Get Cooking with ‘Mom’s Cooking’

Mom’s Cooking is a brand new series from Lifetime that will take you inside mom’s kitchen. Remember all of those fabulous dishes your mother used to make? Whether it was for the holidays, a special dinner, or even while you were sick, there are always those signature dishes from your past that someone in your family made that made you light up and no matter how hard you’ve tried to find those same dishes elsewhere, they just never taste the same.

I remember my great-grandmother’s baked beans and my grandmother’s broccoli salad. Both dishes are amazingly unique and no matter who else has ever made those same dishes or the amount of times I’ve tried to make them myself, they never taste as good as when they made them.

Lifetime’s Mom’s Cooking will bring each participant inside their mother’s kitchen where they will surprise their mothers and head to the kitchen, where their mothers will then teach them how to cook those signature dishes. The half-hour series premieres with back-to-back episodes on Monday, December 1 at 11am and you don’t want to miss out on this heartfelt new series.

Here’s a sneak peak of Mom’s Cooking to get you pumped up for December:

Book Review: Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

When I mentioned to a self-proclaimed bibliophile friend of mine that I was reading Audrey, Wait! she immediately told me what a fun book it was and how much she had enjoyed reading it. So far, any book this friend of mine has thought was good, I have been inclined to agree with her, so before I even began this book, I was excited about it and the excitement lasted me right through the entire book.

Audrey, Wait! is a fun, fast-paced book that surprised me again and again just because I was ecstatic that the author, Robin Benway, was obviously into the same music as I am. You see, when you see your favorite bands’ lyrics featured in a book and used as the names of the chapters, which I thought was very clever, you get excited, especially when we’re talking the likes of The Sounds, Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, Belle & Sebastian, The Cure, Cowboy Junkies, Patti Smith, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Regina Spektor and many, many other fabulous musicians.

This is a story about Audrey, a normal teenage girl who broke up with her boyfriend. The story starts out simple enough; music-obsessed girl is dating musician boyfriend, girl breaks up with boyfriend, musician boyfriend writes an angry song about their breakup and plays it for pretty much the entire student body at a show that same night. But what happens next is very unlike any standard teen drama–Musician boyfriend’s band, The Do-Gooders, makes it big with the song Audrey’s now ex-boyfriend wrote about their breakup and pretty soon, Audrey is receiving hundreds of phone calls, IMs and emails a day and dodging reporters who are after all of the dirt on Audrey, Evan and their breakup. While appearing in tabloids, on message boards and in the minds of teens everywhere, Audrey enjoys her new-found fame a little bit, getting into the VIP section of a concert for one of her favorite bands and making out with the lead singer (Hello every teenage girl’s fantasy!) but as the tension Audrey feels because of her ex-boyfriend’s song rises, she realizes what she has to do–Go out there and tell everyone her side of the story, and that is exactly what Audrey, Wait! is doing.

The dialogue this book possesses is absolutely hilarious and unlike a lot of books out there, each and every character is interesting in their own way, you want to know more about every character as the story presses on. Even Audrey’s parents are great, and also very funny. This book is highly enjoyable for anyone of any age who ever wondered what it would really be like to be famous. You can read the first chapter of the book here and you can also check out Robin Benway’s blog here, which I highly recommend or add her as a friend on Last.fm, because really, who’s a music lover with internet access who doesn’t have a Last.fm account?

Rating:
Buy the Book!

Everything You Need to Know about Giving a Mind-Blowing Blow Job

Giving a great blow job isn’t as hard as the hype surrounding it. Anyone can give a great blow job that will make it hard for your partner to think of much else for days after. Giving a bow job is a versatile sex act that can be done pretty much anywhere and all you need to know are some small, simple tricks…and a few toys to spice up the act never hurt anyone, either.

Be prepared with some sexy goods. Have the Blow Job Expert Kit on hand and you’ll find the edible gel, lickable oil, and accompanying vibrator will help transform you from a novice into an oral sex master. (Plus you save 25% when you purchase all the toys together!)

Study up. In addition to these blow job techniques, you’ll find great oral sex tips in the DVD Nina Hartley’s Guide to Better Fellatio, The Ultimate Guide to Fellatio book, and the Low Down on Going Down book.

Get comfortable. A blow job is much more fun without a sore neck. Find a position that works best for both of you, depending on where you are (you can’t really lounge comfortably in an elevator, you know) and the angle of the cock you’re dealing with (work with the natural downward angle of your throat). Kneel before your man with him standing if you’re in a confined area, or when you want to strike a pose that is really hot. Other positions: seat your partner and crouch between their legs (slide a pillow under your knees if you’re not on a soft surface), or lay down and let your partner thrust into your mouth, (harder to control the depth, but good for you lazy types). If you’re in a car, your partner can lay down lengthwise in the back.

