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The LG Fridge That Will Help You Lose Weight

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:24:01 PST

LG's home appliance lineup will be getting a little geekier (and healthier) with new Smart Thinq technologies. In general, Smart Thinq connects your mobile device to your home appliances so you can monitor things like your laundry cycle and cooking times from anywhere, but new refrigerators may actually help you achieve your 2012 weight-loss goals with the inclusion of a feature called the Health Manager.

This feature will help you build a personal profile, then suggests recipes, daily and weekly meal plans, menus, and food selections based on age, gender, weight, height, and BMI. Dropping a few pounds gets even easier when you can select and send a shopping list to your phone, and send recipes to a LG Smart Oven, which will then automatically adjust cook settings. It's almost like having a digital butler . . . except you'll still have to prepare the food yourself. Bummer.

Stay tuned for pricing and release date information!

Save Time and Money With My Refrigerator-Buying Tips

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:00:21 PDT

Two weekends ago, while my husband, baby, and I were away backpacking, our refrigerator decided to give up the ghost. We came home to find an entire fridge and freezer of spoiled food. Not quite the homecoming we were hoping for! I spent the better part of the next day researching refrigerators for our space. The task was doubly hard because our small galley kitchen couldn't accommodate a normal-depth refrigerator. Plus, the majority of fridges that were the right depth were $6,000 and up! Since I'd just finished maternity leave, we were on a tight budget, and couldn't afford to throw that kind of cash at an appliance.
In the end, we found a great Bosch refrigerator that we're quite happy with. In the process of researching this purchase, I learned a few tricks that I thought might help out other Casa readers. See my tips when you

Read the reviews with a grain of salt. Our fridge was faulted by several reviewers for its poor ice-making performance. However, as another reviewer pointed out, if you simply read the directions, you'll find out how to most efficiently make ice with this model.
Measure twice, search once. Save time in your search by measuring the space you want to fit the fridge in before heading to the Internet or into a store. Since you can search by depth, height, and width of fridge, knowing your measurements by heart will help to minimize the time you spend looking for a fridge.
Know your needs. Are you a single lady? Have a passel of kids? Freeze a lot of jam and veggies? These considerations can help you determine the cubic feet you'll need for storage in your fridge. Why take up room in your kitchen with an extra-large appliance if you only store a minimal amount of food in it? Or, if you know you freeze a lot of food, look for a fridge with a larger freezer capacity.
Delivery is awesome. Why mess with buying an appliance in-store, and hauling it away, when many stores charge a minimal delivery fee? Sears charged us $65 to deliver our fridge and $10 to haul away our old fridge. The handy, polite, and prompt servicemen installed our fridge and set up the water filter component on it before 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning, which left us plenty of time to get brunch and head to the farmer's market.
Look for deals in-store. While we bought our fridge online, my brother recently found a Bosch fridge at Lowes for half price in-store. He was able to get the fridge at a lower price point since its finish had been scratched. However, the fridge had been scratched on the side that was going against a wall, so you'd never know the difference anyway. Cosmetic issues like this can be a real cost saver.
Shop outlets. One friend recently advised on Facebook that she shopped at Sears Appliance Outlet. "We got a $2,500 stainless steel fridge for $700." If you have the time, checking in at outlet stores can also save you some serious cash.
Look for Energy Star products. Our fridge has an Energy Star rating, which means it costs a lot less to operate per year, given its efficiency rate. Look for the Energy Star label to find out whether an appliance is energy efficient. The federal government also requires most appliances to display the yellow and black EnergyGuide label, which can break down the operating cost of appliances by kilowatt hour.

What helpful tips do you have for buying refrigerators?

You Are What You Eat: A Study in Consumption

YumSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:00:34 PDT

This month, Good magazine features a collection of narrative images that explores the different ways people address food. "You Are What You Eat," a collection of narrative images by artist Mark Menjivar, divulges the contents of various eaters' refrigerators.

One fridge, stacked haphazardly with various styrofoam takeout containers, reflects the night owl habits of a bartender. Another icebox, stocked mostly with beer, coffee drinks, and a lone plate of leftovers, reflects the eating habits of three college students. Even sadder, another contains nothing but mayonnaise and a black plastic bag - it's the fridge of a street advertiser who makes $432 a month in wages.Menjivar's work reminds us that the food we stock in our refrigerators is as much a footprint of our lives as what we do or how we dress. If I were to publish my own, I would submit the above photo, with the header, "Food Writer | San Francisco, CA | 2-Person Household | Living on soup to get over bronchitis | 2009."

What would yours say? Check out Menjivar's work (below are a few examples) and tell me what you think: are you what you eat?

View 4 Photos ›

Source

All the News That's Fit to Eat - Nov. 19, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:30:37 PST

How novices can put together a successful Thanksgiving. - Boston Globe
This year, give your guests something to talk about: unusual wines. - The Oregonian
At home with chef Tyler Florence in his new Mill Valley digs.- San Francisco Chronicle
For last-minute holiday help, consider calling one of these hotlines. - Chicago Tribune
What's the science to roasting a (nearly) perfect turkey? - Washington Post
The supporting star of Thanksgiving is the gravy; how to get it right. - New York Times
Pay a pretty penny for the newest wave of refrigerators, which claim to keep food fresh for longer. - Wall Street Journal
The US Department of Agriculture is finalizing parameters for organic milk. - USA Today
As a Thanksgiving guest, think of the host when considering which sides to bring. - Los Angeles Times

Source

Flatshare Fridge: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:00:38 PDT

Got roommates who steal your food? What you need is a flatshare fridge! This creative fridge consists of a base fridge and four stackable pieces that allow each user to have a private fridge. Made for the Electrolux Design Lab Competition by Austrian designer Stefan Buchberger, the flatshare - which comes in a variety of colors - can be customized to include a bottle opener or whiteboard. I think this fridge is incredibly clever, but wonder if the small compartment could hold all of my culinary needs. What do you think?

