[Quick post] Remember, remember the 9th of December...

Quick post (I promise I'll update tomorrow and I'll answer all your sweetie comments) just for saying that yes, the 9th of December is gone. I'm 28 now, I feel weird not for my birthday, but also for personal things... but anyway, I'm happy and glad about this, so... I had a Hello Kitty cake, I'll write about it tomorrow, promise!

Image for wehearit

Thank you for being so cool. All of you, who inspires me and keep me here, blogging for you.

I love you.

Shameless self-promotion

December 9

New York’s a great city on so many levels, and it’s romantic, too. So get ready this Valentine’s Day weekend for a big food writers' conference at the Roger Smith Hotel. I'll be on two panels, one on food writing in magazines, and one on food writing in blogs and such.
The conference web site says those panels are running concurrently, so I’m not exactly sure how that will work, but conference organizer Andy Smith is a very capable man. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.

A thumbs up kinda day!

The treadmill has arrived! It took 2 guys, 2 hours, and a lot of patience…but it is together, operating, and ready for miles or fun. I was up at 5:30 this morning and got in 1 mile before needing to start my day. Any other morning when puppy isn’t going to camp, I’ll have plenty of time for at least 3, if not 4 or 5 miles. Needless to say, I have a steamy date (#2 for the day!) with Mr. T after work. I’m excited! Here’s what the hottie tottie looks like…

After my brief (but good!) run this morning, I was craving something cold and nutritious. So what better than a fresh fruit smoothie!? I threw in: frozen pears, peaches, bananas, pineapple, papaya, mango, kiwi, strawberries, and apple along with V8 Fusion Light (got some veggies in there, technically!), 100% apple cider, and fat-free milk. 

Blend and enjoy! My morning creation even got my stubborn husband eating breakfast.

I am just beginning the book Food, Inc. So far, so wonderful! I feel like I am learning a lot (more to come, I assure you!). An interesting article caught my eye in the 

ADA Daily News – Organic vs. Non-Organic.

Did you know that in order for an organic food manufacturer to receive USDA certified organic recognition, the farmer must sell more than $5,000 a year in organic foods? Otherwise, they are exempt from obtaining USDA organic certification.

Organic Facts:

-         While evidence is not conclusive, there appears to be no added nutritional benefit found in organic fruits and vegetables when compared to their non-organic counterparts.

-         Due to organic produce availability, organic foods may be sitting longer before getting shipped, or may be shipped for long periods of time. Organic produce may also sit longer before being sold due to the inflated cost associated with organic foods.

-         Most experts agree that the amount of pesticides found on non-organic fruits and vegetables poses very little health risk.

-         Organic farming aims to protect the environment in ways that conventional farming does not.

-         Organic produce costs more due to the more expensive farming practices, tighter government regulations, and lower crop yields. Organic farming practices include more labor-intensive methods of controlling weeds and pests, as well as more expensive herbicides or pesticides.

-         Seeking out local farmers can help guide you to organic produce and support of sustainable farming practices and your local communities

-         Nearly everyone could improve their health by eating more fruits and vegetables, organic or not.

On a lighter note…today was my holiday cookie taste testing at work. Surprise, surprise…more people than ever signed up to taste – 16, in fact! Considering there’s only 35 in the office, that’s a huge success!

Here’s the set-up! Notice the “Taste Testers Only” sign. Lots of employees get into the goodies on taste test days. I know free food is great, but I’m holding strong to my $1 request from participants. Money doesn’t grow on trees, ya know!? And until RD’s getting a major pay raise, I’ll be needing those dollars!

 (I wanted to know their favorite cookie!)

Biggest Loser Finale

I avoided Blogland last night as I didn't get to finish the last 20 minutes of BL til this morning. While I am happy Danny won (yay Oklahoma!), I am slightly perturbed at a 239-pound (239, right?) weight-loss in SEVEN MONTHS. I don't know, that's just completely...not right. From the bottom of my heart, I hope the contestants have instilled healthful eating and exercise habits that will last them a lifetime.

Did anyone else think Allison Sweeny looked healthy and...stunning?

Question: What’s your absolutely favorite kind of cookie?

 

P.S. Check out Steph Chow's Cookie Exchange! I'm in!

love isn't hard to get, but hard to understand, love the day!

Hey guys and gals, how are you? How was your day?

Are you feel happy like i feel today?

I wanna tell you my day.

Selasa, 8 Desember 2009. (kemaren)

Jiffest. Jiffest 2009.

Blitz, Grand Indonesia, ramai dan padat siang dia Selasa itu. Begitu masuk dengan bingung dan tergesa-gesa mengingat waktu sudah menunjukkan pukul 15.00 WIB, terlihat banyak pasukan berbaju hijau. Bingung. Tau persis, itu adalah baju Body Shop TAC, yang gue juga punya, gue panic, "ngg ga ada pemberitahuan pake baju ijo kan?"

Yup yup yup, it's my big day! MY BIG BIG BIG DAY!

Premiere 10 nominasi grand final Think-Act Change 2009.

