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    <title><![CDATA[Glam Media Network Blog Posts for - Food & Wine]]></title>
    <link>http://www.glam.com/</link>
    <description><![CDATA[Current Glam Media Network Blog Entries for - Food & Wine]]></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:02:05 PDT</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi Steaks]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/pan-fried-mahi-mahi-steaks/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I call this pan-fried mahi-mahi dish with wild rice and sauteed spinach a &#8220;Before The 4th of July&#8221; meal. Meaning, before we binge on hotdogs, burgers, steaks, etc, I decided to cook seafood for tonight&#8217;s dinner. 
The last time I cooked mahi-mahi, I gave in to my Husband&#8217;s request of baking the fish. This time around, I decided to just pan-fry the mahi-mahi steaks. I marinated it in a simple olive oil based marinade first of course. 
Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi (Image  Dexie Wharton)
INGREDIENTS :
2 mahi-mahi steaks
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 wedge of lime
sprinkle of garlic powder
sprinkle of ginger powder
sprinkle of dried parsley
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
butter for pan-frying
Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, ginger powder, lime juice, dried parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Which everything together. Pour over the mahi-mahi steaks. Coat each sides of the fish. Marinate for 10-15 minutes or so. 
Melt butter in non-stick pan. Fry the fish, skin side first. About 8-10 minutes on each sides. 
Serve the fish with Uncle Ben&#8217;s Wile Rice and sauteed spinach. 
Post from: Blisstree
Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi Steaks]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:26:50</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Independence Day Printables]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/independence-day-printables/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[While you are in the kitchen whipping up your world famous potato salad, you don&#8217;t want the kids anywhere near the pool, so you need some quick and easy projects to entertain them while you are putting the finishing touches on your family&#8217;s Independence Day meal. What about some July 4th coloring sheets or some fun worksheets? Here are some of my favorites:
Photo: SXC
Printables4Kids.com has a cute Happy Birthday USA coloring sheet and a variety of related worksheets.
DLTK-Kids.com has a whole stack of Independence Day printables, including Bingo sheets. (By the way, there were a couple of pop up ads.)
Kaboose has a variety of coloring sheets , including an American Eagle sheet that is sure to appeal to older children.
For older children, you may want to check out Kids Holiday Crafts . The 4th of July craft projects look like they&#8217;ll keep kids well entertained for a few minutes!
Post from: Blisstree
Independence Day Printables]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:21:25</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[How to be perfectly green - just like me!]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-be-perfectly-green-just-like-me/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[So, does the title above sound like a phrase from a Dr. Seuss book or what?! That&#8217;s about all it&#8217;s good for though. If you were looking to be perfectly green for real, you&#8217;ve come to the wrong place. What I&#8217;m here to tell you is that no one is perfectly green. Not the authors of the green living books you read, not the folks handing out green advice at popular green hot spots like Treehugger or Grist (although I love them both), and most certainly not me.

I mention this because every so often I&#8217;ll run into what I call an Green-Nazi. In Humboldt it happened a lot. In Portland it happens less, but it still happens. Green Nazis think they&#8217;re greener than everyone else and criticize you on lots of lame little things. You use a reusable water bottle, live in a small house, use reusable grocery bags, and make all homemade cleaners - it still isn&#8217;t enough for the Green Nazis, they&#8217;ll just whine about the fact that they found one piece of plastic in your fridge or a clothing item in your closet made from conventional cotton. If you have kids it can be even worse because the crunchier than you parents descend in and attack.
To be fair, Green Nazis types are good in a way because they do remind you of what you could be doing to be greener. But on the far bigger cons side, these folks use shame and guilt to make you feel like you should be greener, not education and support. Personally, I hate that these folks turn some people off to green living and make other green-happy people look bad. Lastly, as noted above, the Green Nazis are just plain wrong; they aren&#8217;t perfect. It&#8217;s totally impossible; well, maybe not totally, but in today&#8217;s society, being perfectly green and leaving zero footprints would be a huge feat.
If you&#8217;ve run into folks like this, or if green living is frustrating you because you&#8217;ve made mistakes, take heart and keep on trucking. To make you feel better I&#8217;ve made a list of ten anti-green things I did this week.

