Easter Cards to Print, Part II

I hope you enjoy these Easter cards that I created, feel free to print them to wish your family a very Happy Easter!  By the way, I took the photographs myself except for the photo of the pastel eggs. Let me know what you think.  Thanks.



Egg photo derived from photo by Hanadi Traifeh/flickr



Easter Cards

Feel free to print and use these Easter cards that I created.  Happy Easter! 

Alicia Silverstone Chews Her Son's Food for Him and Feeds Him by Mouth

During Alicia Silverstone's speech on veganism and animal rights at the University of Central Florida (2/3/2011).

Photo Credit:  By ATrumbly/flickr

Alicia Silverstone known for her role as a rich superficial girl named Cher Horowitz  in the 1995 film Clueless and as Batgirl in the 1997 movie Batman & Robin has some odd and shocking parenting ideas.

Every time I've seen Alicia on talk shows as herself, she seemed as little "strange" in a good-natured way.  She lives in an echo-friendly home in Los Angeles and is a vegetarian.  She is a known animal rights activist and environmentalist.

All the above-mentioned things about Alicia are different in a good way.  However, her recent revelation that she bird-feeds her 11-month old son Bear Blu (strange name, why do celebrities like to use the word Blue as a name--Beyonce, John Travolta, Alicia Silverstone) comes as a shock to me.  It also looks and seems entirely inappropriate and unsanitary.  See Alicia Silverstone's Blog "The Kind Life"  for the video

Besides, shouldn't her son be learning how to chew his own food.  He needs to use his teeth and develop his jaw.  Also his body has to learn to digest it's own food.  I don't know what health implications this can have besides the obvious germ delivery through mouth to mouth and saliva contact.  Children's immune systems are immature and this leaves Bear Blu open for viruses and whatever else can be transmitted by saliva or blood (if her gums are bleeding or she has a mouth sore).

On Her Blog, just above the video, Alicia writes this blurb about her feeding style:

"I just had a delicious breakfast of miso soup, collards and radish steamed and drizzled with flax oil, cast iron mochi with nori wrapped outside, and some grated daikon. Yum! I fed Bear the mochi and a tiny bit of veggies from the soup…from my mouth to his. It’s his favorite...and mine. He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating."

He "attacks" your mouth Alicia?  Come on!  Another problem with this is her son coming up to her at an older age and "attacking" her mouth in public.  If he gets into the habit of going for her mouth every time she eats she is going to have some serious splanin to do.  As well as the fact that Bear Blu will have a nasty habit to break!

Apparently, even Alicia's  "True Blue" followers had some not so nice comments for her on her blog.

Don't eat while watching her video (in link above).  I unfortunately was eating my breakfast when watching this, making me feel nauseous.

How do you feel about "bird feeding" a baby?

My 600 Pound Life - Melissa's Story

Melissa Morris weighed 673 lbs. when she decided to seek out a doctor who would agree to perform gastric bypass surgery for her.  This was dangerous surgery as she could have died from cardiac and other complications in the operating room.  Luckily for Melissa and her family she survived to tell her story to TLC which aired My 600 Lb. Life last night - “My 600 Pound Life” premiered at 9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1, on TLC.

TLC took us through the seven years of Melissa Morris' transformation from morbidly obese to her present-day 170 lbs.  Melissa  is now employed as a councillor for patients at the same clinic she received treatment at.  Melissa accomplished her two main goals--losing weight and being able to work.

Melissa lived with her husband Chris in rural Texas.  She had been overweight most of her life as a result of eating for comfort and to avoid deep-seeded emotional problems.  Having been molested as a child, instead of getting help to heal the scars, she chose to eat the pain away.  Melissa wishes that she had had the courage to face her two molesters instead of internalising the agony and soothing it away with food.

Melissa could not do anything for herself.  Her husband Chris would get her food, bath her and help her in the bathroom.  Her dignity was taken away.  One day while on her scooter with her husband in a grocery store, an elderly man -- himself riding on a mobility scooter -- joked that, "If you get bigger, you just get a bigger damn wagon." As a man nearby laughed, Melissa started to cry. People are unbelievably cruel.  Not only did Melissa have to deal with her own demons, she had to also accept the glares of disgust and comments made out loud about her.  Those were the worst--the spoken comments, Melissa acknowledged.

After her gastric bypass surgery, Melissa began to gain independence.  This became an issue as her husband Chris was used to the caregiver role in their relationship.  They have had to redefine their relationship and change it to a more healthy one between husband and wife.

Melissa had to undergo surgeries to remove excess skin as she lost hundreds of pounds.  One of her surgeries for the removal of the stretched-out skin had complications which left her bed-ridden in hospital for three months.  Melissa cried as it reminded her of her former life of being bed-ridden and dependant.

Although Melissa had set backs along her extreme weight loss journey, it was all worth it.  Melissa is now the mother of Allona who will be two in May. 

“She’s the great part,” Morris said.  “She’s worth everything. She’s what I live for.”

Tori Spelling Pregnant with Fourth Child

And Baby makes Six--Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's G R O W I N G  Family!

Tori and Dean
Photo Credit:  By NYCArthur/flickr

It's only been five months since Tori Spelling and hubby Dean McDermott welcomed Baby Hattie and now Tori Spelling is expecting another child, Deans and Tori's fourth, Opps....  Tori announced this herself on her website EdiTORIal on Friday. 