If you’re using a condom, put it on now. Try a Trustex flavored condom or Kiss O’ Mint condom if you don’t like the taste of latex. A sexy way to set the scene is to use your mouth to put the condom on before you get busy.

Give us a kiss. If you’re dealing with a soft penis, you don’t have to wait until it’s hard to start the show. Put it in your mouth when it’s soft (or semi-hard) to get acquainted. Kiss it. Lick it. You can sweeten things up by applying an edible gel like Good Head Gel or Sliquid Green Apple.

Mouth off. Slide your lips gently over your teeth for smooth sailing. Most fellatio recipients like lots of spit, but others prefer a drier job, so check in with your partner. Asking quick yes or no questions like “want it dryer?” or “more spit?” can be helpful and hot. Despite your amazing oral sex technique, you aren’t a mind-reader, so watch your partner for body language cues.

Experiment. You can do more wonderful stuff with your mouth than just suck (and remember–the harder you suck doesn’t necessarily mean the better it feels). Mix it up by licking the sensitive underside of the shaft, the nerve-ending-loaded head of the penis, and the testicles. Softly blow on the moistened areas. The combination of sensations will feel incredible.

Hands-on. Give your blow job a hand. Grip the cock around the base and slide it up and down, hand-job style, in tandem with your mouth. (Some folks like a tight squeeze, others may not, so check in.) This is great because you can cover a lot of the shaft this way without worrying about taking the whole cock in your mouth. You can concentrate on the super-sensitive head and suck as hard or softly as you and your partner like. Use lube for extra slipperiness. A silicone lube like Eros Bodyglide is great for blow jobs: it’s concentrated so you only need a tiny bit, it’s long-lasting so you won’t need to keep stopping to reload, and it doesn’t have a distracting taste or smell.

Deep throat. Deep-throating the act of taking the entire shaft into your mouth and throat can be cool, but you can give a perfectly stellar blow job without doing so. The key to deep throat is to relax your jaw and throat muscles as much as you can. Otherwise, you trigger the gag reflex.

Accessorize. Bring some toys into your routine. Experiment with cock rings, butt plugs, or mini vibrators (like the Finger Fun vibe) for some attention on the testicles and perineum. Hold a Pocket Rocket vibrator against your cheek to add vibrations to your mouth play. Or try sucking on ice or a breath mint to transmit a tingly sensation to your favorite penis. Again, check in with your partner to see how experimental you should be.

Get into it. Look at your partner and the ecstacy you have caused! Make eye contact. Show your partner how much you love being down there. Moan, make appreciative noises (a well-placed MMMM! can make for some nice vibration, too), let your partner know how turned on you are. Don’t neglect the rest of the body, either stroke, tickle, scratch the thighs, stomach, butt, and everywhere else you can reach.

Sucking Silicone. This applies to every cock: silicone, rubber, glass, vegetable and flesh alike. When you’re dealing with a dildo, treat it like your partner can feel everything you’re doing to it because they can. For more on this topic, see How to Suck Strap-on Cock.

Finish the Job. It is ultimately your choice whether or not to swallow. Your partner’s diet, health, habits and frequency of ejaculation will determine the quantity and taste of the ejaculate. The ejaculate of someone who ingests lots of red meat, caffeine, alcohol or cigarettes, may taste more intense than that of a non-smoking vegetarian. The most ejaculate you might encounter is a teaspoonful or so. You have several choices if you aren’t crazy about ejaculate, but don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings:

• You can take it in your mouth and discreetly deposit into a nearby towel.
• As your partner approaches climax, withdraw and finish with your hand.
• You can let your partner come on your body and admire the copious amounts of ejaculate.
• You can use a condom.

When you’re totally focused on giving head, it can be a lot of fun whether it’s for power play (your partner’s most precious asset is at your mercy), intimacy, or the pure fun of getting someone off. Remember, you should only be performing fellatio on somebody if you’re really into it and are able to focus all of your energy on what you’re doing. If you’re staring at the clock, waiting for it to end, or worrying about the laundry in the dryer, you won’t have a good time and your partner will be able to tell you’re not into it, which can be distracting, too. Think of it this way–Do you want your partner to be going down on you and keep looking at the clock every five minutes?

