Kosher News

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including specialty ice cube trays, sushi and a wine cooler.

Oneida: Oneida Professional 5 Piece Bakeware Set. Reduced from $40 to $19.99. This 5 Piece Bakeware Set features a premium non-stick coating and professional gauge construction that promotes even heating. This set has the essential items that every chef needs to create stellar desserts and delectables. Set Includes: 9″ x 13″ Cake Pan, 2- 9″ Round Pan, 12 Cup Muffin Pan, and a 10″ x 15″ Medium Cookie Sheet.

Deal Genius: 4 Ice Tube Making Trays for Bottles – 4 Colors. Reduced from $16 to $7.99 PLUS Free Shipping. Deal Ends Midnight tonight EST. Ever try fitting a square peg in a round hole? How about trying to fit an ice cube into a round water bottle opening? Not going to happen… until now! Ice Tubes are designed to fit into round bottles. Each 2pc tray features 10 cylindrical ice tube cavities. Just pour water into the lower half like any normal ice tray, place the upper half on top, then place the complete tray right into the freezer. When the ice is frozen, just pop out a tube, drop it into a water bottle and enjoy! Ice tubes are perfect for sports drinks, bottled sodas, water bottles, and more. With this pack of 4 trays, you’ll have a total of 40 tubes! PLEASE NOTE: You will receive randomly selected colors. Add a healthy dose of tubular icy awesomeness to your favorite beverage. Get your set of 4 Ice Tube Trays today!

Macys: Cuisinart DLC-8S Food Processor, 11-Cup Pro Custom. $179.99. Cuisinart is known for power, quality and convenience. This size processor will take you from soup to soufflé with ease. Exclusive cover with a large feed tube and unique compact chopping/baking cover. Industrial-quality motor. Comes with stainless steel discs and blade, bonus thin slicing disc, dough blade, 2 covers, recipe collection and how-to video.

Jewpon: Delicious Deal! Only $15 for $30 Worth of Amazing Japanese Dishes at the Brand-New Sushi Moto!!! There’s no shortage of kosher restaurants in Brooklyn, but after a while, they all start to seem the same. That’s why you’ll absolutely love the brand-new Sushi Moto – it’s a head above the rest! Sushi Moto is an elegant, full-service kosher Japanese restaurant. With more than 100 varieties of sushi, you’ll want to come back again and again. Did we mention the beautifully presented hot and cold appetizers, salads, soups, and entrees? Whether you’re looking for a light snack or a full meal, you can find it at Sushi Moto. At Sushi Moto, you’ll also experience excellent service and nice touches like a hot towel at the start of your meal. The upscale ambience makes this the perfect spot for a nice dinner with friends or family or a romantic evening out with your spouse.

Groupon: $129 for a Whynter 16-Bottle Wine Cooler ($210 Value).The thermoelectric technology of the 16-bottle Whynter SNO cooler keeps temperatures constant while minimizing disruptive vibrations. The silent chiller’s silver-trimmed glass door elegantly reveals four equally spaced racks, which can be swiftly and easily removed to accommodate vertical storage. To ensure consistent cooling, a blue-light LCD display shows internal temperatures ranging from 52 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooler also features a cylinder lock to keep wine out of the hands of children.

For the longest time Brazilian coffee was considered boring and plain. It was the kind of coffee that was used for instant coffee or for regular mass market blends that didn’t promise too much in the way of flavor or taste. “It was common knowledge that Brazilian coffee was just garbage,” said Danny O’Neill, a specialty wholesale coffee roaster in Kansas City, Mo.

No longer. Brazilian coffee is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Brazil is one of the largest exporters of coffee – they produce up to a third of the world’s coffee beans.

Brazilian beans are sweet, nutty and full bodied but fare much better taste-wise when lightly roasted – not the dark roast that is popular at Starbucks and similar coffee houses. This because the beans are grown at lower altitudes and are therefore less dense that the beans grown at higher altitudes.

