Tastefully Simple Hawaiian Dip Mix White Grilled Chicken

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Tastefully Simple Hawaiian Dip Mix
Heather from Tastefully Simple was probably surprised when a barbecue writer picked a dip for a sample product. When I saw a light colored dip, I immediately thought of Alabama white chicken grilled which is likely not the same vision that dances in everyone's else head when they see white-ish creamy products.


Easy Mix Dip By Tastefully Simple
When the dip mix came in, I mixed up a pack. That's super easy. It's one half cup of mayonnaise and one half cup of sour cream mixed with one pack. Stir and you're done. You can dip with chips or with veggies. I loved this dips on carrots especially.


Chicken in Hawaiian Dip Mix
I used boneless chicken strips with the dip, because I was grilling over high heat. If you have grates set higher and the heat down lower, then you can use bigger pieces. With close high heat, then the chicken cooks fast, and sauces (and dips) can burn if the meat pieces are large.

You grill these strips just as I've mentioned on grilling chicken strips, but you may want to brush more dip on as they are grilling. I went light on the dip this first time, but I'd brush with a heavier hand next go round.

Tastefully Simple Dip Grilled Chicken
Our grilled chicken strips were fabulous and even better with more dip to the side. Don't use the dip raw chicken was sitting in, or you may get sick. Split the batch, or make up two packs.

I must warn you that this dip is really spicy. When I thought Hawaiian, I was thinking more fruity or something - certainly not zip. It's not near as spicy the first day as the second, and I think I'll make it a day ahead next time, because I loved it when the flavors melded and that heat really came out.

You could double the mayo and sour cream to tone down the heat (sorry if you know things like this - but some of my readers are just starting to play with food). I love it full on, but it is hot. It's not that bitter hot though. It's just a nice flavor burst "hot."

The Tastefully Simple Let's Luau Hawaiian dip mix is one of my favorite dips ever. It was wonderful with chip, vegetables, and on our grilled chicken. It does pack some heat, so I'd not recommend it for everyone. But, for those who like spicy foods, this would be one of my top pick dips (and also really good on the grilled chicken).

Cyndi's Southern Serenity Prayer

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God grant me the serenity to stop cussing about the things I can't change, the courage to raise cain on the stuff where I can make a difference, and enough common sense to not get arrested sorting that junk out. Amen ~ Cyndi Allison

I made this up and posted it on Facebook. Thought some of my barbecue friends might need this one when you burn your steaks up or your shoulders come out dry.

Daddy Joe's Beach House BBQ & Grill in Gaffney, SC - Review

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Daddy Joe's Beach House BBQ and Grill
My son and I were headed to the Brenau University BBQ festival when we saw the road signs for Daddy Joe's Beach House BBQ & Grill in Gaffney, South Carolina. What should you eat on the way to a barbecue bash? Well . . . barbecue of course.

Daddy Joe's is right off I85 (about a mile off the exit). You'll see the billboards, and it's close the big peach shaped and painted water tower which is darn hard to miss.

The name is kind of confusing, because trust me, you are not near the beach in Gaffney, although you kind of get that feel at Daddy Joe's sans the ocean.


Ceiling at Daddy Joe's BBQ Restaurant
Daddy Joe's has that cool factor but not over the top so that it feels fake. We ate inside below this fan you see in the photo above (plus AC - so I was almost chilly). They had outdoor seating too. But, it was in the 90s, so we decided not to melt on the porch, although it did look like a fun place to have a meal.

They had a pretty meaty menu. In fact, I could not find the sides. The waitress showed me the single line with sides. I would not be sending my vegetarian friends to Daddy Joe's, but I don't have many veggie buddies. I live in a real small Southern town, and I suspect the vegetarians just give up and move to cities.


Guys Having a Meat Mosh at Daddy Joe's Gaffney, SC
We went for the pork, since that's the big deal meat here in the piedmont of North Carolina (and since I write about BBQ). That puts some pressure on a BBQ joint outside the area, since we have top notch chopped pork all around us here. I don't mention that I blog though, so that's neither here nor there. I'm just the odd woman that pulls out her camera and shoots her food before diving in.


Chopped Pork Platter at Daddy Joe's BBQ & Grill
First, I'll speak to the pork. Oink. It was excellent. Nice smoke flavor. It was lightly sauced with a western North Carolina style barbecue sauce (vinegar with a little red and body). South Carolina is kind of all over the place on sauces. You might get vinegar or mustard or thick Kansas style. Good thing to ask if you have a preference. The kitchen sauce and table sauce were both NC vinegar with some tomato, so I felt right at home.

