If you are tired of doing the same thing every year for Valentines Day and are looking for a great way to do something sexy for your partner, then this year instead of flowers and dinner, consider making that special someone a delicious and romantic fondue! It’s easy, takes only a little preparation and has a wow factor second to none! If you follow a few simple rules, you can score points and win some much needed loving for these next few cold months! Buy a fondue Pot

You can find moderately priced fondue sets for under $50. We suggest getting a dual fondue pot which can do both meat and of course, chocolate. If you are buying a cheese fondue set, make sure it can be cleaned easily and is resistant to burning. Look for good ceramic Fondue sets for this.

Get your Ingredients

If you are thinking cheese, try and find flavors that will complement each other. Some of the most popular cheeses for fondues are Gruyere and Emmenthal. Look for Kirsch or apple juice as a mix and yo will have one delicious cheese fondue. Do not forget to have some semi stale crusty bread for dipping!! If meat fondue is more your style, be sure to get decent stewing beef, fresh chicken and firm seafood. If you are health conscious, you can substitute chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of canola oil. This will reduce calories but extend cooking times. Remember to have firm vegetables on hand as well. Think Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Carrots and beans. Avoid those veggies that will go to mush immediately. If you do choose meat, it is extremely important to have enough fondue forks to separate cooked and raw meats, particularly chicken. Nothing will ruin a romantic evening like salmonella. Be sure to use plates with dividers or even better, separate plates entirely.

Location, Location, Location…

The best spot for a romantic Valentines Day fondue is on the floor, picnic style. Find a nice tablecloth, grab some pillows and spread out on the floor. You can also sit at a low level table. This will add a sense of romance to your evening and bring you that intimate feeling you will be looking for. The closer you get to a fireplace the better! Do not forget the candles and of course, the dessert!

Chocolate Fondue, Fresh Fruit & Strawberries

A great way to finish your evening is with a sexy chocolate fondue. Make sure you get the proper melting chocolate; add some cream and stir, stir, stir. Cut some fresh banana, pineapple and of course, fresh strawberries. Dip the fruit in the melting chocolate, let cool for a few seconds and enjoy. Remember napkins as this portion can get messy! If you do the chocolate fondue right you will definitely reap the rewards tenfold.

Remember to keep it fun, relaxed and sexy. There is nothing better than being alone with your lover, eating fondue by the fire, enjoying a beautiful glass of champagne and enjoying the sparkle of your lovers eyes?

You can thank me later!

Have a very sexy Valentines Day!! Cheers!

Michael Kyle is Co-founder of thesexykitchen.com/entertaining_articles.html” target=”_new The Sexy Kitchen.Com A web site dedicated to Entertaining, Design, Planning and thesexykitchen.com/the_sexy_kitchen_store.html” target=”_new Sexy Products for the kitchen.
Discover how to turn your passion into a succeed-from-your-passion.com successful online business

BBQ smoke is one of the easiest ways to add a nice touch of flavor to a grilled dish. You’ll be amazed at how many different flavors there are! Knowing which smoke is the best match for different BBQ flavors can be a challenge though. Here’s a handy guide to help.

There are dozens of different types of wood to use over a BBQ. Each has their own
flavor, and some are milder while others are pretty strong. Just like wine, there are
some guidelines about which type to use with different meats.

Mesquite:

Mesquite is one of the most commonly used wood for BBQ smoking. It has a strong
flavor and can be used with all types of meats. One word of warning – make sure to
use mesquite that has been well cured. Green mesquite burns sap which tastes
awful.

Hickory:

Hickory is another of the classic BBQ flavors and many sauces are advertised with
this included. Hickory is a strong flavor and works well with all types of meat,
although it does tend to taste better on red meat.

Black Walnut:

This is a less common BBQ flavor. Most fruit and nut woods are mild, but this one
also has a strong flavor. It tastes best with grilled beef or pork recipes.

Apple:

Apple is the other fruitwood that has a very strong flavor. It’s great when used on
the BBQ with anything except seafood.

Pecan and Oak:

These nut trees both produce wood that has a nice mild flavor when used on the
BBQ. Their flavor complements all types of recipes, including seafood.

Cherry And Sassafras:

These are both milder flavors. If you plan to BBQ any beef, chicken, or pork, you
might consider either one of these flavors. Sassafras tends to be more difficult to
find, but is a nice unusual flavor.

