Archive for December, 2008

4 Great New Cooking Contest Websites Foodies Will Love

Monday, December 29th, 2008


One great way to enjoy fair competition, know where your culinary skills and knowledge stand and to make money online is to join a cooking contest website by a simple sign up procedure. You get to enjoy food related news and views and the simpler ones call for writing in your favorite recipe to qualify for a chance to win something while other cooking contests require you to go through the activity of preparing a meal yourself to be in the running for a prize. Depending on your preferences, you can enter the cooking contest of your choice on many websites sponsoring these.

1. One such website promoting food related competitions online is Cooking Contest Central, a website dedicated to storing info on cooking contests and where to find them; it also has calls for submission of recipes. At times, some of these websites come with a minimal subscription fee and Cooking Contest Central has annual charges of $25! This fee is in lieu of the information and alerts it sends the way of its members, such as contest news, with details on deadlines for upcoming ones and reminders about them through e-mail, including those held for cooking professionals and those meant for kids.

Acting as a news directory in this specialized domain, Cooking Contest Central gives basic information about contests and links to other websites for additional info members may find useful while also providing a common platform for interaction online for the subscribers.

2. Another great website related to cooking contests is Food Reference, which also has a remarkable listing of various cuisine competitions on a single web page reserved solely for this type of info; there are no charges for the info stored here, including a short explanation of the contest requirements and its deadline. Recipe submissions are the most popular category here though there are cooking contests details also mentioned such as preparing the perfect menu for a block party, how to encourage better fruit and veggie eating habits for the family and tips on making an advert!

3. The third new website, Contest Cook, comes on the lines of the first (Cooking Contest Central) and charges a subscription fee of $25 a year to enable members to access information about various cooking competitions, including additional details, last dates, prizes applicable (if any) and the rules for the contests.

This is a useful site for the foodies that love to cook because there’s something for every kind here: be it a professional cook, the state-level food fair, other thematic contests or archived ones, there’s really no dearth of information about ongoing cooking contests and those coming up! Past competition winners chat with members on a message board that facilitates communication about cookery news and views and best recipes get a separate page so aspirants get a better idea of the judging style. A section on forms allows entrants to keep a record of recipes submitted while the web master gives members handy hints on how to compete too!

4. Proof Positive is a website offering cooking contest listings free of charge and has 2 main segments to it: ongoing contest listings and deadline based ones, with newer competition listing being added frequently. They give comprehensive details so are a good bet to try for cooking contest links, rules, prizes and more!
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

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Barbecue PitEasy Way To Mouth Watering Food

Saturday, December 27th, 2008


Strictly and technically speaking, roasting and cooking food in barbecue pits are the most ancient form of cooking that is in vogue till date. The pits in which the cave men roasted their meat before devouring them can be easily considered to be the first, albeit crude, forerunners of todays barbecue pits. And though many developments have taken place over the ages, the basic technique still remains the same. It is easy and simple, making it an ideal choice for a night out with the family or friends.

Barbecue pits are mainly used by professionals at motels and restaurants, but that does not mean that laymen who are crazy about barbecues cannot use them. The first point you will have to decide upon preparing a barbecue pit in your own backyard pit, is to identify the location for the pit. Now the location of the barbecue pit is governed by several factors.

The first consideration that should come to your mind is that of safety. Hence the barbecue pit should be dug in a place where there is no inflammable material near the location of the barbecue pit.

The comfort of everyone should also be taken into account before deciding on the barbecue pit. For instance you might want your barbecue pit to be ideally located at the edge of your lawn. But in that case the wind might carry the resulting smoke from the barbecue, when it is used, into your neighbours place, thus causing annoyance to him or her. Placing it in the exact center of your backyard might be a good idea. It can then grab the attention from all corners of your house, making it the envy of all visitors.

After the location of the barbecue pit is decided upon, it is the time now to start shoveling or digging the chosen place. Now the size of the pit that is going to be dug for the barbecue will depend upon several factors.

To begin with the size of the pit will depend upon the amount of food that is to be prepared in the barbecue, which in turn depends upon the number of people present for the barbecue feast. If you want go by the normal or average size of a barbecue pit, then it is advisable that you dig a pit that is approximately five feet deep. The opening at the top depends upon the size of the grill, which is usually made from metal, which is going to be used.

After all this initial tasks have been accomplished, the final task before cooking is to line the barbecue. But for optimal results it is advisable to line the pit with oil and heat till the oil burns away. Within a time span of two hours, your barbecue pit will be ready to use. Then you can either line it with charcoal or wood, according to your wish.

