Trying Out a New Egg Salad Recipe

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Most people probably think that egg salad is egg salad, and pretty much the same where ever you get it. However, there are actually a number of different variations for this salad recipe. Simply searching for egg salad on a recipe website will give you an idea of what is around. Many recipes are very similar with slight variations, however, there are also some with more major variations.

A typical egg salad recipe usually starts with just a few ingredients, mainly eggs, mayonnaise, and mustard (yellow or Dijon). Onion, salt, dill, garlic, and pepper are some of the spices that might also be added. Celery and lemon juice are also common additions.

Less common ingredients for an this salad recipe include such things as cilantro, peas, mushrooms, pimento, shrimp, paprika, avocado, tomato, cayenne pepper, ginger, turmeric, jalapeno, pickles, olives, relish, cheese, red or green bell pepper, basil, cucumber, horseradish, bacon (bits, regular, or Canadian), and hot pepper sauce. As you can see, people tend to add whatever they like and think might taste good for their recipes.

Regular egg salad recipes can be a bit bland, so it is not surprising that some people like to add extra spices and condiments for more flavor. Adding vegetables helps to give it a bit of crunch, which many people like better than just a smooth mushy egg salad. Give it a try and experiment with the different flavors that you like. Those vegetables and foods that you would normally think of as eating with eggs (as a part of an omelet, or as part of your entire breakfast) are good places to start when recreating your recipe.

Although there are some egg salads that you would eat as a side dish on their own, many people use the basic recipe as a sandwich filling. Depending on which variation of this salad you like, you can either keep the additional ingredients chopped larger or smaller. Obviously you don't want huge chunks of things if you are using it for a sandwich filling, but bigger chunks are nice if you are eating your salad as a side or main dish.

Kids Who Won't Eat Vegetables Will Eat This Vegetable-Pasta Salad

Kids are noodle nuts. They will eat spaghetti with tomato sauce, yet shy away from vegetables. Say the word "vegetable" and kids start to make faces. Though middle and high school kids will eat vegetables, they are selective about the ones they eat.

My 15-year old grandchildren (they are fraternal twins) pretend to eat vegetables by moving them around on their plates. What could I do? I combined pasta and vegetables, and added a tangy lemon dressing. The ratio of vegetables to pasta is five to one, and I think that's pretty darned good.

The directions say you should marinate the salad for three hours before serving. The longer pasta marinates the more dressing it absorbs. You may need more dressing than the recipe calls for if you marinate the salad all afternoon or overnight. My grandchildren loved the salad so much they went back for seconds, and my grandson went back for thirds.

This is not an exact recipe and you may play around with it. If you have leftover veggies toss them into the salad. Make the vegetarian version or add your protein of choice (see below). Customize the salad to your kids' tastes. Kids who do not like black olives may eat green. If your kids hate onions leave them out. You may leave out the roasted red peppers and substitute Cheddar for feta cheese.

While the salad tastes good year-round, it tastes especially good in the summer, when fresh vegetables are available, and tomatoes taste like they are supposed to. Vegetable-Pasta salad is the perfect picnic dish. Just remember to keep it cold.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups small pasta (shells, rings, tubes, spirals), cooked

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup English cucumber, chopped

1 cup frozen petite peas, defrosted

1 cup shredded carrots (from a bag)

3 scallions (white parts and green), thinly sliced

1/2 cup sliced black olives

7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons (or more) fresh basil, cut into narrow strips

4 ounces fat-free feta cheese

Dressing

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra light olive oil

1 teaspoon salt-free lemon and pepper seasoning

1/2 teaspoon low sodium salt

Protein of Choice: 1 small can water-packed tuna, or 1 cup cooked shrimp, or 1 cup chicken cut into

bite-size pieces, or 1 cup ham, cut into bite-size pieces

METHOD

Make salad dressing and set aside. Put ingredients into a large bowl. Add your protein of choice and salad dressing. Marinate for at least three hours. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with lemon wedges. Makes 8 servings.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

Fruit Salad With a Remarkable Dressing

Image : http://www.flickr.com

It isn't too terribly difficult to make a fruit salad and, when you order one in a restaurant you usually get poppy seed dressing. If you go to the supermarket for help what do you get? Poppy Seed dressing. You can get a little relief by buying or making a raspberry and vinegar combination but that's about it.

