Entrepreneurs who are starting with their businesses, whether it be a big or small enterprise, usually advise people to go with what they love. You will not succeed (or will have a hard time succeeding) if you really are not interested with the business you are putting up. Maybe if I will be given an opportunity to invest, Id either be building a business around scrapbooking/photography or food. I love food. And let’s face it, times maybe hard but people still need to eat. People LOVE to eat, it’s their way to unwind. That’s why it is wiser to invest on food franchises. Franchise Information can usually be found with the company brochure you would like to invest in. But I suggest you do your own research too. There are many resources online like FranchiseOpportunities.com

Read on to find out more about the 7 foods to keep you young:

Chocolate
The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.

Get sweet satisfaction in seconds with delicious chocolate recipes, such as Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites (which include two of the 7 anti-aging super foods!):

Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites

8 1/4-ounce squares of bittersweet chocolate
4 teaspoons almond, cashew or pistachio butter

Top each chocolate square with 1/2 teaspoon nut butter of your choice (almond, cashew, pistachio). Two sandwiches make one serving.

Per serving: 79 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 12 mg sodium; 20 mg potassium. What you get: Magnesium, copper, chromium. 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving. Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat.

Blueberries
In a landmark study published in 1999, researchers at Tufts University’s Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in “rat lives” is equivalent to 10 human years. These rats outperformed rats fed regular chow on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age. Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage, which are associated with age-related deficits in memory and motor function. Eat more blueberries with healthy blueberry recipes.

Fish
Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms. Eat some tonight with a healthy fish recipe.

Nuts
Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They’re also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants.

Wine
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely contributes to its benefits-and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.

Olive Oil
Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.

Yogurt
In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians per capita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that the secret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in their diets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proved directly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave off osteoporosis and contains “good bacteria” that help maintain gut health and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.

At first glance, what do you think are these fruits? My inital guesses were lemons and guavas.

But they are passion fruits.

This is the first time ever that I ever saw one. Finally, the fruit behind the famous Passion Fruit juice is here. Do you know that this is actually a fruit that grows abundantly here (I never knew)? And it doesnt grow on trees but on vines. You just scatter the seeds around and it grows.

It smells horrible (for me anyways). It smells like rotten guava. Well, overripe if one must be kind. I cant even imagine why there is a Passion Fruit cologne

Anyway, the insides of the fruit are full of itsy bitsy seeds with slimy juice (almost like saliva). We finished almost a basket of them to produce two small glasses of passion fruit juice. I guess that is why they are expensive huh!

The Delta faucets at my parents’ place were full of slimy juice after. Martha got her hands on them and insisted she wash herself.

This was the cake I was telling you about from this post. I wasnt really crazy about it because it really was a rip-off of Estrel’s caramel cake but hey it is cake so Ill take all I can get

Don’t we just love it that our kids eat more healthy food than junk and sweets? Well, that isn’t the case always. While some mothers do not even try harder to feed their kids simply for the reason that their kids are food lovers, others have been very stressed in getting their kids to eat.

But this meme is different. We will name weird and strange food liking of our kids.

~~~Start Copy~~~
1.) Name something strange that your kids love to eat. Doesn’t matter how many.
2.) Post an image of him or her enjoying ‘the’ strange food liking. If none, just a photo of him having a feast.
3.) Add your kids name in the linky love with the blog where you posted this meme.
4.) Get back to Living the Healthy Life Blog by leaving a comment so your kids’ name be added to the master list.
5.) Tag as many of your friends with kids.

Kids who joined the fear food factor: ETHAN / MARTHA / YOUR KID’s NAME with your Blog’s URL
~~~End Copy ~~~

Martha loves to eat peanut butter alone. And butter on a spoon. I have layouts to document her weird habit.

And she loves to eat and munch on the knuckles of chicken bones and crispy pata - parang Max’s, sarap to the bones.

Here she is munching on the bone of crispy pata (Oct 2007)

Tagging all mommies ~ Ill get to my rounds when I have enough energy!

I have a soda addiction - make that Coke addiction.

Ever since I was diagnosed with PCOS, I switched to Coke Light. When Coke Zero came out, I fell in love. I can guzzle down up to four cans a day (if not more). It’s zero calories anyway, right?

Boy was I so wrong.

