The Fun Times Guide to Food

11 Healthy Foods That Are Also Good For Your Skin!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:05:15 -0600

We all want to be healthy. And part of being healthy is maintaining healthy skin.

As I get older, I notice that the health of my own skin, particularly on my face, definitely has its moments. When I'm drinking lots of water, the laugh lines seem to disappear and my skin seems more soft and glowing.

However, when I'm busy trying to meet deadlines, dealing with stress, not eating well, or drinking enough water, the look of my skin changes. So, just from my own observations, I can tell that when I'm not taking good enough care of myself, my skin shows it.

That being said, there has to be something I can do to help my skin during those rough times, right? Well it turns out there are foods you can eat that can help to keep your skin healthy and looking great.

If you want healthy skin, then you'll want to add these foods to your daily diet...

Homemade Breakfast Potatoes: A Simple And Quick Potato Recipe

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:47:40 -0600

In our house, Saturday morning is the one day of the week that the box of bran cereal gets left in the cupboard.

On weekends, my wife Mary and I like our breakfast to be more like a brunch -- so a few extra calories won't destroy a week's worth of careful eating. After all, eating your main meal for lunch along with a lighter supper later in the day means your metabolism gets the opportunity to burn up the extra fuel before bedtime.

We could go out for a late breakfast, but why? When you look at the cost savings of doing it yourself, combined with the fact that you are in control of the portion size, making your own just makes sense to us. (Plus, we can sit around in our pajamas for as long as we like!)

We could also buy pre-packaged hash browns, but there's a big difference between processed and homemade. When you combine long-term freezing and questionable storage while in transport (thawing and refreezing), store-bought hash browns just don't compare to fried potatoes made fresh at home.

Here's how we make our own breakfast potatoes from scratch...

Home Remedies For Health Ailments: 6 Foods That Cure

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:08:52 -0600

Over the years, most of us have heard about foods that claim to cure a variety of ailments.

Lots of examples can be found in the book, The Healing Foods by Patricia Hausman and Judith Ann Hurley.

However, the most interesting thing is the fact that there is now scientific evidence to back up claims that certain foods can both prevent -- and in some cases cure -- a number of physical ailments.

Considering the billions of dollars Americans and others around the world spend on chemical medicines that can have horrible side effects, the idea that certain foods can improve your health is an important one.

That being said, following is a list of common ailments and the foods that can prevent them, if not cure them completely...

Meal Delivery Systems: Easy Take-And-Bake Options For Busy People

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:16:30 -0600

Are you tired of cooking for yourself?

Maybe you don't have the time to cook because of your busy lifestyle, including your job and family obligations.

Maybe you're concerned about the kinds of foods you and your family are eating.

Maybe you want to lose weight, but don't have the time to eat right.

Whichever it is, there are a number of take-and-bake options available these days. They're perfect for busy people!

Each provides fast, healthy meals to go. Here we will explore 5 meal delivery systems at depth, and mention a number of others that may also be worth considering.

Crock Pot vs Pressure Cooker - Which Is Better?

Sun, 17 May 2009 15:30:25 -0600

It's time to prepare dinner. Should you use a pressure cooker? Or should you use a crock pot (or slow cooker)? Dilemmas... dilemmas...

The pressure cooker claims speed similar to a high power microwave, the crockpot insists "low and slow" but ready by supper time is the better way.

Here's my point-by-point comparison of the two, after making the same dish made in both a crock pot and in a pressure cooker...

Don't Use A Bread Machine To Make Bread... Try These Step-By-Step Instructions For Bread Making

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:42:41 -0600

Okay, I admit it. I cheat. I use a bread machine.

The reason I cheat is because while I can knock-out an entrée or side dish without any problem, getting bread to come out of the oven and have the texture and taste I want is often a problem.

That's why I was glad to find this thorough guide to bread making on Epicurious.

Top 10 Recipe Search Sites To Find Recipes Online

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:38:03 -0600

The Internet is our recipe box.

Sure, people are still buying cookbooks (and there are some good ones, but that’s for another post). The reality is that more and more of us are powering up our computers to find something to make for dinner.

But where are we looking for that tasty dish?

If you type “recipes” into Google, the search engine spits out just fewer than 100 million results. But according to data from Hitwise (a company that tracks Internet traffic and search patterns) almost 25% of us end up going to just 2 sites:

Food Network

All Recipes

Edible Weeds - Don't Kill The Weeds In Your Yard, Eat Them!

