Saving Money on Canning Jars

Canning season is fast approaching, so I thought I'd share some of the ways in which I save money on canning jars.

1. Garage Sales - I live in a rural area, so I often run into jars at garage sales. These can usualy be had very cheaply. Just last weekend I bought over 4 boxes of jars for $20. These boxes contained well over 60 jars (mostly jelly jars which is what we really needed), rings & lids (brand new still in boxes). Plus the boxes also contained 4 antique canning jars with zinc lids, which I collect, so I was really excited to see!

2. Family & Friends - Check with family and friends who use to can to see if they still have jars they're no longer using. I got quite a few this way from my Mom (plus a lot of other canning stuff), when I first started canning. I'd also post a notice at church or ask around church to see if anyone had any to offer. Most of the time you can get these jars for free or very little cost.

3. Freecycle - Post a notice on your local Freecycle group. I got a lot of jars this way for free...all I had to do was go pick them up. Because of gas prices, I took in consideration how many jars a person was offering and how far I had to drive to get them. If they were pretty close, I'd go get whatever they had to offer, but if they were farther away, I'd just go get larger quanities.

4. Recycle Jars - I often reuse mayonnaise jars and other commercial jars that my rings & lids fit on. I only use them in water bath canning, as I'm afraid they will shatter in the pressure canner. My Mom has done this for years and it works really well. This is how I get a lot of my jelly sized jars and also my hot sauce jars.

5. Thrift Stores & Flea Markets - I occasionally can find canning jars at our local thrift stores & flea market. They cost a little more generally than all the above ways, but are still cheaper than buying new.

6. Clearance - Watch out for canning jars on clearance at Wal-Mart toward the end of the canning season. Last year, I picked up quite a few boxes, rings & lids for pretty cheap. I found all the canning stuff on clearance there around the end of the Summer and September & October. I grabbed what I thought I could use and what I could afford. I got jars, pectin, rings, lids, a big water bath canner, jelly bags, and a couple of other things then while on clearance.

Some Safety Concerns:

Any time you re-use jars or rings, you should do the following...

1. Check the jar opening for chips. Do not use any canning jars that have chips on the openings, as they may not for a good seal and the food can spoil. Save these jars for storage or for gifty items like mixes and such.

2. Check the jars for hairline crack and such. If they have any cracks, don't use them for canning as they may explose while canning or again, let the food spoil.

3. Check your rings for rust. If they have a lot of rust, don't reuse them. A little rust is fine, but if they're heavily rusted, toss them.

4. NEVER reuse lids! They may not reseal properly causing food to spoil. Lids are cheap...use a new one every time.

5. Whenever you open a jar, smell the food and check for any strange textures or colors. If you have any questions about food in a jar, it's safer for you family to toss the contents than get food poisoning from it.

Well I hope this helps some of y'all find some cheap and useable jars for your canning needs! It's quickly approaching time for me to start making Pickly Pear & Mequite Bean jellies, so I've personally been stocking up on my jelly jars. I'm going to probably be making well over 100 jars of jelly this year. We ran out last year really quickly and so I've made it a goal this year for me to put up enough jelly for the entire year, plus to have some to give away to family and friends. I'm also going to try to put up about the same number of jars of salsa. Wish me luck :)

~ Susan Godfrey is a Christian wife, mom and homemaker. She is also the owner of Homekeeper's Heart, http://www.freewebtown.com/homekeepersheart, a Titus 2 Ministry to encourage Christian women to be the wives, mothers and homemakers that God wants them to be! She has her own blog at http://www.susangodfrey.blogspot.com and also is the owner of the Homesteader's Heart Blog at http://www.homesteadersheart.blogspot.com where she shares homesteading, gardening and country living articles.

Eating History - The Way to a Viking's Heart is Through His Stomach

Food history has always interested me. We can learn a lot about our present eating habits from what our ancestors ate. I've read up on the subject and I've even hosted a few parties serving period foods. Today we'll talk about the Vikings. With the help of our friends the archaeologists, food finds have been made. The Scandinavian people of the 8th through 11th centuries were not as limited in terms of their diet as some might think. They were masters of the sea and ate everything from oysters to whales. They were much more than just avid anglers feasting on a variety of fresh and saltwater fish. They were farmers as well. In the Danish settlement of Jorvik, now called York in Great Britain, finds of both wild and domestic meats were found. Among those were venison, beef, mutton/lamb, goat, pork, chicken, goose, duck, grouse, and wood pigeon. The Vikings cultivated grains such as barley, wheat, rye, and barley. They grew vegetables and fruit like carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery, plums, apples, raspberries, elderberries, and much much more. To top that off, they were not opposed to using spices and herbs other than salt for a little extra flavor.

