Getting Crafty with KD--Period 5

And the results from Period 5:

Teriyaki Kraft

with ham and cheese

Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Lasagne

Mac 'n Broc

Layered Mac and Cheese

casserole

layered casserole

stuffed in a chicken breast and baked

Getting Crafty with KD--Period 4

The assignment? Take a box of Macaroni and Cheese and make something exciting out of it. After all, this will be a staple for many students when they first move out on their own. Here are the results:


Manly Man-wiches of Manliness



casserole

Salad

 Pesto Macaroni

SS Kraft 

casserole

with olives and peppers

cold salad

with penne pasta

Yes we Canape

as a filling for turnovers

part of a pizza

pasta in minestrone and cheese sauce on vegetables

Let's Go To Paris

                       As Paris is commonly known around the world as being a huge tourist attraction, the expectations are greatly increased and Paris did not disappoint. On my visit there, my family and I took on the challenge of climbing the Eiffel Tower. The beauty of the tower is obvious from the outside, however what lies between the 3 floors is amazing. 

                        The climb ended quickly and after getting on the elevator, we slowly made our way up to the second floor. Located on this floor was one of the nicest restaurants I have ever see. Le Jules Verne is beautifully decorated to fit the vibe of the Paris life and the food, mon dieu, incroyable! From great service to even greater french cuisine, Le Jules Verne is a perfect fit to a remarkable landmark. The menu matching the decor was impeccable. From pasta to lobster and a variety of deserts, the food was delicious. As for price, being located inside a tourist attraction, the prices were a bit higher however   my dad gladly took care of the bill, so of course I decided to go straight for the lobster. 

An experience of a lifetime for sure, I highly recommend trying Le Jules Verne if you ever visit Paris. Along side this wonderful restaurant, the first floor also has a restaurant and the third floor holds a bar. The Eiffel Tower has beauty on the outside and now turned itself into a work of art on the inside.




http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/
http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/

behind the window

During the summer, I worked at a summer camp. We got about 120 kids a week, plus staff, and had to cook 3 meals a day for them. We also had an awesome reputation for the food we served. For the whole summer, I did not work in the kitchen. I would work hard and anticipate a delicious meal on the table. All I had to do was scooping it on my plate and enjoy! I never truly appreciated all the hard work that went into my meals. During a weekend camp, I was put in the kitchen. I gained a new appreciation for all the hard work that went into making my food, as well as what went into it. Some of the equipment in the kitchen was very different than the small utensils I was used to using. The coolest thing was probably the dishwasher. It took about 30 seconds to wash a whole load of dishes. The dish pit got so hot though! On one side, someone would be raising the dishes and scrubbing any that were really dirty, and then loading them into the trays to be put through the dishwasher. Then the other person would push down the top and turn it on. When the clean dishes came out, they were so hot that no one could touch them!

10 Reasons to Stop Eating Wheat!! This includes cereal, pasta, bread or anything that says “wheat” on the label!

And yes, even the 100% whole grain, 20% of your daily fiber, 100% natural wheat.

