Sometimes, while cooking, I realize that I am out of an ingredient. Did you know that you can almost always substitute an ingredient in a recipe? An added perk - sometimes, the substitution may be even healthier for you.
Here are some healthier substitutions for cheeses:
Cream cheese - American Neufchatel (don't confuse it with French)
Brie - Camembert
Gruyere - Swiss
Havarti - Gouda
Cook your own pumpkin
You can make your own pumpkin puree very easily. Buy a sugar or pie pumpkin (don’t use the big pumpkins that you carve — they don’t taste good), cut in half and remove the seeds. Brush the inside of the pumpkin halves with vegetable or olive oil. Place them on a large rimmed baking sheet, cut side down, and pour in about 1 cup of water. Bake the pumpkin at 350ºF until tender (it can take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin). Let it cool, then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, and puree it in a blender or food processor. You’ll get about 1 cup of puree per pound of pumpkin. Pumpkin freezes well and can be used in recipes later in the winter.
How to recycle your CFL bulbs
We have been slowly replacing our old lightbulbs with energy-saving Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs. Today, our first CFL burned. Since CFLs contain mercury (look for symbol Hg on the lightbulb to confirm whether it contains mercury or not), they CANNOT be disposed in your regular garbage. Click on the link here to learn how to dispose of your used not-broken CFLs.
Wedding Photography
Photography is one of the most important things on your wedding day. You want all of your precious moments and memories to be captured for future generations. However, with some professional photographers charging up to $10,000, what a bride to do to get her wedding memories preserved? You would be surprised how many other options there are besides having your aunt Rose taking amateur shots… Of course, there is nothing wrong with having your guests take amateur pictures. However, please do not rely solely on those or you will regret it for the rest of your life. If you are on a budget, as most brides are these days, consider supplementing your amateur photos with some taken by a professional photographer hired only for few hours. Here are some suggestions on how to get the best wedding photographs without breaking a bank:
1. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL ONLY TO SHOOT & ASK FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL IMAGES ON A DISK
3. RETOUCH PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE PROFESSIONAL AND GUESTS AFTER THE WEDDING
When you get your high-resolutions digitals from the professional photographer, they will be unedited and not retouched. The same goes for your guests’ amateur photos. If you are using Snapfish or other photo sites, some basic retouching such as color correction and cropping is offered to you for free.
Here are some sites where you can get more advanced retouching and editing -
If you’re really on a budget, there are many free photo editing programs that you can download. These programs give you basic image editing features to perform standard photo enhancement tasks. Click here for a list of top 10 Budget Photo Editors for Windows (PhotoScape, GIMP for Windows, Paint.NET, Serif PhotoPlus, Pixia, VCW VicMan's Photo Editor, PhotoFiltre, Ultimate Paint, ImageForge, Picasa).
5. MAKE YOUR OWN ALBUMS
If you purchase the digital files from the photographer, you can make your own photo albums through any of the photo sites such as Snapfish, etc. If you purchase the albums from the photographer, they would cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars (albeit, the photographer’s albums are of better quality and may last a little longer, but then you have your own CD/DVD with all the images – you can always reprint your albums in the future if their quality suffers over time). Here are some other sites through which you can make your own albums:
Have fun!
1. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL ONLY TO SHOOT & ASK FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL IMAGES ON A DISK
- It seems that gone are the days when the wedding photographs consisted solely of formal unnatural posed shots. Yet, the photographers who were trained in that style are still around, and you can find one for very little money (even as little as few hundred dollars for 6-8 hours of work!). However, if you're like me, I prefer a more photojournalistic, story-telling, non-intruding style – which is more artistic and therefore expensive. An experienced professional who takes photojournalistic photos can charge up to $10,000 (depending on location), but you can find a less experienced (yet with some experience) photographer on Craigslist at a fraction of a cost. Just make sure you review their work (and their blogs) and interview several photographers to pick from.
- If the photographer can be retained by the hour, consider hiring him/her only for the hours you need and insist on getting all high-resolution images on CD/DVD.
