| When the news broke that Paula Deen has Type 2 Diabetes,her son Bobby had already begun filming his “Not My Mama’s Recipes” shows. Bobby is on a quest to duplicate Paula’s tasty recipes, but with far less fat and calories. Here’s his 5 star recipe for Baked Tilapia: Bobby’s Baked TilapiaRecipe courtesy The Deen Brothers - Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Level: Easy
- Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients- Butter cooking spray
- 4 (6 to 8-ounce) tilapia fillets
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 lime,finely grated zest and juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a large cast iron pan with a nonstick butter spray. Rinse fish and pat dry;place on the cast iron pan. Season each fillet with salt,cracked pepper,lime zest and lime juice. Add fish to the pan. Place a pat of butter on each fillet and cook in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes. __________ A healthy recipe really could’t get easier than this! Enjoy with your favorite fresh vegetables. Tim Holick, owner of Wood Palace Kitchens in Middleboro, MA, believes in giving back to the community. Even in tough economic times, he has done as much as he can to give his support, financial and otherwise. One of Tim’s favorite charities is the Make a Wish Foundation. Recently,Tim was informed about the wish of a five year old girl. Here’s the story: A New Playhouse As an inquisitive and observant five-year-old girl,this wish child immerses herself in books, puzzles,and dance. She seems to find joy in life’s simple pleasures like playing outside, watching Disney movies,and eating pizza. There seems to be nothing holding this smart, young girl back from a life of fun and learning. Life for her, however, is not as carefree as it should be. Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a blood cancer, she must undergo intensive treatments and attend numerous doctors’ visits for her condition. When a team of Make-A-Wish volunteers met with her, she thought long and hard about the perfect wish. In accordance with her inquisitive nature and love for playing outdoors, she asked for a playhouse swing set in her backyard. With her decision solidified, the Make-AWish Foundation set to work and ordered the perfect playhouse. After weeks of planning, the unveiling of her new playhouse finally arrived! At a party filled with pizza, cake, and balloons, she excitedly cut the ribbon surrounding her new playhouse. The cutting of the ribbon revealed the perfect swing set - complete with two green and white play house towers, two wavy slides, a tire swing, and even a telescope! She was smiling from ear to ear! Thanks to you, this young wish child is now able to come home from her hospital visits and unwind on her new playhouse swing set. The hours she spends playing help her to create memories that will give her the strength and courage she needs. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island extends to you its deepest gratitude for your help in making this wish a reality. Wish Grantor: Wood Palace Kitchens Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Tim is grateful for the support and loyalty of his customers, and will continue to give back to the community. For a list of other organization that Tim supports,go to http://woodpalacekitchens.com/kitchen-remodel-giving.html Today, I’d like to make a recommendation to homeowners. Once in awhile, all home owners need their land surveyed for one reason or another. It might be for a new fence, a new addition, or selling the house. Whatever the reason,if you’re in the Wood Palace Kitchens geographic area, roughly south shore, southeastern Massachusetts, I highly recommend that you use Webby Engineering. They actually have a special going on right now for mortgage plot plans. A mortgage plot plan is used by mortage lenders and title insurance companies to answer the following questions: - Is the house on the correct lot?
- Does the structure comply with local zoning ordinances?
- Does the structure lie in a mapped FEMA flood hazard zone?
- Are there any encroachments,easements or rights of way access issues?
Webby Engineering Associates Land Surveying Division is looking to increase its mortgage plot plan client base,specifically with real estate closing attorneys. They are offering the following terms: - Flat $140 fee for all residential mortgage inspection plot plans within 25 miles of their office at 180 County Road in Plympton.
Webby offers a fast turn around,no fee for cancellation,and all work is performed by or under the direct supervision of a Massachusetts Registered Professional Land Surveyor. So if you need a mortgage plot plan,or any other land surveying services,you can feel confident in calling Webby Engineering at 781-585-1164.  I recently visited a couple whose kitchen I built 21 years ago in New Jersey. They had been telling me that the kitchen still looked like new, and I couldn’t believe it. I had to see it for myself. And guess what? They were right!