Dan filmku salah satunya, enggak lupa dong kehebohan aku membuat film itu, hingga blogku sempet mampir diurutan kedua bloggan 2009 prambors :D

hahaha.

Yup, malam yang indah. Diantara 10 nominasi, hanya satu team yang membagikan pamflet, hanya satu team yang dandan cantik-cantik. Hanya satu team yang heboh sekali. Hanya team gue, gue ditha dan mia. The powerpuff girls.

Alhamdulillah sambutan untuk filmnya baik, dan semoga kalian mau membantu voting dengan visit : www.thebodyshop-film.com vote untuk "LOVE then LEAVE" film yang aku buat. We need support from all of you, please.

Dan di jiffest, setelah keluar dari studioa, berasa jadi artis. hahaha.

thanks for coming, buat yang sudah datang.

Rabu, 9 Desember 2009.

Hari ini....

Hari yang gue tunggu-tunggu..

Pulang sekolah nyeplokin Adryan, dan ada yang jadian :):):):) *lirik adya*

Dengan paksaan terhadap pihak cewek untuk ngomong yang membuahkan kesia-siaan, akhirnya menyerang si pihak cowok agar ngiming duluan, dan berhasil. Yipppiey!

LOVE THIS DAY, so much much much!

Pulangnya ngobrol sama mamanya Adya bareng Puspita, nice.

Menyenangkan.

Cuma gue heran sama diri gue, sama gue dan teman-teman gue.

Gue, kita, gue dan Puspita khususnya, bisa berkata sangat bijak dan tepat kepada orang lain, tapi pada diri sendiri nihil.

Gue juga menemukan, setiap rasa sakit, sedih, kesusahan yang gue hadapi hanyalah kunci membuka gerbang kebahagiaan kecil lain yang semakin membuat hidup gue berarti.

Thanks for Adryan, Adya, Puspita, Dimol, vina, santa, uza, dini. thanks juga buat mamanya Adya.

Thanks buat 12 ips 2.

Anyway, gue merasa sirik sama Adya, haha.

Gue menyimpulkan, Love isn't hard to get, but hard to understand, huh.

Baiklaaaah, semoga saja gue dan puspita seberuntung mereka. amin.

EH IYA, ini salah satu bukti kemampuan dan kualitas DEKAPE (DEKAP) agen biro jodoh ampuh Dimas Ketty Puspita. hahahahaha

Pork and Pineapple Stew with Garlic and Sage Roast Potatoes

Pineapple is of course very popular served with gammon steak but the fact is that it goes equally well with pork. This simple, one pot stew is delicious and very warming on a cold Winter's night and should adequately serve two people.

Ingredients

3/4lb diced leg of pork
2 pineapple rings (each cut in to 6 segments)
1 small onion (quartered)
1 pint of fresh chicken stock
2 large potatoes (peeled and chopped)
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
Pinch of dried sage
Salt and pepper
Corn oil

Method

Begin browning the pork in a dry pot over a gentle heat. You are only looking to seal the meat at this stage and constant stirring should prevent sticking. When the meat is browned, add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer gently for half an hour.

When the pork has been simmering for about twenty-five minutes, put the chopped potatoes in to boiling, salted water and reduce to a gentle simmer. Put a deep baking tray - the base liberally covered with corn oil - in to the oven and the oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Add the pineapple and onion to the pork and bring back to a simmer.

After fifteen minutes, the oven should be heated. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain them well. Return them to the empty pot and shake the pot carefully to fluff up the outsides. This will help them to crisp up in the oven. Add them to the hot tray and again shake carefully to ensure even coating in the corn oil.

When the potatoes have been in the oven for around twenty minutes, add the crushed garlic and dried sage to a large bowl. Remove the potatoes from the oven and carefully tip them in to the bowl. Stir carefully but well to coat them in the garlic and sage before returning them to the tray and the oven for another couple of minutes only.

Useful Associated Links

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Pork Fillets with Pineapple

Spiced Pineapple Pork Recipe

Ken Hom's Pork with Pineapple Recipe

Cuban Pork with Pineapple Recipe

Christmas Gift of the Day - Wednesday, December 9th, 2009: How to Cook Everything

It is quite an audacious claim to entitle a book, "How to Cook Everything." How can anyone possibly write and publish such a book? What Mark Bittman has done in this superb publication, however, is probably as close as anyone could ever come to fulfilling this task.

In the pages of this book, Mark Bittman focuses on simplicity in cooking. He looks at using the healthiest, fresh ingredients and how to blend them together in simple yet tasty ways. The instructions which he provides for preparing these mouth-watering concoctions are straightforward and easy to follow and he does not use any complex techniques or advanced culinary equipment. This truly is the novice's guide as to, "How to Cook Everything."

Why not treat the aspiring chef in your life to this magnificent collection of over two thousand recipes this Christmas and give them many years' pleasure, browsing the recipes and trying them out for themselves, to the delight of their friends and families? Click on the Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk panel below for further information or to make a purchase.