Rockstar Juiced Review

This is it, my new favorite energy drink. It tastes like a fruit juice with no traceable Rockstar aftertaste. It is not as sweet as the Rockstar Punched, which makes it even easier to drink and enjoy. The label says it is supposed to taste like mango, orange and passion fruit, but all I really detect is the overpowering taste of mango with some citrus hints. I cannot really taste the passionfruit, but that doesn't ruin the overall experience. The label also states 50% of the drink is 50% juice, which I doubt a little because beverages that contain a lot of juice usually cost more than $2.50 CAD per can. Even if the 50% juice content is not all that true, I would still buy this again as it tastes excellent.

The energy content is the same as all the other Rockstar drinks - 160 mg per can. It pepped me up enough and maintained that high for several hours.

Scores:
Cost - 8.5/10
Taste - 9.1/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 25.1/30...it's good

London BAR King - 'The Tattershall Castle'

As I sit here writing this post the sun is shinning, and in doing so it is also showing up my 'dirty looking' apartment windows.' On reflection I don't remember having seen my window cleaner for a good two months now, maybe more!
He is always banging on your door if you owe him a few quid, which doesn't bother me surprisingly, as he is quite a character and a betting man too.
He often gives me a horse to back which is a dead cert, although as everyone who enjoys a flutter knows - there is in fact no such thing.
However he bets big boys dosh and he wouldn't give you a donkey to back unless he had heard a whisper for it from someone on the inside.

The seasonal good weather means only two things to many. Firstly, the gyms are packed with once a year male members trying to lose their man-boobs, before they dare to unveil there shiny white torsos for the first time in six months, along with that group of fitness obsessed middle-aged women, who have been going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week forever, in the feint hope that once more this Summer they can get away with wearing a belt for a skirt and a crop top to expose their belly piercing!
Grow old gracefully I say, and that's coming from my goodself, a once upon a time gym fanatic and qualified fitness instructor.

What is it with women that when you ask them what social activities they enjoy the 'gym' is always in the top three, with the other two being swimming and pilates!

The 'gym' was once upon a time a home from home for men, where they could go to effectively preserve their masculinity and lift some weights in between chatting to other guys of the same ilk about 'man' things.

Secondly the tanning salons are empty as people try to achieve the 'real deal' even in April.

But in my world good weather means the opportunity to enjoy a bevy outdoors in the sunshine, be it in a beer garden or your own garden.
In my eyes take the opportunity now....who knows when we will see any good weather again....tomorrow, in a week, in a month!

Alternatively how about having a glass of something ON The Tattershall Castle.
Moored on the Thames, this refurbished old paddle steamer is a good place to go if your looking for a change of scenery and venue.
Drink up on the deck while the heat of the sun allows, whilst enjoying the panoramic backdrop of the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, then toddle off down below as the sun sets and it starts to cool off.
For those looking for a 'big night in' there is also a night club on board which stays open into the early hours.
Ideally located, 2 minutes walk from Embankment tube station, 5 minutes or so from Charing Cross mainline station, and only a 10-15 minute walk from the boat itself into the West End or Soho.

'The Tattershall Castle' makes for a great meeting place. It's very informal and relaxed, and with the sun on your back, a beer in your hand and the great views of London, it is a must-go venue for an early evening or post-work libation.

Lunch is served!!!

I just thought Id tease you all today since I have the time to play. Im doing laundry. I made those Foccacia yesterday and felt like having some for lunch. Wasnt sure what I wanted to do with them , then I remembered one of my favorite chef lunches. I call them chef lunches because I didnt always have time to eat at work so I could make a plate of bread, cheeses, pates or other meats and fruit and nibble on them while I worked. I liked it so much it became one of my favorite bachelorette type meals too. Since Im no longer single I havent made it in ages. Today I did.

