Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Krissyar

airplane

 

  • Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for information on vaccines and health alerts at your destination and visit your doctor ideally, 4-6 weeks before your trip to get vaccines or medicine you may need.
  • Strengthen your immune system before you travel by exercising and taking your vitamins.
  • Get 7-9 hours of sleep the night before you fly.
  • Pack healthy snacks for the plane (nuts, veggies, and fruits), but make sure to consume them in flight so as not to bring them into another country.
  • Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water, water, water.
  • Skip the alcohol and caffeine.
  • Keep your hands and your personal items out of the seat back pocket to avoid germs.  (Imagine how many people have read that magazine!)
  • Wash your hands and carry a travel size antibacterial sanitizer.
  • Use sunscreen and insect repellant.
  • Once you return home, see a doctor immediately if you are not feeling well or if you notice any abnormal changes in your body. Be sure to let the office know you have recently been out of the country. Many times an illness will take a few days to appear.

*Tips from Dr. Omur Cinar Elci, Chair of St. George’s University Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine

Posted in Travel | 1 Comment

Healthy 4th of July Recipes

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Krissyar

Barbeques with family and friends are a great way to celebrate summer, especially those on the 4th of July. At your next soirée, shake things up a bit by adding tofu to classic summertime dishes. House Foods Tofu, a Non-GMO and kosher certified protein with only 7 grams of fat, can easily be swapped for traditional BBQ ingredients. It certainly will be a crowd pleaser with all guests.

 Cool off at your next fête with Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos’ Tofu and Berry Popsicles. This summertime treat combines House Foods Tofu Organic or Premium Soft with your favorite summery fruits, like strawberries and blueberries, for a healthy, yet indulgent delight.

For the main course, whip up a barbeque must have with a healthy twist – House Foods Crispy Tofu Parmesan Sliders. This award winning recipe will make your guests wanting more. The pesto mayo spread adds a flavorful topping to the delicious slider without losing the BBQ taste and feel.

 Or cook up House Foods Grilled Tofu and Tomato Skewers. Simply pair the House Foods Tofu Organic or Premium Extra Firm with your favorite seasonal veggies, like tomatoes, to add flavor and grill – it’s that easy!

 

Tofu and Berry Popsicles

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Created by Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos, stars of Cooking Channel’s show Extra Virgin

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 package (7 oz) House Foods Tofu Organic or Premium Soft

2 cups strawberries or other berries, hulled and sliced

1/2 cup super fine sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

 

DIRECTIONS:

Add the berries to a bowl and toss with the sugar and the vanilla. Let sit out for 20 minutes so they become juicy.

Add fruit mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the tofu and blend again until incorporated.

Divide the mixture into 4 popsicles molds. Freeze until firm, for about 4 hours.

Makes 6 Popsicles (3 ounces each)

 

Crispy Tofu Parmesan Sliders

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Created by House Foods America

INGREDIENTS

Pesto Mayo
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Tofu
1 package House Foods Tofu Organic or Premium Extra Firm, drained
1 egg
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 small slices mozzarella cheese

Sliders
8 slider buns or small dinner rolls, split, toasted
16 fresh basil leaves or 8 small lettuce leaves
8 slices plum tomato

 

DIRECTIONS:

Pesto Mayo: in small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, pesto and cumin. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Tofu: quarter block of tofu into 4 equal pieces. Slice each quarter horizontally into 2 thin pieces.
In shallow bowl, beat eggs with mustard.
In another shallow dish, place bread crumbs and cheese; mix well.
In a third bowl, combine flour, herb seasoning and seasoned salt.
Dip tofu in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add tofu to skillet cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Top with cheese slices after turning tofu.
Spread sides of buns with pesto mayo and place tofu slices topping with basil and tomato slices.

Makes 4 servings of 2 sliders each

 

 

Tofu Tomato and Herb Skewers

skewers

Created by House Foods America

INGREDIENTS:

2 pkgs House Foods Tofu Premium or Organic Extra Firm, drained and pressed
40 cherry tomatoes
20 bamboo skewers

 

Sauce:
1 clove garlic
1 large shallot
1 bundle Italian parsley
1 bundle cilantro
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2/3 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

 

DIRECTIONS:

Add garlic and shallot to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times.  Add parsley and cilantro and pulse a few more times.  Combine with vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and oil in bowl.  Mix well.

