Cooking simply means the preparation. This is for the purpose of eating through the use of heat. It comprises of a wide selection of methods, ingredients, and cooking utensils needed to bring out the flavor of the food that you are making and to make it edible as well.

Cooking simply means the preparation. This is for the purpose of eating through the use of heat. It comprises of a wide selection of methods, ingredients, and cooking utensils needed to bring out the flavor of the food that you are making and to make it edible as well.

With the appropriate process of selection, measurement as well as proper mixture of your ingredients in a step by step manner can be achieved. This is in order to create mouth watering dishes. The outcome of this is also affected by certain factors that you can input on your actual cooking. Such factors are your ingredients, cooking utensils, ambient conditions, and most importantly, the skills of the cook himself.

The vast variety of cooking methods in the different parts of the world reflects one’s cultural, social, religious, agricultural, nutritional, economical as well as aesthetic values. It mirrors the colorful yet diverse complexities and distinctiveness of each country and its character. It is a way of expressing one’s national pride, leaving an impact on the one who is actually tasting it.

In cooking, the use of heat is very important for it is one of the main components in order to create your own delicacy. Through the use of heat, food is transformed in its chemical content. Thus, altering its flavor, nutritional properties, texture, consistency and also its appearance is advisable.

The following are the type of cooking techniques based on kind of cooking you like:

Heat Based Cooking Techniques:

Drying Cooking

• Baking

• Broiling

• Barbecuing

• Flash Bake

• Rotisserie

• Grilling

• Toasting

• Searing

Water-Based Type of Cooking (Boiling)

• Braising

• Coddling

• Blanching

• Creamed

• Infusion

• Double Steaming

• Poaching

• Simmering

• Parboiling

• Steaming

• Stewing

• Simmering

Oil-based Type of Cooking (Frying)

• Deep Frying

• Pan Frying

• Sautéing

• Hot Salt Frying

• Stir Frying

• Hot Sand Frying

Device-Based Way of Cooking

• Microwaving

• Crock Pot

• Advantium

• Pressure Cooking

• Roasting or Pressure Frying

• Vacuum Flask Cooking

• Trivection

Confectionary and Baking Techniques

• Blind Baking

• Baking

• Conching (Chocolate)

• Kneading

• Parbaking

• Tempering (Chocolate)

• Creaming (Food)

• Proofing

Chemical Techniques

• Drying

• Brining

• Fermenting

• Ceviche

• Pickling

• Marinating

• Salting

• Sugaring

• Souring

• Smoking

• Sprouting

Mechanical techniques

• Dicing

• Chopping

• Grinding

• Kneading

• Julienning

• Shaving

• Peeling

• Mincing

In addition, by using heat on food preparation, this means that you can actually kill as well as inactivate harmful organisms such as viruses and bacteria that are potentially harmful. However, this will also depend on the length of the cooking time, and temperature. Moreover, the technique is also the main factor applied.

Hence, avoid cooking in temperatures that would range from 5 degrees up to 60 degrees Celsius. This is considered as the “food danger zone” mainly because bacteria can grow fast in this kind of temperature. Although the food being prepared may seem to be edible or clean, it can still cause harm due to the improper way of cooking it.

As for dairy products, poultry, meat and others, the food should be prevented from in the “food danger zone” so that it can be consumed safely. As for freezing food as well as refrigerating it, these methods just slow down the growth of organisms but not kill them.

Another means for safe food preparation is to practice proper hand washing and cleaning technique. In preparing your food, always make sure that you wash your hands before and after handling foods, cooking and when handling soiled utensils.

Moreover, you should wash fruits and vegetable thoroughly in order to wash out organisms that are harmful. Also, clean your utensils by washing them with antibacterial soap and cleanser. Plus, rinse them thoroughly with water. Lastly, always maintain your cooking area clean by sanitizing them with a bleach mixture that is a combination of 1 gallon of water with 1 tablespoon of bleach.

Cooking is like a fun adventure, if you are into it. Many famous Chefs did not learn their art by just following recipe books and techniques handed over by the elder generation. Chefs follow their own calling and experiment with the knowledge they have about food. They try different ingredients and test it out. Of course, no one can perfect a recipe at the first attempt. It is only in the desire to learn and the skill to do it that one learns to master the art of cooking.

Some of the popular Celebrity Chefs are as follows:

• Bobby Flay

• Mario Batali

• Emeril Lagasse

• Rachael Ray

• Jamie Oliver

In a chef’s world, the measure of success in this field can only be achieved in one program on TV, the competition called Iron Chef.

Free CMA

There is absolutely no question but that we are all getting heavier as each year passes. The statistics on overweight and obesity are truly staggering but already so well publicized I won’t repeat them here.

In the good old American way, we look for a scapegoat. Somebody must be at fault for our predicament and somebody must be made to pay. For this fight, we don’t have an wall of black-hatted executives as confronted us in the tobacco wars. This time we have a vast array of food producers who wear gray hats: they may proffer junk that clogs our arteries and overwhelms our insulin stores, but they also bring us what we need to sustain life. Cold turkey withdrawal or an industry boycott is obviously impractical.

So instead of scattering shot all over the food industry, we pick our targets carefully. There are several niches vulnerable to attack. Fast food is the most obvious choice as our waistlines have expanded in unison with the explosion of drive-thru outlets along our streets and highways. The consumption of colas and similar sweetened beverages has quite accurately been charged with hastening our flight into fat. Additives, preservatives, hidden sodium, and the widespread use of corn syrup in everything have also doubtlessly played their part in our odyssey into obesity.

