1. Spaghetti Scrubber

Ever since I do my own kefir yogurt making and learn not to wash the container or any tools for kefir yogurt making with soap or detergent because these good bacteria can’t stand the soap residue then I opt for a nylon scrubber. However I have difficulties finding this nylon scrubber recently in my local area, so I went online and found out about this great friendly spaghetti scrubber which is made from corn cobs and peach pits.

They made a good companion for doing scrubbing for your kitchen dishes or even other type of cleaning naturally and with less detergent since a small amount goes a long way inside this curly shaped material.It’s also very easy to dry making it mold resistant. If you want the gentle scrub go for the pink ones and if you want the more aggressive then get the yellow ones. for more info visit: Goodbye Detergent! To buy you can visit uncommongoods.com or theafternoon.com.

2. Scruba Gloves

I always wash my veggies even if it is a pre-washed packed salad greens. Sometimes when it comes to things like potatoes, carrots, radishes and other veggies that grows under the ground I found it hard to get rid of the dirt until I peel their skin off. I just learnt that peeling the skin off indeed rip off the vitamin I’ll get from these veggies so it’s better not to peel them off but wash them completely clean. I found out that scrub’a gloves designed by Danish designer will enable me to wash off all the dirt a lot quicker with less amount of water consume. To learn more you can visit their site at fabrikators. Scrub’a gloves also comes in adult and kid sizes.

3. Drosselmeyer Nutcracker

If Nuts cracking become a burdensome and messy chore then I hope drosselmeyer nutcracker able to help you solve that problem.

Drosselmeyer is the first handheld nutcracker to have a double lever action and a container to collect the shells. This award-winning design is widely regarded as the best and most powerful nutcracker on the market. It’s a quick, clean, and easy way to crack nuts. source.

Designed by Swedish design firm this sleek nutcracker has gained popularity as a must own kitchen gadget.

Japanese people are just crazy neat! Even for food their preparation is endless hours and thoughtfully presented, thoroughly designed and deliciously cooked. see these you tube bento collection and some pictures I collected from internet:

a

Bear faces Charaben

Poodle Doggie Charaben

Teddy Bear Charaben

Three Little Piggies Charaben

Winnie The Pooh Charaben

Hello Kitty Charaben

I recently tried to cook one of annathered.com Japanese hamburg, of course I didn’t spent crazy time decorating like hers but her Japanese hamburg recipe was good and my husband ate 4 patties out of 6 patties I cooked after finishing his take-out thai meal, so it was THAT good because he can ate that much on his second round of dinner =)

what is Japanese style hamburg? it’s basically ground beef patty with sauce:

I did try one food art – to make the peanut butter with chocolate hazelnut spread (like nutella spread from Italy) sandwhich. It taste like the usual sweet spread sandwhich but I love the look I created, it’s inspired by annathered.com (so after reading her blog I just went and try out to make some food art) see my creation below:

Coffee barista has been quite a popular profession lately in some city due to high demand of not only serving a cup of coffee but serving it in style.
The barista use mix method of using pouring method (the way to pour the cream into the cup) and using stick to render details, some even use chocolate syrup.

Latte art in coffee has been quite a popular lifestyle especially in Japan, and some other European countries. Their popularity even establish competitions in some major city such as the Free Pour Latte Art Competition in Washington, Latte art contest in the Netherlands and many more.

source.

Bakerella created this sweet pink cupcakes tower for a first communion celebration. I just think it’s a very lovely creation, bakerella mentioned to be inspired by Martha Stewart’s Wedding Magazine (spring 09):

please visit her post here to find out bout the making of that beautiful cupcake tower. Isn’t it lovely?

These cute truffles are decorated to look like cakespy maskot by Bakerella, you can find out more inspiring pictures of these truffles with their own little stories – very creative and entertaining to read!

source.

The Tea house at convent garden station is quite an attraction, so if you happen to be in London maybe it’s a good thing to make a stop here. Its front fascade is a full glass window with lots and lots of colorful stuff and tea display.

People stop to admire and stare because it’s hard to take it all in while just walking by. I have to say this is the most enticing shop window I have seen so far in a tea shop.

The store has cozy atmosphere and hold humongous selections for tea.

It holds more then 100 kinds of teas, including teas form Japan, China, India and traditional English blends.

source.