Orange and Mulberry:

These two fruitwoods are also mild, but both of these work very well with seafood
on the BBQ. You can also use them for chicken or pork, but they are not strong
enough to flavor beef.

Sugar Maple:

This wood has a sweet smoke, of course, and a mild flavor. It’s a favorite among
those who enjoy pork or chicken on the BBQ.

Alder or Cedar:

These two woods have mild flavors and are perfect for seafood. Native Americans
from the Pacific Northwest have been using them for centuries to cook their catch,
and it’s easy to taste why.

Using smoke to flavor a BBQ dish is really easy, but knowing which to use can be a
challenge. If you really want to experiment, buy a variety pack and see which you
like best.

For more information on how to grill with specialty wood, visit:

==}

Have you tried a cup of Chinese green tea? If so, then have you tried any Chinese diet green tea before? Well, this delightful beverage has been around for thousands of years and has been part of the Chinese diet since the ancient times. Today, it is a highly appreciated for its many advantages. As numerous medical studies have found out, the Chinese diet green tea has a significant number of health benefits, which includes weight loss and lowering of cholesterol.

Chinese Diet Green Tea for Weight Loss

One particular benefit that is linked to the Chinese diet green tea is that it is a miracle tea for weight loss. Well of course, there is no such thing as a miracle for weight loss or super drug, but several indications from various studies were revealed that Chinese green tea brings a number of benefits to those trying to lose weight.

It was revealed in research that green tea extracts are capable of reducing fat digestion by inhibiting digestive enzymes in your body. Other findings have also shown that green tea has thermogenic properties, which are probably brought on by the interaction between its caffeine content and catechin polyphenols in the tea leaves. As you may know, thermogenesis is the process of the body burning fuel without making chemical energy.

Experts have claimed that by combining Chinese diet green tea with the other weight loss supplements or techniques, it could be an excellent addition to your diet.

Other Benefits of Chinese Diet Green Tea

There are also other benefits that is connected with the intake of Chinese diet green tea. One of those is the claim is that it can help to prevent cancer. The polyphenols found in green tea have been shown to inhibit growth of cancer cells. The polyphenols appear to block the formation of cancer-causing compounds, and it is believed that the Chinese diet green tea has the greatest benefit on cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.

The polyphenols in the Chinese diet green tea are also powerful anti-oxidants. They are even more powerful than vitamin C and vitamin E, and more powerful than that found in many fruits and vegetables. The green tea itself contains vitamin C.

Further medical researches have even found out that the compounds in green tea stimulate immune system cells. In recent years, research has shown that green tea may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is even good for the teeth as it contain fluoride that helps fight tooth decay.

Having said all these, I think that now is the right time to brew a refreshing cup of Chinese diet green teas for a beneficial break in your day.

Looking for more info on diet tea? Do you want to know more about health benefits of diet tea? Click for more info on

One thing I like to do for dinner, that my family loves, is make a salad bar. It’s easy, inexpensive, fun, healthy and is always different; a plus in my book!

The only work involved is making the salad ingredients salad-friendly (cutting them to bite size) and if you want meat and aren’t using leftovers, you’ll need to cook the meat. Thinly slice or chunk up meats, shred cheeses and carrots, thinly slice or chunk up vegetables… the main thing is to get them bite sized and how you like them. A lot of items are already prepared such as nuts, thawed peas, shredded cheeses, croutons (unless you make your own!), and dried fruits.

You can use whatever you have on hand that sounds good to go in a salad, including leftovers (great way to save money). Almost anything goes for salads nowadays, so be creative. After making the ingredients bite-sized, simply put them in lined-up dishes across your countertop or tabletop and include bottles of salad dressing, homemade dressing and/or oil and vinegar at the end.

Here are some of the ingredients you could use in a salad bar:

NUTS: Think of all the different nuts there are and how they would make each salad unique… honey roasted peanuts, plain roasted peanuts, sunflower seeds, smoked almonds and candied walnuts are some of my favorites.

GREENS: Greens and lettuces also have many varieties… Romaine, Iceberg, spinach and cabbage come to mind. Each one would add a different twist to your salad bar. You could even have a selection of greens, although I usually only use one type per bar because I want to keep it simple and inexpensive. I like to get the already-cut salads and mixes when they are on sale.

CHEESES: Cheese is a great ingredient for the salad bar. There’s Parmesan, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Feta, Blue and many others.