I left the coffee pot on overnight: This mistake surprised me because I&#8217;m normally really good about turning stuff off, and even unplugging items when not in use. When I noticed the coffee pot had been left on for about 24 hours, my first thought was HOW not eco-friendly. The second - um, I could have burned the house down (see how my priorities are screwy).
I used toxic Raid to terminate a spider and trust me I will again.
I bought non-organic apples: I HATE doing this. Apples are one of the dirty dozen but the organic apples at the store this week looked like someone ran them down with a semi, so I bought conventional.
I bought non-organic, non-fair trade coffee along with the apples. The organic was too expensive this week where I was.
I bought my son a Lunchable. One, not organic. Two, so much excess packaging it&#8217;s crazy.
I forgot to refill the water bottle in my fridge so I let the water run before filling my glass when I should have just gotten ice.
I drove to the store for just two items. Could I have lived without them - yeah probably.
I threw a toilet paper tube in the trash. I suck with toilet paper tubes.
I ran one load of wash that could have been fuller had I tried.
I bought a toxic car air freshener. Stupid because duh, I know how to make homemade and or non-toxic ones.

Do I feel guilty? Actually yeah somewhat. I usually realize when I make green mistakes and it eats at me a bit. Some mistakes bug me more than others, especially when they affect my son (like the non-organic apples). BUT I don&#8217;t let the mistakes get me too down. I&#8217;m pretty good about green living overall and more importantly I try. If you make mistakes, but try, you can&#8217;t really let yourself get too down about it, or you&#8217;ll get so frustrated that you&#8217;ll give up. Giving up is the worst green choice you can make. Small steps are better than no steps. Tell yourself that the next time you feel bad about a choice you make, avoid the Green Nazis, and trust me, it&#8217;ll all be fine.
Do you ever feel green guilt? How come?
[image via stock.xchng] 

Post from: Blisstree
How to be perfectly green - just like me!]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:06:50</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Cheating At Work - Cops Caught Kissing]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/cheating-at-work-cops-caught-kissing/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Have you heard about the police chef in Ohio who was caught on video &#8220;canoodling&#8221; with another officer, while in a police cruiser and on the job? And there was a prisoner in the back seat. From what I saw of the video, they don&#8217;t really do much, just kissing, cuddling, but both officers are married. He&#8217;s 57 and she&#8217;s 30.
On the day that the video was taken, June 2, the two officers weredriving back from Cincinnati, where they picked up a burglary suspect, to their town of Perry Township, 50 miles away. In the video, the female officer is seen checking to make sure that the suspect in the back seat was asleep. The dashboard camera&#8217;s red light, that signals that it is active and on, was tampered with, so the officers did not know that they were being taped. An anonymous tip brought the tape to attention.
Have you ever been involved with a co-worker? Either while single or in a relationship? Have you been tempted?
When I was very young (19) I was engaged and my boyfriend wasaway atboot camp. While he was gone, I went down to Southern California to live with my dad for a few months. I worked in a restaurant there and a guy that I worked with seemed to find my engagement a challenge. He worked me day after day, in an attempt to get me to cheat on my fiance, but I never did. One time, after a particularly bad argument with the fiance (we argued a lot an he is now married to someone else - I believe happily and for a long time 18+ years), I thought, hey why not, maybe I should do it just this once. I did not follow through with it, I did not cheat at that time.
People spend a lot of time at work and they form connections with the folks they spend that time with. Sometimes these connections are a distraction and a way to escape the stress or even boredom of Real Life. In the case of my restaurant boy, I was lonely and young, away from my friends at that time, and this boy was very cute. It was tempting, but cheating sucks and I have rarely even come close to doing it.
I&#8217;d like to say that I&#8217;ve never done it, but that would not be completely honest and I&#8217;ve made a habit of being honest withyou readers. Idid make a fewmistakes in the past (way, way, way in the past), but they were not with someone at work (which does mean that it was alright). These days, nothing could be farther from my mind. The boyfriend that I have is all that I can handle.
Being in a committed relationship is like a job in that you have to work at it every day. You have to remind yourself what you are there for and reaffirm your commitment. You have to be a good co-worker or you run the risk of a bad performance review or possible termination - I&#8217;m talking divorce or breakup here, not death.
&#8220;Canoodling.&#8221; Isn&#8217;t that a silly word?
Image credit: Sxc.hu 
Post from: Blisstree
Cheating At Work - Cops Caught Kissing]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:57:31</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Chicken Parm Pasta Salad]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/chicken-parm-pasta-salad/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re going to a picnic tomorrow, and one of the things we have to do is bring a &#8220;dish to pass.&#8221;  Since it&#8217;s summer and I know we&#8217;ll be having burgers and brats, I wanted a starch to go along with the rest of our meal, but also something that would be substantial in and of itself.  When I need a recipe like that, I usually pick a pasta salad.