The beans do have different tastes and qualities depending on which region they are grown, but they are traditionally  low acid – this allows the sweetness of the bean to come through – perfect for espressos.

“Specialty coffee always looked down on Brazil from the ’70s forward, because it was low grown. Typically really fine coffees grow at over 4,000 feet in altitude, and Brazil’s grow at 3,000 to 4,000 feet,” said George Howell, a coffee roaster with a history in the specialty industry. Mr. Howell was responsible for sparking a change in Brazilian coffee’s reputation when he started the Cup of Excellence contest in 1999. About 40 Brazilian coffee bean farmers put samples before a panel of judges who selected the ten best and put them up for Internet auction.

What is your favorite blend of coffee? Do you know the difference between a light roast and a dark roast? Let us know in the comments below.

Read about coffee’s ability to help you reduce your risk of diabetes.

Click for coffee recipes.

Source:

Wall Street Journal 

As we count down to Purim my Facebook and Twitter streams are all about Mishloach Manot themes. Some people go all out and some go the easy way. Whichever way you go, M&M Designs can customize their delicious goodies to your specific theme or send a stunning basket to whoever you wish to treat.

Last week M&M Designs shipped me a beautiful Purim package – the one you see pictured up top. Every single item within this package – chocolates, truffles, brownies and one HUGE sugar cookie – was part of the same theme – the masquerade mask. Each item was individually wrapped in gold or purple. It is obvious that care and attention is taken of every single detail.

The brownies were the first to disappear. Delicious – and so pretty that it seemed a shame to eat them. Each individual brownie square was frosted with hard icing, upon which was printed Happy Purim with edible ink. There were triangular hamantaschen-shaped chocolates, and chocolate masks, tiny little bar chocolates, and round truffles.

The beauty of these goodies is that not only do they look really pretty, they actually taste good too! The brownies were perfectly chocolatey and not too cakey – still fresh even though it took us a few days to open the package. All chocolates and cookies are non-dairy and the entire inventory is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union.

M&M Designs also do custom designs for barmitzvahs, weddings, upsherins and every occasion in between. Check out their website and facebook page. Tell them JoyofKosher sent you!

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including a cookbook, wineglasses and cookware.

Houseware Deals: Pfaltzgraff® 8 Piece Red Velvet Cupcake Mug and Plate Set for 4. Reduced from $86 to $25! Deal ends Midnight tonight EST. This Pfaltzgraff 8 Piece Red Velvet Cupcake Mug and Plate Set looks good enough to eat, but the real treats are the sweets you’ll serve, from the cocoa and coffee in the mugs to the cakes and cookies on the plates. These adorable ceramic cupcake-shaped mugs with lids and coordinating plates feature matching designs. Set includes 4 each of: 12 ounce cupcake-shaped mugs with lids and 7-1/8 inch plates. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

Jdeal: $20 for the Kosher Elegance Cookbook by Efrat Libfroind from Feldheim Publishers, including shipping (usually $40). Forget the chopped liver and chulent from your Bubbe’s Shabbat table. Kosher food has gone haute couture. If you want to live (and eat!) on the cutting edge of kosher cuisine, buy this deal for $20 and get the Kosher Elegance Cookbook, (usually $40,) brought to you by Feldheim Publishers. Here are the backstage tips and tricks from famed chef, Efrat Libfroind, that will turn any amateur into a master overnight! From soups to salads, drinks to desserts, and the medley of mains, there’s nothing humdrum about these recipes. Each features a unique twist and presentation, with easy-to-follow instructions for replicating every eye-popping dish. Full-color professional photographs, humorous, personal anecdotes, and a fresh, unique layout set this book above and apart. And, shockingly, these stunning recipes hold a wondrous secret: they’re deceptively simple to prepare! Buy this deal, and see for yourself the magic of this delicious book.

