DEANES in Belfast

Our first dinner was at DEANES Restaurant, Michael Deanes flagship site and the only restaurant to receive a Michelin 1 Star rating in Belfast.

Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants offering the finest cooking, regardless of cuisine style.  Stars represent only what is on the plate.  They do not take into consideration interior decoration, service quality or table settings.

As our custom, when a restaurant offers a tasting menu paired with wine, we usually select it.  DEANES was no exception.  It is a great way to taste smaller portions of cuisine and wine.

Not only did we enjoy the tasting we discovered 2 cheeses from Ireland and witnessed love in bloom at the table next to us. More on that later.

We particularly loved the first pairing of Chilled gazpacho with crab & avocado paired with Sancerre Domaine Andre Dezat.

Now as we were waiting on our meat course we notice a gentleman 2 tables over being presented with the cheese selections for his Cheese Course.  Well we instantly decided that we would indulge after our meal was complete.

The meat tasting was Tapenade poached Lough Erne lamb & confit lamb belly, Pissaladière & artichoke barigoule and was a little disappointing I that for all the flavors on the plate there really wasn’t a “star”.  It was all beautifully cooked, just blaze’ in taste.

The next tasting course was Strawberry & watermelon soup, basil ice-cream which was quite delightful combinations of flavor and texture.  It was a nice palate cleanser for the chocolate dessert.

Valrhona chocolate & caramel tart, pistachio ice-cream & Amarena cherries was amazing in flavor and textures and paired with Fischer Trockenbeerenauslese sweet wine.  Excellent paring.

An now for the Cheese Course.  It was FABULOUS!  The two standouts were a smoked Knockanore from Waterford NI and Durrus from Lorck IE.  You will find those on one of my next Cheese Courses at home soon.

Our general consensus was that the kitchen had some issues with getting the food out in a timely manner.  Since this was on a Thursday night it wasn’t a full house.  Waiting 25 minutes between a few of the courses was a little weary.  Which since the Michelin Stars doesn’t have anything to do with service, that is something to be remembered.

Oh yes … I haven’t forgotten … Click to read about Love, One Table Over

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Maven Missive: Foods to Eat Every Day

As I have read more about diabetes, obesity and food related diseases it is important that we identify the food that make a difference in everyday health along with the superfoods.

Making those foods a staple in our pantry will make a difference in not only a change in what we reach for but the quality of our life now and 25 years from now.  So what are you going to tweak in your diet this week?

Tweak of the Week:  Foods to Eat Every Day


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Up Time America!

There is no need to say more after watching this!  It’s Up Time. Well said!

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Happy Valentines Day!

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An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! This is a saying that has stayed with us for many years. It is believed to have come from an ancient Roman proverb. The Romans truly believed the apple had magical powers to cure illnesses. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why this might be true.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028061_apple_doctor.html

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Understanding Cancer

I ran across this information and have not confirmed that it came from Johns Hopkins.  However it is information that is widely known and now compiled in one article.

To remain healthier and/or if I was diagnosed with cancer, I would want to understand everything possible.  I believe we are only as healthy as the food we choose to eat.  I liken our bodies to a Ferrari.  If I owned one I would never put substandard oil, gas, fluids in that vehicle.  Why?  It would not run at its full potential and would make the parts wear out quicker.  Our bodies are our God given Ferrari that will eventually wear out, of that we are certain.  But does it have to work overtime combating the chemicals and substandard food that we choose to eat?  It only makes our parts break down faster and sometime they cannot be repaired.

It is imperative that we become conscious eaters. Pay attention to the quality and the quantity of the food you eat.  You will be healthier for it!

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AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO COMBAT CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime.

3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc., and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

a)   Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.

b)   Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soymilk, cancer cells are being starved.

c)   Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d)   A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

e)   To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

f)     Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water–best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.  Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

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Mermaid or Whale?

I received this from my neighbor Michel and just had to share.  It gives us room for thought and a real reason to “enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.”

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Recently, in a large city in  Australia, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)
They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.
They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.
They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like  Patagonia  ,
the  Bering Sea and the coral reefs of  Polynesia  .
Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs.
They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.
They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist.
If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices
of psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?
They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex?
Just look at them … where is IT?
Therefore, they don’t have kids either.
Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.   So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!

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A Blog Vacation!

Ok … I have been on blog vacation!  Not planned, just happened.  Almost a computer/internet reprieve.  And it felt good!  Now back at it!

