Basics For Fishing Block Island

Light tackle fishing and fly fishing around Block Island, Rhode Island is always a unique experience. Block Island has been called the Bermuda of the north because of it's gin-clear coastal waters. Some have even called it the Ireland of New England because of the rolling hills and long rock fences. I am lucky enough to call it home from mid June through the month of September. As a fishing guide, I spend every morning (weather permitting) on the water with clients perched on the bow of my boat waiting for instruction on when, where and how to cast to cruising striped bass, bluefish, and tuna. We are always waiting for a large swirl, tail slap or pod of baitfish fleeing for their lives as some large predator lurks below.

Block Island poses some unique obstacles for the light tackle and fly fishing anglers that probe the rips, beaches, points, and impressive boulder fields that the island is known for. I will talk about what I feel are the three most important things to realize and adapt to when light tackle fishing the Block. These three things are proximity, water clarity, and forage.

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OK, I know you are saying "proximity" what the heck does he mean by that? It means that Block Island is located twelve miles from Point Judith which happens to be the closest place to launch a small boat to make the run out to BI. So lets back up for a moment and discuss "small boat". If you plan to fish the Block by small boat I would suggest no smaller than a twenty foot center console and no larger than twenty four. A twenty footer is just big enough to make it back if the weather turns on you and a twenty four is just small enough to get into the swallow boulder fields that hold so many fish. It's 12 plus miles of serious open water no mater where you come from to fish BI. It's a huge advantage to be leaving from the island in the morning. The runs are short and the pre-sunrise fishing is almost always far better than after sunrise. It can be a daunting run in the dark with a small vessel, especially if the boat isn't equipped with radar. Even if a vessel is equipped with radar, things such as huge logs or trees, lobster pots or anything else that might get pushed out of the many river systems along the mainland coast will most likely not be detected. Fog is another issue. The fishing is often very good in foggy conditions. Remember; low light makes for better hunting. If you are not comfortable navigating in the fog (which most are not) don't even attempt it. Now when the weather turns grumpy no one is really making that run which is a huge disadvantage because the best fishing is usually better when it's overcast with a 3-5 foot Southerly swell and about 15-20 knots of wind out of the south or west. So again, being based on Block Island means that you are looking at short runs to the fishing grounds and the comfort of knowing that home is just around the corner.

The second obstacle is water clarity. How can water clarity be an obstacle? Well for one, striped bass are nocturnal feeders, so with crystal clear conditions and a sunny sky it's only a matter of time before the fish go deeper or just turn off, or maybe both. This brings me back to the proximity thing about a good southerly swell. The swell keeps the bass in shallow because of it's churning of the water. It's like a bass's security blanket when less light is able to penetrate and the water clarity goes from twenty five feet of visibility to three feet of visibility. The fishing will often be good all day as long as there is a significant swell. In other situations when the water is clear as it usually is on Bock, longer, lighter leaders should be considered. Clear water usually equals spooky fish, so subtle, soft presentations and natural colors that blend in with the environment are key. This is why fly fisherman will so often have the upper hand in such situations. You can also use the super clear water of BI to your advantage as well. The sight fishing on the island is very good. Walking the east side swimming beaches and the shores and backwaters of the Great Salt Pond can be very rewarding. It's important to keep in mind that bass in less then two feet of water are as wary as bonefish. A stealthy approach is a must.

The third unique aspect of fishing Block Island with light tackle is the forage or prey which striped bass in particular feed on. Unlike mainland Rhode Island, Long Island, Cape Cod and even Martha's Vineyard, there are no freshwater sources on BI. Without the lifeblood of freshwater Block gets no menhaden, or bay anchovies. The menhaden, pogie, bunker, or whatever you want to call them, make up almost 35% and the bay anchovy about 6% of the striped bass's diet. So what are the stripers of Block Island eating during the course of any given season? Sand eels and squid make up a large portion of what BI stripers feed on. Most of the other prey species are bottom dwellers. Fluke, scup, lobster, black sea bass, blackfish and lots and lots of crabs are serious grub for Block Island stripers. I can honestly say that at least 80% of all the bass I have ever harvested on Block have had crabs in their bellies. I have seen huge bass with dozens of dime sized green or lady crabs in their gut. This being said, it is important to focus on a bottom presentation whenever there are no signs of surface activity. More often than not this is going to be the scenario you are faced with on BI. This is why a finesse style jig is very effective. A half ounce quality jig head with a slim bodied soft plastic, braided line and a four foot leader of 30pd mono can be absolutely deadly. This is where the fly fisherman has a disadvantage. With tide and swell to compete with, a fly, even on a full sink line has a hard time presenting correctly on bottom feeding stripers. It can be done but with lots of experience and patience.

All this being said, the waters around Block Island are some of the most productive in southern New England. If you plan to fish BI with fly or a light spinning outfit in hand then consider what I've mentioned here. Pick your days. Keep a very close eye on the weather and get out of Dodge at the first sign of trouble. Be ready to change your game plan if the water is super clear. Just because a section of fishy looking water has no sign of predators, fish the bottom. You might be very surprised. Most importantly, keep moving. It should take more than twenty minutes to figure out if there are feeding fish in the area. I'll leave you with this. If you don't have extremely sharp hooks and well tied and TESTED knots then all of the above means squat....

Tight lines and ripping tides. Capt Greg Snow

Basics For Fishing Block Island

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Diy Dog Food Recipes

You may or may not be aware, but in February 2007, there was a dog food recall that included many of the top brands of dog food. These foods had been laced with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make low-quality wheat gluten and rice combine appear more nutritious. More than 5,300 pet food products were taken off the shelves after pets began dying all over the country.

You should be aware that there are other ingredients in dog food that are not entirely nutritious for your pet. While they will satisfy your dog's basic needs-barely-they do not supply a nutritional and wholesome diet. You can fetch a complete list by going to the Dog Food for Life website.

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The best way to ensure that you are not feeding your pooch a less-than wholesome dog food is to make his food yourself. We're going to talk about a few dog food and treat recipes that you can whip up for your dog in no time.
The first set of recipes supply nutritionally balanced meals that your dog is sure to enjoy!

Meat and Potato Meal
12 1/2 cups of potatoes, chunked
3 pounds beef heart, cut into chunks
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup zucchini, squash, carrots or peas
6 tablespoons dog powder
4 teaspoons bone meal (Check the label, it should have 1300-1500 mg of calcium per tablespoon. If it doesn't, adjust the number you use accordingly.)

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until they come to be soft. If you pick to cook the meat, pour out half the water and add the beef heart chunks. Then simmer until they are no longer pink. Add the remaining ingredients. If you are feeding raw, pour off all of the water after you cook the potatoes, and just add the beef heart with the remaining ingredients.

Servings: Toy dogs: 1-2 cups, Small dogs: 3-4 cups, Medium dogs: 6-7 cups, Large dogs: 8-9 cups per day, Giant dogs: 9 cups per day

Beefy Rice
2 1/2 cups brown rice
3 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
1/4 cup dog oil supplement
1 cup zucchini, peas, pumpkin or wheatgrass sprouts (switch them out from time to time)
6 tablespoons dog powder
4 teaspoons bone meal (Check the label; it should have 1300-1500 mg of calcium per tablespoon. If it doesn't, adjust the number you use accordingly.)

Heat 5 cups of water in a large pot until it comes to a boil. Add the rice, turn the pot down to a simmer, and cover it. If you pick to cook the meat, add it now and cook it with the rice. Once the rice is cooked, add the remaining ingredients. If you are feeding raw, you'll add your meat at this time as well.
Servings: Toy dogs: 1-2 cups, Small dogs: 3-4 cups, Medium dogs: 6-7 cups, Large dogs: 8-9 cups per day, Giant dogs: 9 cups per day

The next combine of recipes make great treats for your dog!

Barking Barley Brownies
1 1/4 pounds beef liver or chicken liver
2 cups wheat germ
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup cooked barley
2 whole eggs
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt - optional

Pre heat oven to 350. Melt liver and garlic clove in a blender; when it's smooth, add eggs and peanut butter. Blend till smooth. In separate mixing bowl, combine wheat germ, whole wheat flour, and cooked barley. Add processed liver mixture, olive oil and salt. Mix well.

Spread mixture in a greased 9x9 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. When cool, cut into pieces that adapt your dog's size. Store in refrigerator. Or freezer.

Yogurt Pups
16 ounces plain non-fat yogurt
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
Dissolve bouillon in water, combine water and yogurt in blender and blend thoroughly, Pour into small containers for freezing, cover and freeze.

Diy Dog Food Recipes

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How to Gain Weight When You Have a Fast Metabolism

It seems like today everybody wants to lose weight. True, our country is having a major problem with obesity, but there are still those of us who would do just about anything to gain weight. If you're anything like I was, you could just about eat a grocery store out of business and not gain an ounce of weight. So if you have tried anything and everything to gain weight to no avail, then keep reading my friend.

There is such a barrage of misleading information out there today that it's no longer a question of getting information, but instead discerning the right information. So let's go over some of the key aspects you must follow on how to gain weight when you have a fast metabolism.

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The first key is weight training, and before I go any further I want you to forget everything you have ever read on the subject of weight training, bodybuilding, and anything else of the sort. Chances are you have been fed more misleading information then anything good, and since it isn't really that complex, let's start from scratch.

