0 Mushrooms - vegetable, fruit or ?

Mushrooms are unique in that they are neither a vegetable nor a fruit, technically they are not even a plant, they are a fungi.  I love mushrooms, sauteed in butter & garlic they make the perfect accompaniment to hamburgers, steaks and shrimp. They taste great in salads, soups, gravies and stir frys too.  Most of us are familiar with those white button mushrooms in the grocery store, but there are many different varieties of mushrooms out there and they all have their own characteristics. Check out today's recipe for a Portobello burger, it's so good you won't even realize that you're not eating meat!

Eating mushrooms is very healthy too! Mushrooms contain L-ergothioneine, B vitamins, vitamin D, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc, protein and magnesium, They help the immune system and reduce the risk of cancer. These healthful qualities remain whether they are fresh, cooked, dried or powdered too! Mushrooms are 90% water and only have 18 calories a cupful.

I wouldn't suggest you go out and pick wild mushrooms as there are many poisonous varieties, but I understand that you can buy kits and grow your own mushrooms. I haven't done that yet, but I am interested. If I do it, I'll let you know how it goes. I met a man in Japan that was growing Shiitake mushrooms on a tree log in his backyard, he claimed it was very easy to do. If you grow mushrooms or start growing mushrooms, let me know how it works for you.

Here are some common mushroom varieties:

Button – The white “button” shaped mushrooms that we're all used to seeing in the grocery store. They are delicious in salads, soups, sauces, gravies, sauteed and in stir frys.

Crimini – These are the coffee colored version on the Button mushroom, they're also commonly called “Baby Bellas”. They are in fact baby Portobellos – if left to grow you'll get a regular Portobello mushroom.

Enoki - These slender white mushrooms need only brief cooking and have a very mild taste. They are good in soups & salads.

Maitaki – This Japanese mushroom resembles the fluffed tail feathers of a nesting hen. It's used widely in Japanese cooking.

Oyster – Has a broad, fan or oyster shaped cap, can be between 2 and 10 inches in diameter. They can be white/gray or tan/brown in color. Commonly used in Asian cooking, can be used in soup, sauces, stir frys or stuffed.

Portobello – This is a large coffee colored “Button” mushroom. They have a very beefy flavor and texture and are good sliced and sauteed, or grilled whole. See today's recipe.

Porcini – Has a large brown cap and can reach 14 inches in diameter. They are held in high regard in many cuisines and can be used in soups, pasta or risotto.

Shiitake - Have brown slightly convex caps that range in diameter from 2-4 inches. These are very flavorful mushrooms, you will remember that I used them to make vegetarian Dashi and also put them in my Miso soup (Sept 26, 2011).

Portobello Burgers with Roasted Pepper Paste

“Burgers”
2 Tbl olive oil
1/8 c balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl fresh rosemary, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
4 large portobello caps
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp coarse pepper
4 slices of smoked mozzarella, part-skim (optional)

Combine first four ingredients in a large zip-lock bag. Add mushrooms, shake and let stand for 15 minutes. Broil or grill the mushrooms for 6 minutes on each side. Season with salt & pepper while cooking, add the mozzarella during the last minute of cooking so that it melts on top.

Roaster Pepper Paste
1 (14 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1-2 tsp olive oil
handful of fresh parsley leaves
2 lg cloves of garlic
¼ tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a thick sauce.

Spread the sauce on the top hamburger buns/rolls. Place your mushroom on the bottom bun. Add lettuce (or spinach), onions and tomato, cover with top bun and serve. Serves 4

Nutritional Data (does include mozzarella, but does not include bun, lettuce, tomato or onion)
Calories 212
Total Fat 14 g
     Saturated Fat 4 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 18 mg
Sodium 1821 mg*
Total Carbohydrates 13 g
     Dietary Fiber 4 g
     Sugars 2 g
Protein 13 g
Vitamin A 18%
Vitamin C 92%
Calcium 28%
Iron 10%

* Most of this sodium is in the marinade, I don't know how much you would actually consume but I would assume it would be much less.