What you see there is a mixture of this yummy Fig Balsamic vinegar I bought up in Napa at Dean & Delucca awhile ago and of course good extra virgin olive oil. Next is a wonderful new cheese I found at the remodeled grocery store here. They are trying to make it more upscale and bring in new things. Its a cabernet wine soaked cheddar thats why it looks purple and its delicious. So since I only have apples in the house right now , I sliced some of those to go with it. Add the Focaccia to dip in the oil mix and its lunch!

*** I must tell you, these Foccacia are incredible with the Fig/oil mix. Heavenly!!

Acai-Blu Red Rain Energy Drink Review

I finally found it, the last of the Red Rain flavours. I got this bad boy at Wal-Mart for $4.97 CAD per 4 pack. Yes, the rumors are true, you can get 4 packs of Red Rain for only $4.97 CAD and 4 packs of Red Bull for $6.97. There are also 4 packs of Guru regilar and sugar free for the same low price of $6.97 for a 4 pack. That is so cheap - $5 for 4 cans. Why the hell am I buying these from the local 7-11 for $2 per can? I should just go to Wal-Mart once per week and get 2-3 packs of these.

I still haven't tasted acai berries so I cannot say for sure if this flavour captures the taste. It does taste a lot like blueberries though, which I assume is why it is called Acai-Blu. The blueberry taste is actually quite nice - not too sweet and a bit on the sour side. There is no obvious trace of artificial flavours eventhough the back label says there are some. This doesn't taste like other fruit energy drinks, it tastes a lot like a regular Red Rain with some of its flavour substituted with the acai-blueberry one. It still has a bit of the acidic Red Rain taste, but not as much, obviously. The aftertaste is pretty good too. It starts off with a blueberry aftertaste, moves onto the regular Red Rain acidic aftertaste and finishes clean all in 2-3 minutes time.

Same energy content - 80 mg. I got a nice boost early in the morning, but I am sure I have to go for seconds in a few hours. Good thing I got a 4 pack of these for $5.

Scores:
Cost - $4.97 CAD per 4
Taste - 8.2/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 14.2/20...I would still buy the regular Red Rain, just because I enjoy the clean taste. This, however, is one of the better fruit energy drinks I have had because of its low sweetness level

Read about the other flavours of Red Rain - regular, cran-orange, mocha, tropical mango.

Grilled Asian Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce

FineCooking.com

Pork...the other white meat!

Servings: Serves four to five

Ingredients:
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 small pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the grill

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, and coriander to make a smooth sauce.

Trim the pork of excess fat; butterfly the tenderloins by splitting each one lengthwise almost but not quite all the way through, so the halves remain attached.

Open each tenderloin like a book, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small skillet. Put the pork tenderloins in the bowl with the marinade and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.

When you're ready to cook the pork...heat a gas grill with burners on high. Clean and oil the grate. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into the bowl (don't discard the marinade).

Grill the tenderloins, covered, turning once, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes total (cut into one to check). Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and add 2 tablespoons water; bring to a boil (*WARNING: This liquid MUST be brought to a boil to kill any bacteria from raw meat juices), reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with 1 or 2 teaspoons water. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce on the side.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried snow peas or vegetable mix.

Original recipe from: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/grilled-asian-pork-tenderloin-peanut-sauce.aspx

Panda Cupcakes for a Kickin' Kung Fu Panda Party

This year we decided to surprise Ryan with a Kung Fu Panda birthday party. He had no idea we were going to do this. We invited a bunch of his friends over for the excitement. Each of the kids were given a foam sword and a balloon. They were asked to keep the balloons off of the ground, and they could only use their swords. It turned into a giant sword fight, but the kids had a blast! After the sword game, each of the kids were able to make an oragami frog. Then they were given a bowl of noodles and chopsticks, where they had to eat the noodles only using the chopsticks. Then they got to eat the yummy panda cupcakes (which were decorated with mini oreos and mini chocolate chips) and ice cream. Party favors were given out in Chinese "Take Out" boxes. What a fun party!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

Xyience Xenergy Orange Fuel Review

It took months for this flavour to make its way across the border, but I waited patiently and always checked the fridges at gas stations, convenience stores and supermarkets. Now that it finally arrived, I couldn't wait to crack it open and drink it.

