Food

Condiments Don't Have To Be Boring... Think Outside The Box!

Unfortunately, in today's world people don't really cook anymore. 

Everyone's rushing here, chasing there, grabbing a quick bite at the drive-thru and getting on with a very hectic life.

Even homecooked usually means out of a box with a few extra ingredients tossed in.  So where does the flavor come into the picture?

It's in the condiments.  

Selecting the right condiments to have on hand can make an otherwise bland  processed meal taste much better.  

Mustard and ketchup are a start, but gourmet condiments like soy sauce, teriyaki and salsa can add another flavor profile you may not have thought of.

Personally, I'd still rather have homecooked.  With a crock pot you can still make it from scratch and let it cook all day while you run around in circles doing everything else.

Throw everything in the pot and 10 hours later your meal is ready to eat!

Turkey Brining 101: Ever Wonder How (Or Why) To Brine Turkey?

I wanted to prepare my Thanksgiving turkey differently this year. I have been cooking it the same way (my Grandfather's way) for 11 years now and it's time for a change.

My grandfather always cooked a good turkey with a simple process -- roasting with butter, salt, pepper and onion salt. It was always good, so I didn't mess with it.

Last year we tried a friend's deep fried Cajun turkey and it was really good!. The flavor was great, but not real juicy.

Still, the change got me thinking of trying something new this year for Thanksgiving and wondering, "How do you get the turkey juicy?"

The next thing I knew, a Martha Stewart Living magazine showed up in my mailbox. I didn't order it, but since I love to cook I thought I would check it out. Well, since it was her Thanksgiving edition I had found my answer: brine the turkey!

Continue reading: How To Brine A Turkey

Best Foods For Building Muscle

You are what you eat. 

Sadly, no truer words were ever said.  A lifetime of overeating combined with my love of carbohydrates has not served me well.  Its not that I dislike good food.  The problem is I like all food and a little is never enough.

A good workout program would do me good. However, exercise isn't the total answer. 

Eating a diet designed to build muscle mass will also help keep the metabolism fired up.  Perking up your metabolism is what it takes to keep diabetes from ruining your health. 

Here are 5 foods to maximize your muscle power.

Low-carb diets can be another useful tool in your war against the waist line. Dropping some of those extra pounds will go a long way toward controlling diabetes too. 

How To Eat Healthy At Parties ...And Still Have Fun!

Parties, social gatherings, work events... wherever people get together there is usually food. 

How in the world is someone supposed to keep their diet under control when everywhere you turn the main focus is eating?

There are a few tricks you can use that will help you control your urge to try one of everything on the table. 

I'm not saying it will be easy, but here are 9 fail-proof tips for eating healthy at social gatherings.

One big thing to avoid is alcohol.  It's nothing but empty calories, and be honest you don't really need it to have fun anyway. 

If you must have a glass to sip from, make it wine -- at least there are health benefits to drinking wine. Just don't overdo it.

Food Myths: Do You Know What's Fact & What's Fiction?

Would you believe that many popular "food facts" and old wives tales have since been proven to be nothing more than misleading food myths?

Eating celery burns more calories than what you take in, right? Sorry, it just isn't so.  As much as we'd like to believe it, there is no such thing as a negative calorie food item. 

The best we can hope for is high fiber products such as whole grain breads. 

Don't confuse whole wheat with whole grain.  Often whole wheat is nothing more than white bread with caramel coloring added!  Look for "whole grain" on the label to get all the health benefits you're after.

3-Minute Snack Recipe: Microwave Chocolate Cake In A Cup

Chocolate cravings, we all get them.  For me, it seems to hit about mid-afternoon maybe once a month. 

Unfortunately, getting my hands on a candy bar or snack cake would mean hopping in the car and driving to the nearest convenience store. It's almost more trouble than it's worth.

Here's a neat idea: microwave chocolate cake in a cup! 

Made from a few tablespoons of hot chocolate mix, flour, 1 egg, and a little oil, all you do is mix it up in a mug and microwave for 3 minutes. 

What better way to get instant satisfaction from the ingredients found in every pantry?

Of course, if you insist on eating healthy snacks you can still include chocolate on your list.  Just make sure that it's dark chocolate.

Healthy Pancakes: Fun Ways To Make Homemade Pancakes & Lighten Them Up Too

Pancakes for breakfast is a special treat that I reserve for Saturday mornings.  With chores to do, activities to enjoy, a busy weekend day calls for a more substantial meal to start the day off on the right foot.

Homemade buttermilk pancakes are my favorite.  Forget the box of "just add water" pancake mix!  I like the real thing made from scratch.  It only takes a minute or two more, and the difference is very noticeable.

Admittedly, this isn't a diet breakfast for those watching their calorie intake.  You can modify the ingredients a bit to lighten up your pancakes.  Or better yet, top your pancake stack with fresh fruit and avoid the sugary toppings altogether!

Do You Know How To Peel A Banana? ...Do It Like The Monkeys Do It!

Bananas taste great and they're really good for you too.  There's so much you can do with bananas, and they're loaded with potassium to boot!

First off, you want to store bananas properly so they don't get all bruised and mushy. 

As for fun things to do with bananas:

• Of course bananas make the best fruit smoothies. 
• And don't forget Elvis' favorite: the grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. 
• Another southern treat is grilled bananas, stuffed with brown sugar and cinnamon.
• If you let your bananas get a bit over ripe, you can still use them.  Homemade buttermilk pancakes taste great with a banana mixed into the batter!

Before you can prepare any of these tasty bananas treats, you need to peel the bananas properly.  Did you know we silly humans have been doing it all wrong for ages?! 

Here's the easy way to peel a banana, the same way the monkeys do it:

Fall Apple Harvest Recipe Ideas: Crock Pot Apple Butter, Hot Apple Cider & More

This is the best time of year for apples.  The fall harvest is just wrapping up and the stores are loaded with fresh crisp apples right off the tree. 

Better yet, surely there is someone in your neighborhood with an over-abundance of apples from a tree or two in their yard who is looking for someone to make use of their excess bounty.

Some fun ideas for all those apples:

• Homemade apple butter spread over a slice of warm from the oven homemade bread. 
• Making crock pot apple butter couldn't be easier.  
• While you're brewing a pot of apple butter, you can sip on some homemade apple cider. 
• Or you might want to tap into that jug of apple jack you made for special occasions. 

Just think how good your kitchen will smell with all those holiday spices simmering away!
 

Are Color-Coded Bread Tabs The Best Way To Tell If Bread Is Fresh Or Not?

We all want to eat fresh bread.

Let's face it, stale bread makes a nasty sandwich. I have (on more than one occasion) either tossed an entire loaf of stale bread or set it aside to use just for toast.

If you're like me, then you squeeze bread on the store shelves to determine its freshness, right?

Well, come to find out, you don't really have to do that anymore for 3 reasons:

#1  Those little twisty ties or plastic clips that hold your bread bag closed are color coded for the day the bread was delivered.

#2  All loaves of bread will have a freshness date or use by date, so you know generally how long it will stay fresh. 

#3  Stores have bread delivered daily, and it's rare that a loaf will stay on the shelf more than a day or two at best.

You're probably wondering how all this affects you, right?

As it turns out, colored bread tabs may not be the best way to determine the freshness of a loaf of bread after all...

Continue reading: Color-Coded Bread Tags