OK, there are only a few key exercises that you need to do, no more then two to three days a week. More is better in a lot of things in life, but not in weight training to gain weight, it's quite the opposite. If you spend too much time in the gym on too many exercises all you are going to do is over-train and you may even lose weight, especially if you have a fast metabolism.

The key is to really train HARD on just a few major exercises, and to really concentrate on getting stronger each and every week, even if it's only by a couple of pounds. Here is an example of a few exercises you should do two or three days a week.

1) Squats: 2 x 15

2) Bench Press: 3 x 12

3) Bent-Over Barbell Rows: 3 x 15

4) Overhead or Military Press: 2 x 12

5) Romanian Deadlifts: 1 x 15

These are the mother of all weight gaining exercises, and squats are the granddaddy of them all. Don't think that squats and Romanian deadlifts will only make your legs big. In fact, if you do them in the way I'm about to reveal to you, they will be responsible for 80% of the weight you will gain on your WHOLE body. Now, here is one key point you can't forget: don't make the mistake of believing that because the reps are relatively high, means you are only going to be using light weights. Think just the opposite, you are going to be training with HEAVY weights (relative to your strengths or course) for HIGH reps. Sounds like a paradox I know, but heavy weight for high reps will work for these exercises, and more importantly, they will work wonders for your weight gains.

The second aspect is your diet. The number one rule to gaining weight is this: you will only gain weight when you have consumed more calories then you have burned. So here's what you should do next: starting tomorrow, eat what you normally eat everyday, but count how many calories you are eating. Whatever your number is, your goal is to eat around 500 to 1,000 more calories then that each day. Here is a little trick to help you do that: every morning make yourself a huge protein shake, enough to fit in a gallon container, and consume it evenly throughout the day, both with and without your meals. Throw in a bunch of healthy, calorie and protein packed foods until altogether until it equals the 500 to 1,000 extra calories you need. Examples of what you can add are milk, a banana, peanut butter, molasses, powdered milk, and ice cream.

The last aspect you can't forget is to limit your other activities and rest as much as possible. Any time you're moving you're burning extra calories, and you'll want to burn as little as possible outside of your weight training. That means no cardiovascular exercises or any sports for that matter. Remember, you are trying to learn how to gain weight when you have a fast metabolism and any activity outside your weight training is counter-productive.

How to Gain Weight When You Have a Fast Metabolism

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Adding Quality of Life to Worksite Wellness Programs

"Proponents of wellness - the adoption of healthier diets, increased exercise and better adherence to treatment regimens for chronic diseases - say the concept holds the power to both improve the daily lives of Americans and stanch skyrocketing health care costs." Haydn Bush, An Ounce of Prevention, H&HN, Hospitals And Health Network Report, The American Hospital Association, June 12, 2008

There you have it. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has described wellness as it is widely understood by the medical and business sectors, as well as the general public. At worksites across the nation, particularly in organizations with more than 50 employees, wellness programs are provided in attempts to stem the rising costs of medical care. But, though the term wellness is used, these programs are NOT wellness or life enrichment programs - they are risk reduction efforts, disease management exercises and a miscellany of activities designed to encourage healthier choices - to control medical costs.

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All this is well and good - but given the nature of problems and challenges in society and throughout the world (e.g., global warming, economic crises, terrorism), perhaps it's time for employers to offer something much more than wellness as medical risk reduction. How about another form of wellness or life enhancement education targeted to boosting quality of life for employees and their families - and even (dare I say it?) facilitating the evolution of better human beings?

Lately, I have been describing REAL wellness (henceforth, RW). RW is not primarily about medical issues or even health; it's about well-being - optimal functioning for its own sake, because it makes life better, not because it lowers medical costs, reduces illness or extends longevity. (Though these could be attractive side effects.)

Of course, to justify RW as a corporate expense, it should prove beneficial for company profitability, provide an attractive return-on-investment and be constructive in other ways (e.g., boost morale, aid inter-departmental harmony and maybe enhance retention rates for top employees.)

A RW worksite initiative would offer education to all employees in topics such as ethics in business, the nature of happiness, the search for added meaning and purpose, common decencies, freedom and responsibility, the dynamics of human relationships, our role in caring for nature and the environment, keys to effective decision-making, an appreciation of science and similar topics outside the boundaries of medicine and personal health. Rather than offer answers or give advance positions on these topics that everyone should adopt, the emphasis would be on understanding the elements and principles of these topics that warrant understanding and integration into personal values.

Worksite wellness with this kind of RW agenda should be separate from existing worksite wellness. Today's corporate wellness activities are and should remain under the leadership of health and medical officials, targeted as they are to the kinds of cost-saving objectives identified in the above AHA statement. RW must be about quality of life, not sickness avoidance, medical treatment or other matters linked to mitigation of the dramatic increases in health care costs (e.g., problems of obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet, etc.).

Wellness was always intended to represent the great states that follow beyond the prevention of bad states (i.e., illness and disease). Wellness was more than prevention when described by Drs. Dunn, Travis, Hettler, Allen and others in books, lectures, conferences and elsewhere. To be clear about this - there is nothing undesirable about helping employees NOT to get sick. Wellness promoters also favor improving the daily lives of Americans and stanching skyrocketing health care costs. But the risk reduction focus is qualitatively different from the life enhancement orientation. Promoting and otherwise addressing the former is entirely different, though complementary, to celebrating and pursuing the latter.

After a dozen or so essays on the nature of REAL wellness, some readers want to know: How can this come to pass? What should a company's leaders do when there is some appreciation of the difference in RW and the normal kind? How can companies introduce RW?

Here are a few suggestions:

* Conduct forums and other discussions exploring the nature of RW for quality of life advances. Seek employee ideas about the best approaches to RW.

* Identify why current wellness programs are not intended or designed for RW promotion and will be continued separate and apart from the new RW initiatives.

* Establish a RW department. Rename the wellness program to reflect its medical nature.

* Develop a company statement describing the organization's commitment to quality of life advances for all interested employees.

* Identify and describe the selected life areas that will be topics of continuing education as part of RW company initiatives. Include in this list such RW issues as ethics in business, the nature of happiness, the search for added meaning and purpose, common decencies, freedom and responsibility, the dynamics of human relationships, our role in caring for nature and the environment, keys to effective decision-making and an appreciation of science.

* Describe varied ways to engage employees in learning about and responding to RW educational opportunities.

* Choose one RW topic to develop in advance of going public with the RW program. This selection must be influenced by unique qualities of a given company and its leadership, area resources, the conditions in the community and so on, but an attractive topical candidate might be global warming/environmental sensitivity and global engagement, by whatever name such matters can best be addressed.

The reason for the latter suggestion is that our planet is known to be getting warmer, most likely because of human actions. There is tremendous information as well as varied resources readily available for addressing this RW issue. A RW context for discussions about global warming will quickly elevate corporate wellness beyond individual medical and health concerns.

Justly or not, one criticism of wellness is that it seems self-indulgent, focused on personal benefits. The embrace of environmental consciousness integral to other passions for life enhancement would eliminate this dubious complaint. In addition to personal well-being and higher life quality, wellness seekers would embrace a range of global priorities. These might include personal actions and even sacrifices that avoid exacerbating climate change problems by reductions of carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases, the embrace of new energy technologies and a wide range of behaviors that curb energy use.

There are dozens, even hundreds of steps that can and must be identified to move to RW, but this listing of a few might help initiate a process that is greatly needed and much overdue.

RW - it's about quality of life.

Adding Quality of Life to Worksite Wellness Programs

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Gold and Silver Coins As a Survival Cache

Gold and silver coins are the primary way to stock up on recognizable assets that you will be able to use in the future if for some reason or situation arises where you will not be able to use the printed money from your country to buy food or provide for your family.

The price of both gold and silver are relative to the international exchange rate of your local currency to the U.S. Dollar or the Euro, but that is irrelevant in the bigger picture of things when you look at the buying power of your paper money today and in the future.

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If something happens that causes your local paper money to not be accepted by local vendors for daily purchases, then you need to have some sort of higher quality and a "more in demand" type of valuable in your possession to buy the food and water you will need until the government gets back on track which may take a few months to even a year or two.

If you live in a country that is not primarily English speaking, you probably are not reading this right now, but if you are, the best types of gold and silver coins to stock up on are the ones that people from your area will recognize for their international quality and value.

The U.S. Double Eagle and the Canadian Maple Leaf are very recognizable, but the South African Kruger Rand is the standard when it comes to gold coinage for the specific purpose of quality and weight.

Almost all of the gold coins that are produced by government mints are exactly 1 ounce and 90% pure. Traditionally a mint will convert the gold you dig out of the ground into a coin or bar, but they have always charged a 10% fee that is realized in the form of the purity of the final product you receive. The governments and mints try to tell you that they add nickel and copper to make the coin stronger so it will withstand the wear and tear of daily use, but that is a load of bull because I do not know of any place today I can spend gold.

If I walk into a Chevy dealership will I be able to convert 20 gold one ounce Double Eagle coins into a new Corvette? Certainly not; they will send me down to some dealer that will buy my gold coins and then I need to take a sack of cash back to the dealer.