Recent studies have shown that diet sodas can make people gain more weight. Psychologically, people tend to eat more because they reason they are drinking diet soda and physically, when you drink down liquid that is not water, your stomach reacts by secreting more gastric acid, which in turn, makes you hungrier.

And dig this: Those who guzzle down diet sodas tend to gain more weight than those who drank regular.

Sodas are also bad for the teeth because of its phosphoric acid content. I have one sensitive tooth already because of it.

And here I was admiring Coke’s new plastic design bottles and thinking custom boxes for them would come in handy for the future.

Resources:
WebMD:Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight?
Can Diet Soda Make You Gain Weight?

We are family of breadlovers. Actually, I’m a bread convert. It’s my husband who loves to eat bread (instead of chips) for breakfast or for snacks. Matthew inherited that from his Dad and would eat bread all day.

Actually, when Edil was a kid, my mother-in-law told me he wouldnt eat rice at all. He would eat bread all the time. When she asked him why, he said he doesnt want to make his poo so icky so he would rather eat bread! Times have changed obviously because Edil can eat three plates of rice and still not be full

Back to bread, Im having a hard time finding a nice bakery in my town. The closest bakery we have have rolls and pan de sal which is so grainy you’d think you are eating sand. So I hoard bread every weekend when we go out.

Matthew loves the soft ensaymadas of Julie’s Bakeshop, the soft pandesals of Gardenia and Pugon and Martha eats about anything you give to her that has “palaman” on it.

So the chips lover in me has been converted to the white side…
Yep, bread lover (wheat) here

Did you know that there are 205 spaghetti sauces?

You can read more here at http://www.spaghettisauce.com/

I still prefer my Mom’s spaghetti!

We all know the two basic types of wine: red and white. However, within these categories, there are many different wine varieties that use different grapes, blends of grapes, etc.

Don’t limit yourself to reds and whites, however. A rice wine might be the perfect accompaniment to a sushi dinner, and a fruit wine might make your dessert even sweeter!

With so many blends and styles on the market, the only way to really know what suits you is to taste a variety of wines. Why not go to a local vineyard or wine store for a tasting event? This is a great way to sample many different wines without buying an entire bottle. Usually, a tasting is complimentary when you purchase a bottle of wine.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. A salesperson at your local wine shop or even at your local supermarket will be happy to help you find a bottle to meet your needs.

Here’s an overview of some of the more popular wine types:
Read more… »

There are so many different types of pasta!

Cooking pasta is as easy as boiling water, but does require care.

1. You should figure 1 quart of water per quarter pound of pasta (1 liter of water per 100 grams of pasta), and expand this to 6 quarts for a pound. If you don’t use enough water the pasta will be gummy, so don’t stint.
2. Bring the water to a rolling boil, salt it with 2-3 teaspoons of kosher salt per quart of water. Don’t skimp on the salt or the pasta will be unpleasantly bland — it helps to keep in mind that Neapolitans, who are masters at cooking pasta, used to use sea water back when it was safe to do so.
3. Add the pasta, stirring gently to separate the pieces and keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

A healthy coffee tree will produce an average of 2,000 coffee beans a year; about an average of 400 beans are of top quality.

There are four types of coffee bean species; each with distinct appearance and flavour.

Arabica is characterized by wavy leaf margin, light green leaf color, thin leaves, pulp and parchment.” Yields 500-1,000 kg of clean dry coffee beans per hectare. It could be grown productively in cooler places with an elevation ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 meters above sea level. Arabica is the traditional coffee from Ethiopia. Arabica has a delicate acidic flavour, a refined aroma and a caramel aftertaste.

Robusta is characterized by large umbrella shaped growth with thinner leaves which have more wavy margins. The berries are borne in heavy cluster with the pulp and parchment. Yields 1,200 kg of clean dry coffee beans per hectare. It could be grown in areas with an elevation ranging from 600 to 1,200 meters above sea level. Robusta has a stronger flavour than arabica with a full body and a woody aftertaste. It is used for processing instant coffee and commercial blends.

Liberica has the the biggest berry. It is rounded and are borne signly or in small clusters. Has thicker leaves than Excelsa and twice as long as Arabica. The pulp is thick and the parchment is more woody. It also characterized a very strong exuberant taste and distinct aroma.

