Hey Folks! I wanted to give you guys some updates on the blog! We're getting close to 1000 total views on the videos very quickly, so I'm super excited about that. I've got a lot of material that I'm getting ready to post, but I'm waiting on my new, super, duper high-tech shotgun microphone to arrive for the voiceover! It should arrive in about a week. Once that gets here, I'll start doing the audio overlay's for my videos. We'll probably be moving to some live shots of yours truly in action. The sound should greatly improve, so I'm excited about that!
Keep your eye out for my new series called "Veggie Cravings" launching this spring. We're compiling footage right now as we prepare to welcome the spring (which in my opinion, can't get here soon enough!) It'll be an informative series on how to start your own garden. The wife and I are super excited about bringing the new series online this spring. Keep checking back, and I'll provide updates on how production is progressing.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Smoothies - A Healthy & Sweet Morning Treat
Smoothies are a great and healthy way to start your day. Best of all, there are a ton of short cuts you can take to make them quickly and easily! I make my smoothies in a number of different ways. Feel free to add other ingredients to make your smoothie just the way you like it. I use a wide variety of ingredients that when combine, create the atomic bomb of healthiness that can rival many "one a day" vitamin ads. Furthermore, many health experts recommend getting your vitamins from your daily food/drinks as they are more easily absorbed than the vitamin pills (sorry flintstones!)
Tips to keep smoothies a quick and simple breakfast meal:
1) Use frozen fruits. Many people add ice to their smoothies to make them a frosty treat. I don't like my smoothies watered down, I like them full of flavor and packed full of vitamins, minerals, and protein! Besides, the fruit already has a ton of water in them. Not to mention chopping ice is one of the hardest things on your blender. So, simply use frozen fruits. I go to the freezer section of my grocer and pick up frozen mango, strawberries, pineapple, and other fruits. By directly adding these fruits when they are frozen, it creates the frosty consistency that I am looking for in my breakfast smoothie.
2) You can prep a smoothie in the mornings, or to save time, you can prepare it the night before. If the majority of your fruit is frozen, create your frosty concoction the night before and stick it in the refrigerator. Then, all you have to do is spin it up in the morning in your blender, and you'll be good to go. It's not quite as thick as a smoothie you would make straight from the freezer, but save a bit of time if your mornings are rushed, and its easier on your blender.
3) You can buy the fruit medley. Dole offers a bag of frozen fruits for around $8-10 that has about 2-3 lbs of fruit in the freezer section of your grocer that includes bananas, mangos, strawberries, and other fruits. Having all your fruits in one bag makes things quick and easy.
4) Blender selection. If you plan on making a lot of smoothies, and want your blender to last for more than a year, you'll need to buy a blender with a serious power plant. I just moved up to the kitchen aid model with the .9 hp motor on it. You'll need that power to blend your frozen fruit (or crush ice if you so choose). Other considerations if you are looking for a blender are the size & shape of the container. A short, fat, and square jar is ideal, though square jars are often difficult to find. You also want a blender that has variable speeds.
How to make a smoothie:
Ingredients:
1/2 to 2/3 cup frozen strawberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 to 2/3 cup frozen mangos
1 banana
1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup orange or grapefruit juice
Simply combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds to a minute)
Smoothie Variations & Substitutions:
There are a number of variations you can do to the above recipe to create your own personal smoothie. For instance, for a more robust (and by robust, I mean fattening smoothie), you can substitute 2% or whole milk for the light vanilla soy milk. I personally prefer the soy milk because it is less fat, is a great source of protein, and you can't really tell a difference in the taste. Using milk makes your concoction a bit more creamy, especially if you use whole milk. You can also experiment with a number of different juices. If orange or grapefruit isn't your thing, you can try apple, acai, pomegranate, or pineapple juice. All can create a frosty treat quickly and easily for you to enjoy anywhere. I enjoy mine on my 30 minute commute to work. Feel free to suggest other ingredients that you use to make your smoothie your own!
Enjoy!
Tips to keep smoothies a quick and simple breakfast meal:
1) Use frozen fruits. Many people add ice to their smoothies to make them a frosty treat. I don't like my smoothies watered down, I like them full of flavor and packed full of vitamins, minerals, and protein! Besides, the fruit already has a ton of water in them. Not to mention chopping ice is one of the hardest things on your blender. So, simply use frozen fruits. I go to the freezer section of my grocer and pick up frozen mango, strawberries, pineapple, and other fruits. By directly adding these fruits when they are frozen, it creates the frosty consistency that I am looking for in my breakfast smoothie.
2) You can prep a smoothie in the mornings, or to save time, you can prepare it the night before. If the majority of your fruit is frozen, create your frosty concoction the night before and stick it in the refrigerator. Then, all you have to do is spin it up in the morning in your blender, and you'll be good to go. It's not quite as thick as a smoothie you would make straight from the freezer, but save a bit of time if your mornings are rushed, and its easier on your blender.
3) You can buy the fruit medley. Dole offers a bag of frozen fruits for around $8-10 that has about 2-3 lbs of fruit in the freezer section of your grocer that includes bananas, mangos, strawberries, and other fruits. Having all your fruits in one bag makes things quick and easy.