What if things get a bit bad socially or economically and I want that same Corvette and my paper money is worthless? Or at least worthless to the person I want to purchase a product from. Then I need to have a type of commodity that has a value above and beyond the value of the worthless paper.

This is just an example, but for three to four generations the American society has been taught to save their money, their paper and copper clad coins. These do not have any true or real value. This type of currency is worth less than poker chips and they cost about 4 times more to produce. Yet our children are banking them and hording them like they will be their salvation at some point in the future.

I personally do not think the banking system will collapse as bad as the dooms day people say, but I do think there will come a time when gold and silver will be a great investment for safety and security.

What, that time is now. In the mid 90's I was buying silver coins as stock silver from coin dealers. They were in bank bags and weighed 52 pounds per bag. When silver hit over per ounce, I was not disappointed at all.

At the same time gold was very high at 5 per ounce so I am not too upset that I bought Double Eagles and Kruger Rands by the pound also.

Even though the relative price of gold and silver looks like it is very high today, the truth is that the value of both metals is mostly relative to the buying power of your local currency. If the price of gold seems like it is up, that only means the value of you paper is down and the price of a loaf of bread or a gallon (or liter) of mil is up also and probably exactly proportional to the price of gold.

The value of precious and industrial metals is pretty much constant over a long period of time and they are the best way to preserve and protect your buying power when you do not know or have a concern about the value of the paper you are holding.

This is why countries and governments mint gold and silver coins in the first place. The value of their paper money is only as good as the way people feel about their money. Not the actual value, the way people feel about the value.

Gold and Silver Coins As a Survival Cache

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Burying Gold and Keeping It Safe

Both gold and silver have been time-tested safe havens for the preservation of buying power and wealth. The 0 per once prices of gold back in the 1980's do not seem that high today, and not many people would have ever speculated that silver would top per ounce. With such increases in prices people are buying these precious metals to preserve their fortunes and many people bury gold to keep it safe from thieves and the forces of nature.

It is not enough to wrap 10 or 12 Double Eagle gold coins in clear tape and dig a hole in your backyard, you need a comprehensive plan to bury gold and other valuable you may have and this needs to be a plan where it is not only safe, but you will have an almost instantaneous access to it the second you want.

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A big metal home safe buried on its back 3 feet below your roses may sound like a solution and it certainly sounds like it is safe. Access would be a bit of a problem though. After digging down 4 or five times to add or retrieve an item would be enough for someone to abandon that thing where it sat (after you empty it of course).

The answer to this problem is to use hidden safes specifically designed to protect your valuables underground, small hidden underground safes. Not just your gold, there are other valuables you probably have needing to be protected from criminals and the forces of nature.

A very strong in home safe is often thought of as the best solution for storing valuables, but if someone knows you have a large safe they can force you to open it or if you leave for an extended period of time they will eventually open it. There are even cases where burglars have just stolen the safe itself; even 2,000 pound gun safes.

When it comes to nature, the tsunamis that hit Japan washed thousands of safes out of their houses and if a tornado will pick up an 18 wheeler you know it can relocate a safe at will. Don't even try to imagine what a tornado would do to a wall safe the shape of a serving tray.

Underground safes are the only way to bury gold and keeping it safe; safe from the thieves and also safe from natural disasters.

The beauty of using an underground safe located on your property is that you can easily add or remove items in the safe at will or you can even have more than one safe for different purposes. Maybe one safe is for documents and photos while another is only to bury gold or silver. If the one you bury gold in gets full, just get another safe. The same goes for silver or jewelry.

Because of the affordability of these underground safes, many people will have more than one hidden safe specifically based on access. Although accessible within a few minutes an underground safe with personal documents like wills or property titles will be accessed rarely and just left alone.

A hidden safe for silver will be accessed more than one for gold until it is full simply because of the price difference per ounce.

Many other people will use an underground safe for keeping heirlooms or rare collectibles safe and they don't want to smash anything under 40 pounds of silver coins.

The technology of these types of underground hidden safes has advanced to a point in the last few years that they rival that of a time capsule. They are not a piece of old plastic pipe either. These are hermetically sealed capsules that are over a half inch- thick and specifically designed as an underground safe. This is their only "designed" purpose although they would work wonderfully as a weather tight, element proof storage for emergency gear or anything else you can imagine.

Burying Gold and Keeping It Safe

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Easy piquant Memorial Day Menu

Menu: Serves 10-12
Gourmet Hamburger Bar
Tangy Dill Potato Salad
Fruit Salad with Brown Sugar-Lime Dressing
Gran's Blackberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream

Gourmet Hamburger Bar
Makes 12 hamburgers
12 slices bacon
1 package (12 ounces) sliced white mushrooms
Salt to taste
1 large red onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil for brushing
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tomatoes, sliced
12 red leaf lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Sliced sweet and dill pickles
12 slices various cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss, jack, pepper jack)
4 pounds lean ground beef, Sirloin-7% fat, or ground turkey or orchad burgers
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
12 gastronome hamburger buns
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise

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Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp; drain on paper towels. Sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes in 1 tablespoon of the leftover bacon grease; salt to taste. You may grill some of the onion slices if desired. Brush with olive oil and grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Put in order the other accompaniments (avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and cheese). When slicing the avocados, sprinkle with the juice of 1 lemon. This will forestall them from turning black.
Mix the ground beef or turkey with the kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Shape into 12 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Light a fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium. Coat the grill with cooking spray and grill the patties. Turn them once, and do not squish down with the spatula as this will squeeze out all the juice. When cooked to the desired doneness (4 to 5 minutes on each side), put on a serving platter. If manufacture cheeseburgers, put slices of cheese on the burgers and leave on the grill until the cheese is just soft and a minute melted, probably no more than 1 minute. Let guests pick their toppings from your gastronome bar.
Tip: Most grocery stores carry a line of gastronome hamburger buns, such as potato, onion, or seven-grain or you can get fresh French or ciabatta rolls from your bakery. For this meal, right on do not buy the white enriched business transaction buns. The idea is gastronome hamburgers!

Tangy Dill Potato Salad
Makes 10 to 12 servings
2 1/2 pounds potatoes (about 8 medium)
2 teaspoons salt for boiling potatoes
4 eggs
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (preferably) or dried dill
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a saucepan, and add water to cover and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, cover, set the heat to low, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until just tender when you stick the potatoes with a fork. Do not overcook. Drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Set the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 13 minutes. Drain, put the eggs back in the pan, and cover with cold water. When the eggs are cool, drain. Tap each egg on the counter and roll it in the middle of the palms of your hands. Peel off the eggshells. Discard the shells and chop the eggs.
In a large bowl, incorporate the celery, onion, mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the potatoes and eggs. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip: Never leave potato salad unrefrigerated for very long. The eggs and the mayonnaise can spoil fast at room temperature and even faster if left in the sun.

Fruit Salad with Brown Sugar-Lime Dressing
Makes 10 to 12 servings
1 cantaloupe, cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
4 cups cubed seedless watermelon (1-inch chunks)
1 cup red seedless grapes
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple (1-inch chunks)
Brown Sugar-Lime Dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
Mix the fruit together in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
To make the dressing, mix the lime juice, brown sugar, and yogurt together in a small bowl. Add to the fruit salad right before serving.

Tip: You may also use a melon baller to scoop out small balls of the cantaloupe and watermelon.

Gran's Blackberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream
Makes 10 to 12 servings
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces
5 cups blackberries, fresh or thawed freezing
2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups cold water
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, purchased or homemade
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan in the oven. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the blackberries, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the flour, and pour over the melted butter in the pan. In a cut off bowl, incorporate the remaining 2 cups sugar and 2 cups flour with the salt, baking powder, and water, mixing with a whisk until the lumps are gone. Pour this over the blackberry mixture and butter in the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream.
Variation: For peach cobbler, omit the blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons flour, and add two 16-ounce cans peaches in light syrup. Drain and pour over the butter. Pour the batter over the top and bake.

Easy piquant Memorial Day Menu

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Fruit Juice - How Much Should You Have?

Fruit juice is good for health, but anyone too much is indubitably dangerous. A explore shows that too much consumption of juice can lead to obesity, diarrhea, cavities or discolored teeth and in some cases gastrointestinal problems too.

American Academy of Pediatrics (Aap) recommends that it is good to give 100% pasteurized fruit juice instead of giving drinks. Many fruit drinks comprise extra sweeteners, synthetic flavor and color.

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It is not advisable to give it to infants under 6 months of age. Feeding juice to infants is risky and may cause stomach problems. You can give it in small quantities to kids more than 6 months. If your child is younger than 6 years, then give 4 to 6 ounces of juice daily. If he is more than 6 years, then 8 to 12 ounces is recommended. You can encourage your child to eat fruits, instead of fruit juices. The juice in which the pulp is filtered does not comprise any fiber.

If you allow your kids to drink it directly from bottle or container, then it may decay his teeth. It is therefore advisable to give it in a cup and not in a bottle. Older kids tend to drink too much of it if they use sippie cups. Though convenient, sippie cups can increase the risk of developing cavities.

It is high in calories and hence too much fruit juice can lead to weight problems in young children. Many parents think that it is highly nutritious and they do not limit the intake. However, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. The rule applies to fruit juice as well. Interesting too much of it can cause intestinal discomfort.

