Avocado

I’m a big big fan of Avocado. It’s a great addition to anything from salad and pasta to burritos or sushi. Avocados are also known as alligator pears because of the texture on the outside and the shape similar to pears. It’s pretty well known that avocados are full of nutrition. Well, according to Wikipedia,

·         About 75% of an avocado’s calories come from fat, most of which is momounsaturated fat.

·         Avocados have 60% more potassium than bananas.

·         Avocados are rich in Vitamin Bs, as well as Vitamin Es and Vitamin Ks.

·         Avocados have high fiber content among fruits

Avocado is good for the heart because eating avocado regularly can lower the blood cholesterol level. It’s also a popular diet food. Avocado has a smooth and creamy texture and drinking a glass of avocado juice makes you feel full and you’ll eat less of other unhealthy food. You do need to watch out and limit yourself to no more than one avocado (fresh or juiced), however, because too much of anything can’t be good.

Avocado makes a good company to all kinds of food, from savory to sweet. Avocados can add sweet, creamy taste to burgers, hotdogs, sushi, or even pizza. You can also add avocado juice, avocado puree or avocado slices to sweets like milkshake, ice cream or pudding.

I’d like to share my favorite avocado milkshake recipe. It’s easy to make, healthy and delicious.

Take one avocado, cut it in half and remove the pit. Spoon the inside into a blender, add a cup of milk and half cup of plain yogurt (You can add cream instead if you want it to be sweeter). Blend together and add chocolate syrup. Serve cold.  

Unusual birthday gift

It was my brother-in-law, Tod’s birthday a couple days ago and we’re having a birthday dinner tonight. We asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he asked for a pair of 3D glasses. I thought he was joking because they’re less than $10 or you can even get one for free at movie theaters. But then I realized that he doesn’t have LG 3D TV like us but has an active 3D set from Samsung. Whenever he comes over, he would drool over our LG Cinema 3D and joke about exchanging his Samsung 3D TV with ours. He said he was only able to get 1 pair of 3D glasses because it was too expensive. He has two kids and when they take turns watching 3D, the battery wears out very quickly and by the time he tries to watch anything 3D, the flickers annoy him.

A pair or 3D glasses seem like an unusual birthday gift but he needs them the most so we got a pair of Samsung rechargeable 3D glasses for $130 at BestBuy. I think that’s just way too expensive for a 3D accessory. I still don’t understand why active 3D sets don’t include the glasses when people pay so much money for the TV and the glasses are necessary to watch 3D. We also got a “Tangled” video so Jess and Ryan (his kids) can watch the movie TOGETHER now. This made me think that it’s good that we got a LG 3D TV because now I can ask for better and prettier things for my birthday J

Savory and Sweet

These recipes were on wsj.com. They are by professionals and I admit that they are not the simplest recipes to follow. But once followed, they give the most heavenly results that no other pies can compare to.

Savory Pumpkin and Apple Pie

This recipe is by Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore

·         Heat oven to 300 degrees.

·         Halve 1 (2-pound) fairytale pumpkin (or an equal weight of hubbard squash) and remove seeds. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

·         Set on baking sheet and roast 25 minutes or until flesh collapses and browns. Remove from oven and let cool.

·         Peel and slice 4 large shallots into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sea salt and set aside for 1 hour.

·         Stir in ½ tablespoon allspice, 1 teaspoon mace and 2 ounces maple syrup.

·         Scrape mixture into wide pan and cook over low heat until soft and deeply golden.

·         Add 6 minced sage leaves and ½ cup cider vinegar and cook until nearly dry, stirring to prevent sticking. Add 2 cups white wine and simmer 5 minutes.

·         Dice 2 Yukon Gold potatoes. 

·         Peel and dice 2 medium delicata squash. Add both to shallot mixture. Simmer 10 minutes, adding a splash of water if sticky. Stir in reserved pumpkin and 1 apple (tart varieties work best), peeled and diced. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

·         Raise oven to 400 degrees. On floured surface, roll ½ batch pie dough into a 12" round (reserve rest for later use). Line 9" pie plate with round, allowing 1" overhang at edges. Fill with pumpkin, flute edges and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Plum Crumble Pie

This dessert pie recipe is by Rachel McBride of The Blue Stove in Brooklyn, N.Y.

