Kitchen & Time Saving Tips for The Upcoming Holiday’s

It is that time again and it is quickly approaching where we are just a few weeks away from Christmas and New Year holidays, and a lot of people get so frustrated, and are confused with what to cook, what to do to save time in Kitchen and so much more. The Holidays are about spending time with your loved ones, making memories and cherishing precious and personal moments with them and to spend less time in the kitchen, which is why I have these tips and tricks to help you in that department. Well, without further a do, here they are:

— 1 or 2 weeks before your big dinner night with your loved ones, decide on the menu and what you will cook and serve as snacks, as dinner and dessert. We know how hectic it can be to make several types of dishes, but simplicity is key. Do not overload your table with so many options of foods. Limit the amount.

— a week before the big event, do all your grocery shopping. Do not wait until last-minute as that time is to start preparing the day or 2 before, but if they are foods that will need to be prepared on the day of, make sure you start early in preparations.

— If you have more than 10-20 people or more or less, it is a good idea to buy Christmas Holiday style disposable cutlery and plates to set the table or set them to the side like a buffet table along with of course napkins, disposable cups and glasses for juice, soft drinks, wine, beer, alcoholic beverages, so that no washing dishes are involved. Keep the garbage bags on standby where you can get a reach of it quickly. (The only washing of dishes would be servers, and plates, pans that have the food that is cooked from it.

— Before your loved ones arrive, set all the desserts to the side where it will be quick to bring out.

— Do not spend half your time in the kitchen. Besides your loved ones came to get together and spend time together, to see each others faces. Preparation in advance is so important to do. Do not be afraid to ask for help, and delegate tasks for the whole family to do before others start coming over.

— Of course the house should be clean and tidy, use a rug at the front of the door to put people s shoes and organize them so that shoes will not be everywhere. make room in your closet for people’s coats. So take all the coats out that you and your family who live there and take them and put them in another room. If you have enough space for all jackets in your closet, then its all good.

— Before the meal, when people start knocking on your door and come in, have vegetable trays and chips bowls on the table or whatever snacks you will serve, but not over indulge in the snacks so that you have room for the main dinner. Then after the dinner is done, put out the snacks and dessert table. again limit the desserts as well.

— In the kitchen when you are about to start cooking, take out all cooking equipment out and once you use something and will not need it anymore, simply wash them, dry them and put them away, so that you have less dishes to wash later.

— when your loved ones are over, make sure everything is ready, then all you do is just bring them over to the table which won’t take more than 5 minutes, keep the food warm on the oven, until it is time to serve. After serving your food, and after eating, clear the table and of course throw out the disposable plates, cutlery and cups and glasses, then just give the table a quick wipe. Then quickly convert it to the dessert table where everything is self-serve. Also use disposable dessert plates and cutlery as well.

— Leave the washing of the big dishes until later so that you can enjoy your loved ones to the fullest and if people want to volunteer to help you clean and wash, allow them and it will be fun as well-doing things together. just not all on you.

— make the coffee, espresso and put the water into the coffee maker, in advance. after dinner, just press the button and the coffee will start to brew. Also make those disposable cups. Remember less washing the better it is for you.

— decide on decorations on table, centerpieces and theme. I have read that people dress up in Christmas sweaters, and same colours, sometimes people just come in anything.

— This is super important if your loved ones have a little too much to drink, do not allow them to drive a vehicle and make sure they stay over, until they are sober to drive again. Do not drink and drive and enjoy the holidays responsibly. You can save your life, your loved ones lives and others lives who share the road with you. When you know there is alcohol involved and you know that your loved ones will drink, ask to collect everyone’s car keys and place them in a basket and put the basket in another room and keep the door locked and when people leave just bring the basket out and let people grab their keys only if they have not drunk. or if they had one drink or something that still gives them the capability to drive.

— When nature calls, some of your loved ones will want to use the washroom. It is a good idea to have paper towels on standby so that your towels won’t be soaking wet when another person decides to dry their hangs, and a couple of rolls of toilet paper on the side, and extra hand washing soap if need be.

