I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I must say I was feeling the urgent need to get back in the game today.  Yesterday was a great day filled with rich food and drinks.  Yikes… Today was a light eats day and plenty of water.  One good thing about eating at someone else’s house, is you don’t have a fridge filled with all the tempting leftovers.  Phew! I did get sent home with a few tasty bites though.

Lunch was a wrap with cream cheese, turkey, avocado, tomato, lettuce and mustard.  Whole wheat leftover stuffing and creamed kale.

I made it back to the gym for 35 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes or arms.  I love how I feel after I go.  I just need to work on going more frequently.  There will always be an excuse.  I am tired of the excuses though.  I am on a journey to “lose.”  I hoping that my starting this blog will help me stay on track.

Vehicle signage is a very prominent way to promote your business name. MuralPop are specialists in the art of vehicle signage, whether it be cars, trucks, vans, or even boats.

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Cincinnati, Ohio 513-729-6965

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Many companies are finding out that vehicle wraps and full color fleet and car graphics are a great way to reach new and existing customers. Compared to other forms of media, wraps are extremely cost effective and generate millions of impressions each year.
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Using state of the art equipment, all printing is handled in house. Buildings, Billboards, Trade Show Displays,Trailers, Trains & Fleets. You name it, we can print it! We’ll help you choose the right material for your project.
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What makes MuralPop unique? All aspects of your wrap, from the initial consultation through design, full production and installation are handled in-house. Take advantage of our extremely creative design team and customize your wrap to express your advertising message!
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One goal… One focus… Business is about running a well-organized company with structure and systems. It’s about handling our customers and projects efficiently and delivering what we say we can. It’s about experience, knowledge, and knowing how not to make things harder than they need to be. It’s about being driven to succeed, while delivering quality products and service. It’s about enjoying what we do and insuring that our customers are happy with how we do it.

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If you are looking for vehicle wrapping your car or truck to advertise your company or just want to wrap your car in designs and creative art work, then MuralPop.com is the right choice for you. We are a leading entrepreneur specialized in large format printing and graphic designing in the World. For Complete Service

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Cincinnati, Ohio 513-729-6965

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It is estimated that nearly 91% people are attracted towards advertisements on vehicles. Companies and many business enterprises have discovered that vehicle wrap is a marvelous way to reach customers on a wide range. MuralPop has produced some of the most fascinating and alluring vehicle wraps for its clients. With one vehicle wrap creating impressions from about 30000 to 70000, MuralPop will ensure that your vehicle wrap will be 100 times more cost effective and tempting than a giant billboard. For Complete Service

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Vehicle wraps are the most cost-effective media compared to other outdoor advertisements. MuralPop can create vehicle wrappings on any kind of transportation like buses, trucks, cargo vans, pickups, cars, and tractors. Our specialty in vehicle wrapping includes simplicity, crispness, punch, balance, high clarity and resolution. The materials used for the purpose are anti-fading, durable, resistant to UV radiation and can withstand in any condition. For Complete Service

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These durable vehicle wraps are washable and if needed, they can be removed without damaging the vehicle’s factory paint. The messages or graphics in the already set wrap can be changed according to the changing marketing needs. Our graphics are designed by highly experienced and skilled professionals with the state of art equipments. The updated computer technologies provide high resolution graphics that are easily replicable, providing first-rate marketing exposure and are affordable. For Complete Service.

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Introducing the famous Guam cellulite and tummy wrap from Guam with it’s unique patent seaweed formula, release the toxins from your concerned area. Includes exfoliation, application of Guam mud, relaxing head and foot massage and final application of the Guam after mud cream, noticable difference after treatments.

Body wraps are therapeutic to a customer’s skin and body because they assist vasodilation and penetrate the ingredients into the skin. Many of them offer anti-aging affects, where others cleanse the skin from impurities. However, all body wraps have one similar thing: they offer relaxation to any customer receiving them.Seaweed body wraps diminishes a customer’s water sinking implement where tightening the skin.

Seaweed is left all through the body and detoxifies the skin by rousing the sweat glands and writing soft and subtle skin later the treatment.A mud wrap is soothing to the skin and may even assist definite skin irritations. It detoxifies, cleanses and even firms the whole body’s skin, where unclogging the pores. It soothes and hushes the customer’s skin and causing them to contact taking it straightforward and at ease. Herb wraps are herbs aggregated in oil and blended in with very hot water. Linen pieces of paper are dipped into the mixture and afterward wrapped all through the customer’s body, which cleanses and nourishes the body.