VEGETABLES: There are so many different vegetables and you can even prepare them in different ways for your salad bar, like grill or roast them first or marinate them. Of course the simplest way is to just cut them up fresh! Use your favorites or ones you’ve never tried on a salad, like asparagus, cauliflower or broccoli.

FRUITS: I love fruit on salads, especially paired with a meat. Bacon and mandarin oranges for example, is one of my favorites. Let’s see… ham and pineapple and pork and apple are a couple that come to mind. Don’t forget dried fruits. Dried cranberries, pineapple, raisins and many others make great additions to the salad.

DRESSINGS: I usually have a variety of bottled dressings (that I purchase on sale) on hand and occasionally make my own. To cut the calories of the high-calorie creamy dressings, I add vinegar and/or milk to them and to me, they actually taste better thinned out. It also gets on more of your salad being thinner.

SALAD TOPPERS: Even though I could save money and make my own croutons, I like to buy them already-made to save time. I have recently seen other crouton-like items, like flavored tortilla strips made just for salads, but you could always use broken tortilla chips to save money.

I hope this inspires you to try making homemade salad bars!

Monica is the founder Homemaker’s Journal E-publications, the growing home of many fun and informative home, garden and recipe e-books, tip sheets, articles and more! homemakersjournal.com/ homemakersjournal.com/
Get a FREE Slowcooker Recipe E-book when you subscribe to Monica’s FREE e-zine for homemakers! To subscribe and receive instructions for picking up your FREE e-book, just send a blank e-mail to: mailto:HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

1. The equipments for grill.
For seafood lovers, any kind of seafood such as shrimps, crabs or squids, etc. There are some thing that you should know about grilling equipments, that is, the materials they are made from has ability to absorb and keep the heat, then affects to the time of cooking become faster. Also, If the coating material of equipment can absorb the heat easily, this will help to reduce the time of cooking.

Nowadays, there are 2 types of grilling equipments or what we generally called “Grill” available.

1) The type that uses charcoal and

2) The type that uses electricity.

The important thing to consider choosing the good grill is both type have to be made from the materials that be able to absorb and maintain heat constantly.

2. The equipments for baking
Almost kind of sweets either bread or cakes are all the food that baked from oven. What makes different between oven and microwave is that microwave are normally used to cook or warm dried food rather than a cooking a new dish, but oven is suitable for cooking various kind foods such as meals, dessert ,meat, fish or even stake!

3. Is there any different between kitchen equipments used in house and equipment used in condominium.
Typically, there are not much different between cooking in house and cooking in condominium in terms of usage. Some of equipment are very similar and can be used in both conditions, such as electric rice cooker, electric frying pan, spoons, forks, ladles, etc.
Many people have changed to use electric frying pan increasingly. New innovation of frying pan has emerged in what we can see in its coating material, which allow the food never be buried to the pan surface and the coating material itself has capability to absorb and maintain heat.

The easy way to clean your kitchen equipment
Each of equipment are different in terms of usage and characteristics, therefore the way that use to clean and maintain them should be also different.
For example, frying pan that made from iron material, this type of equipment must be kept and maintain very carefully, especially in proper humidity, in order to protect the equipment from rust because after we cooking, there will be slough of food and oil stick at the pan’s surface. Therefore, cleaning method must be done extensively. The method applied in order to get rid of those sloughs, try to burn the pan by using high degree of fire or heat before clean it by dish washing liquid

Advice about cleaning your kitchen equipment
Before cleaning, try to soak all of equipment into the washer liquid for about 10-15 minutes, because the washer liquid generally has ability to wiping fat and all of slough and this will help to get rid of those that buried easily.

Josh Santacruzes
cookingstyle.net cookingstyle.net

“After the first glass you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.” Oscar Wilde

Absinthe is a strong liqueur distilled with herbs like anise, licorice, hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica and wormwood. The resulting liquor has an extremely high alcohol content. It’s traditionally served with ice water and a cube of sugar to help take the bitter edge from the Absinthe and turn the liquid milky greenish-white.

In France Absinthe is known as “La Fée Verte“, or The Green Fairy, which is a reference to its often dazzling green colour which varies depending on the brand. The color comes from the chlorophyll content of the herbs used in the distillation process.

Wormwood, thought to be the “active” ingredient, had been used medicinally since the Middle Ages. Although considered a lethal poison if taken in high doses, by the end of the 18th century people were using small amounts to get high despite its extreme bitter taste. A Frenchman, Dr Ordinaire, mixed the Wormwood with other herbs and alcohol into a liqueur with a licorice flavour and Absinthe was born.