·          Heat oven to 350 degrees.

·         Pit and slice 2 pounds Italian plums (4 cups total). In a medium bowl, combine plums with ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon. Toss well and set aside.

·         Make crumble topping: In a large bowl, mix ½ cup flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter and, using a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers, blend butter into flour mixture until the pieces are the size of large peas. Refrigerate until ready to use.

·         On floured surface, roll ½ batch pie dough into a 12" round (reserve rest for later use). Line 9" pie plate with dough, allowing 1" overhang at edges. Crimp edges, prick bottom with the tines of a fork and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Heap plum mixture into the pie plate, letting it mound slightly at the center. Top with crumb mixture, leaving 1" of plums exposed around the edge of pie. Bake for 1 hour, or until juices have begun to bubble and topping has browned. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Passive 3D TVs ARE actually better than active 3D TVs!

I read an interesting article on passive 3D TV being better than active 3D TV. Apparently a guy named Raymond Soneira (I did a little more research on him and he turns out to be the president of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation) conducted a study to compare the two types of 3D TVs—active and passive—available now. He tested LG Cinema 3D TV 47LW6500 and Vizio E3D470VX for the passive and Samsung UN46D7000 and Sony KDL 46HX729 for the active. His findings show that images on passive 3D TVs are superior to the images on active 3D TVs. He has a lot of evidences from observations.  

I bought LG Cinema 3D TV because it’s a passive 3D TV, which has less flickers and puts less stress on the eyes. Comfort while watching 3D was my main concern because I knew that my kids will watch this TV mostly to watch 3D movies while my husband and I will mostly watch regular 2D contents. Honestly, I didn’t notice any difference in image quality between LG passive 3D TV and Samsung active 3D TV but I did hear some people saying that active 3D TVs have higher image quality. Now that a formal comparison study has been done to prove that passive 3D TVs have better images compared to active 3D TVs, I really don’t see a reason to choose an active 3D TV over a passive 3D TV. My neighbor wanted to buy a 3D TV and they have kids too. I recommended LG Cinema 3D TV and they are very happy with their purchase. Before this study, I was kind of hesitant to recommend this TV to anyone who wants really high quality images and are less concerned about the side effects but now I would definitely recommend LG 3D TV whether the image quality or comfort is the main concern.

If anyone wants to read the article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20102018-1/study-finds-passive-3d-tvs-superior-to-active/

http://www.displaymate.com/3D_TV_ShootOut_1.htm

LG Cinema 3Ds are fashionable and so are their passive 3D glasses

Passive 3D TVs are pretty hot right now but I don’t think I look so hot wearing those 3D glasses (but I think I look much better in the sunglasses-like passive 3D glasses than in those bulky, awkward active 3D glasses). But for people who don’t want to give up on their hotness even while watching a 3D TV, LG has collaborated with a UK designer Giles Deacon to create fashionable 3D glasses. These polarized glasses have frames with colorful stripes. Deacon said that “LG produce innovative and exciting products and these glasses are designed to complement that.” (http://www.techdigest.tv/2011/06/lg_passive_3d_t.html) They look a lot like fashionable sunglasses.

These 3D glasses are really pretty and it would be cool to have one of those but I don’t think they are available in the States yet. They are sold exclusively from Selfridges at 29.99 pounds. I’m curious if they will become available here and I wonder how much these glasses would be. One of the benefits of passive 3D glasses is its cheap price (or availability at movie theaters) and if the designer label shoots the price up, the benefit is gone. I guess you can maybe wear it as sunglasses slash 3D glasses J It sure is an interesting collaboration and would probably be a good promotion if not a huge sale driver. 