I think I am just getting back into the swing of things.  Being sick takes a lot out of you, dangit!  Not only did I not get my workouts in but the house is a disaster.  I hate when the house gets all cluttered.  Sometimes it seems so much harder to get it all cleaned up than when you can just maintain it on a daily basis.  Jason is off tomorrow.  I’m thinking of a honey-do list as I write this.

I had leftover cabbage salad Friday night.  I also made stuffed acorn squash.  Nothing to exciting. What was exciting was the blueberry bounty buns that I made Sunday morning.  I snagged the recipe from Vive le Vegan!  I am so in love with these little things.  They are kinda like a cross between a muffin and a scone.  You must try for yourself!

So, back into the swing of things was my typical Monday.  Sometimes that alarm time comes all to soon. I am still trying not to drink to much coffee.  I was having a hard time staying hydrated while I was sick.  The lack of my Monday morning coffee may be to blame for the sha-bang headache I had all afternoon.  Grrr… I wanted to do something for a little workout, even though my headache hadn’t gone away yet.  It had been over a week since my travels and then being sick.  I settled for yoga on demand.  I love fit tv.  Sometimes it is just what I needed.  Plus, it always has several Jillian Michaels workouts.

Dinner was also quick.  Tuna salad wrap with mustard(s), celery, pickles, fire roasted peppers, avocado and spinach.

It was just enough and not too much.

Following dinner, I had a Dove Promise… Not the one my Gracy stole from the bowl of leftover Halloween candy though.  I first discovered this little habit when we got home from our trip.  No worries, I thought.  Possibly just a little acting out from the being left alone for four days.  Tonight, I came home to find three different pieces throughout the house! Kitties!

Gracy

Looks can be deceiving…

Since our civil wedding is coming up in about a month, I really need to get on the ball and make sure I have all of my ducks in a row! I’m sure it is going to be quite cold and thinking of getting a cute little wrap to go over my dress.  Just like this one!

via Weddingbee

I really like the look of these; a little more appropriate for my dress.

via Modern Romance

Via Cee Dada Koo

via 2 Swans’ Nest

via Reflectionsbyds

Has anyone else found any cute wraps or cardigans for wedding dresses? I’d love to look at more!

Central Florida Future – http://bit.ly/8KleHL

By Cassie Turner

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Published: Friday, November 20, 2009

Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009

Caitlin Bush

"Most Americans do not know slavery not only exists in the world today, it flourishes," said Ron Soodalter, co-author of The Slave Next Door, in his presentation in the Pegasus Ballroom Monday morning.

"Somewhere around 27 million people are in bondage in the world today. Now, that’s over twice the number as were trafficked in chains in the entire 350 years of the African slave trade."

Soodalter, an active abolitionist and historian, kicked off International Education Week at UCF as the keynote speaker for the Second Annual International Breakfast. The Slave Next Door presentation concluded the three-part series on "Slavery’s Resurgence" facilitated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives and the International Services Center.

The series began with Somaly Mam, a Cambodian human rights activist, former slave and author of The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine, when she shared her experiences in September.

In October, Micheline Slattery, a human-rights activist and former restavek, or domestic child slave, in both Haiti and the United States, addressed about 300 attendees.

Modern-day slavery includes around 800,000 men, women and children trafficked each year around the world. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site, about 17,500 of them end up in the United States, with a high percentage received in Florida.

Soodalter suggests a simple Google search on human trafficking for astounding results.

In spite of major federal legislation and anti-trafficking laws passed in 43 states, 103 human-trafficking convictions have resulted, Soodalter said.

Trafficking remains hidden, is largely unreported and difficult to identify. According to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons, or TIP, report, published by the U.S. Department of State, forced labor/involuntary servitude represents the majority of human-trafficking cases in the world. The co-author of Soodalter’s book,  Kevin Bales, wrote the original 156-page TIP report, titled “Trafficking Persons in the United States — A Report to the National Institute of Justice.”

“The whole thing is disserving and extending,” said retired UCF foreign language professor David Gurney. “It contributes to the antagonism from people in underdeveloped countries to Western civilizations or Western countries.”

In the 1850s, purchasing a slave ran roughly $1,200, the equivalent of around $40,000 in today’s money. The reality is purchasing a slave today costs as little as $100, which makes them affordable and disposable, Soodalter said.