This Fruit Salad dressing is mine. I developed it and, although there might be similar dressings I haven't found them. The nice thing about this dressing is that you can fine tune it to your tastes. It can be as sweet or savory as you like it.

First, you have to collect a variety of fresh fruit that pleases you. I like watermelon, strawberries cantaloupe, apple slices, pineapple chunks and seedless grapes but you can throw in some fresh seasonal berries, mango, oranges, grapefruit or whatever. The fruit must be cut into bite-sized pieces.

You will also need a packaged of mixed baby greens but bagged spinach is also good. Place the greens on a nice plate and artfully arrange the fruit on top. You can make one large salad if you like and have your guests ladle out their portions but I think it looks much prettier to have individual portions.

Now, mix together one 8 ounce carton of sour cream (please, please, please do not use low fat sour cream), one and one-half tablespoons of honey and one quarter cup of fresh orange juice or orange juice that has not been re-constituted.

Mix the ingredients together well and then taste. Need it a little sweeter? Add some honey. A little more tart? Add some sour cream. A little thinner for easy pouring? Add some orange juice. Pour gently over the fruit and enjoy.

Glorious Italian Food

Italy is known worldwide for its food that is appetizing to the palate. Italian food is renowned for its balance of nutrients & fresh ingredients. With the inventiveness of Italy's chefs, each meal, while simply cooked, becomes rich with a variety of flavors that gourmets find delightful.

Italian breakfast or colazione is usually a light meal of cappucino or espresso-style coffee and a sweet pastry or brioche. Pranzo or lunch usually consists of a starter or antipasto, a primo piatto pasta, soup or rice, a secondo piatto of meat and fish with salad or contorna and fresh fruits. Espresso, grappa or amaro (liquer) may top off the meal. The menu for dinner or cena is similar to the options for lunch.

Italy is known for its pizza which is a twist on traditional bread. The first pizza originates in Naples which was made with bread dough, tomato and mozzarella; thus it was called the Neapolitana pizza. The pizza Margherita was named after the Queen Margherita. During a visit to Naples, the queen was offered a pizza that was made with tomato sauce, mozzarella and oregano to symbolize the Italian flag. Needless to say, the Queen loved her pizza!

Aside from the pizza, Italy is also known for its pasta. The are many varieties to choose from such as lasagna, fettucini, macaroni, tortellini and of, course, spaghetti. There choices of sauces and toppings to pair with the pasta are endless! The more popularly known are pesto, marinara, bolognese and carbonara.

Italy is also a wine-growing country. The soil, climate and traditions of Italy make it beneficial, a natural place for producing great wines in large quantities. A sizable part of the Italian populace contributes to the wine-making industry. Wines in Italy are different in every region and every vineyard. There are apertifs, dessert wines and sparkling wines.

And yet wine is not the only drink that Italy is known for. Your local cafe most likely uses terms coined by Italians to describe their coffee. While coffee was not invented in Italy, the coffee culture we know today has its origins in this country. Italians are very picky with their coffee and may even opt to go to a favorite cafe or bar than to have the drink at the same restaurant where they have their meals

There are many places to eat in Italy such as fancy, formal, and usually family-run ristoranti or restaurants. The less formal are trattoria or osteria where you can find the local specialties. For quick meals, there are paninerias or sandwich bars, and, of course, the pizzerias.

High Protein Salads - If You're Trying to Cut Carbohydrates

Image : http://www.flickr.com

If you're trying to cut carbohydrates, look to some of high protein salads like Macaroni and Cheese Salad, Daisy Salad, or Easter Salad. Plan ahead for high protein salads and actually pre-chill in a refrigerator all your ingredients such as mayonnaise, beef, macaroni, cheese, etc.

Here are 6 High Protein Salads to go after if you are trying to cut down on carbohydrates.

1) MACARONI & CHEESE SALAD

1/4 lb. Macaroni
1/4 lb. Cheese
1 teaspoonful French Mustard
3 tablespoonsful Oil
3 tablespoonsful Vinegar
1/2 Head of Celery
1/2 Lettuce

Boil the macaroni, or use any cold that may be in the larder. Cut it into pieces about three inches long, cut the cheese into very thin slices, and cut the celery into very small pieces. Lay these alternately in a bowl with some shredded lettuce. Make a dressing of the mustard, oil, and vinegar, and pour it over. Garnish with a little beetroot, and serve.