1. ACNE! Wheat is associated with acne and also other problems like eczema and rosacea. If you suffer of chronic acne, cystic acne or any kind of acne, it definitely could be due to wheat in your diet!
2. HEADACHES! The American academy of neurology has linked consumption of wheat to severe headaches. So if you are constantly suffering from severe headaches and/or migraines, it would be a good idea to try and see if eliminating wheat from your diet will help.
3. ALL OF IT IS JUNK! For the most part, anything with wheat in it is processed to the hundredth degree. This includes things like cereal, bread and pasta, which are usually filled with other junk and not just wheat. It’s things like artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Foods like whole wheat bread actually are dyed brown and foods like cereals are sweetened with artificial flavors, all kinds of sugars and addictive chemicals. So it’s best to just avoid wheat all together so that you don’t eat all the other junk that comes with it.
4. ACCELERATES AGING! Wheat does this by disrupting cell adhesion molecule 1. Now stay with me, I know that might sound complicated, but all cell adhesion molecule 1 does is it plays a major role in tissue regeneration and getting rid of white blood cells that have toxins in them. White blood cells are responsible for getting pathogens out of your body and inflammation. We have to unload the bad white blood cells because if we don’t, the blood becomes toxic. Now without cell adhesion molecule 1 we can’t get rid of those cells and rebuild new tissue which can excel the aging process.
5. DISRUPTS DIGESTION! Wheat can cause irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and bloating. Unfortunately when eating wheat, it can depredate the little villi in your small intestine. The villi are responsible for nutrient absorption. When you eat gluten (wheat) it covers and shortens the villi.
6. IT’S ADDICTIVE! Wheat increases your hunger and craving for it. Have you ever noticed how when you stop eating bread and cereal, you’re hungry for it all the time? This is because you’re probably addicted to it! The reason it can be addictive is because the gluten polypeptides cross the blood brain barrier and act very similarly in the brain as opioids do. Opioids, like heroin, are so addictive. So the fact that wheat acts in the brain like opioids, such as heroin, tells us why it can be so difficult for some people to stop eating wheat.
7. YOU MIGHT BE INTOLERANT! One in every hundred people has an intolerance to wheat.
8. IT’S PRO-INFLAMMATORY! There are chemical messengers in your body called cytokines. There are pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines. When you eat wheat your immune system increases production of pro-inflammatory cytokines which is very bad!
9. IT’S BAD FOR YOUR BRAIN! Wheat can inhibit serotonin production which is a vital neurotransmitter which plays a big role in your mood, your appetite and your overall well-being. So if you’re feeling depressed, lethargic or always hungry you should try eliminating wheat from your diet. Another way wheat can affect your brain is by increasing Glutamic and Aspartic acid which are two amino acids that are liked to Alzheimer’s and ADHD as well as some other mental conditions.
10. BAD FOR FAT LOSS! Wheat contains Amylopectin-A which is converted to blood sugar faster than any other form of sugar! So your insulin levels are through the roof for hours on end and when they finally come down you are going to be starving again and craving wheat! Another way wheat hinders your weight loss goals is by binding to your Leptin receptors in your hypothalamus. For those of you that don’t know, Leptin is a hormone that tells your body when it feels full. So without enough Leptin you will always feel hungry and you’re going to turn to food and binge all the time.

Now most of you probably think I'm nuts, but try cutting back or eliminating wheat from your diet for a couple weeks and you could be amazed at some of the differences it makes! For a video with additional information click here!

Eating In Paradise

In the summer, my sisters and I took a seven day, all inclusive trip to the beautiful city of  Cancún, Mexico. We stayed at the Fiesta Americana Condesa resort. During our visit, we dinned at many restaurants, but the restaurant that was my favourite was Restaurante Kambu. It was located beside the pool of the resort and overlooked the shore. This restaurant not only had amazing food but they also had impeccable service. The menu included diverse favourites from around the world. Their food varied from seafood to pasta to rice and had delicious desserts. It was a buffet during the day and a classy restaurant by night. 

For lunch, my favourite order was the fish tacos. It consisted of fried fish inside a soft tortilla shell filled with lettuce and delicious, tangy tarter sauce. Every bite of this taco was delicious and filling, but it made me want more. There were also the shrimp tacos, which consisted of the same fillings but with shrimp instead of fish. Both of these tacos made me want to stay there even longer.        

For dinner, we had one of the restaurants most favourite dish, the lobster tail. At first, I was hesitant to try the this entrée because lobster is not one of my favourites, but after this meal, I was completely satisfied! The lobster tail was grilled with different vegetables: including green and red peppers, onions and celery. It was perfectly seasoned and served in a very appealing way which made me want to eat it even more.     

This restaurant has an amazing appeal with made us go back everyday. Having every delicious meal with a beautiful beach front view topped of this magnificent restaurant. Anybody want to take me back? 

White Spot!

Going to White Spot on International Women's Day is a tradition in my household and so just as we did the years before, we once again went to White Spot.  This tradition makes International Women's Day one of my favourite days of the year because to me White Spot serves some of the best burgers I have ever tasted, and since burgers are my favourite food I would never in a hundred years pass up the chance to go there and indulge in some of their legendary burgers.


When we got there we only had to wait around five to ten minutes to be seated, which was nice since in the past there has been a couple times where the wait has been far longer.  When I sat down I picked up the menu and quickly flipped to the burger section (to be honest i've never actually looked at the rest of the menu) and decided on ordering the double double (as shown above) with bacon and a caesar salad instead of fries.  The food was made pretty quickly, which was nice since I don't like to wait for my food and as always the service was great.  White Spot is definitely my favourite restaurant and I would recommend that any burger lover should stop by and taste one of there delicious burgers.  Overall I would give White Spot a 4/5.