FUN – Page 15 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Something Sweet – Homemade Candy Bars

From savoury to sweet. I’ve been making so much savoury the last while that it was time for a sweet treat – and I mean SWEET! This is the first time I’ve made chocolate bars from scratch. Cakes, cookies, fudge, truffles, different types of chocolate bark and even brownies is what I’m used to, but never bars. Just never attempted to try them before. Why now? Why not!This recipe happens in 3 stages. The end result tastes like a deliciously rich fudge brownie with a caramel-like consistency in the middle. Read through the whole ingredient list and instructions before diving in. If you want to attempt this (or any candy making) I really recommend that you buy a *candy thermometer or better still, a laser thermometer for this recipe.

STAGE I

2 OZ. BAKING CHOCOLATE – UNSWEETENED

½ CUP BUTTER

2 EGGS BEATEN

1 CUP SUGAR

½ CUP FLOUR

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

Line a 9×13” baking sheet with some parchment paper, leave a little bit spilling off the sides.
spreading it out
Melt chocolate and butter together and cool.
Add eggs then remaining ingredients to the melted chocolate.
Spread in your lined 9×13″ sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350′. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

STAGE II

1½ CUPS POWDERED SUGAR

½ CUP BUTTER

½ CUP WHIPPING CREAM (WHIPPING CREAM, NOT WHIPPED CREAM)

Mix ingredients together and then cook to “softball stage” over medium/low heat (softball stage means a candy thermometer reaches 240F ).
Spread over your baked layer.

STAGE III

2 OZ. UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE

1 T BUTTER

Melt together and spread carefully on top of powdered sugar mix.
Cool in refrigerator for several hours until top chocolate layer is hard.
Cut into small bars and store in refrigerator.
I cut them into brownie-style squares and put unsweetened coconut on top – stage three.

Stage One was easy enough. The key with this first step is NOT to overcook the layer. So if you have an oven that runs hot, bring the baking time down by 1-2 minutes.

Stage Two – The softball stage is bit of a pain. *I didn’t have a candy thermometer and at the time I decided to make this, all the ingredients were in place except for the handy thermometer. Being the practical person that I am, I ended up using a meat thermometer instead – was too impatient to go out & buy a proper one on the spot. So I used one I have for roasts and it only goes up to 200F so I let it go up all the way to the very end past 200 (I figured this to be about 220) and left if for an additional 2 minutes. Luckily for me it worked out fine but I wouldn’t normally recommend doing this.

Stage Three was no fuss. You can find some fancy wrappers at a kitchen store or use plain parchment to wrap them. They freeze well.

Stage Four – eat and enjoy. They’re sweet but not sickly sweet. You may want to eat more than one but try to use control. ~~I’m trying.~~

Source: http://impatientfoodie.com

This is the food website of Elettra Wiedemann, the daughter of Isabella Rossellini.

ALSO;

There are still a few tickets available for the DOWNTOWN FOOD & AGAVE SAFARI on Thursday May 28th – 7pm.

Join us to experience delicious food and drink pairings as we visit some of Vancouver’s top restaurants and watering holes. We start at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chophouse, and then we’ll board a trolley to culinary nirvana – exploring gastronomic delights at every stop - all exquisitely paired with tequila and mezcal to sip alongside the chefs’ creations! Stops at: Joe Fortes Seafood & Chophouse, Coast, Lift Bar & Grill, and Left Bank, before heading to Uva Wine and Cocktail Bar to end the night with…more culinary goodness paired with agave spirits! Tickets: $95 Order tickets at : http://www.vantequilaexpo.com/about_expo.php

FUN

what MATTERS: the bond between HUMAN & DOG

Brad & Kira

Brad is my brother and Kira is my niece. Even though she’s a dog, Kira is still my niece. Dogs are family and family is everything. I sadly just found out that Kira was diagnosed with untreatable cancer. I thought I would share something that Brad posted about the relationship between the two. Something that only those who have dogs can relate to. Sometimes our bonds with animals are stronger than our bonds with people. I think it’s because our animals (dogs in particular) don’t ask anything of us other than love. It’s totally unconditional and so amazing that I feel sorry for those who have not experienced it (especially if they don’t have children). Here is what Brad wrote:

This is the year my baby girl is supposed to turn 13. Given the way I raised her, I fully expect her to live into her late teens. Regardless of how long I am lucky enough to have her in my world, it won’t be nearly long enough. Anyone who owns a pet can attest to that.