Cut tofu in cubes to match the size of tomatoes.

Place tofu cubes and tomato alternately on skewers.  Brush with sauce and grill 3-4 minutes on each side.  Brush a couple more times until grill mark is shown.  Brush tofu one final time before serving.

 

Makes 20 skewers

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments

Lights Out? Be Prepared and have FUN with Duracell Batteries!

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Krissyar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PrepWithPower #CollectiveBias

Living in Ohio, I haven’t had to deal with a whole lot of worrying about natural disasters. We live far enough inland that we don’t have to regularly worry about hurricanes or major flooding, or earthquakes. We have an occasional tornado, and flash floods but things are usually back to normal in just a few hours. A few years ago we had a huge storm roll in with ‘hurricane winds’ and it threw us Ohioans for a loop. Power was out for days and weeks for some, and it seemed no one was prepared. It was uncomfortable, stressful, and boring! At the time I had a newborn baby, and 2 young girls. So I promised myself that I would have a plan (and a stock of Duracell batteries) to keep them occupied – and a survival kit – in case it ever happened again.

Duracell-Prep-With-Power

The first thing I did was make a trip to Walmart. There were a few things I needed to restock, and a few new items to pick up for my ’emergency backpack’. I knew the  biggest thing I needed to stock up on was Duracell batteries. Pretty much everything we need to use in an emergency needs batteries. My battery-powered lanterns, flashlights, and storm radios.

I picked up quite a few necessities to make sure we are prepared ‘just in case’. Here is a simple, easy to follow list of ‘must have’s’ in case of an emergency.
You will need:

  • Water—one gallon per person, per day
  • Food—nonperishable, easy-to-prepare items
  • Flashlight
  • Battery powered or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
  • Extra Duracell batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Medications (7-day supply), other medical supplies, and medical paperwork (e.g., medication list and pertinent medical information)
  • Multipurpose tool (e.g., Swiss army knife)
  • Sanitation and personal hygiene items
  • Copies of personal documents (e.g., proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, and insurance policies)
  • Cell phone with chargers (car chargers to charge your phone off your car battery)
  • Family and emergency contact information
  • Extra cash
  • Emergency blanket
  • Map(s) of the area
  • Extra set of car keys and house keys
  • Manual can opener

prep-with-power-with-Duracell

 

I also picked up a few things, and made a list, to keep the kids busy if the power does go out -since they won’t be able to watch movies, play video games, or chat with their friends via instant messenger (I kinda’ can’t wait for the power to go out..shh! don’t tell them)

1. READ by flashlight – My kids love to read. It’s a great thing, but a lot of times they get too busy with tech gadget and friends that they don’t read as much as I would like them to. I played smart and picked up some classics (think Beverly Clearly) from a yard sale this summer. I put them in our ’emergency bags’ for reading material while the lights are out.

 

2. Play board games.  Too often again, we don’t sit down and play together as much as I’d like. We play family video games, outdoor games and such, but not a lot of board games. I made sure to have a deck of Uno cards, The Game of Life, Monopoly, and Beat the Parents. With our handy little battery-operated lantern we can sit in the living room or at the kitchen table and literally have hours of fun!

3. Have a Dance Off. Having a dance competition with the kids has always been fun. It’s great to get a laugh (usually at me), and plus it burns the extra energy the kids have built up by being stuck inside (BONUS)

4. Camp out. If the weather isn’t bad, and you’re just waiting for  power to come back on, camping out in the back yard is a great idea. You can roast marshmallows over the fire, roast some hot dogs, and sit around and talk. It’s a great way to make the best of the situation, and the kids always love the adventure!

 

 

5. Pay it Forward. My family has always been big on helping others. Taking extra bottles of water, food, or medicine to needy neighbors can definitely help the kids realize how important it is to be prepared – and to take care of each other.