Honey was the big sweetener in the Middle Ages. The Vikings used a lot of it to make mead. You can read my article “The Stuff of Poetry Mead” (http://onlinecooking.net/output_story.php?ID=1038) for more information. The Vikings drank more than just mead. They had access to ale and even wines brought back from Italy and France. Bread would have been a staple, since it is filling (it also keeps you pretty regular). I recall a class assignment back in elementary school where we had to prepare a food from our respective cultures. Being proud of my Scandinavian ancestors, I picked something Viking related. I found a recipe in an old issue of Skalk, (http://www.skalk.dk/) an archaeological periodical published in Denmark. It had a lot of different grains in it, and unlike some of the breads we are use to today, this stuff hit your stomach with a "thud". (One of the things I enjoy doing is making improvised dishes based on ingredients found in the Viking and Medieval ages.)

Here is a recipe that translates pretty well even to modern times. It will keep you going on the coldest of winter nights. Drink a couple horns of mead and you'll be really happy.

Paul's Viking Stew

A large piece of meat cut into cubes

One large onion (chopped)

One carrot (chopped)

A few stalks of celery (chopped)

One Parsnip (chopped)

Some cabbage (chopped)

Pearled barley

Beef broth or stock, you can use chicken stock as well

Oil for cooking

Salt and Pepper

Put your vegetables into a big pot and cook on low heat in a little oil. If you want to stay authentic, do not use corn oil. Corn as we know it in the Americas was not used until much later. Olive oil might have been used if some Norwegian traveled to Italy and picked up some.

When the onions and cabbage look translucent, then add the meat and barley. Cover everything with your stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and stir it occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

Cook until the barley is cooked and the meat is done all the way through. You can also thicken this with a little flour in water.

So there you have it, an interpretation that would probably be a little better than what the standard Viking would have. The point is that this is a dish that would have been made with ingredients that were available at the time. Stay tuned for more medieval recipes.

Paul Rinehart is classically trained and is the founder of Online Cooking.

Famous Names in Barbecue

They are grilling celebrities in their own right. You've seen them on TV and you see their cookbooks lined along the shelves of your local bookstore. They may have different backgrounds and a variety of cooking styles, but just like you, they all share the same passion and that is for grilling and barbecues.

Bobby Flay is one of the most successful chefs who specialize in grilling and barbecues. In 1991, Flay's restaurant, Mesa Grill opened and was dubbed as the Best Restaurant by New York magazine. In 1993, Chef Bobby Flay was voted as James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year. It was during the same year that his other restaurant, Bolo opened. Bobby Flay's love affair with the grill can be best experienced through his TV shows, BBQ with Bobby Flay, Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay, and Boy Meets Grills, as well as his cookbooks Boy Meets Grill, and its sequel, Boy Gets Grill.

Larry Gerber a.k.a. The BarBeQue Man. Dubbed as the BarBeQue Man or simply Que, Larry Gerber has become the face and voice of virtually anything related to grilling and barbecues. His company, Barbeque Man, does endorsements and promotions of various barbecue-related products, events, and issues. Apart from being a personal chef, he also writes for different national culinary publications, hosts a TV show called Culinary Adventures, and can be heard on many radio stations in the upper Midwest as he talks about the fine art of barbecuing and grilling.

Mike Mills is often referred to as The Legend in the world of grilling and barbecuing because of his family's treasured barbecue sauce. Between 1989 and 1994, his team, the Apple City BBQ team won hundreds of awards and accolades in various barbecue competitions. They even hold the record for being four-time World Champions and for being three-time Grand World Champions, which no other team has ever bee able to beat so far. Today, Mike Mills owns 17th Street Bar & Grill in Murphysboro, IL and has published a book entitled, Peace, Love, and Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue in 2005.

Steve Raichlen is a journalist, cooking teacher, award winning author and PBS TV host. His best-selling Barbecue Bible cookbook series (more than 2 million copies in print) and Barbecue University TV show on PBS has changed the American barbecue for the better. In August, 2003, Raichlen defeated Iron Chef Roksbura Michiba in a bbq battle on Japanese television. Some other famous quotes about Raichlen include: Oprah called him the “Gladiator of Grilling” and “Howard Stern hailed him as the “Michael Jordan of Barbecue.”

Now, aren't you just inspired to get out there and cook the most amazing barbecue recipes yourself? Not a problem – get your grill ready, hit your local meat shop or grocery store and logon to InsaneChicken’s BBQ Sauce Catalog and get their delicious recipes ranging from barbecue to vegetarian recipes. And of course, check out their wide range of sauces and marinades to further make your grilling dishes insanely bold and daring.

Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's BBQ Sauce Catalog. InsaneChicken is proud to sell Blair's Hot Sauce and some of the Worlds hottest hot sauces

School Lunches the Frugal Way!

It seems that school starts earlier every year. So it's time to start thinking about what to put in those school lunches every morning.

My children always wanted to bring their own lunches because they didn't really like what was offered in the school lunchroom. But it was sometimes a little difficult to make their lunches nutritious and tasty and also to put a little variety in their lunchboxes without spending a small fortune.

If we let ourselves, we can spend a "lot" on individual servings, lunchables, and treats for lunches. Here are a few ideas to help you meet the "Frugal Lunchbox Challenge".

Go to the Dollar Store and buy a few of those individual serving-size storage containers. These are very inexpensive and they are worth every penny.

You can use them for any number of things--like making your own fruit cups and pudding cups.

