Food Addiction

Food Addiction:  A Craving You Can’t Seem to Control

           You may overdose on potato chips or tortilla chips once in a while, but would you consider yourself to be a food addict?  The answer is important, because it could be the key to determining what course of action you need to take in order to lose weight.  A number of medical experts say that food addiction is just as serious as nicotine or cocaine addiction—and can potentially be just as deadly.

         When you suffer from food addiction, you have an overwhelming desire for a particular food.  The desire is so strong, in fact, that if you are unable to consume that food, you suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and depression.   Food addicts crave the comfort that a particular food gives them.  They also may engage in binge eating.   Their cravings for food may be both physical and psychological.

       It should be pointed out that there are different varieties of food addiction.  For instance, there is compulsive overeating, where an individual goes on eating binges that can last several days.   The addict may sometimes lose weight, but tends to gain it back again.   Symptoms include eating quickly, compulsively eating alone, and eating when there is no evidence of hunger.

         Yet another form of addiction is bulimia, in which an individual overeats, then purges either by vomiting or by taking laxatives.   Signs of this condition include isolating oneself when eating, trying to consume huge portions of food rapidly, and being preoccupied with one’s weight.

         Food addiction can also come in the form of anorexia, where an individual attempts to starve oneself in order to achieve an unrealistic weight.  Anorexics tend to be 15 percent below normal body weight and have a phobia about being fat.  They have difficulty eating with other people and appear to be obsessed with weight.  They may engage in ritualistic behavior involving food and may suffer from depression.

      The good news is that food addiction can be successfully treated.  This treatment can come in a variety of forms.  A food addict may work with a psychotherapist to develop new ways to deal with food and his or her emotions.  The therapist might be able to identify the source of the individual’s fear or anger—the reason behind the individual’s addiction.   In the majority of cases, the psychologist will help the individual to develop a treatment plan which spells out expectations and goals, both for the short-term and the long-term.   In the most serious cases, an individual may have to undergo in-patient treatment at a psychological facility.   Treatment often involves helping the individual to return to healthy eating methods, dealing with the underlying emotional causes of addiction, and learning effective coping techniques.

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Indian Cookery with a British Twist

In a traditional Indian home, the wife and mother does not go out to work.  She stays at home and spends her days making sure that there is wholesome and tasty food ready for her family to eat whenever they may want it.  If there are other older women in the household such as aunts or a grandmother, they will help too.

An Indian girl will start learning to cook at a very early age and will be expected to help her mother with the household catering and cleaning too.  At her mother's side a daughter will learn how to grind spices, how to mix them to make various masalas and exactly when and how to add them to individual dishes.  She will learn how to make various types of bread - chapattis, rotis, parathas and more.  She will learn to make several dishes at the same time, no Indian meal consisting of only one dish, and she will learn the art of producing the crispest deep-fried onion bhajis and pakora.  The girl's skill in the kitchen can make the difference between her finding a husband or not.

There's no getting away from it, delightful though Indian cuisine is, producing a meal is a complex and time-consuming business, even for the most experienced Indian housewife.

That's the traditional way.  However, in modern-day India and in Britain, where many Indian families have made their homes, life is quite different.

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Is A Vegetarian Diet Safe For My Child?

If you are vegetarian parent, you have probably considered putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Not only would it save time and make meal-planning easier, but for dietary and ethical reasons, you believe it is a better choice for your child.

Conversely, you might not be a vegetarian yourself, but have a child who is going through a vegetarian "phase," where she rejects meat, but doesn’t consume enough healthy foods to compensate for the nutritional gap.

Whatever the case is, you may have wondered whether or not a vegetarian diet is sustainable, healthy choice for your child. You may have heard that putting your child on a vegetarian diet could potentially stunt her growth.

These concerns probably prevented you from putting your child on a vegetarian diet up to this point.

And all of these concerns are legitimate. In fact, if a vegetarian diet is poorly planned, it can cause serious short and long term health problems, especially for children, who are growing and developing--and who do not yet have sufficient stores of vitamins.

If you aren’t well-prepared to put your child on a vegetarian diet, you definitely shouldn’t. However, if you have done your nutritional research and you are familiar with the nutrients vegetarians commonly lack, then you know that these problems can easily be overcome with some meal planning.

You also know that putting your child on a healthful vegetarian diet can greatly improve her health in both the short and long term. It can also reduce her exposure to animal products that contain hormones and preservatives, which have been linked to developmental problems and cancer.

If you haven't researched vegetarian diets thoroughly, but you are anxious to start your child on one now, you should start by ensuring that you plan meals to boost amounts of the following nutrients (that most vegetarians lack.

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How Do We Make The Perfect Coffee

Drive down just about any street in the United States and you will spot people holding coffee cups walking into their place of employment or just on a lazy morning stroll. With specialty coffee shops strategically tucked in our business districts, one would think coffee has always been in the United States, but this ever growing trend is not an original American idea.

It is believed that the first coffee trees were found in Ethiopia. Several urban legends surround the discovery of the coffee bean – the most familiar being a farmer who watched his goats eating the beans, and out of curiosity, ingested one and was impressed with the surge of energy the bean produced - but cannot be substantiated. But what we do know is that coffee beans found its way through the Arabian Peninsula that led to Yemen and Arabia. Yemen was the first area to cultivate the coffee bean. From there, it made its way to Turkey, where coffee beans were first roasted and then crushed and boiled in water, producing a very primitive version of the coffee we drink today.

Trade merchants brought coffee to Europe, and it quickly took off. Coffee houses popped up rampantly, and were the sites of philosophical and other intellectual discussions.

Then, in the 1700’s a French captain brought a tree from Europe to the Americas, and planted it on the Caribbean Island of Martinique. From there, coffee consumption spread like wild fire in Central and South America.

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French Cuisine

Indisputably, one of modern France's greatest treasures is its rich cuisine. The French have an ongoing love affair with food.

The cuisine of France is remarkably varied with a great many regional differences based on the produce and gastronomy of each region.

Culinary traditions that have been developed and perfected over the centuries have made French cooking a highly refined art. This is true of even the simplest peasant dishes, which require careful preparation and great attention to detail. It is expected that even the simplest preparation be undertaken in the most careful manner, which means disregarding the amount of time involved.

Of course, the secret to success in a French kitchen is not so much elaborate techniques as the use of fresh ingredients that are locally produced and in season.

French cooking is not a monolith: it ranges from the olives and seafood of Provence to the butter and roasts of Tours, from the simple food of the bistro to the fanciful confections of the Tour d'Argent.

A French meal might begin with a hot hors d'oeuvre (or for luncheon, a cold hors d'oeuvre) followed by soup, main course, salad, cheese, and finally dessert. The French operate with a strong sense that there is an appropriate beverage for every food and occasion. Wine is drunk with the meal, but rarely without food. An aperitif (a light alcoholic beverage such as Lillet) precedes the meal and a digestive (something more spirited -- say, cognac) may follow. This close relationship between food and wine may, in part, closely parallel the evolution of great cooking and great wine making. It is probably not coincidental that some of the best cooking in France happens in some of her finest wine-growing regions. In Burgundy, Bordeaux, Provence, and Touraine, wine is as prevalent in the cooking process as it is in the glass.

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How to throw a Poker game in your Home without your wife finding out

It is not uncommon for a man to want to have a night out with the boys, maybe play a little poker. It is also not uncommon to have the plans of men thwarted by their wives.

 To help with this problem I am telling you the secrets about how to have some harmless fun at home without the wife catching on.


The best way to get rid of the wife so you can have a little “Man Time” is the easiest but most expensive way to do it. For her birthday you get her and one of her friends a trip to a weekend spa place.

Your wife will think you the best hubby ever and will never suspect you are going to throw a poker game in her absence, and the best part of this plan is that when it is over your wife will be so grateful for what you have done she may be more inclined to allow you to go out with the boys more often.

The next way is a little complicated and will only give you 4 or 5 hours of time at best, but it is much less expensive then a trip for 2. It may seem a little childish and yes I also have seen it on TV but a scavenger hunt scam can work.

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Sweet Memories

These days all you hear about is how to eat healthier, lose weight and get fit. It’s all for the good, but sometimes it’s fun to go back to when you were a kid.

Remember all the games you used to play? Board games like Scrabble, Monopoly and Life. Tag, hide n’ seek.

Running around, riding bikes, skating, rolling down grassy hills.

Ok, I’m getting a little idealized here. So let’s have a little fun. Let’s remember the candy!

What were your favorites? Licorice? Chocolate? Laffy Taffy?

I remember the delight of the days when I was first old enough to go to the store to buy candy on my own. No parents to tell me I couldn’t have it. Lemonheads were always one of my favorites.

