BookRix

I've pulled together a new hangout. Come check it out...
https://www.bookrix.com/_group-en-dave-s-treehouse-1/

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/09/real-food-tips-34-random-food-cooking-tricks/

This is so simple I am going to have to try it. The ingredients are: 1banana and two eggs, beat two eggs and add 1 mashed banana fry in pan like any other pancake. I am always looking for recipes for members of my family who suffer from Gluten problems.

When I was still at home my mom made a dish with onions, hamburger ( I use sirloin or grass fed beef) kidney beans and I use fire roasted tomatoes. My husband wasn't a big onion eater but he is now. This isn't chili, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

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.