2) GREEN PEPPER & CHEESE SALAD

vegetable and cheese combination in the form of a salad can be made of green pepper and cheese. To make this kind of salad, select firm green peppers, one being sufficient if a large one can be obtained. Season cream cheese well with paprika and a little additional salt if necessary. Cut the top from the pepper, clean out the inside, and pack tight with the cheese. Cut the filled pepper into thin slices, place two or three of these slices on a salad plate garnished with lettuce leaves, and serve with French dressing.

3) PEPPER & CHEESE SALAD

Fill green peppers with a mixture of cream cheese and chopped olives. Set on the ice and then slice the peppers and serve a slice (shaped like a four-leaf clover) on a leaf of lettuce. Small brown bread sandwiches go well with this.

4) DAISY SALAD

This salad resembles a daisy. To make it, cut celery into strips about 2 inches long and trim one end of each round. These strips will serve to represent the daisy petals. Place them on salad plates garnished with lettuce, laying them so that they radiate from the center and their round ends are toward the outside of the plate. Then, for the center of the daisy effect, cut the yolks of hard-cooked eggs into halves and place one half, with the rounded side up, on the ends of the celery. Serve with French dressing.

5) WATER-LILY SALAD

A means of using eggs in salad without the addition of other foods is found in water-lily salad. If eggs are to be served for a luncheon or some other light meal, this method may add a little variety to the usual ways of serving them.

Hard-cook one egg for each person to be served, remove the shells, and cut the eggs into halves, lengthwise. Remove the yolks, mash them, and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cut the halves of egg whites into three or four pointed pieces, cutting from end to end of the half. Place these in a star shape on salad plates garnished with lettuce. Form the seasoned egg yolk into a ball and place it in the center over the ends of the egg whites. Serve with any desired salad dressing.

6) EASTER SALAD

Cream cheese makes an attractive salad when formed into egg-shaped balls and served in a nest of shredded lettuce. To prepare this salad, which is known as Easter salad, shred lettuce finely and place it in the shape of a nest on salad plates. Make tiny egg-shaped balls of cream cheese moistened with sufficient cream to handle. Place three or four of these in the inside of the lettuce. Dust with paprika and serve with any desired dressing.

7) THE CARDINAL'S SALAD

Wash a good lettuce and a bunch of water-cress. Cut a cold boiled beef into strips, add six radishes, two hard-boiled eggs chopped up, and one small sliced cucumber. Arrange the lettuce-leaves in a salad-bowl, mix the other ingredients with a sufficient quantity of mayonnaise sauce, put them in the midst of the lettuce, and serve.

Should You Expand the Franchise Abroad?

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Are you thinking of expanding the franchise into new territory? Before you take the plunge, you'll need franchise information regarding the new market's demographics, demands and competition. You may also want to hear stories of other franchisors who have moved outside their comfort zones to expand their empires. From fast food franchises to restaurant franchises to retail franchises and tech franchises, there is always a market for a good product and good service.

"Location is key to how your store is actually going to do," says Ben Gudoy Jr who took the franchise L&L Drive-Inn from Hawaii and brought it to Gardena and San Diego, California. "We targeted places where we saw ties and knew people would eat the starches we offered." He said their plate lunches made of white rice scoops, macaroni salad scoops and a meat entree were hit favorites in Hawaii but he knew that the Hispanic, Asian and military populations would go for it in California, Las Vegas, Washington and Colorado. "It's just a matter of educating," added franchisor Eddie Flores Jr. "They just don't understand the concept. But once they try it, they'll eat it."

LA Boxing was an offshoot of the LA Fitness center that started as a dank boxing gym in 1992. Anthony Geisler, a member-turned-franchisee, opened the first LA Boxing club franchise in suburban Aliso Viejo, California in 2002. With "moms, strollers and vans," Geisler said "I knew that's where the product would go." Quickly, his secondary gym out-grossed the first one so he knew he had stumbled onto something good.

In 2004, the franchise moved from simply selling gym memberships to offering branded boxing gloves, bags, mats and rings in multiple locations. Soon another franchisee came to them from Albuquerque, New Mexico and a third from Chantilly, Virginia. Now there are 100 stores nationwide. This year the franchise reeled in $6 million, with the top-grossing locations surprisingly all situated on the East Coast.

