Like me, you probably gained a pound or two from holiday eating and hibernating. No matter how tempted you may get to hasten the weight loss by taking diet pills, I advise you to take long, brisk walks instead.

This article says that the FDA has identified some diet pills to be harmful to your health.

Here is the list of products named in the alert:
2 Day Diet
3 Day Diet
3x Slimming Power
5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
7 Day Herbal Slim
7 Diet Day/Night Formula
8 Factor Diet
999 Fitness Essence
Extrim Plus
Fatloss Slimming
GMP
Imelda Perfect Slim
Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet
Lida DaiDaihua
Miaozi Slim Capsules
Perfect Slim
Perfect Slim 5x
Phyto Shape
ProSlim Plus
Royal Slimming Formula
Slim 3 in 1
Slim Express 360
Slimtech
Somotrim
Superslim
TripleSlim
Zhen de Shou

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Meet Astra. She's a character I created in a new online game called Action AllStars. If you have kids in the house, you'll probably know all about all the interactive and multi-player games that can be played online. My girls are avid players of several MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). They spend hours on them and if they could they would stay on day and night. I don't let them stay on too long though and I have to watch them constantly as these games have the feature that makes them both fun and dangerous. Players can interact with other online players and have the ability to chat and plan strategies of the game or just simply talk about what kids talk about. You can see how this can be dangerous when they start talking to people that they don't really know online, don't you?


ActionAllStars.com makes a safe virtual environment for your sports enthusiast. Designed for elementary age kids, safeguards are built into the game to protect their identity and online. They have features like Safe Chat and Safe Chat Plus which filters all messages before they are transmitted. It screens for offensive language by comparing what's being transmitted with a preset list of restricted terms. It also keeps players from sharing personal information like real names, addresses or phone numbers.

Beyond the safety factors, Action AllStars allows players to live their sport fantasies. They can play football, basketball, baseball, whatever piques their interest. The more they play, the more they gain experience. Like other interactive games, they can collect items while they complete challenges and other fun activities. If they have friends who are also sports enthusiasts, they too can sign on and they can play together in this virtual world. It's totally free to sign up but if you'd like added features, they also have a premium version where you can pay a small subscription fee and gain access to added special features.

Current Action AllStars parters include MLB.com (MLBAM), NBA.com (National Basketball League), and ConnectSafetly.org to bring you this safe and fun environment for free.

These delectable appetizers actually have a fancier name than just cheese puffs and bacon wrapped oysters. They are the December challenge for Recipes to Rival and they are properly called Gruyère Cheese Gougères & Galatoire’s Oysters en Brochette.

This is what we had to nosh on on New Year's Eve and they were delicious. Those hollow cheese puffs were begging to be filled so the girls and I have been filling them up with all sorts of stuff from cream cheese dip to turkey & potato salad.

Click here for the recipe for cheese puffs and bacon wrapped oysters.



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There are beds you sleep on and then there are beds you want to spend all your time in even have meals in. Does your bed make you wish you've never gone to sleep? Do you regret even laying down on it? If you do, then it's probably time to get a new one.

Whether you prefer it soft or firm, a good bed should make you feel good from the time you lay down to the time you get up. It also helps when your bed room is well kept. It doesn't have to be design room worthy, but it should be clean and visually pleasing. Peaceful to the eyes, as they say. Your bed and your room should be a place where you can have breakfast, or dinner, or lunch in bed and not lose your appetite. It's very relaxing to be able to enjoyably linger in bed without feeling like you have to immediately jump out of it as soon as you wake up.

Time4Sleep has a wide selection of beds to choose from. Styles from traditional to contemporary, these beds will make you want to spend as much time in them as you can. They have a sale going on now where you can get up to half off. And if you live in the UK, they will deliver for free if you buy anything over £499. They carry a variety of beds from storage beds, French style, antique style, and children's beds. Check them out and see if they have a bed you can have breakfast in.

A French Yule Log may be shaped like the traditional yule log we are familiar with, which is a rolled cake with a butter cream filling, but that is where the similarities stop. A french yule log is mouse based and contains several textural elements within. It has a cookie/cake like layer, a crunchy layer, a rich and gooey layer and a chocolaty strip of hardy chocolate flavor.

This was the Daring Baker challenge for December and it was a long, involved process; but like all challenges it was a learning experience and deliciously rewarding.

See the recipe and additional photos for the French Yule Log...

Visit our new blogs:
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Found Not Lost - about all the things we 'find' worth talking about