The hush puppies were the sweet kind I like. Some people will tell you that real Southern cornbread products don't have any sugar. Well, shut my mouth. That just ain't true. My Grandma put sugar in hers, and she's now gone, but no one can tell me she wasn't a darn fine Southern cook. My family does about 1 tablespoon of sugar to a 12 inch pone of cornbread in cast iron. Not very sweet - but a tickle of it. These hushpuppies were a little north of that but not like those box mixes where you get corn cake or some sort that tastes nothing of corn or anything else known to man or woman. So, to cut to the chase, those were some rocking hush puppies.

They put my slaw on the side by request as I'm just not a slaw fan. I know my Southern card may get revoked for telling that. Raw cabbage in gunk just doesn't do it for me. I did taste the slaw which was red which made me think it was a vinegar BBQ sauce based slaw which I can tolerate better than mayo based ones. Wrong on that. This slaw was rather dry. I think I could jam it in a red Solo cup and make sandcastles. Also, it was very sweet. All I can think of to describe the slaw is finely chopped cabbage with a Kraft sauce like honey style stirred in lightly. Sweet sand comes to mind. Remember though that I'm not a slaw fan. I'm sure lots of people love the slaw at Daddy Joe's. Me? Just pass the vinegar sauce, and I'm good.

I was surprised to find really good chopped pork barbecue outside of North Carolina, but Daddy Joe's was excellent. The ribs and kielbalsa looked good too. Yes. I peaked at the table next to us. I'd certainly stop here again. Great food and service and an easy stop on a road trip off I85.

Schwan's Grill Pack - Excellent Quality and Yummy

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Two Grill Wok Night with Schwan's BBQ Foods
Brandi contacted me on behalf of Schwan's Foods to see if I'd do a honest taste test and review. What she didn't know was that I graduated with a guy who drove a Schwan's truck and remebered that the company had some great foods. Of course, that was a LONG time back, so you just never know how a company fares over the years. In any case, I was game to try out Schwan's again to see.

First, I was surprised at how many foods Schwan's has geared toward grillers now. They even include the directions for grilling. Before, you could, of course, put their foods on the grill, but you'd have to figure out frozen/unfrozen on the grill and times and things like that.

Schwan's sent a big box which came by UPS, so I don't think we have a truck out on our route now. I know I've not seen one here in years - since my high school friend opened up a landscaping business.

I called the boys in to see what they'd like to try out. The beefs tips caught their eyes, and the youngest loves asparagus (though usually the mushy canned type - go figure).


Schwan's Beef Tips for Kabobs
The Schwan's beef sirloin steak tips came boxed for kabobs including the kabob sticks and directions. I could have made some beautiful kabobs, but I must confess to finding it tedious to string kabobs and turn them all the time to ensure even grilling. My solution to that is what I call deconstructed kabobs. You can call me a genius or lazy - either works.

What I did was season the kabobs with some Steak Splash out of Canada (can use Italian dressing or any favorite marinade) and with lemon pepper as you can see below.


Schwan's Beef Tips - Seasoned Up
The meat looked beautiful. It was bright red and had some marbling but not any fat blobs. No trim up needed. These are just right out of the Schwan's box.

I sprayed a little non-stick spray in my wok grilling basket and poured in the beef tips. They made a nice sizzle and colored up well. After around 8 minutes, I added the onions and green peppers. Beef really needs more grill time than those vegetables, so I start the meat and then add when the meat is about 1/4 to 1/2 done (depending on the heat on my grill).


Beef Tips Sizzling Away on the Grill with Green Peppers and Onions
Then, it was time for the Schwan's asparagus spears, but again they are easier to handle in a grill wok. I got a second wok for Christmas, so I woked the asparagus right beside the meat and covered the entire PK grill.

The aspargus went in frozen (and my Facebook friends thought I had fresh asparagus - should I tell them it's frozen?). I brushed it with some Garlic Gold (olive oil - my favorite) and just grilled until it had some grilled color. This took around 10 minutes - a little less than on the box directions (but my fire was pretty hot by this time).



It All Comes Down to the Taste - How Did Schwan's Do?
I was very impressed with the Schwan's grilling foods (and we still have some to test out and share).

First, the food was packed well and looked good. Brownie points for that. But, I've had some products sent that did look great but did not taste that great.

The meat (and our fresh veggies) which I ate with a knife and fork and the boys made into wraps with burrito wraps was moist and very flavorful. Some tips are kind of tough and fatty. Not these. In fact, I'd say the Schwan's are as good of beef tips as I've grilled out. Tasted like good restaurant quality. No leftovers though. Bummer on that. The boys put a hurting on the beef. Thumbs up - for sure on the kabob pack (even if I did not kabob them).

As far as the asparagus, I lived on a farm with a fresh bed. So, I spent a couple of summers eating tons of asparagus but not anytime recently. It's kind of hard to find around here. I'd never thought to get frozen asparagus and wasn't sure what I'd think of that.