Tori wrote this at the bottom of a photograph of her huge pregnant belly being touched by her children:

Dean, Liam, Stella, Hattie, and I are beyond thrilled to announce that another little McDermott is on the way! We feel truly blessed that another angel has found us.

Love,
Tori
xoxo

Who really believes that this pregnancy was planned?  I don't. 

The rules about anything are different for celebrities though.  So maybe they wanted to squeeze another one into their family before shutting down shop.

Tori and Dean's children are Hattie five months old, Liam 5 and Stella 3.  Dean McDermott has a son, Jack from his previous marriage to Canadian Mary Jo Eustace.  Dean left his wife and Tori left her husband after meeting while filming "Mind Over Murder" together in 2005.  On May 7, 2006, Tori and Dean were married on the Fiji Islands.

In my opinion, celebrities bend social and morale rules all the time.  They do what they have to do to get what they want and continue to have a successful career and make lots of money.

Also, have you ever noticed  that there are record amounts of twins born to celebrity couples and all of them claim that "twins run in our family".

I will name some for fun:  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, Celine Dion and Rene Angelil, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick (by surrogate so they can't say it was natural), Rebecca Romijin and Jerry O'Connell, Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney, Julia Roberts and Danny Moder and I'm sure there are more that I've missed...Oh yeah, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony! 

I wonder how many of these twin births were really the result of "twins run in our family"?

At least Tori and Dean are having them one at a time.....I think--we don't know what this newest pregnancy will bring!

Jessica Simpson's Sugary Pregnancy Diet

Pop tarts (Jessica eats them with butter)
Photo Credit: Amanky/flickr

Eating anything you want, since you're already gaining while having a baby.  I think there are a lot of us out there that think this way.  Jessica Simpson is one of those people who is indulging in her childhood sugary snacks, buttered pop tarts being one of them.  Buttered pop tarts are a bit much--aren't pop tarts sugary and tasty enough without adding the fat.  She might as well deep fry them while she's at it.

Jessica told Extra

"I'm eating a lot of stuff I ate in my childhood.  Kraft Mac n' Cheese, pop tarts, Cap'n Crunch.  Everythings filled with sugar....I give in to my cravings. I'm like 'Yeah, I can do it. We'll worry about the rest afterwards,’” she admitted.

We can tell ourselves that these are craving that we should fulfil because pregnancy cravings must be fulfilled.  It's more likely an excuse to go hog wild with our self control and use pregnancy as an excuse to do this. 

In effect, we are doing potential harm to ourselves and our babies future health by not eating properly.  A high-sugar, low-nutrient diet can increase our chance of developing gestational diabetes and does not help provide the best nutrition for a growing baby.  As well, we can increase the birth weight of our babies by eating this way and increase their future chance of developing obesity

What I don't get is how you can eat all you want and then pose nude for a magazine while pregnant and eating everything you want.  Now that takes confidence.  I don't know how much Photoshop came into play for that photo though as everything still looks firm on her Elle Magazine Cover Shot.

Does anyone else want to "weigh" in on this and also "weigh" in on the magazine cover.  Would you want your children seeing this cover shot while checking out at the grocery store.

Let all your opinions "hang out" below in the comment section.

Cate Blanchett Natural Beauty - Naked Face Magazine Cover Shot

Finally, a Hollywood Starlette, Cate Blanchett has shown her true colours.  She appears on the cover of Intelligent Life Magazine a la naturale--her face only, the rest of her is covered.

Cate Blanchett, in my opinion, rarely overdoes makeup.  I have seen her with the occasional bright red lipstick but her face in general looks very natural.  She has beautiful bone structure and skin--a true natural beauty.

Cate looks natural here with natural makeup colours
Photo Credit: Adapted/Cropped from  Siebbi/flickr

Unlike this photo of Cate where she is heavily made up, even wearing blue contacts.

This is a heavily made up Cate Blanchett
Photo Credit:  by Matthias Vriens/flickr

Cate Blanchett also does not want to succumb to the inevitable Hollywood star pressure of having "something done".

"There's been a decade or so of people doing intervention with their face and their body," she tells Fashionista. "Now that we're emerging from that, people are seeing that long term it's not so great."


Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-beauty/news/why-cate-blanchett-will-never-get-plastic-surgery-201263#ixzz1pwyi74mH

The question is why is Cate Blanchett's naked face on a magazine such a big deal?  Us non-celebs do it all the time--not on a magazine cover though.  I for one am a minimalist with makeup.  One of my kids doesn't like it when I wear makeup he says it looks "stupid".  What I think he means is that I don't look like me.

Oprah's OWN is Not Doing Well, Cancelled The Rosie Show

Oprah Left The Oprah Winfrey Show to take a Gamble on OWN. 

Photo Credit:  wwphotos/flickr

When Oprah decided to end her long-running Oprah Winfrey Show, she was excited to launch a new network where she was not the main focus.

Unfortunately, it looks like viewers want Oprah and not so much her OWN Network programs.