When I look at my girl lying in the grass, sprinting up a hill, or swimming in her favorite watering hole, immeasurable warmth overtakes me. Over the past year or so I’ve been filled with urgency to express my gratitude for what she’s brought to my life, in many little ways. Even though she may not know what I’m saying, I still tell her; I love her, as if she does. My ritual has been to visit her on her daybed every night, kiss her on the head and tell her she means the world to me. I then wish her; love, health, happiness and longevity.

When I’m in town, she accompanies me to my office every day and sits in the big bay window in front of my desk. I can’t tell you the number of times she’s startled me and made me nearly jump out of my chair. Whenever someone walks by, or when she sees the cat that loves to torment her, or for any other reason that makes sense to her, she’ll start to bark.

I’d be lying if I said a shrill bark, reverberating off the glass didn’t bother me. More times than I care to admit I was on a radio interview, or on a conference call, only to realize there was nothing I could do until the person walked out of range, or the cat finally got bored and left. As much as I love that 17 pound ball of fur, those were the times I didn’t like her very much.

Well, yesterday it happened again! I was working away in my office, and sure enough she started to bark because something got her attention. My reaction however, was quite different this time; as I just stopped what I was doing and watched her until she calmed down.

It was as if I didn’t want her to stop barking, as it made me realize how alive she was. Instead of getting angry with her, I just smiled and told her in a gentle voice that it was ok, and then I said; I love you. And then I cried, uncontrollably and harder than I could ever remember, for what seemed a long, long time. The last time I cried like that was over 20 years ago when my mother passed away. I honestly thought I’d forgotten how to cry, but I didn’t.

You see, just the other day I found out my little girl has cancer and it seems to have spread almost overnight. I was hiking with her a couple of weeks ago, went on a 7-day speaking tour, and when I returned home she was different.

Gone was the 10 minute routine when I walked through the door, the one that always made me feel like I was her entire world. Instead I was met with a bit of a whimper and a slight wag of her tail, which seemed to take all the effort in the world to raise. There was sadness behind those beautiful brown eyes, and she just stared at me as if to say; Daddy, there’s something wrong, why do I feel this way.

So you see, even in the things that trigger you or make you angry, you can find love if you look deep enough. So now I can’t wait to hear her bark, and every time it happens I will smile and fill my heart with gratitude for having her in my world for as long as she’s willing to stick around.

Please send love and light her way, as she truly is an incredible little soul, and I wish so deeply for her to feel well again.You bet Brad!

FUN

Feel-good Friday: FLAMENCO frenzy!

Have you ever seen, or remember the last time you saw a live Flamenco performance?

Last week I thought it about time to take in a show or two with a visiting friend who is a Flamenco singer. Soulful, joyful, powerful, angry, sad and beautiful all rolled into one dance…that is so alive.

Thought I had a little bit of a gypsy in me when about 15 years ago I decided that I wanted to learn to dance Flamenco. It was mostly to do with the tiered flouncy dresses and shoes. I mean how feminine and nice are they? But I also love Spanish guitar. After about 3 months of clapping and stomping my feet I decided to give it up. My feet were getting sore and besides, no male partner! It really is a difficult dance that takes years to properly learn. After that it was salsa, west coast swing and tango, which I still do.

You know how to express the song when you’re carrying the pain of centuries with you. The Gypsy who knows how to do this gets it from his ancestors ~~ahh, that explains things~~…These are real experiences which have accumulated within him…He suffers them; he lives them; he remembers all his own.

Pedro Peña/Gypsy Flamenco Singer & Guitarist

“To truly understand what flamenco is, you must know the cante (the song) very well. Flamenco is born in the cante, and if you take the experience of cante away from young people, they’re left with no roots. They’re left with empty musical forms, and when they build on them, they build without understanding the emotional substance that characterizes and differentiates the various forms.”

Manolo Sanlucar/Guitarrista

“Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive” – Hafiz.

FUN

Food: Italian Potluck – Milan Expo 2015

From May 1 through October 31, Milan is a hosting an international pot luck dinner at Expo 2015, that once-every-few-years universal world fair where countries come together for a thematic event. This year’s theme, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” will explore food culture and sustainability as seen through 170 country and corporate participants. This is my kind of Expo!

Together they are bringing food conversation to the table in a multi-cultural village of pavilions, theaters, conference halls, and parks where food finesse is just an hors d’oeuvre and tastings plus table talk are the main courses.

Pavilions make up the core of Expo 2015: Unique stand-alone structures that share food ideas and concepts and are architectural celebrations in their own right.

