tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12215154847327694422024-03-04T23:10:49.785-08:00MyBurntOrangemyburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-1475622295322444432011-09-16T15:42:00.000-07:002011-09-16T15:42:01.108-07:00My 7 Day Healthy Eating ChallengeWell!<br />
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As you will soon gather from my blog, I have been eating as heartily as ever with BIG FOOD weekends and lots of sweet treats made by my very own sister. The problem is once I indulge in complete gastronomical heaven, the pounds soon catch up with me. So I have decided it is time to put myself in check to conquer my bad habits.<br />
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First things first – reduce<br />
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<a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc02836.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-159" height="169" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc02836.jpg?w=300&h=169" title="Sweet treats are good in moderation" width="300" /></a><br />
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<a name='more'></a>If you are looking to join in the 7 day challenge with me, then I must share that the first thing you need to do is identify the baddies in your current diet. Put quite simply, the baddies are none other than fats and sugars. What difference do they make? A lot over time, but in your day to day life, every little helps.<br />
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Second in line – increase<br />
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<a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc02783.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160" height="169" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc02783.jpg?w=300&h=169" title="Fresh fruit salad" width="300" /></a><br />
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The second thing is that shedding a few pounds should not be about eating less, but more. So you definitely want to increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. They do not call it “5 a day” for nothing. There are some real health benefits in eating MORE of the right things. You should always aim to be healthy no matter what. My own mum will testify to the benefits of eating a healthy diet. She lost a few pounds with me, not as much as she would have liked, but when she went for her health check, her blood pressure and <a class="zem_slink" href="http://diabetes.webmd.com/how-sugar-affects-diabetes" rel="webmd" title="How Sugar Affects Diabetes"><span style="color: #265e15;">blood sugar levels</span></a> had improved dramatically.<br />
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<a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc02877.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-161" height="169" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc02877.jpg?w=300&h=169" title="Fresh salad with warm ingredients" width="300" /></a><br />
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Thirdly – Be realistic and have a treat<br />
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If you are dying to have a bar of chocolate, oh for goodness sakes just have one already! This is not a starvation diet, but a healthy lifestyle where you are completely free to eat whatever you like so long as you moderate the baddies.<br />
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_162" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03049.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-162" height="225" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03049.jpg?w=300&h=225" title="Organic frozen yoghurt treat" width="300" /></a> <div class="wp-caption-text">Organic frozen yoghurt treat with fruit and fudge topping</div></div><br />
And by moderating the baddies, all you need to do is measure in order to count the cost of their impact. A simple example would be to use 3 tablespoons of olive oil in your stew instead of lugging half the bottle into your dish.<br />
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Watch this space for the 7 day plan and for an update on how I am getting on with it.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-76211432035589619732011-09-05T16:05:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:05:27.479-07:00The AC Diet: Tomato Stew BasePart of my <a href="http://www.africaontheblog.com/tomato-stew-base/"><span style="color: #265e15;">africaontheblog</span></a> afrocentric diet series….<br />
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When it comes to Afro centric cooking, especially in West African kitchens, there is one basic recipe which is absolutely essential in laying the foundation for most dishes. It is a tomato based sauce which I call the tomato stew base. This sauce is essentially what makes the centre of most stews, sauces and even jollof rice. It can make cooking a much quicker task if you have made a large batch; it keeps well in the freezer and can be available on demand.<br />