One potential culprit has, so far, dodged the arrows of consumer outrage: the television chefs.

For years, there was limited series such as the wonderful Julia Child and the hilarious Galloping Gourmet. There were occasional stars such as Wolfgang Puck and Alice Waters??? But that changed in 1993 with the advent of a channel devoted entirely to food. I remember discussing it with friends who all thought that it would be short-lived. How many shows can you do about food, anyway?

Stumbling slightly as it came out the gate, the new channel rapidly developed its own stars: Emeril, and Bobby, and Mario, and Racheal. Cooking became a national obsession fueled by 24 hours of shows a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. There was everything: holiday specialties, gourmet, barbecue, southern foods, asian dishes, home cooking, fast meal preparation, spicy food, and head to head contests to see who could produce the tastiest creation within a limit of time and ingredients.

It is paradise for the food-frenzied among us. Judging by the ratings of many of the shows, that’s a whole lot of us! We become mesmerized by the patter of countless chefs who whip up outrageously gorgeous concoctions without breaking a sweat or cutting a finger. When we aren’t being entranced by the antics and creations of our favorite personalities, we are being seduced by endless commercials that also revolve around food.

Our weight, as a national statistic, stayed relatively stable for two decades after World War II. The revolutions of the 1960s and 1970s were about politics, and drugs, and music and food played a minor, almost unnoticed role.

It was in the late 1980s and 1990s that we started to balloon to what is now epic proportions. Yes, that correlates with the growth spurt of the fast food outlets and the soft drink industry. It also quietly parallels 85 million of us falling in love with the television chefs and the appetite for culinary masterpieces they triggered.

Perhaps instead of bending our elbow to put something in our mouth, we should reach for the remote and stop the chefs in their tracks.

Free CMA

Can you imagine having a key that could unlock any lock or door? We hear of people, heroes or heroines, being awarded the ‘key’ to the city. This is simply a metaphor for the privileges extended to the honoree. What if you literally had a key that could unlock any door or lock? Now let’s take that another step further or as Emeril Lagosse (a very famous Chef on the Food Network) puts it, let’s kick that up another notch. Suppose you had a key that could unlock every lock or door and also had the ability to break down any barrier that you encountered? Can you imagine the possibilities?

On Solomon’s Key Ring, he had just such a key. You are about to learn one of the most powerful ‘keys’ that you will ever learn. This is the key to success in relationships, in family matters, in situations with your job or career or business. This key can open the minds of your employer or your employees, your business associates or customers, your relatives or your children, your friends and even your enemies.

This is Solomon’s key to effective communication. Don’t let the name fool you. Again preconception and social conditioning confront us. Some terms have been misused to the point that we have become desensitized to their actual meaning. I’m sure that when you complete this section of our study of Solomon’s Keys to success you’ll have a completely different interpretation of ‘effective communication’.

There are several Proverbs that deal with effective communication and support a very important idea that relates the heart (the seat of emotion) and the mind (the seat of intelligence). These are only a few for brevity’s sake.

Proverbs 15:7 (NIV) says, “The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.”

Proverbs 15:28 (NLT) says, “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”

Proverbs 16:23 (NIV) says, “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.”

Proverbs 27:3 (Amplified Bible) says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

There are many passages that speak of the tongue or of our methods of communication. The important thing for us to realize is that we can either speak life into a situation or person or we can speak death into a situation or a person.

Before we continue let’s take a moment to look at what the Bible has to say about one of the most powerful members of the human body – the tongue.

James 3:4-6 says, “And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire.

James 3:2 says, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”

1 Corinthians 14:9 (New Living Translation) “It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.”

James 1:19 “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

1Peter 3:10 “For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.

1 Peter 4:11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

There are too many pages in the Holy Scripture that talk about ‘effective communication’ to list here with reproducing the entire Holy Bible. I brought these scriptures into play simply to give an idea of the absolute power that is wielded in our tongue or our speech.

For the purposes of this study we’ll concentrate on the instructions and admonitions given us in The Proverbs.

Before we begin with the methods of ‘effective communication’, let’s take a look at the effects of non-effective communication. This situation is more prevalent and more easily identified.

There have been millions of ideas and innovations totally ignore for one reason. It may not have been that the idea way a bad on but the method of communicating the idea was defective. In your home and in your work there are probably a ton of instances where ineffective communication has resulted in misunderstanding or the rejection of a great idea.

We have discovered through a survey of CEO’s and corporate level managers that the greatest problem with industries today is ineffective communication. It can quickly determine the life or the death of a company. Bringing this to an even greater personal level, ineffective communications or better yet, the lack of effective communication skills has been the ruin of many relationships, personal and business. As you learn and master the methods that Solomon offers in effective communication, you will not only see a dramatic.

We can demonstrate the effects of ineffectual communication at home, a setting in which we all are involved. Most women are right brain dominant and most men are left brain dominant. This equates to an often uncomfortable problem. Women have a need to feel connected and because of their emotional disposition, they feel a need for meaningful communication. On average a woman will speak from 25 to 50 thousand words per day. Men on the other hand are less interested in emotional connection and usually speak only 15 to 25 thousand words per day.

We see the effect of this in deteriorating relationship.

