* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And now for a little romp through history. The Three Graces, Pompeii, circa 79AD, or earlier The Three Graces, by Botticelli, Florence, dated 1478 The Three Graces, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Germany, 1531. Les Trois Graces, by Niki de Saint Phalle, 1999 (Public display on Park Avenue, 2012) So did your mother ever say to you "Stop making such a public display of yourself!", or anything like that? Here is a little shrine honoring women making public displays of themselves, courtesy of the late Niki de Saint Phalle, the Nohra Haime Gallery and the Niki Charitable Art Foundation. Of course, like everyone else, they mustn't make public displays of themselves for too long, and will be taken back inside to behave themselves in November. Behind the above Grace is Lever House, the first "curtain wall" skyscraper, and an example of international style architecture. Below, the Seagram Building, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is in the background. Notice what a stud muffin this Grace is -- studs on both her arms, and across her head. According to wiki.name.com, the three Graces were Aglaia (splendor, glory), Euphrosyne (mirth, merriment), and Thalia (festivity, flourishing). It's not clear which of these is which, but their names suit them well. Did you want a closer look at the materials and the workmanship? Extra points if you can also find the hidden IF self portrait. And did your parents also warn you not to play in traffic? And did you play just as close to it as you could? Far enough away to technically obey the rule, but close enough to appear to be doing exactly as you pleased, rules be damned? And all the while were you dreaming up a suitable caption for your public performance? Maybe "I dreamed I played in traffic in a Maidenform bra fiercer than any that anyone at Maidenform ever even imagined"? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * There’s a Pinterest called Rockin’ the Silver, that shows nothing but women with fabulous gray hair, so we thought you ought to know about it. Below are just a few of the many, many great photos on it. The first one is a photo we ourselves took of an unknown woman, and posted here last summer. We also appear on Rockin' the Silver, wearing top hats and tails. We confess we don't know how Pinterest works, and we didn't upload either the one BY us or the one OF us. So we would like to say thank you to the person or persons who did that! One of the wonderful things about Rockin' the Silver is that many of the women are simply That Fabulous Gray-Haired Woman Next Door. There are some household names in there, too - Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Jane Alexander, Maya Angelou and Vanessa Redgrave among them - but if you're looking for a way to love your gray hair, you don't have to be a celebrity. Click on Rockin' the Silver for probably One Hundred Ways to Look Great in Gray. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And we include this last photo as a little coda to our previous two homages to Yayoi Kusama and her love affair with polka dots. To quote the late Jimmy Durante: "Everybody wants to get into the act"!

I dislike the taste of protien powder in pancakes so this alternative is delicious. 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oats (old fashioned or instant), 1/2 tsp baking powder, a small pinch of salt, a splash of vanilla extract and dash of cinnamon. Blend all ingredients in a blender and then fry in non-stick pan like regular pancakes! This makes around six 4 inch diameter pancakes in total (They are a bit flatter than regular pancakes but I was shocked by how good they taste! I usually top them with a bit of lite syrup or

