Reviews

What Lucy Thinks About Royal Siam Thai

~ Gina Briganti ~ 4 Comments

What Lucy Thinks About…

Photo-0100

By Lucy Shannon, Restaurant Critic

 

When my best friend Dana told me that Joe brought her and the family to this restaurant to celebrate the release of Dana Cooks Healthy Food for Kids, I knew it was past time that I checked it out for myself.

I know I’ll be bugging Dana and the family to go there next time I’m in town so I can try some dishes I didn’t get to this time. For example, Gai-Gra-Buang, described as a deep fried ground chicken and shrimp pancake from the appetizer menu. Sour cabbage soup, made with crisp sour cabbage, garlic cloves, black pepper, and your choice of chicken, pork, beef, or vegetarian, also sounds too interesting to pass up on our next visit.

If I wasn’t stuffed from the wonderfully prepared, traditional, me-krob appetizer (sweet crunchy noodles and shrimp, accompanied by bean sprouts and scallions), I would most definitely have ordered the mushroom salad (abalone mushrooms prepared with special Thai herbs, ginger, spices, and lime juice). That’s just the start of what I would like to try.
So what did I try, and what did I think of it? I tried the yellow, red, and green curry. You get to choose from spice level 1-4, or 5 which the chef does not recommend. I chose level 2. Joe was happy with level 4. Apparently he has asbestos in his mouth. He thought level 3 was only starting to be flavorful. I liked all of the curries. They were tasty, the vegetables were fresh and balanced well with the proportion of meat.

Thai iced tea is another star on the menu. Their blend of the traditional sweet drink was really flavorful. Joshua Tree Noodle (stir fried rice flat noodle with bean sprouts, carrots, and your choice of meat or vegetarian) had to be good, right? They couldn’t let them keep it on their menu if it wasn’t. Royal pork is a slight misnomer, because you can get it made with any meat you like. I got it with the pork, stir fried onions, celery, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. I thought it was very good with the vegetables and delicious sauce.

One big plus for Royal Siam Thai Restaurant is that they are extremely vegetarian friendly. Dana and I like our vegetables, you know?

Now it’s time for the prices. Appetizers and soups range between $3.95 and $10.95. The daily lunch special has lots of great choices on it and ranges between $7.25 and $8.95 per person. You get a vegetable spring roll, soup, vegetarian fried wonton, entrée, and steamed or fried rice. All were enjoyable. The most expensive entrées on the menu are seafood, naturally, topping out at $15.95.

Thai restaurants aren’t known for their desserts, but this one served two the day we visited.  The tapioca, coconut milk, corn dessert was one of the most unique I’ve tasted.  I would love to have it again.

Photo-0097

Deep Fried Banana Coconut Dessert

It was a great end to the meal. We rolled out of there, happy, satisfied, and looking forward to our next visit.

 

 

If you haven’t read

The_Dreaming_Cover_for_Kindle

yet, you haven’t met the characters of Lucy, Dana, and Joe.  The restaurant and the review are real.

A Must-Read Book

~ Gina Briganti ~ Leave a comment

Don’t you just love reading a stellar book? Julia Ross’s research for The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of your Emotions – Today is inspiring. As a Holistic Health Consultant, I’ve learned more from her about amino acid therapy than I did when I earned my degree in applied nutrition. The Mood Cure is filled with recipes, resources, and practical information. Is it a substitute for qualified care? Not in my opinion. Still, learning what this book has to offer will empower readers to seek out someone who can work with them on this level.

Chapter 13 alone should be required reading for anyone working in mental or holistic health, in my opinion. When I think of all of the suffering that could be prevented…

I highlighted pages and pages of notes on the Kindle version of the book to add to my client’s knowledge base. There is one recommendation that Julia Ross makes that I had trouble with. She advocates a lot of animal protein in the diet. I know a lot of emotionally adjusted vegetarians and vegans. I don’t feel that the amount of animal protein she’s suggesting is right for everyone, or that it’s the only way to go. It is a large disagreement, but if you keep it in mind as you use the book, you’ll be exposed to amazing amounts of useful information that can really make a difference.