And they can also be used to hold dip for carrot or celery sticks or fill with peanut butter and pack a zipper bag of pretzels for dipping.

Also at the Dollar Store or discount store, you can pick up one or two of the small "blue ice" cold packs. They will help keep lunchbox items cold and safe. Sandwiches such as egg salad or tuna salad need to have a cold pack. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, on the other hand, can be packed without one.

Those zipper bags we all love come into their own when packing lunches! They can hold vegetable sticks, popcorn, crackers, homemade cookies, etc.

Muffins hold up well in a zipper-top bag, as do slices of banana nut bread, or most any other quick bread.

When the weather turns cool, a small thermos will come in handy for homemade soup or chili. I see lots of these for sale at garage and yard sales, sometimes for as little as 25 cents.

A thermos is also handy to hold whatever drink your child likes to take.

Try to put some fun in the lunchbox: keep a stash of small, inexpensive toys, cut sandwich bread into cool shapes with cookie cutters, write little notes to your child, cut out funny cartoons. Children love surprises.

A good routine to get into is while you are cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, put leftovers in the storage containers, or make sandwiches and place in the fridge in a designated area for lunch items. Get your kids to help--the more they are involved, the better!

Put napkins, etc. in lunch boxes or bags and place them where all anyone has to do in the morning is fill with the prepared items. Now you can all be out the door in minutes!

Here are a few recipes that will help get you started this school year:

Apple Surprise

• 1 apple

• Raisins

• Peanut butter

Cut apple in half. Carefully, cut out the core of the apple. Spread peanut butter where the core used to be and over surface of apple. Sprinkle raisins over the peanut butter.

Trail Mix

• 2 cups granola cereal

• 1 cup peanuts

• 1 cup dried apple bits

• 1 1/2 cups yogurt-covered raisins

• 2/3 cup chopped dates

• 1 cup dried banana bits

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

A small serving of this goes a long way!

Peanut Butter Balls

• 1/2 c. peanut butter

• 2 1/2 tbsp. nonfat dry milk

• 2 tbsp. raisins

• 2 tbsp. honey

• 1/4 c. coconut

• Sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients and form into balls. Roll in sesame seeds.

This is a good recipe for the kids to help with-- they love to roll the dough into balls.

NOTE: sesame seeds are cheaper in bulk at a health food store. You can get unsweetened coconut there, also.

About The Author

Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name. Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill"; editor@cynroberts.com

Mustard Sauce – Liven Up Your Food

Pep up your taste buds with a dash of mustard. If mustard seeds are not your cup of tea, have mustard sauce instead. Spread it on your grilled meats, dip those crunchy French fries in it or crown your hamburger with a liberal dose of mustard sauce. Have it anyway you like. The tangy, pungent flavored mustard will make a delicacy out of even the plain old bread and butter sandwich.

The mustard sauce is a hot sauce with a mild temperament. While it is spicy enough to add a zing to your food, it does not exactly cause your tongue to go up in flames. So you don’t need to be a fire-eater to savor its taste.

Big Bob Gibson’s Backyard brand of barbecue mustard sauce happily blends the best of both worlds. The sharpness of the onions, garlic, and hot sauces are tempered to comfort by the molasses, sugar and caramel.

It is actually hard to fathom that the staple fixture that mustard sauces are in today’s dinner tables, had a relatively low-key debut in America. Though mustard in its raw form was not much popular, the Americans gradually warmed up to the mild mustard sauces that were prepared with white mustard seeds. Now, “Pass the mustard” is probably the most uttered phrase during any meal.

Once gaining a foothold, the mustard sauces have blossomed with time, innovating while simultaneously adhering to the taste appeals of the average American. Thus, you have Honey Dijon, a delectable combination of honey and mustard, which enjoys cult status among the foodies.

The mustard sauces lend themselves well to innovations and customizations. Thus those who would love to heat up things a bit more can add peppers to their mustard sauces. Ass Kickin Mustard would suit them to a hilt. Containing the fiercely hot Habanero peppers, ground mustard and also whole mustard seeds, mustard sauces of this variety command considerable awe.

The mustard sauce, as a food additive, dipper and accompaniment, can any day give the ketchup a run for its money. Those tiny mustard seeds do pack in quite a punch.

Mustard Fact Sheet

Mustard seeds were used both for flavoring and for medication by the ancient Greeks and Romans. By 800 AD, France was already using the stuff to enhance salted meats and plain meals. Mustard was also one of the many spices brought during Spanish explorations in the 1400s. It was originally considered as a medicinal plant and only later took on a culinary character.

Actually, mustard seeds aren't hot at all. They only get “fired up” when cracked and mixed with cold water. Mustard gets its heat from the oils which are released from the seeds when crushed. The mustard oils contain enzymes and chemicals that when mixed with water, liberates compounds known as isothiocyanates, that give mustard the heat.