Taste

I was honestly expecting this to taste like orange soda, but was pleasantly surprised after the first sip. The taste starts off with a mellow, just a touch citric orange taste which quickly turns into a mildly sweet and lightly citrusy tangerine one. The finish is mostly of tangerines with a little orange flavour in the background. The back of the label states that there is mango flavouring, but I personally cannot detect any of it. Being a Xenergy, there is no sugar in this energy drink and its diet taste is surprisingly subtle. Usually diet drinks are dominated by artificial sweeteners, but not this. Having said that, I don't mean that you won't be able to taste the sweeteners, it's just that they are not as dominant, which makes this drink much better tasting than other diet energy drinks.

Energy

Being a black Xenergy, there are 200 mg of caffeine in the can and the effects of the drink start to become apparent within 15-20 minutes. Some jitters were experienced, but that was expected from an energy drink with this much caffeine. Once the jitters died down, the caffeine took full effect and the ride was pretty solid...for about 3-4 hours when I noticed I was starting to run out of steam. I did not experience a crash, but I just felt like riding the caffeine high some more.

Medicinal Ingredients:

• Taurine - 2,000 mg
• Glucuronolactone - 200 mg
• Caffeine - 200 mg
• Guarana - 100 mg
• Panax Ginseng - 100 mg
• Pantothenic acid - 100 mg
• Inostol - 50 mg
• Niacin - 40 mg
• Vitamin B6 - 10 mg
• Vitamin B12 - 20 mcg

Non-medicinal Ingredients: filtered carbonated water, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavour of orange, natural flavour of mango, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, beta carotene.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 CAD for a 473 mL can
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 8.6/10

Overall - 17.1/20...tastes fantastic for a sugar free drink and has a lot of caffeine

Koru Energy Strips Review

I have had and used Koru strips for months now, but never got the chance to review them until today. Where can I start? I like the packaging, but there are only 4 strips and a sticker in each pack. It would have been a little nicer if the strips came in a package like the Listerine strips or the Diablo strips, but they come packed the following way:

Taste

The taste is sweet, minty and refreshing. It does have some bitterness to it, but it is not as bad as the Diablo strips or some bitter-tasting energy shots on the market. Not much else I can say about the taste.

Energy

The strips work pretty good. Though there are only 40 mg of active ingredients per strip, the delivery is quick and a jolt of energy comes in within minutes. The jolt also comes with a very focused feeling, which lasts for about 20-30 minutes. The energy kick does not last very long, but you do have 4 strips per pack for a total of 160 mg of active ingredients. Mine started to wear off within 40-50 minutes, but I just popped another one in my mouth and life was good again.

Ingredients: maltodextrin, hydroxypropylmdethyl cellulose, water, triethyl citrate, sorbitol, flavourings, sweeteners, color.

Scores:

Cost -$3.00 from King of Caffeine

Taste - 6.5/10

Energy - 4/10 to 9/10 depending on the number of strips

Overall - 10.5/20 to 15.5/20...depending on how many you take

Natur-a Strawberry Soy Beverage Review

I was walking through LobLaws today and got the sudden urge to buy a cold milk drink when I walked passed the milk section I have slightly lactose intollerance so I cannot drink regular milk drinks, but soy is ok. Strawberry is what my body was aching for. I got this at only $2.19 for almost a litre...well, it was actually exactly a quart - 946 mL. I guess I could have bought the juice boxes at 9 for $5, but I wanted the big carton.

Dodging traffic and running to my office, I washed my crusty tea mug and poured myself a nice volume of the beverage. For those who haven't had soy beverages, there are two kinds - those that taste like milk beverages and those who don't. I did say I am lactose intollerant, but I have had milk many times before...it just doesn't sit well with me after consumption.