If your child drinks too much juice than the prescribed amount, then he may suffer from lasting abdominal pain or overweight problems. Someone else question is that too much of juice consumption can suppress the appetite of the child and there could be a decrease in the in-take of other nutritious food.

They do not have all the requisite vitamins and other nutrients. Though they do comprise Vitamin C and calcium, it may not be enough for the increase of the child. Again, if your child drinks too much of it, then he may refuse to drink milk. Hence, he cannot get requisite calcium, vitamins etc.

Fruit Juice - How Much Should You Have?

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How to pick a Rice Cooker

One of the most useful small appliances that you will ever buy is a rice cooker. A rice cooker can do much more than cook rice and is useful in both the kitchen and the dorm room.

Rice cookers can cook rice of course, but they can also cook other hot cereals, steam vegetables, cook deserts and even cook stews and soups. While not all rice cookers can do all of these tasks, many are able to do most of them.

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Most habitancy that use rice cookers swear by the ones that are made in Japan. While less high-priced brands are ready from other countries, the Japanese make the best machines by far.

You will find rice cookers range in size from a three cups to ten cups. Buy the size that is closest to the number of rice you usually cook. While larger cookers will cook smaller amounts, they work best at full capacity, but not over filled.

Additionally, you need to know that a Japanese cup is six ounces as compared to the American cup size of eight ounces. Be sure that you adjust recipes by remembering that the cups from the rice cooker are only three quarters of an American cup.

In Japan, the favorite size of rice cooker is the five-cup one.

One feature that you will find very prominent for easy cleanup is the non-stick pan. This is a very high potential non-stick coating and rice unmistakably slides out of the pan. A quick rinse and you are ready to cook the next batch.

There are three basic types of rice cookers, the on/off models, the keep warm models and the fuzzy logic models.

On/off models cook the rice and then turn off automatically. There may not be an indicator light but these cheap models are very versatile and do a great job at cooking rice.

Keep warm models cook the rice and then after it is done vocalize the rice so that it is warm when you are ready to use it. Just be sure that you unplug the rice cooker when you are closed with it since there is no off position.

The most high-priced rice cookers offer fuzzy logic. They have dissimilar settings for soup, brown rice, texture of rice and some even offer the setting for sushi rice.

Some of the newest models of rice cookers offer induction heating. They make perfect rice every time and compensate for variations in water or rice measurements and for dissimilar types of rice.

If you want a rice cooker that is also a steamer, be sure to look for the plastic steamer tray. This tray allows you to make perfectly steamed vegetables very quickly.

If you have a college student who will be living in a dorm room a small (three to four cup) rice cooker is the perfect gift. It allows the student to have rice, steam vegetables and warm soups. It is a great way for the student to have healthy meals and avoid eating only fast food.

How to pick a Rice Cooker

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Crunchy Nuts And Seeds Are Healthy Food Snacks

Are you looking for some delicious, alternative dietary choices to replace those highly processed sugar, and hydrogenated fat food snacks? If so, look no further than to nuts or seeds. Most people do not even consider them, avoiding nuts or seeds, altogether, because of their high fat and calorie content. While it is true that they are high in both, shunning them from your diet for these reasons, alone, will have you missing out on a wide array of other important nutrients.

Nuts and seeds, depending on the variety, are quite a nutrient dense food. Nutritional research science studies are finding out, that people who eat 1 to 3 ounces of nuts regularly have fewer risks of developing heart disease, cancer, and lessens the severity of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

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These foods are healthy food snack choices, and although they are nutritious, some people may have a hard time not over indulging on them. As with any other diet choice, healthy or unhealthy, moderation is the key.

There is a way, though, that you can improve upon the nutritional aspect to eating them even further. Try eating them dry roasted. Avoid most commercially processed brands, which are slathered in several unhealthy varieties of processed polyunsaturated fats like cottonseed, rapeseed, and soybean oils, and coated in nutrient deficient processed salt.

While everyone may not have this convenience in their own backyard, Amish community bulk food stores are a wonderful resource for finding many different kinds of fresh, raw nuts and seeds. Roasting them does lessen the nutritional value slightly, but you can do this at home rather easily, and you will have a much healthier snack product afterwards. Coat the nuts or seeds with a little coconut oil, sprinkle with sea salt, bake in the oven, and store in an air-tight container.

Nuts and seeds are high in mostly monounsaturated fat and, to a lesser degree, polyunsaturated fat. They are also good sources of antioxidant vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, and cholesterol lowering phytosterols.

When choosing to add them for health conscious reasons, to your existing diet, don't consider them as a fix-all approach for poor eating habits. Look at them as a replacement therapy tool, in getting rid of the processed fatty meat snacks, other fried foods, and sugar laden treats out of your diet. Nuts and seeds can help you with weight management issues, because of their high percentage of healthy fats, protein, and fiber content. They provide a 'full' feeling of satiety when combined with a full glass of water.

Most nuts and seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These minerals help to control blood pressure, while their naturally high fiber content helps protect against colon cancer.

As an example, of the nutritional powerhouse that can be found in nuts and seeds, a listing of the content in certain types of nuts and seeds is provided below for your information. One hundred grams equals, approximately, a 3.5 ounce serving.

Seeds: Pumpkin-100 g pumpkin seeds contain 29 g protein, 11.2 mg iron, and 1144 mg phosphorous. Sesame- 100 g of sesame seeds contain 26.4 g protein, 12.6 mg vitamin B-3, 7.8 mg iron, 131 mg calcium, and 10.3 mg zinc. Sunflower- 100 g sunflower seeds are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium and contain 24 g protein, 7.1 mg iron, and 120 mg calcium. Flax seeds- 100 g flax seeds contain 431 mg magnesium, 831 mg potassium, and 112 g folic acid, not to mention its high omega-3 content.

Nuts: Almonds- 100 g almonds contain 16.9 g protein, 4.2 mg iron, 250 mg calcium, 20 mg vitamin E, 3.1 mg zinc, and 0.92 mg vitamin B-2. Cashews- 100 g cashews contain 17.2 g protein, 60 micrograms vitamin A, and 3.8 mg iron. Peanuts- 100 g peanuts contain 2.3 g protein, 2 mg iron, and 3 mg zinc. Pecans- 100 g pecans contain 9.2 g protein, a very high fat content of 71.2 g (of which, 60 percent is mono and 30 percent is polyunsaturated), 130 micrograms vitamin A (also very high), 2.4 g iron, and 73 mg calcium.

And, while there is definitely more nutritional content in each one of those food sources listed above, nutritional research science is still discovering, and identifying, even more unique and natural food substances in all of our plant foods every day.

One thing is for certain, we are all living through one of the most interesting generations to date. For the first time in history, man's curiosity has him seriously investigating the perfect union nutritional path nature intended all of us to strictly follow.

What is being learned today, about eating beneficial plant foods in their truest and unadulterated forms, will help future generations wipe out many modern diseases that are, now, plaguing most modern cultures. Although this one aspect, alone, is not the complete answer to all of modern society's health care woes, these new nutritional discoveries being uncovered today will definitely help more people lead healthier and happier lives tomorrow, in body, mind, and spirit.

Crunchy Nuts And Seeds Are Healthy Food Snacks

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What Makes a Tervis Tumbler So Special?

Tervis Tumblers are a very extra kind of cup. They have been nearby since the 1940's and were an astonishing plan when they first came out. The plan of a cup that did not have condensation on the surface was a excellent idea! The condensation has ruined many coffee tables and has caused many habitancy to drop glasses. The Tervis tumblers are the brain child of two engineers. The cup is designed with two dissimilar layers. The inside layer is where the liquid sits. The surface layer is what completes the cup. The engineers had the fantastic idea to use air in the middle of these two layers as insulation. Because of this easy insulation in between the layers, no condensation exists on the surface layer. Not only are these cups very functional, they can also do things that a lot of other cups can not do. When you think of condensation, most habitancy think of cold drinks. The Tervis tumblers can be used for cold and hot beverages, they can go in the freezer, and they can even go in the dishwasher.

The tervis line of products only starts with the tumbler cups. They are ready in 10 ounces, 12 ounces, 16 ounces, and in 24 ounces. They are ready with major sports logos and even with some Disney characters on them. They come in so many gorgeous colors. Tervis has extra lids and even extra straws you can use with your tumbler. The lids are also ready in astonishing colors. These lids make it undoubtedly easy for children to drink out of the cups. One new accessory increasing is the shaker top for all tumblers. There has even been a cope specially designed for the 24 ounce that gives it a mug or coffee cup feel. You can even order a tumbler that is personalized. There are hundreds of designs available. The traditional goods was only ready with a plane finish. Over the last few years, Tervis has introduced what is called their wavy design. It has a texture to it and it is wavy on the outside.

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Tervis started their business with the traditional tumbler but they have wide since that product. They now offer an astonishing goods in their ice bucket. The ice bucket offers the same astonishing construction and engineering as the traditional tumblers. The ice buckets are also ready with many dissimilar logo designs. Unfortunately the ice bucket does not come in any colors. It only comes in clear, but it is ready with a lot of dissimilar designs.

What Makes a Tervis Tumbler So Special?