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:06:54 -0600

Did you know that most weeds that grow in your yard are actually edible?

This means that even the worst gardener can produce food in the garden! All you have to do is harvest it.

Edible weeds are sadly overlooked as a source of food, nutrition, and variety that can be a valuable addition to our daily diets. After all, many of the edible plants that we call weeds are close relatives to the vegetables and herbs that are cultivated in our gardens. But these edible weeds grow on their own accord and are free for the picking. -- Veggie Gardening Tips

Here are some of the foods that will grow themselves in your yard...

Low-Carb Dessert Recipes & Fun Snacks That Are Atkins-Friendly

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:30:08 -0600

The whole premise behind low-carb diets (like the Atkins Diet) is to eat a balanced diet that is low in refined carbohydrates such as sugar, flour, and high fructose corn syrup.

By avoiding carbohydrates, the body's metabolism changes from burning glucose to using stored fat as the fuel for the human furnace.

When we think of snacks and desserts, we generally think: cake, pastries, cookies and any number of things concocted from refined carbohydrates (which are the root cause of obesity for many people).

Interestingly, these refined carbohydrates will also negatively affect those of us who are Type II Diabetic.

Does this mean that forever more you are restricted to a menu of steak and vegetables?

Fortunately, no! There are many satisfying snack and dessert options available that will satisfy your sweet tooth if you're on a low-carb diet, like the Atkins Diet.

Do You Really Have To Wash All Fruits & Vegetables First? What's The Best Way To Wash Produce?

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:23:51 -0600

We all know the importance of washing produce, especially with all the chemical sprays and such that farmers use these days.

But did you know that there are at least 5 different ways to remove pesticides, dirt and bacteria from produce? In fact, not all of them are recommended, although they still remain popular today.

Perhaps the biggest questions about washing produce are:

What is the best way to wash produce?

Do you really need to wash all produce?

Some people even wash bananas and other fruits before peeling them... why?

How To Get FREE Cookbooks

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 06:20:40 -0600

I've written before about how the Internet is a cook's dream; thousands of recipes just a few keystrokes away.

But now I've found a way to use the Internet to get cookbooks (and other books, for that matter) for FREE.

It's actually really simple. Scribd.com is a website where you can download any number of books and publications.

You can also upload your works and discuss with the site's community about your favorite books, authors, or whatever else is on your mind.

101 Cookbooks: An Online Journal Of The Best Cookbook Recipes

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:04:37 -0600

What do you do when you look at your bookshelves and you see more than 100 cookbooks there?

If you're Heidi Swanson, you break out the pans. And the computer.

Heidi is an award-winning photographer and author who one day in 2003 decided it was time to stop buying books and start cooking what's in them.

That's how 101Cookbooks.com began -- as a journal of her cookbook collection, one recipe at a time.

Fun Things To Do With Leftover Easter Candy

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:45:44 -0600

It's probably a safe bet to say you will have plenty of candy leftover after Easter.

I've found myself in this predicament dozens of times.

Following are the best ways to put leftover Easter candy to good use, including:

chocolate Easter bunnies

Easter M&Ms

jelly beans

marshmallow peeps

creme eggs

...and more!

Top 10 Reasons To Use A Crockpot Rather Than Stovetop Or Oven Cooking

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:51:54 -0600

We got an email the other day:

Help!... I have a crockpot. I know I should be using it to cook more efficiently for my family. But I just don't feel motivated to use it. What do you think might motivate me to return to crockpot cooking?

It's amazing to me that not more people use their crock pots because there are so many advantages to using one, and so few disadvantages -- if any.

Crockpots (or slow cookers) have been around since our grandmother's time and our grandmothers utilized theirs often.

In fact, that is how many of our grandmothers and mothers were able to create home-cooked meals and still get everything else done around the house or on the job.

I personally love my crockpot and use it at least 2 or 3 times per week. As a freelance writer who works from home, using my crock pot makes it possible for me to be able to stay at home and eat healthy, rather than eat all those convenience foods which aren't so good for you.

Here are the best reasons for using a crockpot over other methods of cooking (or eating out)...

Cooking Green: A Cookbook That Helps You Save The Planet From Your Kitchen

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:52:17 -0600

Open-up your newspaper. Log-on to the Internet. Turn-on your TV. You're going to see a story about going green.

Green is the new black, as the cliché goes.

It's the marketing buzz word of the century so far and is being tied to everything from cars to food to homes to clothes... just about everything. Type "green" into Amazon and you'll find more than a half-million books to help you go green.