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0 Labeling or should I say mislabeling of food products in the United States

Actual label from a cereal selling themselves as "healthy"

The Labeling Act of 1938 was revised in 1973 allowing imitation products not to be labeled as imitation. You might be surprised at some of the things that can be in your food today. With all of the who-ha over the last week or so, you may be aware that there is more than likely ammonium nitrate in your ground beef – and they don't have to tell you. There are additives to your 100% natural orange juice - and they don't have to tell you. You are also probably aware that there are GE (genetically engineered) or GMO (genetically modified organisms) in your food too – and they don't have to tell you that either. Oh and don't forget, just because something says it's natural doesn't mean it's naturally what you think it is. Read on...

Natural and artificial food flavorings can both made in laboratories. Natural flavorings are made from a natural source, but not necessarily the ones that you think they are – artificial flavorings are not natural at all. For example, coconut flavoring is a natural flavoring made from the bark of a tree in Malaysia, not from coconuts and natural strawberry flavoring is actually made from a bacterial protein, not from strawberries.

Remember when reading ingredient labels that the producer must list the ingredients in descending order from the most to the least quantity in the products. For example if the label reads: water, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, natural and artificial flavorings – it means that you're buying sweetened flavored water with juice added, you are not buying fruit juice. If the label reads: fruit juice, natural and artificial flavorings – you're buying some kind of fruit juice with some kind of flavorings added.

When it comes to juices, beware of labels such as “drink” and “cocktail” - they're your clue that the juice contains added sugars of some kind. Also, just because it's 100% juice does not mean that it's 100% of the juice that you think you're buying – read the ingredient label and discover for example that the cranberry juice you're drinking has a whole lot of grape and/or apple juice in it. It's 100% juice, just not 100% cranberry juice.

100% pure products such as orange juice, can still contain flavor packs for aroma and taste. These flavor packs are synthetically produced, but since they come from orange by-products they don't have to be added to the ingredients label. Did you know that even though your orange juice says that it's not made from concentrate, that it really is?  Your orange juice is made from orange juice concentrate produced from the juice of several different varieties of oranges and can be a year or more old - it's stored in a vacuum chamber so that there is no oxygen that will make it go bad.  Then they add water and flavor packs, made from orange skins and other orange by-products to make it taste fresh.  You're actually better off eating an orange than drinking a glass of orange juice – an orange contains more vitamin C, more fiber and less calories than a whole glass of orange juice! By the way, orange juice is just one example the same goes for other juices as well.

The word “nectar” implies that what you're drinking is pure – but it doesn't really mean that. It really means that it contains fruit juice or puree, water, sweeteners and might even contain HFCS. Check the ingredient label – you might be surprised.

Beware of “fat free” labeling! By now I hope you're aware that if they take the fat out of something, that it means they had to put something else in to give it more flavor – usually more sugar or salt. Not only that, but sometimes it means that their “serving size” is smaller than you would actually use, so that the fat contect falls under the amount of fat that the FDA requires to be identified on labels. For example, a “serving size” of PAM cooking spray means that you should only spray your pan for a ¼ of a second. Good luck with that...

“Sugar free” labeling only means that the product doesn't contain sucrose. It can still contain other sugar alcohols from carbohydrates that are not technically sugar. Sugar alcohols are not sugar free, they contain 1.5-3 calories per gram vs 4 calories per gram for sugar. Also, certain sugar alcohols cause stomach digestion issues.

Remember when the ingredient label just had sugar...well now they still list sugar as an ingredient (or maybe not – it may be sugar free although it may also have one of these), but also on the list of ingredients you will see the list of “hidden” sugars: maltodextrose, dextrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, fructose, sucrose, cane juice, cane syrup, glucose, fruit juice concentrate, honey, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, and corn, rice, maple, agave or other grain syrups/nectars. Look at a box of crackers or a bag of flavored chips (I picked these because they shouldn't have any sugar in them) - I bet you will see sugar and/or one or more of those as an ingredient...do you really think that they are all necessary? I don't... I also believe that this is one of the reasons that people are overweight in our country – you are eating a lot more sugar than you used to eat. Both because they make things sweeter today, and also because they add more of these “hidden” sugars.

There is one way that the FDA seems to help you though, that is, it does not allow food companies to advertise that their products can be used to treat diseases. So, beware of food products that claim to lower cholesterol or boost immunity to diseases. For example, Cheerios got in trouble with the FDA for advertising that by eating Cheerios you can lower cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks, because it sounded like they were treating cholesterol not providing breakfast food.

