Your PIcnic Hamper Guide

Mother's Day issues in the Spring picnic season.There's nothing like a day out whether at your favorite beach or park. It means fresh air and a change from eating inside. Just make sure you have some of the basics  namely a good hamper.before you hit the great outdoors

One of the most important items to have is some kind of container to haul the food and drinks.Size matters if you like to have a big, meal with sides.then splurge for an English style hamper. These come complete with metal cutlery, wine glasses (!) and pretty cloth  napkins. Salt and pepper shakers and even a bottle opener are included. The price is a good one - forty three dollars on Amazon. The hamper is made from sturdy wicker which will last for years. It's deep enough for a bottle  - or can. of wine along with a whole roast chicken and sides. Family and friends can definitely dine in style with it. A more practical one is from Scuddles which comes in a form of a large backpack. This is weather resistant and can take a few drops and dings.Like other hampers it comes complete with all the accoutrements you need for a successful picnic. It is insulated so you can bring both hot and cold foods and drinks with you. The price is reasonable -only forty-seven dollars on Amazon.One of my favorites is Igloo's Soft Cooler which is no bigger than a lunch box. It is deep and it can hold two sandwiches , two  sandwich full sandwich bags of either fruit or veggies and a sixteen ounce  can of soda. It's perfect for a small picnic and it's easy to tote around.It was around nine dollars from Stop & Shop.

If you're planning on a big picnic that requires a barbecue, then think about what's known as a hard cooler. This is a container made from a sturdy kind of plastic and come in a variety of different sizes. It's perfect for bringing marinated chicken and steaks along with hamburgers and hot dogs.These also keep bowls of refrigerated sides nice and cool too.Keep in mind that the bigger the container the higher the price. Coolers will last  for a long time if you take good care of them.Igloo also makes stainless steel ones that not only guarantee a long life but a completely chill meal. These are used for hauling drinks around and they're usually seen at tailgate parties. You can bring them to the park if you have meats to grill or to the beach , filled with water and seltzer.Another aspect to consider if you want one on wheels or a convenient carry around.If you plan big dos outdoors , then get the one on wheels. If it's  just a few sandwiches and small containers  then think about a carrier  that is half the size and weight.

A picnic doesn't start with food. It starts with the containers that bring the food. There is a wide variety to choose from. Pick one that suits your needs and will last a long time.

Diabetic Cooking - A Healthy Variety

One of the worst scourges of our time is diabetes. It can have terrible, life threatening consequences if not regulated and the diet not monitored.Luckily the American Diabetes Association has come out with a cookbook full of delicious and tasty recipes. Even the dessert and snack ones are flavorful and fun.

A Complete Month Of Meals Collection is a compilation of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The opening chapters deal with what can I eat, making healthy food choices and how to use the cookbook to your best advantage. The what I can eat section is crucial to a well balanced lifestyle.It lists the diabetic super foods such as beans, nuts,berries and fish to name a few The healthy food choices are also vital to better eating They give the best choices for fruits and veggies along with grains. Starchy vegetables are allowed and again the cookbook gives the best options. There is an excellent section on proteins, encouraging readers to try the "fake" or soy meats such as chicken , burgers and sausage.There's also a section on dairy as well as general tips about what to buy. The American Diabetes Association or ADA also parses out bad fats and what they are. Varieties of fish are divided into best, and good choices and choices to avoid. There's also sections on alcohol and what everyday beverages are good to drink.Home chefs will appreciate the pages discussing the amount of calories needed a day.It also shows how to regulate carbs as well.

What about the recipes? They're divided into breakfast lunch and dinner cards along with sections
on them and  on desserts located at the end of the book. All the recipes are tasty and based on regular classic ones. A Spanish omelet is modified to just use egg whites instead of the whole egg.There is baked fried chicken which is a great comfort or even party food. The lunch section tends to lean towards soups and salads. These, too, are tasty with such as cauliflower rice and chicken soup, loaded with veggies and flavor. A chicken and spinach salad is not only perfect for lunch but could also be made for a Saturday or Sunday night supper Vegans will appreciate the recipe for bean burger, made colorful and flavorful with kidney beans and ketchup (!) Kids will love the veggie pizza and the English muffin pizza melt. made with fat free mozzarella.  The dinner recipes are simple but elegant Home chefs can try  the chicken with sun dried tomatoes made special with a dash of white wine along with veal Italiano. People are curious about the desserts. There are many such as a healthier spin on the famed Sally Lunn cake and rice pudding Young and old alike will enjoy the sweet potato raisin cookies and graham pudding sandwiches. Drinks are also in here. Low sugar punches and shakes are the perfect thirst quenchers for those with insulin problems.