While I normally don&#8217;t like creamy, cold pasta salads, this one from Betty Crocker is delish!  It doesn&#8217;t have that heavy mayo taste, and also isn&#8217;t drenched in salad dressing.  The cooked chicken give it some depth, and the croutons and Parmesan topping make it really unique.  Also very easy to make.
Image:  sxc.hu.
Post from: Blisstree
Chicken Parm Pasta Salad]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:26:44</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[4th of July from the Garden Recipes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/4th-of-july-from-the-garden-recipes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;re looking for ways to use up your garden bounty this 4th of July check out this round-up of garden fresh, 4th of July minded recipes.

Fresh 4th of July Veggies:
Fourth of July Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe
Orzo Super Salad
Southwestern Style Potato Salad
Crispy apple coleslaw
Mushrooms, tofu, red onions, lemons (and more) grilled kabobs
Corn on the cob three ways - be brave and just click one - make whichever one you land on&#8230;

Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob

Juicy &amp; Fruity:
Savory Apple Onion Tart - not too juicy, I know, but I defaulted the apples into the fruit category over the onions. 

Watermelon stars
4th of July fruit kabobs
Grilled Pears with Currants

Spicy Fish Tacos with Pear Mango Salsa
Watermelon and Tomato Salad
Got fruit trees? Try Grilled Summer Fruit
4th of July Treats:
Ice pops are the best starting point for 4th of July garden treats. For one thing, they&#8217;re icy cold goodness during a hot day, and secondly, you can seriously use almost ANYTHING from the garden to make these. I&#8217;m talking carrots, herbs, tomatoes, berries, and so much more. You can even make plain old ice water pops with tiny edible flowers embedded for some beautiful and refreshingly easy pops. See 32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Recipes &amp; Ideas to get started.
Red, white, and blue summer berry trifle
Lemonade Mousse

Caramel Apple Pie
Ecstatic Organic Rose Vanilla Ice Cream

Little Extras: 
Dilled Cucumbers
Edible flowers galore - put them on cakes, in salads, and more!
Blueberry-Lime Habenero Sauce
Organic herbal sun tea
[image via stock.xchng]
Post from: Blisstree
4th of July from the Garden Recipes]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:26:02</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Health Risks of Speed Eating]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/health-risks-of-speed-eating/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[You may think it&#8217;s fun to watch speed eaters cobble down hotdogs this weekend, but the &#8220;sport&#8221; of competitive eating has some considerable health risks.  While the percent of the speed eating population is not large enough to warrant a scientific study, several former speed eaters are dealing with obesity, clogged arteries, and other gastrointestinal problems.

One competitive eater even found that after a while, his stomach would not register being &#8220;full&#8221; when he ate normally.  This condition, called peristalsis, means that the stomach is not contracting.  Despite the health risks, however, many speed eaters look back on their &#8220;reign&#8221; fondly.  

Image: sxc.hu.
Post from: Blisstree
Health Risks of Speed Eating]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:27:31</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Which Type of Sunscreen?]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/which-type-of-sunscreen/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the sun gets hotter these days, protecting yourself from its grueling rays should be a top priority.  Do you use sunscreen?  Do you know the best type of sunscreen to use?  You should use the highest possible sunscreen number you can.

One source says that you &#8220;get 99 percent sunburn protection with SPF 90, versus 96 percent with SPF 30.&#8221; While a few extra points might not seem like much, they can add up over the years.  Use the highest you possibly can.
Image:  sxc.hu.
Post from: Blisstree
Which Type of Sunscreen?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:14:25</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Patriotic White Chocolate Chip Cookies]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/chocolatebytes/patriotic-white-chocolate-chip-cookies/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Chocolate by itself isn&#8217;t always easy to dress-up for holidays, but by combining white chocolate chips with dried fruit you can get a yummy, creative treat for a festive red, white and blue cookie!