If I'd not grilled the asparagus myself, someone could have pulled these off on me as fresh. The color was perfect, and the flavor was spot on. As I said, my grilling friends on FB thought I'd picked up fresh asparagus. It's grilled the same, so either one is fine (as I found with this pack). I'd not hesitate to buy Schwan's asparagus again. It really was excellent.

If you live in a Schwan's area, ask your Schwan's guy or girl about the grilling products. They really are high quality, and the directions for success are right on the box if you need them, or you can think outside the box as I did here.

Great dinner and Schwan's goes on my recommend list.

A. Thomas Steaks Now Sold Through Sperry's of Nashville

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A. Thomas Steaks - Now Available for Home Grillers
Natalie emailed to let me know that Sperry's of Nashville now offers their signature steaks from A. Thomas for delivery. We were down through Nashville this summer, and I wish I'd known about Sperry's then. It looks like a wonderful place to eat, and I have them on my list when I get back down that way. In the meantime, Natalie said that she could send out one of the new home packs if I'd like to try them and and let readers know honestly what I think.

Some people think all meat is created equal. This is not true and especially for cuts like steak. Of course, you've got a difference with round versus rib eye. But, there are quality differences in the same cut as well.

Sperry's used A. Thomas black Angus meats and partnered with the meat company and Mattingly Foods to offer these steaks for delivery purchase.

The gift pack I received was the A. Thomas Favorite which includes 6 center cut fillets and 4 center cut strips. The fillets run 4 ounces and the strips 6 ounces. No bones. Hardly any fat. Well marbled.

I had those steaks on my mind when they came in and I saw how pretty they were. The guys were out and about, so I had to wait a couple of days to fire up the barbecue grill - the PK grill in this case.


A. Thomas Steaks from Sperry's on the Portable Kitchen Grill
When everyone made it back home, I fired up the grill and put the strips on. They looked beautiful and smelled great.

 
It did not take long to grill the steaks off to a medium rare to medium. That's good, because the guys were starving as usual.


It was also getting dark, and I don't have good outside lights. So the sun was setting just as I pulled the strip steaks off the grill.

We sat down to enjoy our strip steaks, and WOW . . . this meat just melted. I can't say that I've ever had a better steak. It was obvious that this was premium meat. It just had that umph of flavor as well as being super tender.

Sperry's A. Thomas gift pack steaks are expensive, but they are a cut above. If you want a really special meal at home or want to treat your favorite home griller, this is certainly meat to remember.



 

Ginger Pear Cranberry Sauce – Making Your Holidays More Difficult, One Condiment at a Time

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You would think the vast majority of the visitors to thisblog would be fine with me posting a new holiday cranberry sauce everyyear, but apparently that’s not the case. 

After posting the tease picture forthis lovely ginger, pear, cranberry sauce, I received a bunch of comments andemails with the same basic message, “please don’t, you’re confusing us.”

Evidently, some people like our past cranberry sauce recipesso much, that they don’t know if they should stick with them, or try a newversion. It’s causing quite the dilemma. Do you go with the one you know you love, andthat garnered so many compliments, or do you try something new and risk it all?
Sorry, I really can’t help you decide, but at least let me make analready tough call, even tougher. This gingery, pear-studded cranberry saucewas simply amazing. I’ve been wanting to try pear in a cranberry sauce forever,and this was so fantastic that I’m a little upset I waited this long.
Anyway, I hope your Thanksgiving menu is shaping up nicely,and that tomorrow will bring a table full of fabulous food. Whether you usethis cranberry sauce, or an older version, or heaven help us, one from anotherblog, I hope you and your family have a great holiday. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups:
12 oz fresh wholecranberries1 large bosc pear, peeled,diced2 oz candied ginger,mincedzest of 1 large orange1 cup fresh orange juice1/4 cup water1 cup sugar1 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick1/2 tsp garam masala (an Indian-stylecurry spice blend) 1/4 tsp saltPin It Now!

Leftover Turkey Manicotti – “Little Muffs” for the Day After the Day After

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Manicotti, which means, “little muffs” in Italian, has to beone of the best ways ever for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. 

The moistfilling will bring the driest bird back from the dead, and you can literallyadd anything that can be chopped up.

Leftover green bean casserole? Throw it in. Peas andOnions? You bet’cha. Cranberry Sauce? No, don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, thanksto the absence of cheese, tomato, and pasta on the usual Thanksgiving menu,this concoction will erase any connection with the aforementioned feast.
One portioning note: The recipe below made six crepes, andif you make yours slightly smaller, the filling recipe will make six nicelysized manicotti. 

