Tuesday

Quick and Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipes from the Experts

 
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Benefits of Cranberries

Anyone who has eaten a fresh cranberry knows that these native North American fruits have a unique taste. They also have some unique nutritional benefits. Cranberry procyanidins appear to inhibit the stickiness of bacteria, giving the tart red fruit—and its more popular juice—the ability to help prevent urinary tract infections. That same anti-adhesion property gives cranberries a role in preventing tooth decay, and possibly even the bacterial infection implicated in many stomach ulcers. Cranberries have one of the highest ORAC levels among the 277 foods tested by the USDA. They also provide vitamin C.

Cranberries are relatively low in sugar and carbohydrate—another thing anyone who has tasted them fresh might have guessed. That means that cranberries and cranberry juice can bring the benefits of fruit to those who must limit carbohydrate and sugar.

Nutritional Composition:

One cup of whole raw cranberries provides 47 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 0.4 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 4 g dietary fiber, 44 IU vitamin A, 13 mg vitamin C, 2 mcg folic acid, 67 mg potassium, 7 mg calcium, 9 mg phosphorus, 5 mg magnesium, 0.19 mg iron, 0.12 mg zinc, and 0.15 mg manganese.



Cranberry Sauce Recipe


Original Recipe Yield 8 - 12 servings 


Ingredients:

12 ounces cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 cup orange juice


Directions:

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.



Homemade Vegan Cranberry Sauce Recipe with Ginger and Cinnamon


Ingredients:

4 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup filtered water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
4 Tbsp agave nectar or more to taste
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 tsp fresh ginger juice (grate fresh ginger and squeeze out the juice) or more to taste
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon depending on taste


Directions:

1. Bring the raisins, cherries, cranberries, orange juice and water to the boil.

2. Simmer for about ten minutes or until some of the cranberries start to burst open. Some will burst open and some will not. This gives a great texture.

3. Now add in the agave nectar, ginger juice, orange zest and cinnamon and simmer for a few more minutes just to allow the flavors to infuse.

4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

5. Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to infuse.



Cranberry Recipe: Quick Fresh Cranberry Citrus Relish

Cranberry citrus relish is a traditional North American cranberry recipe, and a common accompaniment to the Thanksgiving turkey. This relish is also great on a roast turkey sandwich!


Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained or frozen cranberries, thawed and drained
1 orange, peeled, seeded, and cut into 8 sections
¾ cup raw granulated sugar


Directions:

1. Put the cranberries and orange sections into a food processor or blender jar. Chop coarsely, but don’t puree. Transfer the relish to a glass or ceramic bowl (metal can discolor the relish).

2. Sprinkle sugar over the top and toss gently to mix. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until serving. The sugar and the stand time will allow the relish to macerate slightly, becoming juicier. (If you chop it too fine, you could end up with a relish that’s mushy.)

Serve chilled.

3. Variation. If you are serving this relish as a side dish, you may want to garnish it with a few bright curls of orange zest.

Yield 3 cups

Nutrition analysis per serving 67 calories, 17.2 g carbohydrate, 0.2 g protein, 0 g fat, 1.6 g dietary fiber



Watch instructional videos from the experts on how to prepare those cranberry recipes quick and easily.




OXALATES in Cranberries

Oxalates are a family of substances that bind with metals and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron to form crystals in the body—sometimes in the form of kidney stones. Although oxalates are present in many foods, including most berries and nuts, cranberries are among the few with a very high concentration (rhubarb is another). Healthy people usually have no problem eating these foods in moderation, but cranberries and other foods high in oxalates can cause problems for those with kidney disease, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis.


Bringing It Home the Cranberries

Because cranberries grow mainly in relatively cold climates where the growing season is short, they are available fresh only for a few months each year, in the autumn. Their role in traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals dates to the time before refrigeration when this was the only time of year to get them—and when they provided a late-season berry in regions that would have limited fresh produce until spring. Their timing may explain their wide acceptance (for they are a popular holiday food in Europe, as well as in the United States and Canada) in spite of their extremely tart taste. For a treat that’s less astringent, use fresh cranberries in combination with sweeter fruits such as oranges, apples, pineapple, or pears. If desired, add a little fruit juice, agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup to chopped fresh cranberries.

Since they are only available fresh for a short time each year, cranberries have long been available canned, frozen, and dried, as well as in juices, where they are often mixed with sweeter fruits for a more palatable taste. Try to choose cranberry drinks without added sugar. You can also dilute unsweetened 100 percent cranberry juice with sparkling water for a refreshing beverage with a little less bite.