- If the photographer only offers packages, purchase only the basic/budget package and insist on getting all high-resolution negatives on a CD/DVD. This is where you will save a lot of money. You can print your own pictures from the digital negatives at a fraction of a cost.
- Consider calling your local school and asking for a student photographer. They may need to build their portfolios and you will get your wedding pictures at a fraction of a cost.
- Browse bridal blogs in your area and search for recommendations from other brides. In fact, that is how I found our photographer.
- Attend local bridal shows to get recommendations.
3. RETOUCH PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE PROFESSIONAL AND GUESTS AFTER THE WEDDING
When you get your high-resolutions digitals from the professional photographer, they will be unedited and not retouched. The same goes for your guests’ amateur photos. If you are using Snapfish or other photo sites, some basic retouching such as color correction and cropping is offered to you for free.
Here are some sites where you can get more advanced retouching and editing -
399retouch.com
Charges $9.99 for Standard Cosmetic Retouch per photo with 1 person to be retouched – retouch will include things such as dark areas under the eyes, yellowed teeth, minor wrinkles and scars. For $3.99, you can get cropping and color correction of your photos (but remember that you can also get those services at photo sites such as Snapfish for free). The site also offers wholesale retouching prices on 25 or more images. You must certify that you either own the copyright (i.e. you or your guest took the photo) or have permission of the copyright owner (i.e. professional photographer) to have them modified by 399Retouch.com.
photohand.com
Photo retouching starts at $3.50 for simple, $5.95 for moderate and $11.95 for complex retouching. The site also offers photo restoration services (starting at $11.95 for simple, $24.95 for moderate and $37.95 for complex) and photo book design that starts with $6.00 per page for design only or $9.00 per page for design and retouching.
Retouchassistant.com
The site charged $5.00 for “flagship retouch” - all of standard facial retouching such as stray hairs, softening bags under eyes, removing blemishes, whitening teeth/eyes, removing a second catch light, softening facial glare, etc. For $10.00, you can get all of the above retouches plus more extensive work such as eye enhancement, removing bags under the eyes, wrinkles, opening eyes, swapping heads, etc. For $20.00, in addition to the above services, you can add or remove people, recover images (under/over exposed images), slim your body and add other glamour retouching. All prices are flat per photo no matter how many people are in the photo.
Photorelive.com
The site charges $6.99 for face smoothing, color correction and some enhancements; $9.99 for wide retouching, skin smoothing and full body enhancements; $14.99 for technical work such as torn photos, colorizing, black & white. Make sure to check out special “offers” on the bottom of the page.
Retouchmax.com
All retouches are $10.00.
Carranddash.com4. DO-IT-YOURSELF EDITING AND RETOUCHING
$39 for artistic photo-retouching per photo. Although it is the more expensive service, you may want to get a couple of those very fancy artistic wedding photos.
If you’re really on a budget, there are many free photo editing programs that you can download. These programs give you basic image editing features to perform standard photo enhancement tasks. Click here for a list of top 10 Budget Photo Editors for Windows (PhotoScape, GIMP for Windows, Paint.NET, Serif PhotoPlus, Pixia, VCW VicMan's Photo Editor, PhotoFiltre, Ultimate Paint, ImageForge, Picasa).
5. MAKE YOUR OWN ALBUMS
If you purchase the digital files from the photographer, you can make your own photo albums through any of the photo sites such as Snapfish, etc. If you purchase the albums from the photographer, they would cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars (albeit, the photographer’s albums are of better quality and may last a little longer, but then you have your own CD/DVD with all the images – you can always reprint your albums in the future if their quality suffers over time). Here are some other sites through which you can make your own albums:
Have fun!
Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna
1 jar 26 oz marinara sauce
Lasagna noodles
20 oz frozen spinach (or use canned spinach)
1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1.5 tsp dried basil
8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (do NOT use fat-free)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
3.75 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Soak noodles in hot water until soft for about 10 minutes. Squeeze dry the thawed spinach in a colander. Set aside. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and saute mushrooms until well browned, 5-7 minutes. Add spinach, stir and remove from heat. Stir in basil, cream cheese and 1/4 cup broth or water. Smear 1/4 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish, then make layers in the following order:
- lasagna noodles
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- some vegetable filling
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Top it off with the last noodles, 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover with foil loosely. Bake at 400 on the lower-middle rack until bubbly, about 40-45 minutes. Uncover and turn oven to broil leaving the pan on the same rack. Broil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes. Cut in squares and serve.
To make your own marinara sauce for this recipe: saute 3 minced garlic cloves over medium heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until garlic starts to sizzle. Add one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock. The sauce should be neither thin nor gloppy. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for about 10 minutes (this will make 3 cups of sauce).
Lasagna noodles
20 oz frozen spinach (or use canned spinach)
1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1.5 tsp dried basil
8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (do NOT use fat-free)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
3.75 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Soak noodles in hot water until soft for about 10 minutes. Squeeze dry the thawed spinach in a colander. Set aside. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and saute mushrooms until well browned, 5-7 minutes. Add spinach, stir and remove from heat. Stir in basil, cream cheese and 1/4 cup broth or water. Smear 1/4 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish, then make layers in the following order:
- lasagna noodles
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- some vegetable filling
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Top it off with the last noodles, 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover with foil loosely. Bake at 400 on the lower-middle rack until bubbly, about 40-45 minutes. Uncover and turn oven to broil leaving the pan on the same rack. Broil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes. Cut in squares and serve.
To make your own marinara sauce for this recipe: saute 3 minced garlic cloves over medium heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until garlic starts to sizzle. Add one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock. The sauce should be neither thin nor gloppy. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for about 10 minutes (this will make 3 cups of sauce).
Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 lbs. tomatoes, cored and cut in half
1/2 large onion, chopped
Any other vegetables (zucchini, peppers, carrots, celery, etc.)
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of each dried thyme, oregano, basil,or use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper
Pour olive oil into large roasting pan. Cut the tomatoes in halves and place the cut side down into some of the oil and slide it to the edge of the pan. Repeat with all the tomatoes until the pans are full with a single layer of tomatoes and the oil has been distributed evenly. Scatter chopped onions over the pans, tucking them into the crevices. Add other vegetables, if any. Drizzle balsamic vinegar. Add garlic and any other herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 45 minutes at 400 or until vegetables are soft. Remove skins with tongs, as desired. Process briefly in a blender or processor for a chunky sauce, or more for a smooth sauce. Use right away, or pour into quart-size freezer containers leaving an inch or two for expansion, date and label before freezing. Makes about 2 quarts.
6 lbs. tomatoes, cored and cut in half
1/2 large onion, chopped
Any other vegetables (zucchini, peppers, carrots, celery, etc.)
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of each dried thyme, oregano, basil,or use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper
Pour olive oil into large roasting pan. Cut the tomatoes in halves and place the cut side down into some of the oil and slide it to the edge of the pan. Repeat with all the tomatoes until the pans are full with a single layer of tomatoes and the oil has been distributed evenly. Scatter chopped onions over the pans, tucking them into the crevices. Add other vegetables, if any. Drizzle balsamic vinegar. Add garlic and any other herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 45 minutes at 400 or until vegetables are soft. Remove skins with tongs, as desired. Process briefly in a blender or processor for a chunky sauce, or more for a smooth sauce. Use right away, or pour into quart-size freezer containers leaving an inch or two for expansion, date and label before freezing. Makes about 2 quarts.
Wine and Champagne picks for your party
The following suggestions were compiled for my wedding but you can adopt them for any party...
Red, white, or rosé wine?
Consider serving equal amounts of one red and one white wine if the reception includes a meal or hors d'oeuvres. If you want to pour just one wine with the meal, go with a dry rosé.