It has been reported that The Rosie show hosted by Rosie O'Donnell has been cancelled.  I can see how Oprah would have thought that maybe Rosie could bring in a good dollar as she previously had a successful show.  However, that was many moons ago and her former followers have not been watching and new ones haven't taken to it.

Between Rosie's fiasco with the View and 15 years passing from when Rosie retired from The Rosie O'Donnell Show, bringing her back to her own talk show was a gamble.  To be fair, I really can't rate The Rosie Show as I probably only watched 5 minutes of it at a time.  However, there are a lot of viewers sad to see her show cancelled and have said that the show needed to be in a different time slot (many former viewers of The Rosie O'Donnell Show).

According to tvseriesfinale.com (funny type of site), in a recent interview Rosie herself said,

"And off I came here to Chicago, with the best of intentions, trying, really, to do, you know, what I thought would be kind of easy for me. But it wasn’t really that easy. We sort of started off the wrong way. We were kind of trying to do a little bit of what we had done 15 years ago, and you can’t do [that].”

It is not just the Rosie O'Donell portion of the network that is failing to bring in the big bucks though. OWN has also laid off 30 workers.  I don't know if this is just from the Rosie O'Donell show cancellation.

According to Researcher SNL Kagan, the OWN network a venture between Oprah Winfrey and the Discovery Communications Inc. is set to lose $142.9 million U.S. dollars.

There were rumours that Oprah is trying to get Maria Shriver to do a show on OWN in order to boost the ratings, but this is being disputed.  We shall see, as they say, Where there is smoke....

Something that might give the OWN ratings a "Boost"  is Bon Jovi as he is going to be on OWN's Master Class, Sunday, March 25 10/9C.  What do you think?

Louboutin's 20th Anniversary

HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, PARIS, BON ANNIVERSAIRE!

The French shoemaker opened his first boutique in France on November 21, 1991

Red, Patent Louboutin's, Fabulous!  La Belle Paris!
Photo Credit:  PreteMoiParis/flickr

Louboutin says, "My goal is to add music and movement to the way a woman walks"

I don't own a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, nor have I knowingly seen a pair up close or on anyone's feet.  But every time, I read about fashion, watch fashion television or watch a red carpet event on television, they mention Louboutin's as they are affectionately called.  If you want to treat yourself for a special occasion, these are the shoes to buy.  My anniversary/birthday greetings are a bit late but it's never too late to talk about shoes.  I don't think there is a woman out there who doesn't agree with that statement. 

Louboutin's are known for their red outsole--which the designer refers to as red lipstick for the pumps. So, if you see someone, particularly celebrities wearing shoes with a red outsole you know they are wearing Louboutin's.  Smart man, Christian Louboutin, this is great advertising!  According to British Vogue, Christian Louboutin is in a RED SOLE FIGHT with Yves Saint Laurent who he says copied his signature red soles.  Do you think that a designer can own the rights to a red soled shoe?  Comment below.

Like all fabulous designer items, watch out for counterfeiters.  Louboutin sells online only on these web addresses:  www.christianlouboutin.fr and www.christianlouboutin.com.  Here is a webpage from the Louboutin site that can be used to find Christian Louboutin shoes in your country (click the link).

I can't find a price online--not a good sign.  Can anyone who has a pair or knows the price range for Louboutin's please comment below.

In Toronto, Ontario, Canada Louboutin's can be purchased at David's on 66 Bloor Street West and at the Yorkdale Shopping Center. As well as at Holt Renfrew on 50 Bloor Street West, 3401 Dufferin Street and at Sherway Gardens (25 The West Mall).

In New York City you can buy them at Christian Louboutin Madison (965 Madison Ave.); Christian Louboutin Horatio (59 Horatio Street); Barneys New York (660 Madison Ave. and 61th Street); Bergdoorf Goodman (754 Fifth Avenue); Jeffrey (449 West 14th Street); and Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Avenue).

Oh, and by the way, Christian Louboutin likes to make his shoes sky high with platform fronts.  Although he does have a line of flats and just "high" shoes.

Christian Louboutin Flats
Photo Credit:  PreteMoiParis/flickr

Very High Platform Christian Louboutin, Paris Shoes
How do people walk in these?
Photo Credit:  PreteMoiParis/flickr



Wedding Louboutin's
Photo Credit:  Kristaguenin/flickr




Angelina Jolie Has a Stylist You Know

Angelina's right leg likes to get air.  Is it me or does her leg look fuller and shapelier here
Photo Credit:  Jingdianmeinv2/flickr

Every time we see Angelina on the red carpet, people rave about how wonderful she looks.  Of course, we immediately believe that Angelina chose her gown and did such a marvellous job accessorising. 

We tend to forget that these starlets do not lose sleep at night trying to put together the most fab outfit every time they have any type of red carpet appearance to make.  They have stylists who do this job quite spectacularly.  And judging by the constant rave reviews that Angelina gets for ANYTHING that's on her body, her stylist(s) are doing a phenomenal job.

Jennifer Rade is responsible for Angelina Jolie looking fabulous in Atelier Versace at the Golden Globes in her white satin gown with the red collar and nothing else (accessory wise) except Lorraine Swartz 24-carat diamond studs.  Jen (not Aniston) is also responsible for Ange wearing the Right Leg Black Gown from the Oscars, also Atelier Versace.  Angelina's looks almost always follow the formula of fantastic gown from a famous designer, great solid colour and minimal accessories.  Of course the accessories that she does wear are of the precious gem type and would pay your mortgage a few times over.