Mustard varieties differ mainly in strength of flavor. The relative heat packed by mustard depends on the proportion of brown or black (strong) to yellow (mild) mustard seeds. The flavor of black and brown mustard is more intense and lasts longer than that of the white mustard's

Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce and BBQ Sauce Catalog and a hot sauce enthusiast. InsaneChicken sells hot sauces, bbq sauces, bbq rubs and salsa's from around the world. The site also has a Recipe of the Day section and a Hot Sauce and BBQ Blog.

Portuguese Food and Cuisine

Briony Stephenson introduces the hidden delights of Portuguese cuisine.

Despite the lasting influence it has had on food in such far-away places as Macau and Goa, Portuguese cuisine is hugely underrepresented outside Portugal. Often confused with Spanish cooking, it is, in fact, quite distinct. At its best, Portuguese food is simple ingredients impeccably prepared. Based on regional produce, emphasising fish, meat, olive oil, tomato, and spices, it features hearty soups, homemade bread and cheeses, as well as unexpected combinations of meat and shellfish.

For a relatively small nation, Portugal has surprising gastronomic variety. The Estremadura region, which includes Lisbon, is famous for its seafood - the fish market at Cascais, just outside the capital, is one of the largest in the country - while the production of sausages and cheese elsewhere adds another dimension to the national cuisine. The Algarve, the last region of Portugal to achieve independence from the Moors, and situated on North Africa's doorstep, contributes a centuries-old tradition of almond and fig sweets.

Traditional Portuguese food is typified by fish.Indeed, the Portuguese have a long history of absorbing culinary traditions from other peoples. The age of discovery was propelled by the desire for exotic spices and ever since Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India at the turn of the sixteenth century, they have proved enormously popular. Peri-peri, a Brazilian spice transplanted to the former African colonies is used to flavour chicken and shrimp. Curry spices from Goa are common seasonings. These spices are typically used very sparingly, adding subtle flavour and depth to dishes. It is these influences that have helped make Portuguese food so markedly different from that of other Mediterranean countries and in Lisbon today there are scores of restaurants specialising in the cuisines of the old empire as well as Brazilian-style juice bars, offering drinks and ice-cream made from exotic fruits.

If there is one thing that typifies traditional Portuguese food, however, it is fish. From the common anchovy to swordfish, sole, sea bream, bass and salmon, markets and menus reveal the full extent of Portugal's love affair with seafood. In Portugal, even a street-bought fish burger is filled with flavour. Bacalhau, salted cod, is the Portuguese fish and said to be the basis for some 365 recipes, one for each day of the year. Two dishes are particularly notable. Bacalhau เ Gomes de Sแ, essentially a casserole of cod, potatoes and onion, is an Oporto speciality and considered perhaps Portugal's greatest bacalhau recipe. From Estremadura comes bacalhau แ brเs, scrambled eggs with salted cod, potatoes and onions.

Shellfish, including clams (am๊ijoas) and mussels (mexilh๕es) are also of a high quality. Crab and squid are often stuffed, and lulas recheadas เ lisbonense (stuffed squid Lisbon-style) is a great example of Portuguese seafood. Visitors to Lisbon can find traditional shops by the docks selling snails (carac๓is).

There are plenty of options for the meat-lover too. Espetada, grilled skewers of beef with garlic, is popular, as is suckling pig (leitใo). Cozido เ portuguesa, a one-dish meal of beef, pork, sausage and vegetables, reflects the resourcefulness of traditional cooking. A rather more unusual combination is the pork and clams of porco เ alentejana (pork Alentejo-style). Pork is also cooked with mussels na cataplana, with the wok-like cataplana sealing in the flavours. Meanwhile, the city of Oporto boasts tripa เ moda do Porto (Oporto-style tripe), supposedly a legacy from the days of Prince Henry the Navigator, when the city was left with nothing but tripe after providing the Infante's ships with food. To this day Oporto natives are known as tripeiros, or tripe-eaters.

Broiled chicken (frango grelhado), seasoned with peri-peri, garlic, and/or olive oil, is one of the few things that has made its mark outside Portugal, where it can be found in cities with a large Portuguese population. The highly aromatic peri-peri chicken is often served in specialist restaurants.

Portuguese food: a hidden treasure.Soups constitute an integral part of traditional cooking, with all manner of vegetables, fish and meat used to create a variety of soups, stews and chowders. Caldo verde (literally green broth), made from a soup of kale-like cabbage thickened with potato and containing a slice of salpicใo or chouri็o sausage, originated from the northern province of Minho but is now considered a national dish. Along with canja de galinha (chicken broth), caldo verde is a filling, comforting and ubiquitous favourite. For the more adventurous, caldeirada de lulas เ madeirense (squid stew Madeira-style) features a characteristically Portuguese combination of seafood, curry and ginger. Another typical dish is the a็orda where vegetables or shellfish are added to thick rustic bread to create a 'dry' soup.

