Santa Brunch this Sunday Dec 14th 2008 at Matisse in Belmar NJ

Santa will arrive at Matisse in Belmar Nj , Sunday for pictures with all the kids. Matisse will be open for Sunday brunch 10:30am till 4:30pm ...the last seating for Brunch is 2:30pm for reservations call Matisse at 732.681.7680

Belmar has lights but Jersey Central Power & Light is reporting widespread power outages tonight in most of Monmouth and parts of Ocean counties and t

Jersey Central Power & Light is reporting widespread power outages tonight in most of Monmouth and parts of Ocean counties and the northwestern part of the state.

At least 50 municipalities in Monmouth and another 10 in Ocean County are
without power tonight.

A cause of the outage could be that a transformer blew in Neptune, impacting a grid, according to Asbury Park City Manager Terence Reidy.

He said that JCP&L told police that power should be restored within 45 minutes. JCP&L representatives could not be reached immediately, but according to its Web site, the massive outage includes more than 10,000 households in this area -- from Bayshore to the Waretown in Ocean County.

On Route 34 in Wall Township, street lights are dark and police have called on
personnel from Naval Weapons Station Earle to provide lighting from vehicles.

Widespread power outage hits Monmouth, Ocean counties

Widespread power outage hits Monmouth, Ocean counties
by The Star-Ledger Continuous New Desk
Tuesday December 09, 2008, 6:31 PM
An outage has knocked out power to almost all of Monmouth County and parts of Ocean County, according to a spokesman for the utility company that serves the area.

In Ocean County, customers have lost service in parts of Lakewood, Toms River and Barnegat, according to the website for Jersey Central Power & Light.

"Calls are coming in like crazy," said Peter Johner, a spokesman for the utility.

So far, the outage has affected thousands of customers and shut down traffic lights on major roads including Route 36, just in time for rush hour, authorities said.

Johner said JCP&L is trying to determine the cause of the problem, but the scope of the outage suggests it is with the transmission and not distribution.

Further details about when power might be restored were not immediately available.

Hazlet police encouraged drivers who would normally take Route 36 to use local roads and said additional officers have been dispatched to monitor traffic.

Russell Holstein, a Long Branch psychologist, said he told his evening patients not to come in after he lost power in his office tonight.

"I can't work in the dark," he said.

Holstein, who lives in West Allenhurst, said he plans to take local roads home, avoiding backups on major thoroughfares where traffic lights have been disabled.

"When you get to a traffic light, that's where people get confused," he said. "I'm going to be very careful. I know where the lights are, and I'll be watching."

Holstein said he vividly remembers an outage several years ago that left his family without power for days. Still, he said, his family has taken no special precautions to prepare for this type of event.

"I'm like most people," he said. "We count on the electric company."

Matisse catering in Belmar 732.681.7680

Award-winning cuisine at your place or or oceanfront deck at Matisse. If your group can’t come to Matisse, but you want to enjoy the taste of wonderful fresh seafood Steak,or chops without slaving away in the kitchen, we can make that happen. Do you want to just stop in and pick up food for your event? We can do that! Want to have food delivered to your event? We can do that! Want someone to come in and set up, run, and clean up your event? We can do that, too! Just say the word and we’ll be there – complete with all the gourmet touches.

From casual family functions, to office meetings, to summer barbeque's or elegant private functions, our experienced team of catering professionals can cater your event with sensitivity and assurance. Your board room. Your office. Your home dining room. You pick the place. We love working in any and all venues.
At Matisse Restaurant Ocean Ave. Belmar, we offer complete catering services to help you create the most memorable occasion. We offer extensive menu selections and will customize the menu to fit your catering needs. In addition, a professional and acclaimed culinary team is available to assist you with every detail: menu planning, party rentals, flower arranging, decor, full service food and beverages, freshly baked pastries and desserts.

For groups 10 to 500, your place of choice. Our goal: To make your event a truly festive occasion.
You can order our Simply Fresh Party Platters Menu for your home or office. We're now providing the tastiest party platters, big salads deserts for your next party. Our menu includes everything from big party trays of salmon canapés, fresh seafood salads, Matisse’s white chocolate mousse cake. And a bunch more.
We look forward to serving you and ensuring that your next event is the absolute best it can be.
We have catered many parties this summer at the shore, and look forward to helping make you the star party of the summer

Last week Matisse catered a house party of 24 people featuring a New England
Lobster and Clam Bake, complete setup of all food and cleanup.Be a guest at your next party instead of slaving away in the kitchen.

call Mary at Matisse phone 732-681-7680

Mediterranean Diet Enriched With Nuts Cuts Heart Risks - olive oil debunked

Mediterranean Diet Enriched With Nuts Cuts Heart Risks

Mediterranean Diet Enriched With Nuts Cuts Heart Risks
Study says metabolic abnormalities better regulated when following this approach
Posted December 8, 2008

MONDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In older adults at risk for heart disease, a Mediterranean diet plus daily servings of mixed nuts may help manage metabolic syndrome, according to a Spanish study.

Metabolic syndrome describes a group of health problems that includes abdominal obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high glucose levels -- all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Previous research suggests that a Mediterranean diet -- which includes lots of cereals, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, moderate consumption of fish and alcohol, and low intake of dairy, meats and sweets -- lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome.

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This new study included 1,224 people, ages 55 to 80, at high risk for cardiovascular disease. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The control group received advice on a low-fat diet while the other two groups received quarterly education about the Mediterranean diet. One of the Mediterranean diet groups received one liter per week of virgin olive oil, while the other group received 30 grams per day of mixed nuts.

At the start of the study, 61.4 percent of the participants met criteria for metabolic syndrome. After one year, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased by 13.7 percent in the mixed nut group, by 6.7 percent in the olive oil group, and by 2 percent in the control group.

There were no weight changes in any of the groups over the one-year study period. But the number of people with large waist circumference, high triglycerides or high blood pressure significantly decreased in the Mediterranean diet/mixed nuts group compared with the control group. This suggests that the Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts improves certain features of metabolic syndrome, such as oxygen-related cell damage, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation, the researchers said.

"Traditionally, dietary patterns recommended for health have been low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets, which generally are not palatable. The results of the present study show that a non-energy-restricted traditional Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts, which is high in fat, high in unsaturated fat and palatable, is a useful tool in managing the metabolic syndrome," concluded Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvado, of the University of Rovira i Virgili, and colleagues.

The study was published Dec. 8 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about metabolic syndrome.