Going Nuts: Pine Nuts

Scientific Name: Pinus pinea

Pine trees grow wildly in cold regions all over the world and they have different species. Pine trees produce flowers called Pine Cones and when these hard flowers mature and dry up, they split open to release Pine Nuts. These nuts, depending on what type of species, have a hard covering. But if you prefer using the nuts on a later date, do not take off the shell to lengthen the nuts' shelf life. Pine Nuts are often off-white to beige in color and has a buttery taste.

Pine Nuts are a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They have pinolenic acids are are very good for the heart and oleic acids to help lower cholesterol. Eating Pine Nuts regularly can also promote healthy and glowing skin because they contain a great amount of Vitamin E. Vitamin B can also be found in this nuts. Pine Nut Oil can also be found in many medicines and in beauty products.

These nuts are often used in making breads but they can also be used in salads and meaty dishes. Some of the dishes made with Pine Nuts are: Pappardelle with Spiced Butter, Lemon Cucumber Tofu Salad, Quinoa with Toasted Pine Nuts and Sautéd Broccoli Garlic Pine Nuts. This is definitely a new flavor to the palette! : )

Just at the Ripe Time: Honeydew

Scientific Name: Cucumis melo

Honeydews or Honeymelon are cultivated in France and Algeria many years ago and later was produced in China. Other names for Honeydew include: Bailan melon, Wallace melon and Winter melon (because they ripen very slow and can only be harvested during late Fall). Honeydews are round in shape, sometimes a bit oval and the flesh is colored slightly yellowish to green unlike the orange-y counterpart, which is the Canteloupe. The flesh is very sweet and this fruit is mostly used in salads and beverages.

They are very good in maintain blood pressure levels and is also rich in Vitamin C. It also contain potassium and Vitamin B-6. It's great for adding moisture to skin and help promote good digestion

Honeydews are often used in fresh fruit salads. It can be plain Hoeneydew with cream or we can do a medley salad with Canteloupe and Watermelon. Just thinking of it really makes me excited!~ Honeydews can also be made into smoothies or shakes and can be added as a flavoring for pastries. You can even add this in meat dishes just for some twisties : )

~Let's live healthy : )

From the Cupboard: Grater

     Happy October everyone! : ) A brand new month for more brand new ideas! This month is really a good month for me because I have lots of plans and I want all of those plans to work and happen accordingly. How about you, what are your plans for this month? Probably early Christmas shopping? 

Inventor: Francois Boullier, 1540's

Francois thought of inventing the Grater because some types of cheese are very hard to slice even with a sharp knife. Usually the Grater is made up of steel with different slot sizes so that you can choose how you want the cheese to be. Though Graters are used often to grate cheese, we can also use other food to produce gratings. There are different types of Graters, and the basic ones are:

Hand Grater - are hand-held Graters that you move the cheese or any food across manually to create gratings. They are usually flat and the slot size is only one.

Flat Heavy Duty Grater - are bigger than the hand-held ones. This is for bigger and heavier foods.

All Purpose Grater - these are in a form of a box or triangle with a handle and each side has a different slot size and shape. 

Multi-Purpose Grater - like the All Purpose Grater, they have different slot shape and sizes but have removable plates due to more artistic slot shapes.

Speciality Graters - these are Graters that are made for zesting nuts and fruits.