"Stylists without great dresses have nothing" states Jennifer Rade.

The Hollywood Reporter ranks Jen Rade as number 6 on their 25 Most Powerful Stylists List.

Even Joan Rivers of The Fashion Police usually has wonderful things to say about Angelina's fashions.  However her review of the right leg Oscar dress was an exception as it made Joan's "Worst Dressed List"--I guess Angie took a step back with this one.  See what I mean, they blame Angie, not the designer when things go south--or north, east or west.

Angelina's looks almost always follow the formula of fantastic gown from a famous designer, great solid colour and minimal accessories.  

Oh yeah, and her gowns usually have a thigh-high split on either the left or the RIGHT!

Harvey's and Burger King St. Patrick's Day Freebies

Here's the coupon link:
http://www.harveys.ca/mailers/coupon_st_patricks_day.htm


Burger King is offering free fries with green ketchup from March 17-18 in Canada and the U.S.

Offer Valid in U.S. and Canada

George Clooney Arrested?

George Clooney
Photo Credit:  Matteo Mignani/flickr

George Clooney  and his father have reportedly been arrested in Washington D.C. for a political protest in front of the Sudanese Embassy.

George is as passionate or maybe even more passionate than Brad Pitt with regards to humanitarian causes as today he led a protest in D.C. having to do with the Sudan Humanitarian Crisis. 

 George Clooney's publicist told TMZ that "They were protesting the violence committed by the government of Sudan on its own innocent, men, women and children.  They were demanding they allow humanitarian aid into the country before it becomes the largest humanitarian crisis in the world."

This protest comes on the heels of George Clooney's secret visit to the Sudan region (border of Sudan and South Sudan) where he witnessed the violence first hand.  According to The Associated Press , in July South Sudan separated to form its own country.  Since then, there has been fighting between Sudan and South Sudan about oil located in South Sudan but transported by pipelines in Sudan.  Oil shipments have been shut down because of the fighting.

George Clooney has strong beliefs and stands by them.  He is good friends with Brad Pitt who also believes in humanitarian causes and  has adopted underprivileged children.  As mentioned in his various speeches, he really admires Brad for this.

George really is more than just a pretty face.

Share your feelings below.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread that I Baked

This is my Irish Soda Bread Fresh Out of the Oven

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon or more if you like (not traditional but I like cinnamon with raisins)
1 cup raisins
2 cups of buttermilk (you can make buttermilk from regular milk by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk and stir--let stand about 5-10 minutes)

Directions:

In a large bowl, Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together. Add raisins to the flour mixture if desired.  Make a well in the flour and pour all the buttermilk into the centre.  Combine all the ingredients with your hands.  When well combined, pick up the ball of sticky dough and add flour to the bottom of the bowl to cover the surface.  Knead the dough in the bowl until you have a smooth, soft dough ball.  You can knead the dough on a pastry board if you like but I like to save time and mess by keeping it all in the same bowl.

Place round on a greased or parchment-lined pan.  Place pan into a 375 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool, then slice and enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Adapted from Canadian Living

Something Tasty, Healthy and Green for St. Patrick's Day

This is a photo of my Good for You Guacamole
For low sodium diet you can try unsalted tortilla Chips (Whole Foods carries them)

Good for You Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados mashed with fork or potato masher
2 lemons or limes juiced (I love a lemony guacamole)  add more lemon than this if you like
1 small onion finely chopped
1 chopped plum or Roma tomato or 10 to 20 cherry tomatoes chopped into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper chopped into small pieces
Salt  and pepper to taste (I don't use salt and it tastes great) besides if you are using tortilla chips for dipping they have enough sodium in them already.
Dashes of Hot pepper sauce as desired for an extra zing

Directions:

Cut avocados in half and remove pit and skin.  Mash the avocados with a fork or potato masher.  Squeeze in lemon juice and add other ingredients--stir together until well combined.  Refrigerate until needed.  I eat it right away after I make it--it hardly ever gets a chance to chill---IT'S SO GOOD AND GOOD FOR YOU TOO!

Inspired by http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-guacamole/.

How do you like your guacamole?  Feel free to let me know below!


Clip Art Compliments of http://www.wpclipart.com/holiday/Saint_Patricks_Day/border_background/Border2.png.html

Irish Soda Bread Recipes

Photo Credit:  idovermani/flickr  recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/irish-soda-bread-with-raisins-recipe/index.html

Debra Messing Messing Around With Will

Not This Will The Other Will
Photo Credit:  Alan Light/flickr

Debra Messing is heavily involved with Will. The Will however, is not the same Will on Debra Messing's former sitcom Will and Grace.  Although "Will" wouldn't have been a bad choice.

S M A S H

The Will, if you will, that Debra is messing with is Will Chase her new co-star  in her new musical/drama SMASH.  I don't know about you but it seems that this romance took off as quickly as SMASH did.

I heard from Us Weekly that Will Chase was married and left his wife of two years Stephanie Gibson. The key words here are "that he left his wife".  The article goes on to say that Debra and her husband of 10 years, Daniel Zelman split up earlier but that Will was not the reason for the break up.