My sisters and I no doubt spent way too much of our allowances on candy, but it was sooo much fun! We’d hide it so that our mother wouldn’t find it, but throw the wrappers straight into the trash after eating the candy. My mother laughed about that to me once a couple years ago, but I still think the logic works. The candy had been eaten after all; she couldn’t undo that, so what did it matter if she knew then?

Halloween was, of course, the best. As we got older we got to be the kids that went around the neighborhood later than just about anyone else, so the people who didn’t want to have leftover candy would just dump their excess on us. No worries back then about poison.

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Talisker Scotch Whisky

Sometimes when you are thanking a long-dead distiller for building his still in such a stunning location, you wonder at the insanity that led him to settle on such a remote spot. Talisker is one of those places: situated high on the northwest coast of Skye in Scotland, it looks back to the jagged ridge of the Black Cuillin, out into the stormy Atlantic Ocean. Even taking into account the reviled Skye road bridge, this isn't an easy place to get to by road, but it was the sea that proved Talisker's saviour, perhaps its raison d'etre.

'Everything would have been brought in by sea, by puffer,' says the distillery's new managing director Alastair Robertson. 'And everything went out in exactly the same way. The sea was critical to its survival - there had to be a sea link to get the place started.' It might explain why Skye, the largest of the Hebrides and a place famed for its thirsty population, has only ever had one distillery; although iron in the rock, the brutality of the Clearances and the subsequent anti-establishment stance of the

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Why Marijuana Should be Legal

Many Americans feel that Marijuana is helping fund the war on terror, but making a war on drugs and keeping Marijuana illegal has not stopped millions of Americans from smoking pot everyday. So what is the answer?

First, why is Marijuana illegal? In the 1930's William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry testified to congress on the evils of marijuana, saying things like it make people insane and commit acts of cannibalism? at this time very few even knew what it was and to stop people from going insane Congress decided to make it illegal.

The truth is many paper manufacturers were thinking of changing from using trees to make paper to using hemp because it was cheaper and easier to grow and better for the environment, and Hearst stood to loose millions so he used his influence and testimony to help get marijuana banned in the USA.

So now that we know why it was made illegal, we can realize that not only would making it legal in the United States stop terrorist from smuggling it into the USA, but would give us another option to cutting down of millions of trees every year for paper products that can be made better from hemp.

Hemp has thousands of uses that we are unable to exploit because of its illegal status.

During WWII hemp was used for the rigging on parachutes as well as rope and material for uniforms.

Nowadays Marijuana can be used to relieve pain and some of the effect of cancer treatments and old age.

It has been proven to slow down the spreading of Alzheimer's, relieve the pressure behind the eyes from glaucoma. It also helps relieve migraine headaches and the side effect of cancer treatment.

But until the United States realizes how much money can be made from legalizing it, it will remain illegal.

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How to Play Texas Holdem

Texas Holdem has become such a popular Game that most tournaments now days are Texas Holdem games, and there are even 2 or 3 television shows dedicated to the game. Texas Holdem is a 5 card poker game, but instead of each layer being dealt 7 cards, the dealer deals 5 cards in the center of the table, these cards are used by all the players to make the best hand possible. To make your hand each player is also dealt 2 cards and the object is to use the cards in your hand and the ones on the table to make the best hand you can.

There are 5 rounds of Texas Hold’em Poker and they are:
The Pre-Flop
The Flop
The turn
The River
The Showdown

During a Texas Holdem game between each round there is a round of betting, and is when players with bad hands may fold.

In the game of Texas Holdem the first round is the pre flop. During this round the big and the small blinds place their bets, the big and small blinds are the first two players to the dealers left. Before the players are allowed to look at their cards the small blind must place a bet of half the table minimum and the next player who is the big blind must place a bet of the table minimum and then the dealer gives each player their hole cards. The hold cards is the name of the 2 cards each player has that are exclusively theirs, these cards guarantee that each player has a chance to make a better hand then the other players, without them all you would have is the 5 communal cards.

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jello shot article

Making jello shots are large fun for every one, regularise in the mentation and making of the shots can be a lot of fun. A gelatin missile or hydrocolloid expert has ever been a humiliate hit in exerciser, night clubs, motif exerciser at interior and parties.

Pretty much any position that would secure the use of any write of fuel, ordinarily rum, vodka, tequila or in uttermost cases (if your disagreeable to ending something) flatbottomed caryopsis drinkable. The drink is old to backup any of the h2o or production succus victimised to solidify the hydrocolloid missile mix.

An Indweller mathematician by the repute of Tom Lehrer is thought to somebody been the 1st to skill the hydrocolloid play in the nearby opening 1950s time excavation for the NSA, where he formulated vodka hydrocolloid, this was his genius strain to pussyfoot intoxicant onto the soldierly pedestal with out any of the superior officers getting rain to it.

The maximal alcohol thing is somewhere in between 18 & 21 oz. of vodka per 3 oz. encase of Jell-O explosive, or nigh 30% (ABV) fuel by intensity.

Alternatives

A few gelatinous desserts can be manufactured using medium instead of hydrocolloid, allowing them to set far quicker and at higher temperatures. Gum, a vegetable by set made from seaweed and is utilized especially in hydrocolloid projectile powder mix for an expedited scene clip and Dweller jello desserts, but also as a match that is unimpeachable to vegans and vegetarians. Agar is far author intimately consanguine to pectin and a few additional gelling works carbohydrates than to average kickshaw.

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Is A Vegetarian Diet Safe For My Infant?

If, for dietary or ethical reasons, you have decided that you want to put your infant on a vegetarian diet, you should be very careful in choosing formulas and solid food for your child.

If you plan to breastfeed the infant and you are also a vegetarian, you may need to supplement breastmilk with additional sources of nutrition, depending on your dietary restrictions. If you are a vegan, or an ovo-vegetarian, you should add sources of vitamin B-12 to your child’s diet.

Other than the B-12 supplements, your infant should be able to receive all micro and macronutrients through breastfeeding, even if you are on a strictly vegan diet.

If you plan to use formula rather than breastmilk, you should stick to commercial formulas, which contain the proper amounts and ratios of nutrients. If you opt for a homemade formula or soymilk over a commercial product, your child could experience developmental problems from a lack of proper nutrition.

If you want to keep your infant on a vegan diet, you can select a soy commercial formula, as long as it is nutritionally-adequate.

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How To Make A Vegan Cake

Do you have a strict vegan in the family who has a birthday or celebration coming up that traditionally calls for cake? If you’re not familiar with vegan dietary practices, you might not know what vegans do not eat. Even worse, you might have no idea how to replace what they do not eat.

But don't worry. In a few short paragraphs, I’ll explain exactly what you need to make the perfect cake for your vegan friend or relative. And best of all, no one will be able to taste the difference.

Let’s start with what strict vegans do not eat.They do not eat eggs. They do not drink milk. They don’t eat certain types of sugar. They don’t eat butter. And they don’t eat frosting.

Eggs can be replaced by "EnerG Egg Replacer," which you can purchase at many grocery stores. The box will explain
how much replacer to use per egg.

Cow’s milk can be replaced by organic rice milk, which doesn’t contain any animal byproducts. You can buy rice milk at your local grocery store, too.

Many vegans do not consume sugar, either, because it is often whitened by animal bone char. You can avoid sugar that is whitened by bone char by purchasing "unbleached" sugar, sugar in the raw, or beet sugar. There are some cane sugars, too, which were not whitened using bone char, but they hard to distinguish from others, unless you know the exact name brand.

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Pumpkin Bread

Now here is a recipe that can be used during the Thanksgiving season as well as the Christmas season although when it comes to food and of course I know how to prepare all the recipes that I share with everyone everyday can be a holiday for me depending on what my taste is for a particular day.
Every persons taste is different and that is what makes the world go around, but there isn’t much that I don’t like when it comes to the sweet things.
Remember your ingredients should be at room temperature.

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Recipe - Shepherd’s Pie

Traditional nursery food has made a come back in our family recently. I haven’t bothered making shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie, as it is also known) for ages, as the children just used to eat the potato from the top and leave the mince. Mince in general has been rejected too. If I use the same minced beef to make meatballs or burgers the kids devour it, but they hate picking out all the little bits of vegetables that I hopefully put into it, when I make the shepherd’s pie, in the hope of smuggling a few vegetables into their diet. Anyway my son actually requested shepherd’s pie the other day, so yesterday I made it and they gobbled it up, vegetables and all, several servings each, so I’ve gained one more dish for the regular list.

