The Essential Oil Diet

Can the addition of essential oils help in losing weight? According to one couple they can.Infusions of peppermint and grapefruit along with a balanced diet, clean lifestyle and prayer can aid in not only shedding pounds but in creating a better life? Is it true ? Or just hokum?

Chiropractor and aromatherapist Dr. Eric Zielinski  and his wife Sabrina Ann Zielinski , who's a health coach and group fitness instructor have written The Essential Oils Diet (Harmony Books 2019) , a follow up to their The Healing Power Of Essential Oils. What are essential oils? The best definition is a natural oil typically obtained by distillation and have the characteristic fragrance of the plant or source of the extraction. They're easy to make. Simply use olive oil or avocado oil and spiking it peppermint or grapefruit extract. The book is more than just making essential oils and creating diet dishes. The Zielinskis feel that everyone should follow their lifestyle - which to be  honest - can be obnoxious at times.I like their advice on the eight essential healthy habits and how they delve into the use of everyday pesticides and chemicals. However I do have an issue with some of their suggestions.They suggest bringing your own food to a restaurant and having the chef cook it for you. I'm sorry but I can't see the chain restaurants doing that. It may work with smaller family owned eateries. Another bone of contention is their advice on staying humble while Mrs. Zielinski writes about prepping for the Mrs Georgia pageant. There's also a part about dropping friends who don't follow a healthy lifestyle. That was also grating.

First and foremost this is a cookbook.That part has some excellent advice and ideas.Mrs. Zielinski or Mama Z as she wants to be called has an extensive list of healthy family must haves. There is everything from gluten free flour to green tea powder.Another plus is the fridge and freezer makeover with helpful suggestions.Butter can be replaced by coconut oil while nitrate free turkey bacon can replace the regular kind.The recipes are not really grouped. Instead there are headings with the appropriate recipes underneath. There are not only lunch and dinner recipes such as avocado (!) egg salad and Mama 's spaghetti with meat sauce. The book doesn't really feature long lists of recipes which would be a tad more beneficial. The lunches are either salads or soup with a pasta or falafel thrown in while dinners are lasagna or spaghetti. Kale salad is there too, for a summertime dinner along with a bok choy super stir fry. I would have liked to have seen more roasts or some kind of ancient grain mail course. The breakfasts are mostly shakes and smoothies with a waffle recipe thrown in. There are a surprisingly large number of dessert recipes from homemade ice creams and brownies to whipped cream and even confectioner's sugar.

Should you buy The Essential Oils Diet? I would say yes for some of the advice. Take from it what you find necessary to your lifestyle. It can help in creating a better diet  - which is what we all need.

Spins On Salads

It's time to rethink salads and sides now that it's barbecue and picnic season. Liven them up with different spins that complement not only the ingredients but the main course. Get bold and daring with non -traditional flavors that will add zing to an outdoor meal.

One of the most classic barbecue salads is cole slaw. This centuries old dish is usually shredded cabbage with a good dollop of mayo mixed with oil and vinegar. More adventurous home chefs toss in a handful of raisins or carrot slivers for color and sweetness.Forget those. A better - and less cloying recipe is subbing in the mayo with a tangy French or apple cider vinegar based vinaigrette. Either one brings out the cabbage's musky green flavor and keeps the crunch. Another idea is giving it an Asian flavor with the addition of super crunchy water chestnuts  and a dressing that features soy sauce, chopped scallions and ginger.Macaroni salad always makes an appearance even though it's not that popular. It's an easy make, Just boil elbow macaroni  cool and add   what else - mayo. A more preferred recipe is tricolore rotelli with wheat, tomato and spinach pasta is cooked and then cooled. I would ditch the mayo and use a dressing of olive oil, dried oregano and rosemary. Spike it up with cut up bits of salami , cut up black olives and grape or cherry tomatoes.It's a great side for steaks and hamburgers and you could add leftover cubed fillets to it for a next day  lunch or supper.

Potato salad is another gloppy salad that sometimes gets drowned in mayo. The best bet is add other ingredients to give it more complexity. Add some sliced hard boiled eggs and celery for color and flavor. Another idea to zing it up by mixing the mayo with sour cream and adding chives and crumbled bacon. Think a variation of a baked potato for a hot summer's night. Use about three fourths cup of sour cream or even Greek yogurt to half a cup of mayo.Olive oil , too, works for a potato salad. It gives the salad more body and allows you to add such herbs as rosemary and oregano for a Sicilian style one. How to really change up potato salad? Roast the potatoes instead of boiling them. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees Farenheit and roast for about forty-five minutes until the potatoes are tender. Let cool for fifteen minutes before cutting and adding to the salad bowl. They work well with either mayo or olive oil. Add some scallions for color and bacon for crunch. Really change up the recipe with sweet potatoes. Their sweetness is offset by adding such savory ingredients as garlic and hot salt. Mayo may be too much so sub in Greek yogurt or sour cream mixed with a simple vinaigrette.
Salads are a mainstay for any summer barbecue or picnic. Liven them up with some changes. It'll make for an exciting meal and a turn from the usual boring side dishes of cole slaws and salads.