Well, this was one of the good kinds - it carried a pleasant strawberry scent and none of the soy one. Gulping my portion, I noticed it tasted a lot like strawberry milk, just a bit thicker. The aftertaste was not bad as well. I didn't get that bad taste in my mouth minutes after drinking it, a milky, strawberry taste lingered for quite a while. Overall, this is a pretty good and healthy drink that I would purchase again and recommend to others.

Scores:

Cost - 8.5/10

Taste - 8.5/10

Overall - 17/20...would definitely buy this again

PANCAKES!!!!!!!

I always liked going to the International House of Pancakes. When my kids were little and their dad would be on the road, I would take them to have breakfast for dinner. They just thought that was so cool and loved going. They still talk about that today. Now my bf and I like to go once in awhile when I dont feel like cooking. A few months ago tho I tried a different pancake that they make. They are called the Country Griddle Cakes and are made with cream of wheat. They have different texture, sort of chewy and yet light. We went there recently and found out they have a new menu and they are no longer on there! So I went hunting online to find a copycat recipe. I made it today for breakfast with some bacon and YUM it was a success so here it is for you.

IHOP Cream of Wheat Pancakes or Country Griddlecakes
1/ 1/4c. flour
1 1/2c. buttermilk (or make the sour milk version of it)
1/3c. cream of wheat, dry
1 egg
1/3c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Heat a skillet over medium heat. (I used my electric griddle).In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Pour the batter by 1/3c. portions into a pan coated with cooking spray and cook pancakes till brown.
Makes about 10

I didnt have buttermilk here so I made the sour milk equivlent of that and I cut back a bit on the sugar only using 1/4c. instead of 1/3c.

The bf proclaimed them awesome and I have to agree so I guess Ill be making these more often. BTW whenever I make pancakes or french toast I freeze the extras. A quick zap in the microwave and Ive got an instant breakfast. I never toss the leftovers away. I know my dog wishes I would tho . I frequently add vanilla to my pancakes when I make them but today I did them just as you see. I asked the bf if he thinks it needs it and he says they are perfect just like this. Dont mess with perfection!

XL Energy Drink Review

I got this from the local bargain store for only $0.97 CAD. The can is a bit dirty and most of the ones in the fridge were a bit banged up, which leads me to believe that these have been there for quite some time. Who am I to complain, this cost me a $1. All I had to do was get a glass and wipe the top off a bit.

As soon as I popped the tab, the familiar smell of Red Bull hit me. The beverage has the same color too, dark yellow. The only difference so far is the sweeter aroma. Yes, the taste is almost identical to the Red Bull one except that it is sweeter and a bit less sour. The aftertaste is cleaner at first, but sweetness slowly starts building up. I like the taste because I love the Red Bull/Red Rain/Red Rave taste and the price is right too.

I cannot find the caffeine content anywhere on the can, but I am almost positive, it is 80 mg - the same as Red Bull, Red Rain, Red Rave. I drank a can of this at lunch and I was feeling peppy within 10 minutes. The boost only lasted for over an hour, which is a bit sad. I think I am getting too used to energy drinks with much higher amounts of caffeine. I will give this the same rating as Red Rain and Red Rave simply because there are people out there who only need 80 mg of caffeine, or even less.

This is where I have to let you know that when I was looking for the caffeine content, I came across the "Product is certified Kosher." statement on the back of the can.

Scores:
Cost - $0.97, on sale
Taste - 8.1/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 14.1/20...almost a Red Bull clone, except sweeter and with a very low price tag

Summer Salad ~ Cold Pea Salad

The nice weather is here and the BBQ's have started so I thought Id post one of my quick salad recipes. I like this one because its made with frozen peas. You dont cook it, no really, you just thaw them. This way they stay sweet and a bit crunchy. And splurge on Macadamias if you make this. They are so creamy and buttery and just perfect for this salad. I never have any of this salad left when I bring it to parties and picnics.