Top White Wine Picks:
Sauvignon Blanc:
2007 Geyser Peak California Sauvignon Blanc ($12.00 per bottle)
2007 Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($12.00)
Pinot Grigio:
2007 Nobilo Regional Collection East Coast Pinot Gris, New Zealand ($13)
2006 Four Graces Dundee Hills Pinot Gris, Oregon ($18)
Chardonnay:
2007 Valley of the Moon Russian River Valley Unoaked Chardonnay ($16)
2006 Beringer Stanly Ranch Carneros Chardonnay ($20)
Top Red Wine Picks:
Cabernet Sauvignon:
2005 Charles Krug Peter Mondavi Family Yountville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($26)
2005 Three Thieves The Show California Cabernet Sauvignon ($13)
Pinot Noir:
2006 Belle Vallée Willamette Valley Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, Oregon ($16)
2006 Sebastiani Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California ($18)
2005 Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet Mercurey ($23)
Rose Wines:
2007 Beckmen Vineyards Purisima Mountain Vineyard Santa Ynez Grenache Rosé ($18)
2007 Frog's Leap La Grenouille Rouganté Napa Valley ($14)
2006 Mas de Gourgonnier Rosé, France ($16)
Top Sparkling Wine Picks:
Zonin Special Cuvee Brut Prosecco ($11)
Maschio Cavalieri dei Valdobbiadene Brut ($20)
Greg Norman Estates Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Australia ($15)
Top Champagne Picks:
Piper-Heidsieck Brut ($33)
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut ($30)
Janisson & Fils Tradition Brut ($34)
Top Sparkling Wines to be served with dessert:
Most sparkling wines are labeled "brut"- i.e. they're quite dry and contain less than 1.5% sugar. Therefore, look for a "demi-sec" sparkling wine with 3.3%-5% sugar to complement the dessert:
Mumm Napa Valley Cuvee M ($19)
2004 Schramsberg California Cremant Demi-Sec ($37)
2006 Ceretto Moscato di Asti Santo Stefano, Italy ($19)
Consider the season of your event:
Spring and Summer events: Select brisk white wines, dry rosés, and light- to medium-bodied red wines. Brisk whites include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay, Riesling, and sparkling wines. Medium-bodied reds include Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Italian Valpolicella, Spanish Rioja, and Rhone Valley Côtes du Rhône.
Winter and Fall Events: Select heavier Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and Zinfandel wines.
How much wine to buy?
It is better to have too much wine than not enough. You can always take the remaining bottles home for future parties. The standard 750-ml wine bottle holds 5 servings of wine. The Champagne or Sparkling Wine bottle will yield 6 servings (since it is served in flutes). Each guest will consume 1/2 bottle of wine every 2 hours. Therefore, consider having 1 bottle per person for a 4-hour party. Some people will drink more, some less and some not at all.
Reliable brands that consistently deliver good quality at very fair prices are:
California: Chateau St. Jean, Geyser Peak, Joel Gott, Kendall Jackson, Rosenblum, Sebastiani
Washington: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Hogue, Reininger
Oregon: Argyle, A to Z Wineworks, Belle Vallée, Firesteed
Australia: Greg Norman Estates, McWilliam's, Rosemount, Yalumba
New Zealand: Brancott, Matua Valley, Villa Maria
France: E. Guigal, La Vieille Ferme, Louis Jadot, Perrin & Fils
Argentina: Alamos, Andeluna, Bodega Norton
Chile: Concha y Toro, Vina Santa Rita
Italy: Castello Banfi, Falesco
Spain: Bodegas Montecillo and Bodegas Muga
Other tips and suggestions:
Red, white, or rosé wine?
Consider serving equal amounts of one red and one white wine if the reception includes a meal or hors d'oeuvres. If you want to pour just one wine with the meal, go with a dry rosé.
