Friday, October 29, 2010

Another day, another holiday!

I want to wish all my blog followers a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN ..........

I was having a conversation with some folks in the resort I live in about a party we are having for Halloween on Saturday evening, all hallows eve. Many of our residents will be dressing up in costume and some will not. I usually go to the parties every year but haven't worn a costume in years. I usually take out my little black dress and wear an ample amount of gawdy jewelry and dance the night away. We are a gated community and have never in the 20 years I have lived here gotten trick ot treaters. I can't say that upsets me. I have two sons and two grandsons so I have done my share of trick or treating and passing out goodies at our door.

We all agreed it seems Halloween has become more for the adults in these past years than for the kids. More parties, more costumes rented and more adult shinanigans. Where ever you go, if you go out, be safe, lots of drunken idiots roaming the streets not caring who they might hurt. Luckily I will be at one of our beautiful, safe clubhouses behind locked gates so no problem here.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN my friends....

Here is a recipe I like to make on Halloween as a dessert after dinner. It's light, not fattening and so very tasty, also easy to make too...

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup cold water
2 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
8 packets sugar substitute
2 egg whites

Combine gelatin, salt and spices. Add 1/4 water. Stir.
Mix egg yolks with heavy cream, 1/4 cup water, and pumpkin in top of double boiler. Add gelatin mixture. Cook over boiling water for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Refrigerate until thick as unbeaten egg whites. Stir occasionally. Add sugar substitute (taste for sweetness.)
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the chilled pumpkin mixture into egg whites. Be careful not to break down the volume of egg whites. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish. Refrigerate.
Serves 8 people...

Thursday, October 21, 2010

DOGS EAT ANYTHING: But should they?

DANGER to all dogs. . .

Recently I have been doing research on foods not good for our dogs, in fact some have the ability to kill them. We have probably all heard the warnings against chocolate as it is possibly the worst of the foods a dog can ingest. Some people have said they only give their petS sugar free candy. There is a substance in many sugar free items such as candy, gum and cookies called:
XYLITOL and it can be a recipe for disaster, why you ask, because for diabetics it is considered natural and safe unless your a dog, then it causes potentially fatal hypoglycemia. And if that weren't enough it can also cause deadly liver necrosis. Many veternarians believe their should be warning labels on anything containing Xylitol for dog owners...

GRAPES & RAISINS, as healthy as they are for we humans have killed dogs after only seven grapes due to kidney failure. Vets believe a yet unnamed toxin to which we are immune works to kill our pets. Raisens are even worse, being smaller there is a more concentrated amount of this mystery substance which is more dangerous. The symptons are vomiting, dairrhea and lethargy.

ONIONS & ONION POWDER, one onion ring won't kill but a bunch could. Onions contain disulfides which inside a dogs body destroy red blood cells. Onion powder, like raisins is even worse because all the harmless water is removed. The powder tends to build up and cause startling results like labored breathing, upset stomach and lethargy.
GARLIC, contains the same toxin but doesn't seem as dangerous for a reason yet unknown.

PITTED FRUITS, can cause serious choking in our pet but did you know that peach, plum, apricot, cherry, and persimmon pits all contain a cyanide derivative that builds up over time. So these delicious harmless fruits to us, are a serious danger to our pets.

TREE NUTS, especially Macadamias contain one or more unknown doggy neurotoxins that can result in weakness, stiffness, pain and severe shaking. All walnuts harbor a fungus deadly to dogs. Keep pets away from all nuts.

ANYTHING WITH CAFFEINE, most dog owners know to keep caffeine away from your pets or they could become all twitchey, have possible seizures, kind of like a person on meth.
CHOCOLATE is however ranked lower than some other substances mentioned here because it depends alot on the amount of chocolate ingested, the strength of the chocolate and weight/size of the dog. A 50 pound dog can tolerate 18 ounces of milk chocolate (usually?) 8 ounces of dark semi-sweetened or 2.6 ounces of baking or unsweetened chocolate, and 1.4 ounces of dry cocoa powder. If the dog weighs less than 15 pounds rush him to the vet if he eats anything besides milk chocolate. But if it's just one candy he should be okay, besides a few more trips potty!

FATTY FOODS, when your dogs beg for bacon and the fat trimmed from your steak, he's also begging for potential pancreatitis. Symptoms include vomiting, severe abdominal pain and shock.
These results can have a cumulative effect or result from a single fatty meal, and it can be fatal.