Recipe for Shepherd’s Pie - to feed four:

500g/1lb good quality minced beef or lamb (hamburger beef)
1 onion
2 carrots
1 stick of celery
1 clove garlic
2 large fresh tomatoes or half a tin of tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
a dash of wine
a few drops Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
water or stock
potatoes
small piece of butter - about 20g/1oz and milk to mash with

Finely chop the onion and saute over a low heat in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the carrot, celery and garlic also finely chopped. Saute all together for five minutes. Turn up the heat and add the meat, breaking up the lumps and cooking until it has just lost the raw redness. Don’t overdo it at this point. Add the splosh of wine, (white or red, whatever you have open. If you don’t have any it’s not essential) and stir till it has evaporated the alcohol. Add the tomatoes skinned and chopped. Now put in the rest of the seasonings and pour in enough water or stock to only just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, put on a lid and leave to cook at a simmer for 1-2 hours.

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Please, Sir, I'd Like S'more...Ice Cream, That Is

Any time of year can be a great time to dig into a bowl of ice cream. As the weather outside warms up, the luscious taste of ice cream can be a tantalizingly terrific way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Two people who really know the scoop when it comes to ice cream are Ray Karam, the official Tastemaster, and Nola Krieg, Operations Manager of Product Development (aka Tastemaster Apprentice) of Cold Stone Creamery. With more than 25 years in the dairy industry, Karam is responsible for researching and developing the company's indulgent combinations and flavors of ice cream, mix-ins and cakes. Krieg is fondly known as the Tastemaster's right-hand woman, lending support and providing valuable feedback to development and operational tasks surrounding new products.

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Strawberry Jamming Finale

So the strawberries are finally slowing down, the end of the season is in sight… and do I feel relief that I will no longer be chained to the kitchen counter, three nights a week, preparing strawberries for jam? Am I sick of the sight of them, turning into one myself, in a word, jaded?  Surprisingly enough I’m not. Six weeks of making jam and I could carry on longer.

I sneak into the larder to count the jars…have I sold too many? Will it be enough for the family for the year and what about Christmas presents? Two weeks ago I was merrily flogging it at the market, secure in the knowledge I could make more.  Now friends are ringing up asking to buy jam and I’m grudgingly parting with it but the Scrooge hoarding instinct is kicking in, a sure sign of the end of the season.

And I never did master the thick jam versus runny jam dilemma, the jam decided for itself what it would become, not me. So I cannot yet claim to be a professional jam maker, not when the jam is in charge of the process. Further experiments will have to wait until next year, when at the beginning of the new season I can afford to be lavish with the strawberries and if a batch burns in the attempt to thicken it won’t be a disaster, I’ll be able to use it for baking jam squares, where the caramel overtones are a bonus.

Part of the magic of strawberries is their cheerful colour as well as their scent. I’m going to miss the piles of fruit on the table, waiting to be sorted for selling, in the fridge in punnets, to be delivered in the morning, bowls of seconds for the family to eat and containers of the rest for jam. The youngberries will be starting soon, like blackberries, they have their own allure and make great summer puddings, but they just don’t quite have that special something that strawberries have…!

So what will I fill my jars with now?  Well the good news is that apricots are just starting to creep into the shops. Unfortunately we only have one tree and this year it has very little fruit on it, we need to plant some more trees but it will be a few years before they produce properly.

So we check out the fruit in the shops. It’s a bit like playing the stock market. We’re waiting for the price to come down, to buy loads and jam them all, but if we wait too long and misjudge the timing the price will shoot up again or there’ll be none left, it’s a short season.  So perhaps I’ll play it safe and buy a couple of kilos next week and then hope to splurge the week after on 5 kilos as cheap as can be, but I can’t risk being caught short of apricot jam. We’re on our last jar of last year’s and there’ll be a family uprising if I don’t get in next year’s supply.

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Tender Loving Airsoft Care

There are some very important rules for safety when using airsoft guns.

The first caution is to thoroughly read your airsoft gun manual before using the gun. Each airsoft gun is going to have different characteristics for operating it.

After you play with airsoft guns, you should always remove its magazine and switch it back to the mode of single shot. This releases the spring within hthe box. Next you should disconnect the airsoft gun's battery and clean and lubricate all airsoft guns before storing them.

The inner barrels of the guns should be sprayed with silicone on the hop up if you've used them extensively.

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St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year with some of these fun and of course mostly green St. Patrick’s Day Treats.

Leprechaun Ale

Place a scoop of lime sherbet into a tall glass, pour ginger ale over it and watch it fizz. This can be made even fancier by rubbing some lime juice on the rim of the glass and then dipping it in green sugar crystals before you pour the leprechaun ale.

Lucky Clover Cake

Prepare 9 x 13 inch cake using a boxed cake mix. We like to use yellow cake for this. Get a can of vanilla frosting and use a few drops of yellow and blue food coloring to color the frosting green. After the cake is baked and cooled down, cut three heart shaped pieces out of the cake. We use a cardboard template to make the hearts even. Arrange them on a plate with the pointy ends pointing toward each other. It will look like a clover leaf. Frost the entire cake with the green vanilla frosting.

Mini Mint Ice Cream Tarts

Purchase a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Roll the dough into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball), and press them in the bottoms of mini muffin pans. Bake according to package directions. Press the middle of the cooked dough down after you take them out of the oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a baking rack and let them cool completely. To serve, scoop mint ice cream in each of your mini tart shells.

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Ozone: Revolutionizing the Food Sanitation Process

When you think of "ozone," you may think of the layer in the stratosphere that blocks most ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, the term also refers to a substance that can further your wellness.

As a highly reactive oxidizing agent, ozone is used to deodorize air, purify water and treat industrial wastes. It is remarkably effective in applications such as food processing and cleaning and sanitizing equipment.

According to Produce Safety & Security International Inc., a food safety company, ozone is extremely effective in killing microorganisms because it oxidizes their cell membranes, killing a broader variety of potential pathogens than chlorine. The agent has no negative environmental impact because it easily and quickly degrades into oxygen.

In June 2001, the Food and Drug Administration granted "Generally Recognized As Safe" status to ozone for use in food-contact applications. A few days later, the FDA published a final ruling approving ozone as an additive to kill food-borne pathogens. This authorization opened the floodgates for food processors to begin using ozone in their plants.

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Is This The Year To Simplify Christmas Dinner?

Are you hosting Christmas dinner this year? What do you think about making this the year you simplify it?

We know perfectly well that every year there's too much food on the table. We eat too much, we work too hard, and most years we get ourselves too tired to really enjoy everything.

What about making as much as possible ahead?

What about (gasp!) even cooking the turkey and making the gravy the day before?

There are lots of recipes on the internet for making the turkey ahead. You just have to put in "make-ahead turkey" and you can pick and choose the one that suits you.

A few years ago one of my sisters and I tried cooking our turkey the day before. It worked beautifully. The turkey tasted no different, although I admit we "cheated" a little because
we also cooked another turkey on Christmas Day. So the guests could smell turkey cooking when they walked in.

Just the same, I am going to cook my turkey ahead this year, and I won't be cooking another one on Christmas Day.

I'm also going to make the mashed potatoes and gravy ahead. You can also find lots of recipes for make-ahead mashed potatoes and make-ahead gravy on the internet.

Imagine - all those roasting pans and mashed potato pots washed and put away before Christmas morning. Wouldn't that be super?

The other thing I am going to do this Christmas is limit the number of dishes. When we already have turkey and gravy and stuffing, why do we need a bunch of other side dishes?

Isn't one or two vegetables enough?

If you really think you need two vegetables why not serve frozen mixed vegetables? That way you get two for one, and you only have to use one serving dish.

Does that salad get eaten? Be ruthless answering this question. If you have wondered in years past why you (or your host of the year) bother making it, then just don't make it
this year.

Of course if people love to have salad, then by all means go ahead and make it. Just prepare it the day before, so all you have to do at the last minute is add the dressing.

If all this sounds a bit heartless, then close your eyes for a minute and visualize what Christmas Day is really like. Do you have nuts and tangerines and maybe chocolates out in little dishes around your living room? Have people been eating a hearty breakfast at your house or somewhere else? Did it maybe include eggnog, shortbreads, candy canes and other rich treats? Have your guests spoiled their appetite a little even before they arrive?

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Impress Dinner Guests - Make Lattes At Home

With an espresso machine in your kitchen at home, you can make your own latte’s to enjoy for yourself- and to impress your dinner guests! Some people look at the price of a home espresso machine and change their minds, but if consider what you typically pay when you buy a latte at your local coffee shop, whether it is a mom & pop shop or a chain (like Dunkin’ Donuts), you’re spending anywhere from $2 to $4 for a latte! Your espresso machine will more than pay for itself in a short time of making your lattes from home. Having your own espresso machine means having the ability to make latte’s for much less than you spend on them when you go out. Plus you can enjoy them anytime- not just when you’re on the road. Also, lattes are a wonderful after dinner complement- particularly when you have guests over!