Often, at home, parents poorly communicate with their children, often destroying the emotional well being of their children. It is so often that parents denigrate their children for a childish act rather than encourage the child to act differently. Too often parents convince their children that they are ‘stupid’ or ‘useless’ rather than encouraging the child in a positive manner to do better.

Effective communication skills will propel you to an ever greater level of success in all areas of your life, especially those that will help you become a more successful communicator of God’s message.

Free CMA

On one late summer’s day, my journey took me from Valdez to Seaward, Alaska. While traveling I could see the fire weed, bright red and in full bloom along the highway’s edge. According to the locals, winter would be coming soon, ending the short summer Alaska enjoys. My morning had begun in the Port of Valdez and I was preparing to meet Princess Cruise Line’s brand new ship, Island Princess.

As the Princess coach pulled into the Port of Seaward I could see the Island Princess standing tall and sleek. I couldn’t help but think about how incredible this ultra-modern cruise ship is. She is powered by a gas turbine and has a passenger capacity of 1,970. This ship stands tall at 204 feet and is 964 feet in length. She is the new sister of Princess Cruise Lines’ Coral Princess. This 92,000-ton sister is no follower as she has many traits of her very own. I would be onboard for a southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver, B.C.

As I boarded the ship and began to explore, I was overwhelmed with this ship’s space and layout. In what’s been described as a “design twist”, the Island Princess features two full decks of public spaces, versus the traditional single Promenade Deck. I found the ship’s four-storey atrium to be alive with sophisticated colors and lighting. One visit you’d find a string quartet playing “Yesterday” by the Beatles, and next you’d be entertained by piano music coming from the Crooners Lounge.

If the space in the ship’s public spaces were not large enough, my cabin was in a class of its own as well. I had a mini-suite with a private balcony. This was a treat like none other. The mini-suites with private balcony come with twin beds that convert into a queen sized bed. The private balcony was so large you wanted to invite everyone from home over. It also has two TV’s incase you wanted to watch both the baseball and football game while cruising Glacier Bay. Let us not forget the refrigerator, bath with tub and shower, all wrapped up in 323 square feet including balcony. To say this was wonderful would be a huge understatement.

Our ship was scheduled to depart from the Port of Seward at 10 pm, much later than I had done before. However, I was getting used to the very long days of sunlight Alaska’s summer provided. While in Fairbanks days before, the sun would set around 11:30 pm and rise around 3:30 am. Now as we were farther south in Seward it would be dark for sailing, but still a much longer day than I was used to on the West coast of Florida.

It was dinnertime onboard and we had chosen Traditional Dining for our weeklong cruise. One thing I learned was Princess Cruises views dining as a form of entertainment. Food preparation and presentation is taken very serious. You will find only the best quality food items. Furthermore, the men and women who oversee the ballet of buffets, afternoon teas and formal dining, direct it like a Broadway show.

We chose Traditional Dining but Princess Cruises has what they call Personal Choice Dining. Only Princess offers this innovative approach to dining, enabling guests to dine how, when and with whom they want. Passengers may choose either a restaurant style option that allows them the same flexibility found in shore side establishments, or the traditional cruise dining experience with an assigned dining time, tablemates and wait staff - no other cruise line offers both of these options.

Personal Choice dining also means it is your choice to eat anytime you’d like. This means you have the option to eat in a 24-hour restaurant. This is no “Denny’s of the Sea”, this is great food choices cooked “A la’ Minuet” to provide only the freshest food to its guests onboard. You will also find freshly made pizza served by the slice served poolside at Princess Pizza pizzeria. Many cruise lines have added specialty restaurants onboard. Princess, keeping with their food-loving philosophy, offers more options than any other cruise line. The Island Princess offers two such specialty restaurants. The first being the Bayou Cafe’ where passengers can enjoy traditional Cajun and Creole influenced food and live jazz in the first New Orleans-themed restaurant at sea, with a look and feel straight out of the French Quarter. You’ll find a menu with dining choices such as peel-and-eat shrimp, alligator ribs, gumbos and jambalaya, not to mention the obligatory bevy of exotic cocktails. Cover charge ($8) includes complimentary Hurricane Cocktail. Next, you’ll find Sabatini’s, offering Italian dining and featuring seafood specialties and other traditional favorites served with flair in an authentic trattoria-like setting. Some cruisers feel that the specialty restaurants are not worth the additional fee, or do not want to pay anything “extra” while on a cruise. It’s been my experience that the price is well worth it and most of the fee goes directly to the staff in tips. So please do not pass up on these specialty restaurants, as they are indeed special.

As my first sea day came up, I was really impressed with all the activities to be experienced onboard. The Lotus Spa offered a vast array of treatments and massages at some great rates. The spa was very beautifully decorated, and had a caring staff. My companion, who has cruised many times said the staff was first class and the treatment wonderful. As I further explored the ship I found that the internet café, which is located off the atrium, was great. They even had a table setup with coffee and cream for you to enjoy nearby. I really enjoyed this touch very much. The café has wonderful leather chairs, and flat panel monitors that made reading email or surfing the net enjoyable. The only downside is connections do go down from time to time due to being in Alaska.

