Tips Guides

When dieting it’s easy to get bored. One great way to spice up your meals is to fill in some of your small meals with diet shakes.

I’m not talking about those boring pre-canned diet shakes. I’m talking about making your very own fresh diet shake, filled with vitamins, nutrients, and protein! Follow these simple steps and you will quickly be enjoying a tasty diet shake.

Get A Good Blender

Any old blender will do, but if you are going to be making a lot of diet shakes there are some elements that are handy to have in a blender.

A good motor. You are going to be chopping up frozen fruit and ice. You need to have a good motor on your blender. A stir top is great to have. This makes it easy to move your contents around in the blender without chopping your spoon to pieces.

Add your base

What you choose for a base completely depends on you. You can choose between milk, yogurt, soy milk, even cottage cheese. There are also smoothie bases you can buy online. These will provide you extra flavor and you can even find some that are organic.

Add your flavor

Your flavor can consist of just about anything. You can use fruit, peanut butter, even avocado. The big decision here comes in choosing what you like and what flavors you want in your diet shake.

You also have to decide whether you will use fresh or frozen at this stage. The difference between using fresh or frozen fruit is the difference between the consistency of your shake. If you use frozen fruit you will find your shake can take on the appearance and texture of frozen yogurt. If you add some ice you can even make it almost as solid as sorbet. This can be a nice change when you are dieting and can’t eat ice cream. You can make your diet shakes thick enough and eat them with a spoon. This is a nice treat.

Add your protein

Protein can get boring while you are dieting. If you buy a variety of flavors of protein you will have plenty of options and ways to make a diverse selection of flavors of diet shakes.

You can easily find protein in chocolate and vanilla. There are companies that produce protein in fruit flavor as well. This makes a nice addition to a fruit smoothie. It will add extra fruit flavor as well as protein to your diet shake.

Serve and Enjoy

Once you have all of your ingredients in the blender cover the top and then blend. You want to blend the ingredients until it is smooth.

Depending on whether you used frozen fruits and ice you can pour your diet shake into a glass, or spoon it out into a bowl. Diet shakes are best served immediately. So take a minute and enjoy your diet shake.

As you can see it isn’t difficult to make diet shakes. You have a wide range of flavors and ingredients to choose from. You can add diet shakes to your diet to add variety and flavor. You can also make them thick and use them as a treat or desert. Diet shakes are a delicious way to get your daily requirement of protein, fruits and dairy.

Stop by my Squidoo lens for more information on how to make diet shakes and great diet shake recipes.

Being on a diet can be very boring. You quickly get bored of baked chicken. Spice up your diet with healthy diet shakes.

If you are on a diet, or looking for a pre or post workout meal think about diet shakes. A diet shake can be one of your 4 to 6 small meals during the day. It can be a great meal before a workout for energy. It can also work great to get protein in your body after your workout to help your muscles repair themselves. If you don’t know how to make a diet shake follow along and learn just how easy and tasty it is.

What Goes Into Great Diet Shakes

Great diet shakes consist of only a few things. You need a base, some flavor and some protein. You can get these in a variety of ways. We will go over each of these three elements.

The base

The base of a diet shake can consist of a few different things and it depends on your taste and how many calories you want in your shake.

You can use yogurt, milk or even shake base. Each of these will give you a delicious diet shake and a different calorie count.

You can get the lowest calories by using skim milk as your base. If you are looking for a higher calorie count use whole milk or yogurt. You will find your diet shakes are more creamy when you use yogurt. You can also add some extra flavor by using flavored yogurt as your base.

Flavor

There is an almost infinite way to flavor your diet shakes. You can use fruits, melon, peanut butter, even avacodo. It sounds strange but it will ad a lovely creaminess to your shake as well as a lot of good fats and nutrients. You can keep testing things out, find out what flavors you enjoy together.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to diet shake flavors. It really is what you like. That’s one great thing about them, you get to make exactly what you like, and because you have so many options you never get bored.

Protein

Protein is one of the most important elements to make a really healthy diet shake. Protein can be such a boring aspect to dieting. Who hasn’t gotten bored of eating baked chicken over and over again.