A trafficking victim lives in fear of violence or the threat of violence daily, he said.

Shawn Cox, victim witness coordinator and licensed clinical social worker with the United States Attorney’s Office, advocates that trafficking is a crime of absolute power over someone. According to the report Cox co-authored, “Victims of Human Trafficking and Trauma,” the psychological consequences of a victim are similar to the consequences of severe or chronic child abuse or experiencing acts of terrorism.

"In case you thought slavery doesn’t touch you, guess again," Soodalter said. "Chances are, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, has been touched by slavery."

The good news is there have been some inroads made recently in the area of agricultural servitude, Soodalter said. When Taco Bell refused to stop buying produce picked by enslaved workers in an effort known as the "Ban the Bell" campaign, it set a precedent that several other companies, including McDonalds, A&W, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut, Whole Foods, Chipotle and Burger King, have followed, Soodalter said.

"The message is clear," Soodalter said. "Slavery and worker abuse will not be tolerated. Not here, not now, not ever."

Mark Freeman, public affairs coordinator for the Global Perspectives Office, said they are hoping to continue the series next spring since response has been incredible. Because of the series last spring, students on campus were so spurred into action they formed the unofficial student group “Students Against Slavery @ UCF,” Freeman said. “Students Against Slavery @ UCF” has a Facebook page, and Harry Coverston serves as the faculty advisor for the group.

"Spreading the word is the most important thing," said Frank Hegedus, a senior political science and international relations major. "There is only right now."

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/abolitionist-historian-wraps-up-global-perspectives-series-1.2093273

The Abu Dhabi police department took the wraps of its latest cruiser on Monday at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ” a 2010 Nissan GT-R carrying a price tag of over $83,000.

Source:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/criminals-beware-abu-dhabi-unveils-police-issue-nissan-gt-r.html

The Abu Dhabi police department took the wraps of its latest cruiser on Monday at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ” a 2010 Nissan GT-R carrying a price tag of over $83,000.

Source:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/criminals-beware-abu-dhabi-unveils-police-issue-nissan-gt-r.html

For a printable version of this recipe and complete ingredients listing, click here.

Eat this sliced as a dinner omelet, or use it as filling in a delicious lettuce wrap!

A lot of people think of Ramen noodles simply as a cheap alternative to eating a real meal. I prefer to think of them as a helpful, inexpensive ingredient for making a larger, more wholesome recipe.

This meal, based on a variation of an Asian omelet I saw in Taste of Home’s Dinner on a Dime, turned out to be perfect served not only as a baked casserole in slices but also a clever and surprisingly delicious filling for some giant Boston

Eggs & egg whites.

lettuce leaves I found on sale last week at the store. Hence, Two-Way Ramen!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 3 whole eggs with 6 additional egg whites. Beat in 1 teaspoon cooking oil and 1 teaspoon sugar to egg mixture. Set aside.

Ah, Ramen. Is there anything it can't do?

In a medium or large saucepan, boil enough water to cook 2 packages of Ramen noodles (mushroom or chicken flavored). While preparing noodles, heat a skillet with 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil and about 1 teaspoon soy sauce.

Saute celery, mushrooms & 2 of the green onions in oil and soy sauce.

Dice 2 celery ribs and 3 green onions, setting 1/3 of the chopped green onions to the side for topping later.

Saute the remaining chopped vegetables in the oiled skillet along with an 8-ounce package of sliced, fresh mushrooms (I just used the white cheap kind; you could also use two drained cans of mushrooms instead if the ones in the produce section are pricey).

Use only 1 of the 2 Ramen seasoning packets.

To the skillet vegetables, stir in 1 teaspoon powdered ginger and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. (Of course, you can always substitute fresh garlic and ginger if you have them on hand.)

Mix vegetables and egg mixture into the noodles over medium heat.

Saute until celery is tender and mushrooms begin to darken a little; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, drain the cooked Ramen noodles and then stir in ONE of the two Ramen flavor packets, discarding the other. Add the contents of the skillet to the saucepan of noodles and mix well.

Top the casserole with remaining chopped green onion and ground cinnamon. Yum!

Slowly incorporate the liquid egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring well. Replace saucepan over MEDIUM burner heat for a couple of minutes, until the liquid egg around the mixture begins to form tiny bubbles.

Fresh from the oven!