Dried Cranberries


Benefits of Dried Cranberries

Cranberry procyanidins appear to inhibit the stickiness of bacteria. This anti-adhesion property helps in the prevention of infections such as those implicated in stomach ulcers and the urinary tract. It also gives cranberries a role in preventing tooth decay. Cranberries provide vitamin C and have one of the highest ORAC levels among the 277 foods tested by the USDA.

Dried cranberries provide many of the same benefits as fresh ones, and at least one study suggests they could even be as effective as cranberry juice in preventing urinary tract infections!

Nutritional Composition:

One-third cup of sweetened dried cranberries provides 120 calories, 29 g carbohydrate, 0.03 g protein, 0.5 g fat, and 2 g dietary fiber.


Bringing It Home the Cranberries

Because cranberries grow mainly in relatively cold climates where the growing season is short, they are available fresh only for a few months each year, in the autumn. Since they are only available fresh for a short time each year, cranberries have long been available in other forms, such as dried.

Dried cranberries are so tart that it may be impossible to find unsweetened ones—and hard to enjoy them if you find them! Do choose dried cranberries that are unsulfured. Add them to salads, or brighten up wild or brown rice with dried cranberries and slivered almonds or pine nuts.


Cranberry Recipe: Chicken with Dried Cranberries

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breast halves, thighs, or drumsticks
¾ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
¼ cup dried cranberries


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Rinse each piece of chicken well and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken in a 9″ × 13″ glass casserole dish. Pour ½ cup of the orange juice over the chicken.

3. In a small prep bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper. Sprinkle about three quarters of the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the cranberries over the top.

4. Cook the chicken for 45 minutes to an hour, until it is cooked through. Turn the chicken pieces, and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mixture. Add the remaining ¼ cup of orange juice to the pan. Return the chicken to the oven, and cook for another 15 minutes.

5. Note: This dish freezes well. Wrap individual chicken pieces in foil to freeze. To use, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.

Yield 4 servings

Nutrition analysis:

Per serving 174 calories, 11 g carbohydrate, 27.6 g protein, 1.7 g fat, 0.5 g dietary fiber


 

Monday

How to Easily Use Google Music Outside the United States and Download 20,000 Free Songs without Credit Card

 

I tried Google Music recently and I was blown away by how easy it is to use. If you're already using iTunes, Google Music will sync your library to your online account without you having to do anything.

Android users no longer have to worry about taking up space on their phone with their songs. Instead, you can stream your entire library. If you aren't connected, your most recent songs are cached on the phone so you can listen offline. Google Music top features are:

  • Any music that isn't copyright protected (DRM) can be uploaded to the Google Music cloud.  This means that rare LPs you have imported, and other improperly titled files, can be uploaded and streamed to your device.
  • Google Music provides a backup for your unique or rare music titles.
On the other hand, a lot of people saying/complaining they can't use Google Music because they are outside the United States. Many workarounds exist that help users access the services even if they are currently residing in a different country.  One option that I will be explained here is to use Tor bundle. I have chosen Tor because it free and reliable. We will configure Tor the way that the exit node lies in U.S.

You can use Google Music to store your songs but also to download the thousand of free songs available even you don’t have credit card or you don’t want to use your existing credit card. Here are the easy steps I used to access the Google Music service outside the U.S. and downloaded all the free songs I want.

Step 1. First changed your IP address by using proxy servers. I did not use online web based proxies.

I watched from Fox News before that they maintain logs and they can surrender these logs to FBI if compelled to do so.  A guy was caught regarding a criminal activity because of this. Also, online web proxies like hidemyass.com don’t work properly and this message appears when you use it:

Browser's cookie functionality turned off

Instead you can use Tor and you can download it here, https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en .

Step 2. After extraction...click "Start Tor Browser.exe". Give it a few seconds while it properly connects to available proxies. The Vidalia control panel should start and get connected to the network. Watch for the onion icon in the UI to turn green and for an integrated browser to start. Close the Firefox browser (Aurora version) for now as we won't need it until a little later on.



Step 3. We need to select a U.S. node – see the little map icon? Find one with an American flag that's close to the top of the list, right click on it and choose copy --> fingerprint and then edit Tor's configuration file.

From the main window, hit the "View the Network" button and a new window should open with a map of the world with a list of nodes on the left side. You are going to see all the relays with their flags (countries).