O.K. this is believable as I have heard some background information to the effect that Debra and Daniel had been living together but separately for years (this may or may not be true).

The SMASH relationship seems to me the kind that could soon crash.  Working closely together on a series and being in a relationship with a co-star spells trouble.  If the romance fizzles out, you are stuck with the uncomfortable situation of working together regularly.  It makes it even more uncomfortable that both parties left their spouses at the same time for what looks like each other.

What do you guys think?

KFC China menu vs. Canada and U.S.

March break means fast food.  So after you view the menu from China and compare it to ours, you may want to get on a plane to China or head to your local Canadian or U.S. KFC restaurant.

KFC

China


Breakfast:


Beef Congee, Tofu and Soy Milk
Photo Credit:  norsez/flickr

Fried Sausage
Breakfast Congee (rice porridge with pork, pickles, mushrooms and preserved eggs) served with Youtiao (fried bread sticks)
Ham Burger (this is really ham) with egg
Cheesy Bacon Burger
Smoked Chicken Flaky Pastry Combo
Bacon Egg Flaky Pastry Combo



Beijin KFC Meal (looks like Panko bread crumbs on the chicken)
You get soup with every meal
Photo Credit:  scaredy_kat/flickr

 Lunch and Dinner (Classic Meals)

Burger Combo with Corn Soup and 9 Lives Juice
Chicken with Sichuan spicy sauce
Dragon Twister (KFC's version of a Beijing Duck Wrap)
Beef Wrap Combo with Corn soup and 9 Lives Juice
18 Piece Bucket Special (5 pieces TMOR(regular fried chicken pieces), 6 wings, 2 dinner rolls and one corn on the cob and 1.25 L Pepsi

Drinks:

Citron Tea, Caramel Pearl Milk Tea, Classic Milk Tea (hot), Soya Milk (hot or cold), Coffee, Hot Milk, Orange C, Milo, Cold Coffee Latte

Dessert

KFC Egg Tarts
Photo Credit:  scaredy_kat/flickr

U.S.

KFC started in Harlan Sanders Cafe in Corbin, KY.  The yellow sign is the original Sanders Cafe sign.
The bucket and sign in the background are from 1980.
Photo Credit:  SeeMidTN.com aka Brent/flickr

The Double Down

The Double Down - Photo from West Springfield MA, U.S.
Photo Credit:  Rusty Clark/flickr

The Double Down is a sandwich offered in the U.S. which consists of bacon, two different kinds of melted cheese, the Colonel's secret sauce....pinched in between two pieces of original recipe chicken fillets.

KFC U.S. Coupons:  http://www.kfc.com/coupons/default.asp


Canada

 

KFC Quebec Canada also know as PFC - Poulet Frit Kentucky
Photo Credit:  Jared Zimmerman/flickr



KFC (PFK in Quebec)  3 Piece Meal
Photo Credit:  Calgary Reviews/flickr

KFC Canada Site Join the KFC Colonel's Club for coupons
Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-3445_162-20039783.html
http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/10-best-or-worst-fast-foods-you-can-get-in-the.html?id=10646197&source=91&value=2012-03-13+00%3A00%3A00&u=CF4D295103&nl_cs=10667909%3A%3A7597281%3A%3A10646197%3A%3A
http://www.kfc.com.cn/kfccda/index.aspx
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kfc.com.cn%2Fkfccda%2Fminisite%2FBreakFastMenu%2Findex.html

Daylight Savings Time - Spring Ahead My Sleepy Friends




This is my clock which has Sprung Ahead

  Rise and Shine everyone we have SPRUNG AHEAD for spring.

Yeah, I can really see everyone bouncing out of bed one hour earlier on a cold Saturday uh I mean Sunday morning in March. 

Every year we dread the time changes in the Fall we love the extra hour of sleep but don't look forward to it getting darker an hour earlier, especially since the days have been steadily getting shorter anyway.  It makes me want to slow down and hibernate with the rest of nature.  Why make a bad situation worse I say.

  And just as we lived through the worst of the time change and things start to look up because the days are getting longer again and that horrible darkness is being lifted, we get hit again.  They take away an hour of our precious sleep.  How cruel and heartless to disturb our winter slumber.  We will soon get used to this sleep deprivation and settle into a "new" routine but for the first week, it is a bit of a challenge.  This year, the time change just happens to land during our March Break here in Ontario, so at least commuting for those that are working is a little lighter and we don't have to drag the kids out of bed in the morning.

How many people enjoy having to tell their children that it's time to get up a hour earlier today?

At 2 a.m. on Sunday, today, we are all told to get up out of bed and change the clocks!!!! So we all set our clocks for 10 to 2 and then race around the house and reset--or spring ahead--our alarm clocks, kitchen stove clocks, wall clocks, clocks on trinkets, microwave clocks, car clocks and all our watches with fury and delight!  Now it is instantly 3 a.m. instead of 2 a.m.  At least our cellphones and computers will help those of us too tired or reluctant to change the clocks as they spring ahead on their own--thanks guys!

I had to remind my sleeping and sleepy teenage son early this morn that he would be late for his part-time job if not for me as he set his alarm before going to bed but did not reset the time. I was rewarded for my act of mommery with a loud groan.