Immediately transfer the mixture to a sprayed 8×8 glass baking dish. Top with the reserved chopped green onions and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Bake approximately 15 minutes, or until top begins to brown and all egg is discernably cooked.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely if serving as a sliced casserole, or else use a spaghetti spoon to dish up immediately into Boston lettuce wraps (while casserole is still very warm and

And that's a wrap!

 unsolidified). If serving as lettuce wraps, garnish with large wedges of sliced red bell pepper for a fresh and delicious combination of textures and flavors.

I’m really looking forward to working this meal into the regular lineup from now on. Hubby, who watched with great skepticism when he first saw Ramen noodles, cinnamon and lettuce all going into the same dish, wound up stuffing himself full on the finished lettuce wraps!

I’d also love to experiment with bean sprouts and water chestnuts as well–I think they’d be delicious thrown in the mix! This is truly a winning recipe, and so creative and attractive, too. Guests won’t believe their taste buds, and you won’t believe your wallet savings!

After almost three years of writing this blog, I have finally realized something fairly obvious: When I come across a food-related issue I’m excited about—no matter whether it’s a restaurant, recipe, or trend—I need to write about it immediately. Putting the story on the back burner just never works; the struggle to get my words down becomes more intense, convoluted, and difficult.

Take this post, for example. I’ve wanted to tell you about the great fun I had last month cooking collard greens for the first time. Did you hear that—I cooked them last month! Twice! But first I decided to write about that farro soup I made sometime in October. And then I didn’t have any time to blog last week or over the weekend. So before I knew it, even more time had passed, the collard greens were a faint memory, and I dreaded trying to write about them. But while blogging about them was hard, it doesn’t mean I enjoyed the collards any less. Here, I’ll try to remember everything that happened:

When I received my first bunch of this floppy, wide-leafed vegetable from my CSA, I had no idea what to do with it. I knew collard greens were often used in Southern cooking, and a little research confirmed that they are traditionally cooked for a couple of hours, perhaps with some ham hocks, and served as a side. Not that this is necessary—further reading confirmed that a 30 to 45 minute simmer is usually enough to adequately soften the leaves. As with many greens, collards are high in several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and C, and potassium. With all this good news about collards, I started to wonder why I hadn’t worked with them before.

For my first attempt at cooking them, I tried this spicy white bean and sweet potato soup. (Another reason why I need to blog about these meals right away: Weeks later, I can’t find any of my photos of this soup. And it was truly gorgeous, a beautiful mix of vibrant colors. Sigh.) The thick greens held their own against the other hearty elements in this sweet yet spicy soup, and I strutted through my apartment afterwards, proud of myself for creating a successful meal with this foreign vegetable.

But then I received another bunch just two weeks later in my CSA shipment. While I briefly contemplated another soup, I really wanted to try something different. I guess great minds think alike, because that week both Mark Bittman and I decided to use these leaves as wrappers. Mr. Bittman encased Middle Eastern-inspired meatballs in his collard greens, while I adapted Claudia Roden’s recipe for hot dolma, using collards instead of grape leaves.

The process of making hot dolma is not much different from making cold ones, and using fresh collard greens instead of jarred grape leaves makes the process much simpler. (Jarred leaves require soaking, which fresh ones do not.) After blanching the leaves for a few minutes, I simply stuffed them with a mix of rice, ground lamb, spices, and tomato paste. Then, after an additional hour on the stovetop, they were ready.

Jim and I ate them for dinner, eagerly biting into the compact little bundles of spiced rice and meat. The lemony collards yielded easily to the tomato-spiked rice mixture inside, and I just couldn’t get enough of this sturdy, versatile, and healthy green. Although it was a struggle to write about these collard greens, there’s no way I could forget about them.

Recipe for Hot Dolma with Collard Greens (adapted from Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Food)

• 1 bunch of large collard greens

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 1/2 pound ground lamb
• 1 small tomato, peeled and chopped (We actually just chopped up a bunch of cherry tomatoes, and they worked fine.)
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt and pepper

For the pans/cooking time:

• 1/2 tomato, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, slivered
• Juice of 1 lemon

Prepare your collard greens. Wash them thoroughly under running water, and remove the stem from the bottom of each leaf. Simmer the leaves in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Blot the leaves dry and let them cool completely. Then cut the leaf into 3 equal pieces: Slice once across the top of the leaf, and set the top aside. Then cut the remaining part of the leaf in half, discarding the thick center stem. Continue with the rest of the leaves.

