Russell IM’d me tonight with a list of 20 Super Brain Foods (as if I needed them). Of course, I settled on chocolate-covered strawberries, as I could live with the fact that my brain was operating on chocolate. He was appalled, but I had the come-uppance.

You see, I was reveling in the minimal chocolate surrounding those healthy strawberries when Russell then IM’d me with a link to this. “This” is a photo of Eggs Benedict with a cup of fruit and a smattering of fried potatoes. Instead of the fruit and potatoes, Russell had LOBSTER. Bugger.

As much as I love chocolate, I was overwhelmed with the egg-yellow custard color of the sauce that graced Russell’s Eggs Benedict, and I could almost smell the lobster. Thank heavens his meal was much more fattening than mine and I could use that excuse to avoid it. Or could I?

If I ate three chocolate-covered strawberries, I would consume about 164 calories per strawberry. However, an Eggs Benedict without the lobster is approximately 479 calories.

Wait. Hold on. I could have 3 chocolate covered strawberries (492 calories) for more calories than Eggs Benedict? I may give up chocolate! Plus, Eggs Benedict contains fiber and protein. But, chocolate covered strawberries contains minimal proteins, “good” fats, and fiber. It’s a toss-up.

Maybe it’s a melding of two worlds. Strawberries covered in sensuous chocolate one day, and Eggs Benedict fortified by lobster another day…It’s a lifestyle that I could live with, without a doubt…

NOTE: Yes, the strawberries would clean out the arteries clogged by the hollandaise sauce…

Posted by Linda at 8:00 AM PST

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Michelle Wibowo is an award winning cake designer and decorator in London - Brighton UK. But, Michelle isn’t just ANY cake decorator…she first studied as an architect before she paid her dues at various cake shops around London. Then she went on to win various awards for her creative designs and expertise. This woman’s work is beyond words, and her cakes look too good to eat.

Visit Michelle’s site to watch videos on her decorating skills, to view her amazing portfolio, and to learn more about your ability to acquire one of her cakes…

Posted by Russell at 8:00 AM PST

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I quit drinking coffee two months or so ago, and I hired a personal trainer two months ago to learn how to work out correctly (it does make a difference!). I quit smoking four weeks ago today, and now I’m intent on losing that last fifteen pounds.

So naturally I’ve focused on eating well (and healthy) for the past few months (although the smell of fresh donuts still drives me wild). Therefore, I tend to gravitate to “slim-down tricks” articles like the one I found at CNN last night. While I learned a few things from this article, I also want to add my own tweaks to their suggestions.

1. Start Smart - Starting a lunch or dinner with a veggie-rich salad is a great tip, because salad greens usually range between 8-15 calories per cup. Can’t beat that with a stick. With low-cal dressing (use olive oil and balsamic vinegar to help the good cholesterol) and some raw veggies, you’ll come in under 200 calories easily for a salad that will stuff you. If you need a calorie counter, try Calories Count or Calories Per Hour.

Read on, mon cher! »

Posted by Linda at 8:00 AM PST

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From the LA Canstruction site: Organized by the offices of State Senator Jack Scott, Assemblymember Mike Feuer, and AIA Los Angeles, Canstruction invites teams of prominent Los Angeles architects, engineers, and designers to create exciting structures made entirely of cans of food, to be put on public display and awarded prizes by a panel of judges. At the event’s completion, the cans are donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Canstruction — produced under the auspices of the Society for Design Administration — has been held in over 45 cities across the United States and Canada, including New York, San Diego, New Orleans, Las Vegas, etc., but never in Los Angeles — until this past year. In September 2006 the inaugural Canstruction Los Angeles launched at the Sherman Oaks Westfield Fashion Square. Nine teams from all over the Southland put their creative skills towards this worthy cause, and raised over 35,000 cans of food!

You can find some fairly incredible CANstructions at the LAcanstruction site, and examples of works from contests in other cities can be found at www.canstruction.org.

Posted by Linda at 8:00 AM PDT

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