Be careful out there this morning and this week guys as the insurance companies warn us about sleep deprivation accident statistics.  Even if you have adjusted just fine, some other night owl may have not.

Now why in the name of  sleep deprivation would we do this? 

Well that's a whole new blog.  When I wake up from my springing ahead, I'll see what I can come up with. Something about farmers or electricity savings with the war.... don't hold me to it. Maybe you daylight savings trivia blog friends can refresh the rest of us.  Comment below.

And by the way, not all of Canada observes daylight savings time.  According to CBC news online areas in Quebec don't as well as pockets in Ontario and British Columbia.  Most of Saskatchewan does not observe the right of spring and has not since 1966.

Hollywood Gossip - Who's Hot and Who's Not

Jessica Biel has finally worn her engagement ring in public ( photo at people.com) and it is very large and round with a square base.  These types of vintage engagement rings are very popular right now.  I love this vintage look which is quickly becoming the "standard" for engagement ring styles. If Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake actually follow through and get married, I hope it lasts.  Big rings and big breakups are the Hollywood way of life.

These rings are similar to Jessica Biel's.



Photo by MintSocial/Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/mintsocial/6432497679/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Photo by Gobucks2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohiostate/3384061406/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Take a peek at the people link above and then tell me what you think of Jessica's ring.

I found a site that sells celebrity imitation engagement rings. Lots of bling without the huge price tag. fantasy jewelry box.

Cameron Diaz is the new model for Tag Heuer's "Lady Link" watch collection.  Cameron made her debut as spokeswoman/model of these feminine time pieces in Basel Switzerland earlier this week.

Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz have broken up after a year of dating.  The Desperate House wife's star met Eduardo through his sister Penelope Cruz just as her divorce from Tony Parker was finalized.

Dennis Quaid's wife Kimberly Buffington-Quaid has filed for divorce in Texas according to TMZ.  Dennis married Kimberly in 2004.  The couple have twins, a girl and a boy born in 2007 through a gestational carrier.  Their twins nearly died when they were given an overdose of Heparin by an L.A. hospital. The twins are fine but a law suit followed.  And according to People.com the couple received $750,000 from the L.A. hospital. Dennis also has a son Jack with former wife Meg Ryan whom he divorced in 2001.

International Women's Day - Focus on Spanx

Sara Blakely's Spanx
Photo Credit:  Vince_Lamb/Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/22320444@N08/4999794497/

Spanx, there isn't a red carpet actress who hasn't worn them.   I don't think there has been an awards show analysis on fashion that hasn't mentioned Spanx.  I didn't know what Spanx were before hearing about them on the Shopping Network and the Red Carpet.  Apparently, even though I have not experienced Spanx gentle embrace, they are worn by women of all classes, shapes and sizes making the owner Sara Blakely a very successful entrepreneur.

At 41 Sara Blakely's solution to smooth and shape has shaped an extremely successful business, placing her on the Forbes Billionaire List.  In fact she is the world's youngest self-made billionaire.

Afterall Sara Blakely's tagline on her site Spanx by Sara Blakely is Powerful Women Wear Powerful Panties.

 In the about us section of the Spanx company site they explain how Spanx were born.  They explain that Sara Blakely was getting ready for a party and did not have the proper undergarments for a"blemish-free look" in her white pants, so she cut the feet off her pantyhose and Spanx were born!

Her Spanx line includes undergarments for women that covers all the angles.

Men have also been included in Sara's Manx product line (how cute).  Can you see your husband or boyfriend wearing Manx.  teeheeeee

But, seriously, this Manx line includes cotton compression undershirts that promise to firm the chest, narrow the waist and support the lower back.  While not as extensive as the Spanx line the Manx products also include cotton comfort underwear, cotton control undershirts and zoned performance undershirts.  The products look great--at least on the male models on her site.

Spanx headquarters are in Atlanta Georgia.  Spanx are available in 35 countries and offer more than 200 products.

On International Women's Day I salute Sara Blakely whose success is born from her hard work and determination to succeed.  Sara explained, "With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, "Where is the hidden blessing? "  Likewise in her business life Sara says, "In starting a business and growing a business, everyday is learning how to manage obstacles".

Black Forest Cake My Way



Black Forest Cake My Way
Photo and cake by ChristineB

 Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup softened butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (you can add less sugar and the cake still tastes great, I halved the sugar)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Filling and Topping Ingredients:

1 can of cherry pie filling
1 carton of Nutriwhip topping (Canadian product) or Rich's Ready to Whip topping (U.S.)
Grated semi-sweet chocolate (I used a 70% cocoa chocolate bar)
1/2 cup Kirshwasser or maraschino cherry syrup to moisten the cake layers. You can also fore go tradition and make a mocha flavoured cake by dampening the cake layers with coffee.
Maraschino cherries for top of cake and syrup if you would like to dampen cake with cherry syrup.

Note:  If you like Kirshwasser and have some you can also put a teaspoon of it in the whipped topping.

Directions:

Combine first four dry ingredients by sifting together in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the cocoa powder in another bowl and whisk.

At a high speed beat the butter or margarine with the sugar, vanilla and eggs in a very large bowl.

Slowly (in about three additions ) add dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternating with about two additions of the cocoa/water liquid mixture beating with each dry/wet addition. 

