I would like to recomend this cook book to all my vegan, and non vegan friends.

http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-annette-ramke-kicking-cancer-in-the-kitchen/

Is food still safe after the expiration date? This sight will tell you how long you can store your food safely.
http://www.stilltasty.com/

I recently asked folks to pop over and read my latest compilation of humorous and reflective (and sometimes humorously reflective) shorts in my When a Southern Woman Rambles series. The latest is 5 stories called 'Laughing at Life, One Mint Julep at a Time'

Then I was asked - What is a Mint Julep?

And that's when it dawned on my that there's an entire 'rest of the world' that doesn't really know about the sweet little libations that are a mainstay of the Southern culture and that is a true shame!

So, here's the recipe for a Mint Julep (Imagine summertime, Scarlett O'Hara, a broad porch with rockers, and hot, humid days (and nights) with the smell of honey suckle on the breeze all rolled up in one deliciously sweet, icy drink.

OLD FASHIONED MINT JULEPS (They'd make any Southern Belle proud!)
Ingredients

• 2 ounces whiskey/bourbon
(There’s not too much of a difference between ‘cheap’ and ‘not cheap’)

Want to go NONalcoholic? It’s easy!

Just substitute a couple of ounces of lemonade for the
liquor. Or you can use brewed tea. OR BOTH!

• Crushed ice

• 1 ounce mint infused simple syrup (Or more if you like it really sweet!

• Mint-infused simple syrup: (this is what really MAKES the drink!)
-1 cup sugar (REAL cane sugar – not that weird ‘fake’ stuff!)
-1 cup water
-1 bunch mint sprigs
(make sure to pick a mint flavor you like! Spearmint is the mildest mint.
Peppermint is quite strong)

Boil sugar & water for about a minute and stir so all the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn the heat off and add one bunch of mint sprigs and allow them to steep for 20 minutes.
(Like you’re making brewed tea. And if you like only a ‘hint of mint’ brew for about 10 minutes)

Strain mint leaves and allow the syrup to completely cool before using.

Syrup keeps refrigerated about one week and perfectly sweetens iced tea (so you can have a minty tea, too!).

Directions: In a tall glass add bourbon, crushed ice, mint-infused simple syrup, and more ice if needed. Stir well and garnish with a mint sprig. (You can also put it in a ‘shaker’ to give it a better blend.) ENJOY!

************************

Another Southern favorite is called Bourbon Slush!

KENTUCKY BOURBON SLUSH (I like this one even more than Mint Juleps! )

(Makes 6 servings because this is a drink intended to be shared with friends!)

3/8 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate

3/8 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

3/8 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon white sugar (Real sugar - none of that fake stuff!)

3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons strong brewed black tea (I've always heard this called 'dinner tea' because NO self-respecting Southern dinner is complete with out it! So do not use that weird fancy-dancy flavored stuff!)

3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons bourbon whiskey (you do NOT have to use alcohol for this drink! Leave it out completely and simply add more black tea, it'll taste awesome!)

3/8 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage (Sprite is best)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl or container, mix together the orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, sugar, tea, and whiskey. Transfer to shallow bowls or dishes, and freeze overnight.

2. Remove the frozen mixture from the freezer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Chop with a wire whisk or potato masher to make a slushy consistency. Place scoops of the frozen slush into glasses, and top off with the lemon-lime flavored soda.

Eat Chocolate, Slim Down
New research reveals that this sweet treat could help you stay thin.

http://i.cdn.youbeauty.com/p/482031/thumbnail/entry_id/0_774pt4p4/width/0/height/0/quality/90
Shutterstock

If you gave up chocolate with the hope of shrinking your waistline, you may want to reconsider that decision. New research from the University of California, San Diego, found that adults who ate chocolate often were actually wait for it thinner. They had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate the sweet stuff less frequently.