I went low-carb and used all the filling to make fourportions, but you should probably just fill all 6 crepes, or even double therecipe to get 12. I think you’ll want leftovers of the leftovers. So whether you make manicotti with the last of the holidayturkey, or just use the technique to recycle other meaty meals, I hope you givethis a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 crepes:2 eggs3/4 cup all-purpose flour3/4 cup water1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp olive oil olive oil for cooking crepes as needed
*Note: Feel free to adjust the batter's thickness by adding a little flour or water until you get a thin consistency as seen in video. 
  For the filling:1 cup chopped turkey or anything1 cup ricotta cheese1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese1/2 cup grated mozzarella1/4 tsp dried marjoram1/8 tsp red chili flakes1 egg1/4 cup chopped Italian parsleyFor the rest:1 1/2 cups marinara sauce2 tsp olive oil1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for top1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley, garnishPin It Now!

Giving Thanks

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Michele and I had a very lovely Thanksgiving holiday with the family in Davis, CA. The food and company were wonderful, and as if that wasn't enough, I also enjoyed a flood of viewers posting pictures of their successful Food Wishes' recipes on Twitter and Instagram. I want to thank everyone who mentioned us this holiday, and I couldn't be happier or more proud of all the beautiful food you created and shared. And while we're on the subject, here are a few highlights from our meal. Enjoy!

Our handsome, free-range turkey was from Branigan's Turkey Farm in Woodland, California, and it was amazing! I did the old, herb-butter under the skin trick, and it was one of the juiciest, most flavorful turkeys in recent memory.

I love to start the Thanksgiving meal with a small salad. This is a great way to get everyone to the table for toasts, grace, etc., and not have to worry about all the food getting cold. While the turkey rests, enjoy a nice pear, persimmon salad with goat cheese, pomegranate, and candied walnuts.

What's Thanksgiving, but an elaborate excuse to eat lots of buttery mashed potatoes? These were fortified with cream cheese as family tradition dictates.

These incredibly tasty sweet potatoes were simply roasted with maple butter and topped with salty, crunchy, toasted pistachios.  They were perfect.

I decided to eschew the usual green bean casserole for this new addition to the holiday side repertoire. The beans were tossed with copious amounts of roasted garlic, and then warmed in the oven after a crumbling of Point Reyes blue cheese. No one missed the casserole! 

We finished with the pumpkin pie you saw posted a while back, and by the looks of my Twitter feed, so did many of you. I hope you had a great holiday, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Special thanks to Peggy & Al, Nina & Tom, and Jennifer and Leanne for providing us with such an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for a new video tomorrow! Pin It Now!

Pumpkin Scones with Toasted Pine Nuts & Maple Glaze – A Recipe for the Other 10 Months

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I have no intention of giving up the best job in the worldanytime soon, but if I do, I’d try and get a job in the marketing department ofa pumpkin puree company. 

I’m guessing that like 97% of the canned pumpkin inthis country is used during the time from Halloween until Thanksgiving. So if Icould figure out a way to get people to use this in recipes all year round, I’dbe a total superstar in pumpkin puree marketing circles.

Imagine that. It would be…awesome? Anyway, maybe I should rethinkthis whole post-Foodwishes career path, but in the meantime, here’s just oneexample of how I would convince the public that pumpkin is great for anytime ofthe year. Ironically, I did this because I had leftover pumpkin fromThanksgiving, but still.
I may have covered this in the last scones post, but I’venever been a huge fan of the scone. I’ve always considered it some sort ofeffeminate biscuit, but I’m starting to come around in my old age. There’snothing like a freshly baked scone with a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee,especially one tricked out with pumpkin, toasted pine nuts, and maple glaze. Ihope you give this a try soon…or anytime! Enjoy.

Ingredients for 12 Pumpkin Scones:8 ounces by weight all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp baking powder1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup buttermilkadditional flour as needed
1 egg beaten with a few drops of milk or water to brush scones before baking. *Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, or until goldenbrownPin It Now!

Swedish Meatballs and the Most Under Appreciated Celebrity Chef Ever

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Whenever there’s a discussion about the history of celebritychef pop culture, one name is invariably left out, and this Swedish Meatballsrecipe served as a reminder of that sad fact. How anyone can talk about thepioneers of food television without including the Swedish Chef from the Muppetsis beyond me.

His frenetic energy and charisma makes Gordon Ramsey seemlike a shrinking violet by comparison. His technique surpasses Emeril's onevery level, and if we’re just talking catch phrases, how can you even begin tocompare “Yummo” to “Bork, Bork, Bork?”
Some use the excuse that he wasn’t actually real, that hewas just a bunch of stained, smelly fabric, wrapped around some dude’s hairyforearm. Well, that may be true, but it goes beyond that. I believe there’sbeen a systematic discrimination against Swedish chefs, which has madeadvancing upward impossible. I call it the ice ceiling.