Those with a sweet tooth may be interested to learn that one of Portugal's best-kept culinary secrets is its vast and distinctive range of desserts, cakes and pastries. A staple of restaurant menus is chocolate mousse - richer, denser and smoother than foreign versions, while other favourites include arroz doce, a lemon and cinnamon-flavoured rice pudding. The most famous sweets, however, are the rich egg-yolk and sugar-based cakes, influenced by Moorish cooking and perfected by Guimerใes nuns in the sixteenth century. For a uniquely Portuguese experience, the visitor should head for a pasteleria (or confeitaria), where the many varieties of cakes and other confections, as well as savoury delicacies like bolinhas de bacalhau, cod balls, are served. The Antiga Confeitaria de Bel้m, where the legendary past้is de nata, delicious custard-filled tarts, are baked, is a Lisbon highlight. Nearby Sintra has its own traditional pastry, queijadas de Sintra (a type of cheese tart), which street vendors sell in packs of six.

The Portuguese attitude to food is simple and imaginative, traditional and inventive. Above all, enjoying good food and the social aspects of eating out is an esteemed part of everyday life. From informal cafes to world-class restaurants, all budgets and occasions are catered for. Tiny cafes and tascas, often no more than holes in the wall, abound. The opportunity to sample this largely unknown cuisine in all its variety is one of the real rewards of visiting Portugal.

(c) http://www.portugalvisitor.com

Briony Stephenson writes about Portuguese culture and food for http://www.portugalvisitor.com

Some Facts On Bread

During a recent trip to San Francisco I came across the most famous sourdough bread made in the U.S.; the San Francisco Sourdough. This bread has remained in production for nearly 150 years and combined with an amazing soup that is placed inside the bread, it constitutes today one of the most popular dishes of the West U.S. Coast.

In general, bread has been around for centuries. Experts believe that its origins started nearly 12,000 years ago. As one of the oldest prepared foods, bread is dating back to the Neolithic era. The first breads produced were probably cooked versions of a grain-paste, made from ground cereal grains and water and shaped into loaves that were laid on heated stones or baked by covering with hot ash. Descendants of these early breads are still commonly made from various grains worldwide, with the Mexican tortilla, Indian chapati, Chinese poa ping, Scots oatcake, North American johnnycake, and Ethiopian injera all being examples. However, the earliest documentation traces bread to the Middle East, where Egyptians cultivated grains. They baked flat breads, which are still eaten today, for many centuries until the discovery of fermentation at least three thousand years ago.

The technique of fermentation, which causes bread to rise, spread to all countries bordering the Mediterranean. This sparked new improvements with the development of clay ovens and the introduction of the rotary mill in 1,000 BC. These advances spread to other civilizations including African, Asian, Indian and much later American cultures.

Bread became so important that the bread industry began being controlled by those in power in the 11th century, by price and weight regulation. With further developments in agricultural machinery greater crop yields were realized. Hence, bakers headed towards the towns.

Otto Frederick Rohwedder is considered to be the father of sliced bread. In 1912 Rohwedder started work on inventing a machine that sliced bread, but bakeries were reluctant to use it since they were concerned the sliced bread would go stale. It wasn't until 1928, when Rohwedder invented a machine that both sliced and wrapped the bread, that sliced bread caught on. A bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri was the first to use this machine to produce sliced bread.

For generations, white bread was considered the preferred bread of the rich while the poor ate dark bread. However, the connotations reversed in the 20th century with dark bread becoming preferred as having superior nutritional value while white bread became associated with lower class ignorance of nutrition.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Food, Travel, and Tennis

So You Want To Cook Italian Food

When it comes to ethnic cuisines, there are none more popular than Italian food. From your local pizza joint (debatable as to whether that's truly Italian food) to the four-star places found in major cities, Italian food is one of the top choices when families are deciding where to go to eat out.

The food of Italy is commonly thought to be decadent, cheese-laden stuff with a predominance of garlic and oregano, almost always involving pasta of some sort and usually served with a good bottle of wine. While none of this is untrue about Italian cuisine, it does give one a very limited view of what is one of world's most varied culinary areas.

Italian food has two main influences: geography and history.

The geographical influences largely determine the base components of the food that is served in various parts of the country. In the south, with the warmer climate and abundant access to the sea, tomatoes are abundant, and olive oil is the main fat used in cooking. In the north, where livestock are abundant, butter is the fat of choice and the cheeses are much more varied and exotic.

The historical influences result from Italy having been a battleground many times throughout history, and one of the world's great imperial powers at one time. The Roman Empire brought in foods and influences from all of Europe and much of Asia and Africa, and after the fall of the empire many other cultures brought their food, and their soldiers, across the Alps.

If you go looking for Italian cookbooks, try to find one that gives you a "tour of Italy" in its recipe offerings. Different regions of the country are famous for different dishes, and you should give yourself a chance to cook a little of each of them before deciding on a favorite. Most Italian chefs specialize in one region's cuisine, but the best, like Mario Batali, have a broad appreciation for all of the others. Your Italian food should be the same: drawn from all over! The area in which I live you will find a very wide variety of Italian food.

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com

NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end).

Smoked Salt - Way More Than Just Another Fad

It's been on FoodTV with Alton Brown. You've seen it in your gourmet magazines. You've heard of it, but you don't know what it is, what it's for, or where to get it. We are talking about smoked salt, a hot new trend in the gourmet food marketplace.