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Cookies
adapted from allrecipes.com
2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried blueberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
 In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine oats, flour, salt, and baking soda; stir into butter mixture one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
[image: flickr]
Post from: Chocolate Bytes



   
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      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:07:15</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Chocolate Bytes]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://chocolatebytes.com/</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[Classic 4th of July Berry Cakes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/classic-4th-of-july-berry-cakes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[One of my favorite thing about celebrating holidays is the creativity that starts to flow when it comes to cooking, baking and food in general!

For me, one of the best parts about the 4th of July, aside from the fireworks and an excuse to spend the whole day outside with family and friends, are the fun desserts that people are inspired to create and make.
I&#8217;ve always loved the now-classic 4th of July berry cake. I made one years ago for a get-together and have wanted to try again, but I&#8217;m afraid it would go bad before my family had a chance to devour it, and I hate the thought of any of it going to waste!
Anyway, with some strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream, the cake couldn&#8217;t be any easier, and variations of the cake are plentiful! You can easily convert any of the ideas below into cupcakes, and check out the ideas for patriotic cookies, too!
 Flag Cake from scratch
 Easy American Flag Cake
 4th of July Jello cake with red and blue Jello
 4th of July cupcakes from Martha Stewart
 For a cool spin on the standard cake, try a 4th of July ice cream cake
 Red, white and blue flag cake using a box cake mix with pudding
 Step-by-step pictures and instructions for a Flag Cake made using just frosting
 Red, White and Blue cupcakes with colored cake batter and frosting
 American Flag Cookies
 4th of July cookie cutters &#8212; choose from fireworks, a grill, and even an Uncle Sam silhouette!
[image: flickr]
Post from: Blisstree
Classic 4th of July Berry Cakes]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:26:22</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Scratch & Sniff...]]></title>
      <link>http://www.sheerluxe.com/newsletter/scratch-sniff.htm</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Were suckers for the right packaging  we see it and we want it, whether its the cool branding of a an Innocent Smoothie, the cheeky retro boxes of our favourite Benefit buys, a Le Labo fragrance, or a Diptique candle. And let's face it, UK high streets just wouldn't be the same without a Starbucks logo (or three).



Weve got a new brand crush in the form of Green &amp; Spring, a lust worthy new skincare range created by the couple behind super-luxe Cowley Manor and its award winning Spa in the Cotswolds. 



The packaging is as cool and clean as Cowley and the lotions and potions inside - made from herbs, flowers and plants native to the British isles - smell like HEAVEN.

Think expensive spas, ultra chic hotel rooms, and luscious herb gardens in summer... Trust us when we say these fragrances are to die for  if only you could scratch and sniff your computer screen...

Our bathroom staples? Their Relaxing Hand Cream  the perfect concoction of marshmallow, comfrey, lavender and camomile.

And for softer than soft post-sun skin, try the incredibly rich Indulging Body Cream (a serious treat for you or a deserving friend).

Visit www.Liberty.co.uk]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:06:20</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[SheerLuxe]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.sheerluxe.com</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[The Cutest Dog on Facebook Contest]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-cutest-dog-on-facebook-contest/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Bil-Jac Foods, the producer of super premium dog foods and treats based in Medina, Ohio, has just launched its first Facebook photo contest! Now through the end of July, Bil-Jac Facebook fans will have the chance to view and vote on the 12 finalists of the Cutest Dog on Facebook contest. 

Bil-Jac has been collecting hundreds of entry photos for the contest since May via Facebook and Twitter, which were then carefully pared down to 12 finalists by Bil-Jac.
The winner of the photo contest will win a one-month-for-a-year supply of dog food from Bil-Jac and three online coaching sessions from celebrity dog trainer Joel Silverman. The runner-up will win a six-month supply of dog food and the third place winner will receive one month&#8217;s supply.
To participate in the contest, simply visit Bil-Jac&#8217;s Facebook fan page and click on the Photo Contest bookmark. You can then vote for your favorite picture once per day until July 31.
[image used with permission from bil-jac.com]
Post from: Blisstree
The Cutest Dog on Facebook Contest]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:43:01</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[happy 4th + sparkle...]]></title>
      <link>http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/07/happy-4th-sparkle.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ ...with these combos of yellow &amp; gold from kate spade. have a great holiday weekend everyone...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:08:00</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Oh Joy!]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://ohjoy.blogs.com/</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[Welcoming Word Graffiti into Your Home Decor]]></title>
      <link>http://athome.kimvallee.com/2009/07/welcoming-graffiti-to-decorate-your-home/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
The first of July is a special day all around Quebec. This is the date where most renters move in to their new apartment. Putting on the walls or on your furniture, inspirational stickers are an easy way to instantly add a personal touch to your home decor.
The entrance is ideal as you can convey a warm welcome message to your guests and the residents. The chalkboard Welcome Word Search graffiti would be awesome for the guest room.

