As you can see they are about the size of a small lime with a skin of a similar texture. To eat one, simply slice it in half and scoop out the sour & sweet fruit. There are little cavities that hold the seeds in a jelly-like substance which is super-sweet. This is surrounded by a firmer flesh that is a little bit gritty, like a pear can be, and it has a bit of a sour taste. The combination of the two is a really unique taste and I’ve become a big fan of it quickly.   

Feijoas are available at Giant Eagle supermarkets, so considering picking a few up your next time in. I bet it won’t be the last time you do.

Full disclosure: I did receive 4 of these guys, so I could describe their delicious flavor to you.

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37 days is longer than I thought it would take to lose 20 pounds, but it’s still pretty good as far as I’m concerned. That being said, I’ve still got another 116 pounds I want to lose to reach my goal of 200 pounds.

As far as the diet part goes, I’ve been doing good sticking to the low carb lifestyle. Prior to Monday I hadn’t lost any weight in almost two weeks and that was really demoralizing. I tried switching up everything to see if something could get me over the plateau, but nothing worked.

Then I read on one of the low carber forums that you can trick your body into increasing your metabolism by eating some carbs for a few days. This past weekend, out of desperation, I gave it a shot. On Saturday night I had some fried chicken and a small amount of mashed potatoes, then on Sunday I had a few pieces of pizza and a cupcake. I felt like complete shit for those two days, both mentally and physically, but it was worth it. Got on that scale Monday morning and I was down 2 pounds and it’s a been a pound or so every day since.

Die fat! Die!

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So I really haven’t lost any weight for 7 days or so, which completely sucks. I appear to be doing everything right:

• Eating within the low carb diet plan
• Walking 2 miles at lunch every day
• Snacking sensibly
• Drinking a crapload of water

Yet, I am still not losing the weight. That being said, I appear to be losing weight. My clothes are fitting better, my belt is now on it’s first hole and I just look a bit thinner. I can see veins I haven’t seen in a while, feel bones I didn’t remember were there. So generally, it’s looking good, I just need to start seeing it on the scale.

I’m confident that I will though.

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Rice, Risotto , Lentils, Black Beans, Platanos (Plantaines, Yuca, a variety of fish (Salmon, Talapia, Shark), Avocado, Onions, Tomatoes.

Pretty much everything my hubbie and I have for dinner, is what she eats.  Even if she doesn’t quite like it the first time, I always have her try it again.

For those of you who are reading, here’s my advise to you when it comes to young children and food.

• The first initial “yuck” look on a babies face is normally just the reaction of something new, which is why a second round is always a good idea!
• If you child ask’s “Do I like this?”, always say yes.  When you tell a child they don’t like something they will automatically engrave in their mind just that.
• Even if it’s something you don’t like, or wouldn’t normally eat, let your child try it.  You might find that their taste buds are much different than yours.

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1. Learn from the Pros: One of the neat things about Twitter, is that you can follow anyone using the service. (Ok, some people have their updates blocked, but they are few and far between.) By following professional chefs, food writers and food bloggers you can find a lot of useful information about cooking and ingredients.

2. Find a good Restaurant: You’re followers are a great resource, so use them.  Ask your followers where you should eat, you’ll be sure to get a number of recommendations.

3. Get Food Deals: As Twitter has grown in popularity there are now tons of restaurants, both national chains and local mom and pop’s, with Twitter accounts.  Many of these restaurants use Twitter as a marketing tool offering discounts, coupons and even freebies to their followers. @Calaspizza is a great example of this locally.

4. Find local favorites when out of town: Going out of town?  Want to know where the locals eat?  Start following some of the locals using services like Nearby Tweets or use twitter search to cross reference the name of the city with words like “eat” and “food”.  You’ll have list in no time.

5. Find recipes that work: Looking for a good recipe?  Twitter search allows you to find out realtime if recipes are winners or losers, so you can pick the good ones from the start.

That’s what I’ve got.  How do you use Twitter to fill your tummy?

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Here’s a link I found that has a nice long list and descriptions of flowers that can be eaten.  It’s on about.com, the Edible Flower Chart.  

Let me list a few examples of flowers that are edible are: Basil, Chamomile, Carnations, Chrysanthemum, Dandelion, Fuschia, Jasmine, Marigold, Rose, Sage, Squash Blossoms… Also the site gave a few tips on what do and not do with the edible flowers, which I’ve listed below.

Edible Flower Tips:
• Place a colorful gladiolus or hibiscus flower (remove the stamen and pistil) in a clear glass bowl and fill with your favorite dip.
• Sprinkle edible flowers in your green salads for a splash of color and taste.
• Freeze whole small flowers into ice rings or cubes for a pretty addition to punches and other beverages.
• Use in flavored oils, vinaigrettes, jellies, and marinades.
• One of the most popular uses is candied or crystalized flowers, used to decorate cakesand fine candies.
• Asthmatics or others who suffer allergic reactions to composite-type flowers (calendula, chicory, chrysanthemum, daisy, English daisy, and marigold) should be on alert for possible allergic reaction.
• Never use non-edible flowers as a garnish. You must assume that if guests find a flower on a plate of food, they will think it edible.
• Use flowers sparingly in your recipes, particularly if you are not accustomed to eating them. Too much of a pretty thing can lead to digestive problems

Do you have any recipes that include edible flowers?  Have they been a big hit at a family get together, a fancy dinner party, just a regular old family dinner?

Photo:  HarlanH

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What you need:
1 container of chicken livers or 1 tray of beef livers (your choice, but they really taste same)
1 small yellow onion
soy sauce
cumin
salt
pepper
minced garlic

How to prepare:
1. Place the liver in a container.  Add the following  1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of cumin, 4 minced garlic cloves and mix so the liver is covered with the spices.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Let this sit in the fridge for about 1 hour to marinate.

2. While the liver is marinating in the fridge, take the yellow onion and cut it into little/thin slices.  I normally cut the onion in half and then slice it really thin. 

3.  Take the liver out of the fridge and place in a skillet.  The burner needs to be set on high heat.  Make sure you add a little bit of oil to the skillet.  Let the liver sear for about 5-7 minutes.  Make sure you stir it so it doesn’t burn or stick to your skillet.  Once the liver is seared, add the sliced onion and lower the burner to low heat.  You will need to cover the skillet now.  Let the liver & onions simmer for about 10 minutes. 

4. Serve the liver & onions over plain white or brown rice.  and.. Enjoy!

Photo: mhaithaca

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