Excellent Tool for Writers

~ Gina Briganti ~ 1 Comment

Do you love finding an exceptional new tool? I do, and now that I have the Kindle edition of “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” by Mignon Fogarty (2008) I may have a tough time purchasing a paper copy of a reference book in the future. The search feature adds loads of ease to answering my grammar and usage questions.

Mignon Fogarty is knowledgeable and fun to read. Who can use this book? Anyone. I typed my question directly into the search feature and results stacked up. I was usually able to find the answer to my query right there in the search results without opening each one to see if it was the right one.

This book makes editing and proofreading a snap!

 

Wolf Pact The Complete Saga by Melissa De La Cruz

~ Gina Briganti ~ Leave a comment

Did the Blue Bloods series need a shot in the arm? Yes, it did. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the series. There was a lot of information in these books that we’ve been waiting on to make the world that Melissa De La Cruz created more complete. The world of the wolves, those who have not been turned into hell hounds and those who have, is explored in great detail.

I’ve always liked the character of Bliss, and felt a bit sad for her because of her many challenges. I’m glad to see that she got a bigger piece of the story, even if she did have plenty to learn and do. I also started to like Allegra Van Allen a tad bit more. There was a time when I was seriously questioning what she was thinking.

Wolf Pact The Complete Saga is definitely worth the read and was an excellent lead in to Gates of Paradise.

 

“Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America’s Psychic Spies” by Jim Schnabel

~ Gina Briganti ~ Leave a comment

Big kudos to Jim Schnabel on writing a wet non-fiction read. 441 pages of fact based information makes this the most comprehensive book I’ve ever read on the subject of remote viewing.

I discovered this book in the bibliography for “How the Hippies Saved Physics,” another worthy read taking place around roughly the same time in American history.

I learned a lot about remote viewing, a subject that I have some personal experience with. I learned about the theory and practice; the variety and uses of remove viewing for intelligence gathering and for research purposes. America wasn’t the only country involved in this kind of intelligence. We got into it because Russia and China were delving deeply into it. It was one more Cold War contest.

“Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America’s Psychic Spies” contains firsthand accounts from most of the people who were directly involved with the program. The author himself tests the claims that anyone is capable of remote viewing by receiving basic training from a couple of the different players in the field and has results that further deepen his conviction in the science of remote viewing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject. It was a surprisingly enjoyable read.

 

Black Satin by Donna Kauffman

~ Gina Briganti ~ 2 Comments

“Black Satin” got a hot facelift when it was issued on Kindle in December 2012. I haven’t seen anything that leads me to believe otherwise, so I think the story is exactly the same as when it was originally published in 1994.

The reason I chose to read Donna Kauffman is the adorable covers for her latest Cupcake Club books. When an author comes to my attention I like to go back and read them from the beginning to watch their career blossom. That’s how I ended up in 1994, reading “Black Satin.” There is some action and drama, but it is light. There is the requisite (for me) passion between Kira and Cole. And the cutest part of the story, the dolphins.

I recommend “Black Satin” for an easy, charming, light-hearted rainy afternoon read. Enjoy!

 

Fortune’s Lady by Patricia Gaffney

~ Gina Briganti ~ Leave a comment

While I don’t completely understand why this historical romance is titled “Fortune’s Lady,” it is clearly a wonderful read. Patricia Gaffney is gifted with words. “Fortune’s Lady” has elements of a spy novel woven into the romance. The passion that Cassandra and Philip share is nicely done. The tenderness is there, too. Cassandra and Philip find something in each other that they’ve never had before. As she comes out of her shell and comes into her own, he is pleasantly surprised and finds more about her to love.

There is plenty of angst for the star-crossed lovers to wade through. Plots of assassinations to uncover to protect the British crown. And a misguided saboteur who clearly has never been in love.

I’m already looking forward to my next Patricia Gaffney novel!

Inferno by Dan Brown (2013)

~ Gina Briganti ~ 2 Comments

I just spent ten lovely days with Professor Robert Langdon.  Don’t ask me how I dragged it out for so long, I’m still amazed I could put it down and go to sleep at night.

I am a Dan Brown fan.  I patiently wait the four years it takes for him to bring me and the rest of the world’s Dan Brown fans, another book.  I’m so glad that this one was with my favorite professor.  If you’re unfamiliar with the series, the first one is “Angels and Demons,” the second is “The DaVinci Code,” the third one is “The Lost Symbol,” and “Inferno” is the latest.  The first two are now movies starring Tom Hanks.  I only mention the films if you didn’t already know about them.

