Search Results for: blog selecting the right avocado

The Right Foods Can Counteract Drug Side Effects

At some point in your life, you’ll most likely be taking a prescription medicine. Maybe it’ll be short term; maybe it’ll be long term. Some long term prescriptions can deplete essential nutrients from your body, but a few small dietary changes can help. Statins — drugs that can help lower cholesterol — can deplete levels of coenzyme Q10. This can leave you with sore muscles, elevated liver enzymes, and feelings of fatigue. Adding more lean meat, chicken, and fish to your diet can help boost levels of coenzyme Q10. Medications for high blood pressure, like vasodilators or beta-blockers can deplete … Continue reading →

Selecting The Right Avocado

Selecting an avocado has traditionally never been one of my strong points. I used to always wind up with one that, although it looked normal outside, when opened, might have been something you see the entire cast of CSU pouring over in any given week. A forensics study would have been appropriate. The problem with avocados is that they ripen suddenly and then spoil just as quickly. At least, that is my story, and I am sticking with it. My next strategy in selecting an avocado was to bring home one that was the most unripe-looking one I can find. … Continue reading →

Weird Beauty Tips

A friend sent me a link to a list of weird beauty tips from Cosmopolitan magazine. Some of these I’ve heard before, some of them I haven’t. Here are a few of my favorites! A dab of toothpaste can cure a zit. This one I’ve heard before (but never tried). The beauty experts at Cosmo suggest leaving the toothpaste on for just 15 minutes, then washing it off. The person who told me about it said to leave the toothpaste on overnight, but I can see how that’d either smear off in your sleep or possibly clog more pores and … Continue reading →

Choosing Strawberries

Yummy, yummy strawberries. Who can resist the plump sweetness of a great strawberry. There is nothing like this great fruit when it is ripe and perfect. Enjoy them with chocolate, with cream, or in one of the many great recipes here in the Food Blog. But, one of the things about strawberries is that when they go wrong, they go very wrong. From tough bitter berries to rotten moldy berries, you could be in for a nasty surprise if you aren’t careful. And strawberries have some special concerns when it comes to choosing where and how the strawberries are grown. … Continue reading →

Shopping List and Tidbits: August 14 to August 17

Welcome to the shopping list and tidbits which is the food blog’s form of the week in review. If you regularly read the food blog, you know that I hadn’t done the shopping list and tidbits for quite some time. I had decided to focus on the cookbooks which are coming slowly but surely. However, some of you have requested that I bring this feature back so I promise to do my best! If you’re new to this format you’ll find pantry items at the top of the list. These are things that are called for in the recipes this … Continue reading →

How to Select Onions

How many people does it take to select an onion? I thought about this take on an old joke when I overheard a mother and daughter having an onion debate at a local produce store. The each had their own take on how to select the best onions. I use onions all of the time in my cooking. They are versatile and an easy way to add a flavor to cooking that is a common part of most everyone’s pallet. Onions can be used in many different cooking devices and techniques, from the grill to the crockpot. Chopped or diced … Continue reading →

How to Select Grapes

Mmmm grapes. Nature’s candy. Grapes are one thing that I don’t have to beg my children to eat them out of hand. And, they are also wonderful in fruit salads, chicken salads, and of course, traditional leafy salads. But some grapes can be, well, less than desirable. Do you know how to select the best grapes? Do you want a quick, easy refresher? Read on to find out some great tips about selecting wonderful grapes at the store. First, you should decide what type of grapes you would like. Yes, some are seeded and other seedless, but there are three … Continue reading →

How to Choose Cherries

Summer is a great time to pick up some cherries. They are definitely in season right now. But how can you choose the best fruit? Read this article to find out the three different types of cherries and what to look for when buying them. At my house right now, barely a day goes by without some little mouth covered with the pink juice stains of ripe cherries. I think I’ve probably spent hours cutting them up and removing the pits. There are three types of cherries, and they aren’t all best used for the same purposes. The cherries that … Continue reading →

How to Select Mushrooms

Want to know how to select the best mushrooms? It is easy to do. Just follow some simple tips. Have you ever been to New Jersey? It is called the Garden State for good reason. I know, I know, you may not think of gardening when you think of New Jersey. I can relate. I grew up in New York City and got to experience the whole garbage barge debate. (There was a garbage barge that kept sailing across the river from NJ to NY and back again. Neither state wanted to claim it, and it led to some good … Continue reading →

Does Bagged Produce Save You Money?

Those pre-selected bags of produce seem to save you money, but do they? Actually, it depends on a couple of factors. This question was recently posed to me by a member, reader and fellow frugal person here at Families.com. She asks, “Is buying those pre-bagged fruits and vegetable really worth it? They seem less expensive, but I always wonder if they are really just bruised and rotten.” Here are some tips to help you make the best choice when it comes to deciding between bagged produce and produce that you hand select. With bagged produce you can usually expect some … Continue reading →