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_215" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/dsc03241.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-215" height="225" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/dsc03241.jpg?w=300&h=225" title="Tomato stew base" width="300" /></a> <div class="wp-caption-text">Tomato stew base</div></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>Use the following ingredients. I like to use fresh tomatoes for their natural sweetness instead of the canned ones which can sometimes have a sour taste.<br />
1 large onion<br />
Garlic<br />
Ginger<br />
Scotch bonnet peppers<br />
1 tbsp tomato puree<br />
4 large fresh tomatoes/1 canned tomato<br />
Olive oil<br />
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Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. You may be tempted to use double or even three times that amount but remember the oil is not going anywhere but onto your hips, so use it sparingly and count to cost of each tablespoon of oil you add.<br />
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Fry the onions until golden brown. If you are like me, then you like them with a hint of rawness. Add the garlic and ginger a few seconds before adding your tomato puree. My mom always told me that I need to make sure the tomato puree fries for a good amount of time to reduce the acidic taste. Add the tomatoes and scotch bonnet peppers. (If your kitchen is equipped with a blender, you would have simply added the pepper and ginger to the tomatoes and blitzed them all together). Now allow the stew base to simmer and reduce. Make sure you have a pot cover handy, as it often becomes very hot and messy whilst simmering the stew base. Do this for about 15 to 20 minutes, stir continuously to make sure it is not burning.<br />
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Another thing Mama tells me, “Once you notice a little of the oil settling to the top, your stew base is done.” Don’t worry too much about this detail, I don’t.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-80473845074606854452011-09-05T15:59:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:06:19.470-07:00The Afro-Cosmopolitan DietHere’s an entry I posted on africaontheblog the other day, entitled <a href="http://www.africaontheblog.com/the-afrocentric-diet/"><span style="color: #265e15;">“The Afrocentic Diet”</span></a>.<br />
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_207" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/dsc02550.jpg"><img alt="Tilapia, shito and fried rice at Bojo Beach Resort, Accra, Ghana" class="size-medium wp-image-207" height="169" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/dsc02550.jpg?w=300&h=169" title="Tilapia, shito and fried rice at Bojo Beach Resort, Accra, Ghana" width="300" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Tilapia, shito and fried rice at Bojo Beach Resort, Accra, Ghana</div></div><br />
For those of you out there who know me and what I am like when I am relaxing at home, you will know very well that one of my favourite pass times is cooking. I have decided to shift gears a little bit and share more about my love of cooking… and eating. It is a very safe topic for me to blog about and will ensure I stay out of trouble… for a little while at least.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Well, I went completely tomato crazy this week when I suddenly decided that I just had to get my hands on red, orange and yellow tomatoes. Read <a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/how-to-find-red-orange-and-yellow-tomatoes/" target="_blank" title="How to find Red, Orange and Yellow Tomatoes"><span style="color: #265e15;">here</span></a> to see where I found them.<br />
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Now that I finally had them, almost 3 kilo grams of them, I realised I had to put them to good use. I will share what I made with the tomatoes over a series of posts on my blog, where you can view all the steps in photos. I have made pasta sauces and followed a recipe inspired by a celebrity chef, but I will reserve the recipes with the African flavour for Africaontheblog.<br />
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As I write, I have to ask myself, “What makes a dish Afrocentric?” I think there are 2 answers to that question. The first is that we will always get the very traditional meals which are authentically linked to a country or region. Meals like jollof (Nigeria), fufu (Ghana), ugali (Uganda: the widely eaten African white polenta if you like), guru ne matumbu (Zimbabwe) and seswaa (Botswana). The second factor which makes a meal Afrocentric is the actual ingredients. Ofcourse our standard onion and tomato based stews could easily be Italian, but what makes it different is what we add, and perhaps, as a third factor, how we present and eat the dish. Included in my recipes reserved for AOTB are dishes made with ingredients such as Palm Oil, scotch bonnet chillies, goat and other key ingredients I will share as I cook.<br />