Pour into a prepared bundt cake pan (tube pan).  You can spray pan or grease and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.  Make sure batter is evenly distributed and that air bubbles have dissipated by tapping pan on level surface.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Let cool before cutting in half and frosting.

Cut in half and dampen layers with (Kirshwasser, or cherry syrup or coffee or whatever liqueur/juice you like).

Add the cherry pie filling on one half, spread cherry layer with prepared Nutriwhip/Rich's topping (prepare topping according to box).

Top with other cake layer and ice the whole cake with the remaining Nutriwhip/topping.  You can add fancy flowers on top with topping like I did with a cake decorating bag or tube.

Grate chocolate and add to top and sides of cake.  Add maraschino cherries around the top of cake (in the flowers if you added them).


This recipe is adapted from Esther Brody's book 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes & More.  This is an adaption of her recipe for Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake.

My Oreo Photos



IN HONOUR OF OREO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

THIS IS MY PHOTOSHOOT OF THE CANADIAN VERSION OF OREO



To add interest I placed oreo bag on it's side behind the two real cookes.
This composition shows off the shape and form of the cookies making them appear 3-D
Photo cannot be used unless permission is granted by me ChristineB (contact me on tab)

 In Canada Oreo's are manufactured by Christie Brown & Co. a Division of Kraft Canada Inc.  The packaging is in both French and English.  The package in my photo shoot says Oreo L'original meaning the original Oreos (classic cookie and filling)

The ingredients for these cookies are sugar, enriched wheat flour, coconut oil, shortening, soybean oil, cocoa, cornstarch, glucose syrup, salt, soy lecithin, baking soda, artificial flavour IL #B5061.  Contains Wheat and Soy.  In Canada Oreos are peanut and nut free--we must disclose if there are even traces of nuts or other allergens in our food in Canada.  Note that they mention at the end that they contain Wheat and Soy--A warning for those that have allergies to these products.




This is my Photo of The Canadian Oreo Bag
I used an online Photo Editor to brighten up the colours
Photo cannot be used unless permission is granted by me ChristineB (contact me on tab)

 



To add a little interest and fill in the background, I placed a bag of Chips Ahoy Cookies behind the Oreo Bag.
I blurred out the Chips Ahoy bag to bring attention to the Oreos!
Photo cannot be used unless permission is granted by me ChristineB (contact me on tab above)

   
Feel free to make any comments or give photo tips about the above.

Oreo Cookies Turn 100 Today!

Happy 100th Birthday Oreo (limited edition cookies)
Photo Credit:  theimpulsivebuy http://www.flickr.com/photos/theimpulsivebuy/6867990819/


Happy Birthday to one of our favourite cookies.  They are made by Nabisco a Division of Kraft Foods. In Canada Oreo's are manufactured under the Christie name. The Oreo was born March 6, 1912 at the Chelsea Market Bakery in Manhattan, N.Y. but did not come to Canada until 1949.  The Oreo did not get introduced to Germany, Poland and India until last year, 2011.

Apparently, different countries feature different fillings for their Oreos.  To my friends in other countries other than Canada, please let me know about your wonderful Oreo fillings.

Noone knows where the name came from but this is my take on where the name came from.

O.K. there are two O shaped cookies separated with filling in between.  So the First O in oreo represents the first cookie the RE represents the filling (the middle letters in cream are re) and the other O represents the other cookie. 
 

OREO COOKIES ARE 100 YEARS OLD TODAY!
Photo Credit:  Evan Amos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oreo-Two-Cookies.jpg#file

  
OR if you have a better idea of where the name for OREO's came from let me know.  Let's see how creative we can get.

The Foodnetwork has a recipe to actually make Oreo type cookies.  Let's all try to make the best Oreo clone cookie in celebration of OREO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY! Or if you have a great recipe that uses Oreo's as an ingredient and want to share it--send me your pictures and we will display them on the site and give you credit.

The Toronto Eaton's Centre is hosting a 100th birthday party for Oreo.  This celebration takes place at the Toronto Eaton's Centre at Yonge and Dundas from 12 to 9 p.m. (Albert's Way).  The celebration includes free cookies, free milk an Oreo lounge to twist your oreo in style, contests, prizes and other surprises.  If anyone attends please send me your photographs so we can show the world how Toronto celebrates Oreo's birthday.  Snap DowntownToronto has all the details.

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Mannillo Expecting First Child

Nick Lachey was co-hosting on Live With Kelly today when he let the world know that he and Vanessa Lachey nee Mannillo are expecting their first child.

Nick Lachey said they definitely want to know the sex of their child
Photo Credit:  Amy_B/flickr http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en_CA

Nick and Vanessa were married on July 15, 2011 on a tropical island.

At the time Vanessa told People Magazine "For us this is just a stepping stone to do what we ultimately want and that's to start a family together".  Well, Nick and Vanessa you are now on your way to fulfulling that goal. 

Nick said, that Vanessa is due late summer or early Fall and that he doesn't know the sex of the baby yet.

Nick  told Kelly that he and Vanessa definitely want to know the sex of their child and that if it is a girl they would like to name her Sophia.  He also mentioned he wasn't sure what they would name a boy but that a favourite name of his is Colin John Lachey.