Your pit will then be ready to deliver smoking hot and tasty food within no time at all. Happy grilling!
Ex Hotel General Manager and culinary expert, Peter Finch, hosts a site dedicated to one of his favorite forms of cookery - barbecue. If you are looking for information on barbecues? or advice on barbecue recipes or barbecue pit, visit us now. BestBarbecues.co.uk is a goldmine for information on barbecues.

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A Brief History About MandMs

Wednesday, December 24th, 2008


Some parents kick their kids out of the house. Frank Mars kicked his son out of the country.

In the beginning, there was Franklin Mars, who started a small candy company in Tacoma, Washington, in 1911. In 1923, Mars, by then in Minneapolis, Minnesota, invented the Milky Way candy bar, which became a national hit and was soon followed by his equally successful Three Musketeers and Snickers bars.

By 1928, Mars’ son, Forrest, had graduated from Yale and joined the family business. But Forrest and his father did not get along, and finally the elder Mars presented Forrest with a proposition he couldn’t refuse: take the recipe and foreign rights to the Milky Way bar and leave the country. Forrest skedaddled to England and started his own candy company, churning out Milky Ways for an appreciative British public. As a sideline, he also started England’s first pet food company, replacing the table scraps on which British pets had, until then, subsisted.

In 1939, as World War II gathered steam in Europe, Forrest Mars returned to the United States, bringing with him the American rights to a British candy called Smarties, small circular tablets of chocolate coated in a shell of hard candy. To sell his new product, Mars went into partnership with R. Bruce Murrie, who just happened to be the adopted son of chocolate magnate Milton Hershey. Unfortunately, there already was candy named Smarties in the market in the United States, a small, tart confection sold in a roll, so Mars and Murrie needed a new name. In renaming Smarties for the American market, Mars simply combined his last initial with that of his partner, Murrie, and “M&Ms” was born.

Originally sold in paper tubes, M&Ms were an instant hit, especially because they didn’t melt during the summer when candy sales traditionally slumped, due to their “meltproof” hard candy shell. That shell also made M&Ms a natural choice for the U.S. Army to issue to its soldiers as part of standard rations during the war, and in 1954 Mars adopted the slogan “The milk chocolate melts in your mouth-not in your hand,” which is still used today.

After his father’s death in 1934, Forrest fought a long legal battle to take control of Mars, Inc., finally succeeding in 1962. Today Mars manufactures M&Ms, Milky Way, Snickers, Three Musketeers, and other candy as well as Uncle Ben’s Rice (which Forrest Mars perfected), and Kal Kan and Pedigree pet foods. Kicking his son out of the country may have been the best business decision Frank Mars ever made.
Angela Abbette writes on a variety of subjects, including about articles food and drink articles similar to the ones found at her favorite free article publishing directory.

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The Ten Minute Sommelier A Wine Guide

Monday, December 22nd, 2008


Of course, if your restaurant is serious about serving wine, you will want to have a wine expert on hand. This kind of expert is called a “sommelier”, which is French for wine steward. However, for the restaurant that wants to just keep a few bottles on the menu, a basic working knowledge of wine will be enough to get a grip on the subject.

Wine has enjoyed an explosion in popularity recently. Medical research has confirmed that not only is wine enjoyable to the senses, but it is good for the body as well. The newly-discovered health benefits of wine have led to a resurgence in its popularity.

But, of course, wine has always been popular with the serious gourmet. Wine fanciers are a pretty sophisticated lot, and wine knowledge is so intricate and esoteric that you’re almost guaranteed to find no end of things to learn about it. Get used to the idea that you will meet “wine snobs”, who hold their knowledge of wine to be some kind of distinguishing mark of their high class. If you’re catering to the wine elite, this article obviously won’t be for you. For the rest of us common folk, here’s just enough to know the basics.

Wine goes into two categories: red and white. These are also known as “mostly sweet” and “mostly dry”, or tart. Some exceptions exist so that some red wines are tart and some white wines are sweet, but they are rare. The general rule of thumb for serving with dishes is that white wines go with seafood and poultry and red wines go with everything else.

In the category of white wines, we have: Chardonnay, which is the most popular, being flexible with a wide range of flavors and usually dry and full-bodied. Sauvignon, which is sharp and dry, kind of like aged cheddar with a bite and a kick. Riesling, which is usually German, having the character of being light with some dryness. Finally, there is White Zinfandel, which is mildly sweet.