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Creamy Strawberry dessert

Make this creamy strawberry sweetmeat anytime you want to please your family. It can also be adapted to other flavors for variety. Try orange with orange creamsicle yogurt or blueberry with blueberry yogurt. You could even try lemon. The sweetmeat is colorful and meets that craving for something sweet and creamy. You will find that kids especially love this dessert; it is pretty to look at, tastes great and fun to eat. The creamy layers melt in your mouth, giving you flavors that are fruity, sweet, and tangy at the same time. You can even step it up and add the suitable fruit into the Jello layer. There are so many combinations you can make with this simple recipe. Your family will love this dessert.

When you slice into this dessert, you get a very bright dish to serve. The lowest layer is a golden brown from the graham cracker crumbs. The next layer is thin and white from the cream cheese. The thickest layer is the Jello; it will be whatever color you have chosen to use. Finally, it is topped with a white layer with golden crumbles on it. You can all the time serve it with a itsybitsy sprig of mint as a garnish.

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Serve this easy sweetmeat anytime, or save it for a special occasion. It makes a nice turn at baby showers, wedding showers, potlucks, and family gatherings. The recipe makes some servings, so you do not need to make some batches unless you are for real feeding a crowd. If you are feeding a lot of people, however, it is so simple to make distinct batches so they will offer everyone a distinct flavor. It would look splendid on the serving table to offer this sweetmeat in some distinct colors.

Recipe for Strawberry Cream

Festive and delicious, this sweetmeat looks great.

What You Need

2-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 36 squares) 6 Tablespoons sugar 10 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 2 cartons (1 16-ounces and 1 8-ounces) icy whipped topping, thawed and divided 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry Jello 1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt

Topping:

2 Tablespoons graham cracker crumbs 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

How to Make It

Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter together in a large bowl. Press them into an ungreased 13x9 inch dish. Chill for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and cream cheese until it is smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spread this over the crust.

Dissolve the Jello in boiling water in a large bowl. Mix in the yogurt and 6 cups of the whipped topping until well blended. Pour this over the cream cheese layer. Let the sweetmeat chill for 1 hour.

Use the remaining shipped topping to cover the strawberry layer like frosting. Cover the sweetmeat and let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. Before you cut and serve, consolidate the topping ingredients and sprinkle across the surface.

Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Creamy Strawberry dessert

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Taffy Apple Salad

Apples are a tasty wholesome food, easy to carry for snacking, low in calories, a natural mouth freshener, and they are still very inexpensive. The old saying of "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away" has a good deal of merit. Eating one or more apples a day may lower your risk for Alzheimer's disease and cancers of the breast, colon, and prostate as well as numerous other conditions. To get the full advantage you must also eat the skin.

There is nothing like Fall with the aroma of fresh apples in the air as you pick your own in the local apple orchard. My popular thing to do with my grandchildren is apple picking and then going home and development some of the tasty recipes from those fresh picked apples. Some of our popular recipes contain apple pie, apple crisp, apple butter, applesauce, baked apples, candied apples, apple bars, apple cake and this fabulous Apple Taffy Salad.

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This is a great recipe for kids. It positively does taste like a taffy apple! If you want your kids to eat apples you have to try this salad.

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple drained with juice reserved

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

4 cups diced unpeeled apples

2 cups lightly salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

4 cups little marshmallows (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, consolidate pineapple and marshmallows; cover and refrigerate for any hours.

In a saucepan, consolidate the egg, sugars, flour, vinegar and reserved pineapple juice; cook and stir until aggregate thickens and reaches 160°. Take off from the heat; cool.

Cover and refrigerate.

Fold whipped topping into the chilled dressing. Add the apples and peanuts to the pineapple and marshmallows. Fold dressing into fruit mixture. Refrigerate leftovers.

Taffy Apple Salad

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Cornhole Game Bean Bags

I get many emails each day from interesting citizen asking about the game of Cornhole. With that in mind I decided to write a join articles to maybe clear up some of the myths and facts of the game. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you get some beneficial facts from reading them.

Cornhole bags are offered in many dissimilar colors, designs and sizes.

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Q. What is a regulation Cornhole bag?

A. Agreeing to the American Cornhole Association, here is the specifications on a regulation cornhole bag.

8. The corn bags shall be made from two fabric squares with a quarter inch double stitched seam on all four sides. The corn bags should be made from 12 oz / sq yd duck canvas and may be any color that is easy to see while Cornhole play. Each bag shall be filled with almost 2 cups of corn feed and accomplished bags should be a minimum of 6" X 6" quadrilateral and weigh in the middle of 14 and 16 ounces.

Common questions to ask a seller.

Are the bags made of 12 oz. Duck Cloth?

Duck cloth comes in dissimilar ounce weights. #12 oz. Duck cloth is heavy and durable for a long continuing bag. Anything less is economy and will not last as long. There is a inexpensive variation in potential in the middle of 12 oz 10 oz and 8 oz duck cloth. I would not rule for less than #12 oz duck cloth.

Do the bags weigh in the middle of 14 and 16 ounces?

Bags that are under or over weight are not regulation and do not furnish a consistent playing field.

Are the bags filled with real whole kernel corn?

If it is not whole kernel corn, it's not regulation. Whole kernel corn produces a fine dust that is used to furnish a coating for your bags and boards for consistent play. Also synthetic fillers will most likely cause your bag to be over filled or under filled to meet the weight requirements. Popcorn and pinto beans are not regulation.

Logo printed materials are not Duck Cloth and are not regulation. These materials may look nice, but they do not furnish a consistent playing field. These materials often shred and tear under general Cornhole play. Placing these materials over duck cloth also provides inconsistent play.

Decal / Iron On Logos. These may look nice as well, but they will not last when playing on a concrete surface, as they will begin to wear after one game.

Embroidered Logos. These are over all some of the nicest bags you can buy. The logo is stitched into the material and provides a nice personalized touch to your cornhole bags.

What do I reconsider A High potential Cornhole Bag?

Made with nothing less that 12 oz. 100% Duck Cloth, filled with whole kernel corn feed in the middle of 14 and 16 oz, 6 inches by 6 inches after filled, double stitched with Heavy duty upholstery thread.

Cornhole Game Bean Bags

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When is Blood Sugar Low? The Causes and Symptoms That You Need to Know

A lot of people know that a high blood sugar level equals health problems, both among diabetics and non-diabetics. What many people fail to realize is that blood sugar low is just as problematic and at times, even more dangerous to a person's health especially if he or she is a diabetic. Having low blood sugar is a condition known as hypoglycemia and it usually happens when there isn't enough glucose or sugar in the body to use as energy or fuel.

Causes and Symptoms

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Hypoglycemia is usually more of a problem among people with diabetes. It is caused by different factors that include diet and the use of certain medications. In particular, a diet that is rich in simple sugars is one of the most common causes of hypoglycemia among people with diabetes. Certain oral medications are other known causes. These include meglitinides, sulfonylureas, orinase, diabinese, and even aspirin. Too much insulin per carbohydrate consumed can also cause the said condition.

Other causes of low blood sugar level are not eating enough, skipping or postponing a meal, drinking alcohol, and increasing physical activity without increasing food intake. In addition, there are some medical conditions known to make diabetics more susceptible to having their blood sugar low.

Identifying the symptoms of hypoglycemia is just as important as identifying its causes. In most cases, early diagnosis and intervention treatment of low blood sugar can save lives. The problem, however, with regards to identifying the symptoms of hypoglycemia is that different persons manifest different symptoms. As such, a diabetic must learn to recognize his or her own symptoms.

In general, the early symptoms of blood sugar low include confusion, hunger, dizziness, headaches, sweating, trembling, irritability, weakness, anxiety, racing pulse, pounding heart, shakiness, and blurry vision. The condition must be treated immediately upon appearance of these symptoms or it would lead to more severe symptoms such as poor concentration, poor coordination, numbness in the mouth and tongue, passing out, intense irritability, constant nightmares, and even comatose.

Treatment for low blood sugar

If you experience any of the symptoms outlined above and you have diabetes, it is best to check your blood glucose level just to be sure. Depending on the results of your tests, there are different ways you can handle it. If you took the test after your meal and your blood sugar is lower than normal, you might to rethink your diet. The best way to treat reactive hypoglycemia, as this kind of low blood sugar is know, is to avoid simple sugars and eating small, frequent meals rather than a few large ones.

On the other hand, if you check your sugar after a few hours of fasting, you need to increase your intake of protein or carbohydrates before bedtime. Low sugar after a period of fasting is known simply as fasting hypoglycemia.

Now, if dietary changes don't normalize your blood sugar level, you might want to visit and consult your doctor. He or she would be able to tell you if it is your medication that's causing your sugar to be low. Your doctor can advise you on how you can adjust your medication or insulin intake to increase your sugar level to a normal, healthy level.

In any case, there are several techniques that you can follow to instantly raise your sugar level. They include eating at least five pieces of hard candy, drinking four ounces of fruit juice or up to six ounces of regular soda, eating one tablespoon of sugar or jelly, and taking three non-prescription glucose tablets. These techniques can provide you with instant and temporary relief from a hypoglycemia so you can see your doctor for confirmation of your condition.

When is Blood Sugar Low? The Causes and Symptoms That You Need to Know

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Dairy Foods - More than Just Milk

Dairy products make up a primary part of the food and nutritional spectrum. However, to many people, the word dairy conjures up just one image - milk. While it is true that milk is one of the most foremost dairy foods, it is hardly the only one worth noting.

