http://www.dianeskitchen.com Easy recipes, kitchen gadget mania, good food and good conversation Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:55:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This is uncharacteristic of me, but after watching some of the press coverage of the Democratic National Convention, I just have to get this off my chest. If you're not into politics you may not want to read any further. I'll be back to food and kitchen soon enough. Don't forget... ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/stray-thoughts/a-small-political-rant.php Whoa! Did you hear the news that Julia Child was a WWII spy? Wow — and you thought whipping up a perfect bernaise sauce was exciting! Yep, turns out the woman who was pretty much single-handedly responsible for popularizing gourmet French cooking in the US was also a genuine cloak-and-dagger spy ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/random/julia-child-a-spy-microfilm-at-11.php From my friend Lisa, I learned recently of this most useful quiz: What Are Your Chances of Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse? Turns out my chances are only about 47%, probably because as a mom I just can't get into the whole “every woman for herself” mentality. On the upside, I'm ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/stray-thoughts/know-thyself.php At my job, we're currently running a weight loss challenge. It's pretty cool — all the participants have six months to diet, exercise, whatever to lose weight, with weigh-ins every month. At the end of the six months, everyone who lost weight gets $2.50 a pound for each pound they ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/random/a-calorie-is-a-calorie-is-a-calorie.php It's better for the environment to buy locally-grown produce (less fossil fuels used to transport them). And it's better for you and your family to eat fresh fruits and veggies as much as possible. Unfortunately, in this urbanized age, many of us have gotten away from the land, and over time ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/ingredients/produce-in-season.php According to CNN.com and the New York Times, at least some consumers seem to be backing off from purchasing “organic” products, at least partially because they cost so darned much more than “non-organic” alternatives. Another part of the problem is confusion over terms: organic versus “natural” versus “green” or “eco-friendly.“ What ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/ingredients/organic-prices.php I loves me some apples! Honestly, I'm not such a big fan of pears (bad childhood experience with canned pears — yuk!), but my son loves 'em. Apples are known as “nature's toothbrush” as they help clean the teeth and massage the gums. Both apples and pears make excellent — ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/ingredients/apples-pears.php So, today I come across a recent story in The Times and Democrat about a new “store concept” being tested by Piggly Wiggly (the South Carolina based grocery store chain, for those of you unfamiliar). Just for the record, I grew up in SC, but my mom was generally a ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/random/piggly-wiggly-concept.php So, we had another one of our periodic “pot luck” banquets at work the other day. This one was to celebrate our company's anniversary. At my office, we love to eat. Many folks have their own “specialty dishes” they make time after time. My specialty is a version of the venerable ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/recipes/seven-layer-salad.php You say it's tough to eat healthy? Check out this list of 29 powerful foods, along with hints for incorporating more of them into your daily diet. Not sure if these really are the absolute 29 “most powerful foods on the planet,” as billed. I noticed, for instance, the list is ... http://www.dianeskitchen.com/random/29-healthy-foods.php