Source

LG Refrigerator - TV, Remote Control, Kitchen Sink

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 10:00:44 PDT

If you've ever had the burdensome task of buying a major household appliance, you know it's not any fun. There is an alarming variety of models, features and wacky specs you didn't even know existed (seriously, who worries about refrigerator sound decimals on a regular basis?). LG's new Side-by-Side refrigerator offers far too many specs to mention, but caught my eye because it includes a built in 15" LCD TV with FM Radio, remote control, as well as a special Weather & Info Center that provides a five-day forecast for your area (where service is available).

Need to whip up an appetizer in time for your party? This bad boy comes pre-loaded with recipes and can store your favorite digital photos and anniversary reminders. The touch-sensitive digital controls also allow you to manage temperature in the refrigerator and freezer compartments as well as monitor room temperature and reset the water filter status indicator. Oh and if you're dieting or putting your better half on a diet - you can even set the door alarm. Looks like it costs about $3,500, but you have to remember you're getting a gazillion gadgets in one.

To check out more pictures of the fridge,

View 6 Photos ›

Geeky Refrigerator Makes Its Own Shopping List

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 10:07:51 PST

The end of shopping lists may be near. South Korean's Samsung Electronics is developing a new generation of geeky refrigerators that are equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which detects when its contents are running low or approaching expiration dates.

According to the Korea Times, the refrigerator automatically senses inventory needs such as when milk or juices run low, and could even send a shopping list to its owner's cell phone or to the supermarket. The device is scheduled to launch in 2008 or 2009.

Now if only my closet could do the same thing.

6 Handy Tips For Packing Work Lunches

Emily Co — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:28:28 PDT

Bringing lunch to work every day sure does save more than a few bucks and keeps you healthy at the same time. It's such an easy everyday saving trick, and it's a great option for those trying to cut costs on their daily expenses. Here are a few tips that get me through the week.

Mental Meal Plan: What do you want to eat for the rest of the week? Give it some thought before you make a trip to the grocery store to buy some ingredients. For inspiration, flip through Yum's list of delicious work lunches. While you're grocery shopping, read our savvy tricks for saving money at the supermarket.
Prep on Sunday: Buy all the ingredients you need on Sunday so that you won't have to desperately scramble around the night before. If you're planning on making one dish that you'll be eating all week (such as soup), you can either keep it refrigerated or, depending on what type of dish it is, you can also choose to freeze it in five ziploc packets that you can ration out throughout the week.
Keep It Separate: If you want to keep your lunch fresh, try to keep the pieces separate and assemble it right before you're having lunch. This works best for meals such as salads and sandwiches - soggy bread and vegetables are not appetizing!

Read on for more tips.

What to Expect Director Kirk Jones Shares the Personal Stories He Worked Into the Upcoming Film

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:19:39 PDT

Chances are you probably have a dog-eared copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting laying around your house. The "pregnancy bible" has been the first stop for information for expectant mamas since 1985, and while the nonfiction book has undergone four significant updates since its debut, few readers probably foresaw it being turned into a movie - unless it was a film being shown in childbirth classes. But under the direction of Kirk Jones, himself a father of three boys between the ages of five and 21, the book makes the feature film transition, telling five interconnected story lines about couples trying to start their families. With stars like Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, and Brooklyn Decker all part of the ensemble, the movie is getting significant buzz prior to its May 18 opening. I sat down with the director to discuss his interest in the project, and what it was like directing so many stars who aren't parents themselves.

LilSugar: What attracted you to a movie about pregnancy and babies?
Kirk Jones: For 27 months of my life I've been attached to my wife who was pregnant. One of the things that attracted me to the movie was explaining what that journey is like for guys as well as girls. Understandably, over the years women have been the focus of pregnancy subjects in movies because they're the ones physically going through the changes and all that. Some of the language and comedy in the park with the dudes was raw and fresh.

LS: Did What to Expect When You're Expecting impact you at all when you were expecting your first child?
KJ: When you have that first one, everything is so scary! If you bought a refrigerator from a store, you get more instructions on how to work it than you do a baby when you come out of hospital. Its like bye-bye; good luck!

LS: Did you bring any of your personal experience with your wife's three pregnancies into the film?
KJ: I did. Unfortunately, it was the slightly more tragic one. As is really common, my wife and I, as have a number of our friends, experienced a miscarriage. So when I first saw the script I don't think that story was in [it]. So one of the contributions I made was asking if that story could be included, because I thought if we're presenting pregnancy, we should present the whole story and not just sweet, happy bits. And then just being on set, because I've been there and I just remember the funny little things that happen. Having been through it, I felt kind of qualified to add things here and there.

Keep reading to see what Jones says it was like directing Cameron Diaz with a prosthetic belly.

Bento: The Original Boxed Lunch

Sara Yoo — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:05:56 PDT

Many of us wish we brought our lunch to work more often, and while leftovers and sandwiches are delicious options, sometimes we're looking for out-of-the-box ideas. Might I suggest you start searching in the box with a bento lunch? This Japanese boxed lunch has a long history, but these days it's a delicious, healthy, and convenient lunch option, perfect for Spring picnics or munching at your desk. Ready to learn more about bentos? Just keep reading.