Not just coffee

Archive for category life

Tea’s Too Weak for Many

Mar 1

Posted by admin in beverages, life

Ever wonder about the strength of a caffeinated beverage? There are those who believe tea is too weak; tea drinkers are not hyped enough. Last week The Tea Party people made headlines. This week a new  group popped up with gusto! Coffee and its kindred beverages that are given a caffeine boost are making headlines with the recent launch of the Coffee Party.

What started as a comment turned into a social media Facebook success story: Incredible numbers decided to join up.

I always knew that coffee had a more vocal following; after all that caffeine has to be put to good use somewhere.

Politics aside Coffee Klatches have been around for a long time. It’s hard to describe the current state of the country as being divided between the teas and the coffees or the amount of juiced up caffeine in our spirit, but that seems to be where we are.

Pick your drink and your politics.cup

I’ll stick with the double espresso.

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Support the Little Guy

Feb 27

Posted by admin in food universe, life

The wind is howling. The snow is still piled up, but the little guy is hanging out there waiting for you.

Not every restaurant has the high rent problem. Some have solved the dilemma by getting a food truck. Remember this was a strong trend at the end of the decade and continues to be an ever-present one, regardless of the weather.  IMG00761

Some cities are lined with food carts, and you quickly learn who’s got what and where to find the best hot meal. No matter the competition, the goal is the same: Quality food at affordable prices. Even with a smile!

Time to get onto Twitter and find where some of the mobile ones are hanging out.

These are the little businesses that need our loyalty even if the snow is still piled high along the street.

BTW, the falafel is excellent!

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The 3-Pounder

Feb 4

Posted by admin in Economy, food universe, life

Don’t get excited; I’m not talking about a burger eating contest. I’m sure someone is ready to test his personal best, and prove his overeating mettle, but I’m talking fruit. Most likely a healthier discussion!

Yes, something’s going on at the grocery store. Somebody very smart, somewhere, figured out that buying fruit by the pound could tip the scales over the budget limits, but buying affordable 3-lb bags seemed somehow logical. With the economy in its current circular cycle, shoppers needed products in more manageable sizes: They could no longer afford to fill their kitchens with 10 lb bags of an assortment of fruits. Welcome to the 3-pound bags.

Selection varies from store to store, but there are multiple varieties within a category such as apples: Saw 4-5 different types of apples (even found organic honey crisps) in this 3 lber easy-to-carry bagapplebags. Another positive besides price, storage, and variety, they were smaller apples: Perfect lunch box or brown bag size. Hey, someone has figured this out.

There are small bags of all types of oranges, too. Not seen much in the way of grapefruit, but figure this year with the various negative temperature cycles, small grapefruits will become popular, too.

We’re talking economy of scale.

OK, economy.

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A Sweetheart Deal

Jan 19

Posted by admin in life

Remember the clock is ticking: February is just around the corner which means Valentine’s Day marketing is in full swing.

Check this out: The New Sweetheart messages have evolved and changed with the times with fruity new flavors, bright colors and modern messages. Sure you can still get a “sweetie,” a “love me,” but how about the new ones:tweetme

–Text Me or Tweet Me

We can’t seem to escape our universe of smartphone mantras. The company even came up with an IPhone App that works with your Twitter account. Here you can personalize your messages to say what you want. Remember we said you could do that with chocolate bars and M&Ms, and now a real sweetheart deal.

So the next time you can’t tweet and find the web overloaded, you know the Sweetheart approach is taking over.

Tweet, tweet, you cute little birdie. Oh, that’s so yesterday.

Privacy alert.

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Fruit to Sleep

Dec 18

Posted by admin in health, life

Everyone knows caffeine is bad late at night; it keeps you awake. That is unless your body is conditioned to enjoy it as part of a great dinner or a special, soothing hot beverage to cap an evening. It’s conditioning. Coffee is the enemy and keeps you awake only if you let it! Trust me. I live the late-nite double espresso existence.

What if  you are on the other end of the spectrum? What if the caffeine gets you? What then helps you fall asleep and sleep soundly? There are those that suggest a warm glass of milk instead of the hot coffee. Or the camp that says a bowl of cereal–milk again tops the list for its calcium-inducing factors. How about other strategies to help awaken the melatonin and get the sleep juices going?

A new report says a handful of dried cherries or even a banana about an hour before bedtime does the trick. No wonder the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City, Michigan offers a cherry massage. It’s a natural! Also not coincidental that this is the location of the annual National Cherry Festival. Not a difficult food to honor!  Tasty and good for you: A perfect combination.cherry

Sleep well.

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Watching Food

Nov 6

Posted by admin in life

Some people like to watch paint dry. I, on the other hand, have a fascination with food.

If sushi chefs taught us anything, it was that customers love to watch their food being made. It somehow conveys a freshness not otherwise exhibited when one buys a plasticized food container. Yes, someone made that item somewhere, but when and where?

When we go to a Mexican restaurant and someone is manning the tortilla machine we get that warm, cuddly, freshness feel. Yes, tortillas somehow taste better when we see the machine in action!