Woot: Core Bamboo Flower Bowl & Servers. $12.99. Flower Bowl: The decorative style of these 100% organically grown, handmade bamboo bowls and servers creates a wonderful piece of functional art. Perfect for salads, pastas or your favorite snacks. The colorful exterior is glazed with natural lacquer derived from cashew nut trees creating a beautiful contrast to the natural grain of the bamboo. Ideal for both hot and cold foods. Not recommended for microwave or dishwasher use. This collection is available is variety of colors to suit your entertaining style. Servers: The grainy finish on these servers displays the artisan’s skilled craftsmanship. Made with premium, hand selected bamboo. 100% organically grown bamboo. Paired with the Flower Bowl for a coordinated look. Clean with warm soapy water or a damp cloth. 100% Food Safe and FDA approved.

Amazon: Cuisinart GG-12 GreenGourmet Eco-Friendly Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Piece Cookware Set. Reduced from $570 to $204. Get everything you need to cook up delicious, healthy meals for your family with this 12-piece set of Cuisinart Green Gourmet Hard Anodized Cookware. Cuisnart’s new energy-efficient and Cermica nonstick surface more than just reduces your carbon footprint–this nonstick coating also allows for easy food release and the ability to use less fat while cooking as well as for use in the oven for browning. This 12-piece set includes an 8-inch skillet, 10-inch deep fry with cover, 1.5-quart saucepan with cover, 2.5-quart saucepan with cover, 3-quart everyday pan with cover, 6-quart Dutch Oven with cover, and a steamer insert that fits the 2.5-quart saucepan. The pans deliver superior heat conductivity, requiring less energy to achieve the desired cooking temperature. Harder than stainless steel, the skillet’s hard anodized exterior is dense, nonporous, and highly wear-resistant for extra durability and professional performance as well as quick and even heat distribution. Additionally, the securely riveted stay-cool steel handles are manufactured using 70 percent recycled stainless steel and is oven-safe to 500 degrees F, so food can be browned on the stovetop then transferred to the oven to finish cooking.

Mikasa: Echo Gold Set of 4 Wine Glasses. MSRP $130 Now $29.99!! Symmetrical gold bands elegantly encircle the graceful bowl of the Echo Gold wine glass. The sophisticated styling is perfect for formal dining, yet simple enough for casual meals. Set includes 4 wine glasses; each holds 15 ounces and is 11-1/2 inches high. Hand wash with warm water and a mild detergent; rinse and dry immediately.

Michelle Obama visited Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas last week, where she met with a top military health official.  They announced that there would be positive nutritional changes to the menus at all the military bases across the USA to try to counteract growing obesity in the military.

These changes will mean more choices of more fresh fruits and vegetables, more lean meats and whole grains for the soldiers and their families. These changes extend also to vending machines , snack bars and restaurants on posts throughout the nation. Additionally, this program aims to teach the military children about eating healthy and keeping fit – a continuation of Mrs Obama’s campaign to counter child obesity and educate children about healthy choices.

Our servicemen need to be in the best shape possible as they defend our country. Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, stated that 30% of potential recruits are too overweight to meet military standards, and 1200 entry level candidates are rejected annually because they are not fit enough to join.  An article in the Navy Times quotes the following figures: 20% of Active Duty and National Guard soldiers, 40 -49, are obese, and more than 40% of military retirees of the same age have been diagnosed as obese.

A soldier who is overweight will end up costing the military financially as there is increased healthcare need to deal with weight-related issues.

Mrs Obama said last week: “When our service members make healthy eating a priority in their lives, the rest of us are more likely to make it a priority in our lives,” she said. “Simply put, this is America’s entire military once again stepping forward to lead by example.”

Sources:

Food Safety News 

Navy Times 

What is slow food? It’s the healthy and ecologically friendly alternative to fast food. Slow food is food grown locally, it’s organic, and nutritionally sound.

Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment.

A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how personal food choices affect the rest of the world. It was also established to counter the frenetic pace of modern life – to encourage us to slow down in every sphere.