Wash the rice in boiling water, then rinse under cold water and drain. In a large bowl, mix the rice with the ground meat, chopped tomato, onion, parsley, cinnamon, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.

Now stuff your collard leaves with the mixture. Take one slice of the collard leaves, and place it on a flat surface, vein side up. Place about 1 1/2 small spoonfuls of the rice mixture in the center of the leaf. Fold the end over the filling. Fold the sides of the leaf in towards the middle, and the roll the leaf upwards. Make sure the sides of the leaf continue to fold inward as you roll the leaf upwards. Repeat with the rest of the leaves. Set aside.

Line the bottom of a large, high-sided sauté pan or one Dutch oven with the sliced tomatoes. Tightly pack the grape leaves into one layer, on top of the tomatoes. Slip the garlic cloves in between the rolls if desired. Sprinkle the bundles with lemon juice, and add about 2/3 cup water to the pan.

Place a small plate on top of the leaves to prevent them from possibly unwinding. Cover the pan with a lid, set the heat to low, and simmer gently for about an hour. Roden’s book suggests adding small cups of water if the pans run out of liquid, but I did not have this problem. Serve hot. We made about 20 dolma with this recipe. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Earlier this year, a friend of mine returned home for a holiday away from London. His short vacation here also happened to be close to his birthday. With some awesome planning by his partner we gathered for a surprise celebration at East Coast park.

M decided to get our friend who’s a photographer as well, the very attractive and functional Black Bird Fly camera. For the uninitiated, BBF is a twin-lens reflex camera: one lens is used to expose the film, while the other is used like a viewfinder.

While the camera was already housed in a beautiful plastic dome inside its box, I wanted to provide a more exciting exterior. Playing on the vintage design of the camera, I re-used an old brown paper bag – retaining its handles and created a nest like packaging. The black bird was represented with origami symbolizing it returning home.

Ingredients:

Khaboos/Pita Bread 2

Kothimbir wadi 6 pieces

Olive Oli 1 tspn

Hummus 3 tbspn

Tomato round slices  10

Cucumber round slices 10

Capsicum round slices 6

Lettuce 5 leaves roughly chopped

Corriander as per taste

Salt as per taste

Preparation:

In a fry pan fry kothimbir wadi in oil till it is brown. Remove from pan and keep aside. Warm khaboos from both sides.

Arrange khaboos in a plate. Spread little bit of olive oil on it. Then spread hummus in generous quantity. Sprinkle corriander leaves.  Spread lettuce over it. Arrange tomato slices, cucumber slices and capsicum slices in one side of the bread so that the bread can be rolled. Sprinkle salt. Crush kothimbir wadi pieces a little and put those over the vegetables. Roll the bread tightly. Put the roll on hot griddle  for a whole so that the roll does not open. Wrap it with aluminum foil.

Notes:

Felafel can be used instead of Kothimbir wadi.

Khaboos can be replaced with paratha.

The wrap will taste good even with the left over paratha.

It is healthy, tasty and filling option for tiffin as it tastes good even when it is not hot.

Happy Tuesday all! Hope you are off to a wonderful week

I had such an amazing weekend I cannot wait to share it all with you. A few weeks back, I had booked a flight to NYC to see one of my best girls for the weekened! Luckily I was able to take Friday-Monday off from work so everything worked out perfectly!

I left the Bean (Boston) around 5 on Friday– well I was SUPPOSED to leave @ 5 but those shuttle flights to NYC ALWAYS get delayed! I finally made it to my girls apartment around 9– we got food, some goose and got ready for a fun night!!!

Friday night after we hit up the clubs– we were FAMISHED!! This fabulous little store right near my girls place is opened 24 hours– we hit that place up for turkey & hummus wraps, Glennys soy crisps and Pop chips! We kept joking that only WE (& of course some of you other bloggers) would get the ‘healthy’ late-night-alcohol-induced munchies!! We were FAMISHED and ate every bite– all that booty shakin/walking around makes a gal SUPAA hungry!!

The rest of the weekend was chock full of MORE drinks, LOTS of shopping, TONS fun and of course some AMAZING food!!

Case in point #1: On Saturday we ventured to the FABULOUS Wholefoods in Union Square…

I LOADED my salad bowl with sooo much goodness!! One of my favorites were the two yucca fries– I had never had these before– they were chewy and different than a typical fry but SO good!