Absinthe quickly found popularity with the Bohemian and Artisian set in Paris and New Orleans, but by the turn of the century many heavy drinkers had developed “Absinthism” – a form of alcoholism with a tendancy towards madness and suicide. Absinthe became seen as a toxic drug and so was outlawed in the Western World. It is now considered the ban had more to do with the market being flooded with cheap, poor quality and toxic Absinthe with high levels of Wormwood. Another well known alcohol, Vermouth, the prime ingredient in Martinis, gets its name from Wormwood, but the concentrations we’re talking about here are tiny enough to ensure no hallucinatory tomfoolery.

When properly distilled Absinthe has some secondary effects over and above the alcoholic effect, which at more than 60% proof can be significant itself. The combination of herbs, rather than the Wormwood alone, is what gives one a heightened clarity of mind, a warming effect and buzzing feeling. Whilst Absinthe is a highly potent liqueur, not all Absintheurs (lovers of the spirit of the green fairy) cut off their ears like Vincent Van Gogh.

The liqueur has been the rig du jour of many celebrated artists and writers like Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Manet and Earnest Hemmingway who wrote For Whom The Bell Tolls under the green fairy’s influence.

Absinthe is still available in many parts of Europe, including France, Spain, and Portugal and has drifted back into popularity due to its reference in films like Moulin Rouge and Van Helsing.

Peter Shuttlewood is the author of webzine

Coffee beans are the roasted seeds that coffee comes from. It was first exported to Ethiopia from Yemen.

Coffee beans are distinguished by distinctive flavor, caffeine content, and acidity. These characteristics, in turn, are dependent on the local growth environment, method of processing, and the genetic subspecies or varieties.

Two coffee bean varieties are often blended for more flavor and variety. Among the most popular variety of traditional blends is the Mocha-Java, a combination of beans of the same name. The popular chocolate-inspired beverage called Café Mocha is believed to have been invented due to the unavailability of mocha.

A lot of processes and human labor are needed before coffee berries and their seeds can be processed and turned into roasted coffee. These include picking, wherein laborers picked coffee berries by hand and in turn received payment by the basket. Up to seven baskets a day can be picked by an experienced coffee picker. Defruiting involves soaking, scouring the flesh of the coffee berry.

Drying is the process whereby coffee beans are spread over a wide concrete surface and then dried by air and sunlight. The beans are then sorted by color and size. Another process is called aging; some believe that green coffee improves over time, while others dispute this belief saying that it loses its flavor as it ages. The roasting process is an integral part of a great-tasting coffee. The green coffee bean expands its size and changes color and texture when roasted.

On the other hand, the process involved in producing coffee grounds prior to brewing are grinding, chopping, and pounding. Grinding involves tearing the bean. Coffee experts consider burr grinders to be the best way to grind coffee. Chopping the bean into pieces through blade grinders that smash the beans with a high-speed blade is another method. The third process is called pounding, whereby beans are pounded by the use of mortar and pestle.

So the next time you see a coffee bean, you know the exciting journey it went through before finding its way into our cup.

e-CoffeeBeans.com Coffee Beans provides detailed information on Coffee Beans, Green Coffee Beans, Gourmet Coffee Beans, Coffee Bean Roasters and more. Coffee Beans is affiliated with e-CoffeeMakers.com Espresso Coffee Makers.

The name “Manhattan” comes to us from the word manna-hata, which means “island of many hills” in the language of the Lenape Native Americans. The island was purchased in 1626 from the Lenape by Peter Minuit, the third director of New Netherland, the territory discovered by the Dutch East India Company. The island was acquired for 60 guilders worth of trade goods, which has historically been translated to about $24, but is said to be about the equivalent of $500-$700 in today’s United States currency.

In the late 1800’s Manhattan clam chowder was called “Coney Island clam chowder” and sometimes”Fulton Fish Market clam chowder” (named after the Fulton Fish Market established in New York in 1822). The name “Manhattan clam chowder” became popular in the early 1900’s. In contrast with New England clam chowder, Manhattan clam chowder is characterized by a transparent broth of a reddish color from one of its most important ingredients: tomatoes!