The other category is red wines, with the most popular kinds being: Cabernet, which is the most popular; it has a medium to bold taste, and is sometimes sweet. Merlot, which is deep in color and flavor and very, very full-bodied. Pinot Noir, which is a gamble, since it is expensive, hard to get fermented just right, but very tasty when it’s done right and hence held in wide esteem. And at last we have Red Zinfandel, which like its white cousin is also very sweet and light.

In addition to sorting wines with these breeds, there is also categories of wines designating their intended purpose. So there is the Aperitif, used for a before-meal appetizer; it is often flavored, and it includes Sherry and Madeira. Table Wine, which is served with the meal or as a stand-alone refreshment. Dessert Wine, which, as the name suggests, is very sweet and goes well with cake or cheese; these include the varieties of Port, Tokay, and also Sherry.

And finally, there are the other categories which fit alongside grape wines. Sparkling Wines are what we commonly call champagne. Of course, your chef will know about cooking wines which are meant to fry your flounder in and not for drinking, and are usually very salty or spicy. At last we have the category of “country wines”, which are made from something besides grapes; country wines can and are made from everything from apples to gooseberries, and may be separated into sub-categories just like grape wines.

The flavors and characteristics of wine have their own jargon. Wine grapes, without any additives at all, can encompass a huge array of character in taste and smell. Taste is usually described in many terms. They may be: Sweet, which will mean either sweet as in sugar, or sweet as in a vanilla or apple taste. Dry here means tart or tangy, with the alcohol content showing through.

Besides dry a wine can also be described as tart, like in citrus. Fruity wines can have an under-taste ranging from raspberries to bananas - and still contain just grapes! Jammy means it has a really full-bodied fruit taste - see Merlot for a good example. Spicy can mean one of the spice tastes such as black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. Oaky means that it is subtly flavored by the oak barrels which fermented it, which is seen as a desirable feature in some wines. Last, an earthy taste is not like literal earth, but a very ripe, full taste.

Eventually as you deal in more wine, you will encounter a bad bottle. This happens in the finest establishments and vineyards, and is not to be taken personally. You usually cannot tell if a wine has gone wrong until you’ve opened it. The complicated business of fermenting wine leads to some mishaps involving matters of delicate chemistry.

The problems to watch for are these: Corked means the bottle’s cork has gotten moldy so that the wine will smell like a mildewed cardboard box. Buttery will mean that it has a taste like butter, which is caused by some complicated yeast chemistry; however in Chardonnay some butter flavor is encouraged on purpose.

Oxidized will simply mean the wine is flat, with very little taste except for the alcohol and acid. Finally, reduced means it has an overpowering musky or burnt odor, which comes from the wine not getting enough oxygen. These are not subtle errors. When wine is too bad to drink, you will know as soon as the bottle is opened; the smell should tell you right away. All of these problems are highly uncommon.

Alcohol content is evident from the flavor: the lighter the flavor, the lower the alcohol, and the fuller the flavor, the higher the alcohol. The color, however, is determined by tannins, which are the residues left from grape skins. So red wines are allowed to have contact with the grape skins while white wines have no exposure to them. Tannins also contribute to a wine’s longevity, so white wine ages faster, while red wines can be stored for much longer. ‘Bouquet’ is another word for aroma, and most of what applies to taste applies to aroma as well.

These are just the basics, probably most of what you need to know if your establishment keeps about five or six brands on hand for serving. If this is your set up, try to have one each of the more popular varieties. About six wines will be enough to handle most of a simple menu.
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Health Benefits Of Carrot Juice

Friday, December 19th, 2008


Carrot juice has a number of health benefits. The carrot provides what is certainly the most important basic juice. The yellow color is due to carotene. Another name for this form of carotene, the transform, is pro vitamin A. Many authors write that carrots contain a lot of vitamin A. This is not actually true; what the carrot does contain is the pro vitamin. That means a substance that is converted by the body into the vitamin itself.

Carrot juice plays the most important part in an infant’s supply of vitamin A. When carrot juice is consumed jointly with milk, the utilization of carotene as vitamin A is considerably increased. A carrot and milk juice is the ideal vitamin A source for infants and can in no case lead 10 the risk of the child having too much A.

Carrots are widely used. Indeed it is estimated that in Germany carrots account for 10% of the total vegetable consumption. From the carrot juice point of view, the varieties to be employed are ideally those with the most carotene. It is fortunate that the pro vitamin is strongly colored for this means that so long as you use good colored carrots they are likely to be the best nutritionally speaking too.