Slow Food USA founder Josh Viertel wishes that American Society would return to eating together at the table, and having three square meals a day. Society has become used to eating on the run – not many people take the time to sit down and eat properly and healthfully – not just chow down on fast food because it’s convenient. (Kosher fast food may be convenient, but it certainly isn’t cheap). I know that I sit down and eat dinner with the kids almost every night – but there are some nights when we are just too busy. Thinking about sitting down three times a day to eat with family or with my spouse, well, it just seems too complicated.

We need to be better informed about where our food is grown, and even how it is grown – does the farmer use pesticides or is the food totally pesticide free? The Slow Food organization believes we should care that our food is grown locally, and support the local farmers and the local economy.

Is there a farmers’ market nearby? Have you checked out the produce? Does it seem visually more appealing that the produce that you find at your local supermarket? Talk to the farmers there, find out more about how they grow their crops. Try and make healthier choices at mealtimes – I know that I plan to do so.

Source:
Huffington Post

This week was a busy one – we watched the Superbowl and celebrated Tu B’Shvat and brought you a lot of new recipes and content. Here are our favorite JoK posts from this week, and our top picks from around the web!

I wrote about the fun day I had baking bread.

Tamar had fun learning to use her new pasta maker.

Ronnie Fein brought us a great fish dinner for a low cost.

Did you know that chocolate actually has some health benefits? Tamar explains.

Our Favorites from Around The Web:

These chocolate icebox cookies look so pretty – I like the fact that you can prepare the dough and keep it frozen until you are ready to bake the cookies.

This warm vegetable curry is the perfect vegetarian meal for a week night – add in some tofu, or leave out the yogurt and add in chicken.

Bump up the flavor of your regular oatmeal with dates and nuts.

These deep fried treats are filled with nutella – a taste of heaven. I plan on bookmarking this recipe and using it next Chanukah – if I can wait that long.

Nothing quite like a warm thick lentil soup on a cold winter’s night – and this one is perfect to make in your slow cooker.

Featured image referes to our Interview with the authors of the Best of Mexican Kosher Cooking and their Drunken Chicken.

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including a fondue pot, indoor grill and slow cooker.

Walmart: GE 0.75 cu ft Toaster and Convection Oven, Black/Chrome. Only $49.88. The GE 0.75 cu ft Toaster and Convection Oven is great for fast, even cooking with no hot spots. The rotisserie feature is great for chickens and small hens. The oven is designed to fit a 12-inch pizza for easy cooking.

Sears: Koolatron Chocolatiere Melting Pot. Reduced from $29.99 to $19.99. A great way to have chocolate fondue with friends and family at home. Chocolate hardens as soon as removed from heat so our Chocolatiere is electric to keep your chocolate hot and softly melted while you enjoy your fruits, pretzels or desserts. Molds included to make homemade chocolate candies.

Le Creuset: Heart Casserole. $170.00. Free Shipping in February. The Heart Casserole combines the performance and quality of cooking in Le Creuset enameled cast iron with a fun and appealing shape ideal for gift-giving and decoration. Whether it’s a Valentine’s Day gift or a surprise anniversary dinner, the Heart Casserole is a special way to celebrate any romantic occasion. Its functional 2-quart capacity allows for preparing a variety of recipes, while its heart-shaped lid still seals in heat and moisture like all Le Creuset enameled cast iron ovens.

Buy.com: Sanyo Indoor Barbecue Grill. Reduced from $49.99 to $35.99 plus FREE shipping .Enjoy the taste of food cooked on the grill all year long with this indoor barbeque grill. The HPS-SG2 features a large 120-square-inch cooking surface with a nonstick coating for searing foods just like on an outdoor grill. Removable drip pan below and adjustable thermostat control makes this grill perfect for indoor cooking.

Overstock: Hamilton Beach 33256 5-quart Portable Oval Slow Cooker. Reduced from $49.99 to $27.00. Make a variety of delicious dishes with this five-quart slow cooker from Hamilton Beach. This slow cooker has a lid latch strap for secure travel, a keep warm setting to prevent overcooking and dishwasher-safe stoneware and lid and has capacity for a 4.5-pound chicken or two 2-pound roasts.