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And now for a little romp through history. The Three Graces, Pompeii, circa 79AD, or earlier The Three Graces, by Botticelli, Florence, dated 1478 The Three Graces, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Germany, 1531. Les Trois Graces, by Niki de Saint Phalle, 1999 (Public display on Park Avenue, 2012) So did your mother ever say to you "Stop making such a public display of yourself!", or anything like that? Here is a little shrine honoring women making public displays of themselves, courtesy of the late Niki de Saint Phalle, the Nohra Haime Gallery and the Niki Charitable Art Foundation. Of course, like everyone else, they mustn't make public displays of themselves for too long, and will be taken back inside to behave themselves in November. Behind the above Grace is Lever House, the first "curtain wall" skyscraper, and an example of international style architecture. Below, the Seagram Building, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is in the background. Notice what a stud muffin this Grace is -- studs on both her arms, and across her head. According to wiki.name.com, the three Graces were Aglaia (splendor, glory), Euphrosyne (mirth, merriment), and Thalia (festivity, flourishing). It's not clear which of these is which, but their names suit them well. Did you want a closer look at the materials and the workmanship? Extra points if you can also find the hidden IF self portrait. And did your parents also warn you not to play in traffic? And did you play just as close to it as you could? Far enough away to technically obey the rule, but close enough to appear to be doing exactly as you pleased, rules be damned? And all the while were you dreaming up a suitable caption for your public performance? Maybe "I dreamed I played in traffic in a Maidenform bra fiercer than any that anyone at Maidenform ever even imagined"? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * There’s a Pinterest called Rockin’ the Silver, that shows nothing but women with fabulous gray hair, so we thought you ought to know about it. Below are just a few of the many, many great photos on it. The first one is a photo we ourselves took of an unknown woman, and posted here last summer. We also appear on Rockin' the Silver, wearing top hats and tails. We confess we don't know how Pinterest works, and we didn't upload either the one BY us or the one OF us. So we would like to say thank you to the person or persons who did that! One of the wonderful things about Rockin' the Silver is that many of the women are simply That Fabulous Gray-Haired Woman Next Door. There are some household names in there, too - Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Jane Alexander, Maya Angelou and Vanessa Redgrave among them - but if you're looking for a way to love your gray hair, you don't have to be a celebrity. Click on Rockin' the Silver for probably One Hundred Ways to Look Great in Gray. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And we include this last photo as a little coda to our previous two homages to Yayoi Kusama and her love affair with polka dots. To quote the late Jimmy Durante: "Everybody wants to get into the act"!

In the wild world of gaming, where dragons are slain and galaxies are saved, comes a uniquely slightly twisted tale – A Family Venture.

With a pinch of this and a dash of that, you can elevate your food from ho-hum to oh-yum. Elevate your dishes using these seven wonder spices of the world.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And now for a little romp through history. The Three Graces, Pompeii, circa 79AD, or earli...

Red lentils and white quinoa are soaked overnight and blended with a mixture of spices to create a savory and protein-packed pancake batter. Minced serrano peppers and shallots are folded in to add a subtle kick, and the batter is cooked to perfection in a pan. The topping ideas for these savory pancakes are endless, but I highly recommend you start with tomatoes, avocado, and this hemp seed + pepita dressing drizzled on top.

DESCRIPTION For a sheer bliss, mix 10 grammes of distilled neroli, an ounce of jasmine sambac and a knob of iris butter. Melt a little caramel, add some fresh raspberries and slowly bring to the boil. Gently stir in a pinch of ground Sandalwood and a dash of patchouli. Sprinkle a few grammes of icing sugar, and whisk until a delicious sigh is achieved. The bottle awakens the senses and waters the mouth. Its bright pink hue seduces the gaze, while its matte finish charms the hand. Beyond the opacity of the bottle, like an impenetrable window, is a sensual force of attraction that only a few silvery letters can express. MMMM… I was thinking this indescribable onomatopoeia when I created the fragrance. Behind that sound, that murmur, pronounced almost internally, lies a world of hidden pleasures that goes beyond words… A gourmand accord of Vanilla and Neroli. An olfactive sweetness that regales the senses and provokes immediate pleasure. FRAGRANCE PYRAMID Top Notes: Raspberry, Geranium, Neroli Heart Notes: Orange Blossom, Tuberose, Jasmine Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood

**Make sure to check out Zesty’s POM Tea giveaway here** If you are a newer visitor to my blog, you might not recall hearing about my Good for You Goodies feature. It was created by me in an attempt to highlight great companies that make tasty goodies that are both good tasting, and good for your well-being. All companies that qualified for this feature donated products that I review. I haven’t done a feature for a long time, just because I was a little too busy this summer with moving and such, but expect a few new Good for You Goodies posts in the near future. (p.s. There will be a feature page posted on my blog so you can access all reviews soon!) The Company: Glow Gluten Free The Products: 4 flavors of gluten-free cookies My Chew Review: When browsing the web, sometimes I will stumble upon a company’s website that has a food I am dying to try—this was one of those times! I mean who doesn’t like cookies? And it was even better that all four flavors are all natural, preservative free, gluten free, trans fat free, and casein free. I like when I can feel a bit better about eating cookies! =) Then I recalled a time when I had tried some not so stellar gluten free cookies—but I figured every cookie deserves a chance, so I was pleased when the wonderful Jill agreed to send some cookies for me to sample. I had high hopes after visiting the website and seeing the drool-worthy photos. Was I let down by these fab four? Read on to find out! But first a little rundown on this company: Baking entrepreneur and celiac disease expert, Jill Brack, has cooked up a mouth-watering collection of gluten free cookies full of everything that has been missing in the marketplace. Her new line of Glow Gluten Free cookies will surprise even the most discerning palates: rich Double Chocolate; crisp and spicy Gingersnap; cinnamon sugary Snickerdoodle and, always a best seller, the old fashioned Chocolate Chip. And in case all of these delectable flavors make you forget, yes, they’re all gluten free. “It takes one to bake one,” says Brack, who has been diagnosed with celiac disease for many years. “Eating gluten free doesn’t mean you have to settle for less. I created Glow Gluten Free cookies to put fun and delicious flavor into snacking gluten free. People tell me they crave these cookies whether they are gluten free or not.” Snicker Doodle Cookies Since I am not a giant fan of chocolate I have always leaned more towards being a sugar, snickerdoodle, molasses type cookie girl. So of course I had to dig into this flavor first! What I thought: Just like a fresh-baked snickerdoodle that I would have made. Not overly sweet, but just the right amount of goodness! Crunchy and crumbly at its’ finest! Great on top of a fruit and yogurt parfait—made it 10 times better! Gingersnap Cookies What I Thought: I had very high standards for this gingersnap. I find it hard to compete with the chewy ones I bake around Christmas. But, every cookie deserves a chance, and I am so glad they do! Can you see the sugar crystals just gleaming on that cookie? And the crinkles made it all the more appealing. This is definitely my new go to gingersnap cookie for when I don’t have time to whip up my own.(This is also a crunchy cookie, as are all of the Glow cookies) Did I mention I am astounded these cookies are gluten-free and still so delicious?! Chocolate Chip Cookies What I Thought: Okay, so in all reality, how many different brands and variations of chocolate chip cookies has the average person tried? Lets just say a lot. So needless to say, each chocolate chip cookie needs to have something memorable about it to be marked as a “good cookie”. I guarantee this variation on a chocolate chip cookie will please anyone in your family who is a Chip’s Ahoy fan! I used to love Chip’s Ahoy, and this cookie brought back chocolaty (albeit healthier) memories! Cheers to that—with a cold glass of milk of course! ;-) Double Chocolate Cookies What I Thought: Like I said before, I am not a giant chocolate fan, but I do enjoy an occasional chocolate cookie or a few chocolate candies. This cookie would be perfect for brownie lovers because it had that same deep richness of a typical brownie, without the dense chewiness of course. So if you need a serious chocolate fix, I found your match! Overall, all of the cookies were delicious. I really have no gripes about them, other than I would have liked a chewy cookie for maybe one of the flavors—but like I said, they are great dipped in milk, crumbled over yogurt, or just a snack. Thanks again Jill—what a great company! Get your own Glow Cookies HERE!

A pinch of cool.A dash of sass.A cup of lust.Mix, stir and repeat.When trend-spotter and supreme-style-guru Mya Strano is called in to rescue her mother's cooking show from ratings oblivion, what she has in mind is a little seasoning to heighten the taste. That's the plan. Until she discovers that it's her childhood nemesis, Eric Baldini, whom she's up against. He's got a few ideas of his own that sound like a recipe for disaster in her expert opinion. And the two of them in the same kitchen? Never!Still, she's noticed that for someone who really works at being anti-hip, this guy has a way of making her divinely hot. Which makes him so cool that this fashionista is actually toying with the idea of trading in her designer gear for oven mitts and an apron…. Ouch!

This luscious porridge is made with brown rice simmered in creamy coconut milk with a dash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. A topping of swirled strawberry jam is the sweetening factor to this hearty breakfast!

It’s true that cooking vegetables is easy in the stove top, and as many people say, you don’t need to mess with the good stuff. But, unbeknownst to many, a pressure cooker makes better work

The Quest for Quants: A Whimsical Guide on How to Become a Quantitative Analyst Becoming a quantitative analyst, or a "quant" for ...

