My years of doing SEO (search engine optimization) have left an indelible mark on my brain. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. In this case, become.com has offered cold hard cash to promote a few of their categories — so I’m all for it. If you’re shopping for a palm leaf rug then you can do some comparison shopping online. If you need peach rugs they have those two. If you’re decorating your house, area rugs are one of the easiest items to change, so it’s fun to mix it up a bit.

Spring is coming up and the season of love and weddings and bridal registry. Check out their great selection of antique pearl handle silverware

Shameless promotion done. now back to regular programming!

We use lots of onions in our food. Onions are good for you and can be delicious. My daughter will pick them out of dishes and eat the onions first! Chopping so many onions and it seemed like a good idea to find the best way to do it and not chop off my fingers.

	1. Peel the onion — seems like an easy task, but it’s made easier if you apply pressure and roll it on the counter. Cut off the top end and roll some more. This loosens the outer skin and makes it easier to remove. If you push hard enough, you can hear it crackle and break. Pull the skin off. If you want to be fancy you can leave the root end as long as it’s not too dirty. This will help the onion stay together as you cut.
	2. Cut the onion in half from pole to pole and lay it flat. If you have a strong onion, you can put a small chuck of bread in between your teeth to act as a filter. It reduces the eye-watering pungent onion fumes.
	3. Slice it from end to end in small width slices. If you left the root on, then don’t cut all the way to the end.
	4. Once it is in slices, cut across those slices and voila — perfectly cut onion!

Had the opportunity to take 3 10-year old girls to a showing of this movie. It was a great adventure story with lots of thrills and daring. There were a few scary moments (an electric eel attacking the submarine was the worst) and a giant frilled lizard, so probably not suited for younger children, but the 10-year olds had a great time. Just one scene that seemed a little unnecessary — the teenage girl character (Vanessa Hudgens) was coming out of a cave and the camera did a downward shot of a close-up of her chest so that was uncomfortable as a kids movie.

The storyline kept us all entertained. Loved the connection of Treasure Island, Robinson Caruso and Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island. Now we need to go to the library and check out all these books! Not sure about swimming in the ocean any time soon though…..

Pesto is a delicious fresh topping for pasta, crackers veggies. It is very easy to make. Traditionally made from basil, I like adding fresh kale to give it a little more texture. The basic ingredients are:

1 bunch basil leaves
few leaves of kale, trimmed and washed
1/4 cup pine nuts
olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
lemon juice
1 clove garlic
salt to taste

Whiz it all up in a food processor add oil as necessary and you’re done! Adjust flavorings to your taste and enjoy!

We love trying new foods and this is now becoming a favorite. My daughter will pick out the onions and eat those by themselves, they are so yummy!

1 bunch kale
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 onion

wash and trim kale. remove stems and chop. Chop onion. Saute onion in oil until brown. Add spices and fry for 2-3 minutes adding more oil if necessary. Watch the mustard seeds, they will start to sizzle and then will pop. Have the kale ready to add immediately once they start to pop or you’ll have a big mess of popped seeds all over your stove.

A note on keeping spices fresh — measure into a small ramekin or container instead of over the stove — the moisture and heat from the stove will ruin spices. Turmeric is a super spice – so feel free to add more. Just be sure to cook it well or it will taste raw.

Add finely chopped kale and about 1 cup water. Put the lid on and steam for 10 minutes or so until kale is tender. Stir well and add salt to taste.

This recipe also works well with brussel sprouts which our family loves too!