You can watch a video on it at http://www.techdigest.tv/2011/06/lg_passive_3d_t.html

Book: Ideas in Food

I found a great book at a local bookstore last week. It’s Ideas in Food—Great Recipes and Why They Work by Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot. They actually have a popular blog http://www.ideasinfood.com/. I’ve been to this blog and it’s really interesting. It has a lot of photos, interesting events and menus. The posts are not the usual food blog recipes but touch on various aspects and techniques of creative cooking. This book has about 100 recipes and the authors share a lot of tips and innovative thoughts on cooking. Both the blog and the book are inspiring. I think restaurant owners and food stylists can learn a lot from the blog while anyone who’s interested in creative cooking would enjoy reading the blog and the book. While the blog has many colorful photos, the book lacks vibrant visuals. Instead, there are simple explanations and simple drawings to help the readers understand.

Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot are fun people and they’re not scared to try new things. What I had a lot fun reading was when they tried to prepare a roasted pepper. They prepared a roasted pepper by burning the outside with butane torch. They weren’t satisfied with the result because it was still pretty raw so they microwaved it to serve as pickled pepper salad.

If you are interested in food styling, finding new ways to prepare delicious dishes or are a creative person in general, their blog and book are the must-check outs.

Don't be fooled by 3D TV prices

I’ve been searching on the Web yesterday and learned that 3D TV prices are expected to fall a lot during the holiday season this year. I’m not surprised because almost all products go on sale during the holiday season but I do think that it’s about time 3D TVs’ prices fall—especially active 3D TVs. Although I bought my LG 3D TV (LG Cinema 3D LW6500) for a good price, I have friends who have purchased active 3D TVs and felt ripped off and friends who are hesitant to buy a 3D TV because of the price. I see the price as a relative factor i.e. if the product is worth the money, I don’t mind paying the amount even if it’s a bit high. On the other hand, if the product is not so great, I don’t want to pay the price no matter how cheap it is. I’m glad that I got my LG Cinema 3D and think it’s worth its price.

I think active 3D TVs like Samsung and Panasonic are totally overpriced. A really good friend of mine got her Samsung 3D TV before I got my LG Cinema 3D. She paid over $2000 for the TV and bought 3 pairs of 3D glasses for $150 each (they have 3 children and we all know that children want to watch 3D movies together without having to share the glasses) which is RIDICULOUS. This turned out to be not a great decision because it had noticeable flickers very often. She feels like she’s been ripped off but it was too late. So don’t be fooled by the price. When buying electronics, some people think that more expensive models are better models and some manufacturers try to put high price on the product that should really be much cheaper.

But don’t be fooled by cheap price either. Westinghouse and Vizio offer much cheaper passive 3D TVs starting as low as $600. The price is attractive but I’ve read many consumer reviews complaining about those TVs malfunctioning and flickering. I thought passive 3D TVs are not supposed to flicker but I guess that really depends on the manufacturer.

LG Cinema 3D is priced between Vizio and Samsung (exact price depends on the model and options) and gives my family great 3D experience that’s worth the money we paid. Great, crisp 2D and 3D images with no flickers, included 3D glasses, exclusive deals from sites like Netflix… What I want to say through this posting is that if you’re thinking of buying a 3D TV, weigh the quality of 3D experience it will give you and the price of the TV to decide which 3D TV will give you the most satisfactory 3D experience for the money you paid.

Earth-friendly LG Cinema 3D

I just learned today that LG Cinema 3Ds are energy-saving 3D TVs. When buying a new TV, people ask the age-old question of ‘should I buy a plasma or a LED tv?’ Specifications and the picture quality are probably the most important things to consider when buying a TV but you also need to think about the cost of owning the TV. While plasma tvs use up a lot of energy and can cost you almost $100, LG Cinema 3D uses LED backlight and can save money. Most people don’t think about when buying a TV is the electricity cost. To be honest, I didn’t think about this either when I got our LW6500 either. But a friend of mine told me that he got a LW5300 and it only uses up only $8 worth of energy, at 5 hours of usage time everyday in a year. I did a little research and found out that LW5600 models use up only $13 worth of energy a year and LW6500 models do not use more than $20 worth of energy. Another good example of a ‘tv-owning-cost’ is the price of the 3D glasses. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to pay an extra $150 for a pair of active 3D glasses when you’ve already paid $1500 for the TV. My LG Cinema 3D came with 4 pairs of 3D glasses and extra pairs are only $10something each. Now that I learned LG Cinema 3Ds saves me money in terms of electricity cost, I’m even happier than before with my TV. Thought I’d just share this with everyone in case someone is debating between a plasma TV and a LED TV!