This post is brought to you by Babeland.  

Ditch those Nasty Nappies

Did you know that babies go through about 6,700 diaper changes? Did you also know that for every 10,000 babies who use disposable diapers, we are filling up 113 dump trucks by the time those babies are potty trained? And all of those dump trucks have one destination–Landfills. Depositing 6,700 diapers per baby into landfills and letting Mother Earth become rich in waste and disease is horrible for the planet we all live in.

In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency gathered information and statistics on disposable diapers and found that diapers alone made up 3.4 million tons of waste and makes up 2.1% of the United States’ garbage. That is a whole lot of dirty diapers! While those statistics were taken over 10 years ago, the recent baby boom we have experienced within the last three years will prove to be even more hazardous to the planet, making up an even higher percentage of waste. Even worse, each diaper takes approximately 500 years to decompose. While I’m sure none of us would like 6,700 dirty diapers (per child in our household) sitting in our back yard for the next 500 years, why do we see nothing wrong with letting it sit in the same Earth we get our food and water from? Just because we can’t see it and don’t have to look or smell it every day, someone out there does and neighborhoods with a landfill near by also see a rise in disease, the most prominent and life-threatening being a myriad of types of cancer. Disposable diapers are also made with harsh chemicals that can harm your baby’s sensitive skin and because of its synthetic texture, disposable diapers are not comfortable, and babies are prone to develop rashes or allergies and we don’t want that!

So what can we do about it the 3.4 tons of waste and counting while also giving our children a healthier diaper that won’t harm their skin? Give reusable diapers a chance!

While it is easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about switching from disposable to reusable diapers, gDiapers offers a great starter kit idle for easing you into the transition due to the fact that they are flushable, decomposable diapers. There are many other options out there for your reusable diapering needs such as Fuzzi Bunz, Under the Nile and Nature BabyCare. Whatever brand you choose, you cannot go wrong when making the decision to give your baby a healthier, safer diaper choice and take a little pressure off Mother Nature.

RIP Hugg

Announced earlier this month, TreeHugger’s social media platform for all things green, Hugg, has reached its final days.

As many people may know, website costs can be a little worrisome to your wallet even if you are just starting out, but once a website hits a certain stage and develops a substantial following, web and maintenance costs only skyrocket and sometimes, no matter how good your website ratings are or how many advertisements you put on a website, you come to a point where you must ask yourself if the money and the effort is worth the payoff received. This could very well be what happened with Hugg, as it has had a decent lifespan as far as social media platforms go, and has developed into the resource for green news.

As of November 17, Hugg no longer accepts new registrations or submissions and after the new year, hugg.com will transfer directly to the TreeHugger forums, where over 6,000 members currently share environment news, information, events and resources. If you’re like a great deal of the green online community, and see the closing of Hugg as an invaluable resource for green information and news, the TreeHugger forums will implement a new category specifically for posting and commenting on green links. It isn’t as good as a social media platform, but it will generate a seamless TreeHugger experience as well as the opportunity to reach across website lines and meet other, interesting and like-minded treehuggers.

If you are devastated over the loss of Hugg and are craving a social media platform specifically for all things green, I highly suggest you check out GROW, a news service from About My Planet.

Hugg, you will surely be missed.

Stay Warm with Chicken Noodle Soup

Whether we like it or not, winter is pretty much upon us. In fact, where I live there is currently a snow storm going on outside and with the entrance of winter, comes the colds and the flu. What better a way to stay warm and also ward off illness than to indulge in some savory chicken noodle soup!

You will need:

• 5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts – parboiled, cut into chunks
• 1 quart canned or boxed chicken stock
• 1 large white onion
• 3 minced garlic cloves (from the jar)
• 3 large peeled, carrots, cut into coins
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• Thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Uncooked egg noodles, or ditalini – that’s good, too

1. Place the chicken stock and 1 quart of cold water into a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add all the veggies and spices. Simmer about 20 minutes.

3. Add about 1/2 the bag of egg noodles and bring to a boil. Add the chicken chunks. Lower heat to a good simmer and cook until noodles are done.

4. Remove bay leaf, check seasonings. Serve.

This recipe is brought to you by Best Kept Recipes  

10 Steps to Stay Healthy and Fit this Winter

There are a lot of small steps and extra efforts anyone can do to make their day a little brighter and healthier.  A better diet, daily routine and mindset are all ways to stay healthy this winter. You don’t even have to wait for the winter to do this as you can start this whenever. However, remember the first step is starting today…not tomorrow!