Russian Tips What's The Big Deal

Mention Russian tips and any home baker will gush over them. These giant thimble like tips supposedly pump out amazing roses and tulips. I thought I'd give it a try with some leftover icing from the lamb experiment.

As you can see I did use the tips for the flowers on the Bertos' family's lamb's neck.

I had icing left over in the freezer.

I had researched and found out that adding cornstarch makes for a stiffer,  more malleable icing.

I added half a teaspoon of the cornstarch and a scant teaspoon of almond milk.
Then it was filling the Wilton icing bags with the tips and icing.

You can see how big they are, being doubled in size of the average nozzle.

I tried different nozzles with the icing. Some worked , some didn't.i

That means adding more cornstarch which I don't recommend. Cornstarch gives the icing a pasty feel on the tongue. (Keep in mind confectioner's sugar already has cornstarch in it to prevent lumping and clumping)

These petals were formed after more cornstarch was added to the icing.

One here came out perfect, then the icing got too soft as you can see.It became squooshy

Here again, you can see what works and what doesn't. The more solid ones have more definition. This is odd because it's all the same icing.

I don't know how other icers get the perfect garden of buttercream flowers. To be honest those flowers look like they're made from marzipan and not icing - which is what I've suspected they are.

How else would they one -have vibrant color and two - clean , defined lines. Buttercream does not produce  those results A thicker paste  made of ground almonds -would.

I'm not going to give on Russian tips. I may do an experiment with marizpan just to prove my point. I may try the buttercream icing again, with a different recipe that will give me perfect bouquets.

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.

The End of Southern Charm

Charleston, South Carolina is known for many things, but its' restaurants and dining out culture is the most famous. However something is happening to the culinary scene. Gone are the homey little eateries that celebrate Gullah and Low Country cooking. In their stead, it's more commercial and , homogenized . What happened to the charm of Southern cooking?

That's the question that Southerner herself, Kim  Severson posed in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Charleston has been a place to dine since George Washington's times, a city that is defined by such dishes as she-crab soup and shrimp and grits. It could all stem from the tourist trade that the city and state furiously courted after Charleston's naval base closed in 1996. The city now had to  focus on tourism to keep itself going. It worked. More than seven million (!) tourists a year crowd the charming streets, marveling over homes built in the early 1700's. Charleston becomes Manhattan on weekday nights with bacherlorettes coming out of Uber taxis, foodie tourists angling for the best tables and wide eyed cruise ship passengers dying to try the delicious food the city is known for. The crowds swell during The Charleston Food and Wine Festival which famed chef and restauranteur Nathalie Dupree helped start in 2006. Conde Nast Traveler Magazine added more fuel to the fire  by listing it as one of America's best small cities. other magazines such as Southern Living and Travel & Leisure has ranked it number one  place to be and to visit for several years in a row.

This has not helped local chefs  who want to preserve the down home feeling of  their smaller restaurants. Real estate prices go up. Small , privately owned eateries suffer because of this. Kenyatta McNeil, chef at Nana's has watched this change happen in his neighborhood. It has gone from mostly black to white along with seventy-five per cent of his business being the tourist trade. To bolster his business and other soul food institutions in downtown Charleston he started a tour called Geechee Eats Food Shuttle.It hasn't done well because  black owned restaurants aren't into the commercial branding that white owned eateries are known for. Tourism has changed life in central Charleston so much that people that Chef McNeil knows have moved to the northern part of the city near Charleston International Airport.Real estate prices and crowds have also driven growth in the downtown district. Unfortunately this  also means that waitstaff can't afford living there. They had to move to the cheaper suburbs and drive a distance to work. There is hope that tourism will change. The African American Museum will open in 2021 and will bring people who can trace their ancestry to the enslaved brought here. It will be a perfect canvas for restaurants that explore black food and bring back the original focus of Low Country food to the city.

Charleston is a foodie paradise, mainly thanks to its'' culinary heritage. It connects the city to its' roots and serves as a bridge to its' future. Hopefully bigger restauranteurs will realize this and try not to make its' cuisine so trendy.