I give “Inferno” a full five stars.  You know that’s rare for me.  Why five stars?  Professor Langdon is as brilliant and entertaining as ever.  The action and adventure mixed perfectly with the mystery and the history.  Art history, that is.  There isn’t a lot of symbology in this one.  One teeny, tiny request I would make of Mr. Brown?  Some of the Italian made me scratch my head a little.  I have a basic grasp of the language, but I’m not sure how many fans will appreciate having to guess or go to their browsers to figure out if they missed an important piece of the puzzle.  I don’t think any truly important information was given in Italian, thank goodness.

I’m already patiently awaiting the next Robert Langdon mystery since the world changed forever in a big way by this one.  That’s my only spoiler.  Please, treat yourself to “Inferno” and then join in on the GoodReads discussions about it.  Where will he go with it next?  I know I wasn’t expecting anything like what he delivered.

Deepen Your Understanding of Reiki for Animals

~ Gina Briganti ~ 2 Comments

“Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life” by Elizabeth Fulton and Kathleen Prasad (2006) earned the “I like it” rating from me.  I’ve been recommending this book based on a skim read I did when I first purchased the book years ago.  Now that I’ve read it I am really glad that I did.  It is filled with inspiring stories that I read aloud to others because they were so special. 

These ladies have clearly done a lot of Reiki on animals!  It shines through in their respect for the animals they help, often in a shelter situation.  I particularly enjoyed learning how they approach a new animal and even their own animals for permission each time they offered a treatment.

They also have the unique distinction of sharing techniques for giving Reiki to raccoons.

The appendix is full of good resources for finding Reiki teachers and further information on natural healing for animals.

This book will give anyone interested in Reiki a lot to grow on, whether you’ve been a teacher for years like me, or you’re just starting to learn about the amazing world of animals and Reiki.

It Finally Happened!

~ Gina Briganti ~ 2 Comments

I finally found a make-up brand that I trust to put on my face!  It has taken years for me to feel this enthusiastic about color cosmetics.

If you don’t already know how important it is to me to put healthy things in my life this should give you some idea.  I make my toothpaste, hand soap, deodorant, bath salt and all-purpose cleaner.  I am serious about living a long, healthy, quality life.

 

100% Pure cosmetics passed my test.  This is their website:  http://www.100percentpure.com/

 

This is the kit I bought so that I could try a few different products.  It comes in a lovely, sturdy box with a magnetic closure.

Image

 

I love the way my Fruit Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara in Black Tea smells like blueberries, goes on smooth, and washes off so easily.  I’ve heard of women having tearing with all natural mascaras, but I’ve had all good experiences with this one.  And I’m a contact lens wearer.

 

The Fruit Pigmented Eye Shadow color in Sateen also went on very smoothly and came off when I wanted it to.

 

My Fruit Pigmented Blush Color in Chiffon comes in a really nice looking, shiny, pink case.  I thought the blush would be too pink for me, but it looks really nice.

 

Oh, and if you receive something from them that you don’t like, you can return it.  That’s according to their advertising.  I haven’t actually returned anything personally.

 

My absolute favorite item in the kit is the Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze color in Velveteen.  This color looks great on me, smells great, moisturizes my lips, and comes in a sleek, shiny tube.

Image

 

I learned of 100 Pure when my daughter, the aesthetician, was looking for a product line for her salon.  She contacted them by phone and was treated very well by the gal she spoke to.  The gal immediately offered to send my daughter a sample envelope of body lotions and eye cream.  They also offered to send one to me after I purchased my kit.

 

We were both really impressed with what came in the mail so when it came time to order a new mascara, which is what I really needed, I checked them out. I am really glad that I did.

 

I showed my kit to another aesthetician friend of mine who has had her own make-up line, which she (sadly for me) discontinued.  If she was still selling make-up I wouldn’t have had a reason to go looking for new make-up.

 

What did she think?  She loved it, and she said “Finally” when I told her it was fruit pigmented.

 

I am very pleased with 100 Percent Pure and will definitely be buying from them again!  They have a bunch more lip glazes I’d like to have.