4) Blender selection. If you plan on making a lot of smoothies, and want your blender to last for more than a year, you'll need to buy a blender with a serious power plant. I just moved up to the kitchen aid model with the .9 hp motor on it. You'll need that power to blend your frozen fruit (or crush ice if you so choose). Other considerations if you are looking for a blender are the size & shape of the container. A short, fat, and square jar is ideal, though square jars are often difficult to find. You also want a blender that has variable speeds.
How to make a smoothie:
Ingredients:
1/2 to 2/3 cup frozen strawberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 to 2/3 cup frozen mangos
1 banana
1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup orange or grapefruit juice
Simply combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds to a minute)
Smoothie Variations & Substitutions:
There are a number of variations you can do to the above recipe to create your own personal smoothie. For instance, for a more robust (and by robust, I mean fattening smoothie), you can substitute 2% or whole milk for the light vanilla soy milk. I personally prefer the soy milk because it is less fat, is a great source of protein, and you can't really tell a difference in the taste. Using milk makes your concoction a bit more creamy, especially if you use whole milk. You can also experiment with a number of different juices. If orange or grapefruit isn't your thing, you can try apple, acai, pomegranate, or pineapple juice. All can create a frosty treat quickly and easily for you to enjoy anywhere. I enjoy mine on my 30 minute commute to work. Feel free to suggest other ingredients that you use to make your smoothie your own!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
How To Chop & Peel Garlic
Allium sativum, or as it is more commonly referred to, Garlic, is one of my absolute favorite types of onion. That's right, garlic is a type of onion. And yes, it even trumps the sweet vidalia onions I love to saute so much.
There are numerous health and even medicinal benefits to garlic that go beyond warding off your friendly neighborhood vampire. Garlic has been around forever. Did you know that garlic was actually mentioned over 2000 years ago in the Bible, and has even been found in records dating as far back as ancient Egypt! Garlic is pretty potent (and delicious) stuff, and it is used to flavor cuisine the world over.
In ancient times, garlic was found not only to add sumptuous flavourings to many dishes, but people back then also used garlic to treat certain parasites, poor digestion, lethargy, and even respiratory problems.
Today's modern medicine has shown us that garlic has additional healthy benefits that have to do with reducing that ugly cholesterol number you never want to hear about when you visit your doctor. It has also been shown to reduce the build up of heart disease causing plaque in your arteries.
With a simplistic, white little bulb packing such a punch, why not use more garlic in your recipes? To use it, you must prep it; and to prep it, you must know the make up of garlic.
First you have the garlic bulb:
A bulb of garlic typically holds about a dozen or so cloves, which is the part that we're after. So you'll need to use your hands to peel back the outer skin and break out the individual cloves.
Once you have the cloves pulled apart from the bulb, you'll notice that these are also covered in a thin membrane or skin. We'll need to remove that, but unlike the outer skin on the bulb, peeling these cloves individually is time consuming and even frustrating. So, on to the main point of this Cravings tutorial! How to chop and peel a clove of garlic so that we can use the bits and pieces of garlic in our recipes!
Here's a quick video:
Instructions:
1) Place individual clove on cutting board.
2) Take your chef's knife, and turn it as if it were laying flat on your counter top.
3) With the flat side over your clove, litely tap the flat part of your blade, thereby litely crushing the clove. Be careful not to hit it to hard, thereby mashing your clove.
4) This will crack your outer skin, and your clove will slip right out!
There are numerous health and even medicinal benefits to garlic that go beyond warding off your friendly neighborhood vampire. Garlic has been around forever. Did you know that garlic was actually mentioned over 2000 years ago in the Bible, and has even been found in records dating as far back as ancient Egypt! Garlic is pretty potent (and delicious) stuff, and it is used to flavor cuisine the world over.
In ancient times, garlic was found not only to add sumptuous flavourings to many dishes, but people back then also used garlic to treat certain parasites, poor digestion, lethargy, and even respiratory problems.
Today's modern medicine has shown us that garlic has additional healthy benefits that have to do with reducing that ugly cholesterol number you never want to hear about when you visit your doctor. It has also been shown to reduce the build up of heart disease causing plaque in your arteries.
With a simplistic, white little bulb packing such a punch, why not use more garlic in your recipes? To use it, you must prep it; and to prep it, you must know the make up of garlic.
First you have the garlic bulb:
A bulb of garlic typically holds about a dozen or so cloves, which is the part that we're after. So you'll need to use your hands to peel back the outer skin and break out the individual cloves.
Once you have the cloves pulled apart from the bulb, you'll notice that these are also covered in a thin membrane or skin. We'll need to remove that, but unlike the outer skin on the bulb, peeling these cloves individually is time consuming and even frustrating. So, on to the main point of this Cravings tutorial! How to chop and peel a clove of garlic so that we can use the bits and pieces of garlic in our recipes!Here's a quick video:
Instructions:
1) Place individual clove on cutting board.
2) Take your chef's knife, and turn it as if it were laying flat on your counter top.
3) With the flat side over your clove, litely tap the flat part of your blade, thereby litely crushing the clove. Be careful not to hit it to hard, thereby mashing your clove.
4) This will crack your outer skin, and your clove will slip right out!
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