The last 24 days have been crazy … even for me.  It started  with driving to Biloxi (MS) to welcome 4 day

The Little Longhorn

Littlest Longhorn

old grandchild #6 to our family:  Nathan Tyler Johnson 8#11oz and 20 inches long.  Proud parents are Tyler and Savannah with big brother Dylan.  And yes, he had to have his own Longhorn shirt, just in time to wear while he watched (?) the game a few days later!  We spent Christmas with them then drove home to repack for New Years in New York City.

Chris Botti

Chris Botti

We arrived in NYC and our first night there we headed off to see Chris Botti perform at the Blue Note.  We have seen him three of the last four years there, as he is in residence at the Blue Note over Christmas and now New Years.  We make sure to see him on our way thru to other destinations even if we aren’t there for the entire holiday.  FYI – I took this picture with my iPhone and yes I was THAT close.  It is an amazingly intimate venue.  A must do if you are ever in New York.  After the show, I had him autograph his latest CD for me and one for my girlfriend Dianne, since the first time we both saw him live was at an event in Dallas seven years ago.

White Christmas

White Christmas

Then of course we crammed as much as we could into those few days.  We saw White Christmas on Broadway.  That was a treat as I remember watching it on TV or the video every New Years Eve.  Just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.  We discovered a few new restaurants and savored some of our favorites.

2009 New Years Eve

Times Square

Several years ago we decided that there were too many hotels in NYC to stay at the same one.  So we now try a new hotel every time we go.  This trip we stayed at the Soffitel, very nice.  The bonus was the discovering the secret to seeing the ball drop in Times Square without being with 750,000 people freezing for hours in the street.

2010 Jan 1 - Anniversary

2nd Anniversary

One of our restaurant discoveries this time would have to be Joel Robuchon.  Simply a divine dining experience for our 2nd Anniversary.  http://www.joel-robuchon.com/ When ever there is a tasting menu, Vic and I will select it.  You get the best of the best and a great idea of what the chef can really create.  Joel Robuchon did not disappoint.  We placed this dining experience in our TOP FOUR in the world.

Park Ave Cafe - Vic Lisa Patti Christopher

Vic, Lisa, Patti, Christopher

We were blessed to meet Patti and Christopher Guerierro for Brunch on Sunday at the Park Avenue Cafe Winter   It too was amazing.  Each season they change their decor to the appropriate season.  Literally close the restaurant down for 2 days, paint and redecorate and then the menu changes for the season too.  Check out their website. http://www.parkavenyc.com/ The food was delectable and we will definitely be back.

2010 Jan 4 - Jatana Lisa

Jatana and Lisa

When we left NYC, Vic headed back to Florida and I headed to Austin.  My girlfriend Jatana was getting married in a small family gathering and I was not going to miss it.  She is also in the middle of Chemo for Breast Cancer.  Being an amazing woman once again, was not a stranger to her.  After the wedding reception I changed and headed over to girlfriend Stacy’s house to watch The Bachelor season premiere … which I must say it is getting a little contrived … hummmm

And of course, I got to see my son Joseph, his girlfriend Saia and  grandpup Luca!  And lest I forget to mention … yes I watched the National Championship game (UT vs Alabama) in Longhorn country!  It was an amazing game even though we didn’t win.  It was fun texting

Luca, Lisa, Joseph

Luca, Lisa, Joseph

UT Game - James Laura Emma

James, Laura, Emma

UT Game - Jessica Andrew

Jessica, Andrew

sister Melea and her children (James, Laura, Emma) in California during the game and sending all these pictures via text.  Isn’t technology amazing.  James is my die hard Longhorn and has now brought mom and sisters into the fold.  Well unbeknownced to me, my niece Jessica has  defected to the ‘other side’.   I got a text from her and her boyfriend  Andrew  that said “Roll Tide” just as the game kicked off!  … HELLO … some animated texting did occur since  it wasn’t a game we expected to play without McCoy!  They texted a photo too.  All in all it was fun ‘texting’ a game around the USA!

2010 Mastermind - Carrie Lisa Donna

Carrie, Lisa, Donna

After a whirlwind trip in Austin I jumped on yet another plane to meet Vic and headed to Bethesda for our Mastermind Meeting.  Where the first night in, I left Vic on his own and grabbed girlfriend Carrie Wilkerson http://www.barefoot-executive.com/ and went to the movies!  We ducked into Ruth’s Chris and ran into Barry Dunlop http://www.barrydunlop.com/who treated us to appetizers and we were off to see Sherlock.  Carrie insists I sucked the air out of the theatre with my gasping.  Hey, I got into the movie!

Then it was two intense days of Yanik Silver’s Mastermind.  I think we could all say our brains hurt with the ideas that we all came away with.  Including me!  I am off and running into 2010!

