How to Preserve an Open Bottle of Wine

Wine is drunk on many occasions formal and informal, and often bottles may remain unfinished at the end of the function. What do you do with these part bottles especially if they are good quality wines? Whatever you do don’t throw them out, seal them up so they can be enjoyed again in a day or two.

For many people the idea of preserving an open bottle of wine is not even contemplated, but if you are left with a partly used bottle, for goodness sake save it for another day. If you just replace the cork or other closure without extracting the air you are trapping oxygen over the surface of the wine which will lead to oxidation in a very short time.

Is this all a bit over the top?

Well, certainly not if you are dealing with higher quality, more expensive wines or if you live on your own and are unable to finish a bottle yourself, keep it to be enjoyed for another day. Why waste something that has been crafted and nurtured for so long? As a winemaker I will always look after a bottle of wine especially knowing how much effort went into its production. Top Tips on How to Look After Your Wine. Continue reading “How to Preserve an Open Bottle of Wine”

Starving for Intimacy

Some are seeking love in a bottle. Others look for it on the streets and many are trying to find it in their food.

Most of our food is grown on acres of land, sprayed by airplanes, cut by machines, moved by trucks or boats to plants automated to grind, package and ship. It is sent to stores where in bright colored wrappers; we are sold by seduction the richness of this product. We take it home open the can, package or jar one at a time to “feed” ourselves and maybe our family. The goal is often speed as we have or have had other obligations in the day. TV may be our entertainment as we consume this meal intended to nurture us.

This food is also sold to a distribution plant where it is sent to food chains across the country to feed a growing segment of the population. They take the food, mix it to their formula in large vats, package it in measured amounts, ship it by trucks to their outlets to be prepared quickly by workers for their breakfast lunch and dinner crowds. In these restaurants or at drive through windows food is dispersed in plastics or paper with speed as the goal so each of us can meet deadlines, time limits and multiple obligations. Some of us eat in our cars as we drive to other destinations or eat at our desk. What would happen if each day we had a pause in the day’s occupation as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said in his poem The Children’s Hour Continue reading “Starving for Intimacy”

Untold Dangers Of GM (Genetically Modified) Foods

In virtually all tests done on laboratory rats given GM foods, infant mortality and reproductive disorders have followed. This coincides with incidences of low birth weight, infertility, and infant mortality escalating in the United States as GM food becomes part of every American diet.

Food Is Now Registered As A Pesticide

It might surprise you to know that when insects get a mouthful of GM Bt (Bacillius thuringiensis) corn or cotton, they also get a mouthful of a built-in toxin, which is actually being produced by every cell of the genetically altered plant.

Engineers have figured out a way to insert genes into the very DNA of the plant so that the plant itself becomes an insect killing pesticide. When the insect takes a bite out of the genetically altered plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. The GM plants themselves are registered as pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency. Continue reading “Untold Dangers Of GM (Genetically Modified) Foods”

Smoke Your Meats And Embrace Your Inner Caveman

As I am writing this I can smell the fragrant goodness of mesquite and hickory wood mixed with country-style pork ribs and the heady meatiness of sirloin tip roast. My Masterbuilt electric smoker is billowing clouds of white smoke into the suburban grid and I’m annoying my neighbors with the aroma of freshly smoked meat. Today is a celebration of meat.

Meat. I love it. A luxurious and delicious benefit of the frontal lobe. Man is smarter than the other animals, therefore he will fashion a spear and kill what he needs and roast it on a fire. I am an unapologetic apex predator and when I’m in this mind-set there is no amount of tofu, fresh vegetables or nuts that will satiate my desire for the fatty, lusty and carnal desire of freshly smoked meat.

I don’t care what meat it is. Game, beef, poultry or lamb it doesn’t matter. I sometimes crave meat. I’m comfortable with my carnal desires and the sins of the smoked flesh. Continue reading “Smoke Your Meats And Embrace Your Inner Caveman”

Got Bees?

Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone… —- Joni Mitchell

Our relationship with honey bees is changing. We have become aware we need bees, not just for the miracle of honey, but as essential pollinators of our food system. While we may be aware that bees pollinate the plants in our food system, do we consider bees also generate food sources for birds and other wild creatures?

After thousands of years of taking honey for our own pleasure, and after exploiting these insects for two hundred years by relating to them as disposable servants in meeting our demand for industrial scale pollination of almonds, apples, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, melons, and squash (this is the short list), we have no choice but to re-evaluate our relationship with honey bees. Continue reading “Got Bees?”

Eat Half, Twice As Often!

I figured out that all you have to do to lose weight and then maintain your new weight is eat half as much as you normally would, but twice as often.

While you may have heard of a similar concept (small, frequent meals) before, what may be new to most people is to adjust the proportions each time you eat.

Notice that I say “each time you eat” instead of “meal.” I believe the word “meal” is overly associated with a whole lot of food! So from now on, the food on your plate will be referred to as “time to eat.”

Instead of 3 meals a day, make it 6 times to eat per day. Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, I say “first breakfast, second breakfast, first lunch, second lunch, etc.” Continue reading “Eat Half, Twice As Often!”

5 Common Mistakes That Result In Refrigerator Repair

Personally, I am not against any mechanics, technicians or repair shops but the only thing that hurts me is when a good thing goes bad merely due to improper usage. Machines and equipment are more or less like human body, you take good care of them and they would last longer, abuse them, and they would die on you before you know it.

Refrigerators are the cool machines in your home that keep your food and beverages in the perfect eating condition, however, the human response they get is excessive manhandling from all the family members. Just think about the number of times you open that door; now multiply it with the number of users in your family.

An awful lot of usage don’t you think. Here are a few tips and things to avoid that might help in keeping the refrigerator repairperson away. Continue reading “5 Common Mistakes That Result In Refrigerator Repair”

Successful Meeting Planning: How to Handle Traffic Flow

On the following pages you will find time-tested meeting planning techniques and helpful hints on handling all of these scenarios and more.

Meeting Rooms

If any attendee is standing in the back of the room without a seat nearby, then you have not done your job, which is to have everyone seated in a prompt, efficient, and courteous manner. To accomplish this goal, use the following strategies:

o Load the front of the room first, setting aside seats for VIPs and speakers.

o If there are side doors, open the front-most door first and direct delegates to the front seats.

o To prevent people from going down the aisle, stand in the middle of the aisle and point to where you would like them to go. Don’t argue with insistent guests, however, if they choose to move down the aisle. Continue reading “Successful Meeting Planning: How to Handle Traffic Flow”

3 Hot Dog Recipes for Camping

Love hot dogs on an open fire? The following recipes are different versions of this camping classic food.

ANGELS ON HORSEBACK

8 wieners

8 strips of cheese 2 1/2 to 3 inches long x 1/4 inch

8 thin sliced strips of bacon

8 Wiener buns

Toothpicks

Cooking forks

Slit lengthwise pockets in 8 wieners, long enough to hold one strip of cheese. Tuck in a strip of cheese into each pocket. Wind a strip of bacon around each wiener so the pocket and cheese are completely covered. Fasten each end of bacon to the wiener with a toothpick. Put each wiener on a cooking fork and bake over hot coals until bacon is cooked. When angel is done remove it from the fork and put in a wiener bun. Take out toothpicks before eating.

Continue reading “3 Hot Dog Recipes for Camping”

5 Tested Tips For Grilling During Windy Days

You can’t just postpone a backyard barbecue just because it’s a little breezy outside. Sure, it’s going to be more of a challenge but with the right preparation and a few adjustments, it’s something you can definitely overcome.

Here are some tried and tested tips for successful grilling during windy days:

Position your grill right

When preparing to cook on a windy day, you should anticipate the wind and find out its direction. If you’re using a charcoal grill, it’s ideal to turn the vents away from the wind. If you’re cooking with a gas grill, angle it away from the wind, perpendicular to your burner tubes’ flow of gas. Continue reading “5 Tested Tips For Grilling During Windy Days”