Focusing on food discussions, the Expo village brings together countries and food concerns in different Clusters. Countries will ask you to think differently about what you know about food through dedicated topics like grains, coffee, chocolate, and climate zones. The Slow Food pavilion celebrates the Italian-born movement and radicalizes it for the 21st century. Pavilion Zero and Future Food District (created with MIT’s SENSEable City Lab) are poised to take you back to the future. And if you’re bored, there’s always Cirque du Soleil‘s Allavita! at the open-air theater.

It’s food. It’s a celebration of food. And it’s chefs celebrating. Some of the world’s biggest kitchen names will be heading to Milan for demonstrations, conversations, and even a little giving back. Italy’s top chef Massimo Bottura and 40 of his famous friends will take host a charity kitchen and cook with Expo leftovers at the Refettorio Ambrosiano.

Spaghetti Bolognese – I just made a batch

If you go: It’s a six-month food party. You’ll need a game plan and a great pair of walking shoes. Visiting the Expo is like heading to a food-focused theme park. You are going to want to take your time and to be there for more than one day. Why don’t you make it a holiday? Milan for Food and Shopping...Cosa c’è di meglio (what could be better)?

From Milan: The Expo is in Rho, 20 minutes northwest of Milan’s city center.

Source: Forbes.com – Erica Firpo for Fathom

FUN

health MATTERS: can dancing the TANGO improve cognitive function?

mind-body-spirit
How nice to know that aside from the sheer pleasure of dancing the tango there might be a health benefit to go along with it. Tango may be the most passionate of all dances but it has a structure that goes along with the flow, so I consider it to be the “thinking man’s dance.”

So I wasn’t surprised to find out that that according to the non-profit organization Dance for PD® (Parkinson’s disease), the answer is YES, it does help to improve cognitive function.

The following was written by Ruth Buczynski, PhD for the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine.

Because Parkinson’s is a brain disorder, some people thought it might be uniquely affected by something like dance. So they approached the Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, New York, about creating a program for people diagnosed with the disease.

Dance for PD® has been holding classes since 2001 and has witnessed the profound positive impact it has had among participants. But most of this evidence was anecdotal.

Scientific evidence of the program’s effectiveness was just beginning to be published.

In the nearly four years since I first started following Dance for PD®, the science has caught up. I heard about a 2015 study focusing on participants, but when I went to look it up, I was amazed at the number of studies published just in the first few months of 2015 that look at the topic.

Given this wealth of studies from research facilities around the world, I had a hard time highlighting just one. So instead, let’s look at some of the most recent findings on dance as an intervention for Parkinson’s:

46 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Parkinson’s participated in Japanese researchers Hiroko Hashimoto et al’s study. They found that dance improved motor function, cognitive function, and mental symptoms. (Effects of dance on motor functions, cognitive functions, and mental symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: A quasi-randomized pilot trial. Complimentary Therapies in Medicine, Apr. 2015)
Researchers out of Canada and Sweden investigated the use of tango lessons to improve motor and non-motor functions of people with Parkinson’s Disease. They found that the Argentine tango can improve balance and functional mobility and are calling on larger studies to test benefits on cognition and fatigue. (Tango for treatment of motor and non-motor manifestations in Parkinson’s disease: A randomized control study. Complimentary Therapies in Medicine, Apr. 2015)
Irish investigators led by Dr. Amanda Clifford took ten participants and had them attend weekly Irish dancing lessons, along with a parallel home practice, over an 8-week period. This preliminary study found that Irish set dancing is feasible for people with Parkinson’s and could increase their quality of life (Is Irish set dancing feasible for people with Parkinson’s disease in Ireland? Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2015)
A May 2015 [epub Feb. 2015] literature review in Maturitus concluded that studies support the idea that dance can cause “substantial and wide-ranging benefits” in people who suffer from Parkinson’s, in addition to the older population in general.

One of the things that fascinated me about these studies was the sheer number of countries that are currently researching the neurological possibilities of dance for people with Parkinson’s.

This is a treatment strategy that could be used anywhere in the world.

And then, let the neuroplasticity begin.

In our Brain-Smart webinar series, we’ve been talking about practical and innovative strategies for working with the power of neuroplasticity to strengthen and heal the brain. The webinars are free to watch at the time of broadcast – you just need to sign up.

What are your reactions to using dance as a therapeutic intervention?

Source: http://www.nicabm.com/ (National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine – a pioneer and leader in the field of mind-body-spirit medicine.).

FUN

Feel-good Friday: In Full Bloom

It’s here! A remarkable Spring that’s more like a slightly cooler version of Summer….

Some random photos taken with my camera phone on a walk and a bike ride.

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” – Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast.

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karnina

I have plenty of plans and projects to keep me occupied. How about you?

FUN

style: In Coco’s Closet with good cause!