COLD ENGLISH PEA SALAD

2lbs. frozen peas

1c. sliced water chestnuts

1 bunch watercress, chopped

1/2c. macadamia nuts, chopped

1c. mayonnaise ( I use Best Foods, its Hellman's on the east coast)

1/2c. fat free sour cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, chopped

1/3c. parsley, chopped

3 tb. chopped fresh tarragon ( or 1tb. dried)

Thaw peas in a strainer under running warm water, drain well. These will not be cooked, they really don't need to be. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Chill.

** You could use sugar snap peas added to this for extra texture.

Arizona Black & White Iced Tea Review

I bought another Arizona iced tea import from the US from the local convenience store. I generally buy the Green Tea Iced Tea with Ginseng & Honey because that flavour is sold many places in Canada, so when I saw the Black & White tea variant, I just had to try it and compare.

The black & white tea combination is a rather odd one because black tea is much stronger than white tea. The good folks who make Arizona have, somehow, managed to make both flavours stand out in this beverage. Both the smell and taste are dominated by sweet black tea, but the finish is surprisingly light and tastes more like white tea than black. The iced tea is, of course, sweetened, but not too much. Unlike the Green Tea, the ginseng flavour in this Arizona is lost. The presence of honey is almost lost as well, except in the aftertaste when it comes on top of the white tea taste. I really enjoyed this black & white iced tea beverage and will definitely buy it again in the future.

Scores:
Cost - $1.29 CAD for a 680 mL can
Taste - 8.9/10

Overall - 8.9/10...great iced tea

'Babes Of The Month' - Which Trophy Has 'Championship Babe' Written All Over It!

BaBoom Energy Spray Review

Today I am trying something different, an energy spray I picked up from 7-11 for $4.99. Five dollars sounded like a lot of money but when I checked out the online store on BaBoom's website, I was happy to discover that the price online is $6.99.

Don't let the container fool you, the spray is not as big. The bottle resembles breath sprays only it comes in a screaming red color with a red cap. There is not much else to the spray bottle.

The manufacturer recommends using the energy spray 5 sprays at a time with the bottle containing enough liquid to last 150 sprays. I don't feel like wasting my $5 all at once so I cannot confirm that this number is correct. I will only assume that the actual number falls within the 150 shots. The spray does not taste bad. It tastes like a not so tasty energy shot only that once the liquid reaches the tongue and the throat it does not instantly turn bitter or soapy. Since each set of sprays - 5 burst in total, contain only 1.3 calories, the taste is like a sugar free drink. The label says that the flavour is watermelon/orange but what I tasted mostly was the orange part. There is a faint sweet taste which might resemble that of watermelon, but I cannot say for sure. The aftertaste is nothing impressive and the only good thing I can say about it is that it is not foul, bitter or disgusting in any way. Perhaps for the next flavour release, I would strongly recommend peppermint or spearmint so this energy spray can double as a breath spray.

The label says nothing about the amount of caffeine present in each spray, but I can say that it is not too much since 5 is the suggested number of sprays. With 5 sprays I did get a buzz after only 10 minutes, but I also got an elevated heart rate, which is something I have only gotten after drinking a can of Rage Wrath. The buzz does not last a long time - 40 or so minutes. But when you have 150 shots at your disposal, this isn't much of an issue. I like the quick delivery, but perhaps a bit more caffeine can be added.

Medicinal Ingredients: vitamin B3, vitamin B6, taurine, caffeine.

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: water, glucose, glycerin, artificial flavours, sodium benzoate, propylene glycol, ascorbic acid, saccharin sodium, sodium glycocholate, sodium lauryl sulfate.

