Dietspan

Since it”s been rather cold here in Los Angeles, hitting lows of about 68 degree , I felt it was imperative that I cook myself a hearty meal for dinner last night. Plus, it was the perfect opportunity to use my new food mill. The menu: red wine braised sausage over a celery root puree. Needless to say, I”ve come a long way from the Hot Pockets that once defined my cooking abilities.

Here are some pictures from the adventure; although, I”ll admit I took very few. I was too busy cooking/being hungry.

By:  B-Side                        Source

Er….the headline I really meant to write was “First Harvest.” But, sorry Whole Paycheck Foods, I will not be needing your services as much now that I am beginning to reap the bounty from my wonderful little community garden plot at Fox Point Community Garden, and now that the Downtown Providence Farmers’ Market where I pick up my community supported agriculture (CSA) box is open.

(Gratuitous cat photos below the fold!)

As you can see below, I am not the only one enamored of the three Swiss chard leaves that I plucked from the garden yesterday.

I love the look on Tiny’s face in this picture! We call him Inspector Puss, because, as my husband Curt put it, he inspects everything (literally) that comes into the house to see if he should be afraid of it, eat it, or play with it. Tiny loves to eat grass and greens, so he has clearly categorized the chard as Something to Potentially Eat.

In the end, however, he didn’t take a taste, only a couple of sniffs. Buuuut, I digress. We’ve had a couple of big rainstorms in the last few days, tons of sun and warm temps before that, so everyone’s plots at the community garden are “bustin’ out.” Three chard leaves may not seem like much…I rode my bike out there and as I was picking the chard, I realized suddenly that I didn’t need my sunglasses anymore. A giant black cloud loomed over me and the 3 miles between the garden and my apartment. So, I finished cutting the chard and bolted out of there without so much as glancing at the spinach and basil, which I suspect are also ready.

Next time I’m there I’ll take my camera! More pics coming.

By:  Caroline Brown                        Source

, conducted by Michael Allen at the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues, participants were lied to about the contents of sausage rolls they were tasting.

In some conditions they were told they were tasting real beef sausage rolls when actually they eating a vegetarian alternative that tasted the same. Then they were told they were eating the vegetarian alternative when actually they were eating the beef.

Meaty sausage rolls are aspirationalAllen and colleagues were inspired to this trickery by research demonstrating that how we experience something we eat is influenced by our beliefs. For example in one study people rated yoghurt and sandwiches labelled ”full fat” as tastier than those labelled ”low fat”. In fact both foods were identical.

The current study differed in that it was interested in how people’’s beliefs about social power affected their taste experiences. The researchers asked participants to complete a questionnaire that accessed the extent to which they seek to dominate others socially and acquire resources, wealth and public recognition.

The results showed that those who were low on social power values preferred the taste of the vegetarian sausage roll, regardless of whether they”d actually tasted the beef or the veggie alternative. Those high on social power, however, found the beef more tasty, even when it was just the veggie option labelled as beef.

Pepsi challengeIn a second test of this idea the researchers did a version of the Pepsi challenge. Participants were given either Pepsi or a store-brand cola to drink. But as before they were sometimes lied to about which one they had been given.

This time the researchers weren”t interested in social power but instead on whether people endorsed the idea that life should be exciting and full of enjoyment - something that Pepsi’’s advertising encourages, and store-brand cola doesn”t have much to say about.

Again, those who most strongly agreed that life should be full of excitement thought the cola they were told was Pepsi was more tasty, whether or not they actually were drinking Pepsi or not.

Can you taste the difference?This research is a fascinating demonstration of how quite subtle differences in the way we think about food and drink can have significant influences on how we experience them. It lends more weight to certain explanations of some everyday phenomena:
Organic food is all the rage and many claim it tastes better - others are not so sure. Organic food producers are probably relying at least partly on the psychological effect demonstrated in this study which will make their food taste better to those who endorse ”organic worldviews”Marketing values. Corporations spend fortunes associating their brands with certain values. In the case of food and beverage producers this study suggests the money is well spent, as long as the values they promote coincide with the consumer’’s. While we tend to assume corporations are mainly trying to convince us of the quality of their goods, the associated values are an important factor in the final experience.Beer tastes pretty disgusting when you first try it, but some people come to associate it with good times and socialising with friends. Then, over time, it starts to taste better. Others may choose wine or some other type of beverage. We tend to think of this as becoming accustomed to, or developing a taste for that drink. But how each type of beverage tastes is probably influenced by the values you associate with it. If the way you see beer doesn”t accord with your values, then it probably won”t taste so good.
Potato for President?The authors of the study even wonder if healthy eating could be encouraged by changing the values associated with fruit and vegetables.

Whatever the outcome of the potential rebranding of fruit and vegetables (carrots march into war, aubergines win promotions and a potato is elected as President) this study is certainly a neat demonstration of one more aspect of our everyday experience which is directly influenced by our beliefs and values.

» The full paper is available on Scribd.

[Image credit: alisdair]

By:  Jerry                        Source

You have been tired of trying traditional weight lose plans, now you wish to consume diet pills to reduce weight, be careful of what you desire for. With long and hectic working hours, it is often very difficult to find the time and patience to exercise. And fast food or quick food at our fingertips makes it even more difficult to lose weight. As a result, many people tend to consume diet pills to get quick relief from their weight problem. There endless number of diet pills available in market today- some claim to be herbal but they are man-made or synthetic pills. But, only few can be tired. They help to reduce body weight, lessen your appetite but supply less amount of energy. Before consuming any diet pills that you saw on television, ask your doctor about its negative or positive effects. You will find doctors are unwilling to recommend diet pills. This only suggests that these pills are dangerous. The key to lose weight is to speed up your metabolism. If your metabolism works faster then you will burn calories fast. Consumption of diet pills can slow down your metabolism. In order to lose weight quick they make you feel full, so there is no need to eat like you used to. But, eating less can reduce energy and can slow down your metabolism. You will lose proteins and vitamins, which you used to get from your daily meals to speed metabolism. You are cutting down on your diet but not burning the previously stored fats. There are many side effects of diet pills such as-headaches, insomnia, dizziness, restlessness, anxiety, diarrhea or constipation and your body can undergo many changes which can be harmful. Yes it’s hard to lose weight but it can be dangerous with diet pills. Keep trying different weight lose plans and soon you will be successful and this will surely improve your health without any side effects.

I had to think for a few minutes to imagine a reason to own this mobile microwave, even though I”ve often thought that a car refrigerator would be handy for cold drinks on the road. I suppose a microwave in the car could be useful if you”re someone who regularly takes long road trips and would rather heat up your own homemade lasagna than eat rest stop fare. Or if you”re a huge picnic fanatic who has to have food served really, really hot, which can”t be achieved with silly little thermoses. Or you want to make your own hot, organic popcorn for the movie theatre minutes before you go in.

You power it through your 12V cigarette lighter socket (produces 175W of power) or directly from your car battery (produces 660W). This little novelty appliance is now on sale at UK store Maplin for 80GBP, (about $149).

Via Kitchen Contraptions.

By:  Sarah                        Source