One program I found onboard that was most surprising was Princess’ new Scholarship@Sea enrichment programs. The program was started in early 2003 and the Island Princess is only the second ship to offer the program. She follows her sister ship Coral Princess in offering classes in its state-the-art, multi-purpose Universe Lounge. During my cruise I went to a cooking demonstration given by the cruise line’s corporate executive chef Alfredo Marzi. It was just like watching ‘Emeril Live’ or other great cooking shows. This included smell-a-vision since you’re right there in the audience to smell the fresh garlic, wine and spices. I really enjoyed it and have never seen a cooking demonstration like it before. It was both educational and entertaining with a state-of- the- art presentation. Everyone had a perfect view, due to large screen TV’s and the great layout of the Universe Lounge. Later in the week I had the pleasure of attending a lecture given by Princess Cruise Lines’ Fleet Commodore Moulin (ret). I was able to learn about his life at sea, from how it began until his retirement. It was fascinating and I quickly was convinced that I really preferred these types of programs on a cruise. I’ve not been a big gambler, so did not attend Bingo or even the art auction onboard. So having these offerings is wonderful. I was even more surprised when I found out how much more was available. You can choose from approximately 20 courses per voyage (six per sea day) from four core subject areas - Culinary Arts, Visual/Creative Arts, Photography, and Computer Technology. Italian cooking, hand-built pottery, digital travel photography, web page design, estate planning and water color techniques are just a few of the courses offered. All courses are free of charge and passengers can enjoy as many as they wish. If you want to continue your onboard education you can take smaller classes onboard for a $10 fee.

As you may have guessed with all of this entertainment, enrichment and food onboard you might not want to get off the ship. Being onboard the Island Princess was like staying at a luxurious resort. I know many other cruise lines are striving for this but Princess cruises offers it today in the Island Princess. Your days are filled with food, entertainment, ports of call and personal choices.

As the Island Princess ship pulled into Vancouver and under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, I looked back and knew I had experienced something special. Since I had never been to Alaska, this trip was a journey like no other. I found Alaska to truly be a “Wilderness Wonderland” and having a ship like the Island Princess as your platform for discovery is a must do for this cruise addict.

Explore, Dream, Discover

Free CMA

Despite popular (and fairly legitimate) concern, it definitely is possible to write for TV if you are based in New York rather than Los Angeles. There are some shows that staff and shoot there, of course, like Law & Order, many talk shows and the soaps (see partial list below). And with a connected Los Angeles agent and some well-timed trips to the Coast, hour-long drama assignments for L.A.-based shows also could happen at the freelance level. This would be pretty tough, but this is Hollywood, so nothing is impossible, right? Yes, ultimately, you will want to live here in L.A. to take advantage of the bulk of work being here. But you don’t need to live here to get hired. You just need to meet the right people who do.

If you haven’t already, a good way to get into the networking mix while you’re in NYC is to join an organization like the Producers Guild East or the NATAS (the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) if you have enough credits (or as an associate if you don’t), or the IRTS (International Radio & Television Society Foundation), which has outstanding educational and networking seminars with both East and West Coast execs throughout the year.

Now for the recon. Here are the TV shows currently produced in NYC:

PRIMETIME TV SHOWS:

$9.99

American Justice

Backdrop NYC

Behind the Label

Black Donnellys

Blueprint New York City

The Bridge

City Classics

Cool in Your Code

Dateline NBC

Eat Out NY

Fashion in Focus

Fashion Week in Focus

Full Frontal Fashion

Inside the Archives

It’s My Park

Knights of Prosperity

Law & Order

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Media 3.0 with Shelly Palmer

New York 360

New York Noise

NYC Paradetown USA

NYC TV Presents

Primetime Live

Rescue Me

Reservations Required

Secrets of New York

Six Degrees

The Sopranos

Summer in the City

Videofashion! News

What’s Cooking at Gracie?

20/20

30 Rock

48 Hours

60 Minutes

DAYTIME & LATE NIGHT TV SHOWS:

All My Children

As The World Turns

Between the Lions

The Early Show

Entertainment Tonight

Fox and Friends

Good Day New York

Good Morning America

Guiding Light

Inside Edition

In the Mix

Judge Hachett

Late Night with Conan O’Brien

The Late Show with David Letterman

Live From Lincoln Center

Live with Regis and Kelly

Martha

Maury Povich Show

The Metropolitan Opera

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet

Montel Williams

Newshour

NFL Today

One Life to Live

The People’s Court

Reading Rainbow

The Rachel Ray Show

Saturday Night Live

Sesame Street

The Today Show

The View

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

CABLE TV SHOWS:

Art in the 21st Century

A&E Biography

American Morning

Anderson Cooper 360

The Backyardigans

Bloomberg LP

Blue’s Clues

Blue’s House

Blue Collar Style

Broadway: The American Musical

Change of Heart

The Charlie Rose Show

Cheap Seats

CNN

CNN Presents

The Colbert Report

Cold Pizza

Consumer Reports TV News

Court TV

Cold Case Files

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

“E” Television Special

Egg the Arts Show

Emeril Live

Food Nation with Bobby Flay

Go Diego Go

History vs. Hollywood

Howard Stern

In a Fix

Inside the Actors Studio

Isaac Mizrahi Show

The Movie Mission

Newsnight with Aaron Brown

Nick News

Now with David Brancaccio

Paula Zahn Now

Project Runway

Room Raiders

Total Request Live

U Pick Live

VH1 Top 20 Countdown

Weekend Today

What Not to Wear

The Wonder Pets

With this list in hand, a few (okay, A LOT OF) clicks at IMDb.com will let you know what production companies run these shows and the names of the showrunners, so you’ll get a sense of what names to check for when you see industry seminars, panels and other events happening. And if you do get to meet them, while most would not take a spec, all will tell you who the top 3-5 agents/agencies are that they are open to take scripts from. And that will help focus your efforts on the rep front, as well.