Scores:
Cost - $4.99 per spray
Taste - 6/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 12/20...not bad for something so unique

treehugger Premium Organic Orange Juice Review

I went to the local IGA today to see what new and exciting local beverages they have. The last time I was there they were selling bottled water in corn starch bottles. I am not one to buy bottled water, but I just wanted to snatch a bottle and watch it decompose over the next several months. Well guess what, they didn’t have any in stock and I was forced to look for something else. I saw a shelf with a few different kinds of treehugger organic juices. Right away I thought that treehugger started selling organic juices, but the bottle had nothing that can link the juice to the blog. A bit disappointed I decided to buy it out of curiosity. It costs $2.99 CAD and for that much you can easily buy a whole carton of orange juice…and for an extra $1-$2 you can have a whole carton of delicious Tropicana.

Well I cannot taste anything spectacular. It tastes like a plain Minute Maid orange juice to me. Taste-wise it cannot even compare to Tropicana. The back of the label does state that this is nothing more than concentrated organic orange juice with some water. I wouldn’t say the orange juice is completely disappointing, just not worth the $2.99 CAD. It doesn’t taste bad, it just doesn’t taste as good as Tropicana. I really don’t care if it is organic or not, all I care about is the taste. I am not sure if it is the manufacturer who sells the juice to IGA for that much or if it is IGA who raise the price. If you know anything about this let me know. For now, I say it is too expensive for what it is.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 CAD
Taste - 7.0/10...I like orange juice, but this is just average

Overall 7.0/10...nothing you are missing out on

DIET is a four-letter word!

Since this is the first post of the New Year it came to mind that most people reading this have either started a diet, contemplating a diet or are wanting to watch what they eat. The word DIET is a nasty four-letter word in my opinion as the diet industry has become big business with low rates of success. If you have dieted, lost weight AND kept it off then congratulations! To the rest of the 95% of us that gained back the weight...or more weight than we lost - never fear, there is hope. I'll be discussing Super Foods in upcoming posts, which may help you in your journey towards a healthier lifestyle (notice, I didn't say a diet which may help you!)


You may be wondering what gives me any authority on losing weight or eating healthier. I won't go into all the details; however I have been overweight for more years in my life, than not. While growing up I was an athlete and could eat just about anything I wanted. I married right out of high school, quickly had a baby and have never been thin again since. As life stresses hit me over the years my weight escalated higher and higher.

In 2007, I lost 89 pounds by simply writing down everything that I ate, adding up the calories each day to keep within 1600 to 1800 calories a day plus ate lots of Super Foods while doing so. I've also been a carb junkie my entire life; but the most important thing was WHY I was a (bad) carb junkie. I truly believe that the reason the majority of overweight people are overweight is because we eat instead of dealing with life. I am a Food Addict and use food to soothe myself when I'm sad, mad, glad, have PMS or bored. I have fond memories of my mother and I going to the local bakery, buying a dozen raised glazed donuts and eating half of them on the way home...it even makes my mouth water just writing about it - plus provides a happy memory of my mother.

You may be able to relate to this, you may not, depending on your circumstances or where you are in your journey to being honest with yourself. If you consider yourself overweight and only have 5, 10, 20 pounds to lose then I can't relate and you probably can't relate to this article.

In March of 2008, life started a toward spiral with two family deaths, long term illness, empty nest syndrome, a job loss, husband's work injury, moving AND I gained back most of those unnecessary 89 pounds. It is hard to accept that I failed yet a great friend basically told me to let go of my self-loathing and failure to move forward. This statement was just what I needed to get started in a forward direction again. I began adding back Super Foods into my life and I'm feeling better (less depression, less aches, better mood, hugely reduced bad cholesterol level).

If you have never written down everything you eat, I highly suggest it! Just eat the way you normally do while writing down the calories for one week (there are many free online calorie calculators). Let me know what you discover about the things you eat.

I'd also love to hear about your experiences with the Super Foods which we will be discussing during the week...first post coming shortly.

Cake and Cookie Decorating Birthday Party

I got asked to teach cake decorating at a birthday party last night!  I was totally in my element, not only with the cake decorating, but I love to hang out with the young girls. They are always so much fun to be around.  I guess it makes me feel young again.  My daughter was invited to this party and came home saying it was one of the best parties she had ever been to, so that was great to hear.  I think everyone had a good time.  I know I did.

