Saturday, August 15, 2009

Tips for a Tasty and Healthy Barbecue Season

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Expert Column

Summer is synonymous with grilling for many American families, and why not? When the weather is warm, we spend more time outdoors and try to stay out of the hot kitchen. It stays light longer, and the evenings tend to seem a little less jam-packed with activities than usual. These are all great reasons to look to the barbecue for dinner inspiration. But before you dust off that grill, we have some tips to help you enjoy the BBQ season while keeping your dinners as lean and healthy as can be.

Healthy Barbecue Tip No. 1:
Bold ingredients add great flavor to grilling sauces and marinades.
You can add bold flavors without adding too many calories or fat grams. Here are some of my favorite ingredients for sauces and marinades:

Worcestershire sauce: 2 tablespoons contain 30 calories, 0 grams fat, and 390 milligrams sodium
Chili sauce: 2 tablespoons contain 40 calories, 0 grams fat, and 960milligrams sodium (depending on brand)
Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons contain 30 calories, 0 grams fat, and 20milligrams sodium
Molasses: 2 tablespoons contain 120 calories, 0 grams fat, and 40 milligrams sodium
Soy sauce (less-sodium type): 2 tablespoons contain 20 calories, 0 grams fat, and 1150 milligrams sodium

Healthy Barbecue Tip No. 2:
Have large resealable plastic bag, will marinate!
One of the easiest ways to marinate meat, chicken, fish or vegetables is to place them inside a large, resealable plastic bag. Set the bag in a medium sized bowl, then drizzle the marinade over the food. Seal the bag, eliminating any excess air. The food should be surrounded by the marinade. Keep marinating in the refrigerator until you're ready to grill.

Healthy Barbecue Tip No. 3:
A little sweetness is good, but more is not better.
Adding a small amount of a sweet ingredient (like fruit juice, brown sugar, honey or molasses) to the marinade or grilling sauce can be a good thing. It adds flavor and helps to balance other bold spices in the marinade or sauce. But too much sweetness can encourage the meat, fish, or vegetables to burn when they're grilled over high heat.

Healthy Barbecue Tip No. 4:

Throw some vegetables on the grill
The best part about grilling vegetables is that you don't have to worry about overcooking them as you do with some types of meat. And vegetables seem to taste better grilled than they do cooked any other way.

Marinating vegetables will help them caramelize better when they're grilled, and it's the caramelization that brings the best flavors. Just submerge the vegetables in marinade for about an hour before putting them on the grill. If you don't have that kind of prep time, just coat the vegetables ever so lightly with a little olive oil or canola oil.

Continued in our next post...Have a Yummy weekend and "BON APPETIT!" (In Memory of Julia Child).
Jacques

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

What works even in a recession

Years ago, I discovered that with a few simple skills I could navigate through the thickest fog and magically get where I wanted to go, most of the time, much to the surprise of my friends. Now with a GPS it's so easy anyone can do it.

The same is true with your business. Once you know how to stay focused and navigate through this recession you'll amaze yourself as you see profits pouring in.

Use the following five steps:

1. Begin with an urgent and compelling goal. Pick a goal that's vital to the success of your business. It could be lead generation, referrals, increasing repeat sales, customer retention, etc. But whatever you pick, it should be so important that it motivates you to follow through.

2. Pick something you can accomplish within a few weeks, a month at most. If your goal is to write a book, identify a short-term sub goal, such as completing the first chapter.

Or if you want to get referrals, you could start by writing the sequence of questions you'd use to get existing clients to tell you how much they love your products or services. Then get them to give you 1-2 names of people they'll help you contact.

3. Pick something you can measure. Improving customer service is a nice idea, but you need a specific sub goal you can measure. Increasing repeat sales this month would be a good goal to measure.

4. Make sure the larger goal and the sub-goal you have picked is one that everyone on your team can commit to. If half your team doesn't agree that it's urgent, it won't happen.

If everyone can agree, for example, that they'll focus on adding one more sales partner each month, it's more likely to happen.

5. Pick a goal you can accomplish with the people and resources you have. That way you're not dependent on additional funds or new resources.

That's it. Now get started.

Pick an urgent marketing goal, stay focused and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Courtesy of: Charlie Cook

Monday, July 20, 2009

Give Your Blood Pressure This Daily Treat

Just 30 calories per day of chocolate may be enough to help reduce your blood pressure. As far as serving sizes go, that’s about a Hershey’s Kiss worth.

But you have to eat the right kind of chocolate, according to Joseph Maroon, MD, author of The Longevity Factor. He recommends nonsweetened or minimally sweetened dark chocolate that’s at least 70 percent cocoa.

Crazy for Cocoa

Dark chocolate can also help reduce atherosclerosis and blood clotting, aid blood flow, contribute to an overall reduction in heart attacks, and improve cholesterol levels, according to Maroon. And it’s all thanks to the powerful antioxidants found in the cocoa bean. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about this heart-smart treat.

More Good Reasons to Eat Chocolate

As if you need them . . . Maroon offers three more great reasons to indulge:

1.For better blood sugar. Chocolate enhances the effect of insulin and sugar utilization. Drop your blood sugar even further with this one painless click.
2.For a finer complexion. Yep, fewer wrinkles and fine lines. Here’s how you can help your skin with chocolate.
3.For a better mood. The taste isn’t the only reason it makes us smile. This is how you get happier with chocolate.