Imagine being able to have that amazing fresh off the grill flavor no matter what the weather or season! Essentially smoked salt, is either sea or kosher salt, that has been saturated with the flavor of smoke, typically hickory, pecan, apple, or other flavourful woods. Smoked salt has been around for a very long time, and it is believed that the tradition began with the Danish smoking salts during the times of the Viking.

While many smoked salt products on the market are salt that has been soaked in liquid smoke, or salt that has been combined with powdered smoke, our Hickory smoked sea and kosher salt is slowly smoked over a clean burning hickory, maple or apple wood fire, with absolutely no added artificial smoke, colorants or flavourings. Over time, the smoke infuses the salt and creates a mild, but distinct smoked flavor with that hearty aroma of your favourite BBQ restaurant!

Subtle and yet robust, smoked salt from Caroline's Rub adds an extra dimension of flavor to your favourite dishes. It can be used anywhere that you would normally use salt, and can actually replace that iodized stuff at the table. Keep in mind that sea salt is a larger grain salt that will require a grinder, whereas kosher salt is a true sprinkling salt.

One of our favourite ways to use the salt, is to take the traditional Tomato-Bocconcini-Basil salad to a whole new level simply by sprinkling the smoke infused salt over the dish prior to serving. Also, you can use it to sprinkle over your steak, pork chop, chowders...anywhere you want to kick up the flavor factor and add that fresh off the grill flavor.

Try some true smoked salt today, and we guarantee you won't want to find yourself without it!

Joe Johnson is a proud Texan and founding partner and chief pit-master with Caroline's Rub, where he is in charge of product promotion and development for their line of gourmet dry rubs, smoked salt, and Texas chili seasoning.

Blair Hot Sauce - Too Hot to Handle

That the Blair Hot Sauce is hot is a gross understatement. Even a drop of it will conjure up visions of Hell. Such is the intense heat generated by it. When the Blair Hot Sauce claims to be the hottest hot sauce that is around, it means business.

Blair's hot sauces come in two varieties, Death and Heat. The etymology could not have been more apt. While Heat Sauces range from the lukewarm to the flaming hot, the Death Sauces guarantee blistering heat, enough to scorch your tongue.

Blair's Hot Sauce set the ball rolling for the Blairs. This original Blair creation was the recipient of the prestigious Golden Chili Award for the Best Overall Sauce. This sauce now seems conventional when compared to Blair's latest fiery creations, but with its enduring taste, it still occupies a place of pride in most kitchens. It is a great addition to seafood, chicken wings and even drinks.

Blair's later designs verge on the border of the maniacally hot. Blair's Sudden Death hot sauce, a heady concoction of Habaneras, the hottest chilly on earth, Cayenne chilies and limejuice, promises to ignite your taste buds.

Blair's Megadeath Hot Sauce has molasses as one of its ingredients. On the face value, it doesn't seem to hold a candle to some of Blair's other hot sauces. Once you taste it, you will be shaken to admit the hot truth.

Blair's After Death hot sauce comes with a warning to keep it out of reach of children. The warning is definitely not a red herring for the sauce is made from the hottest chilies on earth and is meant only for the daredevils amongst the hot sauce aficionados.

But the cr่me la cr่me or rather the cr่me la chilly in the Blair Hot Sauce stable is Blair's Possible Side Effects hot sauce. It does the honors as the hottest hot sauce ever created, deemed too hot even for a lick.

The 16 Million Reserve is another cap on Blair's saucy feather. Even as you taste this sauce, you will hear records tumbling, for 16 million is the farthest that you can go on the heat scale.

The Blair Death rain Hot BBQ Seasoning is the ideal topping for a barbecue dish. With this barbecue sauce, your steaks, sausages and hamburgers will tango. The Blair Hot Sauce has earned a reputation for being hot. Made from the finest raw materials, Blair's hot sauces are practically limited edition sauces, for at a time, they are packed in batches of 100 cases only. Definitely, fit to be a collector's item.

True, that a sauce is used to enhance the taste of any food, but the Blair Hot Sauce is one such item, which can be tasted for its sake only.

Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's Hot Sauce and BBQ Sauce Catalog and a hot sauce enthusiast. InsaneChicken is proude to sell Blair's Hot Sauce.

Regional Indian Cookery - The Punjab

The Punjab is situated in eastern India and is divided by the Indian/Pakistani border. It is very fertile because of the rivers that cross here and as a consequence, agriculture is central to the economy. Wheat accounts for a large proportion of the crops, along with corn, mustard greens, sugar cane and rice.

Buffalo milk which is 3% higher in fat than cows milk, is also important to the Punjabis, who are not prey to worries about cholesterol. Every bit of the buffalo milk is used in some way or other. Some is used in tea or evaporated into a much thicker richer milk known as bhadoli, which in turn is set into yoghurt. The thick cream will be removed from the top of the yoghurt and churned into butter. Some of the butter will be saved as is and the rest will be warmed slowly and turned into ghee (clarified butter) by pouring off the clear butter and discarding the solid sediment. Yet more of the milk will be made into paneer, the Indian equivalent of cottage cheese. The milk is boiled then curdled by adding lime juice then strained of whey, leaving the curds which can be shaped into solid rounds.

