Chili Con Carne

After committing to a pescatarian diet all week (Monday - Friday), I was ready for some meat! Even better is that I could enjoy some beef since my husband is out for the day (and he's not a beef eater.) With Superbowl food ideas in mind, what could be better than some Chili con Carne?I found the following recipe on Food Network.com and chose it based on its ratings. I halved the original recipe and adapted it by using only beef stew meat (instead of both beef and pork), used canola oil (instead of corn oil), beef broth (instead of chicken) and red kidney beans (instead of pinto beans). This was hearty, chunky and flavorful chili with a nice kick fro

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My absolute favorite cookie in the whole wide world are chocolate chip cookies. They're simple and classic - what's not to love?! The difficulty in making chocolate chip cookies is deciding on which recipe to make since there are just so many to choose from.Thanks to Bridget, she highlighted 4 different chocolate chip cookie recipes and I encourage you to check out her blog for her reviews! She made it easier for me to decide given the 4 recipes she chose to compare... and because I trust her baking sense (evident here, with the end of my yeast-phobia) I made Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip recipe. I only made one adaptation to Alton's recipe, whic

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Coconut Black Raspberry Thumbprints

I'm not big on jams and jellies, although I love just enough for a taste of various flavors. I have a jar of black raspberry jam that kept staring at me every time I opened the fridge. I figured I'd get more use out of it in some kind of dessert rather than slathered on some toast. But what should I make? Maybe a cookie, perhaps?Well, thanks to Peabody, she inspired me to make thumbprint cookies after her recent post using the following recipe below on her blog. She used a combination of all-purpose flour and rice flour for the dough and filled each cookie with pineapple and raspberry jam before baking. I also like that she pulsed the coconut for the

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CONFESSIONS FROM THE OLD COUNTRY : LAMB AND PRUNE TAGINE

ESS ESS MEIN KINDT! (EAT! EAT! MY CHILD!)Food and culture go together like love & marriage (well, not always these days), like a horse & buggy, like, um, okay, let’s start over :Food and culture go together like bread & butter, like peanut butter & jelly, like tea & scones, like brownies & milk. (Oh, that’s better.) We express and share our culture through what we eat, we learn about other cultures through their cuisine. We strengthen our bonds to our own culture as well as to family and friends who surround us each time we cook and serve a traditional food or meal. What ingredients we use, what dishes we prepare, how it is ser

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Tastemaker: Quaker's True Delights Granola Bars

As a Foodbuzz Tastemaker, I have the opportunity to sample new food products before they hit the public market. I recently had the chance to check out Quaker's new True Delights granola bars and they are better than I expected!Quaker says...Made with only premium, delicious ingredients, these granola bars are an indulgent combination of real fruit, whole nuts and dark chocolate, mixed into wholesome honey-drizzled Quaker Oats.Enticing peices of fruit, such as gently dried bananas and sweet raspberries, are nestled together with large macadamia nuts, cashews or toasted almonds and chunks of 45% cacao premium dark chocolateI can't say that I've been a f

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Light Blueberry Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes

Aaah... its the weekend again and what makes this even better for me is that I don't have any entertaining plans whatsoever! With the new year, I made it a point to have one full weekend for myself without entertaining. I definitely need some 'me' time and this weekend is it! to start off the day, I wanted something I could put some effort into for breakfast. The past week my breakfasts have consisted of toasted english muffins, yogurt, cereal, etc... all grab and go type meals. But today I'm treating myself to some of these pancakes. Thanks to Kira, she inspired me to make these and it's a delicious way to start the morning!I tracked down the origina

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On February 25 Facing Autism Will Wear Pink

UPDATE:Thank you to bullet who provided a link to the CBC story about the Nova Scotia students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, of Central Kings Rural High School in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley: Bullied student tickled pink by schoolmates' T-shirt campaignBullying is nasty business.It is the essence of hatred and discrimination against anyone who is different or vulnerable, including people who are different because of their racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation or people with mental illnesses or neurological disorders.Children with autism disorders are subject to bullying even by public figures seeking to promote their tired careers