At first, both of the franchise owners were worried about spreading their restaurant and fitness franchises outside their home states. Would Californians understand the concept of a plate lunch? Would the East Coast accept a fitness center called "LA Fitness?" These questions loomed but ultimately, expansion was a good thing. For Flores, adapting his traditional Hawaiian meal to regional cultures was a smashing success. For Geisler, it was just the opposite. Sticking firm to the Los Angeles name-brand proved crucial. Either way, expansion sometimes involves educating new markets and building a buzz.

"Hidden Veggie" Gourmet Pasta Sauce

Image : http://www.flickr.com

INGREDIENTS

Hidden Veggie base version

1 oz Olive Oil (preferably Extra Virgin)

3 large onions

6 large peeled tomatoes

3 medium carrots

3 large Salad Peppers

2 oz fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, anything will do but it must be fresh)

1 tablespoon minced ginger (or more if you like it hot, preferably fresh)

2 tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of hot sauce (optional)

Parmesan cheese

Gourmet Option add:

1/2 oz Olive Oil (preferably Extra Virgin)

1 large onion

2 large peeled tomatoes

1 large Salad Pepper

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

HOW TO PREPARE

Cut the vegetables in small pieces. Lightly brown the sliced onions in the olive oil on a low fire for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger and garlic and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add the sliced salad peppers and tomatoes and heat the mixture for 1 minute on a high fire, stirring vigorously. Add the herbs, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper and hot sauce and reduce the fire to the minimum and simmer for 5 more minutes, while stirring regularly.

Put the mixture in the blender until smooth. Serve over pasta of any kind; kids will love it and secretly get their vitamins.

Gourmet option:

Lightly brown the sliced onion in the olive oil on a low fire for 2 minutes. Add the sliced salad peppers and tomato and heat the mixture for 1 minute on a high fire, stirring vigorously. Add the blended mix, balsamic vinegar and warm up.

Generously sprinkle Parmesan Cheese over the dish and serve.

For a non-vegetarian version:

Fry 8 oz of minced meat on a low fire before adding the onions.

Pasta Maker Machine

Making your own homemade pasta, you have the opportunity to add the ingredients you already may have in your home.Investing in a pasta maker, you can make the pasta you and your families will enjoy for years to come. Making your own can be a simple process. You have a large variety of makers to choose from.

You have the hand-cranked models, and motorized pasta machines, this will help with the speed and with your tired hands. With your pasta maker, you make the texture and the taste that you and your family will enjoy!

When buying your new pasta maker machine you need to consider the type of machine you would want to buy. You only have two to decide from. Electric or the manual, hand-cranked model. If you go with the manual maker, the type that I have fond that works well. Is the type that you need to secure to the countertop? This does work well for two reasons, you do not need to move the machine, and your hand will clear of the countertop.

You will find it is well worth your time to do some research before you buy. You will need to clean your pasta machine after each use, look for the type of machine that is easy to clean and maintain. Be sure to find a pasta maker that comes with attachments, the new types of makers today have a variety of attachments. This is very important for a variety of pasta shapes and sizes that you will be making. The internet is a great place to do your research, for the models of the pasta makers you would like to buy.

You will need to consider the prices and remember the attachments. I do hope this small review on Pasta Maker Machines will help you.

Vintage Economical Recipes For Lentils With Pasta and Also a Spice Crumb Cake

Image : http://www.flickr.com

In today's society with high prices at the grocery store and unemployment numbers on the rise, good economical and healthy meals are again coming into focus. Here are a couple of easy, inexpensive recipes that won't "break the bank" but will allow you to feed your family a healthy meal. Lentils are especially healthy and should be a part of any family's healthy menus.

LENTILS WITH PASTA

1 cup dried lentils
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tbsp olive oil
2 to 3 cloves of garlic minced, use amount to suit your taste
1 tsp ground coriander
8 oz pkg elbow macaroni
salt and pepper to suit your taste
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley OR 1 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Soak lentils overnight in water to cover. Add water if needed as lentils will absorb some of the water. Cook until lentils are soft. Drain thoroughly. In a large skillet, heat oil. Saute onions over medium heat until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Add the coriander and stir in. Stir in the lentils and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to package directions until just barely soft. Drain. Mix the drained pasta with the lentil mixture. Season to suit your taste. Stir in the butter then sprinkle the parsley over the top. Serve hot.