Top White Wine Picks:
Sauvignon Blanc:
2007 Geyser Peak California Sauvignon Blanc ($12.00 per bottle)
2007 Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($12.00)
Pinot Grigio:
2007 Nobilo Regional Collection East Coast Pinot Gris, New Zealand ($13)
2006 Four Graces Dundee Hills Pinot Gris, Oregon ($18)
Chardonnay:
2007 Valley of the Moon Russian River Valley Unoaked Chardonnay ($16)
2006 Beringer Stanly Ranch Carneros Chardonnay ($20)
Top Red Wine Picks:
Cabernet Sauvignon:
2005 Charles Krug Peter Mondavi Family Yountville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($26)
2005 Three Thieves The Show California Cabernet Sauvignon ($13)
Pinot Noir:
2006 Belle Vallée Willamette Valley Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, Oregon ($16)
2006 Sebastiani Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California ($18)
2005 Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet Mercurey ($23)
Rose Wines:
2007 Beckmen Vineyards Purisima Mountain Vineyard Santa Ynez Grenache Rosé ($18)
2007 Frog's Leap La Grenouille Rouganté Napa Valley ($14)
2006 Mas de Gourgonnier Rosé, France ($16)
Top Sparkling Wine Picks:
Zonin Special Cuvee Brut Prosecco ($11)
Maschio Cavalieri dei Valdobbiadene Brut ($20)
Greg Norman Estates Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Australia ($15)
Top Champagne Picks:
Piper-Heidsieck Brut ($33)
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut ($30)
Janisson & Fils Tradition Brut ($34)
Top Sparkling Wines to be served with dessert:
Most sparkling wines are labeled "brut"- i.e. they're quite dry and contain less than 1.5% sugar. Therefore, look for a "demi-sec" sparkling wine with 3.3%-5% sugar to complement the dessert:
Mumm Napa Valley Cuvee M ($19)
2004 Schramsberg California Cremant Demi-Sec ($37)
2006 Ceretto Moscato di Asti Santo Stefano, Italy ($19)
Consider the season of your event:
Spring and Summer events: Select brisk white wines, dry rosés, and light- to medium-bodied red wines. Brisk whites include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay, Riesling, and sparkling wines. Medium-bodied reds include Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Italian Valpolicella, Spanish Rioja, and Rhone Valley Côtes du Rhône.
Winter and Fall Events: Select heavier Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and Zinfandel wines.
How much wine to buy?
It is better to have too much wine than not enough. You can always take the remaining bottles home for future parties. The standard 750-ml wine bottle holds 5 servings of wine. The Champagne or Sparkling Wine bottle will yield 6 servings (since it is served in flutes). Each guest will consume 1/2 bottle of wine every 2 hours. Therefore, consider having 1 bottle per person for a 4-hour party. Some people will drink more, some less and some not at all.
Reliable brands that consistently deliver good quality at very fair prices are:
California: Chateau St. Jean, Geyser Peak, Joel Gott, Kendall Jackson, Rosenblum, Sebastiani
Washington: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Hogue, Reininger
Oregon: Argyle, A to Z Wineworks, Belle Vallée, Firesteed
Australia: Greg Norman Estates, McWilliam's, Rosemount, Yalumba
New Zealand: Brancott, Matua Valley, Villa Maria
France: E. Guigal, La Vieille Ferme, Louis Jadot, Perrin & Fils
Argentina: Alamos, Andeluna, Bodega Norton
Chile: Concha y Toro, Vina Santa Rita
Italy: Castello Banfi, Falesco
Spain: Bodegas Montecillo and Bodegas Muga
Other tips and suggestions:
- Consider shopping at discount stores such as Costco and Sam's Club for the best deals.
- Keep your eye on local wine shops and supermarkets advertising specials.
- Discounters and large markets buy in huge quantities and thus get deals that they pass on to customers; mom-and-pop shops place smaller orders and don't get the same deals.
- Most stores give discounts on full-case purchases, usually ranging between 10%-20%.
- If the venue charges a corkage fee, consider negotiating it down.
- You can personalize your bottles with custom-design labels at website such as SignatureWines.com, PersonalWine.com, and Windsor Vineyards.
- Visit snooth.com for aggregated wine reviews from users or wineloverspage.com.
- If you have the time, buy few of the recommended wines and taste them at home before the party.
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