So in the last few days of 2009 and the  first 14 days of this year,  I have been in Biloxi (MS),  Florida, New York City, Austin (TX), Bethesda (MD) and back to Florida.  I am already worn out!   But in those travels I experienced memorable moments, reconnected with family and friends, determined to focus on the things that make a difference, to stop and take time out to recharge and always count my blessings.

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The Passing of a Legend

This quote from Jim Rohn says it all.  It epitomizes the legacy he leaves behind.  I was blessed to have known him.

“Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.” ~ Jim Rohn

MyDailyInsights will feature Jim Rohn quotes for the remainder of December.  We have never done that before.  It was amazing how I felt once I immursed myself in his quotes.  I hope our subscribers get the same feeling and get empowered to start the new year with momentum.

James Rohn

Here are a few of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes:

  • The major value in life is not what you get.  The major value in life is what you become.
  • How long should you try? Until.
  • Either you run the day or the day runs you.
  • If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.  And guess what they have planned for you?  Not much.
  • Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.
  • Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.
  • Commit yourself to something bigger than yourself.
  • Success is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.
  • Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.
  • Don’t blow your own horn, or you might just miss the music.
  • Learn to say NO to the good, so you can say YES to the great.
  • Failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.
  • Don’t just read the easy stuff.  You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.
  • Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.
  • Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.
  • If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.
  • You don’t get paid for the hour.  You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.
  • Give so much to the improvement of yourself, that you don’t have time to criticize others.
  • Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.
  • You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.

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Make Dreams Come True

Little did I know how magical Disney World would be.

Epcot JosephJoseph was born in 1986.  Epcot opened in 1982.  I decided that I was going to take him there when he was 10 so that he would really appreciated it more.  I had been to Disneyland (California) so knew that it would be fun.  Somewhere along the way I kept moving other things in front of it.

Then I married a Floridian.  I didn’t realize just how imbedded the park culture is for those who live near Orlando.  And of course Vic’s favorite cruise line is none other than the Big Red Boat aka Disney!

Needless to say last year when we decided to take all the kids to Orlando for Thanksgiving and go to 4 parks in 3 days, it still hadn’t sunk in that one of my dreams was coming true.  So the planning began.

We had children, grandchildren and extended family coming from all over Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Kentucky. There were rooms to reserve, plane tickets to book,  food to cook and itinerary to implement.

Once everyone started to arrive on Wednesday and gathered at the hotel you could see the planning in action.  Thursday morning we all got up and went to Epcot.  As Vic and I pulled into the parking lot and I saw that big silver globe, I got tears in my eyes.  It was a very unexpected reaction.  Here I was on property with my son in tow, realizing a small dream 23 years ago.

It seemed so simple and not a big deal on the surface.  I mean really… I have taken my son on many trips from coast to coast (14 states at last count), to almost every ski destination where American flies, to Italy with Vic and the kids.  So it wasn’t like we sat at home and did nothing for the past 23 years.  But here I was.  At Epcot with Joseph, trying to control the tears in my eyes.

What I realize, now that I reflect, is this.  Yes, I had a dream, a wish. But I had not taken any significant action.  Yes, I wanted to take him when he was 10, and there were a lot of reasons why that didn’t happen then.  Disney’s tag line is “Make a Dream Come True”.   Now how can anyone make a dream come true if they are not taking any action?  A dream remains just that until it moves into the goal column.  Once it is a goal you have to take action to make that dream come true.

Epcot - FamilyOur goal was to take our children and grandchildren snow skiing for Christmas this year.  For Vic’s family it would have been snow skiing for the first time.  So Thanksgiving was not on the family get together radar, but because we lost Austin this year and then Tyler and Savannah were blessed with another arrival (Nathan) and a due date of December 21st… that snow skiing goal got moved to another year.  So we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with the children this year instead and Orlando popped up as an option.  So you see, making that dream list is always a good thing.  The seed gets planted.  The intention is set.  Then all that has to happen is to move that dream to the goal list and take action.

I can tell you that this trip was better than I could have imagined 23 years ago and it had nothing to do with where we stayed or the money that was spent.  It had everything to do with the experience.    Joseph really understood the magic of Disney.  How Walt Disney was an amazing visionary where there was … no dream too big.  Disney’s dreams were off the chart.  Each park was unique.  Each park touched young and old.  And if you looked around there was no age limit.  You can go time and time again and not see it all.  And if you finally do see it all … you just might be showing it to your children and experiencing the magic all over again.

So become your own Imagineer.  Make YOUR dreams come true.

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