YouTube Link

Here I found two kinds of sushi cake. The first one is a cake that looks like sushi but tastes like a regular cake (I assume), I call this the “sushi looking cake”. The second one is a cake that looks like a cake (somewhat) and tastes like sushi, I call this the “cake looking sushi”.

I have to admit both cakes are very creative. Some people might be grossed out by the “cake looking sushi” but not me, because I love sushi a lot. I can eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Which one do you like better?
The Sushi Looking Cake

Image source

The Cake Looking Sushi

Image source

I grew up eating Shiitake mushroom. Every time my mother make a mushroom dish she always reminded me that Shiitake is very good for my health. For the longest time, I only knew about Shiitake mushroom. Later on when I’m in charge of my own food, I got a little adventurous. Now, I can officially say that I have tried most mushrooms that I can find in the grocery stores.

Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years both as food and for medicinal purposes. They are often classified as a vegetable or a herb, but they are actually fungi. While there are over 14,000 mushrooms, only about 3,000 are edible, about 700 have known medicinal properties, and fewer than one percent are recognized as poisonous.

Mighty Mushrooms

Many people enjoy going to the woods to pick their own mushrooms. However, identifying mushrooms can be a real challenge. The color, shape and size of the fruiting body can vary tremendously. It is important to properly identify the mushroom that is collected, so as to avoid a poisonous species.

The Pharaohs prized mushrooms as a delicacy, and the Greeks believed that mushrooms provided strength for warriors in battle. The Romans regarded mushrooms as a gift from God and served them only on festive occasions, while the Chinese treasured them as a health food.

Today, mushrooms are enjoyed for their flavor and texture. They can impart their own flavor to food or take on the flavor of other ingredients. Their flavor normally intensifies during cooking, and their texture holds up well to usual cooking methods, including stir-frying and sauteing.

It is popular to add mushrooms to soups, salads, and sandwiches, or to use them as an appetizer. They also add an appealing touch to vegetable-based casseroles and stews. In the US, mushroom extracts are increasingly being used in nutraceutical products and sports drinks.

Mushrooms contain about 80 to 90 percent water, and are very low in calories (only 100 cal/oz). They have very little sodium and fat, and 8 to 10 percent of the dry weight is fiber. Hence, they are an ideal food for persons following a weight management program or a diet for hypertensives.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower elevated blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. One medium portabella mushroom has even more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice. One serving of mushrooms also provides about 20 to 40 percent of the daily value of copper, a mineral that has cardioprotective properties.

Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Male health professionals who consumed twice the recommended daily intake of selenium cut their risk of prostate cancer by 65 percent. In the Baltimore study on Aging, men with the lowest blood selenium levels were 4 to 5 times more likely to have prostate cancer compared to those with the highest selenium levels.

The most commonly consumed mushroom in the United States is Agaricus bisporus or the white button mushroom. A. bisporus has two other forms – Crimini or brown mushrooms with a more earthy flavor and firmer texture, and Portabella mushrooms with a large umbrella-shaped cap and meaty flavor.

All three mushrooms, but especially the fresh button mushrooms, possess substances that inhibit the activity of aromatase (an enzyme involved in estrogen production), and 5-alpha-reductase (an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT). The latest findings show that white button mushrooms can reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. An extract of white button mushrooms decreased cell proliferation and decreased tumor size in a dose-dependent manner. The chemoprotective effect can be seen with an intake of about 100 grams (3.5 ozs) of mushrooms per day.

Shiitake mushrooms have been used for centuries by the Chinese and Japanese to treat colds and flu. Lentinan, a beta-glucan isolated from the fruiting body of shiitake mushrooms, appears to stimulate the immune system, help fight infection, and demonstrates anti-tumor activity.

Author: Winston Craig, MPH, PhD, RD.

Source

Here are the different varieties of mushroom for your reference.

Source

For more extensive information about mushroom please visit RogerMushrooms

Not double double burger or triple triple burger anymore but hundred hundred, how do you like that?
It’s not in the menu but someone actually did order it, cost $97.66 with a total calories of 19490. Here’s the proof of receipt:

and here’s what the 100 x 100 burger looks like:

here’s the close up:

For more pictures and interesting facts please visit here.
source: here.