Why Dairy?

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Dairy foods are incredibly rich in foremost nutrients and vitamins, such as potassium, riboflavin, and protein, as well as vitamins A, D, and B12. They are also the main source of calcium in our diets, supplying 75-80% of our calcium intake. What does this mean about their benefits?

Studies have found a long list of benefits connected with the nutrients in things like cheese, yogurt, and milk, along with better bone density, improved dental health, lower blood pressure, more effective weight management, and even reduced risk of breast and colon cancers.

People often underestimate the whole of dairy foods they ought to eat each day. Scientists estimate that the typical adult needs the equivalent of practically 3 cups of dairy products every day just to get the recommended daily dose of calcium, not to mention other foremost nutrients. For comparison in terms of calcium, three cups of milk is practically the same as 3 cups yogurt, 5 ounces of cheddar cheese, or 6 ounces of processed cheese.

Adding Dairy to Your Diet

Milk is one of the easiest things to concentrate into your diet. Not only is it easy to drink with cereal, but it is also used in a range of recipes, such as soups, smoothies, and baked goods. However, like most dairy products, selecting the spoton type of milk is important. Many varieties of milk are high in both calories and fat; avoid these if possible, and select 1% or skim milk instead.

Cheese is someone else very base dairy product, used in all things from pizza to salads to sandwiches. Fortunately, like milk, cheese is also a great source of essentially nutrients and has also been connected to dental condition benefits. On the other hand, cheese enthusiasts should watch out for high amounts of cholesterol and fat and select low-fat varieties whenever possible. Cooks take note, however - low-fat cheeses react differently to heat than do original ones.

The third and final dairy goods we will discuss is yogurt. Yogurt is a very unique product. It is produced with the help of cultures of specific types of bacteria (L. Bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus), which have also been connected to a strengthened immune system, improved digestive principles functions, and reduced risk of cancer. When eating yogurt, keep in mind that freezing yogurt is not a good source of these helpful bacteria; pick the general kind for maximum condition benefits.

Dairy Foods - More than Just Milk

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How to select the Best Stainless Steel trip Mugs

A mug is a solidly constructed kind of container or cup often used for intriguing hot drinks, for example coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. Mugs, by classification, possess handles and oftentimes hold a bigger quantity of liquids than other kinds of cups. As a rule a mug can keep practically 12 fluid ounces (350 ml) of fluids; twice more than an lowly a tea cup. In permissible situations a mug is typically not utilized for the funds hot drinks; in this case, people prefer to use more formal looking tea and coffee cups.

In the olden days, mugs were often designed using wood or animal bones, also formed of clay, most contemporary versions are fashioned from ceramic supplies such as terracotta, bone china, ceramic or earthenware. A few are complete in reinforced glass, such as the indefatigable Pyrex brand, which is preponderant the world over. Other sources contain synthetic materials, steel and carved enameled metal are favored where rupture conflicts and condensed mass are at their best, such as the ones used by people who camp. Methods such as silk screen embossing or decals are employed to affect beautification; these designs are emblazoned unto the mug directly to acquire a permanent effect.

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For individuals who are always on the run or who prefer to relish their steaming cup of coffee or tea every day but don't possess sufficient time to laze nearby and drink their beloved beverage, a stainless steel thermal tour mug is an significant or must have 'partner' to buy in singular when work is punishing and time is always running short. Thermal tour mugs are perfect traveling buddies and they come multipurpose for all types of travel, near or far. Either you're roving on your way to the office or school, a tour mug maintains the climatic characteristic of your popular beverage for long periods of time and suitable to bring just about anywhere.

Travel mugs are fashioned and designed from an assortment of sources, counting plastic, stainless steel, and earthenware. With that having been said, stainless steel tour mugs are time and again the most recommend tour mugs as they are very competent in holding beverages hot or cold for hours upon hours, much more improved than the mugs made from ceramic or synthetics. Stainless steel mugs are also quite hard-wearing and stronger; they don't crack or fracture plainly when unintentionally knocked over, contrasting to a plastic or ceramic ones.

There are many good-quality tour mugs ready in the store and you will be spoiled for choice, but try looking for those which are double-walled, vacuum-insulated, as this can keep your drinks fresh and hot or cold for at least six hours.

Also look for stainless steel tour mugs which are positively leak and spill proof, preferably with lids which automatically closes in between drinking periods. This self-sealing technology is applied in quite a estimate of brands in the market. One tip is to find a tour mug which can fit perfectly in the approved car cup holder.

How to select the Best Stainless Steel trip Mugs

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Blood Sugar Levels - A Quick Guide to How Much Alcohol You Can Drink Safely!

Having type 2 diabetes means you need to be more careful about your intake of alcohol than you may have been in the past. However, alcohol doesn't need to be avoided completely when you have type 2 diabetes, but you should know how much alcohol you can drink safely and which types of drinks are better for you than others.

Your liver is the key organ in your body involved in processing alcohol... it also happens to be where blood glucose is released. This means when you drink, your liver focuses on eliminating alcohol from your body and, depending on the amount you drink, may not be able to release enough glucose into your bloodstream to take care of your needs.

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Alcohol and Hypoglycemia:

If you imbibe a bit too much, you may find yourself with a drop in blood sugar levels. These can go low enough to cause hypoglycemia, which means there isn't enough glucose in your blood. Too low blood sugars can result in a life threatening situation and, at the very least, cause dizziness and confusion. Since these can also be symptoms of intoxication, no one may know that you need immediate treatment for low blood sugars.

Your slip into hypoglycemia can be even quicker if you take insulin or oral medications for diabetes type 2. It only takes two ounces of alcohol, or roughly 2 servings, to drop your blood sugar levels. One serving of alcohol equals 1 shot of liquor, 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. Thus, a six-pack of beer is equivalent to six servings.

Most doctors recommend no more than two drinks for men and one for women per day. This is, of course, based on your weight and how much your diabetes is controlled by either diet or medication. If your diabetes is not in the controlled range, (HbA1c level under 7), you should not drink alcohol at all.

Be Selective About Drinks:

Even if you are in the controlled range for diabetes type 2, you still need to be careful about what kind of alcohol you consume. Many drinks loaded with sugar really should be avoided. These include:

daiquiris margaritas, and drinks which are often mixed with ice cream, such as Kahlua, which is a coffee-based liqueur

These types of mixed drinks can easily pile on the pounds or kilograms and if you're like most type 2 diabetics, you are trying to lose weight.

Any drink which contains alcohol is high is calories... higher than calories in carbohydrates by almost fifty percent. Plus, they are empty calories. They contribute nothing at all to your body's nutritional needs. Not only that, most people do not drink alcohol without chomping on foods and snacks that are also "off-diet".

It is really important for you to focus on maintaining the rest of your diabetes eating plan if you want to make room for alcohol. Drinking too much, three or more servings per day, over time can cause liver damage and cause diabetic complications to progress more quickly.

Seek Low-Calorie Options:

So, what are the best choices for alcohol? Choose drinks which are low in calories and lowest in alcohol. These can include using sugar-free mixers and colas with liquor, or light beers and dry wine. Stay away from liqueurs and port wines which are sugar and calorie intensive.

Check with your doctor before drinking alcoholic beverages. You might have different requirements depending on what medications you are taking. People with high cholesterol should avoid drinking entirely as alcohol can block lipid (fat) removal from your body. Try to make your drink last as long as possible by slowly sipping it and having it wash down a healthy snack like light popcorn or raw nuts.

Watching what you drink, to say the least, will help you to avoid passing out with low blood sugar levels.

Blood Sugar Levels - A Quick Guide to How Much Alcohol You Can Drink Safely!

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Using Plastic Tub Containers to Store Water

If you're going camping or storing water for a natural disaster such as a hurricane, consider food grade plastic tub containers. They make an excellent portable storage tank. To store a two-week supply of water, which equals one gallon per person per day, you would need 12 average food grade plastic storage containers that hold 5 to 6 gallons of water. That would provide enough water for a family of four.

A portable storage tank needs to be sterile and made of food grade plastic. Food grade plastic is PETE plastic or Polyethylene Terethalate which is used to make soft drink and juice containers. In a crunch, you could store water safely in empty soda bottles. Do not use juice bottles because they may still contain fruit sugars which foster bacteria growth. The soda bottles make excellent mini storage tanks.

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You may need to provide water for your pets also. If this is the case, store an additional 7 to 10 gallons for the average dog weighing 30 to 45 pounds and an extra 10 to 13 gallons for larger dogs like a Siberian Husky that weighs up to 60 pounds. To insure that your pet gets enough water during a crisis, store the needed water in PETE containers and keep the dog's bowl full of water every day so he can drink as much as he needs.

A portable storage tank is even usable on a camping trip in the place of bottled water. Rather than just carrying bottled water which does not store well for long periods of time, use storage tanks for long terms storage instead. Bottled water does not last for years. It usually has an expiration date or a "Use By" date stamped on the bottle, which indicates it will expire within a year. Therefore, long terms storage of bottled water is not encouraged.

