays a special part on the wedding as well. The groom chooses his own design but usually it is dark colored (chocolate). It is a supplement to the bride’s cake because it may be served at the reception dinner (or even ahead of the time and given to the guests) and is consequently a lot cheaper than the bride’s cake itself.

Choosing and decorating your wedding cake may be easy but you should consider adding brandy if you wish to preserve your cake according to the tradition. You can opt to shop for spices, fruits and flowers ahead of the time; or have a florist coordinate with you. For many soon-to-be-wedded couples it would be easier to borrow or hire a cake tin stand if you would like a multiple-tiered cake.

Buy wedding cakes two months in advance; this is to assure you that you will get exactly what you have ordered. There are expensive cakes but if you are low on the budget there are ways to reduce the price of fancy wedding cakes. Check out the local bakeshops and consult with two or three bakers to get information on the prices and styles of wedding cakes.

You can get a great deal for a wedding cake by asking for pictures of the recently designed cakes (those created by their current cake decorators) and getting a free taste. Do not forget that the taste of the cake matters just as well as its fancy design.

Lastly, when selecting your wedding cake, your own preferences matter but you can always be open to suggestions offered by an expert baker.

Chewing and bubble gums are fancy and yummy delights which the world cannot do without.  Most people do not pass a day without having one or two of them.  From the littlest toddler to the oldest person alive, almost everyone knows what are they like and their taste.  That’s not everything.  The fact that they come coated in bright colors, multi-flavored, and cute shapes excite everyone, kids and adults alike.  Gums are certified perennial hit in the worldwide market and they occupy a shelf in almost every store.  They are found in jars in many homes and they are given as rewards in the kindergarten school.  During Halloween, not a child goes home without gums in his treat or trick basket.  In fact, there are even bubble gum blowing contests which have become one of the popular trends and fun activities of most people. If gums were martians, they would have invaded earth a long time ago.  It’s unimaginable, but the gum phenomenon is true.

But while most people are busy chewing or blowing gums outdoors or indoors, how many of them really know the story behind them?  Each time you put a gum or possibly gums in your mouth, do you ever wonder how they have turned out to be what they are now?   There may be a few nods, yet most likely, majority of the answers is ‘no.’  That’s quite understandable.  Besides, who ever thought more seriously about gums except on how to blow the largest balloon to beat records? But to set things straight, may be its time to know a few interesting facts about gums.  Next time, at least, not only will you entertain and interest your colleagues by blowing large balloons, but also by sharing them a few words on how both chewing and bubble gums came to be.

It would be a good start to briefly differentiate between chewing and bubble gums.  On one hand, the former are manufactured primarily for chewing purposes and are either made out of chicle, a kind of natural latex or other bases such as petroleum.  On the other hand, the latter are specially created in order for people to be able to blow gum bubbles.  While chewing gums went out in the market in the late 1840’s, bubble gums were to follow only after few decades.

The production of commercial gums traces back to the late 1840’s.  Archeological researches, however, surprisingly reveal that the practice of chewing gum was already common during the ancient times.  The ancient Greeks are believed to chew a tree substance called “mastiche” since it comes from the Mastic Tree of Turkish origin.  Moreover, they used gums not only for enjoyment but for hygienic purposes such as cleaning their teeth and consequently refreshing their breath.  In India, betel was already used for centuries.  Then in Central America, the Maya Indians chewed a substance called “chicle” from the sapodilla tree.  Finally, the American Indians made gums out of the resin from spruce trees or from beeswax.  Obviously, the ancient gums were far different from the ones sold today.  In place of the sweet taste, the many fruit flavors, and other gum luxuries people enjoy today, the early people made the most out of mastiche, spruce, beeswax, and other natural gums coming from trees, grasses, and plants.

It was in 1848 when the first commercial gums were manufactured.  The Curtis brothers from Maine developed the first gum out of the resin from spruce tree.  It was called “State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum.”  Then in 1850’s they improved their gum recipe by using paraffin and by trying to put in some flavor.  For this they established the Curtis Chewing Gum Factory.

In the 1870’s Thomas Adams, who was a photographer then also tried his luck into the gum business through the influence of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.  He followed a different trend by making his own version of gum out of chicle.  His business soon started to grow that he had to devise a gum making machine.  Perhaps his remarkable contribution was his adding the flavor of licorice in his product called “Black Jack.”

Then in 1880’s, the brothers Henry and Frank Fleer embarked on their own gum recipe.  While Henry introduced the sugar coated chicle and called it “Chiclet,” Frank attempted to invent the first bubble gum naming it “Blibber Blubber Bubble Gum.”  Unfortunately, the latter concept was never released because of its stickiness.  But an employee of their company had later discovered the secret behind making bubble gum.

During the same period, John Colgan thought of trying to put in a lasting flavor in gums.  His ingenious idea left a revolutionary and lasting mark in the gum industry.  In 1899, Franklin Canning, a dentist, developed a dental gum which he named “Dentyne.”

In 1914, Henry Fleer together with William Wrigley produced the popular “Wrigley Doublemint” which added both fruit and mint flavors to the chicle gum.  While Henry’s brother Frank didn’t pursue his Blibber-Blubber project, an accountant of their company named Walter Diemer accidentally discovered the secret of making the real bubble gum.  Diemer’s newly found recipe was an instant hit in the stores and so the Fleer Chewing Company proceeded in selling the first ever commercial bubble gum named “Dubble Bubble.”

Hence from that time onwards, chewing and bubble gums have continuously undergone series of changes and development in their recipes.  Today, gum lovers worldwide can enjoy the many flavors, colors, and shapes of both chewing and bubble gums.  Moreover, most gums now are made out of corn syrup, natural latex or plastic, flavorings, and softeners.

Since the initial release of gums in the market, their popularity has continued to increase.  It is said that the physicians in the 1860’s discouraged their people from chewing gum because it would make their intestines stick all together.  Well, it seems that gums have gone all the way through history to prove the opposite.  Gums are still No. 1 among kids and adults.