The Punjab is predominantly Sikh, being the home of the Golden Temple at Amritsar, central to the Sikh religion, thus more than half of all Punjabis are vegetarian. No one goes hungry here and Sikh temples always offer simple free meals of bread and vegetable curry to all who turn up.

Bread is the most important part of the Punjabi diet. Rotis are made from wholewheat flour and water, formed into balls and flattened into discs which are then slapped onto the site of a tandoor or onto a tava (a flat griddle pan like a flat frying pan). Rotis are commonly eaten for breakfast with butter, fresh yoghurt and pickles, while for lunch or dinner there will be parathas which are much richer, being brushed with ghee, folded and rolled again before being cooked and brushed with more ghee.

Unlike most of the rest of India, rice in the Punjab is for special occasions only or for making rice pudding.

Lunch in the fields will often consist of paratha and a curry made from onions fried with garlic, ginger, green chillies, cayenne, garam masala, tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Potatoes are stirred in and coated with the spices before adding water and cooking slowly.

Breads may also be served for dinner with small black beans and kidney beans cooked with onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes and garnished with butter. Another favourite is paneer bhaji - tomatoes, chillies and ginger quickly fried with crumbled paneer added - or the same basic mixture with pure้d spinach and cubes of paneer added. Paneer can also be dipped in chick pea flour batter and deep fried, making pakora. Mustard greens may be cooked very slowly with green chillies then when soft, pure้d, thickened with cornmeal flour and added to fried onion, tomato and ginger and garnished with white butter.

For the non-vegetarians, there is tandoori chicken - whole chicken marinaded in yoghurt and spices, cut into pieces and cooked in a tandoor - or tikkas (kebabs) of chicken or cubed or minced meat mixed with spices, garlic and ginger.

Cheap fast food restaurants called dhabas are common in the Punjab and often have their own specialities - one may concentrate on paneer bhaji and another, tandoori chicken - but you can be sure that wherever you eat in the Punjab, you will be filled with nourishing, tasty food.

Liz Canham:

As well as a love of Asian cooking and travel as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery and Travellers’ Tales websites, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website.

Recipe Granola

Homemade granola is one of my very favorite health foods for many reasons you will read below. It is something the allergic person can closely regulate by making modifications to the recipe. This recipe is perfect because it is cheap, healthy, can be organic and pure, makes a lot, and stores well. It’s a great food to stock in the house for hungry teenagers.

Why do I use the ingredients I use? Well, let me tell you…

• I use grains in keeping with Eat 4 Your Type (eating for your blood type.)

• I use wheat germ because it is high in selenium and zinc. Lots of my clients test they need this for their reproductive health.

• Celtic Sea Salt is used because none of the wonderful minerals have been removed from this particular salt and it has not been processed with high heat. High heat makes salt inorganic and difficult to bind to bodily fluids and tissues. This salt actually has a moist texture and is grey in color.

• I use sesame seeds (lots of them) because they are high in Tyrosine which helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Sesame products such as tahini, halvah, and raw sesame seeds help with the balance of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. When taken at about 1 tablespoon/day, it prevents depression.

• Whole flax seed acts differently than ground flax seed. Whole flax seed is very mucogenic. It swells and gets slippery helping the bowels to empty without strain.

• Pumpkin seeds are a wonderful seed for the reproductive system of both males and females. Something in it binds the breakdown byproducts of testosterone which cause Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. Pumpkin seeds also act as the base ring for progesterone and estrogen, so I often recommend the seed for perimenopausal women and great reproductive health. It gives the body what it needs in the form of hormones.

• Udo’s Choice Oil is the best combination of oils on the market. It has a perfect blend of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. I use the oil and the Wholesome Fast Food Blend.

• Blackstrap molasses is extremely high in bioavailable minerals and has lots of iron in it. These days I am seeing lots of people with tan chins which is an early sign of iron anemia.

Recipe: Granola

From the Kitchen of Denice Moffat

11 cups rolled Spelt, Kashi, or Oats (not instant)

2 cups shredded coconut (the organic kind may not have sulfites in it)

2 cups Wheat Germ

ฝ cup Spelt, Rice, Oat or Buckwheat flour

1 Tablespoon Celtic Sea Salt (it should be pink or gray…it it’s white there are no extra minerals in it.)

2 cups raw almonds or cashews

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup raw sesame seeds

พ cup raw flax seed

1 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds

Mix the above in a large bowl then pour the following on top and mix in after first blending together:

พ cup almond, apricot, or Udo’s Choice oil

ฝ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup blackstrap molasses

1 ฝ cups honey

พ cup water

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons almond extract

Divide mixture and spread onto two large cookie sheets. Bake at 250 degrees stirring every 20-30 minutes for 90 minutes or until edges start to turn brown. Turn off oven and let the granola sit in the closed oven overnight to finish drying out.

Add dried fruit of your choice before packaging. I use
Cranberries, raisins, dried apricot, dried cherries, banana chips or apple chips.