When my mom joined Weight Watchers, I remember her flaunting the “new rule” she learned: to put your fork down between every bite. This way, you take more time between bites and will perhaps get fuller faster. Of course, I pounced on this nugget of wisdom. However, it didn’t even take two full meals before I began to neglect my new diet mantra.

Jeff Gordinier addresses this concept of stopping between bites in his article “Mindful Eating as Food for Thought,” in the New York Times this week. As its name implies, stopping between mouthfuls of food is more than just a diet trick, as my mother had taught me to believe; it is a form of meditation. The act of putting down your utensils to focus on the taste, texture, temperature (wow that’s a lot of t’s), and consistency of a food, and truly relishing each bite, will make you appreciate what you have on your plate so much more.

While it seems like it might be easy to say, “Hey, I eat lunch by myself every day—I just won’t text this time,” it is even easier to get bored and forget the purpose of what you are doing. The fact is that food is so accessible to many of us, and we are often too busy to think about something as mundane, primal, and ordinary as eating. However, the truth is that the consumption of food is what sustains our bodies and enables us to go from one meal to the next. Eating is such a glorious occasion, and most of us are passive for the whole process!

Though Gordinier refers mostly to Buddhist teachings, I remember learning about mindful eating in a Kabbalah class I took. The act of slowing down when you eat and focusing just on your food goes along with the Jewish principle to tame your desires and enjoy simple pleasures. Appreciating the food that God provided you with is more than just making a blessing on your food (not that this isn’t incredible, as it is). It is about thinking where the food came from, what work went into producing it, why you are thankful for it, and just how wonderful the food tastes. How does it make you feel? What sensations do you derive from your repast?

Many people have the custom of having aSeder on Tu B’shvat—a ritual construct that enables its participants to feel connected to the nature of the holiday, which is to celebrate and appreciate trees, and fruits, vegetables, and nuts along with them. I have a friend who did meditations similar to those outlined in God in Your Body, a book by Jay Michaelson. Thinking about her food in connection with her soul awakened a spiritual force in her that she thought she had lost. But Tu B’shvat and mindful eating helped her find it.

I highly recommend Gordinier’s entire article. It is well-written, enlightening, and inspiring, and artfully depicts how constructive mindful eating can be for an individual. Although consuming less food will likely be an effect of doing this exercise, he explains that even having a few mindful sips of tea (if you don’t have a half hour for a mindful meal) can do wonders for your appreciation. As he eloquently states, this “could be the remedy for a fast-paced Paula Deen Nation in which an endless parade of new diets never seems to slow a stampede toward obesity.”

Source: New York Times and God in Your Body

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including cookware, a frying basket and a grill pan.

Jewpon: Get Ready for Purim & Pesach!! Only $30 for $50 Worth of Delicious, Quality Wine at OnlineKosherWine.com!!! What do Purim and Pesach have in common? Wine. Lots and lots of wine. Oh yeah, and also the fact that they’ll both be here before you know it. Whether you’re hosting a Purim seudah or going to one as a guest, you’ll need some wine. Don’t get just any bottle from the grocery store. Buy something truly special, something that tops all others. Choose a bottle from OnlineKosherWine.com! And while you’re making your order, think ahead to Pesach. Each person at your table will be drinking four cups of the stuff, so you’d better make it good! OnlineKosherWine.com is the place to find delicious wine of every variety. With more than 600 wines from 15 regions — and prices to fit all budgets — you’re sure to find exactly what you need. Take advantage of this 40% discount to stock up on wine for all those upcoming occasions!

13deals.com: Nordic Ware Eleven inch Grill Pan. Reduced from $32.99 to $15.99. A great way to grill steaks, vegetables and more in the comfort of home. Convenient – use it right on the kitchen stove. Durable non-stick surface for easy cleanup. Aluminized steel for rapid heating. Grill grooves allow fat to drip away from the food, and creates beautiful lines on the food.