Do NOT forget the Lingonberry jam!

Anyway, in related news, these Swedish meatballs rocked!Unlike most of the recipes I post here, I’ve had little experience with therecipe, but was very happy with the results, except for one major issue, whichI mention in the video. I broke the cardinal rule of meatball making, and usedlean meat.
Not paying attention, I picked up a package of ground porkthat turned out to be 95% lean. The horror. I might as well have used tofu.Nonetheless, I loved the flavor, but implore you to use regular ground beef,and ground pork with a 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio. Do that, and you’ll be enjoyinga plate of meatballs even the world's most under appreciated celebrity chefwould love. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:For the meatballs:2 tbsp butter1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup milk2 large eggs1/3 cup plain bread crumbs3/4 teaspoon black pepper1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon ground allspice1 1/2 teaspoon fine saltpinch of cayenne1 pound ground chuck1 pound ground pork*Note: you can always cook a little piece to taste for salt,and adjust from there.Brown meatballs in 425 degrees F. oven for about 20-25minutes.
For the sauce:2 tbsp butter3 tbsp all-purpose flour3 1/4 cups beef broth1/2 cup heavy cream1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp Worcestershire saucesalt and pepper to tastePin It Now!

A. Thomas Steaks Now Sold Through Sperry's of Nashville

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A. Thomas Steaks - Now Available for Home Grillers Natalie emailed to let me know that Sperry's of Nashville now offers their signature steaks from A. Thomas for delivery. We were down through Nashville this summer, and I wish I'd known about Sperry's then. It looks like a wonderful place to eat, and I have them on my list when I get back down that way. In the meantime, Natalie said that

Strict Weight Loss Diet

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Following a strict weight loss diet requires a great deal of discipline, sacrifice, and reconditioning of the way you think about food. But losing weight should not have to be difficult. Did you know that it is entirely possible to experience rapid weight loss without the use of diet pills, without cutting back on the quantity of the food, without sacrificing fats or carbs, and without exercising?

The calorie shifting diet, unlike other mainstream diets, does not require much in the way of sacrifice. You can eat as much food as you want at every meal until you are satisfied. You get to eat food from each of the four major food groups. You never feel hungry and your cravings for food never go unfulfilled.

\"Diet Meals\"

The calorie shifting diet is based on the principle that it is possible to manipulate your body's metabolism at will and induce weight loss through the stimulation of the hormones that are responsible for burning fat cells in your body. This may sound like what a diet pill does. But in reality, it is possible to achieve rapid weight loss results through natural meals, simply by shifting the types of calories you consume rotationally from meal to meal over the course of each day.

Strict Weight Loss Diet

Your body's metabolism reacts to the absence or the presence of certain nutrients in your system by either consuming them for energy or storing them as fat. Consumed in the right combination, you can recondition your metabolism to believe that it is being deprived of certain nutrients and thus tap into your fat stores for energy. But by the time your body begins to burn fat, you reintroduce that nutrient back into your system and then withhold another type of nutrient. Because different types of foods have different densities, you might eat fruits and vegetables at one meal and breads at another meal, but because fruits and vegetables are lighter, you will be eating fewer calories at that meal than if you eat bread at your meal. So even though you are eating to your satisfaction at each meal, you are indirectly also consuming fewer calories.

Thus there is no need to follow a strict weight loss diet when you can follow a diet such as this. While on this diet, you can expect to lose 9 pounds every 11 days.

There are only 4 basic rules to this diet:

1. Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are satisfied but not too full. Overeating is counterproductive on any diet.
2. Space your meals out by at least 2.5 to 3 hours. You should give your body ample time to completely digest its food from the previous meal before you eat your next meal.
3. You are required to take a 3-day break from your diet every 12^th through 14^th days. This will give your body a chance to rest from the rapid weight loss you will be undergoing.
4. You must eat four meals a day according to the calorie shifting diet's personalized meal planner.

Here is a sample diet plan that illustrates how this diet works. The diet actually is designed to work in 11-day cycles, but only 3 days are shown here for brevity. Keep in mind that you can eat your four daily meals in any order you want during each respective day.

On day #1, your four meals of the day could look like this, depending on the custom choices you make when you generate your diet plan:

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs Meal

Lunch: Sandwich (any type)

Dinner: Tuna Salad

Snack: Flavored Oatmeal

You can of course shuffle these meals around and eat them in any order on that day. For example, you can have oatmeal for breakfast and scrambled eggs for dinner, and a sandwich as your "snack".