FlanFlanFlan

Originally from Mexico, Flan is served at many restaurants as a dessert. It’s one of my favorite desserts because of its sweet taste and soft texture. I decided to try making some at home and it was pretty successful. I’ll share the recipe so you can enjoy this delicious dessert at home.

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

¼ cup water

1 (1 fluid oz) can evaporated milk

1 (5oz) can sweetened condensed milk

6 egg yolks

1 tablespoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, boil sugar with water and stir until the sugar melts and lightly browns. Pour into a flan pan or a cake mold, tilting the pan to coat the entire bottom. Set it aside.

In a bowl, gently whisk together evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and almond extract. Be careful air doesn’t get in. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan (from the previous step). Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles.

Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the flan pan on the towel. Fill the roasting pan with water to halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Preheat the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Cool completely.

To take the flan out of the pan, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Finger Foods for Dinner Party

These recipes are from http://www.food.com/, which is my top 'go-to' site when I can't think of good recipes. There are so many recipes you can follow and you can upload your own recipes too. You can't go wrong with recipes from this website because people rate the recipes so you can find the best recipes.

Baked Cherry Tomatoes with Parmesan Topping – recipe by yooper (www.food.com)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 pints cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Pour oil into 13x9x2 inch broilproof ceramic baking dish.

Add tomatoes, turn to coat with oil.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Top with parsley and cheese.

Preheat oven to 400.

Bake tomatoes just until plump and shiny but not split (about 10 min).

Preheat broiler.

Broil until tomatoes begin to split and cheese begins to color (about 2 min).

Serve hot or warm.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers—recipe by AZRoxy63 (food.com)

Ingredients:

25 fresh jalapeno peppers

14-16 ounces cream cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 packages bacon

Directions:

Cut stems off of peppers can cut them all in half longways.

Remove seeds from peppers.

Fill each pepper with cream cheese and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Wrap ½ slice of bacon around each pepper half.

Place on baking sheets and bake in 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.

Remove and serve when cooled.

Roast Beef Horseradish Spirals – recipe by Derf (food.com)

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (at room temperature)

2 green onions, chopped about ½ cup

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

8 ounces deli roast beef, sliced

2 10-inch flour tortillas, cheese flavored

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients.

Place the two tortillas on work surface, spread half of cheese over each, top each with half of the roast beef slices, leaving ½ inch border around edges.

Roll up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate until firm.

Cut diagonally into ½ inch slices and serve.

Here are recipes of some of my favorite finger foods that’s perfect for dinner parties.

PS3 Games for Kids

Everyone in our family loves Playstation games. We mostly play Mario Cart because it’s fun for both adults and children. My husband and I decided to buy some new PS3 games for our younger ones. We wanted to buy games that are entertaining but also appropriate for kids. I did some “googling” and found a website that had a list of kid-friendly games and here’s the list:

Katamari Forever PS3

This is apparently one of the hottest games this year. It’s ranking at the top of the list of PS3 Kids games. According to the website, you have to “restore celestial bodies and return order to the cosmos.” Basically the main character has to roll katamari (a sticky sphere) over items to make the sphere larger and save his father who’s in coma.

Little Big Planet

This is a multi-players game that’s great for family playing. You can create your own world and play in it or play in other people’s worlds. You can play this game online to visit other people’s worlds. You can drive vehicles, activate switches, avoid dangers, solve puzzles and defeat boss characters. You collect orbs throughout each level to earn items, accessories, etc.

Ghostbusters PS3

This game follows the storyline of the Ghostbusters film. You have to hunt down and capture ghost. There are items like Proton Pack, weapons, and radio to communicate with other members of the Ghostbusters team. All the characters are voiced by the movie’s original actors. This game sounds a bit complicated and I think it would be good for older kids. This should be more fun if the kid has seen the movie before and knows the storyline.  