Save money and avoid unnecessary chemicals with this homemade ketchup recipe. The flavor is better than anything you can buy at the store!

Meet Bean--a stretchy, cheerful dragon who lives with a grumpy witch named Sally. Whether she's solo or with Sally, from burying bones to meeting new friends, in this debut graphic novel Bean finds herself an adventure no matter where she goes. From the creator of the popular webcomic, Sally & Bean, comes Bean The Stretchy Dragon that follows a day in the life of little Bean who lives in the forest with a witch, Sally. A dash of sweet, a pinch of spooky, and plenty of humor.

This easy-to-make charoset requires nothing more than sweetened apples, walnuts, a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and some kosher sweet wine.

Discover the perfect blend of flavors in our Best Lasagna Soup Recipe – a comforting and hearty twist on a classic dish

I think I classify myself as a Kitchen freestyler. Freestyling Definition A highly experimental method of approaching problems (similar to the notion of "winging it"). Merging elements of pragmatism and daredevil improvisation, freestyling has developed into a unique and controversial school of thought. I love reading cook books, I love talking to other passionate cooks about food, I love going to markets and seeing all the fresh produce and love going out to restaurants and getting ideas - but I rarely follow instructions to the letter. I freestyle and relish the challenge of looking in the fridge and working out what to do with what I have. Tonight it the challenge was something that called for: sage, chicken, spinach and olives ... and the answer I came up with was 'Chicken, spinach and ricotta deconstructed lasagna' - and it worked! I slow cooked chicken thighs to make a ragu. I stripped the chicken from the bone and then mixed spinach and ricotta to make an alternate layer lasagna - not exactly authentic Italian, but super tasty). There's a pattern developing here ... I am not prescriptive in the kitchen. I always like to interpret recipes and make them work with a. what I have at hand, and b. the flavours I prefer I seem to always add a pinch of this ... a dash of that It doesn't always work, My husband has taken to labelling my interpretation failures as 'Chicken Surprise' ... or 'Pumpkin Surprise' (the 'surprise' denoting the failure) but I've found that the longer I work at perfecting this cooking business, the successes now outweigh the failures. Last week I was flicking through Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Minute Meals and came across his 'Chorizo and Squid Greek style couscous salad (p. 166) and I changed it. I'm not a massive fan of cooking squid (I love calamari fresh at the beach from the fish and chip shop or BBQ'd in summertime) so I substituted chicken and it was AMAZING - and healthy! So here's Jamie's version [annotated with my suggested improvisations] .... Chorizo & Squid Greek-Style Couscous Salad Couscous 4 spring onions 100g baby spinach 1 bunch of fresh mint 1 mug (300g) of couscous 1 lemon Chorizo & squid 400g baby squid, gutted and cleaned [I substituted Chicken thighs diced] 80g cured chorizo sausage olive oil 2 mixed-colour peppers [I used green and yellow peppers which I roasted first in the oven, I also added a punnet of roasted grape tomatoes] 1 tbsp runny honey sherry vinegar [I used red wine vinegar] 2 cloves of garlic 8–10 black olives (stone in) [seeing it was Greek, I used Kalamatas] Garnishes 50g feta cheese 1 heaped tsp harissa [I omitted the harissa yoghurt] 4 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt Blitz the trimmed spring onions in the processor with the spinach, most of the top leafy half of the mint and a pinch of salt and pepper until fine . Remove the blade, stir in 1 mug of couscous and 2 mugs of boiling water, put the lid on and leave to sit in the processor • Cut open the squid tubes and, using a regular eating knife, lightly score the inside in 0.5cm crisscrosses, then slice with a sharp knife about 1cm thick, and roughly slice the legs Slice the chorizo and put it into the pan with 2 tablespoons of oil • Deseed,slice and add the peppers, then about 4 minutes later stir in all the squid,the honey and a splash of vinegar • Squash over the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher, destone and add the olives and stir for a few more minutes Fluff up the couscous and mix with the juice of ½ a lemon, then tip on to a big board or platter • Spoon the squid, peppers and chorizo over the couscous • Crumble the feta over the top and pick over the remaining mint leaves • In a small bowl, ripple the harissa through the yoghurt and serve everything together, with lemon wedges on the side Jamie's version is designed to be prepared quickly, but seeing I have no time constraints I freestyled and extended it a little. It took longer than 15 minutes, but it was worth it! a. I roasted the peppers in the oven first with a punnet of mini grape tomatoes with just a drizzle of olive oil. The tomatoes are really fragile when they're hot - so that they held their shape, I only stirred them through the completed dish just before serving. b. I used a good quality chorizo that oozed out oily, porky, paprika-y goodness (warning ... this dish aint halal!). Once the chorizo was warmed through and had released the fat, I added the sliced onion and garlic to soak up the chorizo flavour. c. Then I added the chicken and the kalamata olives. d. Once the chicken was cooked, I gently stirred through the sliced roasted pepper and the roasted grape tomatoes. e. Then I added the red wine vinegar and honey So, freestyling is one thing - but there's a reason Jamie O is a professional and I'm a pretender. I would never have thought to put vinegar or honey in this dish but it really did made it special! The combination of honey/vinegar served to deglaze the pan and create a sticky delicious glaze to the roasted veges and chicken. So - once it was done, I just spooned it over the prepared cous cous and then crumbled fetta on the top! We'll definitely be making this 'Jamie Oliver feat Nic' version again!

