Beauty is Within: Beauty and Fashion Blog: New Year, New You Beauty Galore Giveaway

Beauty is Within: Beauty and Fashion Blog: New Year, New You Beauty Galore Giveaway

Beauty is Within: Beauty and Fashion Blog: New Year, New You Beauty Galore Giveaway

Beauty is Within: Beauty and Fashion Blog: New Year, New You Beauty Galore Giveaway
I know it's not my usual kind of post, but I came across this great giveaway today! All you ladies who have made New Year's resolutions to make self-improvements, This is for You!

There's only 6 days left! Good luck!

As the holidays are fast approaching, I've been thinking alot about how to serve some of Redhead Tilapia's pacu fish to our family and friends.  I came across this recipie.  It looks good!  Imagine a plate of grilled pacu ribs with a side of atchara!  YUMMY!

Pacu Ribs with Citrus BBQ Sauce
(Serves 1)

Citrus BBQ sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 cup ketchup
12 cup white wine
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water

Whisk all the ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half or to desired thickness, about 1 hour.

Pacu
6 ounces pacu ribs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup citrus BBQ sauce (see above)
Salt and pepper

Heat a skillet, add olive oil. Sear pacu skin down for 1 minute, turn, add 1/2 cup BBQ sauce on top and place it in oven for about 5 minutes.
Slice fish into ribs, add rest of BBQ sauce.

Does Aquaponics Really Work?

Does aquaponics really work? The answer is yes, it certainly does. A well set up Aquaponics system will grow tasty food in half the time of a regular soil garden. It is also really easy to start an Aquaponics system without spending a lot of money since most systems are built using recycled materials.

How does Aquaponics work?

The beauty of this form of gardening is that once it is up and running, very little maintenance is needed. The most demanding task is feeding your fish. It is a natural cycle where the waste water from the fish is pumped from the fish tank and into the media in your grow bed. This cleans the water and feeds your crop at the same time. Unlike hydroponics the aquaponics system needs no additives or fertilizers, which means your garden is totally organic.




How easy is it to set up an aquaponic garden?

It is very easy and you can choose the scale of it, from indoor or backyard, to commercial. You can either buy a fabricated system or make your own. A DIY aquaponics garden can easily be built in a day even if you are not so hot with a hammer.



What are the best fish for an aquaponic tank?

There is no real answer to this because you can use any fish that you want. Personally, I like to use red tilapia because they are very hardy, they are nice to look at, and they are edible. If you plan on an indoor set up, you might want some brighter fish. Red tilapia also do great in indoor aquariums.




Does the food taste ok when grown with aquaponics?

The vegetables that you grow will not only grow faster but will taste magnificent, simple as that. Not only will they taste better than the ones you buy in the market,  but they are also free because you grew them yourself. You will also find the veggies to be larger and higher quality.




So, whether you choose to purchase a pre-made aquaponics system, or plan to take on the task of building a DIY model, you're sure to enjoy raising your fish and growing your vegetables with this no muss, no fuss way of gardening.

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man Aquaponics, and he eats for a lifetime!

Aquaponics is a sustainable farming system that combines hydroponics and aquaculture. The system is highly efficient and environmentally friendly because it uses 90% less water than regular "dirt" gardening and most systems are made from recycled materials. It can also be aesthetically pleasing especially when you add some flowering plants or herbs and raise red tilapia.

If you are concerned about the quality of food you are eating, you can take control by using backyard aquaponics to produce your own food. Today, most people are concerned of the chemicals and hormones that are present in many types of fish and produce purchased from the supermarket. You can rest assured and become self-sufficient with your own home-grown fish and produce with a backyard aquaponics system.

Backyard aquaponics efficiently utilizes and recycles water, which is one of the crucial components of the entire system. The fish waste in the tank water is pumped into the plant grow bed where the roots absorb the nutrients. The vegetation serves as a filtering agent which cleans the water before it is released back into the fish tank.

This system does not require acres of land, just one square meter. Redhead Tilapia Farm offers pre-made, ready-to-go kits, with red tilapia fingerlings at a very reasonable price. Our motto is, "Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man Aquaponics, and he eats for a lifetime!"

A Taste of Thai: Crispy, Spicy Red Tilapia Salad (Larb Pla Thap-thim)

The red tilapia is known in Thai language as Pla Thap-thim, meaning "pomegranate fish".  This type of tilapia is very popular in Thai cuisine where it is prepared in a variety of ways. Today I will share this recipe for Spicy, Crispy Red Tilapia Salad, know in the Thai language as Larb Pla Thap-thim.

Ingredients :

• 2 red tilapia fillets,  
• 1 shallot , finely sliced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp roasted ground rice power
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Preparation:

1. Steam the red tilapia fillets and pat dry.
2. Place the steamed fillets on a cutting board and, using 2 forks, break up the fish into very small pieces.
3. Heat oil in a wok or skillet on medium low heat and deep fry the fish until golden brown. It takes a few minutes to brown all the pieces to be very crispy. 
4. Drain the cooked fish on paper towel and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl mix together the chopped shallot, chili powder, roasted ground rice power, chopped green onion, coriander, lemon juice, and fish sauce. 
6. Add cooked fish and gently mix together until all fish is coated. The cooked fish should still be crispy while serving.
7. Immediately serve the spicy red tilapia salad mixture with mint leaves and fried shallots.

Organic Gardening In Your Own Backyard

Aquaponics = Aquaculture + hydroponics

Aquaponics combines fish farming (aquaculture) with the practice of raising plants in water (hydroponics). There is no soil; the plants sit directly in gravel that is continually flushed with water, and fish waste.  It's organic by definition: instead of using chemical fertilizers, plants are fertilized by the fish waste, and pesticides/herbicides cannot be used since they would harm the fish.  Since the plants don't need dirt, aquaponics allows gardeners to produce more food in less space. And in addition to the vegetables they grow, gardeners cultivate edible fish as well.  The most popular choice of fish is tilapia because it breeds well, grows fast, and can survive in poor water.  We use Red Tilapia because of it's more presentable appearance and better flavor.  If you search online there are plenty of kits available for those who want a ready-made option.  But, most backyard aquaponics farmers are very DIY.  You can use almost anything that will hold water and gravel to start your project.

Our very first system included a "fish tank" made from cement and an old bathtub for the plants to grow in.  Other systems use such items as I.B.C. containers or plastic 55 gallon drums.  People with limited space have even successfully used  "totes" to make their system.  There are many advantages to growing your own veggies and fish.  You will be amazed at the growth rate of your aquaponically grown veggies compared to those you can buy in the supermarket.  The flavor and freshness of your home grown veggies and fish will also amaze you.  We also find that tending our system can be a great way of relieving stress!  I will post more info in the future about how to create your system and keep it running smoothly.  Until then, happy gardening!