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

This game lets the kid play through the original Indiana Jones movies. Players have to create with Legos as part of the strategy and use the creations to play the game. The game starts at Barnett College, where Dr. Jones teaches archaeology. You can jump from this location to the three films and you can revisit memorable scnes on the way to recovering the Ark of the Covenant, the Sankara Stones, and the Holy Grail. Again, this game should be more fun for those who know the storyline of this classic movie but even for kids who haven’t seen the movie, this game should provide enough entertainment because of the Lego component.

Wall-E

This game is based on the movie “Wall-E” and has 3 types of gameplay and several levels. This game is recommended to younger and less game-experienced kids because the theme and the controls are fairly simple. Wall-E is a robot that cleans up Earth’s garbage. Player has to control Wall-E as he navigates across the cosmos. There are puzzles to solve as well as mini-games for multiple players.

Mater National! Disney Cars PS3

Based on the Disney movie, Cars, this games has race missions with characters from “Cars” We already have Mario Cart, which I think is pretty similar to this game but for those who are looking for a kids’ racing game, this might be a good choice—since more kids know about Cars than Mario.

party for everyone

It’s hard to throw a party where both adults and kids have fun. Buddy Valastro, host of the TLC show “Cake Boss”, shares a few tips to host a party for everyone. This should be useful when throwing large parties for extended family and friends. 

Theme party

Mr. Valastro starts with a theme to appeal to a multigenerational group. Caribbean or Polynesian themes are good during the summer. He hires hula dancers or hold a hula-hoop competition. Hawaiian or steel-drum bands play music that appeals to a wide audience. Such themes are very laid back and their casual vibe can invite the guests to let the guard down and enjoy the party. 

Parties for young children

Hannah Montana and Transformers themes are almost necessary at parties for very young children. While the theme focuses on the child’s favorite movie or character, try to avoid the décor and games from being too child-focused. For example, for a Transformer party, plan the décor in the colors of a child’s favorite character and assemble figurines on the table but don’t put the characters on every cup and plate. At a kids’ party, parents have more fun if they don’t have to do too much. Hiring a puppet show, clowns, animal farms or musicians is a good idea so the parents can just relax and have conversation.

Parties for older children or adults

Relaxed atmosphere is most important at parties for older kids and adults. Not too many structured activities are required. For example, invite everyone to help jarring tomatoes to share an Italian feast. Such activities can be interesting to both adults and kids but doesn’t feel forced. You can even set up a table with paints, markers and glitter to let the kids decorate the jars. 

Food

Food binds together the most diverse group. Try to serve something related to the theme. For example, a roast pig is good for a luau and a jerk chicken skewers and grilled mahi-mahi with mango salsa is good for Caribbean party. You can’t go wrong with finger foods such as sliders and mini hot dogs—adults will like these too as these foods are trendy in bars and restaurants. A burger station where the guests can make their own burgers with various toppings is another great idea. Instead of banning alcohol at a mixed-age party, set up two separate bars for the adults and kids. 

Video Game

Video game stations appeal to both adults and children. I make a huge use out of our LG Cinema 3D TV. As I mentioned many times in my previous postings, LG Cinema 3D comes with lightweight, battery free 3D glasses, which are very cheap. We have more than enough 3D glasses for many people to play the game at the same time. Games like Mario party are good because it can involve both adults and children at the same time.

Chance to win a FREE LG CINEMA 3D TV!!!!

I know I just posted a 3D TV guide but I HAD to put up this post because I just found out about this exciting event. So LG is having an event on facebook where you can win a LG Cinema 3D TV. They are giving out a LG 3D Home Theater set as the grand prize and a LG Cinema 3D TV every week! You just need to go to LG Electronics USA page, like them and select the LG 3D Throwdown option. Everyday, you get a throwdown and you get to vote. I already own a Cinema 3D so I thought I’d share it with you guys so you can get one for free. Let me know by leaving a comment if one of you guys win!! Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/LGUSA?sk=app_206657746055846

Buying a 3D TV? Go for a passive 3D TV with lightweight 3D glasses

Today I’m going to write a little bit about my experience with 3D TV and a few tips for purchasing a 3D TV. I have three kids—a five year old, a ten year old and a twelve year old—and I was concerned about their eye health when I was looking for a 3D TV.