Meijer: Chef Buddy Stainless Steel Steam and Fry Basket. Reduced from $18.99 to $11.99 plus free shipping. Deal Ends at Midnight Tonight EST. The instant and flexible essential kitchen helper! The Chef Buddy Steam and Fry Basket folds and flips to transform into the go-to kitchen tool that performs a multitude of functions. Steam, fry, wash, and strain with this one-of-a-kind tool that does it all.

Pfaltzgraff: Cuisine de France® 12 Piece Steak Knife Set. This Cuisine de France 12 Piece Steak Knife Set is the perfect complement to any dinnerware or flatware set. Each blade is expertly crafted from high-carbon stainless steel for strength and durability. Their razor-sharp edges slice through steak and chops with ease. The ergonomically designed handles provide a comfortable grip, and are perfectly weighted for optimum balance and control. Set includes 12 steak knives. Hand wash with warm water and a mild detergent; rinse and dry immediately.

Sur la table: Sur La Table® Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-Piece Set. Was $249.95 now $149.96! This essential, professional-quality set features brushed satin finish, ultra-durable Dupont Autograph nonstick surface, riveted cast stainless-steel handles and tempered-glass lids that let you monitor food as it cooks without losing heat, moisture or nutrients. Twice as hard as stainless steel, our hard-anodized aluminum cookware heats quickly and evenly, with the most advanced three-coat nonstick surface available, for effortless release and easy cleanup every time. Ergonomic, cast stainless-steel handles stay cool during use. Set includes 1½- and 3-qt. covered saucepans, 3-qt. saute pan and 8-qt. stockpot with shared lid, steamer insert and 8″ and 10″ open skillets. Oven safe to 400°F. Hand wash. Limited lifetime warranty.

Walmart is planning to tag its own house brand with an extra symbol – it will be green and white and read “Great for You”. This symbol will depict a person with outstretched arms. The wording echoes Walmart’s own house brand called “Great Value”.

With this latest step Wal-mart continues its campaign started in January 2011 to help promote healthier eating and fight childhood obesity. However this icon will impart no extra nutritional information – it is just there to help the consumer make informed choices. Walmart says this seal will be affixed only to products low in fat (less than 35% of the total calories), sugar (no more than 25% of total calories) and artificial additives. Only 20-25% of Walmart’s products will carry the symbol.

From Walmart’s web site: “Items with the “Great For You” icon must meet rigorous nutrition criteria informed by the latest nutrition science and authoritative guidance from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Institute of Medicine (IOM). Developed in consultation with food and nutrition experts from the public and private sectors, as well as leading health organizations, the icon represents a collaborative and transparent effort to develop a trusted and reliable system for consumers.”

This seal will also appear near the displays of fresh fruits and vegetables, and on some of Walmart’s Marketside brand too.

Walmart has set up a website www.walmartgreatforyou.com which explains the criteria for a food to have this icon on its packaging. It also gives you access to a list of their products that carry the “Great for You” seal.

How important is this for you? Will this seal influence your choices when food shopping at Walmart? Should other food markets follow suit?

Read our article on Supermarkets Hire Professionals to Provide a Nutrition Score to Groceries.

Source:

Herald News 

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including a multi-cooker, flatware and a turkey roasting pan.

Macys: Bella 13540 Brownie Maker. Reduced from $39.99 to $7.99!! Simply delight in dessert. The perfect brownie is yours in only a matter of minutes-just pour the batter, insert the divider and watch as this master of desserts bakes your goodies faster than a traditional oven. The easy-to-use design includes a nonstick baking plate for fast cleanup.