That is all for now, but if there is any particular questions you need to ask, do not hesitate to comment or personally e-mail me. You can find my e-mail on my contact me site which is located on top of the page. Thank you and have a great, safe, happy Christmas and Holiday season!

 

Talin’s Seasoned Potatoes With Veggies & Chicken Breast

Today, I am going to be introducing you to My recipe of Seasoned Potatoes with Veggies and Chicken Breast Meal. I have been cooking this for a long time since I can remember, and I love to cook this healthy and great meal. The Potatoes I use for this dish are small to medium White Potatoes. This will make about 4 servings. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

8 White Potatoes – Medium and Small or both assorted. – (Make sure you buy the ones without the sandy feeling. Buy the clean White Potatoes where you can just wash them. ) Do not peel off the skin of the Potatoes. — Make sure they are diced and a good size. Depends on your preference..

2 Green Peppers —- washed and chopped . – Make sure there are no seeds from the Green Peppers.

2 Carrots —- Skin Peeled, then washed, then chopped and keep chopping and making sure they are circles.

2 Red Onions —- Chopped in Stir Fry size — Not too big and not too small.

1 Red Pepper —- Chopped and again make sure no seeds from inside.

2 Tsp — of Seasoning Salt

2 – Tsp — of Mushroom or Vegetable Bouillon Mix

2 – tsp of Rosemary or Sage.

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. Washed

2 tbsp of Chicken Seasoning

1 tsp of Basil

1 tbsp of All purpose seasoning

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To Prepare the Chicken Breast:

In a Oven Pan Spray some Cooking spray, and add about 3 cups of Water.

Then Season your Washed Chicken Breast with the Chicken Seasoning, Basil and All Purpose Seasoning and then immerse them into the water. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Celsius Convection cooking mode – Then put the Chicken Breasts in the middle of the oven and let them cook – which should take about 1 hour and 5-10 minutes to cook — It will come out tender and beautifully done. Remember Chicken must be cooked well done and thoroughly to prevent food borne illnesses.

To Prepare the Vegetables and Potatoes While the Chicken is being Cooked: I say to start cooking the Veggies about more than half way through when the Chicken is Cooking

in a Wok or Non Stick deep Wok, Add 3 tbsps of Olive Oil — Before the Wok gets hot, put the Washed and Diced potatoes, Let them cook for about 10 minutes on Medium High in between, but make sure they are not too mushy. Add the Carrots, Green and Red peppers, then add just 2 tbsp of water, after that Add the red onions, then add the bouillon mix, seasoning salt, and the rosemary or Sage, and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat.

Then afterwards you take out the Chicken Breast that is done and then Plate the Potato and Veggie mix together and there you have it. A Meal for 4  – Health Wise. This is an easy and great meal to serve during the week or weekend, however you prefer. Remember you can always add and subtract the ingredients, you can even put more vegetables like Broccoli, Cauliflower into the mix as well. Depends on your preference. Bon Apetit!

Don’t Be Discouraged – Always Look Forward

In life when were going through life, a lot of people if not all people want to be a number of things when they grow up, they have ambitions, dreams, and talents. Everyone has different skills, needs, qualities, potential, and personal goals to attain and fulfill in life. Unfortunately some do not get to enjoy, fulfill and succeed in life because their lives were cut short and its a terrible thing.  Everyone has great qualities about themselves, and sometimes some people’s progress, and going to the next step takes a lot longer than others, but never be and let others discourage on how slow a progress you are making. At least you have continual progress that is not stopping and you are trying your best and doing your best. Always look forward in life. I know things in life happen without you least expecting it, traumatic and tragic things can happen in one’s life, but never let that be a discouragement . The sign of failure means that you are trying. Nobody is a failure. You might fail at doing somethings, but never make that into a weakness. Make it something that you can work on more harder and if at first you do not succeed, try it again and again. Never stop. Failure means success in the long run. Just remember that.