Choose a passive 3D

If you have children who are going watch 3D tv, passive 3D TVs are definitely better than active 3D TVs. Because active 3D TVs use shutter glasses technology, it has flickers and crosstalks. Flickers and crosstalks can be just annoying to adults but they can cause some serious eye strain for kids. I don’t know if all passive 3D tvs are completely flicker free and crosstalk free but LG Cinema 3D is certified flicker free and crosstalk free 3D tv so you don’t have to worry about the 3D tv causing eye strain or headache for kids.

3D glasses

Active 3D glasses are fairly heavy and expensive. Adults usually don’t notice the weight but it can be quite uncomfortable for kids. Also if you have many kids in the family, definitely go for passive 3D TV because active 3D glasses are highly expensive. They can cost you over $100 while Cinema 3D glasses are only $5-$10. You can also use those 3D glasses from the theater. I have three kids but I have many nieces and nephews. When the entire family gathers, I don’t even need to worry about kids having to share the 3D glasses and feeling left out. I was able to get enough cinema 3D glasses to let my son and his friends watch 3D movie at his birthday party. Another downside of the active 3D glasses is that you have to charge them after use because the flickers become even more noticeable if the glasses are running low on batteries. I think it’s just too much of a hassle to charge them every time children watch 3D movies.

Flexible viewing position

Because active 3D tvs work by sending signals from the TV to the glasses, the images become distorted or black out if you sit or lay down in positions that can’t receive the signals. This is especially uncomfortable for kids—we all know that kids move around and don’t sit up straight throughout the entire movie. LG Cinema 3D gives undistorted image even when the kids are lying down.

2D to 3D conversion

LG Cinema 3D has a 2D to 3D conversion feature (I don’t think other passive 3D TVs have this feature). Because 3D is fairly new, there are only a limited number of 3D contents available. With LG Cinema 3D, however, kids can convert their favorite cartoons into 3D contents.

The most important thing about kids’ use of 3D TV is that you supervise them and limit the number of the hours they use (this is true for all kinds of TVs). But it’s also important that while they’re viewing the 3D TV, they are comfortable and the 3D TV doesn’t hurt their eyes. I’m completely satisfied with my LG Cinema 3D. Of course different people have different criteria and expectations for their 3D TVs, but if you are a mother looking for kid-friendly and family-friendly 3D TV, LG Cinema 3D is probably the one to go for.

PUMPKIN CANDIES

Okay this is my second posting today because I didn't write yesterday. My family went picnic yesterday and I was really tired when I got home... I was going to share this recipe in yesterday's posting but since I didn't write it, here it is. 

It’s for Pumpkin candies, which are very common in Southern Brazil. It’s really easy to make, healthy and delicious. The main ingredients are sugar and pumpkin. I changed it up a bit to make the recipe easier and healthier. You can see the original recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/docinhos-de-abobora-brazilian-pumpkin-candy-307428

Ingredients:

1kg peeled pumpkin

4 cups sugar

2 cups water

12 cloves

Cinnamon

Direction: 

 Cut pumpkin into 3cm cubes. Boil water and sugar in a saucepan and add cloves and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin. Poke holes in the pumpkin cubes to make so the syrup is more easily absorbed.  Boil on low heat until the pumpkin pieces are tender. Move them with a slotted sppon to a jar. Cool the syrup until it gets thick and pour over the pumpkin cubes. Let it cool before serving.

It makes a good snack or a side dish. Although there’s a lot of sugar in it, it’s a healthier alternative to chips and candies. You can dust it with confectioners’ sugar if you want. Children tend to like it because it’s sweet and soft so if your kids don’t like eating pumpkin, definitely try this recipe. 