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Just as an aside, Palm Oil for one, is a very unique ingredient. And I am talking about palm oil in its natural unrefined state, where it is red in colour. This is very different to the palm oil which has been exported out of Malaysia and Indonesia as one of the world’s cheapest vegetable oils; a highly sought after commodity, and widely used in soaps, cosmetics and confectionary. The high demand and production of this refined, deodorised and bleached form of palm oil has been viewed as unsustainable and damaging to the environment, <em>its impacts include: deforestation, habitat loss of critically endangered species such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan" target="_blank" title="Orangutan"><span style="color: #265e15;">Orangutan</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatran_Tiger" target="_blank" title="Sumatran Tiger"><span style="color: #265e15;">Sumatran Tiger</span></a>, and a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. (source: Wikipedia) </em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQF7-bNk1ozB3VPx1vAjLsKv61348VRHsEfrfgBtO99lIQmPFUskfVkO79WkB4tcDfmHy4VwX8u1QVBEpbo_7zR-_km0-dO2tvir0mpkEBUskDLv7hnDiqVisLN60PwtJJ2YT8WnJfqY/s1600/DSC03203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQF7-bNk1ozB3VPx1vAjLsKv61348VRHsEfrfgBtO99lIQmPFUskfVkO79WkB4tcDfmHy4VwX8u1QVBEpbo_7zR-_km0-dO2tvir0mpkEBUskDLv7hnDiqVisLN60PwtJJ2YT8WnJfqY/s320/DSC03203.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
But back to my palm oil; red and with a distinct smokey smell in its natural unrefined state. This is what I am growing to love and appreciate about nutrition from “back home.” The afrocentric diet is filled with natural and unrefined ingredients. You seldom hear of surgery ingredients, highly refined grains and processed foods as part of our staple diet. There is certainly something to be said about this, and I wonder whether we can teach the world about a better way to eat. I will explore this as well on my blog.<br />
Until the next post, please tell me “What makes a dish Afrocentric” for you?<br />
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Follow this <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114417865391226224281/GoatKebabs#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #265e15;">link</span></a> for photos giving you a sneak preview of the recipes coming your way.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-86042412003264254922011-09-05T15:55:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:06:45.049-07:00Pasta a la “Prawninara”Well, I am not Italian so if pasta and prawns has got a more original name than the above, accept my sincere apologies. In this happy place, we accept that we are allowed to make up words for things that may already exist.<br />
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_186" style="width: 235px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/img-20110619-00046.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-186" height="300" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/img-20110619-00046.jpg?w=225&h=300" title="Pasta a la Prawninara" width="225" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Pasta topped with prawns in organic tomato based pasta sauce</div></div><span id="more-185"></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>I bought about 3 kilos of organic tomatoes the other day, and this recipe is a part of my <a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/how-to-find-red-orange-and-yellow-tomatoes/" title="How to find Red, Orange and Yellow Tomatoes"><span style="color: #265e15;">red, orange and yellow tomatoes</span></a> series and what I made with them.<br />
Tonight I made what I would call one of the easiest meals ever. Remember, I go for simple, quick and tasty as I am a working mum and life can get hectic. Pasta has always been a favourite for when I want to get in, cook and get out of the kitchen. I used my wonderful tomatoes for this meal too. You will need:<br />
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3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or fry light for the oil conscious<br />
1 onion diced<br />
2 cloves garlic chopped<br />
3 tomatoes<br />
1 tbsp tomato puree<br />
360g of prawns (2 packs from Sainsbury’s usually)<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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<a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dsc02857.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-190" height="169" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dsc02857.jpg?w=300&h=169" title="Adding prawns to pasta sauce" width="300" /></a><br />
Boil your pasta in a sauce pan. While it is cooking, saute the onions in the olive oil, add the garlic and stir for a minute. I like to keep my ingredients with some fresh bite still in them. Add the tomato paste and stir to cook it. My mum always told me that frying tomato paste gives it a better taste and reduces its sourness. Add the tomatoes and stir. The tomatoes will reduce shortly. After 5 minutes, add the prawns and cook through. Strain the cooked pasta, serve your prawninara on it, cheese if you like and top with fresh basil leaves.<br />
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Voila! Your meal is done!<br />
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_187" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dsc02877.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-187" height="169" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dsc02877.jpg?w=300&h=169" title="Warm and cold salad" width="300" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Ever tried mixing your salad with warm veggies?</div></div><br />