The rules from there are the same as they are here. Have 2-3 excellent spec scripts for current shows. You can’t send a spec to that actual show, so you’ll want options to get into the door at multiple productions. Second, don’t set your sights on getting staffed immediately or nothing. I want you to start as a staff writer, but a freelance assignment is a great in (and a coveted one - these are competitive and often are favors). And the writer’s assistant, as abused and unloved as this poor schlub is, is often the first one to fill an open staff seat.

Once again, it looks like a lot of work and waiting to get to the pot of Hollywood gold, yes? Of course it is! But it certainly is worth it if you can make it into the handful of writing positions on shows back East or here in Los Angeles. People manage to do it every year. I hope you do, too.

Free Dating

This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni’s Fountain of Youth Summit, which can be found at http://fountainofyouthworldsummit.com. In this excerpt, Dr. Maria Grace shares on the value of preparing food.

The Fountain of Youth World Summit with Dr. Maria Grace, psychologist, psychotherapist and author of Reel Fulfillment.

Kevin: What do you think of some of the biggest challenges that people face? That people just eat food, it’s not prepared with love, it’s processed? Is that the biggest challenge that people face from staying healthy?

Dr. Grace: It’s one of the biggest challenges, yes. Food that you buy and eat out of the box is no longer food. You know, we need to eat live today alive. When you eat something dead, how can you turn something dead into life? I don’t get it.

So we eat dead stuff. We eat dead stuff, we eat fat, we eat without paying attention to what we are eating, we don’t share the food that we eat okay? And so because we take away all these pleasures that surround the ritual of eating we concentrate just, we concentrate is a figurative term here, because we don’t really concentrate when we eat. We eat unconsciously.

So we keep eating and eating and eating and just stuffing our body with food and then the only gratification that we’re most likely to get is this fixation from having eaten. Sometimes we don’t even remember what we ate. Sometimes we don’t even pay attention to how many times we chewed of what we ate. Wouldn’t you agree?

Kevin: Yes.

Dr. Grace: We eat very, very fast and then what does this do to us? It taxes the body and we eat fast and, again, you see, you may eat very healthy food. You may eat just the raw food or just organic or just vegan or just I don’t know you name it. I mean there’s just so much, the technology and the of good, healthy food is so advanced today that every day we come up with a new brand or a new department of good, healthy food. I don’t care what kind of food we eat, but we may eat it very fast.

If we slow down a little bit and start paying attention to how we eat, how we eat is the first one, our behavior around eating. Then we’re going to start paying attention to what we eat. We need time to pay attention, we need time and space to pay attention to what it is that we’re eating.

Kevin: Right.

Dr. Grace: I really think that in order for us to become conscious of what we eat, we first need to pay attention how we eat it.

And then we will realize that when we sit down and we eat, I don’t know, and the 30 ounce sirloin steak…

Kevin: Oh gosh.

Dr. Grace: …at 10:30 pm and then try to go sleep and we need to eat, we need to take pills…

Kevin: Sure, enzymes and everything else.

Dr. Grace: So we need to 5 or 6 of them and about, I don’t know, 3 or 4 glasses of Alka-Seltzer and then walk up and down and then we need god knows what else to fall asleep and we think all this is stress. Well, it’s maybe stress, but not all of it may be stress from the office or stress from the boss. A lot of it is actual stress from the steak, you know, that is trying to be digested by our stomach which is working overtime while we, the rest of the body, needs to rest.

Kevin: Yes.

Dr. Grace: You see? When we sleep our bodies shut down. So what that this does, that the stomach should be relatively empty or free from heavy food okay? So if we slow down, though, and paid attention to all this process then perhaps that sirloin steak might be eaten with less frequency or a little earlier in the day.

Kevin: Yes.

Dr. Grace: So I’m not saying stop eating meat, I’m not saying this because I can not force people to completely change their food habits because I believe that, you know, such and such is better than other, but what I firmly believe again and I’ll say it again is that if people change the way they eat then the food they eat would be reconsidered and they would also change the food they eat as well.

I’m talking about what do we watch on Food Network that makes us salivate every time?

Kevin: Yes.

Dr. Grace: We sit in front of the TV and we watch the Food Network for hours and we say, “You know what? I love this channel” and I’ve asked thousands of people, “Why do you love this channel?” They say, “Look at they prepare this food. It’s just fantastic”. Well, what I am saying is turn your own kitchen into Emeril’s kitchen. Be your own Emeril. Be your own Rachel Ray. You can. Buy the ingredients, buy the baking sheet, buy the pots, buy the pans and start cooking. The satisfaction that you’re going to get is amazing. It’s phenomenal. It will change your whole outlook on food. You will learn a lot more how to pick the right ingredients. You will learn a lot more about the difference between organic vegetables. You will learn how to pick free ranged chicken from hormone fed chicken. You will, that is where you really, really learn the difference. Not by reading just books or watching TV shows.