Mikasa: Continental Bead 78 Piece Flatware Set, Service for 12. MSRP $190.00 now $79.99! This Wallace 78 Piece Continental Bead Flatware Set is crafted from premium 18/0 stainless steel to deliver outstanding beauty and performance. The handle of each piece features a subtle, bead design trim that adds a sophisticated elegance to your table setting. 78 piece set, service for 12, includes: 12 dinner forks, 12 salad forks, 12 dinner spoons, 24 teaspoons, 12 dinner knives, plus one serving tablespoon, one pierced tablespoon, one cold meat fork, one pie server, one sugar spoon, and one butter knife. Dishwasher safe.

1saleaday: Rachael Ray 10-Piece Cookware Set With Porcelain Enamel Non-Stick Surface and Aluminum Construction! Reduced from $249.99 to $89.99! Deal Ends Midnight Tonight EST! Stay-cool handles keep your hands from getting too hot when you’re preparing a meal with Rachael Ray’s Cookware Set. Constructed from aluminum, the cookware delivers excellent heat conduction and corrosion resistance. An orange enamel finish adds a touch of bright color to your pots and pans and assures even heat distribution. Tempered glass lids feature silicone grip handles and are see-thru, letting you check on your food without lifting them. Oven safe to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll be able to start cooking on the stove and transfer your dish to the oven for completion. The 10-piece cookware set includes pots, pans and skillets for all of your cooking needs.

Williams Sonoma: Cuisinart Multicooker. MSRP $365 Now $199.95. There’s no substitute for browning meats or sautéing vegetables prior to slow-cooking to achieve the right flavor and texture. Now there’s no need to use your stovetop or dirty a skillet for browning or sautéing—this countertop unit browns, sautes, roasts, steams and slow-cooks all in one pot. Slow cook on high, low, simmer or warm for up to 24 hours. Four fully programmable cooking functions include Slow Cook, Roast, Brown/Sauté and Steam. Temperature can be set as high as 500°F. Automatic “keep warm” function ensures food is hot and ready to serve. Set to steam for up to 90 minutes.

Chefs Catalog: Tri-Ply Roasting Pan. Was $200 now $99.95! Perfect for roasting the holiday turkey, this mirror-finished roaster cooks up tender and delicious racks of lamb, chicken, vegetables and more. Heavy-gauge construction of 18/10 stainless steel with a solid aluminum core in the base ensures superior heat conduction. Ergonomic handles are steel-riveted for comfort and durability. Includes a rack.

A survey, part of a report published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, says that 50 percent of our school children have access to unhealthy snacks at school, via vending machines or snack bars.  This study began in 2006 – two years after the Child Nutrition and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Reauthorization Act went into effect. Part of this Act mandates that each school with a lunch program must promote healthy eating and physical exercise.

Interestingly, the study showed that there was higher access to salty and sweet snacks in southern regions that in the Midwest and western US. But these students also had access to healthy foods too – salads, vegetables and fruits.

Obesity amongst children remains high – 17% for children between the ages of 2 and 19 (according to 2007/2008 statistics).

The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, signed into law in 2010, gives the USDA power to set the standards for what foods should be sold in schools. The USDA is soon to release the guidelines for the coming year.  The hope is that these guidelines will focus on portion size and fat content and aid the schools in making the right nutritional choices for their students. If children are taught healthy eating habits while young, it can change the course of their lives.

Researchers will continue to study the accessibility of healthy versus non healthy snack options in school, and the effect that new policies and new USDA guidelines have on this availability. Let’s hope that the obesity statistics for children drop soon.

Click for low fat recipes.

Source:

The Indy Channel 

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including a coffee maker, ceramic knives and a Ninja Blender.

Housewares Deals: M by Mikasa® 8 Piece Red and White Wine Glass Set. Reduced from $144 to $49! Deal Ends Midnight Tonight EST. This Mikasa M 8 Piece Red and White Wine Glass Set is a stunningly sophisticated stemware collection. Each piece is injected with magnesium, which results in glasses resistant to breakage, scuffs and scratches. These stylish glasses are perfect for either the novice wine drinker or the connoisseur. Set includes four 14-1/2 ounce chardonnay glasses and four 22 ounce cabernet glasses. Dishwasher safe.