BONES & CORNCOBS, any vet worth his salt will say the same thing my mothers vet told her when she adopted a stray that had been hanging around her bakery for weeks. She took it to the vet for a check up asking him, "what kind of bones can I feed my dog?" The vet smiled, then looked sternly at her and said: "ELEPHANT BONES!!!" So mothers dog Champ never got any bones except doggy milk bones...




Saturday, October 9, 2010

HEALTH and EASY WEIGHT LOSS

MEDITERRANIAN DIET and a HEALTHY HEART

Ever since I can remember I have wanted and needed to lose 15 pounds. After I married and had two kids the weight became easier to gain and harder to lose. I did all the popoular diets and invented several of my own until finally realizing I simply had to eat less and move more. Sounds easy right? Well, it isn't. I love food! I never drank alcohol or smoked and eating was an adventure to me. I also love to cook and am an excellent cook. I would gain 20 pounds, and then lose it, and gain it back again, and lose it, it was a vicious circle always leaving me fat.

All his young life my son had bouts with broncitis and suffered so. Every time the seasons in Chicago changed, he got sick. The horrid winters were a real problem. I was told that he needed to be in a hot, dry climate or he might not live through another bad cold season. So in the 1970's we moved to the desert here in Nevada. I am happy to report his lungs cleared nicely and with a proper diet and supplements he thrived...and still does today.

The down side to all this is Vegas has more restaurants and fabulous chefs than you can count. In my job working on the strip I met many famous entertainers, and was always invited and going to parties where fantastic dishes were served, and I loved eating the foods. Plus I got comped at so many Casino restaurants I was always eating rich delicious foods, all for free. Thus my 20 extra pounds began to creep up way past 50...yikes!!!

Enough about that but allow me to give you the answer to eating good, delicious foods and still eating to lose weight, and then how to maintain the pounds lost, like I have...

Consider how the Mediterranian Eating Plan has been established to promote lifelong good health and lower the risk of both heart disease and cancer. It is far more than a diet, it is a lifestyle...

Main ingredients of the Mediterranian diet include:
*Eating small portions of nuts, 'All' nuts but walnuts, almonds, pecans and brazil nuts are best (a handful only.)
*Consuming very little red meats.
*Eat fish or shellfish at least twice a week, (not fried.)
*Eating generous amounts of fruits and vegetables daily.
*Consuming healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil and canola oil.
*Using herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of salt (we only need 1/2 tsp. of salt a day)
*Drinking wine in moderation.
*Enjoying yogurt and small portions of cheese daily.
* Eat a good 7 to 9 grain bread, 2 slices a day.

Changing to a Mediterranian diet is much easier than you'd think, it takes just a few diet swaps.
*Regularily exercising ( I simply walk and bike ride. ) And as often as possible, enjoy meals with family and friends.
Good luck and bon' a petite!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Another Month has gone by...

Today it is October 1st., 2010 and I can hardly believe it. Where does the time go and why does it move so much faster after we reach 60+? I remember not being able to wait to be 13, a teenager, then 16 so I could have more freedom, then 18 the magical year. I had so much freedom I moved out of the house and found a small apartment. Big MISTAKE!! I was afraid all the time and hated being alone at night. I got engaged and moved back home. Married by 18 and at 21 I had my first child, my son David. That bliss lasted until I was 23. By 26 I was remarried and had another son, Mark. My boys were 5 years apart. Even though the time was flashing before my eyes I never noticed it. And as I grew older I can remember saying about losing some weight, or doing something else I needed to do, "oh, I can do that by the time I'm 36." Not sure why I picked 36 but I did. Thirty six came and went and now I am 70. I am still losing the same weight once more, screwed up several careers and excelled in several others. I have finally semi-retired. I have no idea how much time I still have and can't help but look back wondering where did all my time go? I am well past what I considered my magic age, and am still waiting to do too many things, 36 has come and gone, so has 46, 56 and 66. Now instead of being cocky and saying I have time galore, I know that isn't so.

I am not complaining but just warning those of you who haven't reached 36 or your own magic number to do all that you can now at the age you are, Take full advantage of your youth, enjoy feeling good like the world is your oyster because time waits for no man, or woman. Grab the world by the behind, throw caution to the wind and go for the gusto. . .

October 1st. 2010, WOW!