6. Take a Bubble Bath.  O.K. so this one is more for Mom, but relaxing in a bubble bath with some candles is a nice way to regroup, refresh yourself and prepare yourself for what might come next. Taking time for you is important no matter what is going on.

Duracell-prep-with-power-1

 

What is on your survival kit list?
Join us Tuesday July 1st at 11 a.m. EST|
fr the #PrepWithPower Twitter Party where they’ll be talking about how to stay prepared for when storms, bad weather or disaster strikes.
Be sure to RSVP so you can be eligible to win some great prizes!

Posted in Reviews/Giveaways | 45 Comments

Beauty Really IS More Than Skin Deep

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Krissyar

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Almay, but as usual all opinions are my own.

Beauty is usually the first thing that attracts us to a person – whether it be a toddler, or a grown adult, we tend to gravitate towards those who have an attractive physical appearance. We all strive to be the best we can be. We work out so we can have an attractive shape, we get our hair done, use the best make-up, buy the most fashionable clothes. But the strive and desire to be beautiful can turn ugly fast. Especially as women, we tend to judge others quickly and harshly – sometimes just because we feel so inadequate ourselves. 

carrie-underwood-beauty

I spent many years as a teenager comparing myself to those around me  – I was never skinny enough, pretty enough, my hair was too long – then too short. I needed braces, I needed contacts instead of glasses, I need to tweeze and pluck and shave. I was constantly comparing myself to others, and honestly that alone made my life pretty darn miserable.

beauty

It wasn’t until many many years later that I learned to accept that I wasn’t ever going to be as ‘beautiful’ as I thought the other women were. I learned to accept there were all kinds of beauty – and beauty was more than just what I looked like. Beauty was who I was deep down, who I was when no one was around. How I treated others, how I reacted in bad situations. I was beautiful, though not always in the tradition sense, but in all the important ways.

beautiful-life

I also learned that there are a lot of beautiful people out there – tons of beautiful woman who I couldn’t hold a candle to in comparison in our physical aspects, but were ugly on the inside. Physical beauty fades eventually – and a ‘pretty face is nothing if you have an ugly heart.’ Real beauty shines from the inside out.

beauty-heart

Check out what Almay & Carrie Underwood have to say about beauty!

Posted in Beauty | 47 Comments

“Guardians of the Galaxy”: An IMAX® 3D First Look

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Krissyar

Marvel Studios announces Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”: An IMAX® 3D First Look, featuring 17 minutes of exclusive footage from the highly anticipated summer blockbuster “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The sneak peek will be showcased in 150 IMAX® theatre locations across North America on July 7 at 7 p.m.

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Select IMAX 3D® theatres nationwide and internationally will offer the special screening of thrilling, never-before-seen IMAX 3D footage of the James Gunn-directed epic space adventure, which opens in U.S. theatres on August 1.

 

Commenting on the exclusive footage, director James Gunn says, “We’ve re-mastered some of our epic sequences into the IMAX 3D format, taking the scope and scale to new heights while creating a truly immersive, cinematic experience that will take you further into the Marvel Universe than ever before.”

 

“IMAX and Marvel fans are some of the most die-hard in the world and we’re excited to offer them this exclusive extended first-look at one of the summer’s hottest upcoming movies in IMAX 3D,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “James Gunn’s visionary film in IMAX 3D is going to give our audiences an immersive experience they won’t find anywhere else, and we’re thrilled to get the ball rolling and reward fans early at this unique event.”

 

Tickets to the July 7 Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”:  An IMAX 3D First Look are free and are available now for U.S. and Canadian screenings on a first-come, first-served basis through www.facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy.

 

Fans who attend this sneak peek will also receive a limited-edition collectible Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” IMAX poster.

 

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

 

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

 

Kevin Feige, p.g.a., is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. James Gunn and Nicole Perlman wrote the screenplay.

 

About Marvel Entertainment:

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit: marvel.com. © MARVEL

 

About IMAX Corporation:

IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

 

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of March 31, 2014, there were 840 IMAX theatres (707 commercial multiplexes, 18 commercial destinations and 115 institutions) in 57 countries.

 

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAXnXos® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

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