On Day #2, your meal plan would look like this. Note that this meal plan is based on two things- your custom choices in your meal plan, and is based on what you eat on Day #1... If you change what you ate on Day #1, your food choices would be different on Day #2, and Day #3 subsequently:

Breakfast: Cottage Cheese

Lunch: Scrambled Eggs [and] Mixed Vegetables

Dinner: Chicken

Snack: Banana Milk Shake

Again, you can shuffle these meals around and eat them in any order you wish on that day. And of course, you can eat as much as you want at each meal. So there is no limit on how much chicken you would have at dinner, for example, as long as you do not eat until you are too full.

And here is Day #3:

Breakfast: ottage Cheese

Lunch: Fish Filet

Dinner: Fruit Salad

Snack: Chicken

As is evident from the meal plan above, this is an idiot-proof diet that does not require much discipline, commitment of willpower, or sacrifice, because you are practically eating as much as you want of every food group.

Strict Weight Loss Diet

Can you really lose 9 pounds every 11 days on the Calorie Shifting diet?

Planning Diet Meals While Planning Meals for Your Family, Too

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We always have excuses for not going on a diet to lose weight. We say we'll start our diets on Monday. Or, we don't have time to prepare healthy foods. Or, we can't afford to buy healthy foods. Another problem many of us have is preparing diet meals for ourselves, while also preparing regular meals for our families. This can often be quite a challenge, and time consuming as well, especially if you are constantly preparing two sets of meals all the time. And after a while, this is going to get pretty costly. Is there a way you can prepare diet meals that will also be good for the rest of your family to eat, so you don't have to go to all the trouble and expense of preparing extra meals all the time? Yes, if you are creative and know all about good nutrition.

Diet Meals for Your Whole Family

\"Diet Meals\"

Did you know that you do not really have to go on a diet to be on a diet? This may sound confusing, but it is true. There are hundreds and hundreds of different diets out there, some of them good, others not so good. But if you really want to lose weight and be healthy, all you really need to do is eat healthy, and of course, get plenty of exercise. And when you are eating healthy, you will be cooking nothing but healthy meals for your family, too. Not diet meals; healthy meals. And if you get creative, you can even sneak vegetables into meals for even the fussiest of eaters, such as children who refuse to eat vegetables or anything else that is healthy.

Planning Diet Meals While Planning Meals for Your Family, Too

One great way to give your family a nutritious meal that is also a diet meal for you is to give them healthy, homemade meals that are loaded with the right kinds of foods. For example, if your children claim to hate vegetables, give them spaghetti with meat and marinara sauce. The sauce is made from tomatoes, so even if they don't realize it, they are getting a full serving of vegetables in every meal. Use whole grain pasta for plenty of protein and good carbohydrates, as well as lean red meat or ground poultry breast meat for the meatballs. Top it off with a glass of low-fat milk, and you have given your family a delicious, healthy meal, and it is also one of the most delicious healthy diet meals you can make. If you want to add a little bit of carbohydrates (which you will need to work off with an after-supper walk around the block), enjoy a slice of garlic toast with your meal.

If your children do like vegetables, salads are a great way to introduce your family to healthy eating. Start out by giving them small side salads with their healthy meals, and if you are on a really restricted diet, you can just eat the salad. This way, you don't have to prepare anything extra, but you and your family are all getting what you want and need from your dinners. Or, you can give them a healthy dessert of mixed fruit, topped with low-fat yogurt. If your family really loves whipped cream, avoid the prepared kind, and make your own with whipping cream and artificial sweetener. It only takes a few minutes to make, and it is a great way to get the fun taste of whipped cream without all of the calories. If you are making diet meals for yourself, enjoy the fruit, but leave off the whipped cream, due to the fat content.

Preparing Healthy Lunches for Everyone

The most time-consuming meal preparation of your day will probably be lunches, depending on how many lunches you need to make. Try not to give your children money to eat at the school cafeteria too often. Yes, most cafeterias are now serving healthier foods, but many of these foods are still prepared foods, and not always as nutritious as what you can make at home, for less money. You can still have your diet meals for lunch, and when you are preparing lunches for your family, make your healthy lunch as well. You can save time and money by making the same thing for everyone, and if you are creative, you can make diet meals that are also healthy lunches for everyone, even your kids. If you are making sandwiches, use leftover poultry for the meat, low-fat mustard for flavor, dill pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes on whole grain bread. This is something your whole family will love. If your kids won't eat whole grain bread, try using one of the new white breads that have all of the benefits of whole grain, but look, feel, and taste like regular white bread.

When planning your diet meals, you may also want to look into incorporating protein supplements into your diet. In fact, you may even want to use them as meal replacements, but only once in a while. Nothing takes the place of healthy foods, especially if you are making diet meals. But there are also many protein supplements that are great for diets, and you can also give them to your family if they are not getting enough protein and other nutrients from their diets.