Need to update your spring wardrobe? Head down to Coco’s Closet tomorrow (Thursday, May 7th) and 10% of all purchases for the day will be donated to a very good cause – the *Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Western Canada. A UNIQUE, LA-INSPIRED BOUTIQUE in Vancouver’s Kits Neighbourhood.

Brochu Walker - Harrison Shrug, Stone — **Brochu Walker** – Harrison Shrug

Coco’s Closet offers Vancouver’s style-savvy women a fun, relaxed environment featuring hard-to-find fashions and accessories straight out of the latest magazines.Lots of Great Brands! Stop by Coco’s Closet to add a splash of LA hotness to yours!

Equipment Silk Shirt — **Equipment** Silk Shirt

Address: 2190 West 4th Ave (next to Purdy’s Chocolates).

MAY IS CYSTIC FIBROSIS MONTH – HELP SUPPORT SOMEONE WITH CF

*About CYSTIC FIBROSIS (or CF) in a nutshell : Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease of the secretory glands, including the glands that make mucus and sweat.”Inherited” means the disease is passed from parents to children through genes. People who have CF inherit two faulty genes for the disease—one from each parent. The parents likely don’t have the disease themselves. CF mainly affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines and sinuses.

The symptoms and severity of CF vary. Sometimes there are few symptoms. Other times, the symptoms may become more severe. As the disease gets worse, the symptoms become more severe with increasing regularity. Lung function often starts to decline in early childhood in people who have CF. Over time, damage to the lungs can cause severe breathing problems.

Early treatment for CF can improve quality of life and increase lifespan. Treatments may include nutritional and respiratory therapies, medicines, exercise, and other treatments. As these treatments continue to improve, so does life expectancy for those who have the disease. Today, some people who have CF are living into their forties or fifties, or longer.

I have a friend in her mid fifties who has CF and has had a double lung, heart and kidney transplant because of this disease. She’s doing remarkably well, looks good and is basically a living miracle. Because of this I try to help support the CF foundation (Vancouver chapter) to retrieve silent auction items for their yearly gala fundraising event in Vancouver. See my previous post: https://girlwhowouldbeking.com/2014/11/08/health-matters-raising-awareness-key-to-a-cure-for-cf/

FUN

Health MATTERS: Turmeric Root Extract Theracurmin™

Rooted in Tradition, Enhanced by ScienceIt was suggested to me recently that I look into Theracurmin capsules. I already know the benefits of ingesting Turmeric and many other spices – part of the reason that I decided to make curries again was because of using the various amounts of spices required. My aim is to incorporate tasty meals that have health benefits to boot. Sometimes it also helps to supplement.

Here is an article by Dr. Michael T. Murray for living naturally which explains the benefits of this natural product.

The root of the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa), a member of the ginger family, has been used in India for thousands of years as the principal spice in curry and as an Ayurvedic medicine for supporting the body’s natural inflammatory response system. A century ago turmeric’s primary active compound, curcumin, was isolated. This valuable natural compound gives turmeric its vibrant yellow color and its medicinal qualities. An explosion of scientific research, literally thousands of studies, with curcumin has deepened and expanded our understanding of curcumin’s unique health effects in supporting many body functions. While much research has documented curcumin’s effects, most research has focused on in vitro (test tube) or animal studies. The big shadow over curcumin is that in humans its oral absorption (bioavailability) is quite low and once it is absorbed it is rapidly changed to other compounds or broken down. Clinical studies show that amounts as high as 12 grams of curcumin powder failed to significantly raise blood levels. To address this issue of poor bioavailability, a number of processing techniques have been developed to enhance the absorption of curcumin. Natural Factors Curcumin Rich Turmeric Root Extract contains Theracurmin, a natural turmeric extract preparation with by far the highest absorption profile.

What is Theracurmin?

Theracurmin is an all-natural preparation that utilizes advanced techniques to reduce the particle size of curcumin then disperse it with a very unique natural suspension to dramatically increase its solubility. The result is a dramatic increase in the absorption of curcumin compared to all other commercial forms tested, including other enhanced forms of curcumin. At equal dosage levels, Theracurmin produces blood levels in human and animal studies that are 30-40 times greater than regular curcumin.