Step 4. Exit out of the Network Map window and back to the Vidalia Control panel. Next step is to take the fingerprint we so carefully copied and edit the configuration file to force Tor to only use this node. Click settings, and then hit the advanced tab. In the middle of this tab you should see a button to edit the torrc file, click that and you'll be presented with a text editor that sets up some of Tor's behaviors.



Step 5. Put your cursor down at the very top of the file and add the following replacing XXX in our example with the fingerprint you just finished grabbing:

ExitNodes XXX
StrictExitNodes 1




Step 6. When done, your changes should look like the image below and if it does, now's the time to push the OK button to save your work. Once back at the configuration window, we'll need to exit Tor and then restart it with our fix applied.



Step 7. Once Tor has restarted, the integrated browser will eventually open confirming you're using Tor. Go to whatismyipaddress.com to check where it has connected using the Tor browser. Make it sure it is connected to a U.S.-based IP address.

Now we can login to https://music.google.com using this inbuilt browser. You may get redirected to a Google notice page asking for confirmation that you're really you, as you're logging in from a new location, but no sweat, this is a good sign so answer the question and proceed.  Sign in with your regular account or existing Gmail account. Click on to Accept Terms and Service and acknowledge that you are going to a secure site (or something to that nature). You may get a few errors after you sign in since the browser limits a lot of executions from websites.



Step 8. After you've accepted the terms, don’t close the Tor browser. On Google Music page, the Tor browser might ask you to Install Adobe Flash. You don’t need to install it.

Step 9. After this, you should be redirected straight to the Google Music desktop where there will be a link to get the music upload client. All that remains to be done on your desktop is to install the upload tool or Music Manager Installer. Enter your account details on the music manager and upload some of your music files. Once it's done uploading, click on "Home" under My Library. Your songs should be there.



Step 10. Now open a regular browser like Internet Explorer and login to Google Music to check your account.

Step 11. Install the Google Music Android client on your phone or tablet and finally associate it with your account. You can now listen to your music on anywhere, no matter if online or if you are not connected. Download it here:
com.google.android.music.4.0.9.apk- ( Click for the QR Code ), 4.78 MB or here, http://goo.gl/ugOl6 .



Step 12. Now to download the free songs. Go back to TOR browser. I assume you are still login to your Google Music account. Click MORE and then FREE SONGS. You will be directed to the Android Market. Then select a song that is labeled as free.



Step 13. It will ask for credit card and other details. Add new payment method. If you want you can put in your own credit card details. If not, you can use these numbers.

Visa: 4544182174537267
Master Card: 5460506048039935

These credit card numbers are not real. It is not stolen or linked to any person. The credit card numbers will past any pre-validation and are declined at the card processor or bank stage. These numbers are used to test credit card checkout payment systems on online stores. It will not work if you try to buy any product. They are random numbers that happen to conform to the MOD 10 algorithm. They are a technical resource for programmers - that's all.

Looking for the security code? Just type in 3 random numbers and make sure the expiration date is greater than the current day or any expiry date within the next 3 years should work.


Step 14. Don’t change default the STATE. Search cities on that default U.S. State using http://wikipedia.org then input the city and corresponding ZIP CODE you want.

Step 15. For that city you need to find a corresponding phone number. Search using http://local.yahoo.com. Find a 10 digit phone number you want. Try not to use the city hall’s number. A hotel or a commercial establishment is preferable.

Step 16. Input all the details on the form and ENTER. You can now download free songs all you want.



Watch the video tutorial on how to use the Tor Bundle. How to easily use Google Music outside the United States and legally download up to 20,000 free songs without credit card. 





UPDATE: Alternative for Tor; you can use Hotspot Shield. You can download it here and install. http://hotspotshield.com/hotspot-shield-download.php?&type=na

Using Hotspot shield, you can access and visit US-only restricted websites (Hulu, Pandora, Veoh, ABC, CW) from outside of United States or from anywhere.
 

Thursday

Online Catholic Mass Broadcast at Quiapo Church: Live Streaming

 
For all the Filipinos abroad who are devotees of the Black Nazarene, you can now watch scheduled online mass at Quiapo Church and be connected in spirit.


