Spring Rain

~ Spring Rain ~ 

April has already stepped in!! Its difficult to understand how quickly 

time flies , its hard to  believe that the new year and christmas bells

rang more than 3 months back! Seems like a few days back  we were

 decorating the Christmas tree and now easter and summer both are 

gradually stepping in. The colorful spring flowers are in their last
 blooms but wait there is something really unusual about this spring,

 its has been raining quite a lot this time , undoubtedly  the sudden 

showers refresh us but it adds to the plight of the poor farmers 

who have already faced much damage to their crops.  

Owing to the  sudden thunderstorm and downpour in the evening , little 

one could not go out to play with her friends. While she was busy admiring 

the pitter patter of the rain on the leaves and spring blossoms, I decided 

to capture the scene on plate. 

The sudden thunderstorm and weather disturbance filled the market place 
with oranges and  I stocked up (as much my refrigerator could hold) a few
 dozens for juice and fruity ice lollies. The berries were driving me crazy!!

Spring is also the season  to dig into unlimited berries too. 

 Along with the fun salad I made a big bowl of refreshing fruit salad too.

Luscious strawberries, cape gooseberries, cherry tomatoes, kiwi, grapes 

all tossed up with some lemon juice,mint  and black salt .

The garden and  the plants thoroughly enjoyed the sudden shower and 
 the lil one her themed salad. 

Orange, grapes, banana , parsley and toasted sunflower seeds. 

Advertising fast food to children

Leading fast food companies have pledged to follow specific advertising guidelines under the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), a project of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB).

These voluntary pledges remain quite weak. One recent summary of the argument that these pledges are insufficient [note: slight edit for clarity Apr 5] comes from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. The companies describe the pledges in shorthand, saying loosely that they now advertise only healthy food to children. In truth, more precisely, the companies still advertise both unhealthy and healthy food choices to children.

For example, a company pledge may claim to show only children's meals with comparatively healthy sides and beverages (such as apple slices and milk) and not less healthy options (such as french fries and sugary soda). Even with no further deception, the advertisements for the healthy meals help build brand awareness with children, increasing probability of generating a purchase occasion. Once the child and guardian are in the restaurant, the company heavily markets apple slices and french fries, milk and soda, whatever it takes to make the sale. The CFBAI guidelines address advertising on television and the web and do not prevent marketing of unhealthy options at the point of purchase, so the unhealthy options remain a large fraction of actual revenues for children's meals.

And, in any case, there is further deception. New research supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that most children who view Burger King advertisements showing apple slices think the advertisement is showing french fries. The apple slices look like french fries, and the children overlook a small apple symbol on the package.

I do not believe the confusion is accidental. Reason Magazine's Hit and Run blog credulously accepts an account in which the children's misunderstanding merely shows that Burger King is effectively marketing apples by presenting them in an "apple fries" format, but that sounds like spin to me.

You can judge for yourself. Here is the actual video from the research team, led by James Sargent, MD, co-director Cancer Control Research Program at Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Ask yourself, is Burger King advertising only apples (as the company's CFBAI pledge claims), or is Burger King also in practice advertising french fries to children (in which case the company's CFBAI pledge is dishonest)?

I'm enough of an economist that a fast food company's marketing fails to outrage me. I expect Burger King to market burgers and fries as vigorously as it can, subject to the dual limitations of government rules and social norms. What bothers me instead is that organizations that purport to be independent referees serving the public interest -- such as CFBAI -- pretend that the fast food companies really have voluntarily ended their advertising of unhealthy food to children. It is admirable to seek market-oriented business-friendly solutions to social problems, but let's not deceive ourselves by claiming that marketing unhealthy food to children is a problem we already have under control.

Mexican Chicken Taco Casserole with Olives

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large Anaheim pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (I prefer green)
• 16 corn tortillas
• 2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
• 1/2 cup sliced California black olives
• 1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 oz. queso fresco cheese, crumbled (plus more for garnish)
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro, plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion, and Anaheim and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Coat a 7- by 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.
5. Lay 4 tortillas over the sauce, tearing the tortillas as necessary to make them fit properly.
6. Spread 1/3 each of the pepper mixture, chicken, olives, black beans, queso fresco cheese and cilantro over the tortillas.
7. Top with 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and 4 additional tortillas. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with corn tortillas, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and queso fresco cheese.
8. Cover the baking dish with foil and place it on a baking sheet.
9. Bake until the casserole is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes.
10. Remove the foil and cook for additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
11. Let the casserole cool for about 15 minutes to allow it to set. Cut and serve.

more: http://www.cookincanuck.com/2012/10/mexican-chicken-taco-casserole-with-olives-peppers-queso-fresco-cheese-recipe/

Tom Kha Khai

Ingredients (4 Servings)

• 300 gm boneless Chicken- sliced
• 200 gm mushroom- sliced
• 1 tbsp Tom Kha Paste (See note below)
• 5-6 pieces dried galangal- fresh even better (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1 tomato- quartered
• 1 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar

Tom Kha paste

• 2 tbsp chopped lemongrass
• 8 tbsp chopped galangal (I use 10 dried galangal soaked in warm water for 15 minutes)
• 8 shallots
• 8 cloves garlic
• 10 coriander root & stem- chopped
• 5 red chilies- minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil
• Blend everything together until smooth paste.

Preparation

1. Bring coconut milk to boil, add Tom Kha Paste.
2. Add chicken and dried galangal; let it boil for 2 minutes.
3. Add mushroom, tomato, sugar, and fish sauce. Cook further for a few minutes or until mushroom is cooked.
4. Add coconut cream and cook further until the curry is about to boil.
5. Check the seasoning and serve hot with some rice.

more: http://tesathome.com/2011/07/26/tom-kha-khai/

Halloween Week ~ Broom Sticks

Ingredients

• 3 sticks of string cheese
• 6 pretzel sticks
• Fresh chives

Directions

1. Using kitchen scissors, cut the ends off each string cheese stick (about 2 inches long).
2. Cut one end of the cheese into strips, being careful not to cut all the way to the top. Fan out cheese strips as best you can.
3. Take one side of the scissors and gently stick it into the uncut side of the cheese, to make a little hole for the pretzel. Slowly twist the pretzel stick into the hole, careful not to tear the cheese.
4. Tie a string of fresh chives around the top of each cheese piece. Enjoy!

more: http://www.navywifecook.com/2012/10/halloween-week-broom-sticks.html