As always, it is best served with a third of your plate full of fresh green vegetables, steamed or a salad. Happy eating.<br />
See <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114417865391226224281/PastaALaPrawninara?authkey=Gv1sRgCOaatPjN1sLMLQ#"><span style="color: #265e15;">here</span></a> for more step by step photos.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-49780519898901426962011-09-05T15:53:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:07:19.585-07:00Red Mackerel StewWell, I went completely tomato crazy when I suddenly decided that I just had to get my hands on red, orange and yellow tomatoes as described in my <a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/how-to-find-red-orange-and-yellow-tomatoes/" title="How to find Red, Orange and Yellow Tomatoes"><span style="color: #265e15;">previous</span></a> post.<br />
Now that I finally had them, almost 3 kilo grams of them, I realised I had to put them to good use. I will share what I made with the tomatoes over a series of posts where you can view all the steps in photos. Some recipes are my own and some are inspired by celebrity chefs.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_175" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03212.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-175" height="225" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03212.jpg?w=300&h=225" title="Red Mackerel Stew" width="300" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Red fresh mackerel stew, made with palm oil</div></div><span id="more-173"></span><br />
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Today I am going to share a recipe I posted on <a href="http://www.africaontheblog.com/red-fresh-mackerel-stew/"><span style="color: #265e15;">Africaontheblog</span></a>. This is one of the quick dishes I make if I have to cook after a hard day’s work. We all know how a modern working mum and wife with a taste for good old “home food” has to juggle her career, motherhood and family all at once, and time is of the essence. This meal is my adaptation of what my mother would have cooked for us at home, a Ghanaian inspired dish. It is quick and easy and will not stress you out if you cook it in the middle of the working week.<br />
Fresh Mackerel Red Stew<br />
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This is in fact a very simple dish. There is so much more you can do with it; add coriander or add more of your favourite spices, but the natural flavours of the ingredients are simply enough to give you that authentic fusion of West African influence.<br />
Chop 1 onion<br />
Chop 2 red tomatoes<br />
Chop a fresh red chilli<br />
1 tbsp tomato puree<br />
1 clove of garlic<br />
1 tsp fresh ginger<br />
2 de-boned mackerel halved<br />
2 to 3 tbsp palm oil, sit in hot water if it is solid<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_176" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03202.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-176" height="225" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03202.jpg?w=300&h=225" title="Onions in Palm Oil" width="300" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Onions in smokey palm oil</div></div>Fry the onions, garlic and ginger in the palm oil. I like everything with a touch a raw freshness to it still, so don’t worry about browning the onions unless you love them caramelised. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, fry for a minute then add the fresh tomatoes and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add your seasoning, simply sea salt will do the trick. Add the mackerel and allow to brown for 5 minutes on each side. Be careful not to mash the fish.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_177" style="width: 310px;"><a href="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03208.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-177" height="225" src="http://myburntorange.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc03208.jpg?w=300&h=225" title="Mackerel in stew" width="300" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Add Mackerel to stew</div></div>Add the chillies and serve on a bed of rice. Throw on a simple salad on the side. Salads in many parts of Africa will consist of the African style of cucumber (you know what I mean right?) and some sliced onions. The closest I got to this was an ordinary English cucumber and red onions, but it did just the trick to get me thinking of having a meal as though I was back in Accra. Happy eating.<br />
Follow this <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114417865391226224281/RedMackerelStew?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMG-6P2PlIyrMg&feat=directlink"><span style="color: #265e15;">link</span></a> for more step by step photos in this series.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-30725301793458528512011-07-27T04:46:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:08:05.246-07:00How to find Red, Orange and Yellow TomatoesAnd green, and brown or coca cola coloured to be exact.<br />