Schedules of Mass Live Streaming

Fridays 4:00am-12:15 pm (every hour) 3:00pm (Holy hour) 4:00pm - 8:00 pm (every hour)

Sundays 5:00am - 12:15 pm (every hour) 3:00pm- Children’s Mass (Misa Pro Populo) 4:00pm - 7:00 pm (every hour) 8:00pm Holy Hour and Benediction


Upcoming Special Mass Live Streaming Schedules

1. Advent Recollections on November 15, 29 & December 6, 2011 from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM inside Quiapo Church.

2. Dec. 8 - Solemnity of the Immaculate Concepcion 5:00 pm High Mass

3. Simbang Gabi Masses - (Anticipated 9:00pm from Dec. 15 - 23) Dec 16-25 at 4:00am and 5:00am



About the Quiapo Church (Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene)

Quiapo Church, officially known as Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, is a Roman Catholic church located in the District of Quiapo, Manila, in the Philippines. The church is one of the most popular churches in the country. It is home to the Black Nazarene, a much venerated statue of Jesus Christ which many people believe has miraculous attributes. 

Many Filipinos have a devotion to the Black Nazarene. Many experienced the miraculous healings and answered prayers of the Lord of the Black Nazarene. Quiapo Church is a center for pilgrimage of Filipinos from all over. Those who come to Manila would pay their respects to the Black Nazarene. Everyday, there are hourly Masses and Confessions. Fridays is the Day of the Lord of the Black Nazarene and the Church becomes filled with devotees. There are regular talks and recollections in the Church as well as processions, novenas and social services for the poor.

The Pilgrim Image of the Black Nazarene visits Churches in the Philippines and helps in the projects of these Churches. Quiapo Church also assists other dioceses, institutions and parishes in need. On January 9, a multitude if bare-footed devotees, most of whom are men, join the procession as an expression of both supplication and gratitude. Riding on the andas or carroza, pulled by two 50-meter abaca ropes, the Nazarene is brought to various barangays in the Quiapo District. The procession – that usually lasts between five to ten hours- is likewise held during Good Friday, on the first day of the year, and on the Sunday before Passion Sunday for the District-wide Way of the cross.

The church was painted cream after the original Mexican Baroque edifice was burned down in 1928. It is expanded to its current form in 1984 for accommodation of thousands of devotees. Also known as St. John the Baptist Parish, the church at present belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila. The current rector is Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, former Episcopal Vicar, Chancellor and Oeconomus of the Archdiocese of Manila, who succeeded Msgr. Josefino Ramirez (the Vicar General of the archdiocese) upon the latter's appointment as rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Maysilo, Mandaluyong City. Assisting Msgr. Clem are his Parochial Vicars Rev. Fr. Fernando Carpio, Rev. Fr. Frank Villanueva, Rev. Fr. Venusto Suarez and Rev. Fr. Ricardo Valencia.

Historical background

When Governor General Santiago de Vera founded the District of Quiapo on August 29, 1586, the Franciscan Missionaries built the first church of Quiapo with Bamboo and Nipa. San Pedro Bautista, a Franciscan missionary at that time was one of the founders of the Quiapo church, thus his image is located at one of the side niches of the church. San Pedro Bautista founded many churches in Metro Manila and Laguna. The famous of them all is the one at San Francisco Del Monte, the parish that is named after him and houses the Holy Cave for missionaries that went to China and Japan during those days. Unfortunately, this church was burned in 1639. Rebuilding and repairs at intervals gave the parish a stronger edifice which the earthquake of 1863 partially destroyed.

Under the supervision of Fathers Eusebio de Leon and Manuel Roxas, the third church was completed in 1899, with Fr. Roxas raising PhP. 40,000.00 from contributions. In the fire of October 30, 1928, the church was left in ruins leaving its scarred walls and belfry. Dona Encarnacion Nakpil de Orense, head of the Parish Committee, raised funds for the reconstruction of the church and National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil was made responsible for the church's rebuilding. Miraculously, the church survived the ravages of the Second World War, despite its surrounding buildings being completely destroyed.


Expansion of the Church and Recognition as Minor Basilica

To meet the needs of an ever-increasing number of churchgoers, Msgr. Jose Abriol, together with Architect Jose Ma. Zaragoza and Engr. Eduardo Santiago, worked hard in 1984 to have the parish church and national shrine remolded. Thus this sacred edifice has doubled in holding capacity and has acquired a most sturdy columnless structure and modern architectural beauty. Cardinal Sin blessed it on September 28, 1987. The year after, Quiapo Church was declared the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. The Papal Nuncio, Most Rev. Bruno Torpigliani, blessed the altar of San Lorenzo Ruiz on February 1, 1988.