SPICE CRUMB CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp molasses

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, spices and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove and set aside 1 cup of mixture for topping. In another bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk and molasses. Add to the remaining flour mixture. Mix together well. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with the reserved topping. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

So What Exactly is Gnocchi and How Does One Cook It

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Chances are, if you are not influenced by Italian or French cooking, you have never heard of a Gnocchi. I believe the Brazilians are well versed in them as well, as I'm sure there may be some other cultures out there that have their own variation of them too. I myself was blessed to have had an Italian family that I grew up involved with, thanks to my one of my best buddies, being Italian and I hug out with him and his family often. Point being, they introduced me to them many years ago and I developed a taste and fondness for them that has never subsided.

As I understand it, there are a few different ways to make them, but the Gnocchi's I'm most familiar with are of a potato base. Oddly enough, even though they consist mostly of potato's, they taste strangely enough like pasta. I was reading somewhere that some other variations of them consist of ordinary wheat flour, bread crumbs, or semolina, they also suggested "other ingredients", but lord only knows what that could be. I'm sure whatever those ingredients are, they are of a starch base item.

Making them from scratch is an ordeal I've only experienced once, and it was so long ago, I honestly don't remember the process, so I'm not going to go there. I'm fairly certain that an assertive person, who just had to know, could certainly dig through the internet and find a, from scratch recipe. I will gladly inform you, that any good grocery store in your area, will more then likely have them in their Italian section, usually in the area where you will find pasta and spaghetti sauces. Every time I have found them, they were in a clear plastic vacuum sealed package. I just got some this weekend, where it was a buy one get one free, so you know I couldn't resist them with a deal like that.

Cooking them, whether you buy them pre-made or make them from scratch is fairly similar to making pasta, ravioli would be the best example I can think of, as far as cooking methods. Basically, you fill a pot with cold water, place it on the stove and bring it to a boil. I usually at a table spoon or so of oil, just to ensure they don't stick together. Just as the water is starting to slowly boil, throw them in and you will notice that the Gnocchi's will sink to the bottom of the pot. With in a matter of a minute or two, you will find that they are no longer on the bottom of the pot, they will now be floating on the top of the boiling water. Once they pop up to the top, which is just a matter of a minute or two, they are done, pour them out into a strainer and rinse with warm water, just like you would with any pasta.

Now, you must be wondering, what am I going to top this peculiar looking food with? Generally speaking, any type of sauce you might pour over your favorite pasta, will work fine with Gnocchi's. I have always in the past done mine with a Red Meat Sauce, or an Alfredo Sauce and the are terrific these ways, however, I got very creative this weekend, just to see what could come of it. Much to my surprise, my family absolutely loved it, as a matter of fact, they loved it so much, that the leftovers, that I was looking forwards to, were gone the next day when I got home from work, and I made a huge portion, just so I would have some leftovers for the next day just for me. So I guess I'll just have to make them again.

I was going to share that recipe in this article, but I'm thinking I'm going to write a whole new article dedicated to that recipe, so if you are curious, you might want to come back to my article section to read about that. At least for now, you have been introduced to the Gnocchi, which can be a very fun and delicious alternative to doing a regular pasta night.

Family Activities For Summer

Nobody likes to be stuck in a house all day, especially when the weather is beautiful outside! Grab your family and find something interesting and entertaining to do. Use your imagination and explore the wonders of Summer.

There are many fun activities to do, and even more when there is a lake or forest close. You could go camping... yes, tents, sleeping bags, flashlights and lanterns, cooking over the fire, and the whole nine yards. It really is not as bad as you would think. Sure the ground can be a little hard, and you might get a little cold. All in all though, it is an awesome experience. Lying underneath the stars and just watching them is very calming.

Another thing kids and adults love to do in the summer is to go swimming, so do it often and have fun as a family. Whether it is a pool or a lake get everyone together and go swimming as a family outing. You can take inner tubes, water balls, diving rings, almost any water toy and play a game and have fun with it. What else matters besides fun when you are having a family outing?