1. Keep water with you at all times.
2. Take a multi-vitamin that assists with your goals.
3. Eat smaller portions. You don’t have to eat that whole bag.
4. Don’t pick off your kids’ plates, their food has calories, too.
5. Keep low calorie, healthy snacks in easy to reach places.
6. Play with your kids.
7. Go the distance. Take the stairs or park farther away.
8. Do house work or yard work.
9. Take your iPod for a walk.
10. Take up a routine (yoga, pilates, aerobics).

Keep water with you at all times.
Water is the perfect drink. It hydrates you and has no calories at all. Keeping water with you all day helps in many different ways. Having it with you keeps you drinking it. By simply having a bottle of water at your desk you’ll grab for it without even thinking. Water also helps to detox that coffee you had earlier. Strive for 8 glasses of water a day to keep down water weight and you just might notice you don’t have much room left for that soda.

Take a multi vitamin that assists with your goals.
Vitamin companies got smart, they started labeling their vitamins for what they can do. One A Day has a line of vitamins like “Women’s Health” and “Weight Smart” to make it easy to tell what they can do for you. Whether your goal is to be more energetic in your active life or to speed up your metabolism, there’s a vitamin out there that can help you get there.

Eat smaller portions.
Something as simple as eating off a smaller plate can make a world of difference. When you were little you were told to clean your plates, and now you do. But the plates are much bigger. Try and cut down your portions, chances are your eyes are bigger than your stomach. And when you’re eating out, don’t be afraid to ask if you can eat off the kids menu (especially for dessert).

Don’t pick off your kids’ plates, their food has calories, too.
One thing I used to do without noticing was eat off my kids plates. They get wonderful things like corndogs and fries. But, just because they can eat fried food and be perfectly fine, doesn’t mean I can. If you are going to pick off their plates, make sure you take those calories into consideration.

Keep low calorie, healthy snacks in easy to reach places.
In my car door I have a pack of Teddy Grahams. Within sight in my fridge, the first thing I see, is a 1 serving pack of carrots. The best way to keep yourself from eating things that aren’t good for you is to keep those healthy snacks within reach. Unfortunately, Doritos are harder to leave in your desk for a week than grapes, so it does take a bit of an effort.

Play with your kids.
We all play with our kids, but we could definitely do it more. When they go ride bikes, join them. If you don’t have a bike, take a book outside. You’re being with your kids and getting out. You spend all day inside the house or a job, it can be a great release to simply get outside.

Go the distance.
Taking the stairs or parking farther from the store can make more of a difference than the time it takes to do it. The best way to see what a difference it makes is to buy a heart rate monitor and wear it all day. Since that’s pretty much out of the question for most people, try getting a step counter. Measure your steps on a normal day, then measure your steps on a day when you try these tips.

Do house work or yard work.
You clean your house and take care of your yard, but you could do more. Redecorating or landscaping can be fun and very good exercise. At the end you have a sense of accomplishment and will probably feel a nice burn.

Take your iPod for a walk.
Walking with your kids and your dog is nice. It’s time with your family. But sometimes you need some time for just you. So load up your iPod with your favorite music and go for a stroll. When walking alone you’re more likely to speed it up because you’re not talking (and therefor breathing more steady) and you don’t have to stop for your dog to pee in every yard.

Take up a routine (yoga, pilates, aerobics).
Yoga has been my one true love. At 6am I wake up, before anyone else, and go down to do yoga on Oxygen. I’ve noticed a few differences including better weight management, better mood throughout the day, and better eating habits. Exercise in the morning is best, but if you don’t have time the afternoon can be good as well. If your job offers you a free gym membership take advantage of those classes. Pick your goal and the workout that will help you get there.

McKey Crowned ANTM Cycle 11 Winner

Admittedly, I am an America’s Next Top Model enthusiast; I have seen every cycle at least two or more times and every cycle, I immediately fall in love or at least fall into deep like with one or two of the girls and this past season was no different. Granted, the two women I was rooting for did not come out on top, and this season rubbed me a little differently than any of the other cycles that preceded it.