Excelsa has wide leaves that are thicker than Robusta but thinner and smoother and more rounded than Liberica with smooth edge. Young leaves are usually shiny with bronze violet color. The berries are borne in heavy cluster, varying in size and usually bigger than Arabica but smaller than Liberica. Pulp and parchment are thicker than the Leberica. Excelsa is characterized by a smoky and earthly flavor. Like Robusta, it is also used for processing commercial blend coffee.

These add flavor and spice to our food!

From Wikipedia:

Seasoning is the process of adding or improving flavor of food. Seasonings include herbs, spices, and all other condiments (which may themselves be referred to as “seasonings”). Salt may be used to draw out water, or to magnify a natural flavor of a food making it richer or more delicate, depending on the dish. For instance, kosher salt (a coarser-grained salt) is rubbed into chicken, lamb, and beef to tenderize the meat and improve flavor. Other seasonings like black pepper and basil transfer some of their flavor to the food. A well designed dish may combine seasonings that complement each other.

In addition to the choice of herbs and seasoning, the timing of when flavors are added will affect the food that is being cooked.

In some cultures, meat may be seasoned by pouring sauce over the dish at the table. A variety of seasoning techniques exist in various cultures.

Infused Oils is another method of seasoning. There are two methods for doing an infusion — hot and cold. Olive oil makes a good infusion base for some herbs, but tends to go rancid more quickly than other oils. Infused oils should be kept refrigerated.

I personally love patis (fish sauce) most of all!

I knew it!

Mars and Twix have been all-time favorite and I have confirmed it is a best seller!

There is much debate over which is the best selling chocolate. While some claim that it is Mars, others think it to be the caramel layered Twix. Yet others believe it to be Kit Kat.
Earlier, the Mars bar, also known as the ‘Snickers Almond’ used to be manufactured with almonds. Although most countries today sell the plain Mars bars, the one with nuts is available in a select few countries.

Its manufacturers are Mars Incorporated. Twix, also known as ‘Raider’ in some countries, is another chocolate coated candy bar from Mars Incorporated’s table. It usually comes in pairs owing to its smaller size and is available in different flavors such as peanut butter etc. Kit Kat, found in the UK is layers of chocolate that cover thin wafer sticks. Today it is produced by Nestle and is enormously popular in the United Kingdom as well as the rest of the world.

There are many coffee drink types. Here we look at the most well known types of coffee drinks, and one or two you may not know about.

Espresso - or Short Black, a 30ml (1 oz.) shot of rich, full bodied dark coffee with a silky layer of crema. The rich hazelnut brown crema is an indication of quality freshly ground beans.

Espresso Lungo - the opposite of a ristretto, made by adding an ounce or two (30ml or 60ml) of hot water to a single espresso to make a milder or “long” cup.

Espresso Americano - or Long Black, a standard Espresso served on top of hot water, served in a tall glass or regular sized coffee cup. The coffee is added to the glass of hot water to help maintain the layer of crema at the top of the glass. Learn how to make an Espresso Americano.

Latte - a standard Espresso with hot milk topped by a small layer of silky milk foam. Usually served in a glass.

Cappuccino - a standard Espresso with silky foamed milk poured into it, topped with a dusting of chocolate powder.

Macchiato @ The Java Cafe Macchiato - a standard Espresso with just a dash of milk added, served in a small espresso cup.

Ristretto - a half shot of Espresso (15ml or 1/2 oz.).
Doppio - a double Espresso. Two shots of Espresso concentrated into approximately the same volume as a regular espresso. Caffeine injection anyone???

Espresso Corretto - a standard espresso that has been “corrected” with a splash of brandy, grappa, or other spirit. Learn how to make a Corretto.

Espresso Romano - a standard espresso, but served with a slice of lemon peel on the side of the cup. Learn how to make an Espresso Romano.

Espresso con Panna - a standard espresso, topped with whipped cream and an optional topping of unsweetened chocolate powder. Learn how to make an Espresso Con Panna.

Flat white - a standard Espresso with hot milk, no foam. Learn how to make a Flat White.

Mocha - a standard Espresso, hot chocolate and hot milk served in a glass. Learn how to make a Mocha.

Cafe Freddo - a standard Espresso, served chilled. Learn how to make a Cafe Freddo.