More good food…

Me and my girl split this amazing platter of sushi at this place called Amber– it was SOOO good! The restaurant was chic, sexy and the food was INCRED! Not to mention the service was A+! We had reservations for 8:30 and didn’t get seated until 9:30– the manager sent over LOTS of champagne, cheesecake and was super apologetic– nothin like customer service!!

After din we headed out for another night on the town…

On Sunday we spent the day walking around– it was SOOO nice out!!

I was so sad to leave NYC on Sunday night– I just LOVE the energy of the city there– I DEFINITELY see myself moving there next September– I think I have just outgrown Boston!

Other eats as of late have included LOTS of wraps– but to be honest I eat a wrap for lunch just about EVERY day! I LOVEEE WRAPSS!!

Wrap #1 Turkey, roasted red pepper Sabra hummus, lettuce and spinach

Wrap #2 Turkey, Cedars Garlic Salsa, and lettuce.

I worked the morning shift today– waking up early to hit up the gym before my 7 am shift– ooo I just LOVE gettin in a sweat sesh nice n early!! After work, I decided it was time for me to get a new phone. I have had an iPhone for over 2 years and have been curious about Blackberries for a while and wanted to get one. I made my way over to AT&T and purchased the Blackberry Bold.

I had the phone for literally AN HOUR before I promptly went back to the store and RETURNED it– instead trading it in for the new iPhone 3GS (I had the 3G)…

AHHH– MUCH BETTER!! I just DON’T think I’m a Blackberry girl!!! How many of you have Blackberries???

After dealing with the phone drama– you best believe I needed a delish snack….

Archer farms vanilla yogurt, Kashi Goodfriends cinna-raisin-crunch cereal and banana slices– the perfect late afternoon snack!!!

Anyways– switching gears & moving right along… lets get to some more ’spiritual’ matters if you will

Tonight’s Insight…

I went to the Kabbalah Centre tonight for a lecture in honor of the new month of Sagittarius. The most important piece that I took away from tonight’s lecture was the fact that when a person does the right thing because he/she feels it makes him/her ‘righteous’– this is the wrong intention. It is important to have the RIGHT intention when one does ‘morally right’ things– and that intention is to GENUINELY want to be a better person and grow spiritually… rather than to ‘do the right thing’ because they are attempting to live up to a certain ‘reputation’.

I think this is a really fascinating concept and I have to say that I agree. I think that when you do something ‘good’ in order to be a ‘good person’ you must do it for YOURSELF and NOT because you are trying to ‘look good’ in front of other people. I have to say though– I’m not the best at this– I think we all struggle with that little ‘voice’ (Kabbalah calls this voice the ego) in our heads that tell us we ’should’ or ’shouldn’t’ do something because of how we will ‘look’. What do you all think?

As for tomorrow– me & one of my friends are going to the Celtics game– her dad has box seats and said we could use them– I’m not a huge sports person–but I definitely think it’ll be fun to go!!

Have a wonderful night everyone!!!

Jaime

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Me and Clay went to Mick and Carla’s house for dinner one sunday night. Carla made us the yummiest cajun wraps which we’ve since included in our meal list every week. I love it cause it is tasty,simple,quick and adaptable. 

Ingredients:

Tortilla wraps

avovado 

spinach or lettuce. 

Greek or natural yohgurt (with some garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt & peppper mixed in) 

Salsa (you can make it yourself by frying up 3 x cloves of garlic,2 x red peppers, 1 chopped capisicum – then putting in a food proccessor with a can of tomatoes. YUM) 

Beef (or chicken) 

Cajun seasoning. 

Grated cheese 

How:

Step 1: mix heaps of cajun seasoning on meat. 

Step 2: make the salsa and prepare the yoghurt,avocado and lettuce 

step 3: fry up the meat. 

step 4: heat up tortillas. 

Step 5: you guessed it. spread avocado on base, then put meat, cheese, yoghurt, salsa and lettuce. wrap up and EAT. 

Me and CLay love this with a nice G & T in front of the 7PM project. Mum this is a great one for you!

By Annette Larson

Perforated window film graphics allow the graphic to be viewed from one side and allow visibility through the back side of the graphic.

When choosing perforated window film you should consider the percentage/size of holes, length and type of use, and the manufacturer.   Working with a qualified large format printer will ensure that you can rely on their expertise in selecting the right product for your job.

Graphic Design Tip – When working with perforated products, increase the contrast in  your images 20% before printing to help give you a more vibrant image on the perforated surface!