Protein whey comes in a variety of flavors, and none of them are chicken. You can get your much needed protein in flavors like chocolate and vanilla. If you enjoy fruit smoothies you may want to find a fruit flavored protein powder. You will find it gives your diet shakes even more fruit flavor making them that much more delicious.

There you have it, the three things you need to make an excellent diet shake. Just remember that no matter what diet shakes are completely up to you. You get to decide on the flavor, how much protein to use, and how much fruit, and calories.

This level of flexibility is what makes them a great addition to any diet. No matter if you are trying to get more protein, or a lot of produce you can choose the ingredients that fit into your diet plan.

Learn how to make diet shakes and find diet shake recipes, including one for avacado.

Considered by many to be one of the premier nightlife spots in the country, Austin, Texas boasts a high-energy bar scene and entertainment district, and the moniker, “The Live Music Capital of the World.” In addition to the literally hundreds of bars, clubs and restaurants that make up Austin’s downtown, a newer type of establishment is quickly growing in popularity among locals and tourists alike: the wine bar. The twenty-something University of Texas at Austin crowd can keep 6th Street and it’s rowdy, raucous bars and dance clubs; Austin’s older, more sophisticated set has found a posh and cozy new home in Austin’s burgeoning wine bar scene. Let’s take a closer look at three of the most popular spots for fans of the fermented grape.

1.Cork & Company
Cork & Co.’s fun, flirty atmosphere makes it one of Austin’s most popular casual wine bars. With its low-key vibe and emphasis on making wine fun, Cork & Co. consistently serves up a good time. Patrons enjoy wine appreciation classes (think “Pottery, Paint & Prosecco”), great happy hour specials, a wide selection of wines for sale by the flight, glass, or bottle, and even lively trivia games. Located at 308 Congress Ave., Cork & Co. is uniquely situated in the heart of downtown, close to restaurants, clubs, and a great view of the capital.

2.Cru Wine Bar
Self described as “an exciting destination to experience and explore the fascinating world of wine,” Cru offers Austin’s wine aficionados more than 300 wines to choose from, with a selection of more than a dozen unique wine flights daily. Cru’s welcoming, yet sophisticated atmosphere make it a great option for any personality, and its two convenient locations (with one downtown, at 238 West 2nd Street, and another at North Austin’s trendy Domain shopping center) make it one of the more accessible wine bars in Austin. In addition to an extensive array of wines, Cru’s patrons can enjoy a delectable, Mediterranean inspired menu of starters and entrees (including steamed mussels, seared ahi tuna and stone-fired pizzas), or can simply snack on one of their deliciously creative cheese flights.

3.Taste
The newest edition to Austin’s sommelier scene, Taste (officially called Taste Select Wines) offers a unique spin on the traditional wine bar concept. Offering a full (though brief and often changing) menu, Taste combines delicious culinary treats (the roast Texas quail is a true delicacy, and the cheese plate is creative, decadent and delicious) with exquisite wines and an extremely knowledgeable (and yet surprisingly unpretentious) staff. Perhaps the best thing about Taste (located downtown at 202 West Cesar Chavez St.) is the self-serve section. Wine aficionados on the go can sample one of the dozens of wines Taste offers literally on tap. Simply hand over your credit card upon entering the bar, and you’ll receive a key card that provides access to a wealth of different wines from across the globe for you to swipe and sample at your leisure. Just hand the key card over when you’re done, and the staff will tally your drinks and charge you accordingly. But sampler beware, this is a deliciously easy way to blow your budget!

Working in Austin Texas Ki helps people interested in the Austin real estate market. He provides a search of the Austin MLS along with updated statistics on his Austin real estate blog.