As a general rule, early carrots are pale and low in carotene. Because carotene is not water soluble, but is fat soluble, there is not a very great deterioration in the vitamin content on storage.

Nursing mothers are well advised, for the sake of the quality of their milk, to take carrot juice throughout lactation. When the baby is on its way it is good sense not only to drink the juice but also to nibble a carrot when you feel hungry. For although a good sized one will provide your minimum requirement of vitamin A, 7oz (200g) of carrot contain only 50 calories, which cannot be considered to be a fattening snack.

The carrot is recorded as being used in medicine by the early Greeks and has been cherished ever since. Its juice is one of the most delicious and healthful, and alone or in combinations should be in every daily diet providing, as it does, the essential vitamin A, without the saturated fats with which this vitamin is associated in eggs and butter.
Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies websites which have information on home based natural cures which can be done with the help of juices like beet, carrot and other vegetables.

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Remembering the Sun Tea Craze

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008


Nestled in the memories of many a child of the 1970’s is the memory of tea brewing in a glass container out in the open sunshine. This delightful brew was known far and wide as sun tea. Many of us delighted in being the ones who would prepare the tea jug and then search for the perfect spot in the back yard, where the tea would receive direct sunlight and slowly brew into a delightful concoction that we would enjoy with our lunch and dinner that day.

There was no grand secret to making sunshine tea. All one required were tea bags, a gallon sized clear glass container with a secure lid, a half cup to a cup of sugar, and water. Water and sugar went into the glass container first, with the tea bags added last. The strings on the tea bags were allowed to dangle over the lip of the container and were used to hold the bags in place after the lid was screwed into place. From that point, it was just a matter of finding the right spot for the tea to brew. You wanted direct sunlight for a couple of hours, so that meant making sure the container would be in the open for that length of time and remain upright during the brewing process.

For those of us who were into herbs and holistic health remedies, we would make our sun tea using specialized tea offerings such as cranberry and lemon blends, or sassafras tea bags. The fact that we were using natural sunlight to brew these natural elements just made the experience all the more life affirming.

Often the temptation to check on the sun tea during the brewing process was irresistible. We would watch as the color began to permeate the liquid, first just around the tea bags and then throughout the container. With awe we watched as the color became a beautiful shade of amber, deepening into what we knew would be the best looking tea ever made, as well as the best tasting. Often, we would run to our parents and let them know the tea was done, just so we could have that first sip. Somehow, knowing we had brewed the beverage in the sun made it superior in every way to other teas.

Some of us still have those old sun tea containers. Every once in a while, they appear in the spring and early summer, getting one more round of use before the novelty wears out and we pack them up again. But for a short time, we recapture a moment of our childhood and remember when something as simple as brewing tea in the sun would make our day.
Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://iced-tea.tea-universe.com. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Sun Tea

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Back Yard Barbeque Blunders

Sunday, December 14th, 2008


Stupidity isn’t one of the essential ingredients in the perfect back yard barbeque. As much fun as grilling can be, it can be dangerous at times. It can also be quite amusing, unless you’re the one being the idiot. But then, life is made up of idiotic acts that we all have been fortunate enough to survive. God must really have had a sense of humor when He gave the first cave man the idea to cook his meat instead of eating it raw.

Trouble begins when one of questionable intelligence, starts playing with matches, charcoal lighter and gas. A friend of mine who had a gas grill tried to start the burner with a match after turning the propane on and then going into the house to use the bathroom. He then took the time to get a drink before he went back outside.

It was a calm day with no breeze, so the gas sort of settled around the grill. When he struck the match, you could hear the whoomp all the way to the house. Luckily the fireball only singed the hair on his head, his arms and his eyebrows. It shouldn’t have to be said, but never leave the gas line open for any length of time before igniting the gas.

Unfortunately, most barbequing mishaps are not due to carelessness, but to stupidity. Charcoal grills are especially fun to work with and only an idiot would use gasoline to start the fire. Another friend of mine, Fred, did just that. He didn’t start off that day being stupid; that came later in the afternoon.

One Saturday afternoon in June, Fred invited all the neighbors over for the first cook out of the season. Everyone was in a festive mood, especially Fred. This was his big chance to show off his grilling skills to the neighbors. Now Fred has always struck me as being a brick shy of a full load, but I was always willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, until that Saturday afternoon. He proved my theory correct when he came very close to burning down his house.