To meet your needs during a time of crisis or disaster, be prepared by having a supply of water that will provide for your family based on one gallon of water per person per day and your pets equaling one ounce of water per pound per day. Store the water properly in a PETE plastic portable storage tank, so that it will remain usable, sterile and clean. While your body will continue to function with as little as two quarts to one half-gallon of water each day, it is better to have one gallon available for each person to use and seek out more water later.

Using Plastic Tub Containers to Store Water

12 OUNCES EQUALS

Bundt Cakes to the recovery

While sitting at the bowling alley, a voice came over the intercom saying, "Tonight we are hosting a raffle on a yummy yellow sheet cake for .00 a ticket. The proceeds will go to our youth bowling association." A yellow sheet cake, I thought? How often are you asked to bake a cake for a school auction, cake walks, parties or get-togethers? Bundt cakes makes perfect cakes for these events. They are pretty cakes, make for a great presentation and could bring in more money than a yellow sheet cake. Other advantage of bundt cakes is that they are easy to transport to your event. Below are some of my favorite bundt cake recipes:

Banana Pudding Bundt Cake

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

1 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup mashed banana

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). Grease and flour bundt pan and set aside.

In large bowl couple cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil and banana. Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool cake on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake and continue to cool on rack.

To Make Glaze: Beat together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and of a drizzling consistency. When cake is cooled, drizzle icing over cake. Sprinkle chopped nuts over icing, if desired.

Caribbean Christmas Ring

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

2 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup softened butter

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt

1 ripe banana, mashed 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (triple sec)

Orange Sugar Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar, shifted

2 tablespoons orange juice

Thoroughly grease a 10 to 12-cup microwave-safe bundt pan with shortening; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts to coat evenly. Sift flours, baking powder and baking soda.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir sour cream or yogurt, banana and liqueur into egg mixture. Fold flour blend into banana-egg batter; stir in remaining walnuts.

Spoon into prepared pan and place on top of microwave-proof bowl in microwave, bringing cake up to town of oven. Cook on medium 10 minutes, then on high 5 to 7 minutes until cake tests done, turning twice. Let cake stand 15 minutes. Turn out onto serving plate. Let cool.

Mix sifted powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Pour glaze evenly over cake and serve.

Chocolate Cream Filled Cake

Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 large eggs

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze Ingredients:

2 ounces white chocolate

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

1/4 cup semi-sweet real chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°̊F. couple all filling ingredients in small mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth; set aside. couple all cake ingredients in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until all ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Pour 3 cups batter into greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan. Spoon filling over batter without touching sides of pan; cover with remaining batter.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in town comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Melt white chocolate and 1 teaspoon shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted (1 to 2 minutes). Drizzle over cooled cake. Let stand until firm. Repeat with remaining shortening and chocolate chips. Store refrigerated.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Tunnel Cake

A delightfully surprising "tunnel" of cream cheese and chocolate chips makes this cake a sure winner with your house and friends!

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

Filling:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup (6-ounces) wee semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 to 3 tablespoons Hot water

Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). Generously grease a 10-inch bundt or tube pan. Set aside.
For the cake: couple sugar, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat for one wee until smooth.

Add remaining cake ingredients and beat at medium speed for three minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Set batter aside and put in order filling.

For filling: Cream the sugar with cream cheese at medium-high speed. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, mixing well.

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the filling blend evenly over the layer of batter, then determined pour remaining batter over the filling.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until cake tests done when lightly pressed in the town and cake springs back. Cool cake on a wire rack for 20 to 25 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze: couple all ingredients to form a consistency thin adequate to drizzle decoratively on the cooled cake.

Orange Bundt Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) container yellow cake mix

1 (3.9-ounce) container instant lemon pudding

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/3 cup orange juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 325*F (160* C). Grease one bundt pan and set aside. In large bowl beat together cake mix, pudding mix, 3/4 cup orange juice, oil, eggs, and lemon extract for 3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tested done. Cool for 15 minutes and Remove from pan. In small saucepan couple 1/3 cup orange juice, sugar, and butter. Bring to boil, sacrifice heat and cook for two minutes. Drizzle hot icing over warm cake

Streusel Spice Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) container spice cake mix

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 large eggs

1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/4 cup chopped nuts

Filling:

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350*F (175*C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or 12-cup bundt; pan.
In large bowl, couple cake mix, 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter and eggs at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut and 1/4 cup nuts. Pour half of batter (about 2 cups) into prepared pan. In small bowl, couple all filling ingredients; reserve 1/2 cup filling. Sprinkle remaining filling over batter in pan.

Cover with remaining batter; sprinkle with 1/2 cup reserved filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near town comes out clean. Cool upright in pan 30 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan. Cool completely. In small bowl, blend all glaze ingredients until smooth, adding adequate milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake

Zesty Lemon Pound Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons grated lemon peel (about 3 medium lemons)

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-cup bundt pan. Melt morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at further 10 to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth; cool slightly.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and melted morsels. Gradually beat in flour blend alternately with buttermilk. Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl. Make holes in cake with wooden pick; pour half of lemon glaze over cake. Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto plate. Make holes in top of cake; pour remaining glaze over cake. Cool completely before serving.

Bundt Cakes to the recovery

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

How to Make a primary Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Day dinner

Even though Thanksgiving was not all the time a customary holiday on the island, many Puerto Rican families calling the States home began celebrating it by adding a touch of Sabor Latino. A customary Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu will likely consist of Pavochon, Mofongo stuffing, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche. I serve a green bean casserole with my meal and for an appetizer I fry up some Platanos versus the Tostones. I season mine with garlic, black pepper and salt and serve them with Mojo Criollo.

I'm ordinarily cooking adequate food to feed at least five Marines so I get a 12-15 lb turkey and call it a day. My mom all the time taught me to begin prepping my turkey the day before Thanksgiving so my seasonings have time to soak into that bird.

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Two Days or One Day Before:
To thaw your bird slow you can stick it in the refrigerator two days before or for fast thawing submerge it in it's wrapping (Do Not take wrapping off) in your tub or a deep sink in cold water. Make sure the whole bird is submerged. The bigger the bird the longer it'll take to thaw. A big turkey like the ones I cook ordinarily take 2 days to thaw out in the refrigerator.

The Day Before:
Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. No one wants a bland turkey. Get your black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so that the seasonings will soak into its skin. Set the bird back in the fridge.

Thanksgiving Morning:
I ordinarily begin cooking my bird nearby 4 a.m., which only leaves me room to do other things like pull out my tree and decorations and set up other dishes. Begin by making ready your mofongo stuffing.

Mofongo Stuffing.
You'll need:
6 large green plantanos,
1/3 C of chicken broth
4 tsp. Chopped garlic
1 lb bacon chopped into small pieces and cooked. Throw away fat.
3 sweet chili peppers, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix bacon, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. Mash the platanos and olive oil combination in your pilon. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Mix mofongo and broth and if mofongo isn't moist enough, add more broth. Stuff the bird with the mofongo and cook. And supervene instructions that came with your bird.

Now For The Bird:

Heat your oven to 375º.

Rinse your turkey well. Rinse the inside once you remove the bag from the turkey's cavity. Be sure to pull out the bag from your turkey Before you begin cooking it!!! Muy Importante!

Put the bird in a deep and sturdy aluminum or tin foiled roaster. Line it with aluminum foil first.
Place chunks of butter on top of and all nearby the turkey. Place an whole stick of butter inside of the turkey's cavity. Be generous. You'll have a juicy turkey in the end.

Now begin stuffing your turkey with the mofongo. If you're a newbie cook, forget the mofongo and just whip out the Stove Top Stuffing and supervene directions on the box. It's okay. We're all beginners at one time.

Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.

Turkey Size & Cooking Time:

4 to 6 pound turkey = 3 to 3 ¾ hours.

6 to 8 pound turkey = 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours.

8 to 12 pound turkey = 4 to 5 hours.

12 pound and beyond = 5½ to 6 hours.

Always be sure to read the side of the turkey wrapping for exact cooking time. Best to be safe than undercooked. Yuck! About 45 minutes before your bird is done, remove the foil on top and continue to cook uncovered until the bird is crispy on top.

12 Lb. Turkey
Lots of Adobo
Paprika
2 tsp. Of Black pepper
4 cloves of garlic (mash in a pilón)
2 tsp. Of oregano (Leaf)
4 sticks of Butter

To begin making ready your Arroz con Gandules:

You'Ll Need:
2 packs of Sazón
3 cans of Gandules
6 cups of water
4 cups of rice
2 cups chopped bacon, cooked
2 cups of Sofrito
2 Tablespoon of Goya Olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large caldero or pot.
Drain and rinse the cans of Gandules
Sauté the sofrito and chopped ham for about a little and a half
Add rice, water, gandules and Sazón
Once it begins to boil, let it continue for about 3 minutes
Cover the pot tight and sell out the heat to medium-low. Let it cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

***Do Not use a lid with those vent holes and Do Not lift the lid to check the rice!
When it's done stir the rice once or twice before serving and serve Hot.

Preparing Your Green Bean Casserole:

2 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
3 tablespoon chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons olive oil
½ packet of Sazón and ham seasoning
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup boiling water

Slice green beans in halves. Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Add Sazón and ham seasoning then sauté both with onion and garlic until soft. remove garlic then add green beans, salt, pepper, and boiling water. Cover and cook for 25 minutes over medium heat until tender. You can add a little more water, if needed.