Cycle 11 of America’s Next Top Model is the only cycle that left me thinking ‘Why?’ Throughout the past weeks I was rooting for firstly, Elina because I love a woman who knows who she is and what she stands for and the passion that was driving Elina is unmistakable and beautiful in itself, never mind the fact that she is absolutely gorgeous. When Elina was eliminated, I started rooting for Analeigh because of how down to earth she is; she shows us that something as simple as being courteous, polite and overall nice to other people is admirable and makes you even more attractive as a person. But when Analeigh was eliminated before Mr. Jay’s remarkable runway show and the two contestants left standing were Sam and McKey, I just sat on my couch, staring at the television asking myself ‘How?’ Never mind the fact that this past cycle of America’s Next Top Model seemed forced and tacky with an absolutely horrible performance by Tyra Banks throughout its entirety, but by the time the last two women were standing, I couldn’t help but ask myself where all of the women with actual model potential went.

When Tyra Banks boasts about how she is attracted to ugly pretty women or that she sees the ugliness in women to be beautiful, if I had any doubt of that ability before, she has proven to hold true to that self-proclamation. After Sam and McKey walked the Dr. Suess-like runway created by Mr. Jay and after hardly any ‘on the edge of your seat’ time waiting for her to announce the winner, Brittany ‘McKey’ Sullivan was crowned Ms. ANTM Cycle 11 Winner.

McKey did an exclusive interview for WPIX and not only is this an in-depth interview containing stuff you really didn’t want to know (such as the fact that McKey is full of useless information, such as why your pee smells weird after eating asparagus) but it really is an out of the ordinary interview because former ANTM cycle 11 contestant, Sheena, is the interviewer, which makes for a different kind of interview due to the fact that the two women are actually friends.

Although I personally think McKey is hideous and has a mouth that reminds me much of a horse, I do admit that she has come a very long way in the world of striking a pose for the camera. She walked into ANTM not knowing anything about modeling or how to take a pretty picture; in fact, during the first photo shoot, McKey boxed in place in order for the photographer to even take a picture. By the end of the season her body contortions were unexpected and a delight to see due to the amount of pictures we have seen throughout the cycles of this show where even as the time progresses, the women do not.

Along with the fame America’s Next Top Model has brought her, the former tomboy from Lake Forrest, Illinios also wins a contract with Elite model management, a spread and cover for Seventeen magazine, and a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl.

Down Time & Our Updated Look

If you’ve visited Woman Tribune within the past two days, you have been greeted with a very ugly, very inconvenient Maintenance Mode page and if you were dying to read Woman Tribune or tried back repeatedly, we do apologize for any inconvenience for this downtime. However, we think it was kind of worth it because these past two days have been very busy and if you’re reading this now, you can see why.

Woman Tribune’s one year blogiversary is coming up in just a little over two months and throughout this past year, we have made quite a few changes, added a lot of new categories and have evolved quite spectacularly, especially the front end. If you’ve been reading this website long enough, you have seen the sporadic and drastic changes that Woman Tribune has made throughout these past 10 months and with this one year milestone upon us, we thought it would be a good time to release a (very) final release of our site design. This was unplanned, of course, but this change will be the last (drastic) site change we make for quite some time, so we hope you like it.

Woman Tribune now features Brian Gardner’s Revolution Lifestyle theme, which has been edited and perfected for Woman Tribune by Holly Ord.

So Woman Tribune is officially open for entertainment and because Holly is relatively jobless and feeling very much like most freelancers out there, expect lots of updates. Don’t forget to tell us what you think of the theme and also forward any ideas you have for Woman Tribune to Holly by emailing her at holly[at]womantribune.com. Seriously, any ideas at all whether it be ideas for articles, more categories you’d like to see covered here, products or books you want us to review or want to know our thoughts on, anything.

Can Angelina Jolie Really Just Fade Away?

In a recent interview with BBC News, Angelina Jolie talked about want to work less, spend more time at home with her more-than-a-handful of kids and just be one of us mere, normal folk.

On working less: “I don’t plan to keep acting very long. I’m ready to do a few things now and fade away and get ready to be a grandma one day. I’m not so worried that I want to keep this pace up and try to be something and be a celebrity.”

On making the decision to stop working: “I don’t think I’ll ever say that I’m never ever going to work, because maybe there’s that interesting project where I’ll feel creative, but certainly I think now I haven’t worked for a year — I’ll work for a few months in February. I won’t work again probably for another year, so maybe it’ll be once a year and then maybe it’ll be once every three years.”

On being with her kids: “I like being home a lot. First and foremost, I have a lot of children, and I need to make sure they’re growing right and they’ve got us there for them.”

So what do you think, will it really be that easy for Jolie to just fade into the background? I’m thinking no, but it is great to see someone taking a hands on approach to actually parenting instead of letting the nannies handle everything.

To watch the full BBC interview, click here and also be sure to check out Angelina Jolie’s newest movie, Changeling.

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