Remember if people are trying to bring you down, that only means you are above them and if people are spending so much time talking about you, talking to you, talking about your weaknesses, putting you lower, and not trying anything to put your spirits up, and not encouraging you that means that they are not true friends at all, that means that they are only trying to hide their failures and flaws about them and not sharing it. In the end everyone has their own pace, their own time to learn, to grow, to experiment, to experience and to succeed. You can do anything you put your mind to, and never be discouraged. Things always happen and come up in life, but never lose sight of your dreams and all the plans you look forward to in the future. It is always great to make plans while you are living day-to-day.

Never lose yourself, don’t listen to negative people, don’t ever let anybody always try to find faults and things wrong about you, do not give anybody the satisfaction of pessimism. Be optimistic, be ambitious, keep dreaming, keep working on attaining your goals. It might take longer than others but hey at least you are getting there, at least your not stopping for anybody or anything. It is the worst thing you can do for yourself is to let others walk all over you and to mess with you. Never do that. Before others judge, and say things to you out of turn or give you advice, but the wrong type, let them look at themselves in the mirror, let them focus on themselves before pointing fingers, and being judgmental. In my previous blog, I was talking about being strong, and surround yourself with positive and great people who will encourage you, who will lift you up.

encouraging, confidence boosters, kind, nice, sweet, positivity, optimism these are the things you should surround yourself with, and never let anyone tell you, you cannot do it, because you can do it. Everything is possible in life, but unfortunately satisfying everyone is just the only impossible thing in the world. In the end you know who you are, you know what you are capable of, you know your limitations, you know yourself the best, you are your individual person. Keep your head up high, lift yourself up, and never sell yourself short and put yourself down. Keep smiling, and all the very best to you. Lastly, Do not ever be discouraged!

Introducing You My First Script Summary – A Movie – Journey to 1000 Places

Hi Everyone, there is something that I have been thinking about the last month or so about doing something totally different and taking writing into a whole new level. Since I have been talking about the Hollywood Sign and Hollywood hills in California and how I saw it for the first time in 2012 in my whole life and how touched I was, and it got me thinking that I should kick my writing up a notch about Script writing and making a new film about “Journey to 1000 places” title came to my mind and I came up with the plot, and what it is all about. Since this day in age with what society is going through today, I decided to make something that is in relative with whats going on in the world today with social media, the advantages and disadvantages about it all, and basically what this movie entails is about all that with love, hardships, and so much more. Here is a sneak peak and summary basically on what it will be. Hope that big Movie Directors get a hold of my script writing summary and have them do their magic on making this movie and getting it out to the world. Then the hopes and dreams of getting an award for a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild or Oscar Academy Awards. Well, here is my summary to Journey to 1000 places.

Journey to 1000 places is a movie about a Young Adult who lives in Chicago who spends a lot of time on Social Media websites that interact with others and makes new friends from so many cities and towns and gets close to many people around the world, then ventures out to physically meet them,  but then runs into trouble for finding ones self in a compromised position. Having traveled to many places, she found herself financially unstable to travel anymore which lands her in trouble with paying rent, with spending every dime of her savings to just see her online friends, where then she had to cut herself from the internet world for a while to get out there and work herself out of debt, then a few months later shes back into herself again and ends up communicating with her online friends again, but some of them were not existent anymore, then finds other ways to find them, then she meets the love of her life, gets married and moves away to start her new life where a lot of her other friends she communicates with are in that city. She had a lot of hardships along the way to find friends and to get together with them, and she was having a hard time adapting to real life society, because she had been social online and letting her fingers do the talking more than verbally. The love of her life helps her out and who is patient to see her adapt well in society. She opens up and her life changes for the better.

Locations — Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and Florida.

— Time: 2 hours.

 

The Griffith Observatory – My Hollywood Sign Story – Los Angeles

In October of 2012, just over a year ago now, I remember taking my first glimpse of Los Angeles of where the Celebs, stars, entertainment, and everything combined came into my mind, after arriving at the Griffith Park to head up to the Griffith Observatory. It was a sight that is still embedded into my mind and when I close my eyes sometimes I see it appear. Then I saw the beautiful Hollywood Sign on the Hollywood hills and that is where my emotions were uncontrollable with tears running down my cheeks. I started to cry so much that I had to take about an hour to register in my brain and in my life that I am actually standing before Los Angeles, before the Hollywood sign, that I was long awaiting to see in my whole life. It was my first time there. I felt this amazing connection that was so incredible.

Since I was a child, I had always seen Hollywood’s sign, the Los Angeles skyline and learned about California as I was growing up and watching numerous Movies, TV Shows that situated and was filmed in LA and California areas with the long Palm Trees and the California style roofs which was something that I just couldn’t register in my brain that I was actually physically there. I just could not stop crying. I did not want to leave. I was just staring at Hollywood and the areas and could not take my eyes off of it. You never know, you could be looking at a home and it could a celebrity home. So a lot of the faces of celebrities and movie directors came to my face with the hopes that I would bump into some when I was there, but that did not pan out, but they were filming a Ford Fusion Car commercial at the Griffith Observatory and that was super cool to see the movie TV Commercial trucks and the cars, the cameras, and all that. I said now this is something that was so cool to see in LA area.

I will never ever forget the feelings that were going through my whole body when I was there. i kept my eyes peeled of each car and each person passing by with the hopes I would see a celebrity there too on Hollywood Blvd where the stars are on the ground the walk of fame and the surrounding areas. Went on the 405 freeway and I could not believe I was on that Freeway I had known about since I was a kid. So then there too I was looking in each car and it was something that I totally was keeping myself busy with. I did see a Bold and the Beautiful actor driving a Cadillac Vehicle though but it was getting dark and we were stuck in traffic and he was beside us. It was quite amazing. Since then I keep on have recurring dreams about myself becoming a script writer where I would submit my material to Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and other Movie directors and then meeting up with Celebrities as well, going to the top Hollywood parties, enjoying going to the Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, Oscar Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, wearing a Vera Wang Dress on the Red Carpet while Entertainment Tonight or E-Talk Daily would come up to me and interview me, then I would get on the Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres show, Jimmy Kimmel and more..

I was thinking of all this when I was there. I was just sitting at the Griffith Observatory Benches and just thinking about it and talking to the Los Angeles skyline and to the Hollywood sign and just taking it all in. It was such a great feeling I could not even describe it. I was watching this movie the other day and I saw LA and I said Oh my goodness LOS ANGELES! out loud. I still cannot believe it to this day, but I keep looking at my pictures and I am still in disbelief. I can spend all day there and just glimpsing and enjoying my time there, to do a lot of thinking, to go above and beyond, but then when reality sets in. I was completely in shock and passerby’s saw me cry and they asked are you okay? I said I just can’t believe I am here!

I get emotional quite quickly when I visit places and I am a very sensitive person when it comes to places i have always seen since I was a kid through TV, Movies, Magazines, and Advertising, then when I see it, it’s a totally different thing and I just lose it. I will never ever forget the feelings I had and I certainly will never forget how that beautiful view made me feel inside. It was indescribable and I am sure those who have seen it from the Griffith Observatory can somewhat relate to me. I definitely want to go back in the near future and just spend more time there and enjoy myself again, but hopefully with no crying the next time. Hope I can go back there soon. I am going to make it a goal of mine to travel to Los Angeles again. I need at least a month there and I will learn the area. I am a very fast learner when it comes to that.

Anyway, it’s really not about the Glitz and the Glamor and Vanity of LA and Hollywood that really gets to me, and I know some people do not care about it and it’s not something important to me with the fashions and everything of the Hollywood and the media, but just being there was exciting all on its own.

Have you ever been to the Griffith Observatory? Have you ever seen the Hollywood sign up close and personal? What were your feelings about it? If you have not, its worth to see. It is gorgeous. Well, that is about it. Thank you for reading.

All the best.