Making Fried Platanos (Amarillo's):
I like to wait until my platanos are yellow with a few black spots. To me, they taste better...sweeter. No Puerto Rican dish (to me) is unblemished without rice, gandules, habichuelas and platanos! To begin making ready the platanos. Use 4 platanos to make adequate to serve several population and get a bottle of mojo criolla for sauce.

Cut off about one inch from each end of the platano using a sharp knife.

Slice them down the middle then horizontal to fry them like chips except make them a little bit thicker.

Place the sliced pieces in very hot water and let soak a few minutes.
Take your knife and place it under the skin of the sliced piece and begin removing the skin. Kind of like you're peeling the skin off of a potato. Sometimes I just use a potato peeler.

Drain them on a paper towel then sprinkle the slices with black pepper, a dash of salt or garlic then fry each slice in the combination of olive & vegetable oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown. Turn them one time only.

And for the coupe de gras: Dessert
We have Tembleque! This is a customary Puerto Rican dessert for the holidays.

You'Ll Need:
4 cups coconut milk and ground cinnamon
½ cup of cornstarch and ½ tsp. Salt
2/3 cup of sugar
A medium sauce pan, serving dish and square pan.

Dissolve cornstarch in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of the coconut milk. Once it's dissolved add the rest of the coconut milk followed by the sugar, and salt. Cook at med-high heat and stir continuously!
As the combination gets thick, lower heat until it boils. Immediately pour into your pan. Let it cool then cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hours. Considered detach the tembleque from the mold using a knife. Turn it over unto a serving dish then sprinkle with the cinnamon. I serve this with café con leche or the men ordinarily just want an additional one beer.
Voila! You have just made your first Puerto Rican Thanksgiving meal! Enjoy!

Now if you dare...go a step supplementary and add Coquito to the menu. This is a Puerto Rican beloved mostly beloved during Christmas and New Years. Nobody makes Coquito like my Abuela!

You'Ll Need:
40 ounces coconut milk
14 ounces evaporated (condensed) milk
1½ cup water
½ tsp. Cinnamon
2 cup Bacardi rum
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Taste and add more rum if you like it stronger. You need to add the water because it will get thick once you refrigerate it. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate well. Get pint size bottles to pour Coquito in for guests to take home as a party favor.

How to Make a primary Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Day dinner

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Meals You Can Make With Left-Over Turkey

Once Thanksgiving supper has been served many of us find we a lot of turkey leftover. For decades habitancy have cooked way to big of a turkey for the Holiday feast. Many habitancy chose to make hot turkey sandwiches or turkey soup the next day. Then end up throwing away the turkey that is left. There is only so much turkey a someone can eat at one time right? That statement is honestly true but how about making a few casseroles and frozen them for a later date?

Turkey and Rice Casserole

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Ingredients

8 cups of turkey (bite size pieces)
3 cups of cream of chicken or celery soup
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 - Packages of chicken flavored or white rice
1 cup bread crumbs

Chicken or White Rice

Make the rice agreeing to the directions on the box.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour 1 cup of the soup in the bottom on a tin 8X8 (throw-away) container.
Mix the rice, onion and celery together in a medium size bowl.
Pour 4 cups of the turkey on top of the soup in the container.
Pour the rice blend on top of the turkey and add someone else cup of soup.
Pour the remaining 4 cups of turkey on top of the rice mixture.
Pour the last cup of soup on top of the turkey.
Evenly sprinkle the bead crumbs on top of the turkey and rice mixture.
Bake for 40 minutes, let cool and freeze.
To reheat - defrost in the refrigerator and bake on 350 for 25 minutes. Serves 4

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

Ingredients

6 cups of turkey (bite size pieces)
2 cups of cream of chicken soup
2 boxes of turkey stuffing mix

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the stuffing agreeing to the box directions (do not cook it.)
In an 8X8 tin (throw away) pan pour one cup of chicken soup.
Pour 3 cups of turkey on top.
Add about half the stuffing blend on top of the turkey.
Add the remaining 3 cups of turkey.
Add the other half of the stuffing mixture.
Pour the rest of the chicken soup over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes, let cool and freeze
To reheat - defrost in the refrigerator and bake on 325 for 30 minutes. Serves 4

Turkey Stew

Ingredients

5 cups of turkey (bite size pieces)
5 medium size potatoes (peeled and cut into bite size pieces)
1 - 16 ounce bag of mixed vegetables
1 - 12 ounce can of chicken broth
1/2 cup of water
3 tablespoons of all white purpose flour

Preparation

In a small pan join the chicken broth, water and bring to a boil using a whisk slowly stir in the flour until you have a gravy consistency.
In a large pan add the turkey, potatoes, mixed vegetables and gravy mixture.
Simmer for 45 minutes.
Let the stew cool and pour into a large freezer package or smaller private containers.
To reheat - defrost in the refrigerator and warm up in a sauce pan or the microwave. Serves 4

All three of these recipes are yummy and require minimal endeavor to prepare. They make great meals after a busy day at work. These meals also allow you to enjoy your leftover turkey long after the Thanksgiving Day feast has come and gone.

Meals You Can Make With Left-Over Turkey

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Re-Canning Cheddar Cheese Sauce

My wife and I frequently pick up the gallon size cans of cheddar cheese sauce from SAMs club for use on Nacho Chips or in Macaroni and cheese meals for my grandson. We see the idea of purchasing the sauce this way is both economical and cost-effective however it is usually more than what we can use within a reasonable amount of time. Often the product will be opened for use in a couple of meals and then go bad while sitting idly by in the refrigeration.

After considerable thought we feel that we have a solution to this problem. We decided that canning the remainder of the cheese for some future time would resolve this issue completely. I must make mention at this time that the procedure I am about to present is not recommended by the USDA nor is it mentioned in the Ball Blue Book of Canning. According to the USDA, it is considered potentially unsafe to can products of this nature. In fact they often discourage the canning of homemade dairy products completely. It will be up to you to make your own decision as to what risks you are willing to take in order to can cheese products.

12 OUNCES EQUALS

The procedure I will describe is for the regular cheese sauce and not the nacho flavored sauce commonly sold. We have as yet not tried canning the Nacho Cheese. I will need to see the complete ingredient list in order to determine the safe pH levels involved with the product. You can use either pint jars or the 12 ounce Ball Jars frequently sold at most popular department stores such as Wal-Mart. The 12 ounce jars are taller however I believe that they conduct heat a bit better than their pint size cousins.

To begin the process take the gallon can of Cheddar cheese and then pour it into a large pot. Place the pot in the oven on the lowest setting until it is fluid like in consistency. Add it to the sterilized jars and adjust the lids accordingly leaving one half-inch head space in each container. Process the pints in a boiling water bath canner for at least 60 minutes.

These can readily be used for macaroni and cheese, placed on baked potatoes or even used to make scalloped potatoes. Isn't it time you prepared for those upcoming emergencies that we all see coming in our not to far future?

Joseph Parish

Re-Canning Cheddar Cheese Sauce

12 OUNCES EQUALS

Don't Wait - Lose Weight! 10 Simple Steps to Faster Weight Loss

Trying to lose weight can be frustrating and emotional. Not only is weight loss difficult, but the more frequently you diet, the more weight you are likely to gain and the harder it is to lose those pounds.

Your brain knows when you are cutting calories and it "protects" your body by lowering your metabolism and increasing the desire to eat. HUNGER! The more frequently you diet, the faster this natural reaction kicks in. No wonder dieting is so difficult and leads to weight gain! It's so unfair.

12 OUNCES EQUALS

Here are five very simple things you can do to help with weight loss:

1) Write down "WHY" you want to lose weight. Put it on a 3x5 card and post it where you'll see it every day.

2) Increase your exercise. We always hear that, but be realistic. Try walking a half hour after dinner. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Park at the far end of the parking lot. Lose the remote control. Walk the dog. These can become healthy habits over time.

3) Eat more protein. Women should aim at about 75g and men at 100g of protein. Protein curbs hunger! For breakfast, lunch and dinner be sure to include some lean protein.

4) Eat more frequently. That's good news, right? Experts say that 5 small meals will drive your metabolism higher than 3 large meals. And conversely, one large meal per day will lower your metabolism! Add a 100 calorie protein-rich snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. (Idea - some light yogurt and fruit, or string cheese and a cracker).

5) Eat breakfast every day. Remember...include some protein.

6) Eat colorful meals with fresh meats, fruits and veggies. Eat less bread, potatoes and rice.

7) Cut out the sugar. There are some good sugar substitutes these days. Not only does sugar add calories, your body converts the sugar directly to fat!

8) Drink plenty water. Divide your weight by 2. The number you get equals the number of ounces of water you should drink each day. Example: A 150 pound woman should drink 75 oz of water each day.

9) Investigate healthy metabolism-boosters. For example, Herbalife is well known for its healthy weight loss products and has several products for boosting metabolism. Contact your Herbalife distributor, or the author for ideas.

10) Diet with a buddy. It's way more fun! Be accountable to your buddy and celebrate together.

Most important of all, eat like your life depends on it.

Don't Wait - Lose Weight! 10 Simple Steps to Faster Weight Loss

12 OUNCES EQUALS