While whole-grains may be good for you and they may lower cholesterol – food companies can not use those claims to sell you food. Also, you probably know that a product can say that it contains “whole-grains” but there is no law defining what that actually means. For that matter there is no definition for “natural”, so just because they say that they're all-natural, doesn't really mean they are.

So beware of labels that say “heart healthy”, “lowers cholesterol”, “fat free”, “sugar free”, “whole grain”, “all natural”, etc. The only way to know what you are eating is all-natural is to buy organic or home/farm raised foods and cook them yourself.

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0 Wedding Dress Cake Ideas, Wedding Dress Cake Pictures

The OU is, your wedding cake, you can take the actual shape of your wedding dress. Can be shaved in order to cut a layer of cake, to mimic the silhouette of your dress. In white smooth finish of fondant, you can dress decorated like this cake as well. Shining, are decorated with pearls, edible glitter. If you have a dress flat cake that you made, you will need to think about is filled with red velvet, have a cake decoration, such as Tuxedo, located next to it. The groom's cake and making a comeback, these cakes make the perfect pair just like the bride and groom. Your dress is very nice and might be, you are in a cookie in the form of dress of a special detail of your dress and personal size cake of your guests, can provide a miniature version of its own, is likely to make love to it.

For wedding dress cake of the following literal, detail of your dress, please add a layer cake of just traditional. If you have a corset bodice, your cake decorator, the ribbon of sugar they can or can include a real ribbon to go up the cake. If it does, but have the ribbon to the shade matching are also gaining popularity and gown sash of color, the color of your gown has been added between the layers.

Wedding Dress Cake Pictures

Wedding Dress Cake Ideas

Wedding Dress Cake Designs

Unique Wedding Dress Cake Images

0 Delicious Beach Wedding Cakes Ideas, Beach Wedding Cakes Pictures

The beach weddings often, wedding destination, honeymoon and wedding to wrap them into one, or small, intimate, most popular from a couple of events that have a cheap looking of choice. To start, near the coast to marry is very romantic, and memorable experience for your wedding can be a lot of extra.

If your bride-to-be, the design should be looking for you Looking for a beach wedding cake? Design What is "coast" is the cake? Well, it depends on many things. That style of a couple, depending on interests and hobbies. This is the theme of the event, time of year, depending on the location and layout of the property ... to name a few. To get an idea of ​​which may be right for your beach wedding cake, we've rounded up many of the ideas that are included below.

Sea Shell cake - you can not go wrong seashells on the beach in your own wedding cake. Shell So what? Periwinkle, a Florida corn, maculated the moon beads and ear are part of the most beautiful sea shells for decoration. A piece of coral is another excellent choice. Sea shells (wash them well!) Can be true, or icing, you can create a variety of chocolate paste and molded out of thin air. Shells can be used as a major design subtly or cake. Clusters of shell, cake decorations like shells, is imperative for the design of this cake.

Marine Wildlife cake - such a sea anemone, sea turtles, tropical fish, sea lions, jellyfish, starfish, dolphins, whales, fascinating sea creatures like sea horses, or incorporated. We have a wedding in Monterey a few years ago, and reception was at the Monterey Plaza Hotel - Monterey Bay Aquarium is right next door. The entire wedding party, visited the aquarium the day before the wedding, experience a private tour and spent a great time. In the aquarium, it was the best theme cake inspiration. The cake designer, incorporating some of the creatures of the sea aquarium subtle dessert. Topper is cascading down the sides of the cake was a big pearly shells and pearls and gems pour from it. (But not a real pearl, pearl dust-covered cardboard phone!)

Cake Surf - waves crashing around a cake, cake is the best trim on the theme of surfing. This style of cake, surfing, best suited to couples or just love the wave. Surfing is a puffy white horse, it's just a subtle hint or waveform frosting. By incorporating it in some blue cake can seem more like an ocean. Airbrush blue frosting on the cake, a wonderful blend of real and gives a realistic effect. Just set up an additional place to surf and surf as your cake topper.

