Sci-Tech Information: Grow Heart-Shaped Veggies for Your Lover With Romantic Mould
People can now buy their weight-watching partners a healthy alternative to Valentine's Day chocolates - heart shaped vegetable moulds.
The quirky contraption can slot over a variety of crops while they are on the stalk and makes them grow into the novel shape.
It can be used on many fruits and vegetables including cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, lemons, mandarins, oranges, aubergines, and courgettes.
When they are picked from the vine and chopped up each cross-section will have the appearance of a perfect heart.
It is a great way to make salads, sandwiches and pizza toppings look more exciting.
The moulds come in two sizes, eight inches and three inches long, and can be slotted over a crop in the early stages of its growth.
When the fruit or vegetable is ripe and ready to eat, the gadget can be simply pulled off and the heart shape will be revealed.
The moulds are being sold by Suttons Seeds in Devon, who also claim it is a fun way to encourage children to eat healthier food.
A spokesman said: 'The innovative design of the moulds allow you to shape things like cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, lemons, mandarins, oranges and many other varieties.
'This can really jazz up meals and they look groovy on an open sandwich or even on home-made pizzas.
'To make heart shaped fruit or vegetables, simply choose a crop which is at a small growing stage.
'Then, put the mould over the fruit and fasten it with wire or thread.
'Then just wait for the fruit or vegetable to grow. Some fruits like cucumbers grow very fast and could fill the mould in only five to six days.
'These moulds were made for novelty and fun and can even encourage children to get into growing because it makes horticulture more interesting to them.
'The moulds are a perfect way to tell a gardener or chef in your life that you love them.
'It is the perfect time of year too, as tomato seeds are sown just after Valentines Day.'
Heart-shaped and red fruits and vegetables ideal for Valentines Day
Heart shaped foods are good for the heart, says Katie Eliot, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University. This doesn't mean cookies and cake, but more like fruits: strawberries, raspberries, red bell peppers, tomatoes and the like are ideal for Valentines Day because they're already red and heart shaped, Eliot says.
"Being red and heart shaped can be a tip off that some foods are good for your heart," Eliot says. "Many heart shaped fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants. These compounds act like shields, taking the hit from free radicals that otherwise damage the body and cause heart disease and cancer."
Strawberries and raspberries are loaded with vitamin C and an antioxidant known as polyphenol that prevents plaque from forming. Cherries contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which is thought to protect the blood vessels, and is high in potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
Tomatoes and red peppers are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is in many red fruits and vegetables and works magic by neutralizing free radicals. And acorn squash and apples contain loads of fibre, which reduces bad cholesterol that can clog up your arteries to cause heart attacks and stroke.
So, while the current recommendation is to eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day, Eliot adds a special suggestion for February.
"To help keep your ticker ticking, celebrate heart month and Valentine's Day by making sure at least two of those five fruits and veggies are heart shaped or red," Eliot says.
Show you care this Valentine's Day with LEGO roses
Chocolates, perfume, real flowers: all tried and tested Valentine's Day presents but LEGO has a different suggestion.
While buying for a LEGO lovers, why not think outside the box and give a bunch of bricks.
These LEGO roses will not be available in stores, or even petrol stations, but LEGO is encouraging fans to get cracking with recreating it themselves.
'Long after February 14th has come and gone, your love affair with LEGO will live on,' read a statement from LEGO.
'What better way to show your commitment than building a bunch of roses for someone special? Or go one step further and create a LEGO vase to hold them! Better get building now, with only two days until Valentine's Day and 1,600 bricks to build, there is no time to waste.'
If this seems a little too difficult, or you don't have the correct bricks lying around, there's always the next best thing to woo the other half on Friday: a romantic trip to the cinema to see The LEGO Movie.
3D-Printed Bouquets Add A High-Tech Spin To Valentine's Day
Nothing says love like a fresh bouquet of long-stemmed roses, but your declaration of affection may be even sweeter with a dozen 3D-printed ones. Online DIY community Brit + Co is teaming up with TaskRabbit to show the geeky side of romance, offering custom printed roses at an affordable price.
Hand-delivered and perfect for the approaching holiday, these roses can be ordered individually or by the dozen. A single rose, tied with a ribbon is available for $15. But if you want to go big, twelve beautiful roses arranged in a turquoise mason jar vase can be purchased for $100.
Giant strawberries on sale in UK
Giant strawberries larger than the average egg and big enough for sharing have gone on sale across the UK in time for Valentine's Day.
Marks & Spencer is selling the Spanish-grown King strawberry at a wide range of stores this year after trials last year proved popular.
The retailer says the fruit is at least 30% bigger than the average strawberry, and sweeter, making it the "perfect treat for sharing with someone special".
M&S said it was seeing high demand for strawberries, with sales up 25% on this time last year.
The retail chain's fruit expert Bill Davies said: "These jumbo King strawberries are perfect for two, delicious on their own or made extra special by dipping in melted chocolate for the ultimate Valentine's treat."
The introduction of giant strawberries is part of a trend at M&S for unusually-sized fruit and follows the success of the tiny 'Tiddly Pomme' apple and the giant 'Satsumo' satsuma
King strawberries are available in stores nationwide now for 6.99.