Kevin: And here’s the big objection: I don’t have time. What…

Dr. Grace: But you have time to watch TV. I ask people, “How many hours of TV do you watch a week?” And it’s incredible. If we count the hours that we watch TV. If we could cut them in half we could still have time to cook.

Kevin: Sure.

Dr. Grace: Okay? And even zapping through channels is a time-consuming or what about the internet surfing? What about people reading recipes on the internet? That’s another secret addiction, you know? They search for recipes and then they go from one recipe to another and one recipe to another or they collect recipes. All that takes time. Well, what I’m here to say to you people is, okay, pick one of those recipes and cook it. Make it happen. Make it happen. Bring it to work. Share it with people. It will give you enormous satisfaction. Even the feedback that you’re going to get from some people, they will say, “You know what? I like it.” Some other people will say, “Well, it needs a little bit more, I don’t know, sugar or salt or less of this or more of that”. This builds community. This builds friendship. This is why people love watching Chocolate for example, the movie. Where we have a character who moves into this little village with her daughter and she’s a chocolate baker and she makes fantastic recipes using chocolate and the movie shows how this woman heals an entire community just by teaching them how to make chocolate cakes.

We yearn for this healing. We yearn for this love that we see that is shared among those people on big screen. You are the director of your movie and that is your life. So make the banquet. Prepare the banquet. It’s not difficult. It’s really easy and it’s a lot of fun. That is how you are going to feel active and engaged in your own life. In one very, very, very significant aspect of your life which is your eating. We live, if you think about it, Kevin, I mean that’s the bottom line here. If we don’t eat, we don’t stay alive.

Kevin: That’s a fact of life.

Dr. Grace: Okay, and isn’t that the bottom line?

Kevin: You say pick one recipe and it sounds so easy and I work with a bunch of people and I say, “Pick one exercise” or you know even in the success field is just pick one route and go for it. Though, that really, for some people it’s very difficult to make a decision. You know, you have hundreds of recipes. It’s almost like it’s easier to collect a hundred of them than actually make one. What do you say then?

Dr. Grace: Yes, well, I have to say a couple of things. First of all, we live in a culture of accumulation here. We think that accumulating material objects equals abundance. We have our pantries are always overstuffed, but and we order takeout. I mean, what is that? I think we, personal growth and self-fulfillment and self-actualization always implies, that’s the whole idea of the hero is journey by the way, always implies that we have to question the culture. At a certain point we do have to go against the cultural demands to carve our path in life. To carve our hero’s path.

So the culture says that you must have stuffed cabinets and you must have 12 shelves full of cookbooks and about 1300 handwritten recipes, okay? But brand new pans and pots and never used pots and pans in your kitchen, okay? We have to reverse this and start using our pots and pans and it’s okay if we have 12 recipes and not 1200 recipes, but we use them all. We can make the first step right now. We can pick one recipe. The one that we’ve always wanted and it does not have to be complicated. I love cooking meals that take less than 20 minutes to prepare.

Kevin: Sure.

Dr. Grace: We have all sitcoms are about 20, 25 minutes okay? Or series. Sex and the City, I mean, minus the commercials, is about 20 minutes. That’s it. That’s as long as we can stay with a ritual. So pick something that takes anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes and once you love it then go through the next recipe and then to the next .

Now let me give you an example about how I practice what I preach in my own life. I am currently going through a rather big transition and I just moved from a very functional and small apartment in New York City to a 4 bedroom house in on the shore of New Jersey. The house is empty for now because it’s a renovation and work I have an empty fridge. So what did I do yesterday? I went to the store and I was really hungry and I had a choice of buying something and eating it on the spot or buying something that I could prepare.

So I bought ham and cheese and whole grain bread and I went to my car and I opened it up and I made a sandwich. Right next to my car there was another car with a guy who looked at me through the window and he was holding a huge bag of chips. So as I was making a sandwich for myself he was opening the bag of chips and he looks at me and laughs. We look at each other and we both say with one word, “We’re hungry, hey.”

Kevin: Okay.

Dr. Grace: Now, what was the difference, though, between us? I was not eating chips out of a bag. It was something almost automatic for me to buy something that I could create a ritual out of alright? My ritual was to make my own sandwich because I took time. The few minutes that it took for me it was my food, it was my ritual and I opened a little napkin and I ate it and this is what I do.

Free Dating

Every year millions of people head to Las Vegas for vacation, but not all of them go there for what the city is most famous for, gambling. The casinos offer a lot more than slot machines and poker tables for visitors. There is a reason why this city is referred to “The Entertainment Capital of the World.” There is a lot of entertainment available that has nothing to do with gambling for those wishing to forgo risking the over $400 that the average gambler looses in a trip to Las Vegas.

One of the biggest attractions in Las Vegas is the shows. Some shows like Cirque du Soleil, which has various versions of their amazing circus running simultaneously at different casinos, have been running for years and grow more popular year after year. Popular entertainers play in Las Vegas, often for long runs. Celine Dionne recently ended a four-year run at Caesar’s Palace. Elton John is scheduled for a few months in mid 2008 at the same venue.

Visitors also find Broadway musicals such as the wildly popular The Producers, top notch comedians, and compelling dramas on the stages at Las Vegas casinos and other venues.