Store in airtight containers. I use ZipLock baggies. Makes 2 gallons.

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1993. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free monthly newsletter. For other healthy recipes, go to: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/Recipes/recipes1.htm

A taste of Sweden with this Swedish Meatball Recipe

Sweden is a great region, and Swedish food is a great ethnic food. At its best, Swedish food is excellent, largely meat-, fish- and potato-based, but varied and generally tasty and filling.

In the last few decades immigrants from all over the world have enriched Swedish food culture with a host of exciting dishes.

Typically classical Swedish cooking includes lots of seafood, herring in particular; open faced sandwiches; and Swedish meatballs, a sm๖rgๅsbord favorite: Swedish meatballs (k๖ttbullar).

Swedish desserts may include lingonberries - a high bush cranberry, and used a lot in Swedish cooking.

If you equate Swedish food with smorgasbord, meatballs and dill, think again! Although these are great delights, you’ll enjoy a wide range of tasty, fresh-cooked food in Sweden.

A quarter of my family are Swedish, originating from Gothenburg. These genuine Swedish recipes have been collected by our family over the years and are now being shared with you as a celebration of Swedish traditions and food.

Farmors K๖ttbullar

1lb of minced beef

onion - finely chopped

1 cup of soft breadcrumbs or oats

1 egg

Milk (about 1/2 decilitre)

Soak oats or breadcrumbs in milk for 1/2 hour

Add mince and mix until smooth and well blended together

Add onion - mix well

Finally add egg and salt and pepper

Roll into little balls and fry in margarine for about 10 minutes

Served kottbullar with freshly mashed potato (potatismos) and a salad. Enjoy!

Many thanks to Ulla who shared this genuine Swedish recipe with our family.

For further tips and ideas for cooking great and traditional food from around the world, visit Swedish Recipes.

This article was submitted by Jen Carter, owner of the World Recipes website.

Recipes Include Basic Ingredients That Give Tasty Results

The recipes for many foods call for nothing more than: flour, sugar, salt, eggs and cream. Not so good to eat yet is it? That's because basic ingredients are nothing without the proper amounts and preparation techniques. In reality many of the same ingredients occur over and over in different recipes.

People attending parties of all kinds are preoccupied with the foods which have been prepared for the occasion. When they are duly impressed with a particular sampling they are naturally curious about the recipes. Most people can guess the main ingredients but for special occasions there is invariably a secret ingredient that takes the dish a step above the ho-hum of everyday foods.

Be kind and share the recipes. Some are too shy to ask but they probably want to know how to bake that walnut/chocolate chip pie. It may just be one of the many recipes that can be found in many women's magazines throughout the holiday season. Still not every guest reads those. Stacking recipes up on cards next to the dishes on a buffet table is one good way to offer them freely.

Recipes for the main dish or a chef's specialty can be printed up as invitation inserts or just enclosed with the annual Christmas letter. The recipes for old family favorites can even be used for the art on the Christmas letter when printed in script. Recipes found in the cookbooks of departed relatives are especially treasured and should be shared. Maybe an old recipe using birch sugar or something equally unusual would be a nice choice for this purpose.

A collection of these favorite recipes is an inexpensive but memorable gift idea. In the hands of the right recipient it can be a gift that keeps on giving for future generations to enjoy.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes (PartyThemeShop.com) to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Simple Living Guide Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:

ท One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.

ท For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…

Copyright ฉ 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via "Simple Living Guide" series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

Simple Living Guide Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:

ท One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.

ท For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…

Copyright ฉ 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via "Simple Living Guide" series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

Simple Living Guide Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:

ท One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.

ท For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…

Copyright ฉ 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via "Simple Living Guide" series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

Simple Living Guide Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:

ท One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.

ท For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…

Copyright ฉ 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via "Simple Living Guide" series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

Simple Living Guide Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:

ท One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.

ท For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…

Copyright ฉ 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via "Simple Living Guide" series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

Market Fresh Fruit Dip

This makes a terrific afternoon snack on a warm summer’s day. When entertaining, serve in a honeydew melon half and decorate the rim with fresh blueberries and mint sprigs.

Ingredients

1 Pint Strawberries

2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice

3 Tablespoons Honey

4 oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

Assorted Fruit Slices

Directions

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green tops.

2. Place strawberries in a blender or food processor with lemon juice, honey, cream cheese, and yogurt. Puree until smooth.

3. To make a honeydew melon bowl, cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice a 3 inch diameter circle off the rounded bottom of the rind so your bowl will sit flat.

4. Serve with slices of your favorite summer fruit. Peaches, plums, apples, and melons all work well and make a colorful presentation.

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1. Printed in its full form with no changes

2. Includes an active link

3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to the above contact

4. And the following byline appears at the bottom of each article:

About the Authors: Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes are the co-authors of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out their website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit http://www.togetherparenting.com

About the Authors Janell Oakes and Rondi Davis are co-authors of the award winning book, Together: Creating Family Traditions. They want to give you the most important gift you can give your family. You can be a part of an irresistible offer available for one day only.
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