To encourage you to cook, to better manage your eating habits or to simply put a smile on your face in the morning, I suggest those. No more guess work with the Classic Measures hanging on your cabinets. Wonderful Graffiti also sells 3D letters and a product I never seen before: a collection of refrigerator graffiti.
When you place your order online, you can select the color to match your decor. Explore the catalog since there are many more models to choose from.
SOURCING:
+ Big Great Hello $198 USD
+ Welcome Word Search Chalkboard Graffiti from $109 to $224 USD
+ Duck Family from $29 to $59 USD
+ Classic Measures $69 USD.
+ Cocktails, anyone? 3D Graffiti $279 USD
+ What, You Again? Refrigerator Graffiti $
You might also like these posts













   
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      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:52:57</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[At Home with Kim Vallee]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://blog.kimvallee.com/</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[10 Things to do Before Your Road Trip]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/10-things-to-do-before-your-road-trip/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[We are about to embark on our cross-country road trip. I love road trips. They allow you to see so much of the country that a flight simply misses. Since Ive probably done more long-distance road tripping than the average person, I thought Id post my to-do list to get ready for the big trip.


Service your car. Thats a no-brainer. Were taking the Touareg in Monday for the 75,000-mile service. But Im also taking it later in the week to NTB to get two new tires and a rotation. It would really suck to be in the middle of west Texas in 116-degree temperatures and have the car stall out on us for some reason.
Buy a Road Atlas. I hate Walmart, but they sell this awesome, large-sized, spiral-bound road atlas. Sure, use your GPS, but nothing replaces a road atlas. Plus, its great educational entertainment for the kids. Truman and I like to play the where do you want to go? game. He I dying to go to go to South Dakota, for some reason. Doesnt it stay cold there year-round?
Stock up on the necessaries. I always bring a big box of wet wipes, roll of paper towels and a trash bag. If you have to ask why, you obviously dont have young children.
A cooler stocked with drinks. Why waste your money at convenience stores when you can have your own cold drink conveniently in the car?
Snacks. Again, why waste your money at convenience stores. I also like to pack fruit, like oranges and grapes, but not bananas because I cannot walk past a banana without it bruising.
Wine  and a cock screw. Nothing is worse than stopping overnight in a town thats dry or has a poor wine selection. (Yes, I am a wine snob.) Put the wine in the cooler unless youre driving in cool weather.
Games, toys, DVDs and books. We use road trips as a good opportunity to buy DVDs and game books our son has not yet seen so hell look forward to seeing them. If you buy them early, hid then until time for the trip.
Check out your devices. Nothing is worse than starting on a road trip and finding out the power cord has a short or the iPod dock is missing a piece.
Make a list. Im a list-maker, so I start mine early. This is for the things you will be miserable if you forget, like the iPhone charger, laptop computer, that book youve been meaning to finish, etc.
Book the house sitter, or make your pet/home care plans. We are spoiled. We have a house sitter named Joe who is an ex-marine and a personal trainer at the gym down the road. He brings his to dogs, Brutus the Rottweiller and Thor the Doberman. (Or is it Thor the Rottweiller and Brutus the Doberman?) I stock the fridge for Joe, and throw in a few extra steaks for the dogs, so its like a mini-vacation for all three of them.