Fred’s stupidity wasn’t readily apparent at the beginning of the evening when he prepared to light the charcoal. Not one to do something half way, he used an entire twenty pound bag of charcoal. He had converted a 55 gallon drum into a smoker grill that was big enough to serve the entire neighborhood. Almost a full can of charcoal lighter was used to ensure that all the briquettes were burning brightly.

It didn’t work. While Fred went into the house to supervise the preparation of the meat and side items, the fire outside in the grill went out. Such a dilemma! He had just used all his charcoal lighter. While one of his neighbors went next door to get a can of the fire starter, Fred took matters into his own hands. After all, this was his party and it was up to him to get things rolling again.

I’m sure somewhere deep inside Fred’s mind he knew that pouring gasoline on charcoal, especially when that charcoal had already been burning, was not a brilliant idea. Sure enough when the gasoline hit the charcoal, a briquette that was still burning and hiding underneath the mound of charcoal, ignited the gasoline! Whooomp! The gas can start spouting flames.

Fred threw the gas can as far as he could; right on top of his brand new treated wood deck. When the can hit the deck, the top came off, pouring the gasoline out of the can onto the wooden deck. There was a big blaze this time. By now we had the garden hose going and the next door neighbor was soaking down Fred’s deck too. In a matter of minutes the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Luckily nothing but the deck was burned. Someone was looking out for Fred that day!

Electric kettle type smokers have become popular lately because they keep a constant heat and they’re easy to cook with. A great tip is to always keep the smoker in the garage and out of the rain. If the lava rocks in the bottom of the tray are wet, when you turn the electric wand on and it’s buried in wet rocks; guess what? The sound this time won’t be whooomp! It will be bang! The electric wand will blow apart, ruining a perfectly good smoker and cook-out.

The moral to this story is simple. If you’re stupid, don’t play with matches!
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com http://www.redfishbob.com

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Your Guide to Discovering Hollywood Restaurants

Thursday, December 11th, 2008


Hollywood is a popular tourist attraction, and Hollywood restaurants are popular with the steady influx of tourists who come to view celebrity homes, visit historic sites, and take photos of the landmark Hollywood sign. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which restaurant to choose. This article will focus on some of the best takeout restaurants in the area. After a long day of site-seeing, or a long day of work, it as easy to fall into the pattern of ordering from the same take-out restaurants again and again. The good news is that there are many takeout restaurant options available.

If you are looking for a Thai restaurant in the Hollywood area, look no further than Pink Pepper. Since 1989, this moderately priced dining option has been serving traditional Thai food with a California twist. The menu includes a full assortment of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and offers the option of takeout for those on the go. The Green Curry Fried Rice and the signature Pink Pepper Rolls are popular menu choices.

For a healthy, Vegan twist on traditional Thai and Chinese dishes, California Vegan serves dishes like Fried Soy Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce, and Pad Thai served with a choice of Tofu, Soy, Chicken, Soy Fish, Seitan, Pepper Steak, or Soy Shrimp. For dessert, Vegan Carrot Cake with Soy Ice Cream and other health conscious options provide an appealing alternative to regular restaurant fare.

Anyone who is in the mood for a traditional Italian dinner will want to try the cuisine offered by Vivoli Cafe, located at 7994 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. With authentic dishes like Zuppa di Mare, (soup with clams, mussels, calamari, salmon and shrimp in tomato broth) and Involitini di Melanzane (Eggplant filled with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce) and a wide assortment of pizzas, it is easy to see why Vivoli is a local favorite.

For an authentic Italian breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Marcos Trattoria is also a popular Hollywood area choice. For breakfast, Marcos offers an assortment of egg dishes cooked to order, as well as Frittatas and Omelets. For bigger appetites, Gyorgys Breakfast, a three egg omelet with Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach served with diced potatoes and two Chocolate Chip pancakes with homemade strawberry topping is a customer favorite. Lunch and dinner options include an assortment of salads and appetizers, pizzas, pasta, and entrees.

These are just some of the many takeout dining options available in the Hollywood area.
Click here to find local Hollywod Restaurants

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Eat Better The No Cook Way Veggies

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008


Much of what we eat today has had all the beneficial vitamins taken from it. One can go on and on, through the whole gamut of dishes cooked with excessive heat, canned foods, toasted cereals, vitamin plied flour and milk, which have been robbed of all or almost all of the original vitality, cooked out desserts and candies.

These products are so ingeniously advertised that the public is convinced they are musts for their growing children. So strong has become the faith in these foods, that natural, raw food is seldom given a thought. In fact, it is often a matter of controversy among our most listened-to nutrition authorities.