The husband has called us every year to confirm that everything still looked great, and to let us know again how happy they are with the look and durability of the furniture and built-ins. Back in those days, we were building furniture ourselves. So everything in the pictures below was built by us except for the desk. Family room built-ins, entertainment center, dining room buffet and table. The kitchen cabinets are laminates that we installed. If they had gone out and bought everything that we built for them, it would have cost them much,much more. Click here to see pictures. At Wood Palace Kitchens,we have always prided ourselves in quality, built-to-last work. How has that worked out for us? Come in and take a look around, and we’ll give you a list of happy clients - actually,we refer to them as raving fans - that you are free to call. If the Patriots hadn’t made it to the Superbowl, this was going to be about a “Winter Blues”party. As luck would have it, they came through for the fans, giving us an even better reason to celebrate this weekend. I would imagine that most of the gatherings on Sunday night will be at the homes of those with big screen TVs! In any case, having a kitchen that’s set up for entertaining would be a big plus. At Wood Palace Kitchens, we design kitchens for our clients that make entertaining an enjoyable experience. Often that starts with an open concept, where the cooks can be part of the “action”. Who wants to be closed into a small kitchen area when all the action is in the living room or family room? With an open concept, guests can help with food preparation and serving without missing a single play, and the island can even be used as a serving area to keep the mess away from the living room furniture. A well designed kitchen will also have proper work stations for cooking, prep and clean up so that several people can be working at the same time without tripping over each other. And let’s not forget the importance of having the right appliances, such as a beverage frig for the wine and beer, and a wine rack. What’s the best choice for countertops? It depends. If you do a lot of food prep, butcher block is a great choice, while granite works well if you do a lot of baking. You might want to stay away from marble, which can be very pourous. Having said all of this, I’m off to the Superbowl myself. Go Pats! I like Mexican food,but on the mild side. I started making guacamole regularly when I realized that avocadoes are really good for you. I make a quick, easy and mild version. First I mash up one whole avocado. Then I add a heaping tablespoon of my favorite salsa, some lime juice –maybe a teaspoon, a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt. Mix them all together, and that’s it! I enjoy this guacamole with blue corn tortilla chips, but I’ve also used other healthier crackers that are higher in fiber and lower in fat. It makes a really satisfying snack, because the high fat content of the avocado keeps you feeling full. And don’t worry, it’s healthy fat –not like the hydrogenated fats that we load up our bodies with on a regular basis, sending our cholesterol levels sky high! Give it a try and let me know what you think. When designing a client’s kitchen,we make sure that every inch of space is measured properly for the homeowner’s appliances. When measuring for a dishwasher,there are several design aspects that must be taken into consideration. The first is the size of the opening. Sometimes the measurements are taken before the flooring is installed. Then the dishwasher doesn’t fit! So if the dishwasher size is 24″x 34″and an opening this size is created,then a floor is added –oops,the dishwasher isn’t going to fit now! Some people forget that. To measure the opening properly, measure from the floor to the bottom lip of the counter –both on the left and the right (floors are often uneven). A couple of other tips for buying a dishwasher: there are two types –American and European. European tend to be 23-5/8″wide and 34″tall. American,23-7/8 or 23-3/4″wide and 34″tall. American dishwashers usually stick out about 3/4″from the counter. This has to be taken into consideration if the dishwasher is going to be near a corner,where a drawer may be coming out and not clear the front of the dishwasher. European dishwashers tend to be flush with the countertop. The exception is if there is a handle sticking out. This can happen with both American and European dishwashers. In this case,a clearing of two to three inches will be necessary. Most of the newer models don’t have a handle like this. What type of drying system do you want? European dishwashers,such as Bosch, tend to use a condensation system. The steam in the tub condenses on the side walls of the dishwasher and drains out the bottom of the tub. American brands,such as GE, Kitchen Aid, and Amana use a coil that heats up and dries the dishes, basically by baking them. The condensation method is more efficient because there is no extra energy being expended in the drying process. However,it’s a longer drying cycle. Filtering water vs. continually running fresh water European dishwashers have traditionally used a filtration system to re-use the same water throughout the cycle. American dishwashers,on the other hand used to run new water through and drain it out for every part of the cycle. Since filtration systems only use three our four gallons of water as opposed to using 30 or 40 gallons the other way, American manufacturers have moved to the filtration system in order to be energy efficient. Do you want a disposal,or a strainer basket? With a disposal system,garbage from the dirty dishes is ground up. Because of the noise it makes,many manufacturers are now using a filtration system – basically,there’s a strainer basket at the bottom of the tub. You’ll still find that many American dishwashers are loud, because they still use the disposal system. Hopefully these tips will help when you’re looking to buy a new dishwasher. If you go to a big box store and can’t get help with these and other questions –and they don’t ask you the right questions to make sure you are buying the right brand for you –then consider going to our friends at Kahian’s Appliance One in Hanover. They are very knowledgeable,and will go out of their way to make sure you get the right appliance for your needs. Ask for Paul Kislauskas,who provided today’s tips. Thank you,Paul. For years, I’ve been concerned about reports that Teflon and other non-stick cookware contained carcinogens. So I started doing some research on the Internet. I found this recent article on a website called ChasingGreen.org. According to the author, - Nonstick coatings,such as Teflon, on cookware products release likely carcinogenic fumes when they are overheated.