Traditional uses have included vehicle wraps where this film is used on side and back windows of cars, trucks, monorails, trains and buses.

Consider some less-common uses for these films:

Storefronts——————–

Offices——————

Skyways———————–

Corridors and Hallways

Airports——————

Retail applications——————-

and as Outdoor Billboards—————-

For more photos and ideas visit the Inspiration pages.

For additional posts and articles visit the Recent Posts tab in the right column.

By Annette Larson, Big Ink

Sources:  Avery, Roland, AB Sign Solutions, Fabric Graphics Magazine, Sign Graphix, Jap Sign, CJ Display

Nails, just like every single part of your face and body, must also be taken care of. Nowadays, women just do not fret about their dull hair, their hairy legs, their flabby abdomen, or their splotchy pasty-white skin. In today’s generation, more and more women (and even men too), are now paying closer attention to their nails.

It is thus no surprise that nail salons have begun to sprout like mushrooms. So now, people just don’t go to the salons to get their hair done. They just don’t go to spas for their well-deserved body massages. People now go to salons and spas to get their nails done as well.

It is also not surprising that nail care has been taken to a higher level. If pedicures and manicures are your definition of nail care, well, think again. Right now, people are starting to go gaga over silk wrap manicure.

What is a silk wrap manicure, you might ask? There are actually different types of nail wraps but the most popular are the silk wraps, the other nails wraps are linen and fiber. It is one of the fastest and most effective solutions to a broken nail crack. Starting by applying thin silk fibers over the crack with a bit of glue so that it adheres to the nail bed and give it strength. Just wait until the glue dries, after that you can start trimming and buffing the silk wrap. Make sure to file and buff gently and then you are on your way.

Silk wraps are used on natural nails but it can also be used on tips. Silk wrap manicure imparts a natural look for your nails. Nevertheless, the material can be quite gentle so a silk wrap manicure may not be advisable to men or women who lead very active lifestyles.

People can easily get a silk wrap manicure as most salons are now offering such service. The treat however, can be quite costly compared to the regular pedicure and manicure.

Those who would like to save money however can opt to buy the tools and materials themselves and just do it on their own or ask friends to do it for them. In searching for materials and tools however, make sure to purchase the quality brands. There are complete kits in stores such as Sally’s.

Even though silk wraps protect nails and give a natural healthy look, one should still regularly care for the natural nails. Some can stay long for 3 weeks. Regularly, cuticles must be moisturized even while wearing silk wraps.

When removing silk wraps, do it gently and have a manicure and/or pedicure after.

Nails are necessary for beauty, especially for a person’s overall well-being. Nails protect the soft tissue on our fingers and keep us capable of using our fingers. In addition to this pragmatic view of nails, regular visits to nail spas and salons can make a person feel great.

For an advice, treat women to a nail spa if she needs pampering!

subway? togos’s? think again. we’re talking about ice cream sandwiches.

I am always on the lookout for different and interesting products to feature on my health and beauty sites. I have often used a mud-pack for the varied benefits, such as helping my eczema and psoriasis. So I was very interested when I located shimmerfx.com, online source for a large range of great health and beauty products. Their extensive list of products include various invigorating mud-based body wraps. Bodywraps are an eco-friendly alternative to chemical based treatments for a range of body conditions.

These include cellulite, the dimply looking fat deposits that can make an otherwise beautiful looking woman un-attractive. Expensive treatments like liposuction can be used to treat the unsightly condition, but a non-invasive use of body wraps is a much safer procedure.

The main product is Guam Seaweed Mud which contains natural ingredients such as seaweed mud, iodine, ivy extracts, essential lemon oil and oregano. This particular product is very reasonably priced and comes in various sizes up to 5KG containers. The usage recommendation is to also use their After Mud Finishing Cream which helps to reduce the redness and re-hydrate the skin after a bodywrap. There is also Guam Fangocrema Tummy and Waist cream for helping get rid of those tummy bumps often found after childbirth or weight loss.

All of these body wraps are 100% natural and contain no harmful chemical additives like a lot of the competitive products do. Anyone using them can be confident of only using the best ingredients, but at an affordable price.

Other products that are offered by shimmerfx.com are eco-friendly and in-expensive compared to the chemical based alternatives. A diverse range is offered , Fake tanning creams, Eye creams, Anti-Aging, Men hairstyling products plus many more. Anyone looking for excellent health and beauty products, especially body wrap should check out their range. I am so glad to have found this excellent range of products to energise and invigorate.