This luscious porridge is made with brown rice simmered in creamy coconut milk with a dash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. A topping of swirled strawberry jam is the sweetening factor to this hearty breakfast!

Shape: Square Your refrigerator called and said it was feeling mighty lonely. Why not give it a few friends to play with by creating a couple of custom magnets! Add your favorite image to a round magnet, or shop the thousands of options for a cool square magnet. Dimensions: 2"l x 2"w Printed on 100% recycled paper Covered with scratch and UV-resistant mylar Available in round shape also

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Over the years, I've added a pinch of this and a dash of that to this recipe until my family agreed it was just right. These rolls are especially good served warm with spaghetti and lasagna.

Take a large pinch of fairytale and shake it up with Lud in the Mist, Lord Dunsany, and a dash of Princess Bride, then stir it into a glass of beautiful prose, and you have Neil Gaiman’s Stardust (1999). Let me show you some, because this is a book that above all rests on the […]

This easy Persian-inspired chicken and rice dish has a beautiful golden color and a wonderful fragrance. If you have saffron in the cupboard, do add that optional pinch; just a little will enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.

Whether you prefer sweet waffles or savory eggs, these Victorian breakfast recipes will totally still hit the spot for your morning meal!

At last--a sweet-and-sour dish with a fresh, not cloying, taste. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper, a splash of chile-garlic sauce or a dash of hot sauce to give it a little heat.

Over the years, I've added a pinch of this and a dash of that to this recipe until my family agreed it was just right. These rolls are especially good served warm with spaghetti and lasagna.

This is the best try i ever had for Orh Luak! Ingredients: 7-8 Oysters 4 Eggs 2 tbsp Tapioca Flour 1 tbsp Rice Flour Pinch of Salt 1/2 tsp of Hao Chi Seasoning Dash of Pepper 3 tsp of Salted Eggs P…

DESCRIPTION For a sheer bliss, mix 10 grammes of distilled neroli, an ounce of jasmine sambac and a knob of iris butter. Melt a little caramel, add some fresh raspberries and slowly bring to the boil. Gently stir in a pinch of ground Sandalwood and a dash of patchouli. Sprinkle a few grammes of icing sugar, and whisk until a delicious sigh is achieved. The bottle awakens the senses and waters the mouth. Its bright pink hue seduces the gaze, while its matte finish charms the hand. Beyond the opacity of the bottle, like an impenetrable window, is a sensual force of attraction that only a few silvery letters can express. MMMM… I was thinking this indescribable onomatopoeia when I created the fragrance. Behind that sound, that murmur, pronounced almost internally, lies a world of hidden pleasures that goes beyond words… A gourmand accord of Vanilla and Neroli. An olfactive sweetness that regales the senses and provokes immediate pleasure. FRAGRANCE PYRAMID Top Notes: Raspberry, Geranium, Neroli Heart Notes: Orange Blossom, Tuberose, Jasmine Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood