February 13, 2008

Maple Glazed Walnuts

Today I learned that I have a new favorite snack for the time being, thanks to Ellie Krieger of the Food Network. Maple Glazed Walnuts nuts are yummy and so easy to make!! The first time I used this recipe I didn't even have any walnuts in the house so I used hazelnuts instead, they were still great. So feel free to use anything you want, pecans and cashews would be another great addition. Best of all, it only takes about 5 minutes to make this. Here's the recipe!

2 cups walnut halves (unsalted & not roasted)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat a dry skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the walnuts, maple syrup and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until syrup is caramelized and nuts are toasted, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

What did you learn today?

February 11, 2008

Music That Helps Your Day



Today I learned that music can really help set my mood for the rest of the day. Instead of waking up to a blaring alarm clock, which is fairly annoying and frustrating, I chose to add one of my favorite songs as an mp3 to my phone and use that for my alarm each morning. The song I chose is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow & What a Wonderful World. For those of you who haven't heard it, you have to!! It's starts slow and quiet, perfect to wake up to since it doesn't cause you to jump across the room with a sudden rapid heartbeat.

Music is one of life's wonderful things. We all tend to think that music is simply an audible pleasure, but let's not forget about those that enjoy it without hearing it at all. Here's what Wikipedia had to say.

"It is important to note that deaf people can experience music by feeling the vibrations in their body, a process which can be enhanced if the individual holds a resonant, hollow object. A well-known deaf musician is the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who composed many famous works even after he had completely lost his hearing. Recent examples of deaf musicians include Evelyn Glennie, a highly acclaimed percussionist who has been deaf since the age of twelve, and Chris Buck, a virtuoso violinist who has lost his hearing. This is relevant as it indicates that music is a deeper cognitive process than unexamined phrases such as, "pleasing to the ear" would suggest. Much research in music cognition seeks to uncover these complex mental processes involved in listening to music, which may seem intuitively simple, yet are vastly intricate and complex."

What did you learn today?