At the beginning of the party, each girl got to paint a pot in bright Spring colors (since it was the first day of spring).  They got pretty creative, and the pots were all very cute and unique.  It was fun to see their personalities come out while painting.

While the adorable pots were drying, the girls were given aprons to decorate.  All cake decorators need a good apron!

The girls even posed for a picture sporting their new aprons.

Next, I showed them a few cake decorating techniques using a delicious buttercream frosting, and various tips.  I taught them a lot of the basics.

I had sugar cookies on sticks for them to decorate.  They all did an AWESOME job.  It was fun to see how different all of the cookies were.  There sure was a lot of giggling going on.

The end result was phenomenal!  The cookie bouquets turned out really well, and everyone had a great time.

Lady Booze - Baffled by your 'hostesses' drink selection, then remember the golden rule - steer well clear of whatever in God's name she is having!

Some people think that the drink a person chooses says a lot about that person in question. Just like there are some drinks you would probably not order at a workplace event or when out with a potential business client.

Therefore it will come as no surprise that if you find yourself baffled by your 'hostesses' drink selection, then remember the golden rule - steer well clear of whatever in God's name the lady is having!

It's in no way a lazy, mindless generalisation to state boldly and unequivocally that some drink are best suited to gentleman, and some are best suited to ladies; it's just the way it's meant to be.

Men have traditionally liked strong, sour, foul-smelling liquids: the kind that make your face screw up when you drink them and that leave a stinging tear in the corner of your eye.

Women, on the otherhand, have always been suckers for sweet, sticky, colourful fare: the kind that matched their nail varnish or their outfit.

So far, so good, but over the last few years the natural order has started to crumble.

It's not that it is socially unacceptable for men to drink fruit flavoured continental beer, vanilla vodka, blush wines or alcopops: we're not actually supposed to like them!

So unless your aim is to be the kind of man who finds himself - at 50 - propping himself up in wine bars and losing the battle to hang onto his hair, his dignity and his alcopop, stick to what you know best.
If it looks dull, tastes like medicine and burns the back of your throat, you're fine. If it looks like one of the colours of the rainbow, tastes of watermelon and kiwi fruit and clashes with your shirt, you're on a slippery downward slope!

# Blue Nun Spritzer - Sweet, cheap, crap German wine with a splash of soda. Up there with houses completely plastered in flashing lights and dancing reindeer at Christmas, as an indicator of class.

# Advocaat - bravely utilising Dutch eggs as its principal ingredient, along with sugar and brandy. It has a distinct yellow colour, smooth consistency and custard like flavour. Everyone bought one bottle out of sheer curiosity. That soon stopped.

# Jello shots or any variety of neon shots with about as much alcohol as a juice box. Pointless.

# Rose wine - It's not red, it's not white and it can't possibly be drunk by men without rumours starting. Drunk by those suffering from an identity crisis.

# Umbrella drinks - Those fruity, creamy concoctions can make an impression. But is that an impression you want to make?
Drinks with umbrellas and lots of garnish (cherries, oranges, pineapples) or those with contents on the rim are usually consumed by young ladies. Take it away, whatever it is!

# Any drink or shot that boasts whipped cream as an ingredient or garnish. Nowadays it could get you locked up.

# Malibu - Poncey rum and coconut concoction. A marketing departments dream. A drink wrongly associated with clear blue skies, golden sands, palm trees etc. For the man most comfortable wearing Hawaiian shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses indoors!

# Baileys - Take away the meagre whiskey content and you basically have a cream-laced coffee with ice in it. Not so clever.

# Cocktail - Often it's a primary colour and has a straw in it. Usually fruity, bright and downright girly. Ban it!

Ashley's Castle

A beautiful castle for a beautiful little princess. Both the 10 inch and 6 inch layers were made with a strawberry cake, because Ashley's favorite color is pink. The filling was a strawberry mousse, and it was topped with buttercream frosting. It was quite delicious!