Shopping is also a very popular activity for those who visit Las Vegas. While some of the high-end shops make window shopping necessary for many visitors, there is plenty of affordable shopping for those who want to spend their time in the stores. The Forum Shops at Caesars is home to 160 boutiques and shops, 13 restaurants and various specialty food shops. At the Bellagio, the Via Bellagio offers high-end shopping, and the Pool Promenade has unique shops that cannot be found elsewhere. Bargain shoppers can find treasures outside of the casinos at the Las Vegas Premium Outlet that offers over 100 outlet stores or they can try their luck at the Fashion Outlets Las Vegas that offer many of the same brands that can be found in the hotel boutiques but for far less.

Another attraction for non-gamblers is the dining in Las Vegas. Many celebrity chefs have restaurants in the city. Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck both have more than one restaurant in the casinos, and Bobby Flay has the popular Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace. Celebrity chef restaurants aren’t the only fine dining choices, however. There are many, many five star restaurants in the casinos and the surrounding area. It’s also possible to get really good food in Las Vegas without the five star price tag at some of the other eating establishments. In a city that seems to be open 24 hours a day, there are lots of great places to get a meal any time of day.

Boxing matches also draw crowds to Las Vegas. The biggest ones are always held at the Las Vegas casinos, and it’s not uncommon for the regular tourist to come face to face with the celebrities who attend these boxing matches. Other sporting events that Las Vegas caters to are kick boxing, WWE wrestling events, speed racing, and the occasional celebrity basketball game with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Las Vegas may not be the first vacation destination that people think of when they think of family vacations, but it is becoming an increasingly popular spot for families. The casinos and other businesses in the surrounding areas are adding more and more attractions for children. Many of the casinos offer live animal attractions such as Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef, The Mirage’s White Tiger Habitat, and The MGM Grand’s Lion Habitat.

A state of the art arcade called Game Works will appeal to kids of all ages, The Las Vegas Zoo offers hours of entertainment away from the casinos, and Circus Circus has been a family fixture in Las Vegas for years. The city boasts the world’s largest indoor theme park, the five and a half acre Adventuredome. Families can find go-karts, kid-friendly shows, children’s museums, and wax museums along with many, many other family oriented activities scattered all throughout Las Vegas.

Those wishing to get out from the confines of Las Vegas and its beautiful but flashy buildings can head outside for some fresh air. A visit to The Hoover Dam is easy by taking a tour bus that can be booked from Las Vegas. Bonnie Springs Ranch Old Nevada is just a short drive from the city, and visitors get to experience the Old West. Red Rock Canyon is a bit more of a drive, but it’s a great place to get away from it all and do a little hiking. Of course, the area surrounding Las Vegas is littered with golf courses so no golfer has an excuse for not hitting a few while in Vegas.

Free CMA

I was initially skeptical when a good friend mentioned that I must purchase a Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewer. Greg, who unfortunately lives out of town, is the same friend who’s opinion I trusted most. With a little online research and a lot of assurance from him, I decided to purchase the Special Edition B60 Single Cup Coffee Brewer. Now with the machine and its many varieties of coffee, tea and cocoa packets in my possession, I was ready to start brewing.

Since my past consisted of only owning multi-cup drip coffee makers, I was excited to realize my days of chugging hours old sludge were over. I always despised making a full jug of four, eight or twelve cups of coffee each day, just to pour the majority away hours later. What a waste. In the present, my life has changed with the Keurig Single Cup, brewing one delicious hot cup of coffee or tea at a time. It’s been 10 years since the introduction of the innovative Keurig single-cup brewing system. Sometimes I’m slow in realizing new advancements and the Keurig is no exception. Since you can’t make up lost time, I shall move forward with my large variety of coffees, teas, and cocoas and start making some delicious treats.

Let us first start with the type of water to use. Tap water is fine, however I suggest bottled spring water if you want a better tasting coffee. Next, you will have to shop for the patented Keurig K-cups. They offer more than 190 varieties of coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Varieties of coffee from light to extra bold, flavored, decaffeinated, half-caffeinated, to full caffeine all from famous name blends. Several different varieties of tea are also available, as well as Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa. My favorites included Emerils Big Easy Bold Coffee with its invigorating deep smokey flavor, and the Celestial Seasonings Decaffeinated Green Tea with its smooth flavor and natural goodness using a compound that occurs naturally in the tea leaves. I found the full-bodied brew of this green tea an evening delight, relaxing me prior to bedtime.

Now that you made your choice of coffee or tea, all you have to do is turn on the brewer, and fill with the desired amount of water. The brewer will notify you when the right amount of water is in the machine. Place a single serve cup beneath, choose your cup size and hit brew button. Wow, this is simple! In less than a minute the Keurig well say when the cup of coffee or tea is ready. After using the coffee maker cup the manufacturer recommends, you can rinse out the machine by brewing a cup of hot water without a K-cup. This ensures a perfect cup for the next person who may choose a different flavor. This is especially helpful for the Keurig coffee maker in the office. Speaking of office, now I know where i’ll put my Second Keurig Coffee Maker. If I only had a summer home. Before I forget, I must once again thank Greg for another excellent recommendation.

Free Dating

There are numerous kinds of cookware that offers the most features which is real value for money. These kitchen tools are made up of durable materials for better performance and durability. Some classic cookware offers hand-made craftsmanship with the use of raw materials, which is a good material for cooking, and avoids toxins due to some chemicals used in cooking surfaces.

Cookware is an essential tool for cooking. They are commonly used for food preparation that comes in different types such as saucepans, cooking vessels, frying pans, kitchen knives, and many more.