Here is a delicious recipe for Manhattan clam chowder that I have developed:

Ingredients:

4 6.5 oz. cans minced clams in clam juice

1 medium onion

2 cloves minced garlic

4 medium spuds, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 large stalks celery, chopped

8 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1 10.75 oz. can condensed tomato soup

2 11.5 oz. cans V-8® vegetable juice

3 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1.5 tsp. dried thyme

2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or ground black pepper)

Instructions:

Fry bacon in an 8 quart kettle. Add the fresh veggies and lightly sauté in the bacon grease for about 10 minutes. Add the canned items (except for clams) and simmer for about 3 hours. Add the clams, including the clam juice, and simmer for ½ hour or until ready to eat. Serves 10 to 14. Just freeze the leftovers and have again!

I love New York!

Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith, a.k.a. “Griff” is the author of several blogs. Griff describes himself as a “former kitchen klutz” who now has a passion for cooking and developing great recipes. Griff would like to send you a FREE E-BOOK with 32 great chili recipes, along with a free recipe every week via email. To receive, simply click on optin2.griffsrecipes.com optin2.griffsrecipes.com Check out “Griff’s Recipe Report” at GriffsRecipeReport.com GriffsRecipeReport.com

You’ve heard of the South Beach Diet, the Hollywood Diet, and of course, the Atkins Diet. Well, I’m starting my own new diet. It’s called the Chocolate Diet. The kind of diet where you can lose weight and still eat chocolate every day.

Diets that don’t include chocolate don’t work. Slip up once with a candy bar and your diet is out the window. Cutting cocoa is not rational. If you give up chocolate, you might as well give up your diet. Depriving yourself of this delight can cause you to leave your diet all together. Why give up chocolate, anyway? It’s good for you! Yes, I said it. It’s good for you. Research suggests dark chocolate, rich in anti-oxidants, may lower bad cholesterol. And don’t forget about its mood lifting properties– you can practically call it an anti-depressant.

So how does the Chocolate Diet work? 2 ounces of dark chocolate per day. That’s 100 calories, folks. Will that alone cause you to lose weight? I like to tell myself that, but no. But it will add a little sanity to your pain-staking regimen of exercise and calorie counting. It can help you actually keep your diet if your diet consists of chocolate every day, right?

So if you’re going on a diet, don’t exclude chocolate from it. Go on the Chocolate Diet. Exercise, eat sensibly, and eat chocolate every day.

Cristina Vazquez, chocojunkie.com chocojunkie.com

One of my favorite fat-burning foods that will help women burn more fat, especially excess belly fat is oatmeal. That is why I wanted to share some of my quick and tasty recipes for those of you who don’t have a lot of time but want to slim down and tone up.

If you incorporate oatmeal every day in your fat-burning menu you will start to notice your belly
shrinking rather than eating a bagel, toast, or sugary cereal. Oatmeal also is a great source of fiber
which we need in order for our bodies to run like clockwork.

The following recipes can be prepared by stove top or microwave
use 1/2 cup of water when cooking.

Peanut butter Oatmeal
1/2 cup oatmeal (use quick or slow cooking oats without sugar)
1 tbl. of all natural peanut butter
microwave or cook on stove top stir in peanut butter

Pumpkin Oatmeal
1/2 cup oatmeal (use quick or slow cooking oats without sugar)
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 tablespoons of unsweetened pumpkin
1tbl of powdered non-fat milk

Egg Oatmeal
1/2 cup oatmeal (use quick or slow cooking oats without sugar)
dash of cinnamon
1 packet of splenda
mix in 4 egg white while cooking oats

Maple Nut Oatmeal
1/2 cup oatmeal (use quick or slow cooking oats without sugar)
Stir in syrup after cooking and top off with almonds
1 Tablespoon of no-sugar syrup
8 almonds

High Protein Oatmeal
1/2 cup oatmeal (use quick or slow cooking oats without sugar)
1-2 scoops of protein powder of your choice
after cooking stir in protein powder

Faux Cookie Dough Oatmeal (Yes that’s right)
1/2 cup oatmeal (use quick or slow cooking oats without sugar)
Prepare this overnight or put in the freezer after cooking for about
30 min.
1 packet of splenda

This is a required taste but it tastes similar to cookie dough without the sugar and fat!

Heather Picken, specializes in helping women get rid of stubborn belly fat and inches around their hips, thighs, & glutes with her breakthrough 6-Week Fat-Burning System ( mybodyisfitnow.com mybodyisfitnow.com) for women 30 all over the world .