Planning Diet Meals While Planning Meals for Your Family, Too

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com

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Four Benefits of Paleo Diet Meals That Can't Be Ignored

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The Paleo diet goes by many names, including the Caveman Diet, the Hunter-Gather Diet, and the Stone Age Diet. Regardless of the name you call it by, the benefits of Paleo diet are numerous. Once you adjust to this different way of eating-and looking at food-you will begin to feel the difference in your body.

Our bodies are simply not designed to process and utilize many of the foods in our modern diet. Many of the staples of the modern diet that we consider healthy are in fact products that man himself cultivated. They are not naturally occurring foods. And they are certainly not foods that our bodies were designed to use as fuel. Relatively speaking, these foods are new to our diets and our bodies have not fully adapted to our intake.

\"Diet Meals\"

The result of our consumption of these foods is much like what happens when you use the wrong fuel in your vehicle: a sluggish engine. Our bodies respond by becoming susceptible to illness and disease. Our bodies run more slowly and less effectively than they should. In general, we just don't feel good. However, most of us cannot remember a time that these 'foods' were not in our diets, so we don't realize that how we feel is not normal. We are unaware that our bodies can in fact feel better and perform at much higher levels.

Four Benefits of Paleo Diet Meals That Can't Be Ignored

The four benefits of the Paelo diet are: increased energy; clearer, smoother skin; weight loss; and a stronger immune system.

Increased Energy

One of the benefits of the Paleo diet is increased energy. You will have more energy than you know what to do with. Some people say they feel younger, but others claim they have more energy than they ever recall having. Think about it: the Paleo man had to have a lot of energy just to get through his day, which centered upon surviving. His diet sustained him through the equivalent of walking ten miles each day, as well as running from predators, and lifting heavy objects.

Clearer, Smoother Skin

Your skin will look clearer and smoother skin than ever before. Sometimes we don't even realize how dull and lackluster our skin's appearance has become until it begins to clear. The Paleo diet is a skin-clearing miracle.

Weight Loss

Many of us begin battling our weight as we age. Once you make the shift to the Paleo diet, you will be surprised by how easy weight loss becomes. The Paleo man did not battle the bulge like we do. His physique was slim and trim.

Stronger Immune System

Once you eliminate the damaging processed and cultivated foods we have added to our diets, your body begins to regain its natural resistance to illness and disease. The Paleo man had a short life expectancy due to a lack of medical care, not due to illness. He did not suffer from heart disease or diabetes like we do.

The benefits of the Paleo diet are too good to ignore.

Four Benefits of Paleo Diet Meals That Can't Be Ignored

Want to know even more benefits of Paleo diet meals? Learn more at http://www.thepaleodietrecipesblog.com/

Weight Loss Recipes - 3 Delicious and Filling Low-Fat Meals That Don't Even Taste Like Diet Foods

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The fact that you are on a diet does not mean that your food must taste like diet food. In the contrary! If you want to lose weight effectively and in a healthy way, with a high chance of preventing it from coming back, than you must enjoy what you eat. Because that's the only way how you will continue to eat this healthy food.

The problem why many fad diets fail is simply that you can't keep on eating like that. And even if a restrictive diet does help you to lose weight - as soon as you finish the diet and return to your old eating habits, you will almost certainly pick up weight again.

\"Diet Meals\"

But if you make lasting changes in your lifestyle and start eating healthier instead of going on a diet, then you have a high chance that you will not only lose weight but also keep it off afterwards. A healthy diet and weight is a lifetime commitment, not a 6-weeks affair. Eat healthy and you will be healthy, that's the secret.

Weight Loss Recipes - 3 Delicious and Filling Low-Fat Meals That Don't Even Taste Like Diet Foods

Try these three low-fat dishes that don't taste like low-fat at all! They are healthy and easy to make, filling, high in nutrients and low in calories. And they are not "diet meals" but something you can enjoy.

Spicy Vegetable And Mince Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. crushed chili
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 700 g lean minced beef
• 600 g butternut, diced
• 500 g carrots, thickly sliced
• 600 g potatoes, diced
• 500 g sweet potatoes, diced
• salt

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Fry cumin and coriander for about 1 minute, continuously stirring.
2. Add turmeric, chili and lemon juice and mix well. Add minced meat and roast it briefly.
3. Add the vegetables, mix well, cover and roast for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
4. Season with salt and serve

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 1 small marrow, cubed
• 1 tomato, cubed  
• 1/2 stick celery, sliced  
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/8 cabbage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/4 l vegetable stock
• oregano
• salt, freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Bring the vegetable stock to boil, add the vegetables and bay leaf and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are just soft.
2. Season with oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Serve with whole grain bread.