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Fennel and Orange Salad

Fennel and Orange SaladAnyone who follows me on twitter (follow me here) knows that this is my region of the country's growing season and I am getting a wonderful box of produce from my local farm co-op (CSA Box). My only problem seems to be my plethora of fennel.I really don't like fennel all that much. I find that the flavor when cooked is a little strong and tends to over power anything it is going with! I decided I had better try it raw and see how that goes. At this point I had 4 large bulbs of the stuff. Thank goodness my sister is here and she was able to help out with eating all of this!I looked around for a couple of ideas and came up w

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Autism Stimming - Conor Stimming Video Hits 5000 Views

On April 27, 2008 I noted that Conor's Counting & Stimming YouTube video had hit 2,050 views. Now I am pleased to say that the video has been viewed 5,000 times. The viewing numbers have not been boosted by multiple CNN appearances by Conor. It is not a scripted, dramatization of what stimming might look like. It is an actual portrayal of Conor, a boy with Autistic Disorder, stimming with his favorite stim object, a straw.I am pleased that so many interested persons have seen the video and have seen what stimming looks like Conor style ... with no agenda and no pretense. For Conor stimming is not a language, or abstract form of communi

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Winner of Foodie Freebie Friday: Food Network Magazine Subscription!

Happy Foodie Freebie Friday! It was great to hear all about your thoughts about Food Network, including your favorite celebrity, past and present tv shows you enjoy watching, and even shows you hope to see aired in the future. Thanks to all those that shared their thoughts about Food Network. Quite honestly, I don't watch too much Food Network these days. I used to plant myself right in front of the tv with it on all day, but in the past few months, I've been too busy to watch very often. When I had more time to watch, I enjoyed shows like Alton Brown, The Best Of (remember that one?!), Unwrapped and Roker on the Road. For me, I really take interest

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If Autism Is A Joy Why Is It In The DSM?

If autism is a joy, a simple natural variation that brings with it many blessings, then why is it found and described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association?Why are children as young as 2 years of age diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders ... Pervasive Developmental Disorders? Why do parents take their children for medical assessments that result in "autism spectrum" diagnoses? If their condition was one which brings such great joy then why visit a doctor to discuss it?I am one of those old fashioned males who doesn't particularly like visiting doctors' offices. I will probably

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Για τον φουκαριάρη το Δήμαρχο, τον δενδροκόφτη!

update 2-2-2009ΚΑΛΗΜΕΡΑ ΣΑΣ ΚΥΡΙΕ ΚΑΚΛΑΜΑΝΗ!ΕΥΓΕΝΙΑ ΗΛΙΟΠΟΥΛΟΥΕίμαι σίγουρη ότι δεν θα με θυμόσαστε. Έχω γράψει πολλά άρθρα που απευθύνονται σε σας σαν υπουργός και μετά σαν δήμαρχος Αθηναίων( στην Πόλη της ζωής μας)αλλά εσείς με γράψατε… στις σόλες των υποδημάτων σας. Αλώστε από τότε που φύγατε από το Υπουργείο Υγείας, Πρόνοιας και Κοινωνικής Αλληλεγγύης απομακρυνθήκατε και από την ιδιότητα του γιατρού και του προστάτη των φτωχών κοινωνικών στρωμάτων.Σαν Βουλευτής με την Ν.Δ. από το 1990 ακολουθήσατε συγκριμένη γραμμή προτεραιοτήτων κοντά στα λιγοστά ευκατάστατα μέλη της κοινωνίας μας σε βάρος των πολλών χαμηλοεισοδηματιών. Την περίοδο 10.3.2004-14.

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INCREDIBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE with COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM & CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

BLOW OUT THE CANDLES AND MAKE A WISH Yes, yes, truth be told, yesterday was indeed my birthday. But older? Naw! Who you kidding? What’s that old, creepy and very dated saying? “She’s not getting older, she’s getting better!” * sigh * as he looks at her adoringly…..Who me? Older? I think not!But though, after a certain * ahem * age we dread birthdays, who doesn’t love a party? Or the attention? Or the gifts! I certainly will never scoff at any of those! And this year was no different (okay, so I never have a party… at least I get lots of attention and at least a few gifts).Well, at least as the baker in the family I get to choose my own cake. For years

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