Salt and pepper shakers are great everyday tools that can be used to add style and personality to your kitchen. Sure you can get them in plain old clear glass but why would you want to when they come in so many fun and fabulous colors, shapes, and styles? For example, both casie82 and I ask, how cute are these salt and pepper shakers? I love how they are little honey bears and think I may have to get them for my parent's mountain vacation house.
Two more after the break so read more
Cayenne pepper is made from dried chili peppers, and is known for its strong, spicy taste and smell. It's used in many dishes to give them a little "kick," but it can also be used for medicinal purposes.
Capsaicin is the chemical in the chili pepper that gives it its heat. It has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines to treat many health conditions like poor circulation, headaches, toothaches, chronic pain, sore throats, and heart disease.
When eaten, cayenne stimulates the flow of stomach secretions and saliva, which in turn help with digestion and gas. The peppery heat from the capsaicin can also stimulate secretions that help to clear mucus from your nose and congestion in your lungs.
This powerful spice can also increase blood flow, which when you're sick or hurt, will speed along healing. Cayenne also has a high content of vitamin A, so it has immunity boosting properties as well.
That's not all - it's also a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and dietary fiber. Keep some in your kitchen so you can add a pinch to stir-fries, canned beans, soups, and even hot cocoa.
Fit's Tips: When handling cayenne pepper, always be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. You don't want to accidentally touch your eyes. If you do, immediately flush out your eye with water. If the burning feeling gets really painful, call your doctor.
You can buy hummus just about anywhere these days, but nothing compares to the taste when it's freshly made. And it's really easy to make — the hardest part is buying all of the ingredients.
What You'll Need:
Place all of the ingredients in a blender for a few minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Serve in a bowl with fresh vegetables and sliced pita bread. Or even better, try it with homemade pita chips. This would also be a great snack to have while watching the Super Bowl.
Fit's Tips: This is a basic recipe, so play around with it - add your own special ingredients like grated carrots or artichoke hearts.
Yesterday I invited my sister over for dinner because I decided that we were going to try and master one of my mom's classic dishes. It's best described as stir fried beef with gravy and vegetables, but we lovingly call it "na ge niu rou" (which literally translates to "that cow meat").
Now, my mom has made this dish (or a variation of this dish) a thousand times and you'd think that I'd have tried cooking it by now. However, I never knew where to begin. See, my mom's a fantastic cook (in fact, she actually used to teach classes), but she never measures anything and getting a recipe from her is nearly impossible. So when I went home for Christmas, I followed her around with a pen in one hand and a camera in the other and forced her to come up with a recipe.
My end result ended up being pretty tasty (although I didn't cut my meat as thin as I could have) and I'm surprised by how easy it was. It wasn't as tasty as my mom's dish (but come on, is ANYTHING ever as good as mom's?), but I think with practice I'll be able to make it my own. To learn what goodies my mom cooks up in the kitchen, read more