Other water activities could also be fun, for instance, who doesn't love boating? Letting the wind whip through your hair, or diving off the back of a boat and swimming is major excitement for everyone. There are many things you can do while boating. Skiing, barefoot or with skis, tubing, water boarding, and wave boarding are some. You can do activities or just sit back for the ride. Either way it is always nice to spend a little quality time with the ones you love and care for.

Kids love animals, so take them to the zoo. What other place can you get to see exotic animals, feed the animals, watch them feed themselves, and play? The bears, tigers, lions, alligators, snakes, oh my, are so exciting. The zoo will have everyone in the family jumping for joy. After the zoo you could always take a walk in the park. Not only is this helping you exercise but gives you a chance to talk as a family. While in the park help your kids to fly a kite. Watching a kite fly up so high in the air always catches little one's eyes. After you are done flying a kite maybe you hear a tummy growl. Have a picnic! With sandwiches, pickles, potato salad, macaroni salad, and whatever other yummy treat can fit in your picnic basket. Eating outside is always a reward.

Summer break doesn't always have to bore your children or you either in fact. You just have to find activities you and your family love to do together. Even turning simple chores into games can be entertaining and fun, plus you getting housework done in the process. So when summer hits this year, you now know how to plan a family outing.

Do You Want to Shed Some Extra Pounds? Try the Low Calorie Macaroni Soup

Image : http://www.flickr.com

If you wish to shed some extra pounds and get slimmer, it is necessary to be on a health diet that includes all the best kinds of body-shaping, low calorie foods. Low calories foods need not always be tasteless. There are thousands of low calorie foods that are easy to prepare and are delicious as well. When it comes to a delicious health diet, the first things that come to mind are soups and salads.

For instance, try preparing the low calorie Macaroni soup. Following is an easy recipe for the same:

Number of serving: 1

Size of serving: 1 bowl

Ingredients:

Onion: 20 g
Garlic: half clove
Carrot: 20 g
Bay leaf: 1
Cabbage: 5 g
Spaghetti: 5 g
Tomato: 30 g
Salt: half teaspoon
Stock: 11 half cups
Pepper: a dash
Oil: 5 g

Procedure:

1) Chop the onion, shred the cabbage, and dice the carrots; Put all the cut vegetables in a bowl.

2) Add the onion and the carrot in a saucepan containing a little hot oil. Sauté well.

3) Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Next, add the macaroni, bay leaf, and chopped tomatoes.

4) Then add the cabbage and seasoning, and simmer gently for at most 20 minutes.

5) The soup should be cooked and boiled until the vegetables become soft.

6) The soup is ready. You can now garnish it with grated cheese, and have it hot.

One bowl of this delicious, healthy macaroni soup contains just 89 calories. With just 5.2 g of fat, 1.4 g protein, and 1.2 g fiber, this soup is a very healthy choice to make if you are really keen at losing some extra weight. If you love to have desserts, you can also try my recipe for a low calorie pineapple fruit salad, discussed in another article.

Alternatively, you can also try certain Indian and Asian dishes, which are not only delicious and healthy, but are also very cheap to prepare.

Five-Week Menu and Shopping List

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Must we re-think the weekly menu and grocery list 52 times a year! What if we create a basic monthly menu and general shopping list which can be used over and over? Of course, this is flexible, and new items can be added to your menu while the ones you're tired of can be deleted, but the idea is to MAKE a menu plan, PRINT IT OUT and take it with you when you MUST make an emergency trip to the grocery store.

Hopefully, this will prevent the problem of "I got a full basket of groceries and NOTHING to eat!" Most of these are simple meals that don't need a lot of fuss to get to the table.

My 5-week plan has 5 dinner meals each week. This allows for one leftover night and one night out.

You can make the meals as simple or complicated as you want. For example, many grocery stores offer baked chicken in the deli. You may choose to purchase this instead of baking it yourself at home. You may choose canned green beans and instant mashed potatoes or you may have the time to make the baked chicken yourself, fresh green beans and homemade mashed potatoes.

You decide what works for you!