Making a latte is all a part of the fun of having an espresso machine. While some people like to drink espresso shots right out of the machine, most people would prefer to make a latte or cappuccino to sit and enjoy with a good book, or good friends and conversation!

The espresso machine will grind your espresso beans fresh for every cup, giving you the fresh taste latte lovers have come to recognize as an integral part of the latte. Depending on your particular brand of espresso machine, you’ll probably dispense about 7 grams of espresso into the handle. Once you’ve extracted the espresso shot into the provided espresso shot pot (usually stainless steel, with a pouring spout), you can start steaming your milk!

The basic recipe is 1 to 2 ounces of espresso to 8 fluid ounces of milk. Put your milk into the frothing jug, and slide the entire container over the steam arm nozzle. Make sure you keep the nozzle as close to the bottom of the container as possible to avoid making a lot of foam out of your milk. Use a thermometer so you know when the milk reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

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More Advantages on Buying a Aluminium Bar Sool

For many years aluminium has been used in the construction of many styles of furniture everything from a café chair to a bar stool. In a lot of ways, aluminium is the ideal substance for anything that needs to be lightweight, strong, and easy to work with in the manufacturing process. In comparison to wood plastic and a lot of metal style bar stools aluminium hold the lead for light weight, durability, and accessibility to others.

As with everything in the manufacturing industry, cost is a major thing and is this issue that has the biggest determination over the overall price at the end. So with this point in mind it would be worth mentioning how this point help will help the consumer in 2 ways.

First reason is, because aluminium is so easy to produce and the cost to the manufacturer in low, the customer never really has to pay extra for a bar stool, it does not unjustifiably increase the end product's price.

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Life Advice: Looking Through a Window

Living in today's metropolitan world of cellular phones, mobile computers and other high-tech gadgets is not just hectic but very impersonal. We make money and then invest our time and effort in making more money. Does it end? Not usually because we are never satisfied. How many times have we convinced ourselves that if only we had some more money, life would be so sweet? But then, after receiving a substantial raise, we realize that it wasn't enough and that we need more?

What Should You Do?
I have read many books on life such as Robin Sharma's Monk says this and the monk says that, and they all seem to say that money is not necessary. But it is. Can you do without cash and a lot of it? I know I can't.

So, I went to the neighbourhood Rabbi and asked for advice that will help me find my true way in life.

The rabbi nodded and took me to the window. "What do you see?" he asked me.

Promptly, I answered, "I can see people walking to and fro and a blind man is begging for alms at the left corner."

The Rabbi nodded and guided me to a big mirror. "Now look and tell me what you see?"

"I can see myself," I man answered.

The Rabbi smiled. "Now you can't see anyone else. The mirror and the window are both created from the same raw material: glass, but because on one of them they have applied a thin layer of silver, when you look at it all you can see is your own reflection."

The Rabbi placed his arm on my shoulders. "Compare yourself to those two pieces of glass. Without the silver layer, you saw the other people and felt compassion for them. When you are covered with silver, you see only yourself."

I looked at the Rabbi and stared. "I don't understand."

The Rabbi continued. "You will become someone only if have the courage to remove the silver covering over your eyes in order to again see and love others." He patted me on my back and sent me on my way.

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All About Chinese Tea Cups

As you all know, the Chinese are so meticulous when it comes tea wares. Perhaps this is due to the fact that tea wares like the Chinese tea cups and tea pots play a very important role in the tea preparation.  A tea ceremony would not be successful without the use of tea wares.  As many people said, the true essence of a Chinese tea ceremony would not be felt if tea wares are lacking.

One of most necessary item in a typical Chinese tea set is the Chinese tea cup. Well, tea cups come in different designs and forms these days. They even differ according to their uses.  In this article, I will http://EnjoyingTea.com.mention three of the most well-known and highly purchased Chinese tea cups these days.


Consider the following varieties of a Chinese tea cup:

Filtering Tea Cups

As the name implies, filtering tea cups or mugs are used by tea drinkers to primarily filter the tea. Most of this kind of Chinese tea cup are designed and crafted with internal filters. Here are few samples of filtering tea cups:

• Yixing Clay Filtering Mug – This tea mug is made in Jiangsu province, an area situated 120 miles northwest of Shanghai China. For centuries, the Yixing wares are known to be the best vessels for tea. They were made in purple clay and are said to absorb the aroma and flavors of the Chinese tea.  These Chinese tea cups are also said to have the ability to withstand high temperatures and are slow to conduct heat. Therefore, the handle remains comfortably cool even when enjoying very hot tea. And, to enhance the practical usage, this Chinese tea cup has an internal filter.

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Make Time For Family Meals

Whether it is running around to participate in after school activities or putting in overtime at work, a big challenge that families face is balancing the demands on their time. The slow-paced family dinners of past generations seem almost impossible in today's fast-paced society. Making family dinner a priority is not easy, but the long-term benefits are well worth the effort.

A family dinner offers a natural forum that fosters togetherness. It can become the highlight of the day and a way to build pleasant family memories. This time together can also give family members a chance to share their lives and to receive encouragement and support.

A great way to get the family excited about eating together is to serve something everyone loves to eat. What better way to bring the family to the table than with delicious, easy-to-prepare pizza. With the addition of two new frozen pizzas from Red Baron®, there is an abundance of pizza options to satisfy everyone's appetites.

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London Caterers Provide Special Delivery To The Big Brother House!

London's Flying Chef - the City and West End events division of The Chelsea Events Company. Not a fine dining restaurant or one-man/woman private cook, but a london caterer who could deliver their service within the constraints of a live television broadcast and impress a disparate bunch of contestants who’ve spent 37 days isolated from reality.

The challenge for Chelsea Events was to secretly enter the Big Brother house without alerting the contestants and maintain their complete isolation from contact with the outside world, then, within 30 minutes, set up a fine dining feast for the contestants to enjoy. The set up – within 23 minutes – and meal were a complete success! Contestant Makosi said “It’s awesome, all we need now is music and we’ll have the perfect night” The meal was also a major feature in the Sunday papers.

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Designer Bar Stools

If you want to increase the level of quality in your bar stools then a designer bar stool is definitely an option for you. With a designer bar stool you get exactly the style you want and the materials that are used are top of the range. They stand out from other bar stools in their unique designs and superior quality.

For most designer bar stools the favourite look is the classic wooden bar stool the soft padded seats. The difference in quality of any designer bar stool in comparison to a standard bar stool is quite apparent as the quality of the material used are far better.

One of the best points to having a designer bar stool is the consideration given to detail; it is this attention to detail that makes a designer bar stool so appealing. For designer bar stools you definitely get what you pay for as the joints on the bar stool are double doweled this is to aid in keeping the bar stool sturdy, the legs on the designer stools have special high quality anti floor marking rubber stoppers to keep your floor mark free. Higher quality wood is used, which is more thoroughly stained or treated.

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Consejos Sabios para Lenar el Alma

Aquي te presento una lista de consejos para que no te sientas vaciَ, y observar al pasado con una sonrisa. Las he obtenido de una persona que estaba al final de su vida y sintiَ que hubiera hecho muchas cosas diferentes y ha recetado una serie de consejos para aquel que este interesado en cambiar.

1) Habla menos; escucha mلs.

2) Escucha a las historias de tus abuelos a cerca de su juventud. Cuando ya no este, revivirلs sus llamas por sus memorias.

3) Invita a amigos para cenar o picar algo, a pesar de que tu casa no este en condiciones.

4) Come mucho chocolate.

5) Invita amigos con chicos a tu casa a pesar de que hagan liَ.

6) Siéntate en el pasto a pesar de que ensucie tus pantalones.

7) No compres algo solo porque durara mucho tiempo o porque es practico, hazlo porque quieres.

8) Quédate en cama relajado si te sientes enfermo y no pretendas que el mundo no puede continuar sin ti por un dيa.

9) Prende las velas que tienes de adorno en el salَn y déjalas encendidas. No las dejes sin uso en el armario.

10) Comparte responsabilidades de la vida con un compaٌero, no solo las expensas.

11) (Para las mujeres) En vez de esperar al embarazo a que se termine, disfruta cada momento en tu corazَn. Aprende que la vida dentro de ti es la ْnica oportunidad que tienes de ayudar a Dios a crear magia.

12) Deja que tus hijos de abrasen y besen cuando quiera que lo deseen. No los detengas por ninguna razَn como: "mas tarde", "ve a lavarte las manos", "deberemos comer" o demلs.

13) Di las prَximas dos frases lo mلs seguido que puedas: "Te Amo" y "Lo siento."