MORE: Beauty Benefits of Dark Chocolate

This finding proved true even after the researchers accounted for other factors, such as calorie intake and daily activity. Frequent chocolate intake was linked to more overall calories (meaning the chocolate eaters weren't simply living on a diet of water and chocolate alone) and yet, they still had lower BMIs than those who ate chocolate less often. Chocolate consumption was also not linked to more activity, refuting the idea that maybe the chocolate eaters simply exercised more to counteract the additional calories.

So what gives? "Chocolate is rich in certain antioxidants and may have a positive effect on our metabolism," says lead study author Beatrice Golomb, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine. On top of that, the researchers note that chocolate contains epicatechins, a type of flavonoid that has been shown to increase lean muscle mass and reduce weight in previous studies on rats. If epicatechins have the same effect on humans, it could explain why chocolate may help maintain or even reduce overall body weight.

MORE: Six Secrets to Firing Up Your Metabolism

One more good-to-know fact for chocolate lovers: a small, daily indulgence might not be so bad. In the study, eating chocolate five times a week was associated with one lower BMI point than eating chocolate fewer than five times per week. So for a five-foot tall, 120-pound person, this would equal about a five-pound lower weight, explains Golomb.

Bottom line: This study joins the growing body of research that supports the idea that not all calories are created equal. The findings suggest that the components of calories rather than calories alone might be just as important for weight, according Golomb. My idea is that the metabolic effects [of eating chocolate] may be such that fewer calories are deposited as fat, she explains.

MORE: Why Counting Calories Doesnt Cut It
Chocolate is one example of a food that has gotten a bad rap over the years thanks to its calorie count, but maybe those self-professed chocolate addicts are actually on to something.

I really miss titles to our posts.

At least the old ones from before the change are really missing something.

What is this about, (I don't know it just looks like it started in the middle of a thought)

Well it did. I posted a recipe for Hot cocoa mix.

The title of the post was ... TA DA "Recipe for Hot cocoa mix."

Now looking at the post. Well I guess you will have to make it to find out what it is.
It just starts with the ingredients.

Oh well. now we will have to put that info in the body of the post.

Happy St. Patricks' Day to you all!!

Urban Legend "Saved raw onions are poisonous"

The truth is...

Claim: Leftover Onions Are Poisonous

Netlore Archive

By David Emery, About.com Guide

.

See More About:
food and drink legends
food contamination legends
health warnings

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Forwarded email claims that uncooked, leftover onions are 'poisonous' because they're 'a huge magnet for bacteria,' therefore especially prone to spoilage.

Description: Forwarded email
Circulating since: April 2008
Status: Mostly false (see details below)
See also: Do Onions Absorb Flu Germs?

Example:
Email text contributed by Mikki D., Nov. 24, 2009:

FW: LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS!!!

I have used an onion which has been left in the fridge, and sometimes I don't use a whole one at one time, so save the other half for later.

Now with this info, I have changed my mind.... will buy smaller onions in the future.

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise.. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He's one of the brothers Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's.

Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made Mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

So, how's that for news? Take it for what you will. I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on. For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year.'

Analysis: Versions of this text have been circulating since mid-2008, with the earliest examples attributed to food writer "Zola Gorgon" (aka Sarah McCann). I have not been able to locate the exact date or venue of its original appearance.

While the article makes a valid point about the relative safety of commercially-produced mayonnaise versus the other ingredients typically found in homemade potato salad (e.g. onions and potatoes), it exaggerates the danger of keeping and using leftover raw onions.

It's not the onions; it's how you handle them

According to science writer Joe Schwarcz, onions are in no sense a "magnet for bacteria." In fact, Schwarcz writes, cut onions contain enzymes that produce sulphuric acid, which inhibits the growth of germs. Onions can become contaminated during handling, but there's nothing about them that makes them intrinsically more susceptible to bacterial growth

Time to relax. After the aggravation of the FaceBookNiks messing with our site, my suggestion for relaxation is as follows: Pour a large glass of fine ale, or wine, and toast your friends on BookRix. Then take a long slug and settle back in your chair.

Done?

Well Cheers to you all!