Theracurmin Increases “Free” Curcumin

Theracurmin is the only curcumin preparation to demonstrate a clear dose response. What this means is that even small dosages of Theracurmin increase blood measurements of curcumin and as the dosage Turmeric Root Extract Theracurmin™ Highly Bioavailable Curcumin increases so does the blood level. This increase is linear, meaning that it increases in the blood in a parallel fashion to the dosage. This absorption profile is extremely important as the effectiveness of curcumin within the body requires achieving effective concentrations. Theracurmin is able to achieve necessary concentrations within the body that are not likely to be easily achieved, if at all, with other curcumin preparations. In addition to being poorly absorbed, curcumin is rapidly metabolized in the liver. When measuring levels of curcumin in the blood during absorption studies the value of curcumin is based upon total curcuminoids including metabolites. The only product form that has shown to actually increase the free curcumin form is Theracurmin. As free curcumin is significantly more active than the metabolites, it is extremely likely that Theracurmin is not only better absorbed, but it also produces additional benefits compared to other supplemental forms of curcumin.

What Are The Benefits of Theracurmin?

What research has continually documented is that curcumin is highly pleiotropic, meaning it exerts multiple actions. Foremost is curcumin’s ability to influence many factors involved when normal inflammatory processes get out of balance. It has also demonstrated significant effects in preventing the accumulation of compounds associated with premature aging. For example, beta-amyloid is a compound linked to aging in the brain. It is kind of like a biochemical scar in brain tissue that reflects damage due to inflammation. Curcumin is showing great promise in preserving brain health by preventing the accumulation of beta-amyloid. However, in order for this benefit to be realized, it must be absorbed. Here are some of the other benefits shown with curcumin: • Potent antioxidant • Supports the body’s natural inflammatory response system • Promotes the liver’s ability to detoxify.

How Much Theracurmin Do I Need?

The suggested usage of Theracurmin based upon current clinical evaluation is 150 to 300 mg per day. Although this amount is significantly lower than many other forms of curcumin, keep in mind that the amount of curcumin you take is not as important as how much you absorb.

Dr. Michael T. Murray is one of the world’s leading authorities on natural medicine. He has published nearly 30 books, including the best-selling Encyclopedia of Healing Foods and The Pill Book Guide to Natural Medicine. He is chairman of Dr. Murray Natural Living, Inc. and director of product development at Natural Factors, which produces a line of vitamins and supplements. He is a graduate and faculty member of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington.

Here is my healthful morning TEA with TUMERIC recipe:

Squeeze a few slices of lemon & fresh ginger into a mug and pour very warm to moderately hot water over top. Add about a tsp. each of cayenne pepper & powdered tumeric, Sprinkle a bit of dried cinnamon and add a tsp. of honey. Mix, drink & enjoy.

FUN

Feel-good Friday: Pitbulls in Flower Crowns

Why; is that so weird?

I crown this Save a Pitbull Day!What can be more uplifting than these Instagram photos…just be a CAUSEAs a way to find shelter pitbulls happy homes, New York City photographer Sophie Gamand takes ethereal shots of them wearing adorable homemade flower crowns.

“I volunteer at animal shelters a lot, but I always tense around pit bulls because of things I’d heard in the media. I wanted to confront my apprehensions.” “After researching, I found out that more than one million pit bulls are euthanized each year in the US,” she said. “Then the project started feeling more important to me.”“Shoots can take one minute, or thirty minutes,” says the photographer. “It completely depends on the dog.” Gamand makes a unique flower crown for each pup.Now try to top hat that??
www.sophiegamand.com
@sophiegamand

I deserve to be saved — **I deserve to live**

Won’t it make you feel good to save a dog (not just a pittbull, but any dog) from being euthanized?

As told to Bazaar Magazine

FUN

style – the latest SCOOP for Spring

Spring Fashion is popping up all over SCOOP, Vancouver’s favourite pop-up shop.

So what could be better than perusing the aisles while listening to music played by a deejay with a glass of bubbly in hand? That’s what happened when I attended their blogger evening last week at the South Granville Location.What used to be a rather small operation for up to six weeks at a time has turned out to be two store locations for all seasons. At present, Scoop is open for 6-8 weeks at certain times of the year. Those times being Spring/Summer and November/December.

Owner Deb Nichol strives to keep each of the Scoop locations fresh and exciting by creating a bit of a buzz surrounding the night before each opening so it’s always a surprise.The thing about Scoop is that there’s so much turnover of merchandise that each time you set foot inside you find something different. They source merchandise and get inspiration by traveling to places like New York, LA, Vegas, Atlanta and Toronto. Besides clothing, they offer jewellery, cards, candles and wall hangings. If you don’t scoop up something fast you may never see it again. Then again, I did come across a pair of linen pants I once purchased that they brought back the following year. Must have been a popular item. Normally I don’t want to see something repeated, but in this case I wanted another pair anyway so it was a good thing.

Locations:

The Latest Scoop on S. Granville – 2928 Granville St.

The Latest Scoop in West Vancouver – 2470 Marine Dr.