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How I spent my Vacation in Amsterdam

During the vacation I got to see many of the wonders that Amsterdam has to offer. One of the first things I went to see was the Van Gogh Museum. Having just gotten off the plane I was tired, but some of his art is just amazing to see, and I did not want to wait to see them.

After going to the museum I headed into the city center to look around, maybe do some shopping and get some food.

I had herd many things about Amsterdam and just thought that many of them were blow out of proportion, well I am here to tell you that they are all true. The first thing that hits you is the strong smell of Marijuana, and then you start to see the almost completely naked girls in the windows.

As if the prostitutes in the windows were not enough there are live sex shows and sex shops selling every imaginable sex toy known to man on every street, but this was not what interested me.

Then as I continued walking around I started to notice something besides pot, and naked females, I saw casinos.

I grew up in New Jersey, just about 2 hours from Atlantic City, and after my 18th birthday I spend a good amount of time in the casinos. So I decided to go in and check some of them out.

Well I wound up spending most of the rest of my time in those casinos. The first one I went to was Video Gaming machines only, but they had video poker, video blackjack and Video Slot machines as well, I did not really do well her in this place so I only spent about an hour, and about 100 Euro, then left.

The next place I found was a nicer place. Unlike in New Jersey, in these casinos people are dressed up in their nice clothes instead of jeans, sneakers and T-Shirts. This casino had actual table games so I tried to play some Blackjack, but there was a player at the table that either had no idea on how to play or he was somehow involved in cheating with another player, but I am inclined to think he just did not know how to play blackjack.

So I started playing at the Roulette table, and I was doing really well, at one point I was up about 400 Euro before I started losing. So I decided to leave this casino and go walking around for a while.

The next day I found myself in another casino, and I decided to see if my luck was back, I went to a slot machine and put in some money and on the third spin I won another 200 Euro, so feeling lucky I decided to enter the poker room, and that is when things got really interesting. I got into a game and boy were these guys good, but I was winning just as much as I was losing, and in the end I may have even walked away with a few Euros more then when I walked in.

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Healthy Beverages

It is important to have a variety of health beverages in your diet. Today, there are too many people subsisting on diet sodas, regular sodas, and energy drinks. These consist mostly of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavoring, and caffeine. The body will not perform to peak performance with a steady intake of these types of beverages.

My favorite beverage to have in substitute of a soda is orange juice. It tastes good, it is natural, and is readily available. Orange juice provides a good dose of Vitamin C. An 8 ounce glass contains as much potassium as a banana. It has a remarkable variety of phytonutrients. Beyond the great vitamin and nutrient content, a study has shown that orange juice can lower your blood pressure.

Another great beverage is apple juice. Fresh apple juice carries a significant amount of Vitamin A and C. The old time saying that an apple a day can keep the doctor away is true. Recent studies have shown that drinking apple juice can help slow down the process that leads to heart disease.

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Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky

Glenfiddich
Nothing is straightforward in whisky. Here is a distillery which makes the biggest selling malt in the world, but still uses coal-fired stills, a technique most distillers have abandoned for being too expensive and liable to give variable results.

It's a light dram produced from tiny stills, when industry wisdom maintains that small equals big.
Only Glenfiddich and Springbank make, mature and bottle on the same site. To be the manager of all of that must be daunting, but lan Millar is up for it. With 25 years' experience in 10 UD distilleries, lan knows how to get the most out of a plant.

As a modern distillery manager he has to balance the need for a plant to be cost-effective, while preserving the tradition which uniquely impacts on the distillery's character. 'The lower the cost per litre, the greater the margin,' he says.

'So whisky production is all to do with lowering the cost of the make.' Unromantic? A distillery manager's job has always been about getting the best possible yield from the malt, without impacting on quality or character.
Bring three managers together in the same room and you can bet that within minutes they'll be bragging about how high their yield is. Be will be boys. lan is obviously enjoying the challenge! managing such a high-profile place. 'This i such a diverse site.

We have floor malting Balvenie, we have three distilleries Kininv is also on site, one of which is coal-fired, we've a cooperage, we're maturing all the stocks on the one site and bottling it here« well. Working for a smaller company has enabled me to get involved in areas such as wood purchase, which I've been unable to access in the past, so personally there's a new depth to the job.'
As a new boy, it also means that he relied on the experience of his staff. 'Work with people is the joy of this job,' he says

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Caribbean Stud Poker: How to Play

Caribbean Stud Poker is gradually gaining in popularity as compared to its stud twin: Texas Holdem mainly because it is an easier game to learn and you can play it face to face and still enjoy.

Originating in the Caribbean and based loosely on five card stud poker rules, this game offers a fan alternative to traditional table games with an opportunity to place a side bet and hit a big jackpot too. Some of these jackpots are progressive and you can win millions of dollars if you break those machines or tables..

What is Caribbean Stud?
It is not a traditional poker game in the sense that you play against the other players and the best player wins the pot. Caribbean stud belongs to the family of games including Pai Gow poker, Let it Ride and Three Card poker for example, where your opponent is the dealer and your goal is to form a better poker hand than the dealers hand. However, basic knowledge of traditional poker hand ranking is required.

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A Brief History of Chocolate

Chocolate has been a favorite of man for thousands of years. Ancient people brewing the seeds of the cacao tree into a yummy beverage was the beginning of the wide assortment of chocolates that we enjoy today.

Once chocolate was discovered by European conquests, it became a treat only the wealthiest could afford. Not only was chocolate expensive, but it was bitter. Sugar and spices used to sweeten it were expensive too and out of the common man's reach. It was in the 1800's that the industrial age and mass production made chocolate candy affordable for everyone.

Chocolate candy became a big hit in stores in the form of the candy bar. It took its place proudly on the general store shelf next to the gum drop, hard candy and candy cane bins of the day. From that meager beginning, the varieties available today are mind boggling. Chocolate candy is available in many different flavors, shapes and with limitless ingredients. Some ingredients such as nuts and fruits are complimentary to the flavor and texture of the chocolate and left whole or diced inside the candy bar. Spices and other flavorings are also added to enhance the chocolate or add interesting flavor notes. Some people can taste a story in their chocolate candy. The flavor medley tells them through their tongue what region of the world each ingredient came from. Travel by chocolate!

Chocolate can also be enjoyed either inside a candy coating or as a coating itself over other yummy treats such as ice cream.

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Goji Juice Bread: A Goji Treat For The Whole Family

Goji juice has quickly become one of the world’s most popular nutritional supplements. Derived from the goji berry, it is believed to be one of the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet. Throughout the world, families drink goji juice on a daily basis, partly because of the stellar taste of the juice, but mostly to gain the nutritional benefits. This has led to a mundane routine of consuming a few ounces of pure juice per day, instead of optimizing the goji juice experience.

A little bit of creative imagination can break this monotony. Why risk boredom by simply drinking the same amounts of plain goji juice day in and day out? By experimenting with goji juice recipes, you can enhance your daily goji consumption and be less likely to forget this important juice in your daily routine. A good way to add some spice to your goji experience is by breaking some goji juice bread! Below is a recipe for doing just that.

Goji Juice Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

2.5 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Salt
0.25 Cups of Shortening
1 Egg
0.75 Cups of Milk
0.25 Cups of Goji Juice
3 Tablespoons of finely grated Orange Peel
1 Cup of Chopped Pecans

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How to Store Wine

Having invested possibly hundreds of dollars in your latest bottle of vintage wine (ah well, we can but dream), the next important decision is where to store this prized possession?

The main issue when it comes to storing wine is that it needs to be maintained at a cool temperature of between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. Shoved under the bed won't do.

Many modern wines do not need to be aged over a great period of time; therefore extensive cellars are often unnecessary. Having said this, if you have the time, space and resource to excavate a cellar, your wine will surely benefit. A purpose built cellar is not normally an option for most households and so suitable alternatives must be explored.

Ideal areas for storage include a corner of a garage, garden shed, an unused fireplace or a cupboard that is against an outside wall.

Wherever you choose to store your wine, a few basic criteria are worth keeping in mind.

Choose an area that is less likely to be subjected to fluctuating temperatures caused by household heating systems.

Wines benefit from being kept in dark conditions. Although this is not always practical, wine should certainly be stored in an area that is not exposed it to direct sunlight.

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If You Love Expresso...

Things have certainly changed regarding coffee today. Gone are the simple cups at the local diner. Now, coffee is high tech and high design. Try the local coffee shop and the variety available is amazing, and the star among them is expresso. Everyone seems to love the unique combination of strong coffee with the silky smooth cream blended in. Add to that the wonderful flavored syrups that can be added and you know what they are talking about when they talk about designer coffee drinks. If you feel like one of these specialty coffees, you sure don't have to go out of your way anymore to get one. Every decent coffee shop or coffee bar now can give you exactly what you want. In fact, coffee bars are becoming all the rage and people are spending a fortune on coffee nowadays.