These kitchen essentials are made of different materials like aluminum, copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, ceramics, glass and a lot more. There are various types of professional cookware available in the market today, which offers a lot of functionality for the cooking professionals.

Here is some of the best cookware available in the market:

Emerilware Stainless Cookware by All Clad

The Emerilware Stainless line by All Clad was designed in combination with Emeril Lagasse, perhaps the most popular chef and television character of our time. The Emeril Stainless Cookware line boasts its solid performance with reasonable prices. The base is made up of stainless steel, which is combined with aluminum and copper for perfect heat conductivity and satisfactory performance. In addition, the base disk is enclosed by an external elegant stainless steel for ease of cleaning and adds perfect resistance to rust. The cooking surface of the pan is made up of a non-reactive stainless steel and also comes with an ergonomic heat resistant handle that is securely mounted to the pan. The lids are made of tempered glass, with a stainless band for easy visibility.

Kuhn Rikon Circolo Cookware

The exclusive Kuhn Rikon Circolo cookware is one of the popular kitchen cookware in the US. This cookware is a perfect companion for the chef because of its perfect performance. The cookware is made of an aluminum core for better heat distribution and high performance. The exterior is made of polished stainless steel and a brushed stainless cooking surface. The handle does not have any interior rivets for easy cleaning. This piece of cookware is safe to put in dishwashers.

Cuisinart Cookware

The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware is one of the famous names in the cookware industry. Cuisinart Multiclad Pro comes with an aluminum core with brushed stainless exterior finish. The cooking surface is made up of the best material that does not discolor. Other Cuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware features include:

•Dishwasher safe

•Cool Grip handle

•Oven safe to 550F

•Tight-fitting lids seal in moisture and nutrients.

Piral Italian Terracotta Cookware

This cookware is an 1870 cookware collection by Piral. This is an excellent classic cookware that is hand crafted using the most honored Italian method of pottery making. The cookware is made of simple combination of Italian clay and water.

By using these raw materials, these kitchen tools offer a healthy cooking experience. Dishes can cooked on even heat and these kitchen essentials offer an alternative way of cooking by avoiding the hazards of by-products or toxins, which are being sucked into the food from the cooking surface. In addition, the glass-like finish makes the item easy to clean and can be used for cooking, food service and food storage as well.

Le Creuset Cookware

The Le Creuset Cookware is another product boasting the French craftsmanship of a hand-finished cookware. The classically-designed cookware can uniquely perform the needs of the most demanding chefs. These products are considered one of the favorites of chefs around the world.

Le Creuset Cookware features:

•Porcelain coated cast iron spreads heat more evenly.

•Can retain heat longer.

•Does not react to acidic foods.

•Tight-fitting lids that gently cooks food while sealing in the flavors.

•Porcelain coated cast iron can be used with nearly all heat sources: electric, induction, gas, and ceramic cover ranges.

•Phenolic handles and knobs are safe in the oven up to 450°Fahrenheit/232°Centigrade.

•Le Creuset can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

The Le Creuset porcelain coated cast iron cookware is guaranteed by a lifetime warranty.

In cooking, it is essential to have the best cookware in order to maintain a perfect cooking experience that will surely result in exciting and delicious food.

Free Dating

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino contains everything listed in its name, and a great deal more. Once upon a time on its site stood the legendary Sands Hotel. But Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack were long departed from the scene by the time the venerated structure was demolished to make way for The Venetian. Opened in 1998, this billion dollar behemoth is one of Las Vegas’ greatest centers of luxury and entertainment. Its massive walls enclose over 4,000 suites and a 120,000 square foot casino. But the hotel offers much more than mere size as its claim to fame.

Not two years after it opened, an art museum was added - the Guggenheim Hermitage, featuring pieces from Impressionist masters. Less than a year later another stellar collection was unveiled - Art Through the Ages: Masterpieces of Painting from Titian to Picasso. Not satisfied, the ever inventive hoteliers added yet a third two years later, containing pieces from Renoir, Gauguin, Matisse and many others. Between the three, visitors have access to works that rival those found in any of the great museums in New York or elsewhere.

But for those who like a more lively form of entertainment, The Venetian has many from which to choose. The quirky ensemble the Blue Man Group performs there in the Blue Man Theatre. Displaying some of the most astounding physical feats seen anywhere, the show has to be seen to be believed. And even then you’ll wonder. The Phantom of the Opera musical gave birth to a variant that is performed at The Venetian, an extravaganza that those who enjoyed the original will be sure to want to see.

Along with the entertainment there is shopping, dining, gambling and a dozen other things to see and do. You can visit the food court in the Grand Canal Shoppes and find some genuine cuisine from Venice. Or hit the 10,000 square-foot Tao Nightclub and find out what dancing is all about. The next day you can have lunch at the Aquanox where the seafood rivals that of the famed Emeril. You don’t have to go all the way to London to see Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, either. There’s one inside the hotel that is nearly its equal. Chock full of celebrity figures that are as life-like as the real thing, it will amuse visitors young and old.

Then relax at the five-acre Pool Deck where you can enjoy any of three pools or spend time in the hot tub. Sited above the fourth level of the Venetian Tower, you’ll have a great view while you soak away your cares. Then dry off and take a gondola ride along the canals and experience Venice in Las Vegas.

For cash back deals and free deals visit http://www.dragonrewards.com/browse/all/all/all

Free CMA