The result has been a deplorable deterioration and progressive undermining of the health of American youth. The proof lies bare in a recent government publication which gives startling figures on the number of rejections of our youth for the armed forces. Considering that these “rejects” are our teen-agers, our most select age group, and that the percentage is higher today than it was either in World Wars I or II, there must be something radically wrong. Moreover, this is most typical of America - not other countries. It behooves us to look into it!

Below are some valuable recipes for vegetables which preserve all the vital vitamins and minerals. Prepare some today for the sake of your health.

Asparagus Saute

2 cups fresh asparagus
1 teaspoon grated onion or 1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper, as desired

Vitamins A, B and C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals are found here. These vitamins make the necessary co-enzymes that control the important enzyme-controlled reaction, that establishes good health. The eyes are aided by the large amount of Vitamin A here.

Break asparagus into pieces 2 inches long, place in saucepan with oil, season. Add garlic section or grated onion and warm quickly over low heat for about two minutes.

Keep turning pieces over and over in pan. Serve in a covered casserole.

Artichokes
4 whole artichokes, small
3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, grated
1/2 cup water
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper, as desired

Chlorophyll plus innumerable vitamins and minerals make this a valuable as well as challenging vegetable. The natural sugar is recommended for quick energy.

Heat water, season, and place artichokes sprinkled with oil in pan containing water and onion. Sizzle for five minutes using very low heat. Remove from heat keeping cover on for another minute.

Lima Beans And Fresh Tomato Combine
2 cups lima beans, soaked 48 hours
4 fresh tomatoes
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon honey
4 slices raw lean bacon, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive, corn or peanut oil
Coarse salt and red crushed pepper, as desired

The combination of tomatoes with its high Vitamin C content converts this dish into a richer ABC and mineral reserve for the body.

Saute the beans in oil over slow heat, stirring constantly until warm. Add tomatoes, onion, bacon and parsley and continue to saute until all of the vegetables are warm. Add seasoning to taste, and serve in a covered casserole.

Chile
2 cups red beans
4 tablespoons coarse salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
4 teaspoons chile powder

The important bean again. The chile and vegetables convert this into a high Vitamin C product. A dish to aid the vigorous working man.

Soak beans 48 hours in salt water, changing it 3 or 4 times. Sear quickly in oil over high flame (2-3 minutes until hot and firm), the celery, onion and green pepper. Add the chile powder, salt, and, if desired, 4 crushed tomatoes. In another pan, warm the beans in oil over slow heat, turning constantly until warm. Blend both mixtures together and serve in a covered casserole.

Enjoy these tasty vegetables prepared in such a healthy way!
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Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Remembering the Sun Tea Craze

Saturday, December 6th, 2008


Nestled in the memories of many a child of the 1970’s is the memory of tea brewing in a glass container out in the open sunshine. This delightful brew was known far and wide as sun tea. Many of us delighted in being the ones who would prepare the tea jug and then search for the perfect spot in the back yard, where the tea would receive direct sunlight and slowly brew into a delightful concoction that we would enjoy with our lunch and dinner that day.

There was no grand secret to making sunshine tea. All one required were tea bags, a gallon sized clear glass container with a secure lid, a half cup to a cup of sugar, and water. Water and sugar went into the glass container first, with the tea bags added last. The strings on the tea bags were allowed to dangle over the lip of the container and were used to hold the bags in place after the lid was screwed into place. From that point, it was just a matter of finding the right spot for the tea to brew. You wanted direct sunlight for a couple of hours, so that meant making sure the container would be in the open for that length of time and remain upright during the brewing process.

For those of us who were into herbs and holistic health remedies, we would make our sun tea using specialized tea offerings such as cranberry and lemon blends, or sassafras tea bags. The fact that we were using natural sunlight to brew these natural elements just made the experience all the more life affirming.

Often the temptation to check on the sun tea during the brewing process was irresistible. We would watch as the color began to permeate the liquid, first just around the tea bags and then throughout the container. With awe we watched as the color became a beautiful shade of amber, deepening into what we knew would be the best looking tea ever made, as well as the best tasting. Often, we would run to our parents and let them know the tea was done, just so we could have that first sip. Somehow, knowing we had brewed the beverage in the sun made it superior in every way to other teas.

Some of us still have those old sun tea containers. Every once in a while, they appear in the spring and early summer, getting one more round of use before the novelty wears out and we pack them up again. But for a short time, we recapture a moment of our childhood and remember when something as simple as brewing tea in the sun would make our day.
Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://iced-tea.tea-universe.com. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Sun Tea

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