A Complete Month Of Meals Collection is a must have for any diabetic home chef. The meals  and treats are tasty withou being bad for you. This is the way to cook and to eat.

Healthy Picnics

Yesterday's Times Food section  about sandwiches brought on ideas about picnics. The weather is perfect for a healthy meal outdoors whether at the park or the beach . Pack your basket with tasty but good for you sandwiches, snacks and drinks.

The sandwich is the main star of any picnic meal. Think healthy with meat from leftover roasts. Cold cuts can be good however try to get those that have less nitrates and fats in them. Although with leftover chicken and turkey , you can pack the wings and legs, if there any left over.Leftover ham, chicken and roast beef can also be devilled simply by adding chunks of leftover roasts to a food processor along with a teaspoon or two of water.This creates a nice paste that can be mixed with low calorie mayo or even olive oil for a spread. Veggie sandwiches are always good. Go Provencale by adding some sliced tomatoes on a whole wheat baguette. The Food Sandwich issue suggests not keeping the tomatoes in the fridge. This will make their flesh mushy. They should have a nice firmness and a chewy sort of meatiness to it . For the Southern French style, you can drizzle some olive oil on the bread along with some sprinklings of oregano and rosemary. For a Nicoise  use tuna, preferably tonno in olio, tuna packed in olive oil. This is both good for you and a luxury. Peeled and  sliced hard boiled eggs add another silken touch of lux,. If you have the time you can make either broccoli or mushroom pate. These are somewhat labor intensive spreads however they are yummy and delicious on artisanal rolls.

One of the most favorite aspects of picnicking are the snacks. Everyone feels like they can go wild on an outdoor jaunt. Bags of potato chips, and cheese puffs are always thrown in  along with every kind of available snack cake. These may be fun to  nibble on  but  whether they're eaten outdoors or indoors , they're still bad for you.Insteead try a bag of pretzels,. You can even pack some kind of mustard too for dipping. Nuts are always a good bring along. Nothing beats some crunchy almonds or lightly sea salted peanuts..As for sweets, dark chocolate  is always a good treat. It's full of antioxidants and flavonoids. Try fruits dipped in it for extra flavor. More natural are cuts fruit pieces such as watermelon and pineapple. Both are sweet endings full of vitamins and fiber.As Spring progresses , think about packing seasonal fruits such as strawberries and blueberries.Cookies are always fun to bring along and there are healthy ones out there such  as the Kashi brand or Fig Newtons. You can also bake a batch too but remember to use whole wheat flour and   brown sugar. All this food requires drink. Again skip the soda and bring the chilled water bottles. If you want flavor then think BAI and BAI5 juices and sodas. These are all natural  with the addition of the coffeefruit and come in tasty flavors like peach and blueberry.Their sodas are light and sparkling ,perfect thirst quenchers during a hot day.

Spring picnics are always fun.Make them healthier too, with  good for you sandwiches, snacks and drinks, It's a great way of enjoying the fresh air.

Your Holiday Drink Guide

This is the time of year to indulge in fancy drinks.Nothing beats them , especially at festive parties and dinners. Any beverage can run from the traditional to the novel. The ingredients can be as typical as rum nad whiskey or unusual as  sweet potatoes and apple slices.