Exciting news on 3D TV: LW6500 is upgraded to be even better

I have some exciting news for LG LW6500 owners (that includes myself) and those who are interested in 3D LED TVs. LG just announced that they’ve made an update to the Cinema 3D technology used in the LW series to improve 3D picture quality and resolution. Some popular review sites were being skeptical about this so FlatpanelsHD (http://www.flatpanelshd.com/) decided to put LG to the test. I am not affiliated in this review site in any way, so I’ll just post their reviews as a quote. 

“We tested LG’s LW6500 earlier this year but LG recently made some improvements to their 3D system and software to improve 3D picture quality and Cinema 3D was also recently awarded a Full HD 3D Certified by a German institute”.

“Before the Cinema 3D technology worked like this: During a time period of 1/200 seconds the TV showed 2 frames; 540 lines for the left eye and 540 lines for the right eye.
The new algorithm shows 4 frames instead of 2 during the 1/200 second time frame. It shows 1080i for the left eye and 1080i for the right eye.  When these are combined the two pictures create a 1080p picture according to LG. LG believes that this update improves picture quality on their Cinema 3D TVs to compete directly with the active 3D TVs such as 3D plasma TVs”.

There’s been a heated debate between active and passive 3D but through this update, LG has seemed to solidify its claim that image quality isn’t sacrificed in comparison to Shutter Glass technology (active). As a mother of young children, their eye health is what I’m most concerned about when they’re watching 3D movies and that’s why I got a passive TV. I thought the image quality was good but now that it’s even more certain that LG Cinema 3D will give us superior image quality, I feel more comfortable about 3D TV.   

*References
http://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1313938337

End of the Burger King's Reign

I read a shocking news on Wall Street Journal: Burger King mascot is stepping down from the throne. Burger King was bought by a private-equity firm last year and as a part of its effort to reinvent itself, it will slowly phase out use of its King mascot and focus on the quality of burgers in its latest TV and online campaigns. Unlike McDonald’s Ronald McDonald, Burger King mascot wasn’t resonating enough with the customers although both mascots have been around for many years. Apparently, what made people go to Burger King was the quality of Burger King’s food, not the resonation with the mascot. Thus, Burger King will start a food-centric marketing approach.

I suspect that this change is partially due to public pressure on fast food restaurants to retire their cartoon characters in regards to the rising problem of child obesity in U.S. I mentioned this in my posting about McDonalds’ including fruits in its happy meals. McDonald’s isn’t retiring Ronald McDonald, saying that he hasn’t been shown as eating or promoting food and the food is selling itself, not the mascot. I don’t know if I can agree with this. Nothing can compare to home-made burgers but if I have to choose, I personally like Burger King better. It has thicker, juicier meat and has more of fresher vegetables. My kids, however, LOVE McDonald’s. I don’t know if it’s the toys, the mascot, or the food. I hope all the fast food chains become more health-conscious and try to improve the quality of their food.

America's favorite food

Who doesn’t love pizza? Pizza has been America’s favorite food for years and people eat it at restaurants and homes. Popularity of pizza is greater than those of hot dogs and hamburgers. In the United States, people eat 3 Billion slices of pizza every year. This means that every person eats about 46 slices in a year. That’s about 23 pounds of pizza. Also, October is celebrated as National Pizza Month. Can you imagine how much people must love pizza to have a whole month dedicated to it? People eat pizza at so many occasions and events including Super Bowl, kids’ birthday parties, or class lunch at school.

It’s interesting that this America’s favorite dish is an Italian dish. It’s believed that the early Greeks made the first pizza and pizza wasn’t well known in America until the Second World War. It arrived in the US in the latter half of the nineteenth century when Millions of Southern Italians moved to the States. Since then, pizza became very popular and is now considered an icon food of the States.

A variety of toppings, crusts and sauces are available to make pizza not only delicious but also fun to eat and nutritious. Different variety of toppings make it different from other countries’ pizzas (like Indian and Russian pizzas). Pepperoni is by far an all-time favorite pizza topping in America.