Tropical Flower Cake - hibiscus, cymbidiums, tuberose, or one of your favorite tropical. They can be used as a cake topper of flowers, they can be cascaded down the side and layer cakes, or used sparingly throughout. You can completely cover the cake tropical flower, or simply used for the base. Placed where they dress up the cake is the most plain and dull -, they look gorgeous instantly, and smell it.

Sand castle cake - Sand Castle on the wedding cake is usually used as a topper. However, we have a traditional wedding cake with a layer of some less, the castle, you've seen the whole cake shaped like the top half of the cake was at least looks like a castle or. In order to obtain the effect of the sand, cake can be sprinkled with brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a fine.

Palm trees and coconut cake - a subtle design around the palm, the leaves around the cake to the outside, reminiscent of the beautiful are you? Some coconut as decoration? Oasis of the cake topper? How does it as if it were a hammock, a coconut cake topper bride and groom dolls and so leisurely, about half of the open cracks?

Buried treasure cake - you need to pull off in the Caribbean this. Topper is cascading down the sides of the cake, you may be pouring gold coins and gems and treasure chests there. If you are in love pirates, of course, the bride and groom cake topper figurines ... like one of Captain Jack Sparrow, to have an attractive girl in her wedding dress.

Bamboo and tiki cake - the outer layer of cake and sweets made to look like bamboo court. You can also incorporate a Tiki mask. We once attended a luau wedding cake is a miniature tiki torches had protruded from the top, in and around the cake on the table. When the bride and groom cut the cake, tribal drums, was playing in the background.

Activity of the sea cake - snorkeling, fishing, diving, boogie boarding, kayaking or want to go? Fishing for the bride and groom doll wedding rings off the pier and how do I do? It would be easiest to incorporate into the cake decorations, please remember that you can be anywhere on the cake doll! Creative gift! Can be incorporated into your cake one of the favorite activities of the sea.

Sea Bird Cake - sea birds in flight, in love with their long necks to form a heart. Great as long as your cake topper sea birds, but can be incorporated into an elegant whole cake.

The lighthouse cake - your wedding near the lighthouse is really cool! We've seen a lot of lighthouse cake topper, we also bread, she had a client that was created as a lighthouse for the entire cake. Another client had two layers of cake at the bottom of the round as a hierarchical, top half of cake and a boat dock on the bottom right below it, was a lighthouse and the surrounding area.

Sand Cake - real sand! Many bakeries, graham crackers, or as brown sugar, please use the crushed crumbs. Base of the cake, "sand" the top of each layer is exposed ... or can be covered with cakes or whole? Our favorite, the "sand" cake is formed on the base of the pile in a couple of them around the table is if inch spread. Something, or "Charlie and Beth Forever," or "CV + BE, 9/12/08", can be written in the sand. You get the picture.

Cake cruise - cruise please! Anchors, ropes, buoys, wooden dock, life preserver rings, etc. These are subtly sprinkled around the cake made with marzipan, place the base can be used as a cake topper or.

Beach Relaxation cake - wedding cake absolute favorite beach we are under a flop flip those two sets, and two Adirondack chairs as a cake topper. The bride and groom doll sitting in a chair is optional. Regular beach and lounge chairs can also be used in place of the Adirondacks. One of our other favorites, and below it a small bottle of sand, was snoozing in a hammock as big as the bride and groom cake topper figurine.

Cake of the pool - the water is real, we promise! Picture this: a top layer of cake made to look like infinity swimming pool. This is to simulate an endless pool, cake (the end of a wooden table that opens up like a router) can be done by cutting the upper edge of the square. The head of the bride and groom figurine with a cocktail of course, sunhats and shades on, can be protruded from the top of the pool!

Hawaiian cake - a cake topper cases do? To induce the bride and groom on the cake, bride figurine flag? Cake is wrapped in a salon or have been, beach umbrellas, Hawaiian cocktails, pineapple, can be incorporated in Hawaii or something else.

Beach Color cake - you want to use the beach just color theme? Stick with white, tan, blue, teal off-white, of course. Use the blue frosting on the outside of the cake brushed look for blended or accented, such as color can be subtle or air.

Special Beach Wedding Cakes

Beach Wedding Cakes Ideas

Delicious Beach Wedding Cakes

Beach Wedding Cakes Pictures