Red-Red is a popular dish from Ghana made from cowpeas (black-eyed peas). It is thought to have been named for the combination of red pepper and red palm oil that is used in the cooking process. The Red-Red cowpeas stew is usually served with fried plantains, and is a lunch favorite in Ghana, particularly among office workers. If you are “unbeanz,” (i.e. unemployed) you can survive on this meal easily because the ingredients are inexpensive. This is most commonly served with fried ripe plantain (popularly known as “koko”). It is an ideal choice for vegetarians and vegans.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups dried cowpeas (black eyed peas) or similar
1 cup red palm oil (or vegetable oil)
1-2 onions, thinly sliced
2-3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
Cayenne pepper or red pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
Several ripe or near-ripe plantains
1-2 bouillon cubes
(Optional) Small piece of smoked or dried fish
(Optional) One spoonful of shrimp powder

Step #1

Clean the black-eyed peas in water in a large pot. Soak them in water for at least an hour or overnight. After soaking them, rub them together between your hands to remove the skins. Rinse to wash away the skins and any other debris. Drain them in a colander. If you are using smoked or dried fish: remove the bones and skin, rinse and soak them in water, then dry them. If you are using dried shrimp: grind the shrimp (or obtain already ground or powdered shrimp).

Step #2
Place the black-eyed peas in a large pot, fill the pot with enough water to just cover the peas. Bring to a slow boil; reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender; thirty minutes to an hour. When cooked, the peas should be moist, but not standing in water.

Step #3
While the peas are cooking: Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the onions until slightly browned, then add the tomatoes, and fish and dried shrimp (if desired). Mash and stir the mixture to form a sauce.

Step #4
Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the black-eyed peas. Add bouillon cubes (if you are not using fish or shrimp). Simmer for ten minutes. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne or red pepper to taste.

Step #5
While peas and sauce is simmering: Prepare fried plantains.

Step #6
Serve peas and plantains side by side on a plate.

How to Prepare Fried Plantains:

Step #1
Peel and thinly slice the plantains lengthwise.

Step #2
Fill a skillet with 1 inch of Canola or vegetable oil. Preheat the skillet until hot, but not smoking.

Step #3
Fry the plantains until they a nice golden brown color, and then flip to the other side. This should take about 2 or 3 minutes in total, but let your eyes be the judge.

Step #4
Remove the plantains from the skillet and place on paper towels to drain the excess oil, then season with salt and pepper. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

How to Prepare Boiled Plantains:

Drop unpeeled plantains in boiling water. Cook for 15-20 minutes until a test plantain is tender when pierced with a fork. Peel before serving.

Note: Because of the amount of agricultural chemicals used in fruit cultivation, we suggest a good soap and hot-water scrub before boiling plantains. If you prefer, you may peel them before boiling.

A History of the Cowpea:

The cowpea is indigenous to Africa and contributes immensely to the diets of the under-privileged. It used to be called the “poor man’s meat”. However, improvement in the storage and processing techniques of cowpeas has changed this perception. Cowpeas are now accepted, as food in the homes of the rich, the informed, the salaried worker and all those who can afford it. The cowpea is rich in protein and B-vitamins.

Wayne Kiltz is the founder and owner of Africa Imports.
You can find more African recipes at http://africaimports.com/africanrecipes.asp

You can find many other articles on African art, culture, African fashions, and also African business opportunities. Just go to www.africaimports.com

If you’re ever in a bar fight in Ibiza and someone tries to smash a beer bottle to threaten you, the end result might not be as bad as you think.

When the bottle makes impact, instead of it being a deadly weapon, it will stay intact. A Lancashire police officer has recently introduced a new type of beverage container that is practically unbreakable and unbeatably practical.

Sgt. Richard Hurt presented the unbreakable glasses to the Club Health 2008 conference in Ibiza, an annual international conference on nightlife safety issues. He explained how the police and the alcohol industry can work together to reduce violent crime using the technology. Representatives from many countries around the globe were impressed by Lancashire’s finest. In particular, Australia, Sweden and Ireland were interested in the unbreakable drink holders and offered some of their own nightlife safety ideas at the conference.

Made of polycarbonate, the new glass comes in nearly every shape and size that a pub or club uses, but they can’t be broken and used as a weapon. This has already drastically reduced the number of glass-related crimes in Lancashire. They have also prevented many glass-related accidents, which is also a serious problem in bars.

Even long-stemmed wine glasses and beer bottles have been made from the polycarbonate material. The unbreakable glasses look and feel like traditional glasses, though they are a bit lighter. They also keep beverages colder for a longer period of time, which keeps patrons happy when they’re playing darts and have to leave their drink alone for a little while.