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How To Serve Wine

Perhaps you have selected an occasion to open that special bottle of wine that you have been saving, or maybe you are hosting a dinner party.  Knowing how to properly open, serve, and enjoy your wine will make the experience that much more memorable, as well as allow you to experience the wine that much more fully.  Wine service has a few basic elements of importance, including temperature of the wine, opening the bottle, allowing the wine to breathe, choosing glasses, and pouring.

The temperature of the wine when it is served is imperative.  White wines should be served chilled, which can be accomplished in your refrigerator.  Place your whites in the refrigerator one to two hours before serving, allowing their temperatures to drop to about fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit.  White wines are served chilled due to their high acidity levels, which are moderated when cooled.  Be sure not to store your wine in the fridge, however, as this can destroy the flavor, making it dull and flat.  If you do not have two hours to spare, placing the wine in a bucket of ice water will effectively cool the wine.

Red wines are served differently.  They can be chilled via refrigerator for thirty to forty-five minutes, until they have reached about sixty-two degrees Fahrenheit.  This is considered “room temperature.”  Reds are served at a slightly cooler temperature because it slows down the evaporation process, which will improve the bouquet and flavor of the wine.  If you serve red wine at an overly-chilled temperature it will take on a bitter taste.

Should you forget about the red wine in the refrigerator and it becomes too cold, there are various remedies to this situation.  Try pouring the bottle into a warm decanter or warm wine glasses.  If you are in a real jam, you can use the microwave, but use caution; cooked wine is not good.  Place the bottle in the microwave for only about fifteen to twenty seconds.

After you have prepared your wine to the proper temperature, it is ready to be opened.  Begin by removing the metal foil that surrounds the cork.  This can be accomplished with either a specialized foil cutter or a sharp knife.  Most all in one corkscrews will be equipped with this type of apparatus.  Be sure that no jagged pieces remain, as they can be very sharp and cut your fingers when you are pouring, or cause the wine to dribble out all over.  Remove the cork with the corkscrew.  Should you experience problems with the cork, such as splitting, you may be left with no choice other than to push the cork back into the bottle.  Using a small skewer to hold back the cork, pour the wine into a decanter, straining it with either small vegetable steamer or coffee filter.  This will ensure that any damaged cork does not appear in your next glass of wine.

If you are de-corking a sparkling wine or champagne, use caution.  These bottles are opened by twisting off a metal guard.  Use a spoon to achieve this as it is much easier on your fingers and nails.  Untwist the guard carefully, and then pop the cork off with the bottle facing away from yourself and other guests.  Be sure not to have shaken up the bottle in the process, or the instantaneous contact with the open air will cause an eruption of your wine.

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Life After Dairy

My friend Katy has recently cut dairy products out of her diet, but it's not because she has "trendy food intolerance". These are her thoughts and feelings.

It's lunchtime again, and here I am on campus trying to decide what to eat - again. The University boasts numerous eating establishments, but even so the choice usually boils down to a filled baguette or chips. It's for this reason, despite the 'canteen' tray rail and the polystyrene cups, I end up in 'The Downs', the slightly healthier (but still serving chips) caf? on Sussex campus.

Mmm, what lovely treats are in store for me today? Well, the pasta is out, so is the korma, the selection of flans and all of the desserts.

You may be wondering what all the fuss is about and why I don't shut up now and order some chips. Well as it happens I don't eat dairy products. I'm not a vegan, I don't have radical ethics and I won't breakout in blotches, or have a seizure. It's just, for reasons that will be explained, I don't do dairy.

To be fair I could just gobble down a portion of chips, a jacket spud with beans or a salad but I like food, and good food at that. I like to eat a healthy and varied diet and I want a choice of more than 2-3 dishes, one of which is always chips.

So I wander over to the soups to see today's line-up: vegetable, carrot and coriander, courgette and cream of chicken. Nearly every day I come in here and nearly every day I ask if any of the soups are 'dairy free', and every time I get the same grumpy response, "Huh, I'll just go and check for you," says the canteen worker, as she trundles off to ask the chef. I don't really understand why they don't label the soups with those handy little 'V's or green ticks. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in the university's population of 10,000 who avoids dairy products.

She returns. Apparently the only soup without dairy is the vegetable. The cream of chicken was blatantly out of the question from the start and the courgette did have a distinctively 'milky' look to it. As for the carrot and coriander that was definitely dairy-free last week I remember, because I asked.

For as long as I can remember I've suffered from a constant runny nose, regular colds, sore throats and catarrh. As a child I had eczema and at the age of 15 I came down with glandular fever, which knocked me out for a good two weeks and continued to tire me for several years after that. My immune system has taken quite a battering, and since starting university the constant drinking and lack of sleep hasn't helped.

So when I decided to spend the summer in Brighton, I wasn't very surprised when severe hay fever took hold, making me sneezy, runny, itchy and generally pretty miserable.

Having suffered a similar fate for many of her young years, my grandmother decided enough was enough, and sent me off to a top allergy specialist residing on Harley Street, London. As I was used to being fobbed off by NHS doctors who'd tell me I had been suffering an unlucky number of colds, on one occasion tonsillitis, and having being prescribed nasal spray after nasal spray (which just make you sneeze even more) I was quite looking forward to my 'private health' experience.

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Oatmeal: Healthy And Cheap

One of the biggest problems with trying to eat cheaply is to make sure that you are eating nutritious foods. My secret weapon is oatmeal. Not the flavored crap sold in little packets! You want the type of oatmeal that comes in large flakes and that takes a long time to cook. It is possible that your local supermarket won't even carry it.

Personally, I go to the nearby health food store for my oatmeal. I get large flake rolled oats. You can also find steel cut oats in some stores. Either way, you are buying food that hasn't had a lot of processing. Oats, when unprocessed like this, are very good for you.

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Many Flavors Of Wine

The four main flavors of wine are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. While this is the four flavors your tongue is really capable of tasting, the long lasting impression that wine leaves in your mouth is far more complex. When drinking or tasting wine, your taste buds and your sense of smell are involved, adding to the way you construe wine overall. The flavors, aromas, and sensations that wine is comprised of provide the interaction that you taste when you sample wine.

Sweetness is an element that wines are well known for. Usually with most types of wine, grapes are responsible for the sweet taste. Grapes do contain a lot of sugar, which helps breaks the yeast down into alcohol. The grapes and yeast that were used to make the wine will leave behind various sugars, which your tongue will be able to quickly distinguish. As soon as your tongue detects these various sugars, the stimulation of sweetness from the wine will be ever so present in your mouth.

Even though your tongue doesn't really know how to decipher the taste of alcohol, it is always present in wines. The alcohol present in wine will dilate blood vessels and hence intensify all of the other flavors found in the wine. After you have sampled a few types of wine, the alcohol level can easily have an effect on your taste buds, making it much more difficult to distinguish other drinks that you may have.

Acidity in wines usually influences the sugar. When the acidity is balanced, the overall flavor of wine can be very overwhelming. After you drink wine that contains it, the flavor of the acidity will be well known to your tongue. Notwithstanding that acidity is great with wine, but too much of it will leave a very sharp taste. At the right levels, acidity will bring the flavors of the grape and fruits alive in your mouth - providing you with the perfect taste.

Another effect of flavor is tannins, which are the proteins present in the skins of grapes and other fruits. A wine that has the right amount of tannins will give your tongue a great feel, and bring in the sensations of the other flavors. During wine aging process, the tannins will begin to breakdown in the bottle, giving you a softer feel to the taste. Tannins are definitely essential for the taste of wine - providing the wine has been properly aged.

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Natural Organic Food Is Not For Everyone

Natural organic food is not for everyone. There are many circumstances where even the person who might like to go organic and consume only natural organic food and food products will be at a loss as to how to go about this in an economically viable manner.

The reason for this might seem self evident to some people, but the truth of the matter is that no matter how far organic food and food products have come down in cost, it is still bordering on the expensive, and most middle to low income families find it almost impossible to buy natural organic food on any kind of regular basis.

Therefore there has to be some impetus, a driving force if you will, behind their desire to buy natural organic food and the stumbling block of increased monthly outgoings. These factors vary from person to person and according to each personal situation.

For instance a middle income family with two teenaged kids and a toddler or baby might find that they have to make certain sacrifices to go organic. This can involve anything from cutting down on restaurant outings to cutting back on certain unwanted luxuries such as gourmet roasted coffee to redistributing the natural organic food chain within the family itself.

This can lead to mom and dad getting only a small percentage of organic foods, or none at all in their diets, with the bulk of the natural organic food and organic food products being purchased for their children.