Pasta With Mixed Vegetables And Cashews 

Ingredients

• 200 g whole wheat pasta
• 4 tbsp. canola oil
• 3 red chili, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 80 g cashew nuts
• 2 red and 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 150 g green beans  
• 1 tin corn

Steps

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onions and chili for about 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add the cashews and fry for another minute. Add pepper and beans and stir-fry for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are just soft. Then add the corn, mix everything well and allow the corn to heat up.
3. Drain the pasta and serve it with the veggies.

All three recipes make four servings. They are based on large portions of vegetables and foods rich in complex carbohydrates (potatoes, whole grain bread and pasta) which will fill you long before you could possibly overeat. They provide you with important nutrients whilst being low in calories. No or little fat has been added to the recipes, and the ingredients are rather low in fat. This way, you can lose weight and still enjoy delicious meals of a reasonable portion size.

Weight Loss Recipes - 3 Delicious and Filling Low-Fat Meals That Don't Even Taste Like Diet Foods

Bettina Berlin is a health professional specializing in healthy weight loss approaches. Losing weight can prevent diseases, improve recovery and bring relief for chronically ill people. Are you tired of diets letting you down? Visit http://www.elishas-quick-recipes.blogspot.com to discover how you can achieve permanent weight loss whilst enjoying your life to the fullest! Get The Slim Habit NOW, the weight loss program that teaches you to change your lifestyle instead of torturing you with diets!

ANNA DELLO RUSSO: Look of the Day

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ANNA DELLO RUSSO: Look of the Day


Okay, clearly this look is not for everyone, but we admire Anna Dello Russo for taking a fashion risk among glamourous gowns galore at the Met Gala. The current editor at large for Vogue Japan showed up in an Alexander McQueen suit fringed with gold and accessorized with an egg headpiece complete with netting.

ANNA DELLO RUSSO: Look of the Day

ANNA DELLO RUSSO: Look of the Day

FASHION NEWS: De La Renta's mistaken identitFASHION NEWS: De La Renta's mistaken identity, Vogue's all-black editorial and the Spirit of Design's newest award recipienty, Vogue's all-black editorial and the Spirit of Design's newest award recipient

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FASHION NEWS: De La Renta's mistaken identitFASHION NEWS: De La Renta's mistaken identity, Vogue's all-black editorial and the Spirit of Design's newest award recipienty, Vogue's all-black editorial and the Spirit of Design's newest award recipient

Oh horror of horrors! In a New York Times article published yesterday designer Oscar de la Renta was erroneously identified as Giorgio Armani. After noticing the mistake de la Renta called the paper to complain saying: “It’s just fabulous for my ego. Whoever did it must have been on some kind of LSD I don’t know about.”
[New York Times] Vogue Italia pays homage to black beauties in its May 2011 issue. The spread features Jeneil Williams, Cici Ali, Ubah Hassan, Gayle McDonald, Kelly Moreira, Jae Childs, R’el Dade, Jasmine Tookas, Lily Taylor and Ariel Meredith sporting afros and modeling looks by Missoni, Prada, Ports 1961, and more.
[Fashion Bomb Daily]
Philadelphia University has awarded Tommy Hilfiger its 2011 Spirit of Design prize. The award, first given to Geoffrey Beene nine years ago, is presented to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the world of fashion and design. Past recipients have included Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa, Mary McFadden and “Project Runway” season one winner Jay McCarroll.
FASHION NEWS: De La Renta's mistaken identity, Vogue's all-black editorial and the Spirit of Design's newest award recipient

FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala BraceletFASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala BraceletBracelet FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelets of our magazine. FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet

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FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet

Madonna gave new meaning to the term “star-studded red carpet” in her shimmering blue Stella McCartney gown at this year’s Met Gala. Madge added a bit of edge to her elegant look by accessorizing with a sparkling silver snake bracelet. We loved this wild (yet sophisticated) addition to her ensemble so much, we had to find one for ourselves. Here are our favourite Material Girl-inspired serpentine bracelets:
Madonna Bracelet Shopping Guide:
1. Max & Chloe, Melinda Maria Python Pave Cuff, $298.00 – This gold plated snake bracelet will sparkle with it’s covering of cubic zirconias
2. Macy’s Rachel Rachel Roy Bracelet, Gold Tone Snake Cuff, $42.00 – This affordable designer option offers the same dramatic style of Madonna’s jewelry.
3. Forzieri, AZ Collection Streamlined Snake Swarovski Crystal Cuff Bracelet, $389.00 – The Swarovski crystals covering this silver bracelet will make a statement to any event.
Related: The Met Gala’s best dressed celebrities
Related: How to get Met Gala-inspired hair and makeup
Related: The top five fragrances for spring
Related: Where to find the “it” coat for spring
Get more glamourous style ideas from the pages of our magazine.
FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet

FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet

FASHION FIND: Madonna's Met Gala Bracelet