Over the past few decades, tastes of pizzas have changed in America’s love for pizza hasn’t changed.

Food Extravaganza!!

Serendiptiy 3 in NYC currently holds the title of the world’s most expensive hot dog, Foot Long Haute Dog, which is $69. Brockton Rox is gearing up to break the record and take on the title. The Rox hot dog will be made with “a half-pound-all-beef-foot-long hot dog that is deep fried and rolled in truffle oil. It is then coated with a porcini dust.” (http://universeofluxury.com/food-and-drink/expensive-hot-dog) White truffle shavings, crème fraiche, caviar and fresh roe are also added on top. This hot dog was sold on National Hot Dog Day for $80.

Even more extraordinary food is a bagel that’s $1000. Chef Frank Tujague made his bagel with white truffle cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese. It also has berry infused Rielsling jelly with golden leaves. This luxury bagel was created in part to raise funds for Les Amis d’Escoffier Scholarship—it is a scholarship given to students of the culinary arts.

So what is white truffle and why is it so expensive? White truffles are also called “white gold” and are the second most expensive food after caviar. Truffles are mushrooms that grow underground. Truffles are rare and the white ones, especially, are only available a couple of months of the year. These are almost exclusively from one part of Italy.

Top 10 Best 3D Movies for kids:yes, I've watched them on our LG Cinema 3D

Ever since we got our 3D TV (LG Cinema 3D if anyone’s curious), I watch at least one 3D movie every week with my kids. Some say that 3D TVs are bad for children’s eyes, but I’m not worried too much because we have a passive 3D TV (All LG Cinema 3D TVs are passive 3D TVs). Its lightweight, battery free 3D glasses give flicker free and crosstalk free images, giving only minimum stress to the eyes. I’m really glad that I can enjoy 3D movies with my kids at home without worrying about my family’s eye health. Here’s a list of Top 10 Best 3D family movies. This list is taken from http://www.squidoo.com/3ddvdmovies#module136463521.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Flint Lockwood likes inventing and he thinks he is a genius who can make a world-changing invention one day. His town faces an economic crisis when a sardine cannery, which was the town’s primary income source, was shut down. So Flint decides to try his latest invention—a machine that can change water into food. Something goes wrong and this machine gets shoot up into the atmosphere and food starts to rain. Town’s mayor tries to use this as a new source of income but later it becomes disastrous and Flint tries to fix this chaos. My kids and I watched this when it was playing in the theaters. It’s an awesome movie with original storyline and cute 3D effects. We bought the DVD because my kids and I loved it. We watched it many times on our LG Cinema 3D and the 3D experience was just as good as at the movie theater.

The Polar Express

On Christmas Eve, a hero boy gets on a magical train that’s headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus’s home. This movie is about his extraordinary adventure to the North Pole. I didn’t watch this movie but my kids did and they absolutely loved it. We also have the DVD but I never got a chance to watch it. My kids keep telling me to watch it with them one day. This is a very appropriate movie to play at Christmas family gathering.

Despicable Me

This is my favorite and all the kids in the entire family love it too. The minions are so cute and the storyline has a moving message about importance of family. There was no need for the kids to ask me to buy the DVD—I walked into the store and bought it myself. It became a routine to watch this at our family gathering. We have a big family but the 3D glasses that LG Cinema 3D use are really cheap (about $5-10) and sometimes everyone just brings their own 3D glasses from the theater.

Open Season

This is a movie about Boog, a domesticated Grizzly Bear living in Park Ranger Beth’s garage. He was living a peaceful, quiet life until he met Elliot, a mule deer. Boog ends up high in the forest only a few days before the opening of hunting season. Being domesticated animals, Boog and Elliot lack even the most basic survival skills and they stumble through the woods. The entire forest becomes endangered somehow, through mistakes, and Boog and Elliot learn that the forest animals need to stick together to outsmart the hunters and survive. The film’s vibrant colors and skilled animation are well captured on Cinema 3D.

I haven’t seen these but these are also on the list.

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Legend of the Guardians-Owls of Ga’hoole

Coraline

Disney’s Christmas Carol

Monster House