Week One:

- Hamburgers, lettuce, tomato, cheese, oven fried potatoes

- Baked Chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy

- Macaroni and Cheese, Spinach

- Pea Soup and ham, garlic bread

- Shrimp and rice, broccoli

Week Two:

- Tuna noodle casserole, corn, chicken soup, cheese, noodles, mayo

- Polish sausage, pan-fried potatoes, red cabbage

- Veal stew, potatoes, carrots, beef bouillon

- Tacos, cheese, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, ground beef

- Chicken Chinese meal, snow peas, rice, chicken breast, carrots

Week Three:

- Chicken breast, rice, spinach, mushrooms

- Spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, salad

- Pork chops, Au gratin potatoes, sauerkraut or red cabbage

- Beef Stew, potatoes, and carrots

- Lasagna, salad

Week Four:

- Hot dogs, baked beans, sauerkraut

- Steak, rice, salad

- Omelets and pan-fried potatoes

- Meatloaf, potatoes, carrots

- Soup and sandwich (egg or tuna salad), chicken noodle soup

Week Five:

- Homemade Pizza, salad

- Vegetable dinner, steamed squash, corn on cob, carrots, green beans, hot rolls

- Cabbage rolls, soft bread steaks, salad

- Chicken noodle casserole, carrots or vegetable in season

- Shrimp, red beans and rice, steamed broccoli

Focus on the weekly specials of fruit and vegetables in season; changing as needed.

Staples: flour, sugar, cereal, orange juice, soup, mayo, condiments, salt and pepper, paper products, cleaning products, personal products.

by Leslie Sausage

heart4home.net

Easy Shrimp Salad

Image : http://www.flickr.com

One of my favorite summers meals is a cold shrimp salad. First you need to boil some fresh or frozen headless and deveined shrimp in the 20 - 30 count range. This means there will be about 20 - 30 shrimp per pound. I usually only need one pound to make this salad.

To cook the shrimp, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and then toss the shrimp into the boiling water. Keep the heat on high. Wait until the water begins to boil again, then shut off the burner heat and wait 5 minutes and the shrimp should be cooked. They should look pink if they are cooked. Drain off the hot water and start peeling the shells off the shrimp. This is the hard part of the preparation so you could just take the time to let the cooked shrimp sit and cool off in your ice box for a while. That way it is not as hard to peel them.

After peeling off all the shells, chop up the cooked shrimp into small bite sized pieces. Put all the sliced shrimp into a bowl and add a splash of lemon juice, two large spoonfuls of salad dressing and two small spoonfuls of sweet pickle relish. For a large spoon, use a serving spoon and for a small spoon use a normal sized table setting spoon, like you would eat with, not a soup spoon. Mix everything up in the bowl and then serve on lettuce. Salt and pepper is optional.

Also, it is recommended that crackers be served with the salad. Another way to serve the salad is on a toasted muffin with the lettuce on the bread. The lettuce will help keep the bread from getting wet from the salad and then falling apart. This is a great sandwich for having ready after chores, it keeps well for 4 hours or so. Make sure of safe food precautions, such as not leaving anything sitting out a long time, the food must be kept cold or it will spoil.

Extreme Fat Burning

Image : http://www.flickr.com

You've tried to lose weight over and over and you fail every time right? My guess is that you are nodding your head "yes." I know because I have been there. Summers filled with macaroni salad and cheeseburgers, ice cream and smoothies. Then you go to find the perfect bathing suit and are horrified with the reflection looking back at you. And wait! You have that wedding at the end of the month where you have to wear that tiny dress with spaghetti straps.

Yes, I've been there too. Dieting and exercise is just too hard, especially with our busy schedules. Isn't there a way to lose weight fast with out giving up every thing we love? It seems to good to be true right? I have tried and tested many things to give me a million dollar body and have found very few that work unless I work at it. I found that the reason we all fail is because we don't know what foods we should be eating that turn our body into a fat burning machine. Fad diets don't work and if you do lose weight, it will come back.

The way to losing life long weight is to become knowledgeable about what food groups to mix at every meal and how much of them. You don't even have to give up any of your favorites. You don't even have to be hungry. The key is portioning certain amounts of protein and carbohydrates with every meal. Yes, I said you are allowed to have carbohydrates with every meal. It doesn't seem possible, does it? There are so many people that say you have to starve yourself to stay small. Actually, that is exactly the opposite of what you need to do. Six small meals a day is the key. When I say small, I mean portioned correctly. Have a snack between each meal.

I know it sounds like there is no way to lose weight this way but it's the only way to see rapid weight loss. Learn how many calories you need and what kinds of foods you should eat. There are so many resources out there even if you have never thought about dieting in all your life. Lose the weight fast and lose it forever.
Good Luck.