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Learn To Purchase Wine Online Easily

Creating the perfect mix between wine and food can be a challenge if you're not entirely sure what you're doing. With such an array of wine and food available there are always many options to consider. When planning a dinner, choose combinations that are popular with a wide range of people. You should always ensure that the wine doesn't overpower the dish, and you also need to avoid flavor transferring. This occurs when a flavor is passed from the wine to a meal, as it can result in an unpleasant taste. Learn the art of Wine Tasting

Buying wine online is steadily gaining popularity as everything else on the internet. The internet offers a convenient means to order wine from the comforts of home. However, due to the nature of wine, there are issues you must consider when purchasing wine online. This is especially true if you are new to purchasing anything online.

1. Legal issues. Some states will require you to provide identification as to whether you are of legal age. Some states prohibit the delivery of wine products across different states. Also make sure you read the purchase agreements between you and the online store. Don't hesitate to ask questions or make your expectations known. Most online stores have support e-addresses to contact in this case. Make sure the seller has a return guarantee on bad wine.

2. Reliability of the online store. Most people, when new to purchasing online, are tentative regarding online payments and orders. For added security, you should make follow up confirmations through phone and fax. If the company you are purchasing wine from doesn't have numbers regarding such, skip that company and look for others that do.

The reason for this is not just to calm your nerves regarding online purchases, but also to promote good business habits. You never know if there has been any technical or clerical errors regarding your order.

You may alternately contact business bureaus and similar organizations within your state to make sure that the company you are dealing with is legitimate and in good standing.

3. Shipping. Shipping may add a significant amount to your purchase so make sure you consider the shipping costs of each delivery. If your online store doesn't mention the price of the shipping, it would be wise for you to find out.

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Kitchen Table And Chairs – Every Kitchen Needs One

In today’s hectic world, it can be hard to find the time to spend with the people we love. Like, you have to take your son to baseball practice, your daughter to dance, and then grab your husband’s dry cleaning. Since your family’s life is so crazy, it is important to designate a chunk of time each day to be together and that is usually at the dinner table. So, you want that dinner time to be relaxing and to do that, it is essential to have a comfortable kitchen table and chairs set in place.

There are many kitchen table and chairs sets to choose from so you can find the perfect one for your space and your family’s needs. For example, maybe you have a larger family, a lot of young kids, and a big dining room. A great choice for you then would be a table that is larger in size, probably a long, rectangle table that has an extension feature to make it even longer and bigger if some unexpected guests should happen to stop by for dinner. Or, you might not have any kids at all in your family and have a fairly decent sized dining room. Sometime you like to entertain in it, but for the most part it is just you and your husband sitting down every night to a good meal. Then, a nice choice for you would one that has a round design that seats between four and six people or another nice option would be a smaller, square one too. With both table options, you can get comfy chairs to match. Like ones with plush, padded seats, and even armrests. Basically, there are many sizes and shapes available with the tables and other options include ones that have drop down leafs, some that are oval shaped, and many, many more.

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Some Thai Food Has Six Legs

Many people enjoy Thai food worldwide: spicy soups and salads, flavorful rice dishes are abundant. But in Thailand, fried or roasted insects and scorpions are also popular, readily available, and inexpensive.

Insects have traditionally been a rich source of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals in the Northern Thailand diet. They are also prized as delicacies. In fact, it is unusual to find an insect which is not eaten in one form or another by local people. Among the most popular are:

• cicadas, locusts, mantises, crickets, and grasshoppers which are all deep fried and are rather crunchy;

• bamboo worms, which are also deep fried;

• giant water bugs, which are steamed; they are also ground into a paste with chili and eaten with sticky rice;

• weaver ants (red ants with a painful bite) and their eggs; sticky rice is dipped into a mixture of ants, eggs, and chili;

• dung beetles; which add a wholesome flavor to curries; however, many people will not eat them because they live in and on excrement.

In addition, Thai people will eat

• the pupae of silk moths and other moths and butterflies; you must first remove the pupae from their cocoons, then boil them until soft with a pinch of salt, finally sautée them lightly;

• the larvae of wasps and bees; these are deep-fried;

and arachnids:

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Use Your Coffee Machine To Make Your Next Meal

If you love your coffee, you will love dishes made from coffee. There are many dishes that use the wonderful taste of coffee as their main component. Let your coffee maker help you prepare your meals.

Most people think of using coffee to make desserts-and there are great recipes for that-but coffee adds a distinctive flavor to many other dishes as well. You can make barbecue sauces and glazes for meats, and put coffee in chili and pot roast recipes, to name a few.

Just as you use other fresh ingredients in your recipes, you should be sure the coffee you use is fresh. Either buy freshly ground coffee or grind your own, with your coffee grinding machine. If the recipe calls for brewed coffee, brew it just before you use it; don't use your leftover coffee for this. Most of the recipes using coffee use coffee that is 2-3 times stronger than drinking coffee, since the flavor is going to be blended. So here are a few of the wonderful recipes using coffee:

Coffee Meatloaf Sauce: Add a tablespoon of instant coffee to a blend of the following ingredients: a quarter cup of water, a half a cup of ketchup, a quarter cup of dry red wine, a quarter cup of Worcestershire sauce, two teaspoons of vinegar, an ounce of margarine, two tablespoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Cook your favorite meatloaf recipe, but after about 1/2 hour of cooking, pour this sauce over it and continue baking for 45 minutes more at 375 degrees (190C) for tender, delicious meatloaf.

Espresso Brownies: Gently heat a cup of sugar, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and a stick and a half of butter in a sauce pan; add a teaspoon of vanilla, four ounces of chopped, semi-sweet chocolate and stir until melted in. Add a tablespoon of dark roast coffee. If you would like to add a crunch, add two teaspoons of espresso granules. Mix everything together and let cool, fold in three eggs and a cup of flour. Pour into a rectangular baking pan, bake for 30 minutes and set out to cool. Perfect brownies every time!

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Take A Bite! 5 Fruits That Are Good For Your Health

If you’re looking to start eating healthier but aren’t really sure where to start, try one of these five fruits that not only taste great, but have some incredible health benefits as well. One of the other great things about eating more fruit is that the natural sugars in fruit will also help to quell those cravings for fatty sweets!

1) Cranberries
Cranberries contain extremely high amounts of antioxidants that help to protect your body against things like heart disease and kidney problems, while also working to boost your immune system. Drinking a glass of cranberry juice every day will also help to prevent urinary tract infections, especially for individuals over 40.

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Sugar Substitutes

What if you could drink all the soda you wanted and never get fat? To some people—computer programmers, harried editors, every ten year old in the world—this sounds like heaven, while others shudder at the proposition. We can’t hear enough about how harmful Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and the like are to our bodies (and, thanks to all the excess caffeine, our minds) these days, and every month it seems like a new diet soda arrives to alleviate those worries while still treating our collective sweet tooth. Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, those pink Tab cans, Pepsi One, C2, Pepsi Max—it goes on.

But even these sodas, designed to appeal to the healthy-minded who can’t give up that sweet taste, may have a dark side. A recent study noted a correlation between heavy diet soda consumption and obesity; and while correlation is not causation, there may be some legitimacy to the study’s main thrust. People who drink diet soda, the study maintains, are more likely to consume other unhealthy sweet snacks. In essence, you can’t “fool” your body by drinking something sweet but light; the body will demand real sweet stuff all the more until its desires are sated.

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Oh Boy! Its Time For Beef Jerky.

With the low carb fashion that has hit the nation beef jerky is again very popular. One of the main reasons that beef jerky is healthy is the fact that to make the jerky last for so long the fat needs to be neat or the beef will go bad unless a lot of salt and preservatives are added.

Considering that there is much more of the beef than the fat in jerky it makes it very high in protein and without a lot of carbs. This is good news to the legions of people that follow the Atkin’s diet. Also many people that are conscious about their health prefer marinating and then smoking their own meat because it affords them the knowledge of exactly what they are consuming.

If you are looking for a healthy and suitable snack to take anywhere, this is it. It is especially great for camping as it is compact, gives needed nutrients, tastes great, and does not go bad. Many people that backpack carry beef jerky just for these reasons. It is also light and easy to carry. It is often put in vacuum preserved packaging to pack in the freshness so no matter how long you carry the beef jerky for it stays fresh.

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Not The Usual Super Bowl Theme Party . . . Celebrate Backwards Day Instead!

While it seems that 99% of the United States (OK, the world) plans to either throw or attend a Super Bowl theme party this year, I know for a fact there are many of us (yes, yours truly included) who would be extremely happy with an alternative theme party idea for that certain Sunday, and all the details for giving one are right here.

     Did you know that every January 31st is Backwards Day?  It is not a very well-known holiday, but it certainly is a fun theme to build a party around.  You can throw one that Sunday as an alternate to the usual Super Bowl party, or also incorporate it within a Super Bowl party for those guests who come, but are not really into football or watching TV commercials.