A Can Of Wine And Thou

A loaf of b read, a can of wine and thou - wait - whaattt??? A can of wine? Yes, there's a trend now that has this fermented grape juice being popped into pop top cans. Before oenophiles turn their noses in the air, there is a lot of benefits to canned wine.

Eric Asimov pondered this in his weekly column, The Pour in today's New York Times Food section. It started with couple Gina Schober and Jake Stover talking about their wine loving friends who enjoyed an active life. Their fondness went hand in hand with hiking , biking and boating, activities that get laden down with heavy bottles.There had to be a lighter way to transport the drink - why not in cans. Husband and wife then started Sans Wine Company in 2016, dedicated to making good California wine and putting it into convenient lightweight cans. The couple does have experience. Mr. Stover was a vineyard manager who had made wine and had the necessary connections to find desirable vineyards with available grapes. His wife worked with a wine brokerage and knew how to market and sell wine. They used grapes from a single vineyard that had organically grown varietal breeds. These cans are not meant  to join wine cellar collections. They're meant to be imbibed the day they're bought so oenophiles can take advantage of their freshness  and deliciousness along with being thirst quenching. The next step is bringing back wine coolers with organic wine mixed with organic grape juice.

One of the things that's most appealing (at least to this environmentalist) is that it leave almost zero waste.They are kinder to the environment than glass and easier to recycle. As for shipping, they are lighter and require fewer packing materials. There are other benefits to them as well.  Cans are lightweight and easily portable. They can be used where glass is not appropriate such as pools, beaches, rock concerts and sporting venues. They're perfect for backpacking trips  Restauranteurs like them because there is zero waste of the alcohol. Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder Colorado serve single serve sparkling wine and a prosecco like sparkling wine without having to dump out leftover wine. The prices aren't so bad. Cans of reisling and carignan are both fifteen dollars while a 2017 can of  2017 Napa Cabernet goes for twenty-five dollars. Union Wine Company in Oregon sells 375 milliliter cans in a four pack for twenty-eight dollars. Not bad for a picnic at a concert or enjoying a sunset dinner on the dock. The only problem would come with underage drinking with teens and tweens guzzling the stuff like it's soda.

Wine in cans? It will be popular once it's out there. People will like the portability and ease of wine in lightweight cans. It's a sip in the right direction.

Good Nutrition Start Early

Baby Boy Sussex will be a child of two cultures - or more accurately culinary cultures.Yes, he'll be spoiled by a grandfather who has a fondness for sweets and will no doubt sneak him a toffee or two when he's older. He'll also grow up with a mother and grandmother guided by SoCal love of fruits and vegetables.That's the regimen that he and other kids should have for healthy lifestyle and a long life. It can work, if you start early enough.

When can babies eat solid foods? As any parent will tell you anywhere from four to seven months.This is when puree is introduced into the little one's diet. You can always buy jars of puree such as Stage One Beechnut's Naturals or you can make it yourself. The first is convenient if you don't have the time however homemade allows you control over what you feed your baby.There's also another reason - even though the jars may say natural or organic, they're not. The company  may load up the stuff with additives and preservatives - the last things any parent wants in his or her kid.Unhealthy fats may be added as fillers too along with thickening agents and starches. This means refined corn, wheat or rice is also part of the recipe.It's not only more less nutritious but also more expensive too. It's more cost efficient too. As they get older you can introduce them to different meals that can be not only packed full of nutrients but packed full of fun. Think broccoli tots or easy baked zucchini fritters. Homemade hummus with pita chips or crackers are also a good lunch  and let's the kids feed themselves.

Unfortunately there will be outside influences once the kids get into the play date and pre-K age. Meghan and Harry will discover that their little one may not want those bean sprout sandwiches and turn his nose up at avocado toast. School friends and even his cousins may influence him to gobble up Cadbury's treats and go wild with fairy cakes - cupcakes - at birthdays and holiday parties.Again it's time to make eating fun whether for a young royal or your prince or princess. A fun playdate and even birthday party treat is banana stacks. It's layering banana slices and low fat cream cheese on mini rice cakes. Dark chocolate or carob chips can be sprinkled on. Veggies such as squash are so vital to anyone's diet. However it can  be boring - and green to kids. Liven it up by turning  squash into pizza boats, chock full of homemade tomato sauce and vegan mozzarella cheese. Instead of cake  pops try corn  flowers. It's cutting cooked corn cobs into one inch thick slices and inserting sticks into them. As for birthday parties and holidays, homemade vegan cupcakes and cookies can do the trick instead of ice cream and candy.

As the Duke and Duchess will eventually find out raising a kid to eat healthy will be a daunting task. Yet they can rely on fun ways to serve fruits and veggies to appease a royal appetite. He'll have the  best of good foods .