The quirky contraption can slot over a variety of crops while they are on the stalk and makes them grow into the novel shape.
It can be used on many fruits and vegetables including cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, lemons, mandarins, oranges, aubergines, and courgettes.
When they are picked from the vine and chopped up each cross-section will have the appearance of a perfect heart.
It is a great way to make salads, sandwiches and pizza toppings look more exciting.
The moulds come in two sizes, eight inches and three inches long, and can be slotted over a crop in the early stages of its growth.
When the fruit or vegetable is ripe and ready to eat, the gadget can be simply pulled off and the heart shape will be revealed.
The moulds are being sold by Suttons Seeds in Devon, who also claim it is a fun way to encourage children to eat healthier food.
A spokesman said: 'The innovative design of the moulds allow you to shape things like cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, lemons, mandarins, oranges and many other varieties.
'This can really jazz up meals and they look groovy on an open sandwich or even on home-made pizzas.
'To make heart shaped fruit or vegetables, simply choose a crop which is at a small growing stage.
'Then, put the mould over the fruit and fasten it with wire or thread.
'Then just wait for the fruit or vegetable to grow. Some fruits like cucumbers grow very fast and could fill the mould in only five to six days.
'These moulds were made for novelty and fun and can even encourage children to get into growing because it makes horticulture more interesting to them.
'The moulds are a perfect way to tell a gardener or chef in your life that you love them.
'It is the perfect time of year too, as tomato seeds are sown just after Valentines Day.'
Heart-shaped and red fruits and vegetables ideal for Valentines Day
Heart shaped foods are good for the heart, says Katie Eliot, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University. This doesn't mean cookies and cake, but more like fruits: strawberries, raspberries, red bell peppers, tomatoes and the like are ideal for Valentines Day because they're already red and heart shaped, Eliot says.
"Being red and heart shaped can be a tip off that some foods are good for your heart," Eliot says. "Many heart shaped fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants. These compounds act like shields, taking the hit from free radicals that otherwise damage the body and cause heart disease and cancer."
Strawberries and raspberries are loaded with vitamin C and an antioxidant known as polyphenol that prevents plaque from forming. Cherries contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which is thought to protect the blood vessels, and is high in potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
Tomatoes and red peppers are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is in many red fruits and vegetables and works magic by neutralizing free radicals. And acorn squash and apples contain loads of fibre, which reduces bad cholesterol that can clog up your arteries to cause heart attacks and stroke.
So, while the current recommendation is to eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day, Eliot adds a special suggestion for February.
"To help keep your ticker ticking, celebrate heart month and Valentine's Day by making sure at least two of those five fruits and veggies are heart shaped or red," Eliot says.
Show you care this Valentine's Day with LEGO roses
Chocolates, perfume, real flowers: all tried and tested Valentine's Day presents but LEGO has a different suggestion.
While buying for a LEGO lovers, why not think outside the box and give a bunch of bricks.
These LEGO roses will not be available in stores, or even petrol stations, but LEGO is encouraging fans to get cracking with recreating it themselves.
'Long after February 14th has come and gone, your love affair with LEGO will live on,' read a statement from LEGO.
'What better way to show your commitment than building a bunch of roses for someone special? Or go one step further and create a LEGO vase to hold them! Better get building now, with only two days until Valentine's Day and 1,600 bricks to build, there is no time to waste.'
If this seems a little too difficult, or you don't have the correct bricks lying around, there's always the next best thing to woo the other half on Friday: a romantic trip to the cinema to see The LEGO Movie.
3D-Printed Bouquets Add A High-Tech Spin To Valentine's Day
Nothing says love like a fresh bouquet of long-stemmed roses, but your declaration of affection may be even sweeter with a dozen 3D-printed ones. Online DIY community Brit + Co is teaming up with TaskRabbit to show the geeky side of romance, offering custom printed roses at an affordable price.
Hand-delivered and perfect for the approaching holiday, these roses can be ordered individually or by the dozen. A single rose, tied with a ribbon is available for $15. But if you want to go big, twelve beautiful roses arranged in a turquoise mason jar vase can be purchased for $100.
Giant strawberries on sale in UK
Giant strawberries larger than the average egg and big enough for sharing have gone on sale across the UK in time for Valentine's Day.
Marks & Spencer is selling the Spanish-grown King strawberry at a wide range of stores this year after trials last year proved popular.
The retailer says the fruit is at least 30% bigger than the average strawberry, and sweeter, making it the "perfect treat for sharing with someone special".
M&S said it was seeing high demand for strawberries, with sales up 25% on this time last year.
The retail chain's fruit expert Bill Davies said: "These jumbo King strawberries are perfect for two, delicious on their own or made extra special by dipping in melted chocolate for the ultimate Valentine's treat."
The introduction of giant strawberries is part of a trend at M&S for unusually-sized fruit and follows the success of the tiny 'Tiddly Pomme' apple and the giant 'Satsumo' satsuma
King strawberries are available in stores nationwide now for 6.99.
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