Yesterday's New York Times Dining section ran its' annual holiday drinks issue.This is a keeper because it can inspire  those at home bartenders to try new. Cocktails as well as understanding old ones.Some of America's best mixologists contributed their best and most popular recipes.Not only that but Dining regulars Jennifer Steinhauer and Helene Cooper give us their fave mixed drink recipes.Theirs are actually fun and fruity.Try the slushie like Red Rooster from Ms.Steinhauser.Freeze a blend of vodka ,cranberry and tangerine juices the day before.The result is a cool on so many levels semi frozen treat with a kick.There is a classic Campari drink ,the ultimate in drinking chic.There's also a Christmas spritz made with Prosecco and pomegranate juice.Another version is one with Prosecco and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. America's bartenders also have weighed in.Chicago's famed Blackbird restaurant gives us Sweet Potato Dream.Bartender Lynn House bases this unusual drink on her mother's holiday pie recipe.It is a mix of sweet potatoes ,rum and egg with a dash of maple syrup.The result is a custard like heady dessert.Another Chi-town eatery,Sable Kitchen And Bar gives us their version of traditional mulled wine.Mixologists ,Mike Ryan uses his mother's Bavarian heritage to create a perfect mix of Drambuie, red wine and whiskey along with bitters .It is called The Giving Tree and would be the perfect mate to a Christmas roast pork or ham.New York City gives us the Mott and Mulberry.NY bartender,Leo Robitschek of NoMad whips together Honey crisp apples, rye whiskey and the cinnamon laced liqueur Luxardo Amaro Albano.It 's a kicky version of a hot cider drink. The holidays call for fun drinks.Some are traditional,reminiscent of centuries old punches ,others are new with unusual ingredients.Save the Times Dining drinks issue and make them.They're sure toe the life of your party!

Fusing With Fuze

Trying to find a relatively natural drink is hard these days. Mostly it's overly sugary sodas or syrupy teas. However there's an alternative.Fuze. This is a great all natural drink that comes in teas and fruit fusions. It will be great for those hot , sweltering days ahead.

Fuze has been around for the last ten years  , founded in 2000 by Lance Collins and the company's creative director Paula Collins in Collins, Englewood, NJ basement. It was first distributed to Northern Califormnia wht only three flavors, mixed berry, banana colada and cranberry raspberry.Now the drink is divided into five catagories Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize.Each drink has a healthy combo of  vitamins, amino acids, and herbs, and alternative sweeteners such as crystalline fructose. This last is a processed sweetener that is derived from corn.Fuze is devoid of any processed white sugars and fructose.

I discovered Fuze after completely changing my diet. Trying to find a tasty drink that's good for you was difficult. I had given up my usual Pepsi  and was looking for something else. Let's face it. One can only drink so much water and flavored seltzer. These are good however there's nothing like a cold glass that 's tasty. I love the teas., especially the Green Tea With Honey and Ginseng which has a light delicate flavor. Fuze's other tea., a mix of green and black with acai berry is also yummy and it's a bit more robust than the other. Another fave is their Slenderize line's tropical punch.It's like a refreshing pina colada and perfect for a mid afternoon pick me up. I am definitely going to try Fuze's other flavors as well.The teas have 120 and 130 calories respectively while the Slenderize has none.

If you;re looking for a different kind of refreshment , look no further than Fuze.It's a delicious drink that's good for you. It's made with all natural ingrdeients and chock full of vitamins. What a perfect way to start a hot summer!

The ABC Guide To Cocktails

Yesterday’s Times Food section devoted itself almost entirely to drinks. This should be a saver section if you don’t have an anthology on cocktails or spirits. It’s a short but useful dictionary that also includes suggestions and recipes. It’s also a good guide to follow if you’re also planning on throwing a lot of parties this summer.

What I liked about the article written by Pete Wells, is that there are different spins on the ordinary. He suggests basil can be used in place of mint which makes sense. It has just a strong green taste like pepper or spearmint . It also is a great foil for fruit drinks too and works well with melon and even pineapple flavors. Another part I liked is the idea of using ginger beer or strong ginger in drinks. Sometimes regular ginger ale just doesn't cut it flavorwise and detracts from the other flavors. Adding a sharper variety give the drink an edge plus can pack a well needed wallop to any anemic cocktail.

The guide also explains drinks and what their ingredients are. I liked the lime rickey recipe and explanation. That's one drink I did always wonder about. I also finally found out what a daiquiri is . Another good recipe was the one for simple syrup. There are variations on this involving the amount of sugar as well as what to do with it. Wells not only gives perfect measurements but also great storage tips. He also adds the idea of spicing up the syrup for more interesting cocktails.

Keep yesterday's Times Food section for your summer drink guide. This is a well written mini dictionary about drinks. It'll help you be the best bartender at your summer parties.