INVITATIONS TO A BACKWARDS DAY PARTY

     If you are mailing out printed invitations, you can put the stamps and return address labels upside down, but do not write the guests' addresses upside down, unless you want to upset the postal workers. Or, you can address the envelopes correctly, but place the name, address, stamp and return address on the backs of the sealed envelopes, so the guests receive truly backwards party invitations.

     Select a generic "We're Having a Party" style invitation, but write the "Time," "Date," "Address" and "RSVP" on the wrong lines.  Be sure to give the correct information, just put it on an incorrect line or space on the invitation.  Or, you could leave the inside blank (if it opens like a card), and write all of the information on the back of the invitation.  Your guests will certainly figure out something's up!  Another idea is to
use Super Bowl party invitations and with a thick red marker place a red circle with a slash through it (the universal sign for "NO") and then announce it's a Backwards Day Party somewhere else on the invitation. For any of these ideas, you can also fold the invitations inside out before placing them in the envelopes.

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Japanese Home Cooking - Beyond Sushi

In general, the Japanese people are very healthy and live longer than any other culture in the world.  Why is this?  Many people attribute it to the way they eat.  But if you think that all Japanese people eat is sushi you couldn't be more wrong.  Japanese home cooking is simple, healthy, and delicious.  While some of the ingredients may seem exotic and intimidating, rest assured that anyone can cook wonderful delicious Japanese meals with ease.

Sushi is the most popular type of Japanese food, enjoyed throughout the world.  You may notice that sushi is quite filling, and you typically eat much less than you would a more Western style meal, such as a hamburger.  What is it about sushi that makes it so filling and satisfying?  The answer could be rice.

Rice is definitely a staple of any Japanese meal.  Whether it is served as a side dish or along with a saucier entrée, you're going to need plenty of rice on hand.  While white long grain rice is most popular, you can always opt for more healthy brown rice.  Either way, you may also want to consider purchasing a rice cooker.  Rice cookers can cost anywhere from $30 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the make and quality.  If you plan on eating plenty of rice this is worth the investment.  You're pretty much guaranteed perfect rice every time.

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Italian Cuisine: Diverse and Delicious

Italy, a nation of 58 million people, is a patchwork quilt of 20 distinct regions subdivided into 103 provinces. All Italian cooking relies on olive oil, grains and fresh, seasonal produce, but each region has its own preferences and specialties.

Northern Italy, which boasts the country's highest standard of living and the richest diet, also produces one-third of Italy's best wines. Its eight regions lean toward risotto, polenta and gnocchi, and hearty soups and fish chowders are a feature of the region. The North's real claim to fame, though, is as a paradise for cheese lovers. Parmigiano, Gorgonzola and Asiago cheeses, accompanied by salamis and sausages made from goat, goose and even chamois, make a simple meal divine.

Central Italy, in contrast, tends to favor artichokes, peas and black and white truffles. These six central regions prefer pasta and lamb over the rice and beef associated with the North. One of the best-known regional dishes is porchetta, a whole, roasted pig stuffed with fresh garlic, fennel, rock salt and peppercorns.

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It’s Only An Oven

If you have ever tried to sell your house, you know that there is a feature found in the kitchen that can make or break the sale. We are not talking about spacious cabinets a farm sink or a glorious pantry; rather we are referring to the oven. People are extremely loyal to the types of ovens they are used to and I am sure that more than one couple has absolutely loved a house but failed to make an offer because the wife refused to consider a house with an electric oven. While there are a few other cooking options out there, the two most popular choices are an oven run by natural gas or electricity, so what is the real difference between a gas oven and an electric oven?

A gas oven is the better choice for roasting. Heated by a flame that is powered by natural gas, the temperature can fluctuate slightly, making baking a game of guesswork. It is hard to bake a prefect batch of cookies when the heat in the oven can be slightly different with each cookie sheet you slide onto a rack. Electric ovens are much better at baking because their heat is even and steady. They aren’t so good at roasting or broiling and can produce meat that is a little on the dry side if you cook it at too high a temperature. Of course the optimal choice is to have both in your kitchen, a gas stove for roasting leg of lamb and an electric stove for baking pastries.

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3 Ways To Cook The Perfect Rice

What you should always remember is that there are only four types of tea.
1) Black tea
2) Green tea
3) White tea
4) Oolong tea

All these are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, also known as the tea plant. Other herbal infusions such as chamomile tea, ginger tea or red tea made of rooibos leaves are disqualified as types of tea since the tea plant is not involved in their making. The difference between the four tea variations lies in the process of making them. In addition, each type of tea has another flavor and various health benefits.

1) Black Tea
The strong flavored burnt Sienna colored hot beverage is the most popular type of tea in the West. Either served with a squeeze of lemon or added milk and a cube of sugar, the cup of black tea is part of daily tea ceremonies that take place worldwide. Black tea is made of heavily oxidized Camellia sinensis leaves. When served plain, it contains no calories, carbohydrates, or fats. A cup of black tea contains more caffeine than any other types of tea but less than in any cup of coffee.

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Las Vegas: How to Ensure Your Vacation is Full of Adventure and Kicks

Las Vegas was for a long time the adults playground.  Las Vegas was and is the gambling and drinking capitol of the world, and it was just about as Wild West as you could get in the twentieth century.  But in the last 20 years Las Vegas has changed into a large amusement park for the whole family. There is such a wide variety of things to do inside and outside of Las Vegas apart from gambling, that it would be a shame to pass up the opportunity to see some of the beautiful sites around the area.

1) Think location.  A hotel that is located directly on the strip will end up being much higher in price than a hotel just off the strip.  Really, glamour is nice, but saving a couple of extra hundred dollars in the long run will allow you the opportunity to do some great things that had not been originally accounted for.

2) Outside of Las Vegas are some very nice deserts and mountains.  Easy to get to and very close, it is nice to take a break from the gambling and partying to get out and visit a bit of nature.  Finding a hotel that is close to the Strip but also close to all the nature reserves is a big bonus when you are not having a good time at the casino tables.

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Packing House Operations for Fruits and Vegetables

Packing houses serve as a collection centre for fruits and vegetables prior to distribution and marketing. The houses can be simple packing sheds with a limited equipment and minimal operations or a large complex that is well equipped and with facilities for specialized operations. The types of operation carried out vary with different commodities and market requirements. Produce that are destined for export or supermarket outlets are often subjected to elaborate operations compared to local markets. Some of the operations are as follows: 

Sorting and Trimming

Freshly harvested fruits and vegetables are sorted for uniformity in size, shape and varietal characteristics. Damaged, discoloured and decayed parts are removed to make the produce more attractive and prevent infection from the diseased parts.

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Bar Stools A Buyers Guide

Pub stools-Take note of the height of your bar counter

Although the above statement may seem like common sense I have, on many occasions, been in bars and pubs where the bar stool was the wrong size for the bar or table at which I sat.

Many proprieters spend a lot of time and energy on the look and feel of the bar's environment but fail to look seriously at how comfortable the customers will be when seated.

For instance if you have a bar counter that is 46" then the most appropriate stool would be 34". A quick rule-of-thumb is to have a 9-13" gap between the seat and the counter. This will give a very comfortable experience to the customer and have the average person in an ideal position at the bar.

For a traditional pub or tavern with a 46" bar counter I would recommend a high-back wood style 34" stool with a foot rest. This would provide maximum comfort with that added authentic look and feel.

Cafe stools

For a cafe it is always best to have metal stools or chairs as opposed to plastic. Plastic has a cheap look and feel to it whereas metal lends to both modern and traditional eating environments.

They come in many different styles and designs and can produce a real european flavour to any dining area.

In addition metal stools or chairs can be used both inside and in an outside seated area. I have been in expensive coffee houses where the exterior eating area has mirrored the inside and this allows you to enjoy the feel of the inside environment while enjoying the sun.

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Amaretto Flavored Tea

Amaretto flavored tea is great for experiencing the smooth almond taste connected with amaretto but without the effects of the alcohol. It has a velvety feel in the mouth and makes a great after dinner tea. This amber-red liqueur is enjoyable in all its many forms including tea drinks.

If you enjoy learning about the history of things, you might find one story of how amaretto came about a little interesting.

Amaretto means “a little bitter” in Italian. Now, would you believe the first bottle of amaretto made was because of a love affair? It's certainly colorful and as rumors go, entertaining. The painter, Bernardino Luini, who created the Madonna fresco in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church located in Saronno, Italy, received the handmade gift from the innkeeper. Not unusual, except that the innkeeper's romantic interest, which inspired the creation of the liqueur, had grown while posing as a model for Bernardino.

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