The name Sophia has Greek origins and means Wisdom.  According to the Babycentre.com Sophia is the third most popular name for a girl.

Kelly told Nick the story about how they came to name their daughter Lola.  They were singing "Coppacabanna" and then they stopped at the line "Her name was Lola, she was a show girl" and they thought that Lola Consuelos sounded great.

Congratulations Nick and Vanessa!

Dinner Made Easy - Stuffed Green Peppers

My Stuffed Green Peppers - Fancy and Easy

If you want to make a simple dinner that makes you look like you went to a great deal of trouble, make stuffed green peppers.  They are also a economical way to use up rice if you made too much for a stir fry or other dish.  I actually made double the rice for my stir fry so that I would have enough for both my stir fry and stuffed peppers.
This Recipe is for 8 super large stuffed green peppers. 

When making stuffed green peppers, it is best to use super large ones so you have lots of room to put the filling in.

Ingredients:

8 Super Large Green Peppers
Lean or medium ground beef (whatever you prefer), I bought a family/economy pack
about 8 cups cooked long grain rice, 4 cups uncooked rice (it's better to make a little more and use for another meal)
2 jars of tomatoes or spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (divided 1/4 in mix and 1/4 sprinkled on top)
1 ball of mozzarella cheese (divided 3/4 used in meat mixture and 1/4 thinly sliced or grated for topping)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the tops off of the green peppers, take out the seeds and trim inside edges with a knife.  Cook rice (this can be done the day before and placed in the fridge).

Brown ground beef add salt and pepper to taste.  When beef is browned, add tomato/spaghetti sauce and let simmer for about 15 minutes to heat sauce through and get some of the beef flavour (you can simmer longer if you like but dinner will take longer to prepare).

Mix in 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and sliced or grated mozzarella.  Heat and mix until mozzarella cheese has melted.

Add rice to the meat mixture and stir until all the rice is coated with the sauce/meat mixture.

Place your peppers into a baking dish or pan and fill each pepper with the rice/meat mixture.

Top each pepper with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and sliced or grated remaining mozzarella cheese.

Place in 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for about one hour or until the green peppers are softened. Cover with foil and remove foil about 15 minutes before removing from oven.

Temporal Muscle Wasting - What Is It?

Dr. Drew on HLN spoke about Angelina Jolie's thinness the other night (see my post about this episode).  During the show he mentioned that Angelina Jolie had temporal muscle wasting.  When I heard this term, I thought what exactly is temporal muscle wasting and what does it mean for a person with it.  I'll bet a lot of you are thinking the same thing.  I have done some research and here are my findings on Temporal Muscle Wasting.

The temporal region is basically the side of the head. When the temples of your head  are concave or depressed this is what temporal wasting looks like. It makes your forehead look larger and gives an alien-like appearance--not attractive at all!

 According to the explore plastic surgery website, it can be caused by surgery (muscle wasting after a craniotomy); a medical condition such as fat atrophy from weight loss or medications; or a congenital condition called lipoatrophy which is atrophy (wasting or decrease) of subcutaneous fatty tissues of the body.

According to livingstrong.com some diseases that exhibit muscle and fat wasting all over the body not just the temporal area are:  diabetes, stroke, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), muscular dystrophy, HIV, thyroid disorders and polio.  Of course anorexia and other eating disorders can also produce muscle loss as the body slows down fat loss metabolism to protect itself during starvation, it alternately burns muscle for fuel to reduce energy requirements (since muscle burns more calories the body would rather burn off muscle than fat so it conserves calories).  This is why fasting often causes muscle loss--not a good thing.

The wasting of muscle in the temporal region is often called "peanut head" and produces an appearance of illness. Aside from trying to help the condition that caused the concave peanut head appearance, cosmetic surgery can help to hide the appearance of temporal muscle wasting. 

Here is a link to Dr. Drew's video/show about Angelina's apparent malnutrition.

In-N-Out Double Double Cheese Burger - how can anyone in California be skinny with these around.  Being from Canada, I am deprived.
Photo Credit: Jess Sawrey, L.A. California

A Fisker Karma for Justin Beiber's Birthday

Fisker Karma
Photo Credit:  Erik Daniel Drost/flickr

I was already very fond of Usher--I love his voice and thoroughly enjoyed watching him at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last May. 

But now my appreciation for Usher has only grown and I see why Justin Beiber loves the guy.  Usher and Justin's Manager Scooter Braun surprised Justin with a $100,000 hybrid sports sedan--a Fisker Karma.  Now that's Karma for you--Justin came from hardship and now his life is filled with fine things and good people who take care of him.

Scooter Braun appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show yesterday to celebrate Justin Beiber's 18th birthday and to present him with the luxury sports car.

Scooter told Beiber yesterday

"You work really, really hard and I'm always telling you 'Don't get anything really flashy!'  We're not about that.  Be humble, be humble.  And I kind of broke my own rule."

Braun went on to say that since Justin really likes cars, they decided to get him something that would make him stand out on the road and that was also environmentally friendly.

Justin was really grateful saying,

"That's mine!  That's crazy.  This is amazing!"

Justin Beiber tweeted his fans on his birthday that it would be nice if they could, if they like, give $18 on his 18th birthday to @charitywater.