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Well, this is the dilemma I faced after I watched <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="homepage" title="Barefoot Contessa"><span style="color: #265e15;">Barefoot Contessa</span></a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="wikipedia" title="Ina Garten"><span style="color: #265e15;">Ina Garten</span></a>, putting together some burgers and those wonderfully coloured <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="wikipedia" title="Tomato"><span style="color: #265e15;">tomatoes</span></a>. I could not get them off my mind, and as I have got a BIG FOOD weekend coming on soon, I thought it would be great for my family and friends to not only eat with their mouths, but with their eyes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEi9nilnYzi9TTLPruD0Txk-c0qc7Id4nUE0s_yr551hUIFKzOA0o_NMWacxJkdKl3CP0amfD1-ArQPxFH6eu1OoSK1P8-TWhRsCsJ6vDAmabNaXg0Vwa4205LEKsniurU9EWm3wEKgY/s320/DSC03196.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I went on the hunt.<br />
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My first stop was <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="geolocation" title="Sainsbury's"><span style="color: #265e15;">Sainsbury’s</span></a> as I know they stock red and yellow cherry tomatoes. In the past, these were found easily at <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="homepage" title="Waitrose"><span style="color: #265e15;">Waitrose</span></a>. These were not what I was looking for. I needed the full sized tomatoes. I then went to my bookshelf, picked up my <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="geolocation" title="London"><span style="color: #265e15;">London’s</span></a> Market Guide (Metro Guides) and looked up farmers markets. But even this was not enough. Most farmer’s markets are open only on Saturdays and this was not good enough for me. I turned to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400" rel="homepage" title="Google"><span style="color: #265e15;">Google!</span></a> I looked up London <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400"><span style="color: #265e15;">Farmer’s Market</span></a> and looked for what I could buy. I browsed the vegetable and salad section and voila! I came across the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1638195400"><span style="color: #265e15;">Tomato Stall</span></a>! They had all kinds of tomatoes, in all shapes, sizes and colours. Now I was hooked, I just had to get my hands on these tomatoes.<br />
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I mentioned before that most farmers markets are open only on Saturdays; which did not work for me. I decided to give The Tomato Stall a call to find out where else I could find them. They mentioned I may have a bit of luck by getting in touch with Wholefoods. I did just that. I phoned up Wholefoods, asked the all important question and within 20 minutes I was at their store to purchase my assortment of tomatoes. I picked out red ones, orange ones, yellow ones, green ones, small to medium and large sizes. I went completely tomato crazy. £14 pounds later, I had just under 3 kg of tomatoes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/how-to-find-red-orange-and-yellow-tomatoes/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMiFN0eALqP92jNMXeV3CFHZ5_f_xqN1eVxg06zXCm5vQCoS29qVSx-bUPBPmHbbatJ3DGtrRMj1_uhFigGUfGpklNoBY8zK3zviYR0X74OaB-7Mf9RHbgES2w4IHjPP8xm9VmWQHfIA/s320/DSC03199.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
What did I do with them? Stay tuned and read the next post to find out.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-52399921046260967362011-07-27T03:43:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:08:32.609-07:00Celebrate good times… Come on!When it comes to enjoying life, and just living and loving it, you don’t have to over complicate things or come up with something elaborate to make your free moment memorable. Life is far too precious for you to get stressed out actually trying to think of something fun and relaxing to so.<br />
Let these simple ideas inspire you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_276516353" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzerE_I38PCS1_C6YQyrZr7KYA8NykUJv7QhXB9s6axi6mA1-hVE1KxD46eLTTHDZuD2vL8eZaqZ1DRbyw9DcJCsfihL-LGPtZJWsJf-gUCrClWvP_f1IWCF1mmt-yZ56L7hKDUEQP2sI/s320/DSC03119.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a name='more'></a>Drink champagne when you are thirsty… with your friends and loved ones to celebrate an achievement or simply the end of a long hard-working week.<br />
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Meet up with your mates for a night out, have some good food, perhaps a place you have never tried before but know is good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_276516353" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenUAXsjAdOqwWkn4tyvVl6mq9LE-dYOnoDppgmWTTnBaWq9-usatMMVnK-jVjaPZDs37lJKNffxm5WDn0lOpj1Uq6lZTqQ9B2AiCa2vmGIpemTLUytFBKMklc3jQNK_yOH54XuS7h8X4/s320/DSC03098.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And don’t forget if you do have a fun side, a refreshing cocktail like this, with a touch of fruit can always do the trick.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/celebrate-good-times-come-on/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgnd2E_HV-gCWGF75jnEiovSQa6KsWU6UJsWYEwWBHuVIRLKoqWfunMVeSVfqICUoutxDrO4MWeWvo0A7IwvCPk2OKRlWKJX0udHUAnPnyze92d6aBZmnEpCus4x5RIyJCCcHgqVJ_I4/s320/DSC03095.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