Sgt. Hurt was invited by Club Health because of the decrease in violent crime and accidents in Lancashire. Though the trip was a success, it didn’t come without criticism. Many in England criticized the use of funds to send an officer on a three day trip to the party capital of the world. Though he was there on business, Hurt sampled the local restaurants and was taken to San Antonio to have a private view of the Ibiza sunset.

He also was treated to a night at Privilege, considered the world’s largest nightclub. A government official in a neighbouring community pointed out that ten percent less crimes are being solved in Lancashire and there are thirty percent less officers on the beat. Other critics called the trip a ‘jolly’ - or in other words a trip motivated by leisure, saying that anyone wanting the expertise of British police should come to Britain, not the other way around. Many taxpayers and officials point to over-stretched funds as an argument against the validity of the trip.

Whether the trip was a good use of public funds or not is debatable, but it’s certain that both Ibiza and Lancashire will benefit from the information transaction. By using polycarbonate glasses, Ibiza can help ensure the safety of its inhabitants and guests. Especially in Ibiza, an island full of sun and heat, where tempers flare because of alcohol and climate, unbreakable beer, wine and liquor glasses keep partygoers safe. The youthful party capital of the world is trailblazing innovations in public safety.

For holiday information about Ibiza including for new visitors an Ibiza map visit youribiza.net

As well as hotels they include for those looking for a holiday on the island Ibiza villas

Held every spring, the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is a celebration of the rapidly expanding food and wine culture to be found in Central Texas. This 501(c)4 non-profit organization was founded in 1986, and their annual festivals have become one of the hottest tickets in town. Held over a four-day span, and featuring a multitude of events scattered throughout the greater Austin area, this festival highlights the cutting edge chefs, writers, food and wine producers who have elevated Texas into the culinary firmament.

The festival is concentrated in some of downtown Austin’s most revered establishments, from the posh haute cuisine of the Four Seasons, to Austin’s own Spanish tapas restaurant, Malaga. The events radiate out from this locus, including other Austin institutions such as Central Market, and spreading out into the Hill Country wineries including Fall Creek, Becker and Spicewood. The festival culminates in an all-day fair, often held in San Gabriel Park near Georgetown.

The events run the gamut from the frenetic heated battles of Iron Chef-style competitions, to Hill Country luncheons held amid the spring wildflowers at one of the participating wineries. Film and food are combined in events held at the Alamo Drafthouse, and music and food are combined in events such as Uncorked and Acoustic, featuring some of the finest talent Austin has to offer playing acoustically while participants enjoy food prepared by Austin’s finest food talents. Bat cruises, reserve tastings, winemaker dinners and much more round out the weekend’s offerings.

The premier event is the festival’s Grand Tasting. Fittingly known as Stars Across Texas, the celebrated chefs featured here are from the hottest restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, the Hill Country and beyond all bring their best to this unique event. The chefs and winemakers circulate throughout the event, giving participants the change to mingle and speak with these artisans in a unique milieu. With more restaurants, chefs, chocolatiers, pastry chefs, viticulturists and winemakers present than at any other event, this is truly the crown jewel of the festival.

The Sunday Fair is a less structured, more family-oriented event during which participants can sip and sample their way through a myriad of tents. Vendors include wineries, food artisans and restaurants from Texas and beyond, all proffering their specialties. Renowned chefs provide cooking demonstrations, discussion and panels are held on different food and wine-oriented topics, and since it is Austin, after all, you can count on some of the best live music from some of Austin’s favorite musicians.

Throughout the four days of the festival, over thirty individual events are held, highlighting the products of more than one hundred restaurants, and at least sixty wineries. Although most speakers and presenters are Texan, guests are invited from other parts of the country, and the world, to illuminate Texas’ impact on food and wine across the globe. The Festival is a affiliated with the prestigious James Beard Foundation, the Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN program, the Texas Restaurant Association and the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.

Ki lives in Austin Texas and enjoys the Austin music scene. He runs a guide to Austin Texas real estate. To search for a house you can use his search of the Austin MLS or read about the market on his blog about Austin real estate.