The Image

The Minor Basilica of Saint John the Baptist holds the well known image of Black Nazarene (Senor Nazareno). It was one of the two identical images brought into the islands by the Augustinian Recollects during the Spanish Colonial Period.

The first and most famous one was kept at the Church of Saint Nicholas de Tolentino in Bagumbayan and later transfered to Intramuros when the old edifice was demolished. This Black Nazarene was part of the celebrated Palm Sunday Procession in the old walled city. Sad to say, this statue perished during the liberation of Manila in February 1945.

The other statue was given by the Recollects to the Church of Quiapo. Often, it has been mistaken that this is identical to the lost image of the Intramuros. Every 9th of January Devotees flock to the Basilica for the Annual Feast of the Black Nazarene. The procession that ensued takes several hours to negotiate the narrow streets of Quiapo and gives an appearance of sea of mankind. On ordinary times of the year, Friday is known as Quiapo Day. The Sick and those asking for Divine intervention go to the shrine on the said day.

In a move to protect the centuries old image from effects of processions, the Fathers of Quiapo decided to commission a replica of the Black Nazarene. As a result, the Head and the Hands were placed on the new body while the old torso holds a new head. Both images are brought out for processions albeit alternating every other year.


The Devotion to the Black Nazarene

The Quiapo Church holds a weekly novena every Friday and is attended by thousands of devotees. On January 9. This event is participated by Millions of Devotees while Quiapo Church holds Novena of Masses before the event. Many sick people come to see the Black Nazarene, hoping that getting a chance to pray in front of its miraculous image would heal their sicknesses. Others come for various intentions and the answers as well as the miracles are attributed to the special presence of Our Lord in the Shrine. Daily hourly masses are celebrated and devotees from all over the country would always pass by the Church of Quiapo. Every Thursday before First Fridays, healing Services are conducted with priests administering the blessings. Confessions are readily available beginning 8am until 7pm.



The Recent Years

The devotion to the Black Nazarene has been growing. Due to the sizable crowd of devotees joining the procession, the Traslacion now begins at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta. The procession takes the whole day and reaches Quiapo Church late evening. Also to allow the devotees in distant provinces to partake of their devotions to the Black Nazarene, Quiapo Church has donated life-size images of the Black Nazarene to the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, the Diocese of Iligan, the Diocese of Ipil and a small image to the Seminary in the Diocese of Borongan, Eastern Samar. Devotees in these areas have been benefitted by the presence of these statues from Quiapo Church and have now been increasing in numbers.

In Luzon and the Visayas, the Pilgrim Images of the Black Nazarene have been requested by parishes to grace them with a visit of the "Poon". Quiapo Church has also acquired two properties adjacent to the Church to cope with the growing activities and programs of the parish. The former Lao Building has been renovated under the supervision of Arch. Aurora Ramos and Eng. Victor Mallilin. The Benedict XVI Building (former Lao Building) has been recently inaugurated (2011) and it now houses the Social Services, the ministries and organizations of the Church.


Recent List of Pastor-Rectors

Name
Years of Pastorship
Former Assignments
Rev. Msgr. Vicente Fernandez, P.A. 
1937 to 1954

Rev. Msgr. Francisco AvendaƱo †
1954 to 1955

Most Rev. Vicente Reyes, D.D. 
1955 to 1961
deceased Bishop of Cabanatuan
Most Rev. Pedro Bantigue, D.D.
1961 to 1967
Bishop-emeritus of San Pablo
Most Rev. Bienvenido Lopez, D.D. 
1967 to 1974
deceased Auxiliary Bishop of Manila
Fr. Antonio Pascual
1974

Most Rev. Hernando Antiporda, D.D. 
1974 to 1975
deceased Auxiliary Bishop of Manila
Rev. Msgr. Jose Abriol, P.A. 
1975 to 1993
deceased Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Manila
Rev. Msgr. Bienvenido Mercado, P.C. 
1993 to 1999

Rev. Msgr. Teodoro Buhain, D.D.
1999 to 2004
Auxiliary Bishop-emeritus of Manila
Rev. Msgr. Josefino Ramirez, H.P., STD
2004 to 2007
Vicar-General emeritus of the Archdiocese of Manila
Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, P.C., TOC
2007–present
Former Episcopal Vicar District of Makati, Chancellor and Oeconomus