Amazon: Ninja Kitchen System Pulse Blender. Reduced from $129.99 to $79.99. A complete system to inspire and simplify healthy living for your active on the go lifestyle! Ninja Pulse combines the function of many kitchen appliances into one for OPTIMAL performance. Pulsing provides consistent evenly processed & blended ingredients every time. Crush ice into snow, blend delicious drinks, process fresh ingredients evenly, juice whole fruits & vegetables, and knead dough!

Pfaltzgraff: Farberware® 6 Piece Ceramic Knife Set with Cutting Board. Save $21.07 off MSRP. This Farberware 6 Piece Ceramic Knife Set with Cutting Board equips your kitchen with crucial cutlery accessories. The ceramic Santoku knife, paring knife and Euro peeler will retain their cutting edges and will not rust, stain, or oxidize. Each has a soft grip handle for comfort, and the sheaths protect the blades of the knives when not in use. The polypropylene cutting board features nonslip accents and is reversible to double a chef’s workspace. 6 piece set includes: 5 inch Santoku knife with sheath, 3 inch paring knife with sheath, Euro peeler, and 8×10 inch cutting board. Santoku knife, paring knife and peeler are dishwasher safe, top rack only. Cutting board is dishwasher safe.

Groupon: $29 for an NFL Original ProToast ($39.99 Value). The NFL Original ProToast emblazons team logos across the face of fans’ favorite starchy sustenance. The ProToast’s twin slots sear team loyalty onto multiple slices of bread, and its adjustable settings ensure grains with no team spirit also toast to perfection.

Walmart: Keurig Elite B40 Gourmet Single-Cup Home Brewing System. $119.00. The Keurig Elite B40 Single Cup Coffee Maker is every coffee lover’s dream come true. Featuring two serving sizes, the Keurig B40 Brewer provides more options with less fuss. This convenient single cup coffee maker has a removable 48-ounce reservoir, providing you with hot water on deck at all times. It’s perfect for those mornings when you’re in a hurry. The gourmet single-cup brewing system has Keurig’s signature single button descale indicator light and plastic drip tray. Just pop in a single-serve K-Cup of your favorite blend, choose your size, and brew. You can enjoy a fresh brewed cup of coffee every morning with this amazing coffee maker. This versatile home brewing system provides a fast and easy cup with no mess and no fuss. This elite coffee maker has an easy programmable on and off feature. The Keurig coffee maker includes a 12 count K-Cup variety pack.

When Michelle Obama decided to plant a garden on the South Lawn of the White House it was part of her campaign of getting children to eat healthier. Mrs. Obama is trying to get children to eat healthier and she is certainly showing the way by planting a huge vegetable garden in the White House. She’s called this campaign “Let’s Move”. This campaign pushes for healthier school lunches, easier access to healthy foods, and aims to get children more involved in physical activity.

Presidential Chef Cristeta Comerford uses the produce from the White House garden in her cooking, and gears her menus towards seasonal foods. The garden isn’t just a small little vegetable patch. There are several “hoop houses” – similar to greenhouses – that allow many vegetables to be grown year round, making use of the sun’s rays even in the deepest of winter.

Comerford admits that today’s menus are definitely different from the dishes she served as chef forPresidents Clinton and George W Bush. Home grown vegetables are just as much of a main part of the meal as the protein.

The Obama’s daughters are being brought up understanding the health benefits of fresh vegetables. The first lady has noted that her daughter Sasha recently started eating tomatoes, a food she’d long ignored, due to an introduction in a school cooking class.

Mrs. Obama recently encouraged Jay Leno to eat healthy, making him let go of a long held aversion to healthy foods. She fed him apples, sweet potato fries and a very healthy vegetable pizza. Leno had previously claimed to have not eaten an apple since 1984 or a vegetable since 1969.

What are the measures being taken at your children’s schools to provide healthier meals? What do you do at home to encourage healthful eating?

Sources:

Kansas.com

Khou.com