- These likely carcinogens kill pet birds, cause health problems for plant workers, are linked to female infertility, and are persistent in the environment and in the blood of the general US population.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called on companies to reduce facility emissions and product content of these likely carcinogens.
- PFOA-free nonstick options include anodized aluminum, well-seasoned cast-iron, and pans with an enamel coating.
- Look for safer cookware options manufactured by Active Concepts Gastrolux,GreenPan,Le Creuset,Lodge Cast Iron,and Revere.
About.com reports similar information, adding that release of the toxins occurs if the heat is too high (over 500 degrees). I was also under the impression that toxins can be released when the pan is scratched by using a metal utensil or harsh scrubber on the surface. About.com has come up with some recommendations: Using Nonstick Cookware Safely- Never leave nonstick pans unattended on an open flame or other heat source
- While cooking, don’t let temperatures get hotter than 450 degrees
- Don’t use metal utensils on nonstick cookware
- Wash nonstick cookware by hand using nonabrasive cleaners and sponges (do not use steel wool)
- Don’t stack nonstick cookware on top of each other
- Keep pet birds out of the kitchen
According to an article in Time Magazine, ”The EPA has since asked DuPont and seven other companies that use PFOA to phase
out the chemical. Although DuPont disputes the classification as a carcinogen and won’t stop making Teflon, the company has pledged that by 2015, it will reduce the amount of PFOA used to make the coating and will guarantee that the chemical won’t be released into the environment from DuPont manufacturing plants.” This article was written in 2005, and some new non-stick cookware products have come out on the market since then. Are they any better? I guess only time will tell. Hopefully, no lives will be lost before we find out. If you ask someone who prefers the most green and natural lifestyle possible, they will tell you to use iron skillets, properly treated/oiled, and clay cookware whenever possible. What do YOU think?  We have a client in Natick, Massachusetts who wanted a contemporary metro look to replace their old, outdated kitchen. To create more space, Custom Fit Remodeling took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and created a cathedral ceiling.
Click here to view the photo gallery for this new kitchen. I often wonder why businesses struggle with everything they need to do,all the hats they have to wear. Whether they’re good at it or not,they seem to feel that they need to do everything themselves. Many times, I’m sure that it’s a matter of whether they’re going to spend the money on hiring someone, or just do it themselves and use those funds for something else. When it comes to bookkeeping services, I’m especially convinced that business owners do themselves a real disservice by trying to save a few bucks and keep their own books. The advantages of having an outside expert manage this function are numerous. From having objective eyes looking at the numbers, to keeping an owner accountable for paying bills on time,doing their own invoicing on time, and having monthly reports that give a snapshot of the financial health of the company, I could go on and on. Not to mention the fact that most business owners are far better at something else besides bookkeeping. Why else would they be in business?  My favorite bookkeeping service is Spark Business Consulting in Norwell,MA. The owner, Kasey Thibeault,has real business experience that makes her uniquely qualified to help other companies manage their books. She is the former owner of a successful Boston restaurant. She decided to leave the rat race of the food service world and put her skills to work helping other business owners. She can do everything from setting up a company’s books properly using Quickbooks or other software, to completely managing their books, producing monthly and yearly reports, and advising business owners on financial management.
For my money, it’s much more cost effective to hire someone than to wade through my own mistakes at the end of the year. | |