Road Trip Photo, Flickr, jamiejohndavies
Post from: Blisstree
10 Things to do Before Your Road Trip]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:23:05</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[Celebrating Fourth of July Bonding]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/celebrating-fourth-of-july-bonding/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[You may not be a big American history buff, but you can still appreciate the wonderful cultural tradition that is the Fourth of July. Holidays like this are a great time for meaningful bonding with friends and family.
I love American holidays for their celebration of families and traditions. National holidays provide a day off so hopefully there can be that one special day when fathers and mothers get to spend time with their children, and friends and family can travel across long distances to see each other for a special weekend.
If you have are having a Fourth of July celebration, make a special effort to include friends who may not have anyone else to celebrate with. The summer is finally here and we should all just relax for a day and embrace the happiness that surrounds a social atmosphere.
I think Fourth of July traditions have a lot to do with open-mindedness and everyone coming together to appreciate the country that we share.
Image: Flickr Jesse Michael Nix
Post from: Blisstree
Celebrating Fourth of July Bonding]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:00:51</pubDate>
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      <title><![CDATA[abstract flooring...]]></title>
      <link>http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/07/abstract-flooring.html</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ ...love these geometric rugs by Twinkle and Angela Adams...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:38:19</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Oh Joy!]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://ohjoy.blogs.com/</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[Norpro donut maker]]></title>
      <link>http://www.cooking-gadgets.com/norpro-donut-maker/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
Donuts, yum! We know we&#8217;re not supposed to eat them, but they&#8217;re so hard to resist. So how&#8217;d you like to make your own so that you&#8217;ll at least have some measure of control over what goes into them? Even if you still don&#8217;t have complete control over how many of them go into you!
This Donut Maker gadget comes with instructions and recipes. It claims to also be a good dispenser for waffle batter, but I mean come on&#8230;why? It&#8217;s time to make the donuts!
Only $12 to turn out quick and delicious donuts!
Image: Parker&#8217;s Pantry
Tags: cooking gadgets, donut maker, kitchen gadgetsShare This
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      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:38</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Cooking Gadgets]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.cooking-gadgets.com/</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[Celebrate food independence!]]></title>
      <link>http://www.cooking-gadgets.com/celebrate-food-independence/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
Local food is good food: good for the farmers, good for the soul, good for your health, and good for the economy. Kitchen Gardeners International is asking us to source the ingredients for our holiday meals as locally, sustainably and deliciously as possible. And they are asking the nations first families to do it too!
Here&#8217;s how you can get involved: You can find all the information on this movement, along with a petition to send to your states governor, at the website Food Independence Day.
Image: Food Independence Day
Tags: food independence, healthy food, local foodShare This
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      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:30</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Cooking Gadgets]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.cooking-gadgets.com/</gf:blogUrl>
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      <title><![CDATA[25 healthy recipes ready in 20 minutes!]]></title>
      <link>http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/25-healthy-recipes-ready-in-20-minutes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
I like these types of recipe lists because they give you healthy recipes that are tasty, easy and quite quick to make.
It&#8217;s true that with such a hectic lifestyle it&#8217;s so hard for so many people to take time to cook healthy meal options at home. Relying on frozen dinners and takeaway/take-out food will lead you know and inevitable road of poor health.
These quick-convenient food options might seem like a huge time saver, but they contain little nutrition value AND they cost a lot of money.
I really like the fact that Eating Well has compiled recipes that won&#8217;t demand too much of your time, but they&#8217;ll offer you great healthy options that will help you make better food choices.
Here are Eating Well&#8217;s 25 healthy recipes ready in 20 minutes that you can try tonight:
1) Florentine Ravioli
2) Greek Potato &amp; Feta Omelet
3) Halibut with Lemon &amp; Caper Sauce
4) Marmalade Chicken
5) Migas with Chorizo
6) Moo Shu Vegetables
7) Pork Chops au Poivre
#8) Pork Cutlets with Cumberland Sauce
9) Quick Cajun Catfish
10) Quick Spinach &amp; Tomato Pasta
11) Roasted Chicken Salad with Garlic Toasts
12) Salmon with Pepita-Lime Butter
13) Saut of Cauliflower &amp; Mustard Greens with Peanuts
14) Spinach &amp; Tomato Omelet
15) Turkey &amp; Balsamic Onion Quesadillas
16) African Peanut Soup
17) Basic Chicken Saut
18) Beans &amp; Rice
19) Black Bean-Salmon Stir-Fry
20) Black Bean-Smothered Sweet Potatoes
21) Chopped Salad al Tonno
22) Cider Vinegar-&amp;-Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops
23) Corn &amp; Pepper Chowder
24) Crab Cake Burgers
25) Easy Sauted Fish Fillets
I should mention that not all these might be what you consider family-friendly. From some of the comments, it seems that moms might feel that some of these might not suit younger kids. You can read the comments here: comments to 25 healthy recipes in 20 minutes


Photo by *clairity*]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:44:50</pubDate>
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