RealAge Benefit: Getting 31 milligrams of flavonoids a day -- like those found in chocolate -- can make your RealAge 3.2 years younger.

Courtesy of: RealAge online newsletter

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Inspiring Thoughts In Courage...

When things go wrong...
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint on the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.

—Unknown

Have continued rest of the Fourth of July weekend!

Jacques

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Watermelon May Have Effects Similar to Viagra

Herbie Hancock's 1962 jazz hit "Watermelon Man" takes on a whole new meaning from this little-known fact: One of its ingredients triggers production of a chemical that works similar to Viagra.

And the millions of watermelons being enjoyed across the nation this Fourth of July weekend just might help men get their groove back.

In fact, the ingredient, citrulline, might not only treat erectile dysfunction but also help prevent it. In the body, citrulline is converted to arginine, an amino acid known to improve the heart and circulatory system and to boost the immune system.

It helps erectile dysfunction by relaxing blood vessels, similar to Viagra's effect.

The citrulline-arginine relationship helps heart health, the immune system and may prove to be very helpful for those who suffer from obesity and Type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center in College Station. “Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it.”

“The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body,” Patil says. “Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.

“We’ve always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important healthful benefits grows longer with each study,” he says.

-----
As out of the usual theme of my Posts as the above may seem, nevertheless it is meant to wish al of you (*) and yours a Happy, Safe and fruitful Fourth of July weekend!

(*) Although this information is good news for you guys...it can also help bring more Joy to you gals! :o)

Best of Everything!

Jacques

Post Options Labels for this post:
e.g. scooters, vacation, fall

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

8th Grade Education in 1895

How many teachers today know the answers for this test???

What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895....

Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina , KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4.. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,''play,' and 'run.'
5. Define case; illustrate each case..
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation..
7. - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hou r 15 minutes)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6..00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft.. Long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.


U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.



Orthography (Time, one hour)
[Do we even know what this is??]

1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals& nbsp;
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6.. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, f ain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.


Geography (Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
7. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
8. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
9. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.

Gives the saying 'he only had an 8th grade education' a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! Also shows you how poor our education system has become, and... NO, I don't have the answers!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

"BAD NEWS"

Dear Jacques,

It turns out the so-called bad news is really a golden opportunity for you, my valued reader. Frankly, I need your help. More on this in a minute.

In anticipation for a busy summer season, my staff has been working feverishly to clean up our warehouse space. It's one of those things that was long overdue. They've been trying to get around to it for months now.

Things have been so busy around here nobody had time. I finally had to put my foot down and schedule a major spring clean-up.

Much to our surprise they discovered a cache of products we didn't know were buried in there. Some of my most popular products we thought had long been out of stock suddenly turned up.

Seems an over-zealous supplier shipped out an extra truck load of products.

Products like Seven Qualities of Top Salespeople, Motivating SalesPeople to Top Performance, Getting Rich Your Own Way, and Something for Nothing, just to name a few.

Now don't get me wrong, there is a limited amount of products. Some are more plentiful than others, but they all must be moved out make room for new product coming in.

Here's where I need your help. Everything must be out by June 30th. We've only got 21 days to get the warehouse space in tip-top shape.

As a result I've decided to have a 'Spring Clean-Up Event.' This is an unusual happening around here but it has to be done because we really need the space.

The good news is you can now get your hands on some of my best products at garage sale prices. This is on a first-come-first-served basis only.

The bad news is you've only got less than 21 days or until the product sells through, whichever comes first -- to take advantage of my warehouse stock overage. If you've ever wanted to own a valuable Brian Tracy product...now is your chance.

In all fairness I must tell you this message is going out to over 250,000 readers of my various newsletters.

As you can imagine the chances are slim to none of getting what you want unless you take action now. You know I'm all about taking action to achieve your goals. Consider this an exercise in action-taking.

Learn more about this sales event now.

The economy breakdown isn't anywhere near over, in fact, it may even get worse. There is no better time to get more bang for your buck than during my first ever 'Spring Clean-Up Event.' Consider it a small investment in your future which can lead to a major ROI (return on investment).

You've got everything to gain and nothing to lose here -- unless you hesitate and do nothing -- in which case I can't be responsible for your loss. You know what you have to do to win.
-----

Dear Friends,

The above was just received from Brian Tracy on whose mailing list I am---FYI: I am in no way involved in promoting him or his products and do not stand to earn a penny should you decide to order any of his merchandise.

More importantly, RE: my return on the scene after such a long silence:

This is mainly to let you know that I am alive and well---that I have Not "forgotten" or tuned my back to you!"---that, to stay in frequent touch with you has continued to be one of my top priorities, which is why I feel compelled to bring you up to date as to "why the long silence?".

The fact is: this computer has been playing tricks that even three techie friends of mine (one runs a computer business) could not figure out. So they started forcing me to "get rid of a lot of files, etc." (delete) which they found superfluous. The business owner must have gone wild as, when he returned my "cleaned up" tower, TONS of items of importance (to ME) were gone or inaccessible to this "computer moron" :0(
Not the least of which was my ability to POST to my Blogs!

FINALLY today, a long time Friend stopped by---MADE the time---patiently and effectively FIXED THE PROBLEM! :o)

It Really Feels GREAT to be "Home Again!" LOL---Be back to you SOON!

Jacques