Hey everyone! Good Afternoon! How is your day? Mine is FLYING BY- too fast! Around 11am I was hungry…so I dipped into the snack draw and grabbed a primal strip.

This was my first time trying a Primal Strip. It was ok, it reminded me of jerky, I will probably not buy more, but will most likely eat the other one in my draw at some point simply because I don’t waste.

Lunch was a turkey, laughing cow, lemon hummus, lettuce and cucumber wrap with an apple from apple picking this weekend.

Simple and easy (not to mention tasty).  I also tired some ice coffee that was sent to me by the people at Pacific foods!

I poured about 1/2 of the container into a cup.

It was creamier and more flavorful than any iced coffee I have ever had. I really enjoyed this creamy little treat. It was more like an iced latte in my opinion, but I am not complaining. Yum!

I had it as part of my afternoon snack which was a Trader Joe’s lowfat mocho yogurt.

and some of my Food, Fitness Fashion Mix granola from MixMyGranola.

That’s a whole lot of Mocha!!!!I actually only ended up eating half of my snack because I thought the yogurt was GROSS! When I found myself choking it down I realized it it I have to choke it down, I should probably not bother!!

Well it is Wednesday so without further ado:

THINGS ALI IS EXCITED ABOUT:

• The wedding this up coming weekend
• Meeting Janel, Jessica and Elizabeth at Boston Vegetarian Food Festival Sunday morning!
• Body Pump tonight!
• Fit Bloggin’ 2010 in March (far away I know but, whatever!)
• Getting married in 8 months!!!!!!
• Starting work on out NEW HOME!!!

What are you excited about?

Reminder: Vote for me for the Wellsphere People’s HealthBlogger Awards 2009! Click here to Vote!!!

Last week, I was stuck in the house with no cash, and very little food in stock. This is what I came up with – it will feed one hungry person and scales up nicely.

Filling:
1 tin tomatoes
1 small onion
garlic to taste
1 chipotle chili (or to taste)
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 pack tempeh
Olive oil for frying.

Dough:
1/2 cup strong wholemeal flour
1 tbl olive oil
approx 1/4 cup water.

Chop the onion and garlic and fry in a saucepan with olive oil on a low heat. Chop up the chilli and add to the pan. Grind the cumin and cloves and add to pan. Add the tomatoes and smash them up a bit. Bring to boil and then cover and simmer on a low heat for a long time until the tomatoes are reduced.

Meanwhile, mix up the flour, olive oil and enough water to make a dough and knead it for 10 minutes or so, adding more flour as needed. Wrap it up, or put it in a sealed container and forget about in the refrigerator.

Get a wok or karhai, and fry your tempeh until it’s a nice golden colour. When the tomatoes have reduced, add the tempeh and the paprika to the saucepan and mix well. Keep it on a low heat.

Retrieve your dough, and roll it into a ‘perfect’ circle at least 30cm (12″) in diameter. Sprinkle flour on the surface of your wok, which you remembered to keep warm, and gently lower the dough into it. Slowly bake it for five minutes or so.

Take about half the filling and place it in the centre of the dough circle. Fold over the edges to make a parcel. Raise the heat and add olive oil to fry it, flipping at least once.

Put your parcel on a plate, smother it with the remaining filling and your favourite barbeque sauce and eat!

Everyone’s seen car and truck wraps, but I believe this is still a highly under-utilized form of advertising and brand recognition.

That being said, you should consider wrapping your company’s vehicles, but don’t stop there.    Today you can wrap virutally anything that has a smooth surface, indoors or out.   

Your large format graphics supplier can help you pick the right materials based on surface and longevity, and since your graphics are printed 4-color process the design possibilities are virtually limitless.

3M is still the gold standard in wrap media, but they now have formidable competition from companies like Avery,  which gives you some options to meet your budget.    Depending upon the surface and longevity,  each manufacturer also provides a choice of adhesives;  from long-term media to short-term removable graphics.   Regardless of the type of adhesive, all are removable with no damage to surface below if applied as instructed to a stable, smooth surface.

One important key to an effective wrap is good installation.    Most people aren’t comfortable installing large wraps themselves.    When working with my clients we usually coordinate the installation,  either at our facility or off-site using our staff or someone from a nationwide network of installers with experience doing wraps.  

Here are few ideas for out-of-the-ordinary wraps:

Sources:   Big Ink,  Cranky Creative