However it is you choose to spend your time unwinding and sharing with your loved ones, capture it in pictures to remind yourself that you actually do have a life and live it!<br />
*please be responsible when consuming alcoholic beverages, a non acoholic drink or cocktail is easily as fun.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-7283439487232223792011-07-27T03:39:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:08:58.311-07:00High, low or medium maintenance?Have you ever walked over to your closet and realised how much stuff you have actually got? Have you ever wondered, “Where is this from?”, “How was it made?”, “Who made it?” and “How much did they get for their blood, sweat and tears?”<br />
Well, we have just done that, and pulled out a few of our favourite things. Voila!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1260855959" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD9_NwgrRDDpuOJu1La5NgiluvxxB-278j0kwu3DRTFBnaSkS8zfhBW7ebSDDeRyqvvqq4zllDOVvBcW-7p7ThAy3y5jdk98fcIaS7DfNPweNFCnnDdw0kAYIEGOK4QmDtzykyZLIqU0/s320/DSC03174.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The above selection has got a Ninewest handbag from about 5 seasons ago, Melissa for Vivienne Westwood Shoes and a pashmina from Oman.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1260855959" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSA5X5FzFxo2T9IXzd7s1kkfmI588-obK7WszAC97xmBICdu76iUNdfn9hbAo-NxfkT3HWf8kMoD9oe1FN_zzOiOzuiIib4DrlKuHrqV445bU5a-wpodHbTG6Sorw0ebvschA3P6Cldo/s320/DSC03180.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This selection is a Jessica Simpson bag and a lovely belt from Witchery, an Australian brand.<br />
We pulled out a few more things and found these.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/high-low-or-medium-maintenance/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEM7o9wej4wqOz8wKOj4Ua5EBHDJdhyphenhyphen6no1UaCaKoDb9hQAxVuAx1CYOmqrCAdFt4BNo3u1jCq1084afXItdN2-nIxe7t0xHOB3oQTQhSuFkZslDj4LYMT7j7zhKJi1E4jPZJ5QdCQhs/s320/DSC03193.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A sensational wild silk scarf, a cotton bag and a couple of pieces of bead jewellery. What price tag would you put on the above selection and what does that say about you? Are you a high, low or medium maintenance kind of person?myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-1627163852872181952011-07-27T03:31:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:09:29.271-07:00Creating AtmosphereWould you really like to add something special to the atmosphere of your home? Start with your imagination.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1211396234" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13yo0wI7mLh4lrBmzksSrd1FJbajXNLe_irx5YmoGNjZkFjzI3DgCo1wdt3EBwIyuulYpFIM3mW8LClWontBLdQncpPdJBZkFIvXw8uamYaEoa9JUBc7G-vKmoe61mXa2WhAKbf57daA/s1600/atmosphere.jpg" t$="true" /></a></div><br />
It is Friday night, it is raining and you are having a night in. You may be by yourself or you may have invited friends over for dinner. What could you possibly do to liven up the atmosphere in your home? A fire would be nice, but that is one luxury we cannot all have.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1211396234" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZgv2VtjcIVb2EeTB_PjG-8lxcUahmyMZXR3wZlB99JI0t1LAgngrhXkAzbfCZ9I9Bvke6wCszb1jalwZ_uzuO7Key9LSMzUR1hOb1iVlCXN1a1dUc4yjU8pAWAU_dFiuhI_wkdl1i9c/s320/Eagle.jpg" t$="true" width="238" /></a></div><br />
Turn on some music. Something smoothe. Try some jazz for a change. Listen to the soundtrack of What Women Want and just allow yourself to relax and unwind. If you are feeling the love, you could always try some smooth jazz or afrobeats. Now, turn on the lights!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/creating-atmosphere/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo28mF1RUlzKXLpnAidsD4yD8XNuf0xU4f6ep7xlYYU3ftVrSnElbFg1EbiQ3yIuPRLCoAHMVb6i7BS1xIEm5FRVLJdamTYeXrcJaaE7781RwUbuTkPjxaa4oFtIO6gWZZWpTEpYMcmFM/s320/IMG-20110619-00047.jpg" t$="true" width="240" /></a></div><br />
These hand-made lamps from Zimbabwe have always done the trick for a few of our friends. They are not complicated, just very cleverly made from an old piece of plastic pipe with a lightbulb stuck inside.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221515484732769442.post-38896211975337667132011-07-27T03:26:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:09:49.147-07:00Enter My Burnt Orange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://myburntorange.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/hello-world/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_5ahGDoIXwwv-M5X9GIdRFBuXZQhaGT17sAKLwbmbHdEz9HPUrxJLwOd49CB_wHQqcxnmBkhdQZn4vmQ1izjnyK-TCLry4vlZ9C4H0NtchIhBYvFfz_lfeAWX7CLI6t-Nk9JF83g1C8/s320/myburntorangeheader.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Welcome to My Burnt Orange. This is a blog intended to celebrate a few of our favourite things that are bound to warm your heart. Browse through My Burnt Orange for some inspiration from the colourful photos taken of dishes and various food markets to some visual arrangements which could inspire your home and lifestyle.myburntorangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732881621817394136noreply@blogger.com0