We like to watch. (I’m not talking about high-end restaurants where the magic is delicately performed at stations in the kitchen). I’m talking about a different food tier. We feel comfortable ordering what we see being prepared. That’s why grocers have expanded their takeaway sections with meals you can put together for a set price. You make the selection based on what you see. It feels far cleaner and fresher than the salad bar approach to dining.

How about a machine that makes fresh rice cakes while you watch! First off, the concept is fun, and the flavor means you’ll forgo the packaged products forever. Hello, CocoPop Machine. individual rice cake Yes, these circular gems literally pop out of the machine and into the individual order. You’ll question the packaged rice cakes you’ve been snacking on for years.

If you see the machine in action, like I did today at a brand, spanking new Wegmans, you’ll be hooked on the lightness of the taste. If they are doing samples, try it with the organic jam. Now we’re talking a pairing! This type of interactive food display makes shopping fun again. Trust me: No cardboard aftertaste!

Seeing food being prepared can enhance the palate.

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Seriously, Andre

Oct 28

Posted by admin in life, tennis

I think I could have managed nicely reading your book and never learning about the crystal meth and the deception.

I would have been happy believing you were clean and that you demonstrated what hard work and untold hours of practice could accomplish.

I would have survived nicely practicing my game; thinking back on great wins and believing that natural talent could be supplemented naturally.

No. You ruined it. I did not need to know.

Then the final confession that you secretly hated playing tennis.

Seriously, what are you on now?

Let’s see how your name sells now?agassi

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Whole Milk or Skim?

Oct 27

Posted by admin in health, life

Choosing the milk is only a small part of the breakfast cereal dance. What about choosing the cereal? In a new report from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, researchers found that cereals marketed to kids have more sugar, 85% more sugar, less fiber, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium than those considered for adult consumption.

What does “marketing to kids” mean? Who is paying the bills? Have we become illogical in our shopping habits? The report specifically points out licensed characters help sell a product or at least elicit a shout out such as, ” I want Dora cereal.” Besides selling significant quantities of a product, isn’t it time we got the cereal manufacturers to focus on the effect of their approach? How can we ever derail the obesity bandwagon if we don’t rally around the devastating weight statistics?

As long as we are focused on healthy choices, we need to support this study with some serious aisle finger-pointing. The researchers discovered that General Mills markets to children more than any other company, and that six of the 10 least healthy cereals advertised to children are made by the company. Look at the cereal facts home page to understand the FACTS, the Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score, developed by health researchers at Yale University. Kellogg Mini-Wheatsminiwheats, on the other hand, received the best nutrition rating, the top FACT score.

Attendees at The Obesity Society’s annual meeting will have plenty of data to crunch.

Let’s encourage the FTC to begin its truth-in-advertising hearings on this important health topic.

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Keeping Guard: Sanitizer Wipes

Oct 25

Posted by admin in health, life

It seems that everyday a new story emerges about a bad case of H1N1, one that just hangs around and transfers its germs from person-to-person. The fact that many are describing its symptoms in dire tones means we need to take dire steps. Vigilance remains the critical focus. Being an alarmist is a state of mind that has long left our vocabulary. The problem is here, the country has been put into a state of emergency, and we must know what to do.

So much has been written on the subject (Sani Handscheck out my blog posts), but it never ceases to amaze me how many new products have emerged as a first line of defense. Watching young children at a soccer match try to stay clean and not pass germs with each ball has become a new spectator sport. Watch and listen: The air is filled with germs as the coughers and sneezers are everywhere.

This is a contact sport that seems not to be in any way on the decline. With each young person immunized, three more are reported sick so they cannot be immunized. That is the crux of the problem. H1 arrived on schedule, but we are off schedule.

So today instead of the liquid sanitizer, I am all for the Sani-Hands. It wasn’t the cartoon characters that convinced me that kids would willingly grab a wipe, but the fact that they are non alcohol-based and have a moisturizing Aloe, Vitamin E, and Glycerin component. They kill off the germs and are not messy or sticky.

Enough of the hand-waving dance to get dry. This is a simple process: Open the package and use or buy the pull-up canister version. Either works.

We need all the help we can get.

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October Food Notes

Oct 3

Posted by admin in life, news

candyVirginia (the state) has turned the month of October into a big party: Virginia Wine Month. So many wineries, so many related food events including plenty of pumpkin and apple-picking opportunities. That concept fits perfectly with National Apple Month (actually starts in September and continues on into November). We’re meeting the celebration right in the middle: October, a plentiful time to celebrate the apple, a fruit that has managed to continue to amaze with its many varieties. Did anyone say, an apple a day…

Of course, if you have apples, you might be thinking caramels. The Confectioner’s Association has not only named October National Caramel Month, but they’ve picked a few individual days to celebrate: The 28th, National Chocolate Day, the 30th, National Candy Corn Day and Halloween, the 31st, National Caramel Apple Day. Clever, those candy people!

I feel sorry for the 29th–they certainly could have invented another celebration.  How about National Brush Your Teeth Extra Often This Month, Halloween’s Comin’!

In non-candy news, here are a few other celebrations you can easily take advantage of: National Chili Month, National Pizza Month, and National Seafood Month.

That’s plenty to get excited about.

For now.

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